Hudson Valley Community College once again served as the Capital Region site for the semifinal round of Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation competition for high school students. The 2024 event was held Feb. 13 in the BTC Auditorium with Scott Hathaway, chair of the Fine Arts, Theatre Arts an Digital Media Department, serving as MC.
The winner was Sarah Pipino, a sophomore at Saratoga Springs High School, who advances to the NYS final round of competition to be held on March 9 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Runner-up was Jane Kitch-Willis, a freshman at Schenectady High.
Judges were Paul Calarco, Julie Demers, Mary Panza, and Marina Gore.
All 15 competitors are pictured below.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. It is partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation working with state and local arts agencies. It is administered by the Teachers and Writers Collaborative.
Photo courtesy of Teachers & Writers Collaborative