Columbus Student Wins 2014 Ohio's Poetry Out Loud Contest, Advances to Nationals
by Patricia Shannon
Ohio's ninth annual Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, March 8 at the Matesich Theatre at Ohio Dominican University. Lake Wilburn (pictured right; photo by Todd Callentine), a junior at Centennial High School in Columbus, won the competition with his recitations of "Double Dutch," by Gregory Pardlo; "When You Are Old," by William Butler Yeats; and "They Feed They Lion," by Philip Levine. As the winner of the state finals, Wilburn received a $300 prize, his school gets $500 for the purchase of poetry books, and he will receive an all-expense-paid trip to compete in the Poetry Out Loud national finals in Washington, D.C., April 28-30, 2014.
More than 8,000 students from more than 50 schools around Ohio participated in Poetry Out Loud competitions this year. After classroom-level and then school-wide contests, 36 students competed in the final event. They performed classic and contemporary poems for a three-person panel of poetry and performance experts. Students were awarded points for accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation, level of complexity and other criteria.
First runner-up Emily Flood, a senior from The Lyceum in South Euclid, received $200, in addition to $200 for her school library. Second runner-up, Dezi Lowry, a senior from Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, received $100 with $50 for her school library. Three other students received honorable mentions: Rachel Strahorn, a senior at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton; Sarah Binau, a junior at Bexley High School in Bexley; and Alison Caldwell, a senior at Stow-Munroe Falls High School in Stow.
Sharon Howard, a communications professional from Dayton and a current Ohio Arts Council board member, emceed this year's Poetry Out Loud state competition. Howard then joined Ohio Arts Council Executive Director Julie Henahan to present awards to the top six finalists. Columbus poet Hannah Stephenson shared her original poems between rounds at the state competition.
Each finalist received a framed original block print, created by Cleveland artist Michael Gill, that incorporated an excerpt of the poem, "Town," by Hannah Stephenson. Finalists also received and a signed copy of Stephenson's 2013 book, In the Kettle, the Shriek.
A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the Poetry Out Loud national finals, including a $20,000 cash prize for the national champion. Ohio has an outstanding track record of competition at the national level. Ohio champion Jackson Hille was the first national Poetry Out Loud winner in 2006. In 2009, Ohio champion Mido Aly was among the top five national finalists, and last year's Ohio champion, Taribo Osuobeni, received an Honorable Mention.
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. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information on this national program and the Ohio Arts Council website for more information on the Ohio program.
Photos of the top six finalists are available upon request.
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 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.
Complete list of student participants:
Kelly Tapager, senior, Andrews Osborne Academy, Willoughby
Lexus Lowery, senior, Archbishop Alter High School, Kettering
Miyo Peck-Suzuki, sophomore, Athens High School, The Plains
Brittany Mercer, senior, Beechcroft High School, Columbus
Sarah Binau, junior, Bexley High School, Bexley
Samantha Sambois, senior, Bloom Carroll High School, Carroll
Artasia Nelson, sophomore, Canal Winchester High School, Canal Winchester
Lake Wilburn, junior, Centennial High School, Columbus
Rachel Strahorn, senior, Chaminade-Julienne High School, Dayton
Gabrie Bassett, senior, Columbus Alternative High School, Columbus
Melissa Gammons, sophomore, Columbus School for Girls, Columbus
Ayobami Balogun, sophomore, Eastmoor Academy High School, Columbus
Jahqethea Johnson, sophomore, Fort Hayes High School, Columbus
Eleanor Mullins, sophomore, John Glenn High School, New Concord
Sparrow Elizabeth, senior, Kettering Fairmont High School, Kettering
LexAndria Owen, freshman, Leaves of Learning, Deer Park
Rachel Riggs, senior, Logan High School, Logan
Grant Morgan, senior, Medina Senior High School, Medina
Alexandra Stevens, freshman, Mother of Mercy High School, Cincinnati
Dezi Lowry, senior, Purcell Marian High School, Cincinnati
Aimee Ortega, senior, Reynoldsburg High School HS, Reynoldsburg
Michelle McKenzie, junior, Rutherford B. Hayes High School, Delaware
Andrew Roth, freshman, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights
Sylvia Taye, freshman, St. Francis DeSales High School, Columbus
Alison Caldwell, senior, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, Stow
Kathryn Tenbarge, junior, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati
Hailey McCracken, senior, Tallmadge High School, Tallmadge
Emily Flood, senior, The Lyceum, South Euclid
Makala White, senior, Toledo Early College High School, Toledo
Maegan Fleniken, freshman, Toledo School For the Arts, Toledo
Meghan Burgess, senior, Twinsburg High School, Twinsburg
Alex Price, junior, Upper Arlington High School, Upper Arlington
Melody Gibson, junior, Vantage Career Center, VanWert
Tarike Osuobeni, junior, Westerville Central High School, Westerville
Edwina B. Amagnoh, junior, Whetstone High School, Columbus
Noah Winold, senior, Yellow Springs High School, Yellow Springs
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