What was all the chatter happening in the English hallways and the school? If you haven’t heard already, the twelfth annual Poetry Out Loud Competition was held at Mepham with even more excitement.

Under the leadership and coordination of Ms. Maresca, Mepham High School once again hosted a school wide Poetry Out Loud competition on Tuesday, December 11th after school in room 120.

Students in grades nine through twelve, nominated by their English teachers and fellow classmates, recited a poem by memory in front of a panel of judges composed of teachers in the department of English. The poems were scored on the following criteria: physical presence, voice and articulation, appropriateness of dramatization, evidence of understanding, and overall performance (along with their accuracy of the poem recitation). According to Mepham English teacher, Ms. Maresca, “Students breathe life into the poem and convey its message using only their voice and expression.” It is a chance for students to let their creativity and passion take them far in a competition.

There were 23 students slated to perform in the school competition, many of whom returned for their second, third, or even fourth year as POL contestants. All of these students worked extremely hard to win his/her classroom level competition and finally moved on to the school wide competition. While over 350 students participated in their English classes, only two moved past the school competition. Poetry Out Loud is indeed an extraordinary competition that encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program not only helps students master public speaking skills, but also build self-confidence.

Throughout this process these students can learn about literary history and contemporary life. After each performer had his or her chance to recite a selected poem, judges’ scores were tallied by Mr. Cooney, Mrs. Ackerman, and Ms. Chacko. Maya Aptekar’s recitation of “Propositions” by Stephen Dunn placed third, Eimann Khan’s interpretation of “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou placed second, and Candace Casimir’s performance of “I Am Offering This Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca took first place. Casimir and Khan moved onto the regional competition.

In her introductory comments at this event, Ms. Maresca highlighted the successes of past Mepham POL winners. She asked, “Will this be the year that Mepham sends a winner back to Washington, D.C.? Stay tuned!” Khan competed Friday, February 8 at Nassau Community College while Casimir competed Monday, February 11 at the Walt Whitman Birthplace. There they were joined by winners from other area schools, including Calhoun and Kennedy High Schools. This was Casimir’s third showing at the Nassau County Regional. Earlier this year, she won the Regional competition and represented Long Island at the statewide championship in Syracuse.

Hoping to move onto the next level, with the chance to eventually win a total of $50,000 in prizes, both girls hope to have their preparations pay off.