The Grizzlies’ Poetry Slam Competition was held Monday, Oct. 19, in the Agape Chapel. All three students who participated, senior Carter Burgess, junior Essence Davis and sophomore Carolyn Lane, were declared the winner due to the quality of their poems.

The Grizzlies’ Poetry Slam competition is held for high school students in the Memphis area as a venue for students to express their talents in writing and performing poetry. St. George’s was one of 16 schools invited to be part of the annual poetry slam competition this year.

The event was specifically for St. George’s students in order to determine which students should represent the school in future local competitions. Five students from St. George’s signed up for the competition, and three out of those five students, Burgess, Davis and Lane, participated.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Davis said. “It was elating, but subliminally terrifying, to get up in front of my peers and teachers and recite a poem that expressed my feelings about Memphis.”

As part of the competition, the students had to include the phrase “Building a Greater Memphis: Moving Forward,” in their poem.

The competition was judged by twelfth grade English teacher Mrs. Rubin, high school English teacher Dr. Robertson, high school forensics coach Ms. Sue Berry, Ms. Ann Mulhearn of the AmeriCorp VISTA Youth Programs of the Hattiloo Theatre, Hattiloo Programs Coordinator Ms. Calley Anderson and Program Mentor Mr. Tim Dotson.

The judges voted after the poems were presented and ultimately decided that all three poems were “competition quality,” according to middle school language arts teacher and forensics coach Mr. Patrick McGraw. Because of this, all three students who participated will proceed to the poetry slam finale.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Grizzlies’ Write On, Speak Out Poetry Slam Competition,” Mr. McGraw said. “I am most excited about having three of our students participate in the mentoring program with local poet performers.”

Junior Audrey Pisahl, who was unable to attend the St. George’s competition, attended a community slam at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library to make up for the missed school competition. Pisahl won second place, earning her a spot in the Grizzlies’ Poetry Slam program during Nov. 1 to Feb. 28, along with the three other students who attended the event on Monday.

At the program, these four students will work with a local poet in groups of six. Between Feb. 29 and March 13, each group will have a showcase to display the students’ poetic talents. The poetry slam finale will be held at the Hattiloo Theatre on March 19 and 20, and the winner there will advance to the national competition in New York City.

“Poetry Slam is more than just the recitation of one’s own poem,” Mr. McGraw said. “It is a theatrical performance, bringing poetry from the page to the stage.”