MMI Preparatory School freshman Andrew Decker finished second in the recent Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition at the WVIA-TV studios in Pittston.
Decker, the son of Aaron Decker of Kingston and Elizabeth and Troy Topolski of Sugarloaf, competed against other students from throughout Luzerne, Lackawanna, northwestern Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and eastern Wyoming counties.
Each student in the top three recited a total of three poems during the competition. The event was under the direction of Arts in Education of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19. MMI instructor Jennifer Novotney is the faculty advisor for the regional competition.
Poetry Out Loud is part of the coupling of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation with U.S. state arts agencies. The idea of the contest is for the nation’s youth to learn more about great poetry through memorization and recitation, improving public speaking skills, self-confidence, and students’ knowledge of their literary heritage.
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