Junior Miriam Sachs places first at Poetry Out Loud

By Ashley Cohen
Staff Writer

After displaying her skills in spoken poetry at last year’s Poetry Out Loud competition, junior Miriam Sachs placed first for the second time at the fourth-annual competition held by English teacher Diana Sieker on Jan. 15 in the Costa library.

At the competition, nine contestants recited two poems each from the Poetry Out Loud anthology, a collection of literary works. Juniors Yoshi Cohn, Darby Power and sophomore Keeley Parker placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

“It worked out well that we only had nine students because in past years, not every contestant was able to recite two poems due to time constraints,” Sieker said. “A smaller competition is perfect so we can have two full rounds.”

Judges scored the contestants based on articulation, physical presence, level of complexity, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding and overall performance. The judges included English teachers Quincy Howerton, Nicole Wachell, Alan Zeoli and teacher-librarian Jane Lofton.

“Aside from showcasing remarkable accuracy, Sachs demonstrated a keen grasp of the intention behind each poem,” Wachell said. “She lent a nuanced but restrained dramatic delivery to the poems that contributed to and never distracted from the meaning of the poems.”

Sachs recited the poem “They are Hostile Nations” by Marge Piercy in the first round and the poem “Ah! Why, Because the Dazzling Sun” by Emily Bronte in the second round.

“It was a really fun competition, and winning two years in a row is really exciting,” Sachs said. “Everyone who participated in Poetry Out Loud put their hearts in it and gave it their all.”
While judges delibrated, audience members were able to share original poems or recite poems during an open mic session.

“Seeing these young people recite poetry and show such a passion is really inspiring,” Manhattan Beach senior citizen Poetry Circle member Richard Zeif said.

Sachs will move on to represent Mira Costa at the county-level competition in February. The winner at the county level will move on to the state competition, and one contestant from each state will compete at the finals in Washington, D.C.

“It’s fun to get more poetry on this campus in anyway that I can.,” Sieker said.