You walk into the classroom and realize that today is the day that you share poems with the class for Poetry Out Loud. You get called up and start to recite a poem that you found on the Poetry Out Loud website. Freshman Katelynn Baer is one of the students who participated in this event. Baer’s class was required to participate in POL as an assignment for class.

Struggling with the fear of messing up Baer says that, “I get nervous which is why I would rather perform on a larger scale rather than a small one where you can hear like side talk after you mess up” With that being said Baer, unless it is required again, does not think she will participate in future years.

On Wednesday January 26th in the step room classroom winners will compete against each other in the school wide  Poetry Out Loud competition. The GHS English teachers are the judges for this event and they encourage all students to try. Depending on the class it may be required to try it on the individual class level. Any further questions can be directed to your English teacher who is happy to help.

English teacher Marissa O’Shea explains that you won’t get a grade at the school competition and that, “you get a score from the judges, which is just used for the judges to distinguish between all of the awesome participants—no grade attached.” After the school competition, there are different levels you could reach. O’Shea says that after the class, then school competitions, then students move, “on to states/regionals and finally nationals!”