Local student travels to Poetry Out Loud competition

Historic City News received word that Florida School for the Deaf and Blind junior, Zartarius McDade, is prepared to travel from St Augustine to Tallahassee to compete in this year’s “Poetry Out Loud” state competition on March 10th.

McDade is competing in three rounds. He will be reciting the poem “Camouflaging the Chimera” by Yusef Komunyakaa in the first round.

His remaining selections include “Chorus Sacerdotum” by Fulke Greville and “The Birth of John Henry” by Melvin B. Tolson during the second and third rounds, respectively.

“Zartarius is ready for competition,” said Lauren Fox, FSDB Language Arts teacher. “He has the stage presence and the power to make an impact in competition this year.”

The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and allows high school students to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage through poetry recitation.