TF students get loud with poetry

Poetry is much more than rhyming words. Three students from Thompson Falls High School recently competed in the Poetry Out Loud Regional competition in Missoula.

The competitors had to memorize and recite two poems for judges. The poems had to be selected from those available to conestants on the Poetry Out Loud website. One poem had to be written before the 20th century and one needed to be 25 lines or fewer.

Senior Kole Stone, senior Cody Williams and freshman Gabriella Pallister attended the competition, held Feb. 7 at Hellgate High School.

Judges placed Pallister in the top 10, meaning she will compete at the state level on March 3 in Helena. For that competition, Pallister will have to memorize an additional poem. From the state competition, the winner will head to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National Finals for scholarships and prize money sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.