COMMISSION ON CULTURE & TOURISM ANNOUNCES
WINNER OF POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS
Mara Dauphin of Rockville High School in Vernon Voted State Champion;
Courtney Thompson of Rocky Hill High School Named Runner-up
{L to R: Mara Dauphin, Lauren Weiss, Tanarie Melendes, Courtney Thompson, Matthew Smtih}
HARTFORD, Conn. (March 9, 2007) – Mara Dauphin, a junior at Rockville High School in Vernon, was named champion of Connecticut’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals competition on February 28 at the New Britain Museum of American Art. The competition was presented by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT) and State Department of Education, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.
During the state finals, contestants recited works they selected from an anthology of more than 400 classic and contemporary poems. Dauphin received $200 and a $500 stipend went to Rockville High School for the purchase of poetry books. Courtney Thompson, a senior at Rocky Hill High School, was voted runner-up and received $100, plus $200 for her school library.
Other state finalists included Matthew Smith, a sophomore at Avon High School; Lauren Weiss, a freshman at Berlin High School; and Tanairie Melendez, a junior at Pathways to Technology Magnet High School in Windsor.
The state finals were part of Poetry Out Loud, a national program that encourages high school students from Capitol-region high schools to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to the school-wide competition, then progress to the state finals and ultimately to the national finals in Washington, D.C. This year, 250,000 students across the country will participate in the program.
“Poetry Out Loud brings back poetry as an art form,” said An-Ming Truxes, Arts Division director at CCT. “And the public recitiation of poetry helps students master public speaking skills and build self-confidence – skills they will use for the rest of their lives.”
On April 30 and May 1, Dauphin will compete in the national finals in Washington D.C., where a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded, including a $20,000 college scholarship for the national champion.
Dauphin previously won the 2007 Rockville High School Poetry Slam. In 2006, she was a Tolland County IMPAC finalist in prose and a finalist in the Sunken Garden Young Poet’s Competition.
"Poetry Out Loud has been amazing experience for me,” said Dauphin. “I participated at the school level last year, too, and the experience has influenced me to start reading more poetry, specifically modern poetry.”
“It has been a joy to coach Mara in the Poetry Out Loud competition, because she is a natural storyteller who knows how to bring poetry to life,” said Vicky Nordlund, a creative writing teacher at Rockville High School. “She has performed in my classes and inspired many of my students to participate in the program next year.”
As part of Poetry Out Loud, CCT placed theater artist Eddie Duran and poets Reggie Marra, Elizabeth Thomas and Rennie McQuilkin in Capitol-area high schools to work with students on presentation skills, projection and conquering their public speaking fears. Teachers at the participating schools were equipped with a standards-based teaching guide created by the NEA and Poetry Foundation. Students prepared for the finals with a comprehensive Web site and CD featuring poetry recitations by well-known actors and writers, including Anthony Hopkins, Alyssa Milano, N. Scott Momaday and Rita Dove.
“Poetry Out Loud brings a new dimension to the understanding of poetry, involving students in a more dramatic and direct way than merely reading words on a page,” said Sandra Geres, a creative writing teacher at Rockville High School. “Poetry recitation takes black ink and white paper and infuses both with color.”
John Hollander, Connecticut’s poet laureate; Pit Pinegar, teaching artist at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts; and Bessy Reyna, teaching artist and an op-ed columnist for the Hartford Courant, judged the competition.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
This year, the National Endowment for the Arts marks its 41th anniversary of leadership in the arts. The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and military bases.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is one of the largest literary organizations in the world. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs. In addition to launching a major new poetry Web site, the Poetry Foundation recently conducted the first-ever study designed to find out where poetry stands in American culture. For more information, please visit www.poetryfoundation.org.
About the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism
The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism brings together tourism, film, history and the arts. Its mission is to preserve and promote Connecticut’s cultural and tourism assets in order to enhance the quality of life and economic vitality of the state. The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism is located at One Financial Plaza, 755 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut. For more information, log on to www.cultureandtourism.org.
Contact
Karen Senich An-Ming Truxes Jenny Smith/Becky Giantonio
Acting Executive Director Arts Division Director Pita Communications
Connecticut Commission Connecticut Commission (860) 293-0157, exts. 15/25
on Culture & Tourism on Culture & Tourism jenny@pitacomm.com
(860) 256-2800 (860) 256-2722 becky@pitacomm.com
