Phoebe Callard, Cape student, competes for poetry honors
Students from across the state channeled Longfellow, Frost, Dickinson and others when they competed Feb. 23 in the Poetry Out Loud competition.
Representing Cape Henlopen High School was Phoebe Callard who competed against 17 other high school students from across the state for a $200 prize and chance to compete in a national championship.
Phoebe studies theatre performance and performs in plays and musicals. She won the school competition with the poem "Rain" by Kazeem Aly. For the state competition, she also performed "April Midnight" by Arthur Symons and "An Apology for Her Poetry" by Margaret Cavendish.
"I entered the contest because I love poetry and love studying," she said. "I thought it would be a cool thing to participate in that related to my interest."
Phoebe said the Poetry Out Loud program provides the opportunity to find a different voice within poetry. She said she hopes to study sound design and production in college.
During the state competition, each student recited three poems.
“The recitations are inspiring, moving, sometimes humorous and always engaging,” said Leann Wallett, program officer, communications and marketing for the Delaware Division of the Arts.
The Division of the Arts sponsored the poetry event that was held at the Smyrna Opera House. Polytech junior Hannah Sturgis won an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., and a $200 prize.
Polytech received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Middletown High School student Brandon Dawson was first runner-up and Jordan McMillan of Sanford School was second-runner up.
A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends are awarded to the winners at the National Finals where state winners compete in three semi-final rounds. From those semi-final rounds, nine finalists are selected; six receive $1,000 scholarships, the second runner-up receives $5,000, the first runner-up $10,000 and the national winner receives a $20,000 scholarship.
