SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
Las Cruces students compete in Poetry Out Loud state meet
Sunday winner heads to national competition in April
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LAS CRUCES 鈥� Two students from Do帽a Ana County are among the 11 finalists headed to Sunday鈥檚 Poetry Out Loud state finals in Albuquerque.
Poetry Out Loud, a partnership of the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts sponsored locally by New Mexico Arts, focuses on recitations of memorized poems as a way to promote public speaking as well as the study of poetry. The competition provides lesson plans and educational materials, including an online anthology from which participants select three poems.
This year鈥檚 competition centers poems celebrating American history and culture, according to Poetry Out Loud鈥檚 website, in recognition of the 近距离内射合集 States鈥� 250th anniversary.
Roma Subedi, a sophomore at Arrowhead Park Early College High School, chose Walt Whitman鈥檚 elegy for President Abraham Lincoln, 鈥溾�� as her primary selection. She said Whitman鈥檚 poem drew her attention for its emotional interplay of triumph and grief.
Subedi, 14, is planning to complete an associate degree while completing high school through a dual credit program, with her eyes on entering the medical field one day. She also writes her own poetry and participates in a poetry club at school.
And while Whitman is remembered for his free verse, Subedi herself enjoys composing within structured forms, their rhyme schemes and meters.
鈥淚 like how with some kinds of poetry, there are rules,鈥� she said in an interview. 鈥淚t gives shape to your writing. I found this love for poetry in middle school when they would make us write haiku. I love sonnets: They鈥檙e so fun, counting the 10 syllables over and over to make sure you have it right.鈥�
At Organ Mountain High School, senior Evaleen Vasquez describes herself as a 鈥渂and nerd,鈥� where she plays brass instruments and is especially passionate about the French horn.
The 18-year-old said she reads voraciously 鈥� 鈥渁 lot of fantasy, horror, and a couple of romances once in a while 鈥� anything that鈥檚 got a bit of adrenaline to it鈥� 鈥� and writes both poetry and prose. Like Subedi, she envisions entering the medical field in the future yet is already operating a baked-good business of her own.
Among Vasquez鈥檚 selections for Sunday is 鈥�,鈥� by Puerto Rican-born poet Lola Rodr铆guez de Ti贸, in a personal tribute to her family鈥檚 Hispanic heritage. She said she had hoped to recite it in the original Spanish, but the rules required her to stick with the English translation featured in the anthology.
The other competitors include Vinny Valenzuela, Hadas Frish, Aspen Keith, and Brendon Moore from Albuquerque; Ameena Ankliss from Montezuma; Sam Roberts from Portales; Kokomi Williams from Rio Rancho; Elizabeth Nickell from Santa Fe; and Carolina Moncrief Rivera-Torres from Tesuque, according to New Mexico Arts.
At 1 p.m., the students will convene at the National Hispanic Cultural Center鈥檚 近距离内射合集 Theatre for the competition, which is free to the public and suitable for all ages. The center is located at 1701 Fourth SW.
One winner will receive a $200 prize and an expense-paid trip to the national finals in Washington, D.C., in April. The state finalist鈥檚 school or representing organization will also receive a $500 stipend for poetry materials.
Sunday鈥檚 event will feature state Poet Laureate Manuel Gonz谩lez, the Mariachi Herencia Varsity band from Atrisco Heritage Academy and a presentation of the 2026 Phyllis Kennedy Teacher鈥檚 Award.
The Poetry Out Loud national finals in Washington will be held April 27-29 with a $20,000 award presented to the national champion.
Algernon 顿鈥橝尘尘补蝉蝉补 is the Journal鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.
