BHS Senior Competing in State Poetry Contest

Staff Reports

Branford High School senior Skylar Dunn will represent her school at the state Poetry Out Loud competition in Hartford this Friday.

Skylar won the school’s Poetry Out Load competition in the BHS auditorium on Jan. 8 against fellow senior Cole Shanley. After a very close school championship, judges Stephanie Byrd, Karen Izzo, and Bing Miller declared Skylar school champion.

The next step was for Skylar to submit videos of herself reciting two poems. On Feb. 17, Skylar learned that she had been invited to the state championship, where she must be ready to recite three poems from memory. This year’s championship is at 5 p.m. at TheaterWorks in Hartford. Last year, no BHS students chose to enter the competition. Two years ago senior Ella Kelly represented Branford at the state competition.

At the school competition, Skylar recited “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Ted Kooser. Cole Shanley recited “Let Us Consider” by Russell Edson.

“They both did so well — it was not an easy decision,” said Ms. Byrd. “I’m happy BHS will be represented at Poetry Out Loud this year.”

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recital competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Every year, more than 300,000 high school students participate nationwide. Dozens of high schools across Connecticut send their champions to the state competition, the winner of which represents Connecticut at the national championship in Washington D.C. in June. First prize is $20,000.