Program Introductions and Remarks Mary Brenholts ~ PF/PCA, Director of School & Community Programs Jamie Dunlap ~ PA Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Program Director Judges/Prompter ~ Stephanie Brea, Sherae Daniel, Michael Hurley, Romella Kitchens, Zo Re, Curtis Reaves, Sam Turich Round 1 Recitations Anna Voelker “I Am the People, the Mob” by Carl Sandburg Sam Ferguson “Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night” by Walt Whitman Chloe Mellon “A Fit of Rhyme Against Rhyme” by Ben Jonson Victoria Cheng “The Albatross” by Kate Bass Ivan Gunn “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes Savannah Stewart “Discrimination” by Kenneth Rexroth Carolyn Zsamboky “The Albatross” by Kate Bass Round 2 Recitations Anna Voelker “An Autumn Sunset” by Edith Wharton Sam Ferguson “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron (George Gordon) Chloe Mellon “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley Victoria Cheng “Cabezón” by Amy Beeder Ivan Gunn “Author’s Prayer” by Ilya Kaminsky Savannah Stewart “The Paradox” by Paul Laurence Dunbar Carolyn Zsamboky “Momma Said” by Calvin Forbes Round 3 Recitations Anna Voelker “I Am Offering this Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca Sam Ferguson “Poem” by Muriel Rukeyser Chloe Mellon “Ode to the Midwest” by Kevin Young Victoria Cheng “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Ivan Gunn “The Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Savannah Stewart “Fairy-­‐tale Logic” by A. E. Stallings Carolyn Zsamboky “A Poison Tree” by William Blake School Finalists Anna Voelker is a senior at Hampton High School and is thrilled to be participating in Poetry Out Loud for her second year! She loves to write and perform poetry and has recently been pursuing this passion through her internship with Pittsburgh's Youth Slam Poetry League, Young Steel. She plans on studying astronomy next year at a college that has yet to be determined and enjoys spending her free time juggling, unicycling, and pretending that she can play the banjo. Sam Ferguson -­‐ I always enjoyed a good poem. Like Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, I use poetry to woo women or to pass the time. Poems give me the ability to see in colors and speak with words. Feeling the emotions of the historic writers fills me with glee. I met Mr. Rogers as a child and his embrace filled my body with awe and imagination. SO, sit back and enjoy as I poem my heart out. Chloe Mellon, a sophomore at Avonworth High School, is extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in this competition. In the future, Chloe hopes to become a trial lawyer. She is an active member in her school’s Key Club, Student Council, and Model United Nations team; she also hopes to start a debate team in the near future. Chloe would especially like to thank Miss Fox for this “roller coaster” of an experience. Victoria Cheng -­‐ As a freshman in CAPA literary arts Victoria has read and written large amounts of poetry like never before. Her favorite subject in school is foreign language, specifically Spanish. When there is time to spare, she enjoys reading, drawing, games, playing the piano, napping, and ultimate Frisbee. Her interests range from socializing and food to music and art. She is one of six children and currently resides in Swisshelm Park. Ivan Gunn -­‐ A proud resident of Wilkinsburg, sophomore Ivan Gunn is an athlete and a recent poetry aficionado. An Urban Pathways honor roll student, he credits his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Gunn with pushing him toward success. After graduating, Ivan hopes to attend the University of Alabama and major in law while playing football. He believes his mantra “hard work beats out talent when talent doesn’t work hard” will help him achieve all goals. Savannah Stewart is a junior at South Fayette High School. She loves to read, write, and listen to music. Listening to and writing poetry has been a life long love of hers, and she has especially enjoyed participating in POL. Carolyn Zsamboky -­‐ Captain of the Trinity Forensics Team; Trinity September Student of the Month for her work with the autism and life skills classes; 2012 PA District National Drama Qualifier to National Forensics League Finals in Indianapolis, IN; Yearbook Editor; Trinity Literary Journal Photo Editor; City Theatre Young Playwrights Program; Senior Video Committee 2014; Olweus Elementary Anti-­‐Bullying Program The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation present Judges, Prompter, and Musician Stephanie Brea – Interpretation Judge Stephanie Brea is a poet and a visiting creative writing workshop facilitator for local schools and non-­‐profit organizations. She is currently an educator for Literary Arts Boom, a creative writing laboratory in Pittsburgh that inspires youth to pursue their interests, find their voices and tell their stories. Her work has been published in Pear Noir!, The Legendary, Nerve Cowboy and the Pittsburgh City Paper. Sherae Daniel – Prompter Sherae Daniel is an Assistant Professor at the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. She has published multiple academic articles about the impacts of the internet on collaboration. She has presented this work at international conferences. In addition, through taking writing classes at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, she has fallen in love with creative writing. By request, as a token of love, she has written and read reflective essays for events including weddings and birthdays. Michael Hurley – Interpretation Judge Michael Hurley studied Poetry and English Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. He has taught at many different grade levels, from preschool to high school, in schools in Pittsburgh and New Orleans. He thinks poetry is really important. Romella Kitchens – Interpretation Judge Romella Kitchens is a public poet with three Masters Degrees from the University Of Pittsburgh. She has published three chapbooks of poetry and taught poetry at various schools in the Pittsburgh area. She is a performance artist, playwright and fiction writer. Her poems have been published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, California Quarterly, Chiron Review and many more. She has performed at numerous venues in the Tri State area and presented poems on television, stage and radio. Zo Re – Accuracy Judge Zo Re is a writer/poet with a Master's Degree in Linguistics from the City University of New York Graduate Center. For the past three years, she has studied creative non-­‐
fiction and poetry with Sarah Leavens, MFA at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Much of her inspiration comes from explorations of the rich cultural life surrounding her in her adopted home city of Pittsburgh. Curtis Reaves – Interpretation Judge Curtis Reaves is a multi-­‐media artist and community educator who utilizes photography, video, technology and printmaking to empower youth in the exploration of creativity, heritage and social change. Each residency is an infusion of community, found natural objects and symbolic images. His mission is to plant creative seeds wherever he goes to empower the next generation of artists. Sam Turich – Interpretation Judge Sam Turich, an actor, writer and director, creates original plays and films. He wrote and directed the short film “Mombies” and the feature Progression. Recent local theatre work includes Fat Beckett at Quantum Theatre, STRATA at Bricolage and The Alchemists’ Lab at the Playhouse. He is a teaching artist for Quantum, Bricolage, and PF/PCA, and a professor at Point Park University. Jeff Berman – Musician Jeff Berman is a multi-­‐instrumentalist, improvising artist, composer, and educator whose work reflects his global musical vision. A native of NYC now living in Pittsburgh, his genre-­‐extending concept on vibraphone, percussion, and mountain dulcimer has allowed him to collaborate, across stylistic boundaries, with a diverse group of artists from across the planet. Regional Competition held by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts featuring Anna Voelker ~ Hampton High School Sam Ferguson ~ Fox Chapel Area High School Chloe Mellon ~ Avonworth High School Victoria Cheng ~ Pittsburgh CAPA Ivan Gunn ~ Urban Pathways Charter School Savannah Stewart ~ South Fayette High School Caroly Zsamboky ~ Trinity High School Saturday, February 8, 2014 10:00 a.m. Pittsburgh Filmmakers Melwood Screening Room This program is supported in part by the Arts in Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Arts in Education Partner serving Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties is Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.