Poetry Out Loud Being Hosted by Hannibal Arts Council

The Hannibal Arts Council will host the 8^th annual Northeast Missouri Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition, a regional poetry recitation competition for area high school students at 10:00 a.m. on February 12 at the Hannibal Arts Council, 105 S. Main St .  The public is invited to attend. The winner of the February 12 regional competition will proceed to the state finals in Jefferson City on March 14. The winner of the state finals moves on to Washington , D.C. for the national finals.

Students participating this year include Maryssa Movarac ( Louisiana High School ), Miranda Oder ( Milan High School ), Ashley Bichsel ( North Shelby High School ), Beth Thordsden ( Palmyra High School ), Victoria Carothers ( South Shelby High School ) and Ali Walker ( Troy-Buchanan High School ). Prior to the regional competition, the six Northeast Missouri schools that elected to participate in the program held school competitions to choose who represents them at the regional competition.

Poetry Out Loud Regional Recitation Competition is a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies and the Hannibal Arts Council.

For more information about Poetry Out Loud and the regional competition, contact the Hannibal Arts Council at 573-221-6545.