Michaela Giuliani, second from right, and the competition. PHOTOS: Laura Leonel, Stockton University
Two South Jersey high school students advanced to the New Jersey Poetry Out Loud competition finals after a regional competition February 13 at Stockton University.
Michaela Giuliani, Vineland High School, and McKenzie Finn of Cedar Creek High will compete March 12 in the finals at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank. The competition is run by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Giuliani expressed her excitement and admiration for the event.
“I always love coming to this event. This is my third year doing it. Although I felt a bit nervous, I felt prepared. My teachers really prepped me and got me in the right headspace,” she said.
The students were a group of seven from South Jersey that participated in the Region 2 competition at Stockton’s Performing Arts Center. The other students were Elif Sagir, from Penns Grove; Christina Massey, from Atlantic City; Nicolle Garcia, from Atlantic County Institute of Technology; Gabriella Fox, from Oakcrest; and Zara Appiah, from Absegami.
Each participant recited a poem in each of the three rounds. Giuliani’s winning recitations were: “Time Does Not Bring Relief, You All Have Lied” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Flowers” by Cynthia Zarin, and “ ‘Hope’ Is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson. Giuliani was strong in emphasizing her hand movements and facial expressions during her recitations.
Finn secured her spot in the finals with “When You Are Old” by William Butler Yeats, “Cartoon Physics, Part 1” by Nick Flynn, and “Dreamers” by Siegfried Sassoon. Finn used facial expressions and emotion to leverage a more impactful performance.
McKenzie Finn of Cedar Creek High School, left, and Michaela Giuliani of Vineland High School are the two winners of the Region 2 Poetry Out Loud Competition that was held February 13 at Stockton’s Performing Arts Center.
Finn’s instructor Maria Lampe believes that the competition was a great opportunity for students to learn time management and accountability.
“It’s also a wonderful opportunity for students to practice their public speaking skills and learn how to tell a story to be understood, not just to be heard. Poetry offers a real mastery of language,” she said.
