2013 Nevada Poetry Out Loud

POETRY OUT LOUD - LIVE WEBCAST & VIEWING PARTIES

Not in Washington, DC but still want to catch the competition? You can watch the entire semifinals and finals through a live, one-time only webcast.
Or make plans now to gather fellow poetry fans and host a Poetry Out Loud Webcast Viewing Party.
Register here and find tips on hosting your party, promotional materials, and details on other viewing parties around the country.
Poetry Out Loud is online at Twitter: @PoetryOutLoud and @NEAarts, hashtag #POL13. For more information on the event, webcast, or viewing parties, visit www.arts.gov or call 202-682-5606.

Graciela Maya-Joseph, a senior at Owyhee High School in Elko County, was named Nevada’s 2013 Poetry Out Loud State Champion from a field of thirteen district semi-finalists who competed at the Eighth Annual Nevada State Finals on Saturday, March 16. The event took place at the Whitney Peak Hotel’s Cargo Music Hall in downtown Reno. Maya-Joseph recited "The Tables Turned" by William Wordsworth, "Her Kind" by Anne Sexton and "Heaven" by Cathy Song.

Maya-Joseph will represent Nevada at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington D.C. April 29–30 at the Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University. Second place went to Jennifer Simon, a senior at Pahrump Valley High School in Nye County. Third place went to Ralston Thorlief Pedersen, a senior at Yerington High School in Lyon County.

"Here in Nevada we value poetry and our poets. With the top three winners representing three of Nevada’s rural counties, it’s clear that poetry resonates across the Silver State," said Susan Boskoff, executive director of Nevada Arts Council. “Poetry Out Loud is a complicated program to coordinate on a statewide basis, but it remains near and dear to our hearts. With more than 2,600 students participating this year, the supportive parents, teachers and principals from all over the state deserve great credit for teaching and supporting the importance of poetry."

Maya-Joseph receives $1,000, an all-expense-paid trip to attend the National Finals in Washington, DC and $1,000 for her school for the purchase of poetry books and/or literary programming. The second and third place students will each receive $500, with $500 for his or her school for literary programming. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will bestow a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends, with a $20,000 prize for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

Each student memorized three poems he or she selected from an anthology of more than 600 classic and contemporary poems; the top three finalists each recited a third poem for the final round. Students were judged on voice and articulation, physical presence, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, overall performance and accuracy.

Poetry Out Loud is a program of the Nevada Arts Council, presented in partnership with the Nevada Alliance for Arts Education, Nevada Department of Education, National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and this year’s major sponsor, NV Energy.

2013 NEVADA POETRY OUT LOUD FINALS COMPETITION

Semi-finalists from each district traveled to Reno to compete in the Nevada State Finals held on Saturday, March 16 at Cargo in The Whitney Peak Hotel (formally CommRow). The National POL Competition will take place on April 29 & 30, 2013 in Washington D.C.

	2013 Nevada Poetry Out Loud 3rd Place – Lyon County, Ralston T. Pedersen 2nd Place – Nye County, Jennifer Simon 1st Place – Elko County, Graciela Maya-Joseph

	2013 Nevada Poetry Out Loud District Semi-Finalists

	2013 Nevada Poetry Out Loud Judges Cassandra Brownlow Mary Simmons Dr. Karin Ekanger Jorge Lara Santiago Julie Terry Gailmarie Pahmeier

2013 NEVADA POETRY OUT LOUD FINALS COMPETITION

The following students represented their county at the state final competition.

Carson City	Alicia Barchus	Junior, Carson High School
Churchill County	Hannah Perazzo	Junior, Churchill County High School
Clark County	Monica Williams	Senior, Desert Pines High School
Douglas County	Breanna Taylor	Freshman, Carson Valley Middle School
Elko County	Graciela Maya-Joseph	Senior, Owyhee High School
Humboldt County	Lillian Moravec	Junior, Albert Lowry High School
Lincoln County	Holleah Le Baron	Senior, Lincoln County High School
Lyon County	Ralston T. Pederson	Senior, Yerington High School
Mineral County	Romey Hickman	Freshman, Mineral County High School
Nye County	Jennifer Simon	Senior, Pahrump Valley High School
Storey County	Christian Curtis	Junior, Virginia City High School
Washoe County	Jordon Gearey	Junior, Robert McQueen High School
White Pine County	Scottie Lesher	Senior, White Pine High School

2013 NEVADA POETRY OUT LOUD DISTRICT SEMI-FINALS COMPETITION

Elko County	February 7	6:00 p.m.	Western Folklife Center
Douglas County	February 8	5:30 p.m.	88 Cups, Minden
Clark County	February 12	3:30 p.m.	West Charleston Library (Theater)
Lincoln County	February 12	3:30 p.m.	Lincoln County High School
Churchill County	February 13	6:00 p.m.	Churchill High School
Carson City	TBD	TBD	TBD
White Pine County	February 19	6:00 p.m.	White Pine High School
Nye County	February 20	3:30 p.m.	Beatty High School Commons Area
Mineral County	February 20	5:30 p.m.	Mineral County High School Library
Storey County	February 21	1:00 p.m.	Virginia City High School Library
Humboldt County	February 21	10:00 a.m.	Lowry High School
Lyon County	February 21	4:00 p.m.	Jeanne Dini Center
Washoe County	February 21	5:30 p.m.	KNPB Channel 5 Community Room

2013 NEVADA POETRY OUT LOUD DISTRICT COORDINATORS

Carson City	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Churchill County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Clark County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Douglas County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Elko County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Humboldt County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lander County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Lincoln County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lyon County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Mineral County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nye County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Pershing County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Story County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it	Washoe County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
White Pine County	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

WHY POETRY?

As John Barr, president of The Poetry Foundation noted, “…In the hands of the poet, our everyday speech becomes a musical instrument.” Poetry Out Loud engages students in the dynamic aspects of the spoken word and theatre through poetry recitation. The program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about our literary heritage.

WHAT DO TEACHERS GET?

Starting at the classroom level, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and comprehensive website, all aligned to national standards – to augment regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition. School-level recitation champions advance to the district, state and national levels. Each district finalist and a chaperone from each participating school district receive support to attend the Nevada State Finals. The State Champion receives a cash prize of $1,000 and his/her school receives $1,000 for literary programs and the purchase of poetry books. The second and third place students each receive $500 and their schools receive $500 each to support literary programs and the purchase of poetry books.

NAC STAFF ASSISTANCE

Arts Learning Program Coordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 702.486.3738