2 High School Students Win Poetry Out Loud Competition
McKenzie Finn, of Cedar Creek High School, left, and Michaela Giuliani, of Vineland High School, are the two winners of the Region 2 Poetry Out Loud Competition that was held Feb. 13 at Stockton's Performing Arts Center.
Galloway, N.J.颅鈥 Two South Jersey high school students advanced to the New Jersey Poetry Out Loud competition finals after a regional competition Feb. 13 at 番茄社区app.
Michaela Giuliani, of Vineland High School, and McKenzie Finn, of Cedar Creek, will compete March 12 in the finals at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank. The competition is run by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Michaela Giuliani (top) and McKenzie Finn recites a poem on the Performing Arts Center stage.
Giuliani expressed her excitement and admiration for the event.
鈥淚 always love coming to this event. This is my third year doing it. Although I felt a bit nervous, I felt prepared. My teachers really prepped me and got me in the right headspace,鈥 she said.
The students were a group of seven from South Jersey that participated in the Region 2 competition at Stockton鈥檚 Performing Arts Center. The other students included: Elif Sagir, from Penns Grove; Christina Massey, from Atlantic City; Nicolle Garcia, from Atlantic County Institute of Technology; Gabriella Fox, from Oakcrest; and Zara Appiah, from Absegami.
Each participant recited a poem in each of the three rounds. Giuliani鈥檚 winning recitations were: 鈥淭ime Does Not Bring Relief; You All Have Lied鈥 by Edna St. Vincent Millay; 鈥淔lowers鈥 by Cynthia Zarin; and 鈥溾楬ope鈥 Is the Thing with Feathers鈥 by Emily Dickinson. Giuliani was strong in emphasizing her hand movements and facial expressions during her recitations.
Finn secured her spot in the finals with 鈥淲hen You Are Old鈥 by William Butler Yeats; 鈥淐artoon Physics, Part 1鈥 by Nick Flynn; and 鈥淒reamers鈥 by Siegfried Sassoon. Finn used facial expressions and emotion to leverage a more impactful performance.
Finn鈥檚 instructor Maria Lampe believes that Thursday鈥檚 competition was a great opportunity for students to learn time management and accountability.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also a wonderful opportunity for students to practice their public speaking skills and learn how to tell a story to be understood, not just to be heard. Poetry offers a real mastery of language,鈥 she said.
-- Story and photos by Laura Leonel of the Osprey Social Team
