High school students from across New Mexico take the stage this weekend to compete in the state finals of the Poetry Out Loud competition, marking the program’s first time being held in Albuquerque.
The event takes place Sunday, March 8 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, where 11 finalists will recite poems they have memorized and interpreted in hopes of advancing to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
According to program coordinator Kevin A. Lenker, the move to Albuquerque comes after two decades of holding the competition in Santa Fe.
“We’ve been having it in Santa Fe for 20 years,” says Lenker. “We celebrated our 20th anniversary last year, and we just kind of had the idea, what if we brought Poetry Out Loud to more than just Santa Fe, because we have a lot of schools from Albuquerque that participate.”
Lenker explains the change also gives students the chance to experience the competition in a new setting. “I just want to make it a treat for everybody who’s participating to visit a new city,” says Lenker.
Students qualify for the state competition by first participating at their own schools. Teachers register their schools in the fall, and students select poems from the program’s online anthology. “At each school, they have a competition,” says Lenker. “The winner of that competition can then come to state finals.”
This year’s competition includes the largest number of finalists the program has seen in recent years. “This is the most number of finalists that we’ve had maybe ever,” says Lenker. “We’re excited about having 11 kids come to Albuquerque to get up on stage and recite three poems.”
The finalists also represent a wide range of schools and organizations across the state, including public schools, a homeschool group and an after-school arts program.
Lenker explains the performances give students the opportunity to interpret classic poetry in their own way. “They’re getting to analyze some classic poems and interpreting them in a new time, and a new era,” says Lenker.
In addition to the student performances, the event will include appearances from New Mexico State Poet Laureate Manuel González and other special guests.
For many educators, the program has become a meaningful way to introduce students to poetry and public performance.
Desiree Montoya, a teacher at Volcano Vista High School who has participated in the program for years, first discovered it through an email invitation. “I looked into it a bit, and I thought, Well, why not try this?” says Montoya.
Montoya will also be recognized during this year’s event with the Phyllis Kennedy Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to New Mexico Poetry Out Loud, an honor given to educators who have shown long-term commitment to the program.
Montoya emphasized the program gives students an experience they rarely find in a traditional classroom. “I think it’s just a really cool experience that most of them would never do,” says Montoya. “They would never really sign up for a talent show.”
Through the competition, students memorize and perform poems written by established authors, allowing them to connect with the material in a personal way. “They get to connect with somebody else’s words and use them to probably express some of their own thoughts without realizing it,” says Montoya.
Lenker hopes audiences who attend the finals recognize the courage it takes for students to perform on stage. “I think they should admire the bravery of these students who stand up on that stage,” says Lenker.
The competition begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. The event is free and open to the public, offering audiences the chance to watch students from across the state bring classic poetry to life on stage. The winner will advance to represent New Mexico at the national Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C.
Poetry Out Loud State Finals
Sunday, March 8
1 p.m.
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 Fourth St. SW
Free!