SHS’s Thomas Bosmeniel First Runner-Up at State Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest
Seward High Junior, Thomas Bosmeniel of Ulysses, was selected the First Runner-Up to the winner in the Poetry Out Loud State contest held at the Sheldon Art Gallery Auditorium in Lincoln on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The event was the State finals for the annual High School poetry recitation contest for the national program of Poetry Out Loud! Thomas recited the poems “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Julia Ward Howe, “Sonnet 29-When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,” by Wm Shakespeare and “Death of Allegory” by Billy Collins.
Thomas received a $100 scholarship, certificate, a $200.00 collection of poetry books for the SHS Library and various mementos from the Nebraska Arts Council and the National Poetry Foundation.
Twelve state finalists were in attendance for the final contest, winning various regional competitions to be at the final contest. The contest is sponsored locally by the Seward Arts Council and on the State level by the Nebraska Arts Council. It is also funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
Thomas previously won the local SHS Poetry Out Loud contest over forty eight other contestants and earned the right to represent SHS at the Regionals. His local artist in residence from the Nebraska Arts Council that worked with him in preparation for the contests was Pippa White-author, actress and drama coach, who visited Seward High to work with the students in preparation of the competition. Clark Kolterman serves as the sponsor and coach for this program.