(EAST LANSING)—–The Michigan Humanities announces that senior Travis Walter of Holt High School won the championship of the state Poetry Out Loud poetry recital competition, today at The Wharton Center in East Lansing. Miquala Branklin of Sexton HS (Lansing) was named the Runner-Up.The two competed among 17 students from five schools across Michigan and before 100 spectators.
Travis, a 17-year old senior who has never left Michigan, earned the opportunity of his dreams – to travel to Washington D.C. to compete in the national Poetry Out Loud finals. For his title, Travis receives $200 and an all-expenses paid trip to represent Michigan in the national competition to be held on May 16, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater, 1215 U Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.
“The Michigan Humanities is very proud of the effort of all the student participants to learn, recite and understand poetry,” stated Jan Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities.
Champion Travis Walter recited three poems, as required by each participant: “Analysis of Baseball,” by Mae Swenson; “Beat! Beat! Drums! ” by Walt Whitman, and “It Couldn’t Be Done,” by Edgar Albert Guest. The three poems recited by runner-up Miquala Branklin were: “To the Ladies,” by Lady Mary Chudleigh; “Ballad of Birmingham,” by Dudley Randall; and, “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” by John Donne.
The 17 students participating in the statewide championship were:
Bullock Creek High School (Midland): Hope Jacques, Jessica Musum, Kyle Sanborn, Katie Sarafolean
Dondero High School (Royal Oak): Maggie Schultz, Albert Paris
Holt High School (Holt): Nick Ackerson, Aaron Alexander, Hilary Torres, Travis Walter
Owosso Christian School (Owosso): Ashley Bushon, Kayleena Heslip, Roy Small
Sexton High School (Lansing): Miquala Branklin, Jaquelyn Delvalle. Brandon Smith, Robyn Stegman
“The Wharton Center is happy to be a partner in this important community, educational event,” stated Debbie Gift, educational director for the Wharton Center.
Competition Rules
Each student was required to recite three poems, and was judged in the categories of volume, speed, voice inflection, posture and presence, evidence of understanding, pronunciation, gestures, eye contact, level of difficulty, and overall performance. Three judges selected by the Michigan Humanities evaluated and scored each recitation.
Championship & Runner-Up Award Details
The state winner (Travis) receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school (Holt HS) will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The runner-up (Miquala) in the state competition will receive $100, along with $200 for his or her school library (Sexton HS). The national champion will receive a $1,000 cash award, and the two national runners-up will each receive $500. The school of the national champion will receive a $2,000 stipend for the purchase of poetry books, and the schools of the national runners-up will each receive $1,000 for poetry books.
What is the purpose of Poetry Out Loud?
Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form. This new pilot program, Poetry Out Loud, builds on that momentum and encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
The competition was announced on December 19, 2005, to high schools across the state, with an emphasis in the mid-Michigan area for the first year of this pilot project. Five schools were selected in late January to receive curricular materials and to compete to send finalists to the statewide championship. Curricular materials were mailed to each of the participating schools and poet Terry Wooten conducted poetry workshops in each of the schools to assist students with their comprehension and recitation skills.
Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Michigan Humanities, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the State Library of Michigan, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and The Wharton Center.
The Michigan Humanities, founded in 1974, is a private, non-profit organization, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. For additional information, please visit: www.michiganhumanities.org or call 517-372-7770.