Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation competition that features students performing great works of poetry from memory.
Four Tri-Valley high school students from Dublin, Amador, and Foothill in Pleasanton, and Livermore high schools, will compete for the Alameda County Poetry Out Loud title and one Alameda County student will go onto the State Championship. Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation competition that features students performing great works of poetry from memory.
Hannah Keihl is a junior at Dublin High School and a passionate performer. She has participated in many dramatic productions, improv shows, and this is her second venture into Poetry Out Loud. Her passion for language in all its forms has her considering an English degree once she graduates from high school.
Last year's awesome Poetry Out Loud winner, Dubliner Sharanya Stanley, who now is a freshman at UC Riverside, went onto the State finals. She keeps in touch with the many friends she made through the Poetry Out Loud page on Facebook. She will be giving Hannah some invaluable pointers on poetry and performance.
Pleasanton’s Teen Poet Laureate, Niveditha Raghavan, a senior at Amador Valley High School, is a fourth and final year participant in Alameda County Poetry Out Loud. Nive said, “I am thankful for the program for giving me the opportunity to explore poetry and to inspire me to write my own poetry.” Nive is looking forward to attending college in the fall as a Marketing and Cinematic Arts major.
Bryce Hwang, a senior at Foothill High School says, “My favorite poets are Lord Byron and Dylan Thomas, and my favorite poem is Henley’s Invictus.” Besides poetry, Bryce also enjoys studying the Constitution, learning random trivia, hoarding biology textbooks, admiring the night sky, and spending time with family and friends.
Representing Livermore High School is senior Brooke Bistline who says she has ”a passion for the arts, whether it be acting on stage, performing original music, or public speaking.” She never wants to leave behind her art and music, but rather hopes to incorporate them in her journey through life.
Two Oakland students will also participate in the competition. Cotys Winston-Sandefur, a senior at Holy Names High School in Oakland, is involved in Speech and Debate, and Campus Ministry.
Sophomore Dylan Romero was born in Berkeley and lives in Oakland, CA. His hobbies include playing sports: basketball, soccer, football, and running in the park. He strives for academic excellence in all his classes.
Students face a panel of five judges, who look for accuracy, confidence, delivery and articulation as they evaluate the contestants, said Maureen Hurley, program coordinator for Alameda County Poetry Out Loud.
The six school champions advanced to the countywide competition from a field of more than 9,300 students.
Wednesday’s winner will represent Alameda County in the statewide Poetry Out Loud competition set for March 23 and 24 in the Senate Chambers in the State Capitol in Sacramento. The California state champion will advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
Student champions from six Alameda county high schools including Oakland Military Institute and Holy Names High School in Oakland will compete for the Poetry Out Loud recitation competition in Oakland on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
The event will be held at the Alameda County Arts Commission offices on 1401 Lakeside Drive, in Oakland, from 4:30 to 6 PM., and it is open to the public and free of charge.
Alameda County Poetry Out Loud competition is underwritten by the Alameda County Arts Commission, the Alameda County Poetry Out Loud Team, California Poets in the Schools, the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
For more information, call 510-271-5162 or visitwww.acgov.org/arts
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