Poetry Out Loud State Finals to Select Ohio Student Champion
by OAC Staff
The Ohio Arts Council will host the ninth annual Poetry Out Loud state finals on Saturday, March 8, at the Matesich Theatre on the campus of Ohio Dominican University, 1216 Sunbury Road, Columbus.
The day-long event, from 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., brings students, parents and teachers from 49 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 28th through 30th. The winner at the state level receives $300 and an all-expense-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 8,000 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 complexity, evidence of understanding, accuracy and overall performance. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Columbus poet Hannah Stephenson will share her original poems between rounds in the state competition. She is a poetry blogger for The Huffington Post, and her poems have appeared in publications that include Hobart, Room, Contrary, MAYDAY, qarrtsiluni, and The Nervous Breakdown. Her full-length collection, In the Kettle, the Shriek, debuted in 2013. She is the founder of Paging Columbus!, a literary arts monthly event series featuring local poets reading their original work at the Ohio State University Urban Arts Space.
Ohio Arts Council board member Sharon Howard 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 and state arts agencies nationwide. The Ohio Poetry Out Loud finals are presented in partnership with Thurber House, the Ohioana Library and the Ohio Center for the Book in Cleveland.
Visit poetryoutloud.org for more information on this national program and the Ohio Arts Council website for more information on the Ohio program.
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.
Participating high schools in Ohio include:
Andrews Osborne Academy H.S.
Archbishop Alter High School
Athens High School
Beechcroft High School
Bexley High School
Bloom Carroll High School
Brecksville Broadview Heights H.S.
Buckeye Local High School
Canal Winchester High School
Catholic Central High School
Centennial High School
Chaminade-Julienne HS
Cincinnati State STEM Academy
Columbus Alternative High School
Columbus School for Girls
Coventry High School
East Community Learning Center
Eastmoor Academy High School
Fort Hayes Arts and Academic HS
Ginn Academy
John Glenn High School
Kettering Fairmont High School
Leaves of Learning
Logan Hocking High School
Medina High School
Milford High School
Mother of Mercy High School
Northeast Ohio College Preparatory
Purcell Marian High School
Reynoldsburg High School
Rutherford B. Hayes HS
Shaker Heights High School
St. Francis DeSales High School
Stephen T. Badin High School
Stow-Monroe Falls High School
Sycamore High School
Tallmadge High School
The Lyceum
Toledo Early College High School
Toledo School For The Arts
Twinsburg High School
Upper Arlington High School
Vantage Career Center
Wayne High School
Westerville Central High School
Whetstone High School
Yellow Springs High School
Pictured in image, from left to right: Sharon Howard, 2013 POL state champion Taribo Osuobeni and OAC Executive Director Julie Henahan
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