By Rosie Smith
For the past ten years, McNicholas has participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students. The 1st place contestant from the school competition continues to the regional competition that will take place on Friday, Jan. 30. The top three winners from the McNicholas competition held Jan. 15 were senior Natalie Cox at 3rd place, senior Addy Russo at 2nd place, and I won first place with my recitation of “Aunt Sue’s Stories” by Langston Hughes.
The program was proposed by English teacher and McNicholas Poetry Out Loud program director Mrs. Laura Rupp, who first learned about this at her previous teaching experience at Purcell Marian High School while being department chair. After moving to McNick, Rupp presented the program to the English department and how well it had worked at her previous school.
Rupp explained her love for the program and that it gives students a chance to showcase their talents. “It offers a different way for people to shine,” she said.
Rupp also explained that “the pride and satisfaction” is rewarding in the completing of doing something that can be difficult.
“You can’t oversell the fact that everyone can succeed doing it,” she added.
During my freshman year, I didn’t get to participate in Poetry Out Loud, but I had heard of it being done in English classrooms and I knew what some of the requirements were. Picking a poem, memorizing it, and reciting it “just for an English grade?” I thought. But I was wrong. In elementary school, I, like everyone else, didn’t really like getting up in front of the class and presenting something, I didn’t hate it, but it made me uncomfortable. My freshman year I got more comfortable because I knew that high school was more of a broad spectrum in academics, and my grades were more serious.
In my sophomore year, I got even more comfortable and became confident in myself during presentations. Then, my English teacher had mentioned that it was time for Poetry Out Loud. I was confused and almost annoyed because I knew the requirements, and I didn’t want to do that. I had studied and written poetry my freshman year during my Creative Writing class with Mr. Mulvey, so I had a basic understanding. I picked a poem and began to memorize, and as I finally had it memorized, I wanted to perform it with emotion and talk with my hands, make the class feel what I was reciting. Then I won from my English class and performed for the school.
And now as a junior, I was familiar with what I was preparing for and what I was capable of. I wanted to pick a poem that represented my identity and the confidence and strength that I carry. As an African American who has been raised in a predominantly white community and goes to a predominantly white school, I wanted to keep my culture alive for others to understand. I’ve always been told that I’m articulate and alongside that, I really have grown to love public speaking. What I often tell myself is “what do I have to be afraid of?” This is my opportunity, and in knowing that, it is important to me that I take this seriously. But I couldn’t have done it without the support and help of my English teacher Mr. Dan Freeman and the director of the program, Laura Rupp. With their help in preparation for regionals, I feel calm and collected in my next steps.
The regional competition takes place on Friday, Jan. 30 where I will recite two poems and compete against other school winners for a chance to continue to state competition in February.
The McNicholas Milestone 