Upper Arlington High School Student Finishes in the Top Five at National Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest
by Jaclyn Reynolds
*Update* Mido Aly finished in the top five at the national finals in Washington, D.C. He represented Ohio at the national finals April 26-28, 2009, in Washington, D.C.
Ohio’s fourth annual Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, March 14 at the Matesich Theatre at Ohio Dominican University. Upper Arlington High School student Mido Aly was selected as the representative from Ohio and will advance to the national finals April 26-28, 2009, in Washington, D.C.
Three final winners were selected. Leah Walkowski from Columbus Alternative High School placed second. Lynsay Strahorn from Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton placed third. In all, 27 students from around Ohio participated in the event. Mido Aly received $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. His school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up, Leah Walkowski, received $200, with $200 for her school library, and the second runner-up, Lynsay Strahorn, received $100 with $50 for her school library. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals. Poetry Out Loud is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council. Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The program seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. Complete list of student participants.[top]