Breaking previous participation records, almost 4,000 students from 38 high schools in 18 Oregon communities are taking part in the 10th anniversary season of Poetry Out Loud. Organized by the Oregon Arts Commission in collaboration with the NEA and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest for which students memorize and present poems – practicing public speaking skills while exploring the complexity of poetry. After months of classroom study and preparation, students participate in school-wide recitation contests, with each winner eligible to compete in one of three regional contests on March 7. The top three finishers in each region advance to the state contest in Salem on March 14 (contest details appear below). “Poetry Out Loud is a wonderful way for students to gain an appreciation of great poetry,” said Deb Vaughn, arts education coordinator for the Oregon Arts Commission. “To ‘own’ a poem through practiced recitation is an experience students will carry with them for years to come.” Judges for the 2015 competition include: Eleanor Berry, poet; Wayne Carr, actor at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Marty Hughley, performing arts journalist; Mike Chaser, associate professor of English at Willamette University; Paul Hadella, English faculty at Southern Oregon University; Stephanie Lenox, poet; Ann McBride, actor and radio personality; Laurence Overmire, poet; and Claudia Alick, associate producer at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The 2013 and 2014 Oregon state champion, Rosie Reyes, will welcome students to the 2015 Oregon State Poetry Out Loud Contest after joining them for lunch. In addition to winning a $200 scholarship and $500 for the winner’s school library poetry collection, the state champion receives an all-expenses-paid trip, with a chaperone, to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national finals April 27-29. Nationwide, more than 365,000 students are expected to participate. Students compete for more than $50,000 in college scholarships awarded at the state and national levels.
