Students Medal at Foreign Language Poetry Contest
Four students took home medals at the Foreign Language Poetry Recitation Contest held last month at nearby Hanover High School.
Fiona ‘23 received a bronze medal for Year 1 and Dudu ‘21 received a bronze medal for Year 3. Paige ‘20 won a gold medal and Marian ‘21 won a silver medal in the Advanced competition.
The annual event brings together students in each of four languages — French, German, Latin, and Spanish —from a wide range of high schools to recite poems in their target language before a panel of judges and an audience of peers and teachers.
“I love the Hanover High School poetry event,” says Scribner Fauver, department chair of world languages and French teacher. “Events like this are a great chance for kids to step outside their comfort zones and take a chance. Learning French is one thing, using it is another.”
Students are provided with three poems selected for their language and ability level. This year, students recited poems from as early as the 16th century and as recent as the 1970s. Competitors then select one poem which they must memorize and recite. Judges score on memorization, the quality and inflection of the spoken language, and on the student's stage presence.
“I have been sending KUA kids to this event for years, and this is the best we have done,” says Fauver, who adds that the event is pretty stressful for the students. “To win first and second place at the advanced level is a big accomplishment.”
