Congratulations and best wishes to
GCHS Junior, Haley Bryan, who will compete in the state Poetry Out Loud
competition on Tuesday, February 23, 2016.
Haley qualified for the state competition based upon her first place win
at the local Poetry Competition held at Grant County High School on Friday,
January 8.
Haley earned the first place honors
at the 2016 GCHS Poetry Out Loud competition with her selections, “Personal” by
Tony Hoagland, and “The Obligation to be Happy” by Linda Pastan. Placing second for Grant County High School
was Caitlin Haggard (GCHS senior), while Sierra Schmitt (GCHS senior) placed
third.
|
|
|
|
|
Haley Bryan
|
Caitlin Haggard
|
Sierra Schmitt
|
This is the third consecutive year
Miss Bryan has won the Grant County High School Poetry Out Loud competition,
and her third trip to state. In 2015,
she proceeded to place first in the state competition and represented Grant County High School and the state of Kentucky in the national competition held in
Washington, D.C.
Poetry Out Loud competitors each select
and prepare in advance two pieces chosen from Poetry Out Loud’s online
anthology of more than 800 poems. At the
event, participants perform their selections while being judged on the
complexity and length of the selection, plus the participant’s accuracy in
recitation, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, understanding and
interpretation of the poem, stage presence and overall performance.
Grant County High School was very
fortunate to have a highly distinguished panel of judges at their January 8
event, including: Dr. Selene Phillips, a
Native American Poet and English professor at the University of Louisville; Dr.
Shannon Brogan, public speaking professor at Kentucky State University; Jessica
Leutzow, an author and associate director of Women Who Write; Austin Justice, a
graduate student majoring in English at Thomas More College and editor of
Thomas More College’s literary journal, Words;
and Robin Grisham, an English major at Thomas More College and a copy editor
for their literary journal, Words.
Of her upcoming state competition,
Haley writes, “I’m really excited to be moving forward. I feel much more focused this year, thanks to
the insight I now have regarding national competition. I’m very passionate about earning the
opportunity to go back!”
Again, congratulations and best
wishes to Haley! We are very proud to
have her represent Grant County Schools, and wish her every success in her bid
to return to nationals!