The second annual Poetry-Out-Loud competition was a success! On Tuesday, January 9, at 3:30 p.m., twenty-eight students and faculty gathered in the library to watch students perform. All nine contestants read their chosen poetry eloquently. Witnessing these students enthusiastically read their selected poetry was incredibly rewarding.
Poetry-Out-Loud is a national program aiming to bring the wonder and intrigue of poetry to schools across the nation. This is done by creating competitions where students can show off their knowledge and love of poetry by performing poems of their choice.
When asked why she decided to bring Poetry-Out-Loud to SLS, Dr. Marta Napiorkowska said, “I noticed that both students reciting, and those of us listening, seemed to be slightly more alive, more present, more attuned to our shared project of being human on this planet, in all the diverse and complex ways we show up.”
When I attended this event, this “attunement” was definitely visible.
Congratulations to Alan Calver ‘24 for winning first place in the competition with his exceptional narration of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll. As the winner of the competition, Calver will move on to a regional competition.
Second place went to Skylar Valliere ‘27 and her eloquent reading of Charlotte Bronte’s “On the Death of Anne Bronte.”
Honorable mentions go to Jack Aronian ‘27 for his reading of “The Barnacle” by A.E. Stallings, and Arjan Kochar ‘26 for his compelling narration of “Ozymandias,” by Horace Smith. Kudos to the winners!
Thank you to all who participated and came to support, Flik dining services for providing treats, and a special thank you to our wonderful panel of faculty judges: Dr. Marta Napiorkowska, Mrs. Susan Doran, and Mr. Ross James.
Good luck to Alan Calver as he moves on to the regional competition!
Participants:
Amanda Martin ‘26
Alan Calver ‘24
Audrey Schermann ‘27
Skylar Valliere ‘27
Jack Aronian ‘27
Nihaal Kochar ‘24
