By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter

For some people, reading poetry is a pleasure. For a few students in Benicia Unified School District, it’s a competition — performed out loud, for an audience.

Ronna Leon, whose served as Benicia’s poet laureate from 2010-12, encouraged the local school district four years ago to participate in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest.

The school district has been entering ever since.

A partnership of the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, the contest is part of a national program to encourage high school students to learn more about poetry through memorization, performance and competition, said Jady Montgomery, coordinator for the Benicia Poet Laureate program.

Ten winners of the classroom level of the competition have been chosen from Benicia High School: Sierra Beard, Juliana Biggs, Sarah Carrell, Kieran Cross, Ruby Fergusson, Ann Klinglehafer, Sierra Rybarczyk, Maya Sing Sharkey, Autumn Skaj and Ryan Wolch.

Last year, about 375,000 students from more than 2,000 high schools across the country participated in various levels of Poetry Out Loud, starting in the classroom, then advancing to district, state and national finals.

“Benicia has been, and remains, the only city in Solano County participating in this distinguished and important program,” Montgomery said. “We hope to see broader representation in the future.”

Competing in Poetry Out Loud is a lot of work, she said.

Students first must select and memorize their poems, at least one of which is traditional or classic, written before the 20th century. A second poem can be contemporary. At least one poem must be long.

They make their selections from an anthology of 100 poems and 700 on the Poetry Out Loud website.

Kim Thompson, a teacher at Benicia High School, provides much of the guidance as the students choose and prepare their recitations.

“She makes it happen with the students — the classroom competitions, preparation, support — and without her there would be no program,” Montgomery said of Thompson.

This year, three members of Benicia’s Toastmaster Club, Larry Miller, Paula Hultz and Tom Brown, have also been helping the students with their presentations, Montgomery said.

Students don’t don costumes or act out their poems, she said. It’s not an acting presentation.

They may gesture with their hands, and have expressive eyes, but they’re expected to stand still, rather than move around, during the recitation.

Those who want to see samples of other students’ presentations can find them online at youtube.com or poetryoutloud.com, she said.

“The idea is not to obscure the poem,” Montgomery said. “That’s the art of it.”

The students’ art of interpreting their poems will be on display Feb. 8 at Benicia Public Library during the next level of the competition, she said.

“Judges evaluate student performances on criteria, including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, and accuracy,” she said.

The winner will go on to the state competition, March 16-7 in Sacramento. Those who are victorious at that level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national contest April 29 and 30.

The state champion’s school also will be given $500 to buy poetry books.

Benicia Unified School District’s Poetry Out Loud competition will take place from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 8 in Benicia Public Library, 150 East L St.