Photos by: Gabby Brancato
Q&A by: Laura Wuthnow
On Thursday, January 18, students participated in “Poetry Outloud” during lunch. Northmen News caught up with Ann Elder to find out about the event.
Northmen News: What is Poetry Out Loud?
Teacher Ann Elder: It’s a contest, a national program. It’s here to enliven poetry in young people. It really is a beautiful thing.
NN: What thing do you do to learn poems and things for Poetry Out Loud?
Elder: You go to the website and find poems that meet the criteria, memorize it them perform it.
NN: How do you recruit students for it?
Elder: Mainly through Blue in Review, teachers promote it and in the media center the librarians promote it. And I’m always up for new ideas for promoting it.
NN: Based on how you promote it, do you think it gets around the school well?
Elder: Yes, students that none of us teachers have ever heard about have jumped in and joined. We always get a handful of kids.
NN: What other teachers are involved?
Elder: Lori Dameron and Jeri Willard.
NN: How long has it been around Oak Park and how long have you been a part of it?
Elder: Three years, it’s been around and I’ve been a part of it for three years. But it’s been around since 2005.
NN: What are the Prizes and dates for Poetry Out Loud?
Elder: The building contest is coming up and it’s [Thursday] January 18 during lunch. The top three winners will get gift certificates. The regional competition is at Park University, and the state and national competition are still to be determined.
Sophomore Amanda Dexter performs her poem. “Medusa” at the Poetry Out Loud contest on Wednesday, January 18. “I think I did well on ‘The Man He Killed’,” Dexter said. There were two rounds of poetry recitation involved in the contest.
Sophomore Crimson Johansen performs her poem “The Funeral in My Brain” on Wednesday, January 18. “Since I was prepared, I feel like I did pretty good,” Johansen said. The Poetry Out Loud contest took place during all lunches on this day.