JHS Holds 13th Annual Poetry Out Loud Competition

Seventeen Jamestown High School students put their memorization and public speaking skills to the test, choosing to compete in the school’s 13th annual Poetry Out Loud competition in December.

JHS junior Allison MacCallum finished in first place, reciting the poem “American Smooth” by Rita Dove. Mya Sneed, a freshman, received first runner up after his performance of (“From the Sky” by Sara Abou Rashed, while sophomore Dante West received second runner up with the poem (“Dirge without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

MacCallum, Sneed, and West, were among the 17 JHS students from all grades who participated in the competition along with Gina Delgado, Charlee VanGuilder, Fatima Faridi, Charlotte Baehr, Alex Braymiller, Amina Faridi, Abbee Brandow, Alivia Dye, Angel Brunacini, Nolah Hamilton, Cameron Cooper, Mia DelPozzo, Matthew Johnson, and London Hamilton.

A school-wide competition is typically held each December. Two winners selected from JHS, then compete at the regional level against students all across western New York. Out of that field, two students are then selected to compete at the state-wide competition for a chance to advance to the national competition. One JHS student has advanced to the National Finals: Chiara Raimondo in 2016.