Thousands of Students Compete in State Poetry Out Loud Competition; Fifth Annual Arizona Poetry Out Loud Recitation Finals Announced
Phoenix, AZ (February 24, 2010) - The Fifth Annual Poetry Out Loud State Recitation Finals will be held on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 7pm at the Burton Barr Central Library. Students representing 24 Arizona high schools will meet in competition to determine the 2010 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion.
11,000 high school students from across the state participated in the 2010 Arizona Poetry Out Loud competition, a program of the Arizona Commission on the Arts in partnership with the Young Writers Program at Arizona State University.
The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.
Erik Hollis, 2008 and 2009 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion, said of the program, “It was an experience I will remember for a lifetime. I learned to never set limits for myself regarding goals that I am passionate about.”
“The students work hard to get to the finals,” said Robert C. Booker, Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. “Watching such a diverse group of exceptional young people from around the state stand tall, recite, and display their understanding and love of poetry is truly remarkable and inspirational. These young people learn skills through this competition that will serve them for a lifetime.”
Students competing in this year’s finals represent communities across Arizona:
Central Arizona:
Elizabeth Andronic, Centennial High School, Peoria
Jean-Luc Cavnar-Lewandowski, Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix
Leila Duman, Arizona School for the Arts, Phoenix
Arcelia Isais, University High – Tolleson Union High School, Tolleson
Angelica Martinez, Maricopa High School, Maricopa
Brittney Moreno, Copper Canyon High School, Glendale
Kate Nienhauser, BASIS Scottsdale High School, Scottsdale
Alejandro Ramirez, Trevor G. Browne High School, Phoenix
Nicole Thompson, Cactus High School, Glendale
Gabriel Angel Vazquez, La Joya Community High School, Avondale
Northern Arizona:
Ariana Alexander, Mogollon High School, Heber
Joanna Clark, Seligman High School, Seligman
Alexandra Geter, Sedona Red Rock High School, Sedona
Laramie Pajkos, Sinagua High School, Flagstaff
Cason D. Smithson, Coconino High School, Flagstaff
Spencer Vandevier, Kingman High School, Kingman
Emaleigh Walter, Tri-City College Preparatory High School, Prescott
Codie Wallace, Wickenburg High School, Wickenburg
Southern Arizona:
Andreina Aguayo, Sunnyside High School, Tucson
Allegra Blair Breedlove, University High School, Tucson
Kathleen Cannon, Tucson High Magnet School, Tucson
Stefanie McNerney, St. Gregory College Preparatory School, Tucson
Michelle Moraila, Nogales High School, Nogales
Amberly Roudybush, Amphitheater High School, Tucson
The event will feature special guest Alberto Rios, celebrated Arizona poet and author. Rios is the Regents’ Professor and the Katherine C. Turner Chair in English at Arizona State University. He will give a reading of his work and serve as a judge in the final competition.
About Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry—recitation and performance. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. For further information regarding Poetry Out Loud, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
Poetry Out Loud prizes
The Arizona state winner will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at the National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
About the Young Writers Program at Arizona State University
Arizona State University’s Young Writers Program (YWP) provides the k-12 community with arts-based, standard-aligned creative writing opportunities through mutually beneficial partnerships. The Young Writers Program utilizes a variety of arts-based strategies designed to create early positive arts experience that increase chances for student achievement.
About the Arizona Commission on the Arts
One of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the United States, the Arizona Commission on the Arts is an agency of the State of Arizona that supports a statewide arts network. The Arizona Commission on the Arts supports access to quality arts and arts education opportunities for all Arizona citizens; the development and retention of statewide jobs in the nonprofit arts, culture and education sectors; and increased economic impact in local communities through arts-based partnerships that develop tax and small business revenue.
We imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts.
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Images available upon request.
