By Carina Glasser
Photographer
Students who want to shout and let it all out at Mira Costa will have a chance to at this year’s “Poetry Out Loud” competition.
Mira Costa will host a preliminary round of “Poetry Out Loud,” a national poetry recitation competition, on Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in room 1. This will be Costa’s first time participating in the event.
“I jumped at the opportunity to hold this competition on our campus, and the entire English Department and the administration has been completely supportive,” English teacher Daina Sieker said.
Sieker came up with the idea of holding the contest at Costa and volunteered to organize it.
“I am ecstatic about the contest,” Sieker said. “I think this competition is a fantastic way to spread poetry awareness throughout Costa’s campus.”
The competition consists of two rounds. This gives each contestant the opportunity to perform two memorized poems from the anthology of poetry provided.
Students can choose from 750 poems on the website. Some of the poets included are Maya Angelou, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Edgar Allen Poe.
“I am mainly a math and science kid, but I find poetry as a way to express myself,” senior Rachel Weiner said.
The competition requires students to exemplify voice, physical presence and dramatic appropriateness. They are also judged on the level of difficulty, evidence of understanding and overall performance. The use of props and costumes is prohibited and the use of hand gestures is very limited.
“The judges will be some teachers from Mira Costa’s English Department,” Sieker said, “So far we have Pam Jenning, Zamira Skalkottas, Alan Zeoli, and Wendy Thornton judging.”
The contest is open to all high school students throughout the United States. The winner goes on to the state level and then onto the national level. The “Poetry Out Loud” national champion is awarded $20,000 in scholarship money, and his or her school receives $500 to purchase poetry books for English classes.
“Poetry Out Loud is a great opportunity because it provides a way for kids to read and interpret poetry that they might not otherwise have even seen,” senior Emily Harris said.
Contestants, teachers and students alike are given the opportunity to present their individual work while judges tabulate scores after the contest.
“After the two rounds of the official competition, I have invited members of Reflections and Underground Poetry Club to share original poetic works while the judges leave the room to tabulate the scores for the “Poetry Out Loud” competitors,” Sieker said.
The Poetry Out Loud recitation contest enables students to share their love for poetry and also presents an opportunity for a scholarship. Students interested in signing up can talk to Sieker in room 34.
“This competition is unique because even though we aren’t performing original poems, no two poems will be exactly the same because there are a million different ways to interpret them,” Weiner said.
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