Poetry Out Loud State Finals to Select Winner for Ohio
by OAC Staff
Columbus, OH - The Ohio Arts Council will host the eighth annual Poetry Out Loud (POL) state finals on Saturday, March 16, at the Matesich Theatre on the campus of Ohio Dominican University, 1216 Sunbury Road, Columbus. The daylong event, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., brings students, parents and teachers from 38 high schools throughout the state to compete for the chance to represent Ohio at the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in Washington, D.C., April 29-30.
The winner at the state level receives $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school receives a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books for its library. The runner-up receives $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Additionally, a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals.
The contest starts at the classroom level where more than 7,000 students participated in their school contests this year. Students memorize a poem and recite it before a panel of judges who score them in the following areas: physical presence; voice and articulation; dramatic appropriateness; level of difficulty; evidence of understanding; accuracy and overall performance. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Cleveland poet Dave Lucas will share his original poems between rounds in the state competition. Lucas received the 2012 Ohioana Book Award for his poetry collection, Weather. He is the co-founder and co-director of the popular Market Garden Brewery Reading Series in Cleveland.
Ohio Arts Council Board Member Sharon Howard, of Dayton, will serve as emcee for the final round of the state competition. The event is free and open to the public
Poetry Out Loud is presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Poetry Out Loud finals are presented in partnership with the Thurber House and the Ohioana Library.
Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information on this national program and the Ohio Arts Council website for more information on the Ohio program.
A list of students participating is available upon request. Follow @OhioArtsCouncil on Twitter for live updates from the state finals.
About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
About the National Endowment for the Arts:
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.
About Poetry Out Loud:
Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
About the Poetry Foundation:
The publisher of Poetry magazine, the Poetry Foundation is an independent library organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the best poetry before the largest possible audiences.
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