Sophomore Olivia Mancina is set to advance to Regionals after winning Poetry Out Loud, the annual poem recitation competition, Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m in the library. 

“This was my first experience with Poetry Out Loud, and so it felt a little scary,” Mancina said. “But in the end, I felt confident going up after the first poem.”

Students and teachers were invited to come to watch. The competition is held by the English department, with English teacher Casey Engel taking the lead.

“Sometimes, finding a poem is like trying to pick a needle out of a haystack,” Engel said.  “So, I help facilitate that process for my students.”

Engel is in charge of the Poetry Out Loud Club. POL has been conducted at Sion for years, but this year is the first with a club explicitly dedicated to the competition. POL club members Mancina and junior Mattie Mills both competed in this year’s competition. In addition to the two competitors, sophomore Tyra Frazier, freshman Brianna Legette, freshman Iyanna Coleman, junior Inaya Khan, freshman Kaila Traylor and freshman Samy Mora recited poems as well.  

“I spent about a week memorizing,” Mills said. “It takes a while.”  

Both Mills and Mancina presented three different poems, the requests for the future Regionals competition in January are that the student must memorize and perform three poems, one being pre 20th century and another being less than 25 lines. 

“It’s an art form, and I love it because it is a unique way to express your feeling,” junior Mattie Mills said.

Mancina was announced as the winner of the school’s competition Nov. 13. She will now advance to Regionals, and possibly on to the State and National competitions. Engel said she is very proud of both students and their poems.

“I had the toughest time driving to school today because Olivia and Mattie are so talented,” Engel said. “I want to take them both to regionals and beyond.”