May 4, 2023
By Dana Treier
Staff Writer
Thirty-six student poets came together in the media center on April 6 for the 21st Annual Spring Poetry Slam.
After earning third place in the Winter Poetry Slam, sophomore Angelina Brennen climbed to first place with her poem “Better Times,” where she described the loss of innocence that comes at the end of childhood.
“We do not realize when our childhood is over in the moment, but looking back in the future, we will wish that it could have gone on for longer,” Brennen said.
Brennen said she enjoys being part of LHS’ poetry community because she loves writing and listening to others’ poems.
“People really grew throughout the year, and I got to see a lot of writers blossom from the slam in the winter. Everyone improved in their own unique way, whether it was with their presentation or with their actual writing,” Brennen said.
She said she is proud to have won the slam amidst an outstanding group of poets.
“It is crazy to see the talent in people that are only in high school,” Brennen said. “I know some of these people that participate could go very far with the gift that they have.”
Sophomore Drew Bancroft, who earned an honorable mention award at the Winter Poetry Slam, placed second with his poem “Mistakes Create Perfection,” which was based on his experiences at a poetry workshop at LHS on Feb. 10 when he lost his eraser and was unable to correct his errors.
“I personally relate to this poem, for I struggle with trying to perfect every little action. However, I have learned over time that the mistakes we make along the way help to pave a path towards perfection,” Bancroft said.
“Each and every poem was able to bring me into a new world, as the poets guided me on a journey with their words.”
He said students should not hesitate to share their ideas.
“I learned from this experience that I should always appreciate my work,” Bancroft said. “There is no reason to criticize your effort if it was truly your best effort.”
He said he enjoyed the variety of poems presented and the multiple ways they could be interpreted.
“Each and every poem was able to bring me into a new world, as the poets guided me on a journey with their words,” Bancroft said. “The real beauty of poetry is that everyone’s perspective is unique, meaning that almost anyone can relate to poetry, no matter what it tackles.”
Freshman Kalia Null, who is new to LHS’ poetry slams, earned third place for her poem “I Love(d) You, Dad,” which was inspired by her experiences growing up without a father.
“Absent fathers are not a foreign topic for many people, and it’s hard to grow up without one,” Null said. “It causes an impact on your life that’s different from other kids.”
She said even though her poem addressed a personal topic, she felt comfortable sharing it because of the welcoming environment at the slam.
“I felt like it was a safe space,” Null said. “Poetry is one of my favorite ways to communicate how I am feeling…. I really liked everyone’s poems, especially those who talked about personal experiences and how they [were] affected [and] overcame them.”
Junior Michelle Boinett, who earned a first place award at the Winter Poetry Slam, received an honorable mention award for her poem “The Silver Spoon,” in which she addressed the power that people have in deciding what perspective to take on the events occurring in their lives.
“Its moral is that we should enjoy every single moment because a day will never repeat itself,” Boinett said.
She said her favorite part of the slam was listening to the narratives students conveyed in their poems.
“I was inspired by this poetry slam because every poem told a story,” Boinett said. “It was like [the poets] were giving us hints about their lives, but in a real sense, it explained more about themselves.”
In addition to Boinett, the four-person faculty judging panel recognized juniors Emma Bannon, Ava Bruzzio and Rola Mustafa with honorable mention awards.
English teacher Mrs. Falco, who has been on the judging panel since the first Winter Poetry Slam in 2010, said LHS’ poetry slams are important because they give students an outlet to express themselves.
“This is not only a therapeutic experience for them, but it also gives us as teachers a fresh perspective on what students are facing in their current lives,” Falco said.
She said she encourages students to participate in future slams because poetry can have a positive effect on people’s lives.
“Poetry is so personal and so cathartic,” Falco said. “Often, a line of poetry has the potential to heal not only the person writing it but also any other person that can relate to it. Having the ability to heal yourself and heal someone else by sharing your experience poetically is very powerful.”
