Students performed poems from the Poetry Out Loud print and online anthologies (www.poetryoutloud.org). Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including physical presence, articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, and accuracy.
As Illinois’ 2009 Poetry Out Loud Champion, Sayegh will receive a $200 prize and University Laboratory High School will receive $500 toward the purchase of poetry books for the school library resulting from his first place finish. Sayegh will also advance to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. in April, along with the winners from every state and Washington, D.C., to compete for a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends.
Halstead Coleman-Selby of Edwardsville High School in Madison County was named Illinois Runner-Up. Coleman-Selby will receive a $100 prize and Edwardsville High School will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry books for the school library.
Competition at the 2009 Poetry Out Loud Illinois State Finals included: Heidy A. Alvarado of Howard Taft High School in Chicago, Roslynn Baker of Springfield Southeast High School, Jourdin Batchelor of Carbondale Community High School, Dana Castillo of Maine East High School in LaGrange Park, Angie Fisher of Herrin High School, CeCe Frey of Mt. Zion High School, Lise Graham of Lyons Township High School, Ryan Harrison of Edwardsville High School, Beth Hopkins of Spectrum High School in Rockford, David Koffi of Moline High School, Alex Peterson of Spectrum High School in Rockford, Samantha Porter of Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School, Annette Putnam of Orion High School and Kelsey Waxman of Northside Prep in Chicago.
Judges for Illinois’ Poetry Out Loud State Final included:
- Allison Joseph, Editor, Crab Orchard Review, Professor of English and Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
- Kevin Stein, Illinois State Poet Laureate, Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing Program, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
- Tony Trigilio, Editor, Court Green Magazine, Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing Program in Poetry, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Jeannie Zeck, Professor of English and Theatre, MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL
For more specific information regarding regional competitions please contact the appropriate regional partner:
— Central Illinois: Springfield Area Arts Council, Penny Wollan-Kriel, [email protected]
—Chicagoland: Literature for All of Us, Liz McCabe, [email protected]
—Eastern Illinois: 40 North/88 West (Champaign), Steven Bentz, [email protected]
–Northern Illinois: Rockford Area Arts Council, Sharon Nesbit-Davis, [email protected]
—South Central Illinois: Jacoby Arts Center, Melissa Mustain, [email protected]
—Southern Illinois: Carbondale Community Arts, Nancy Stemper, [email protected]
— Western Illinois: Quad City Arts (Rock Island), Ryan Collins, [email protected]
Contest structure and awards: Poetry Out Loud competitions begin at the classroom level. Classroom winners advance to the school-wide competition, then to the regional competition, from there to the state final, and ultimately to the National Finals held in Washington, D.C., from April 26-28, 2009.
2009 National Finals: Award-winning actress Tyne Daly, Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor, and poet Luis Rodriguez, among others, will judge the fourth annual Poetry Out Loud National Finals on April 28, 2009, in Washington, DC.
Register Now for Next Year: Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by building on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the popularity of rap music among youth. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. The program will enter its fifth year during the 2009–2010 academic year. Those interested in becoming involved in the 2009 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest should visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information and contact Alex A.G. Shapiro at the Illinois Arts Council to learn of Illinois specific details.
About the Illinois Arts Council: The Illinois Arts Council was created by the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 to survey and assess the needs of the arts throughout the state; identify existing legislation, policies, and programs which affect the arts and evaluate their effectiveness; stimulate public understanding of the importance of cultural institutions; promote an encouraging atmosphere for creative artists in Illinois; and encourage the use of local resources to develop and support the arts.