Mid-Pacific Institute senior wins Hawai‘i Poetry Out Loud contest

Tasha Kanoa, a graduating senior at Mid-Pacific Institute’s School of the Arts in Honolulu, was named the 2022 Hawai‘i ­Poetry Out Loud Champion, winning against 11 other students from high schools across the state.

The poetry contest is held by the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and Honolulu Theatre for Youth in partnership with the National Poetry Foundation. The finals of the 17th annual recitation competition were held by reviewing video submissions in March due to the pandemic, with students selecting poems from the official Poetry Out Loud anthology.

The first runner-up was Alana Clayson, a 10th grader at Punahou School; third-place winner, Tessa Chin, is an 11th grader at Maui Preparatory Academy.

>> RELATED: Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate Kalehua Fung inspired by Queen Lili‘uokalani

The national arts education program, which began in 2005, offers free educational materials and helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life, according to poetryoutloud.org.

Judges for the Hawaii contest were Maya Soetoro-Ng, Stephanie Conching and Terence Liu. Performances were judged according to physical presence, voice and articulation, accuracy and evidence of understanding.

Kanoa also competed in the Poetry Out Loud national semifinals, held virtually May 1, but did not move onto the finals June 5. The program awards $20,000 to the national champion.