February 14, 2024 by Camille Wilding (‘25)
After a pause in holding Poetry Out Loud, an oral poetry competition, for almost 5 years, SSHS brought it back this past January thanks to many talented students. On Thursday, January 11th, the competition, as put by faculty organizer Mr. Ubriaco, “was more of a celebration of poetry than a contest.” The atmosphere didn’t feel heavily competitive; the main goal didn’t seem to be to win for most competitors. It was enough just to be there.
The competition was broken into two rounds, with around 21 students reciting their poems from memory in each. After the students were finished performing, a panel of judges tallied up their scores to announce the two people who would move on to the next round. A big congratulations is in order for our winners Mia Pashoukos and Sarah Pipino for their outstanding performances!
The whole production was thoroughly impressive, and so was everyone who participated. The ability to memorize a work, recite it, and perform it in front of a crowd of people from a stage is something special. Almost everyone who went up didn’t look scared or seem to be nervous at all, even though, after talking to some of them, I can confirm that they absolutely were.
Even though they memorized poetry written by someone else, everyone recited their poems with such confidence and emotion that if I hadn’t known better, I would have been convinced that they wrote it all themselves. I greatly enjoyed the chance to be there, and I’m glad we were able to bring it back this year. It was incredible.
I had the opportunity to ask a participant, Sam Pecota, a few questions about it.
How was the experience of performing your poem?
Sam: It was exhilarating, but terrifying. I’ve done public speaking plenty of times before but going on-stage without anything written down was a weird feeling.
How nervous were you?
Sam: I went back and forth between wanting to pass out and being excited to recite my poem. When I went up there, my legs started shaking, but the lights were too bright to see most of the audience, thankfully, and I got through my poem without issue.
Have you ever performed anything like that on stage?
Sam: I’ve prepared and given speeches, but I’ve almost always had my talking points written down. This time, I had to make sure I had my poem completely memorized, which took lots of work and by the end of all my practicing, my whole family knew the poem almost as well as I did.
Do you recommend the experience?
Sam: Absolutely. While the build-up can be intense, the satisfaction of knowing that you put yourself out there and got out of your comfort zone is worth any anxiety.
What were the benefits of doing this?
Sam: For me, it gave me a chance to hone my performance skills and to deliver a poem that truly spoke to me. I wanted my audience to understand why I love the writing I chose and learning how to evoke the right amount of emotion was so fun.
After taking a break from this contest for years, it’s wonderful to have it reinstated. Even if you aren’t a big fan of poetry, participating in or watching Poetry Out Loud is a great experience. I thought it was an incredible experience. Thank you again to the students, teachers, and judges who worked together to bring this wonderful event back.