Q&A by: Ashley Sylvara
On Wednesday, December 12 during lunch periods, students had the opportunity to compete in Oak Park’s Poetry Out Loud competition. Junior Sierra Sheppard placed first and will advance in the competition. Northmen News caught up with coordinator and gifted resource specialist Lori Dameron to talk about the competition.
Northmen News: What is poetry out loud?
Lori Dameron: “Poetry Out Loud is a national contest. Students are asked to memorize poetry from an anthology. We have a contest at Oak Park. The winner of that contest goes to Regionals. Then the winner at regionals goes on to State. Ultimately, the state winner goes to Nationals. Last year we won regionals and went to state where Oak Park placed second.”
NN: What is the purpose of it?
LD: “The purpose of Poetry Out loud is to expose students to poetry and to also allow students to express themselves through the performance of the written word.”
NN: What are the benefits of it if you win?
LD: “At Oak Park you win a medal if you place 1st 2nd or 3rd. You also win a Zona Rosa Gift card. If you win the entire contest, Nationals, you could win a $20,000 scholarship.”
NN: How many people entered this year?
LD: “This year we had 16 entries.”
NN: How are the readings scored?
LD: “The readings are scored in two areas. First, we have judges for the recitation criteria. The judges use a rubric provided by the Poetry Out Loud program. We also have an accuracy judge who keeps track of accuracy and needed prompts. This is a separate score added in to the judges total.”