Borowski Wins at Poetry Out Loud
By Hayley Byrnes and Lily Gross
On February 8, Saline High School hosted its fourth annual Poetry Out Loud! contest. Nineteen students competed in the event. Their recitations covered a wide scope of poems, from Maya Angelou’s classic I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to Mark Doty’s whimsical Golden Retrievals.
The four finalists were: sophomore Elianna Swayder, senior Jill Borowski, junior Katie McMorris, and senior Rebecca Speiran. They were all called back up onto the stage and recited one more poem which the judges then scored them on. whichever finalist received the highest overall score won.
The profits from this event went the school organization Writer’s Ink which releases one magazine each year. This showcases many of Saline High School student’s short stories, pictures, and other forms of art or writing.
Senior Jill Borowski won first place for her recitation of Robert Bringhurst’s These Poems, She Said. Borowski received $100 and a spot at the state competition, which will take place on March 9-10 in Saginaw. There, Borowski will compete with fellow state finalists for a chance to win $200 and advance to the national championship held in Washington, D.C..
Borowski had previously competed in Poetry Out Loud! during her sophomore year of high school, placing third.
Explaining her choice of poem, she says, “I wanted to be edgy—I wanted to choose a poem that I could portray well. I worked with Mrs. Converse a lot to understand the meaning of my poem.”
That commitment to understanding is officially labeled an “evidence of understanding” in the judging handbook used by the Poetry Out Loud foundation. How students express that understanding is entirely up to them.
Sophomore Delphanie Wu chose to recite her poem Author’s Prayer by Ilya Kaminsky with accompanying sign language, methodically sweeping her hands along with her words.
Others, such as sophomore Adrienne Johnson relied on intonation to recite her poem, Luke Havergal by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Johnson bellowed the climax of her poem, but later ended in a soft and faint whisper.
Sophomore Delaney Brewer and seniors Aubrey LaVasseur and Nathan Tanner hosted the event. English teachers Carolyn Kreple and Shelly Venema coordinated the event.
Poetry Out Loud is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and state art agencies across the United States. Launched in 2006, it awards $50,000 in awards and stipends to students and schools that compete in the contest.
As articulated on the official website, the contest is founded on the idea that recitation allows youth to “learn about great poetry” and “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and internalize our rich literary heritage.”
But Borowski believes the contest has another value. The best part of Poetry Out Loud, she says, is the chance to understand what a poem is trying to convey: “That is something really special.”
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On February 8, Saline High School hosted its fourth annual Poetry Out Loud! contest. Nineteen students competed in the event. Their recitations covered a wide scope of poems, from Maya Angelou’s classic I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to Mark Doty’s whimsical Golden Retrievals.
The four finalists were: sophomore Elianna Swayder, senior Jill Borowski, junior Katie McMorris, and senior Rebecca Speiran. They were all called back up onto the stage and recited one more poem which the judges then scored them on. whichever finalist received the highest overall score won.
The profits from this event went the school organization Writer’s Ink which releases one magazine each year. This showcases many of Saline High School student’s short stories, pictures, and other forms of art or writing.
Senior Jill Borowski won first place for her recitation of Robert Bringhurst’s These Poems, She Said. Borowski received $100 and a spot at the state competition, which will take place on March 9-10 in Saginaw. There, Borowski will compete with fellow state finalists for a chance to win $200 and advance to the national championship held in Washington, D.C..
Borowski had previously competed in Poetry Out Loud! during her sophomore year of high school, placing third.
Explaining her choice of poem, she says, “I wanted to be edgy—I wanted to choose a poem that I could portray well. I worked with Mrs. Converse a lot to understand the meaning of my poem.”
That commitment to understanding is officially labeled an “evidence of understanding” in the judging handbook used by the Poetry Out Loud foundation. How students express that understanding is entirely up to them.
Sophomore Delphanie Wu chose to recite her poem Author’s Prayer by Ilya Kaminsky with accompanying sign language, methodically sweeping her hands along with her words.
Others, such as sophomore Adrienne Johnson relied on intonation to recite her poem, Luke Havergal by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Johnson bellowed the climax of her poem, but later ended in a soft and faint whisper.
Sophomore Delaney Brewer and seniors Aubrey LaVasseur and Nathan Tanner hosted the event. English teachers Carolyn Kreple and Shelly Venema coordinated the event.
Poetry Out Loud is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and state art agencies across the United States. Launched in 2006, it awards $50,000 in awards and stipends to students and schools that compete in the contest.
As articulated on the official website, the contest is founded on the idea that recitation allows youth to “learn about great poetry” and “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and internalize our rich literary heritage.”
But Borowski believes the contest has another value. The best part of Poetry Out Loud, she says, is the chance to understand what a poem is trying to convey: “That is something really special.”
Photography: Hayley Byrnes
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