By Talia M.
Staff Writer

In honor of March Madness, the 8th Grade team had a poetry competition. Students from each 8th Grade English Language Arts (ELA) class had three winners. Each of the winners competed with other ELA classes.

Narrowing it down to the semifinals, it was Maddie C. versus Carson N. and Kathleen D. versus Farhan A. First up was Maddie and Carson.

Both did a very good job with the delivery of the poem. Students in the audience thought that Carson had more passion and emotion.

Maddie’s poem conveyed a good message. Although it can only come down to one winner, with Carson moving to the finals.

Next up was Kathleen and Farhan. Kathleen had an amazing poem that she elevated even further with her outstanding passion and strong emotion.

Farhan had a more difficult poem that helped him score higher due to the fact he could perform it well. This was the most heated match of the entire competition. This match was very close, but Kathleen won.

After the intense competition, it came down to Carson and Kathleen. Kathleen’s performance of her poem: “I do not love you except because I love you,” by Pablo Neruda, was a strong and meaningful piece. Carson’s poem was also strong and emotional. In the end, Kathleen won with a very close score.

I spoke to Kathleen about her experience:

Why did you want to be in the competition?
“I wanted to be in the competition just for fun. I didn’t really think it’d go that far to the point I’d win.”

Was it nerve-racking to recite your poem in front of everyone?
“It was pretty nerve-racking at first, but I talked to half of the 8th Graders and I’m pretty nice to them and they’re nice to me, so I didn’t really mind it as much.”

How did you feel winning the competition?
“It was nice to win. I felt a little bad for Carson though.”

Would you continue with poetry?
“I don’t think I’ll continue reciting poetry – maybe write in the future.”

How did you practice?
“My mom made me practice.”

In all, everyone that participated did a good job with the competition, considering having to recite your poem in front of your peers and teachers. It was a fun event that the 8th Grade ELA teachers put together. Make sure to join the poetry competition next year!