Niles West’s Annual Poetry Out Loud Contest Returns

English classes at Niles West were able to compete in Poetry Out Loud on Jan. 30. The annual contest had students from every grade level coming together to read and memorize poems found on the Poetry Out Loud website.

“The students have to be able to memorize their poems and deliver them in such a way that it is clear they know what it means, and stage presence,” English teacher Sharon Swanson said.

The contest first starts off with an in-class competition where students choose what poem to be judged on. The judges at Niles West were teachers along with students who picked who they think did the best job while reading their poems.

The winner of the first round at Niles West was sophomore, Yohanna Endashaw. Endashaw was very proud to be chosen for Regionals and the poem she chose to read was, “My Therapist Wants to Know About my Relationship to Work” by Tiana Clark.

“I chose this poem because the title looked interesting. When I started to read the poem, I began to appreciate the range of emotions I could convey. From being overwhelmed by the world, the desire to pursue a passion in writing, and finally come to peace and take care of yourself, really stood out to me,” Endashaw said.

The judges throughout the competition were trying to pick out the best candidate for Regionals. The runner-up was junior Odisho Lazar. He recited the poem called “Being” by Tanaya Winder. He felt as though the poem had a significant meaning. “To me, the poem is about motivation, cultural representation, and using your special gift, along with never forgetting where you’re from. Being chosen as the runner-up for Poetry Out Loud is truly an accomplishment of mine. I was determined to move on. Generally, I feel confident when it comes to public speaking, so using this to my ability has helped me achieve something special,” Lazar said.

The two students who won will go to state to compete and represent the Wolves. The contestant who wins at the state competition wins 200 dollars, and the school or organization the contestant is representing will receive 500 dollars for poetry materials. One runner-up in each state will win 100 dollars, and their school will receive 200 dollars for materials.

After State, students then advance to Nationals. There is a total of 50,000 dollars in awards and school or organizational stipends will be given at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, including a 20,000 dollar award for the National Champion, 10,000 dollars for 2nd place, 5,000 dollars for 3rd place, and 1,000 dollars for 4th-9th places. The represented schools/organizations of each of the top nine finalists receive 500 dollars for the purchase of poetry materials.

Poetry Out Loud will give more students a chance next year to compete and hopefully make it to State!