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MHS students take to the stage and bring poetry to life
Nearly
20 Middletown High School students commanded the stage
on Jan. 9 during the first annual Poetry Out
Loud Recitation Contest. One by one, students looked out
into the crowd and bravely recited two poems of their
choice as part of the competition aimed at
helping
students master public speaking skills, build
self-confidence, and learn about literary works. Alexandra Haines,
a junior, won the competition, while students
Dominique Witsell and Natalie Torres placed second and
third.
“This was a good chance for me to go on
stage and perform,” Haines said. “It was great.” And
fellow contestant Davon Clarke agreed.
“I
wanted to be part of this contest because I’ve always
had a love for the arts and poetry is really
interesting. Poetry is so powerful and it lets you
express a lot.”
Most students, like Haines and Clarke,
tapped into their passion for poetry, the arts and
performing to prepare for the competition. Students
first participated at the classroom level and winners
were invited to take part in the school-wide competition
held on Jan. 9. Each participant selected two poems to
recite from the list of 200, ranging from
medieval
to
contemporary literary pieces.
"The Poetry Out Loud competition was a
resounding success for our students at Middletown High
School,” said House II Principal Michelle Zernone. “Not
only did it afford an opportunity for students to enter
a national recitation competition, but more importantly
it engendered a love of poetry and/or performance that
will stay with our student performers for a lifetime. I
am truly proud of the hard work of our students and
staff who participated. They made us all extremely
proud."
The contest, presented in partnership
with New York State Art Alliance, the National Endowment
for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a
national program that encourages high school students to
learn about poetry through memorization, performance and
competition. Students are judged on their articulation,
performance, and presence, among other things. The
school-wide winner is invited to attend the state-wide
competition—held in Albany this year.
Each winner at the state level will
receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington
to compete for the national championship. The state
winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the
purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will
receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A
total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at
the national finals will be awarded to the winners.
“I am thrilled that we have been able to
offer our students a creative outlet that focuses on
performance. I feel that each of the students embraced
all of the qualities that we were hoping for in bringing
poetry to focus in our curriculum,” said Greg Bennett,
Lead Teacher and K-12 music department chair. “The
students that participated obviously have learned
discipline, commitment, and developed stage skills that
will serve them in all aspects of their lives.”
Prizes:
First place winner received: an engraved bronze dish, an
engraved bronze medal, a $40.00 gift certificate to
Barnes & Noble, a complete Shakespeare anthology, and a
softcover poetry anthology.
Second place winner received: an engraved
bronze trophy, an engraved bronze medal, a $25.00 gift
certificate to Border's, a complete Shakespeare
anthology, and a softcover poetry anthology.
Third place winner received: an engraved
bronze trophy, an engraved bronze medal, a $25.00 gift
certificate to the Galleria at Crystal Run, a complete
Shakespeare anthology, and a softcover poetry anthology.
Each student that participated in the
event received a Poetry Out Loud Participation
Certificate as well.
Prizes donated by: The Winner's
Bracket, The Galleria at Crystal Run, Border's
Booksellers, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
Judges included: MHS faculty
members Jean Allee and Rochelle Weiler as well as Chris
Farlekas, a contributing columnist at the Times-Herald
Record for Arts & Entertainment. |
Recitation
Contest