(Left to right) BJ Jordan, Sierra County Arts Council Executive Director, Lily Antrim, Kaydance Stringer, Abigail Sainsbury (3rd place), Sienna Larrucea (2nd place), Isaac Andaluz (1st place)

SIERRA CITY — Around 40 people gathered in the Sierra City Community Hall on Wednesday, February 7, for the Poetry Out Loud County Finals. They were there to enjoy the performance of five students, representing both of the county’s high schools, in the recitation of poems — and to contest for the county championship.

Poetry Out Loud is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered in our state by the California Arts Council and in our county by the Sierra County Arts Council. It is a program for high school students that involves memorization and recitation of poetry. Poems are selected from an anthology of over 1,200 poems found on the national Poetry Out Loud website (poetryoutloud.org). The students’ efforts are judged on physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy. This was the sixth year that Sierra County students have participated in the program, even though it has been ongoing nationally and statewide since 2005.

This year’s Sierra County champion is Isaac Andaluz, a senior at Loyalton High School. His two poems were “Zoom!” by Simon Armitage and “The Light of the Stars” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He will now go on to the State Poetry Out Loud Finals in Sacramento, March 17-18, and must also now add a third poem to his repertoire. All expenses for that stay, for Isaac and a chaperone, will be paid between the Sierra County Arts Council and the California Arts Council. Additionally, he received an award of $250 for his first-place finish at the County Finals.

Sienna Larrucea, a freshman at Loyalton High School, won the runner-up position with her recitations of “Ah! Why Because the Dazzling Sun” by Emily Bronte and “Words” by Pauli Murray. She received $150 for her effort and would represent the county at the State Finals if the county champion could not attend.

Third place went to Abigail Sainsbury, a senior at Downieville High School, who recited “Dawn” by Ella Higginson and “Among Women” by Marie Ponsot. She received a check for $100. The other two student participants were Lily Antrim, a Downieville High School sophomore (who recited “Confessions” by Robert Browning and “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser), and Kaydance Stringer, a Downieville High School freshman (who recited “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay and “Dream of the Raven” by Ada Limón).

Thank-yous for this year’s event go to a whole host of people. BJ Jordan, Executive Director of the Sierra County Arts Council, serves as the partnership link with the California Arts Council and writes the grant that funds the poetry program locally. English teachers Amber Baca-Sainsbury at Downieville High School and Rebekah Perez at Loyalton High School provided the students with encouragement, direction, and support. Without the individuals who agree to serve as officials at the event, it just wouldn’t happen. They include Criteria Judges Carl Butz, Jill Makoutz, and Teresa Taylor; Accuracy Judge Mindy Strine; Scorekeeper Mike Taylor; and Prompter Laura Marshall. Thanks, as well, to Jan Buck, who aided in determining the order of recitation.

Additionally, thanks go to Cindy and Gunnar Ellsmore, who graciously arranged for their building to be used for the finals, even though the event was eventually moved to the Community Hall, whose people also receive our thanks. A most hearty thank-you goes to Bryan Davey, who managed to locate some propane at the last minute so that the people gathered weren’t shivering during the performances, and to those persons who provided space heaters for the nonce. Also, thanks to Cracker Eshleman and Liz Scott for helping to prepare the hall for the event. And, finally, a well-earned thank-you to Jill Makoutz, who shared some of her own poetry with the audience.

Of course, our overwhelming gratitude goes to the five students who participated. Through their efforts, they once again proved to us all that poetry is powerful, as well as entertaining, and that great courage can be found in a young person standing in front of a group, interpreting a poem for the benefit of the listeners. We can well declare that all five of these young people — Abigail, Isaac, Kaydance, Lily, and Sienna — are champions in our county.