Winner of 4th Annual Territorial 'Poetry Out Loud’ Competition celebrates 2-peat victory

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Local high school budding poets faced-off last Friday in the 4th Annual Territorial Competition of Poetry Out Loud — American Samoa 2024, held at the Jean P. Haydon Museum, where last year's winner Hazel Leo of Iakina Adventist Academy, emerged victorious once again.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and promotes the art of performing poetry by awarding cash prizes to participating schools in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and territories. It also helps students master public speaking skills, build self confidence and learn about literary history and contemporary life.

Last Friday's event, which has been named the 4th Annual TERRIES, was the territorial category of this national poetry recitation contest and students from 11 high schools including six private high schools competed.

Students from local government and private high schools who competed in the 4th Annual TERRIES Poetry Out Loud Competition- American Samoa 2024 held last Friday at the Jean P. Hayden Museum. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau]

Students were required to select three poems to memorize and recite from the online Poetry Out Loud anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.

One poem must be pre-20th century, and one must be 25 lines or fewer. One poem can account for both criteria, leaving the second and third poems unrestricted.

The three poems that two-time winner Hazel Leo selected were, "Propositions" by Stephen Dunn, "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood and "Friendship After Love" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

In an exclusive interview with the 16-year-old who hails from the village of Masefau, she expressed her love for poetry.

"Although poetry is complex to some people, if you really take the time to sit down and read it, and analyze each word, you'll realize it has a deeper meaning," she revealed. "It helps you to open up emotions that you haven't felt before … poetry is very special to me."

Hazel is the second of three children born to Alofau and Tala Leo, and has two sisters. She inherits her love of reading and writing from her mother Tala Ropeti-Leo, who worked as an intern here at Samoa News after high school.

Hazel recalled that ever since she was young, she wanted to be a writer because she loves reading. She first started to perform the art of poetry reading, which she now excels at, as a 5th grader, with a poem she penned called "No Bullying" — that she read in front of her school.

"That was when I felt that poetry was something very significant to me," she declared. "I still remember that poem to this day because to me, it is an iconic moment in my life, performing in front of a crowd as a 10-year-old."

The young poet also used poetry to express her thoughts about her life experiences while growing up in the fast pace of life, in a poem entitled "Slow Down" which emphasizes the need to slow down and take stock of one's circumstances and to where it will lead.

Hazel also revealed her love for humorous poems and quoted "Propositions" by Stephen Dunn and "One of the World's Liars" by Syrian-born poet and scholar Mohja Kahf as two of her favorites.

"Poetry is fun," she said when asked what advice she had for her peers and future generations, "although a lot of people don't think so, but again, if you sit down and read it and understand it, you will find that it is really really fun.

“It will also take you places."

Hazel was referring to her trip to Washington DC where she competed in the nationals against competitors from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories.

She stated that it was a very memorable experience, especially for someone like her from a rural village in American Samoa to suddenly be exposed to the metropolitan glamour and excitement of the nation's capital.

The top three prize winners of the 4th Annual TERRIES Poetry Out Loud Competition- American Samoa 2024: 1st place winner Hazel Leo (middle), 2nd place winner Fuarosa Molesi (right) and 3rd place winner Pamata Mapu of Kanana Fou High School with their trophies. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau]

The second place of the 4th Annual TERRIES went to Fuarosa Molesi of Leone High School and third place was awarded to Pamata Mapu of Kanana Fou High School.

One of the parents who attended the competition last Friday told Samoa News that she was very impressed with the students' performances and the confidence they displayed on stage adopting a particular tone and mood appropriate to the poetry they were reciting.

The competitors were judged according to physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding and overall performance.

Hazel's achievement of winning the competition for two consecutive years was also accomplished by Samoana High School's Audrey Seva'aetasi in 2021 and 2022.

According to Program Manager Sam Sunia, Audrey won the inaugural Annual TERRIS competition but unfortunately, could not travel to Washington DC to compete in the regional and national level competitions because of COVID19 travel restrictions.

"At that time, American Samoa had not yet recorded any Covid cases so travel outside and to the Territory was on hold, so she had to compete by virtual contest," Sunia recalled. "Then in 2022, there were already several Covid cases on-island but the organizers of the contest in the mainland still wanted the territorial level competitions to be run.

"So the 2nd Annual TERRIES was done virtually and by that time travel outside and to the Territory was shut down, so poor Audrey again couldn't travel to Washington DC to compete in the nationals. She ended up competing in a virtual contest for the second time."

He elaborated that the students had to undergo intense preparation for the competition and he hopes that the experience has helped them to gain a better appreciation and understanding of poetry.

Sunia further pointed out that the judges also had to prepare by familiarizing themselves with the poetry used by the students.

"It's very encouraging to see the youth gravitating towards poetry," said Sunia. "You see these big football player-looking kids but they do poetry! So maybe there's something there and poetry reciting comes naturally to Samoan kids because they grow up performing biblical play during White Sunday from when they are toddlers right up to their teens. I'm really looking forward to next year's competition."

The 1st place winner of the nationals wins $20,000, the 2nd place winner wins $10,000, and the 3rd place winner wins $5,000. The 4th-9th place takes home $1,000. All 53 finalists win $200 from their state competition, along with a stipend for their high school to purchase poetry books.