On Tuesday, November 28, in A112, several students competed in a poetry competition labeled “Poetry Out Loud” that was hosted by junior student, and SNAP co-president, Gabrielle Wong. This competition was composed by either students of Dottie Burkhart or by their own interest. Poetry Out Loud is the beginning round of a bigger competition that will go to state or even national finals. Following the Poetry Out Loud competition, only five students will be selected to go to District Finals, or Tri-City. Last year’s Tri-City second-place winner was Mark Keppel senior, Zenina Adao. The students who competed in Poetry Out Loud on Tuesday picked from a catalog of poems on Poetry Out Loud’s website for them to perform.
Poetry Out Loud is an education program that helps students in the US with public speaking, supports students with a passion for poetry, and gives them encouragement to fulfill their creative potential by providing them with free resources and materials to further their engagement with poetry. Not only this, but their program also helps students to upgrade their public speaking with their competitions for students across the nation.
The poems that were featured in this Poetry Out Loud competition were entertaining, theatrical, and very engaging. There was not a single dull moment. Although some students performed the same piece, they still provided their own individuality, and creativity. Some of the poems that were featured in their performances were “We Are Not Responsible”, “Lineage”, “Advice from La Llorona”, “Listening in Deep Space”, “The Road Not Taken”, “Slant”, “Eating The Other”, and “To Have Without Holding” just to name a few. One of the most powerful lines from one of the pieces, “We Are Not Responsible”, a poem about perpetual racism, and the overt dehumanization of people of color by authority figures, was “You are not presumed to be innocent if the police have reason to suspect you are carrying a concealed wallet.” This was a piece performed twice in the competition.
During Burkhart’s powertime where the competition was held, the Poetry Out Loud participants performed their poems in front of six teacher judges. Out of the approximately 20 students who competed and performed, only five students were appointed to represent Mark Keppel High School at the District Finals on Monday, December 4. The following students are the chosen ones for District Finals: Zenina Adao (Senior), Madison Kang (Junior), Paul Galarza (Junior), Samantha Rios (Senior), and Maryam Tall (Senior). Congratulations to all the winners who made it this far and good luck at Tri City!
