Destrehan High School students Wynter Seymour, Dean Wray, Jennifer Theriot, Katie Pintado and Karlene Woods competed in the DHS auditorium for a prize of $10,000. Each student rehearsed, memorized and performed three poems selected from a fairly large list from the Poetry Out Loud association. Competitors were graded by three judges on a scale from one to 10 based on physical presence, level of difficulty, dramatic appropriateness and other criteria. 

These students came well prepared and held themselves up with confidence knowing they could accomplish anything they tried. The winner of the night will compete at the state level in Baton Rouge, March 12 with a chance to move on to Washington, D.C., for the grand prize. All competitors delivered outstanding performances.

When it was time to announce the winners, Katie Pintado walked away with the prize of moving onto state. Pintado performed “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers” by Emily Dickinson, “Discrimination” by Kenneth Rexroth and “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop. Each student who participated received a fancy notebook of their choice provided by Destrehan High School’s Bill Plasse, English Department chairperson, along with official DHS pens.

The night was a great success. Students earned the respect of

their peers and teachers by reciting their poems from memory while under the spotlight.

The article was submitted and written by Amber Wallace, a student at Destrehan High.