Burlington High School Names Newest Poet Laureate

Burlington High School students filled the Fogelberg Auditorium in early January for what has become a mainstay of BHS culture.

For the 18th time, the English Department sponsored the Poetry Out Loud competition, where high school students at all levels recite pre-selected poems in front of an audience. Designed to encourage “the study of great poetry” and help students strengthen their public speaking skills, the competition begins in classrooms.

Each student choose a poem from the Poetry Out Loud list to memorize; they’re encouraged to select one with personal meaning for them so that the connection shines through in their performance. Semifinalists chosen from the classroom recitations then performed on stage, and finalists chosen from those performances showed off their skills in front of a panel of outside judges and an auditorium full of students.

Teacher-sponsor Shannon Janovitz loves the competition, she says, because it is aligned to state standards and is accessible to everyone, allowing them to dig deep and connect with poetry that has meaning for them.

This year’s nine finalists each recited two memorized poems, tackling topics from hate crimes to everlasting love to the lies politicians use to gain and keep power. Judges then evaluated the performance based on a rubric that rates Physical Presence, Voice and Articulation, Dramatic Appropriateness, Evidence of Understanding, and Overall Performance.

After eighteen powerful and dramatic performances, the points were tallied and the winners were chosen.

In third place was Daniel Jimenez, whose recitation of The Mortician in San Francisco was stark and moving. A second-time finalist and BHS junior, Daniel enjoys playing drums and tabletop games when not at school. “I did better than I thought,” said Daniel, who chose poems for their political themes and hidden meanings.

Second place went to Jack Carey, who gave a convincing performance of Rain of Statues by Sarah Lindsay. Jack took an analytical approach to sifting through the hundreds of poems Poetry Out Loud has to offer, making a pros and cons chart for each on a randomized list of poems. Carey, also a junior, agreed with Jimenez: “I didn’t think I’d make it that far,” he said. Jack enjoys participating in Model UN and esports.

The Poetry Out Loud 2024 Winner, and recipient of the honor of BHS Poet Laureate, was Therese Kosinski. The win at BHS means Therese will need to learn a third poem to perform at the state semifinals in March. “I was nervous, but I was confident in the poems,” Therese said, adding that “It feels good to do my best.” In addition to music, poetry, debate, and Model UN, freshman Therese enjoys sports including soccer, tennis, and shotput.

Best of luck to Therese at the state semifinals, and congratulations to the finalists and winners!