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VINELAND—Vineland High School senior Michaela Giuliani won the Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition on February 13, hosted by Stockton University in Galloway. Advancing to the NJ State Final, Giuliani will compete with 11 other students from across the state on Wednesday, March 12.
Vineland High School was well represented at the Region 2 competition, with 35 of Giuliani’s classmates and teachers traveling with her to support and cheer her on.
“I am very proud of Michaela’s performances, and I know that her classmates are proud of her as well,” said Vanessa Rasmussen, VHS South English Department Chairperson, Coordinator of the school’s annual Poetry Out Loud competition, and member of the NJ POL Teacher Advisory Board.
Poetry Out Loud (POL) encourages high school students to learn about great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition. Students select, memorize, and recite classic and contemporary poems, helping them to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.
Each Regional Finalist must recite a total of three POL Anthology poems by heart, reciting one poem per round. Poems must be from the approved POL Anthology and satisfy the contest criteria.
“The poems Michaela chose were emotionally complex, and she personalized them and performed them for the audience with insight and confidence. I am thrilled that we were able to share the experience of poetry in action with so many of our students, and I am gratified that they truly enjoyed themselves and happily participated in the process,” said Rasmussen.
Region 2 includes Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Cape May counties; the winner of the regional competition advances to the state competition. Seven schools were represented at the Region 2 competition, including Penns Grove High School, Atlantic City High School, Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Oakcrest High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Absegami High School, along with VHS. VHS has performed well at the Regional Finals in the past several years and advanced to the State competition seven times.
Winners of the state competition represent New Jersey at the National Finals. The winner of the state competition wins a trip to the National Finals in Washington, DC, where they have a shot at winning $20,000.
New Jersey Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in collaboration with Count Basie Center for the Arts. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies of the United States.
Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools and organizations across the nation have participated in Poetry Out Loud.
VHS classmates and teachers who wish to cheer on Michaela Giuliani at the NJPOL State Finals can travel to Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ. The competition starts at 10 a.m, suggesting guests to arrive between 9-9:30 a.m.