Girl competes in poetry reading

LITERARY ART—First-place recipient Ariana Sanchez of Moorpark High School and runner-up Patrick Brennan of Royal High School in Simi Valley are the winners in the Poetry Out Loud competition at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. Ariana went on to perform in the state contest in Sacramento. The 14-year-old Moorpark student who won the Ventura County Poetry Out Loud contest last month represented the region at a poetry competition in Sacramento this week.

Ariana Sanchez won the Ventura County contest because she conveyed an emotional understanding of the Langston Hughes' poem "Mother to Son," according to Moorpark resident and poet Mary Sagala-Verleur, who attended the local event. "We were all impressed by her delivery, her choice of poem and her enthusiasm."

At the state event, the Moorpark High School freshman performed "Mother to Son" along with Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" and Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman."

Although she didn't place in Sacramento, Ariana enjoyed the experience immensely.

"It was a really big thing for me. I didn't expect it to be so great," she said.

A theater actress, Ariana had never explored poetry until her English teacher, Jackie Powell, invited her to participate in the local contest.

She quickly discovered that good poetry brings words to life.

"When I sat down and read through the poems on the Poetry Out Loud website, I noticed they had a bigger impact on me than I thought they would," Ariana said.

She chose "Mother to Son" as her primary poem because the verses meant something to her.

"I had the mom's voice in my head. It felt like I was her kid for a moment, and she was telling me to not give up in life even though there are obstacles. You can't stop . . . you just have to keep going," Ariana said.

The girl used her acting skills to convey the feeling and the messages in the poem. She also spoke with a light Southern accent to make her point. "It was right in my ball park," Ariana said.

The California Poetry Out Loud competition, in partnership with the California Arts Council and the Ventura County Arts Council, encourages youth to learn about poetry through memorization and performance.

The competition prepares students for speech and presentations in the business world and for college English literature classes, said Sagala-Verleur. "We all have to stand up in front of a group at some point." Patrick Brennan, a student at Royal High School in Simi Valley, won second place in the regional competition. He also attended the state event this week.