Each year, students from all over Iowa participate in the state Poetry Out Loud competition. This year, for the first time, a City High student was one of them. The contest began in the English 9 classes of teachers Jennifer Brinkmeyer and Maureen Hill. In the end, Binnie McKillip ‘18 was chosen to represent City High at the state competition on March 1st.

“I had a feeling that I would win at first because I’m really competitive, but there was a tough contest,” she said. “I was really surprised that I made it and I was so excited and thrilled that I was able to go Des Moines and actually be in a contest because I was the best.”

At the state level, students are required to recite at least two poems. If selected to move on to the finals, the student must also recite a third poem. McKillip memorized the poems All This and More by Mary Karr, Romance by Claude McKay, and A Birthday by Christina Rosetti. Five out of the fifteen students attending were selected to go on to the finals. Despite not being in the top five, McKillip plans on trying again next year.

“I didn’t make it through the first 5 this year, because there were a whole bunch of seniors there and they’ve been through it more than I have,” she said. “I’m totally going to try it out [next year], because I know what I did wrong. I’m totally going to improve that, and try to win state.”

Even though McKillip did not advance to the finals, it did not diminish the experience of the competition.

“It was just great to be at a celebration of poetry, and Binnie’s incredible. She’s one of my students and I was very proud of her,” Brinkmeyer said. “She represented us very well, and she’s a positive go-getter. That definitely came through in her performance. We were in a great space up there in Des Moines. It was a lovely day.”

This may have been the first year for City in the competition, but it won’t be the last. Hill described her plans for improvement at future Poetry Out Loud events.

“I’m hoping that we can keep going, and keep building the program, and get more teachers involved, and get students. Students, the first year, didn’t have a concept of what it was, and I think some students didn’t take it as seriously as they might have if they understood what was going on,” she said. “I think a lot of kids had fun with it, but they didn’t have the idea of what they could do.”

In the end, Poetry Out Loud proved to be more than just a contest. It allowed students a chance to have fun and bond.

“I think what I found most significant was it was something that most of the class went into thinking ‘I can’t do this, I can’t memorize a poem and say it in front of the whole entire class’, but by the end, we were all cheering each other on.” Brinkmeyer said. “Everyone did it, and it just brought us closer together as a class because we’d taken this first step together. I recited a poem too, so I would put myself out there as well. It just showed how good, healthy risk can really bring people together.”