SC Arts Commission Press Releases
Nine S.C. High School Students to Compete for Chance at $20,000 Scholarship
March 11, 2009
Media Contact:
Milly Hough
(803) 734-8698
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Nine South Carolina high school students will battle it out at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, March 21 at the Columbia Museum of Art. Students are competing for the state’s spot in the POL National Finals in Washington, D.C., April 28. The national champion receives a $20,000 scholarship. Each student was a finalist at one of three regional competitions in January.
Regional contest winners advancing to the state finals are:
Lowcountry Region
- Lauren DiNicola, Charleston County School of the Arts, Charleston County
- Jacob Kupferman, Porter Gaud, Charleston County
- Shannon M. Laribo, Ashley Hall, Charleston County
Midlands Region
- Duncan Perry, Conway Christian School, Horry County
- David Fleck, Carolina Forest High School, Horry County
- Alexandra Marie Yeanacopolis, The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology, Horry County
Upstate Region
- Tremaine Rapp, Greenwood High School, Greenwood County
- Taylor A. Morton, Pendleton High School, Anderson County
- A'derrica Roseboro, York Comprehensive High School, York County
"Poetry Out Loud" is a national recitation contest created in 2005 by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage while gaining an appreciation of poetry. Last year more than 200,000 students in all U.S. states and the U.S. Virgin Islands competed. A'derrica Roseboro, a York Comprehensive High School student who is competing again in this year's state finals, represented South Carolina in the 2008 competition.
Collaborating with the Arts Commission to carry out this year's statewide program are The Humanities Council SC, Hub City Writers Project, Sumter County Cultural Commission and the Lowcountry Initiative for the Literary Arts. For more, contact Susanna Brailsford at (803) 734-8639.
About SCAC:
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission is working to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
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