2009 Poetry Out Loud

Winner Shaniqua Wesley and runnerup Millicent Kennedy

It’s tournament time in Mississippi, and not just for sports. On Friday the best high school poetry students competed for the state championship. MPB’s arts reporter Ron Brown has the story from the 4th annual Poetry Out Loud competition.

When the afternoon began, there were nine high school hopefuls. Each had won a regional Poetry Out Loud contest. Now when they walked on stage they were competing against the best. Their task was to interpret a great work of poetry, as it was meant to be heard.

Musical interludes were provided after each recitation by local bluegrass duo Bill Ellison and Temperance Babcock. This was the fourth annual Poetry Out Loud Contest. It was held at the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Auditorium theater in Jackson.

Five judges evaluated the students on presence, voice and articulation, dramatization, the level of difficulty, and whether the student understood the words, and didn’t just memorize them.

Francine Thomas Reynolds was one of the judges.

“It was hard it was really hard because, I said thank goodness they’re five judges because I knew that we would all even out and as long as I was consistent with what I was doing, but I was real close with all of ‘em.”

After three rounds of poetry, Mississippi Arts Commission Arts Education Director, Kim Whit handed out the runner up award.

Kim Whit: “The Mississippi Poetry Out Loud runner up and recipient of one hundred dollars for themselves and two hundred dollars for their school library is Millicent Kennedy.”

Kennedy, a senior at the Mississippi School of Arts in Brookhaven chose "Ozymandeous" by Percy B. Shelly in the final round.

But the winner of the 2009 Poetry Out Loud contest is a senior from Water Valley High School.

Kim Whit: “And the Mississippi poetry out loud state champion and recipient of two hundred dollars and an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. and a five hundred dollar stipend for their school library is Shaniqua Wesley.”

In case you couldn’t the name clearly because of all the screaming, the 2009 Poetry Out Loud Mississippi State Champion is Shaniqua Wesley.

“I’ve been practicing forever and ever. Last year it was like state runner up and I was like, that’s not what I wanted. I wanted to win the whole thing but it’s not about winning the competition. You want to give it to somebody who really loves what they’re doing. And I really, really love it. I spent a lot of time doing it. And I appreciate my teacher so much. Cause he helped me so so so much.”

Wesley will go on to compete for the national title next month in Washington D.C. Local judges say her chances are better than good. For MPB News, I’m Ron Brown