Eisenhower, Carver Students Advance to Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Asza Enoch

Students Asza Enoch and Breyonsa Rose will represent Aldine ISD at the Texas Poetry Out Loud event. Asza from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Eisenhower High School and Breyonsa from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver High School will compete in the Texas Poetry Out Loud state finals on Saturday, February 28 in Austin.

The statewide winner represents Texas at the national competition.

The 10th [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place April 28-29 in Washington, DC. The winner of that competition receives a $20,000 scholarship.

The contest has students recite and perform great works of classical and contemporary poetry. In the fall, students from high schools throughout the state compete at campus level events. The statewide event is the culmination of these competitions.

The recitations are evaluated by a panel of judges using national criteria based on merit and accuracy.

The [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Texas Commission of the Arts holds the statewide competition every February. The statewide winner receives $200, while his or her school library garners $500 to buy poetry books. The state’s second place winner receives $100, and his or her school library, $250.

In 2014, Carver High School student Nia Jones placed among the five finalists at the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]2014 Texas Poetry Out Loud event.

Dr. Gary Gibbs supports the national program. Gibbs serves as the executive director of TCA.

“Poetry is a somewhat less-celebrated art form,” said Gibbs. “This national competition is bringing the art of poetry into the spotlight.“

In 2014, 365,000 students from more than 2,300 high schools across the country took part.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation created the Poetry Out Loud contest. The national program helps students master public speaking skills and increase their self-confidence. At the same time, they learn about their literary heritage.

Both Eisenhower High School and Carver High School made U.S. News & World Report‘s [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]2014 Best High School Rankings in the U.S.