by Arielle Moll

When it comes to public speaking, most people are terrified of it. Many students dislike Poetry Out Loud because they don't want to get up on the stage. So what is Poetry Out Loud? It’s a national poetry recitation contest that happens in English and performing arts classes throughout Mainland.

To excel in the contest, participants must connect with poems on a personal level and incorporate their emotions into a performance. Students memorize whichever poem they chose from the Poetry Out Loud catalogue. As they become more familiar with the poem, they are expected to incorporate tone, emotion and gestures into their performance.

Any student can compete in Poetry Out Loud, but many English and theatre classes require it as a part of their curriculum. Students begin performing in their classroom with coaching from their teacher. If a teacher believes a student has a good performance and the potential to excel, the teacher will send the student to the school-wide competition. The student who wins the school-wide contest moves on to the regional finals and might even compete in the state and national championships.

This year’s school-wide winner is Junior Arsene Eliacin. He will compete for the Regional South Jersey Championship at the Rutgers Camden Center for the Performing Arts. Last year’s school-wide winner, Ashley Jackson, was a regional champion and finalist in the statewide contest.

The top ten performers in this year’s school-wide contest in alphabetical order are:

-- Vanessa Agovida
-- Jamia Boston
-- Natalie Campbell
-- Arsene Eliacin
-- Ashley Jackson
-- Patrick Law
-- Samantha LeBright
-- Marisa Mast
-- Angela Mazzara
-- Shearson Yen

“The great thing about Poetry Out Loud is it forces students to carefully consider the power and emotion in the written word,” said Dorsey Finn, the program organizer and English supervisor. “Many students feel like excelling in an English class has to involve reading and understanding large quantities of text. Poetry Out Loud makes them realize that you can convey an enormous amount of meaning in just a few words.”

Reciting poetry can help with many important life skills, especially public speaking. As you get better, you move onto a larger crowd. Those who excel at Poetry Out Loud can use their experiences to build confidence and understand how to perform better.

During a job interview or a toast at a wedding or a recognition ceremony, you might be asked to speak for someone. These are the occasions you want your words to be memorable. Reciting poetry prepares you for these important moments. The more times you perform, the easier it becomes. Some students realize they actually enjoy speaking publicly.

"I love to see quieter students realize that they have a wonderful voice and are capable of getting an audience to really experience the emotions of a poem," said Larry Lhulier, an English teacher. "I feel like it's the point in the year when everyone in a class gets to know each other well, and we all root for our classroom winners in the school-wide contest."

“When you perform well it’s a rush,” said DJ Lawrence, a senior at Mainland. “You feel proud of your abilities and confident in the way you catch people's attention. The feeling is hard to replicate.”