Last Friday, Feb.10, students participated in a Poetry Out Loud! competition in East Library.

Senior Claire Turvill was crowned  winner, with Seniors Lauren Davis and Sky Ford as runner ups. Following her win, Turvill will compete at the sub-regional tournament at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago on Feb. 22.

Following that, there will be a state tournament in Springfield.  In April, the best of the best from around the country will perform in Washington, D.C for a prize of $20,000.

All students were invited to memorize a poem and compete at the reading. The judges were looking for  “clear understanding of the poem, ability to relay emotion to the audience, and memorization skills,”  English teacher Tara Pollack said.

Rapper Kweku Collins, Class of ’15 , served as a guest celebrity judge. The 2012 winner, who is currently signed to Closed Sessions record label, also treated the audience to some unreleased original material

This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 school in every state, Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

If students would like to participate next Feb., all you have to do is find a poem from the Poetry Out Loud website, found here.

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