Classical Student Wins State Poetry Out Loud Competition

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Classical High School senior won this year's Poetry Out Loud competition state championship on Sunday. Haley Long will go on to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C.

Long received a $200 prize along with an all-expense paid trip to the national finals on April 30 and May 1. In addition, Classical High School will receive $500 to buy poetry books.

Xochi Hopwood of Barrington Christian Academy took home second place. She won $100 and $200 to her school for poetry books. Jasmine Lerner from Chariho High School won third place, and honorable mentions were awarded to Nayeli Vazquez from Central Falls High School and Kaiden Anderson from Moses Brown School in Providence.

2,500 students took part in this year's program, and 13 schools sent students to the state finals. They were Johnston High School, Block Island School, Central Falls High School, Classical High School, Central High School, St. Patrick Academy, Moses Brown School and Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, Bishop Hendricken High School, North Kingstown High School, Portsmouth Abbey School, Barrington Christian Academy and Chariho Regional High School.

Poetry Out Loud is a national program sponsored by the National Endowment For The Arts and Chicago's The Poetry Foundation. Competitions take place around the county, with winners competing at the national championships.

Poetry Out Loud is a program sponsored nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and The Poetry Foundation in Chicago. Organized along the lines of the national spelling bee, Poetry Out Loud promotes competitions at the high school level throughout the country, with local winners going on to state finals, and from there to the national championship competition. Tina Cane, State Poet of Rhode Island, was this year's Guest Poet. Judges this year included Jennifer Davis-Allison, Damont Combs and Diane Postoian.