Grace Orwen To Represent SHS at Regional Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest in 2016
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSHS Junior, Grace Orwen, was selected the SHS Champion for the 2015-2016 Poetry Out Loud Recitation Competition and will represent SHS at the Regional Contest in February. She presented the poem “American Smooth” by Rita Dave. First Runner-Up was SHS Senior Montana Hill with the poem “”What Lips My Lips Have Kissed” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Second Runner Up was Will Helmer, SHS Senior with the presentation “At the Vietnam Memorial” by George Bilgere.
Named Outstanding Senior presenter was Marcia Hermandez with the “Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Outstanding Junior presentation was awarded to Jenica Hulbert with her presentation of “”Becoming a Redwood” by Dana Goia. Serena McBride was named Best Sophomore Presentation with “Full Moon” by Elinor Wylie and Outstanding Freshman was presented to Bailey Mooney with “Awakening In New York” by Maya Angelo.
Each student that won was presented with a medal sponsored by the Seward Arts Council. There were approximately 50 local entries in the presentation and contest held on Monday, December 7, 2015 at the new SHS Theater. Poetry Out Loud is a national program sponsored on the state level by the Nebraska Arts Council and nationally by the National Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The local students worked with visiting artist, Pippa White of Lincoln, a nationally recognized artist, actor and writer, who spent a day at Seward High preparing and working with the students. Clark Kolterman is the local teacher contact and sponsor for the program.
Judges for the event were Karli Embretson, Falls City, NE - Concordia University, Cody Eitzmann of Byron, NE-Education Major/Senior -Concordia University, Nancy Schulz-East Butler High School, Sue Imig, retired educator of the Seward School District, assisted by Kyle Hinkel, who managed the tabulation room.
Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation program, sponsored by the National Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts-featuring scholarships on the state and national levels, along with trips to Washington, DC for each state representative. Grace Orwen was selected this evening to represent Seward High at the regional contests in the spring, where they will present two poems of choice from the 600+poems on the Poetry Out Loud website at a regional at Kearney, Norfolk or Omaha, and hopefully qualify for the State Contest in March in Lincoln! If she is one of the winners at the regional contest, she will then compete at the State Poetry Out Loud Contest in March in Lincoln.