Poetry casts a spell at Vernon High

Students enthralled by classic poems Vernon - It was a day like no other at Vernon Township High School as 50 students celebrated poetry by memorizing classic poems and reciting them on the stage alone, with the spotlight and an audience of hundreds of their peers putting additional pressure on them. An uncharacteristically still audience watched and listened to their brave friends and classmates. Vernon High participated this year for the first time in the national Poetry Out Loud contest, which challenges students from across the country to find a published poem they like and make it their own. The competition began at the classroom level, then proceeded to the high school auditorium stage. The effect on the student body was electric. At first only English classes attended, but as teachers and students heard the buzz, they clamored for permission to attend. Some students even begged their teachers to stay another class period. Administrators and staff were surprised by the positive response. Poets who were represented included Sara Teasdale, Emily Dickinson, Wilfred Owen, Edgar Allen Poe, William Butler Yeats and William Shakespeare. First-place winner was Mike Mingo, a senior, with his recitation of “The Painter” by John Ashberry. Second place went to Chris Stokes for his recitation of “The Spider and the Fly” by Mary Howitt. That poem has 500 words contained within 44 lines. And third place went to Katie Flynn, who recited “The Young Who Wanted To” by Marge Piercy. Honorable Mentions also went to Luka Dragutinovic, Maria Eleftheriou, Megan Maher and Natalia Kafel. Mike Mingo should have continued through to a county and state competition but there was a glitch in the county paperwork and the county had not registered before the state deadline passed. Even though he will not be able to proceed further in Poetry Out Loud, English department chairman Dr. Charles McKay has already registered the three top winners to compete in two other poetry contests in the state. The students who participated in recitations were: Kristen Leidig, Mallory Costello, Matt Forest, Carl Stevenson, Alicia Fiduccia, Maria Eleftheriou, Rebecca Blomgren, Nicole English, Brittani Heityi, Meaghan McManus, Nick Weiss, Diona Rinaldi, Megan Maher, Erica Brierly, Kelsey Daly, Jackie Stadert, Sophia Contreni, Kelly Kearns, Scott Lisa, Kim Kelmelis, Emily Lail, Anna Diorio, Shannon Slaff, Matt Clarkin, Kunio Kohama, Natalia Kafel, Emily Bushey, Larissa Hoffman, Sarah Laffend, Rhett Moroses, Sylva Ohanian, Luka Dragutinovic, Kelsey Daly, Jackie Standaert, Josch Kennerson, Brittany Amari, Kim Kelmelis, Jodi Bischoff, Sam Bisckei, Grace Bailey, Matt Chastain, Dana Banderek, Genna DeRosa, Victoria Ross, Melissa Landtau, Zachary Diaz, Ally Wall and Josh Grajales.