Wyoming Arts Council

Elora Nation Secures Title Of Wyoming’s 2024 Poetry Out Loud State Champion For The Second Consecutive Year

Featured News, Program News | March 5, 2024

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The annual Poetry Out Loud (POL) State Finals Competition was hosted by the Wyoming Arts Council on Monday, Feb. 26, at the Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium located at Laramie County Community College. Elora Nation secured the title of Wyoming’s 2024 State Champion for the second consecutive year. Ms. Nation, a senior enrolled in the Penn Foster High School program in Casper, will proudly represent Wyoming at the National Finals held in Washington, D.C., scheduled for May. Sunny Butterfield of Buffalo High School claimed second place, while third place was awarded to Hailey Walton of Cheyenne East High School.

Students competed for a $200 prize, a $500 stipend for their school to purchase poetry books, and the opportunity to advance to the national competition. Judging criteria encompassed physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance. This year’s panel of judges featured Wyoming poets Izac Garcia, Annelise Wright, and Brandon McQuade, along with Wyoming Poet Laureate Barbara Smith and Lori Pusateri-Lane, Fine & Performing Arts Consultant for the Wyoming Department of Education. 

POL encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Developed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, POL is a free contest for high-school students (grades 9-12) in both public and private schools and local community organizations. The Wyoming Arts Council is proud to support and administer this program throughout the Cowboy State.

Poetry OurselvesIn 2023, the POL state competition introduced an exciting addition known as Poetry Ourselves, providing a platform for students to showcase their original literary creations. This year’s event took place on Sunday, February 25th, 2024, at the Hawthorn Tree Tea House in Cheyenne. The winners of the 2024 Poetry Ourselves – Original Written Word category were announced as follows: Briar Markovsky claimed first place with “Hunger,” followed by Lucia Hucinova with “The Song” in second place, and Hallie Cozzens with “The Line to Get to the Beach” securing third place. Notable mentions were awarded to Joanna James for “Happy Holidays,” Gloria Rynders for “Change Your Attitude,” and Roby Hines for “Choose.” Additionally, the winners of the 2024 Poetry Ourselves – Spoken Word category were recognized, with Justice Nelson clinching first place, Elora Nation securing second place, Dovelynn Martinson placing third, and William Greathouse taking fourth.

This year, seven schools and community organizations sent representatives from across Wyoming to compete in the 2024 Wyoming State POL Competition. Students first competed and won at the classroom and school levels in their local communities before participating in the state finals competition. 

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For more information on this program, visit wyoarts.state.wy.us/wac-program/poetry-out-loud/

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For more information, contact Amara Fehring, Community Development and Arts Education Specialist with the Wyoming Arts Council, at amara.fehring@wyo.gov.

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