Poetry is not just something to be read in language arts.

Students performed poems as part of a nationwide contest called Poetry Out Loud on Jan. 29.

Participants chose a piece from the Poetry Out Loud anthology, then were required to “recite it with emphasis on oral interpretation,” language arts teacher Melissa Schumacher said.

Poetry Out Loud is funded through the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in an effort to increase interest in and support of the arts.

Schumacher had the idea to host the event and several members of the language arts department also supported the idea.

“It is a phenomenal opportunity for students to potentially win a trip to Washington D.C. and maybe even cash prizes. Also, we always wish to encourage students to improve their analytical skills by studying poetry,” Schumacher said.

Senior Jennifer Helderle won the event and junior Racheal Rice was the runner up.

Helderle received a $20 iTunes card and the chance to move on to Regionals. Winners at the state level receive a $200 prize, and a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books for their school library, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. for the National Finals. The Poetry Out Loud National Champion will win $20,000.