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Decker Named Poetry Out Loud Champion
Since her freshman year at Sanford, Camille Decker '20 has participated in the annual Poetry Out Loud (POL) contest. This year, on February 25th, at the Smyrna Opera House in Smyrna, DE, Camille, as Sanford’s representative under the leadership of English Instructor and Department Chair Brianna Smale, was named the winner of the state competition. As such, Camille will take her talents to the POL National Finals, which will be held April 27-29 at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium.
During the state finals, Camille competed against 15 other students from across the state. She recited "Double Dutch" by Gregory Pardlo, "Mingus at the Showplace" by William Mathews, and "The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the show" by William Blake. Camille shared: "I more or less selected the first two poems at random, but I heard my friend Eleanor Vander Laan '20 recite the Mathews poem at our school’s semi-finals, and I decided to pick that one for the state finals. I will probably be using the same three poems in D.C. for nationals, but I will only get to recite all of them if I proceed to the final round." The regional competition will be on the first day of the two-day final event, which was originally scheduled for the end of April. Regional winners proceed to the second day for the finals, with a new date for these events yet to be announced.
As a long-time participant in the Sanford Repertory Theatre Company (SRTC), Camille felt that her experiences on the stage were very helpful in the POL competition. "My experiences in theater definitely helped me with articulation, timing, and expression. I feel these skills will also be invaluable as I move on to college, as I am sure as computer science major that I will be expected to give presentations."
Smale noted: "Camille has shown such dedication to Poetry Out Loud during her high school career, so it was fulfilling to see that come to fruition by winning the state competition. Camille is such a fun and funny student; it was great to see that come through in her poem performances. The depth of her understanding of poetry and performance was also evident. I'm so proud of her!"
As state POL champ, Camille accepted an invitation to recite a poem on March 17 at Delaware’s State Senate legislative session in Dover in honor of Delaware Arts Advocacy Day. She will also work with Delaware’s 16th Poet Laureate and state poetry ambassador, JoAnn Balingit to prepare for the national competition. As the state coordinator of the POL program, Dr. Balingit teaches poetry writing and recitation in schools and community centers.
The Poetry Out Loud competition is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts. Sheila Dean Ross, Delaware’s Program Officer for Arts Education and Accessibility said: "I congratulate Camille on her poetry state champion title. Her performance was stellar, and I look forward to seeing her compete at the next level."
Camille’s parents, Traci and Keith, were in the audience to cheer her on throughout the competition. Additionally, Clint Williams, head of the performing arts department, and Ri Owens '20 joined Smale and Eleanor in supporting Camille. The entire Sanford community sends Camille sincere congratulations for this accomplishment and wishes her continued success in Washington DC.
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As a long-time participant in the Sanford Repertory Theatre Company (SRTC), Camille felt that her experiences on the stage were very helpful in the POL competition. "My experiences in theater definitely helped me with articulation, timing, and expression. I feel these skills will also be invaluable as I move on to college, as I am sure as computer science major that I will be expected to give presentations."
Smale noted: "Camille has shown such dedication to Poetry Out Loud during her high school career, so it was fulfilling to see that come to fruition by winning the state competition. Camille is such a fun and funny student; it was great to see that come through in her poem performances. The depth of her understanding of poetry and performance was also evident. I'm so proud of her!"
As state POL champ, Camille accepted an invitation to recite a poem on March 17 at Delaware’s State Senate legislative session in Dover in honor of Delaware Arts Advocacy Day. She will also work with Delaware’s 16th Poet Laureate and state poetry ambassador, JoAnn Balingit to prepare for the national competition. As the state coordinator of the POL program, Dr. Balingit teaches poetry writing and recitation in schools and community centers.
The Poetry Out Loud competition is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts. Sheila Dean Ross, Delaware’s Program Officer for Arts Education and Accessibility said: "I congratulate Camille on her poetry state champion title. Her performance was stellar, and I look forward to seeing her compete at the next level."
Camille’s parents, Traci and Keith, were in the audience to cheer her on throughout the competition. Additionally, Clint Williams, head of the performing arts department, and Ri Owens '20 joined Smale and Eleanor in supporting Camille. The entire Sanford community sends Camille sincere congratulations for this accomplishment and wishes her continued success in Washington DC.
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