Agape student named runner-up in regional poetry competition
<div><span style="font-size: large;">CARBONDALE - Agape Christian High School student Nicole Bulmer was the runner-up in the 2017 Poetry Out Loud Southern Illinois recitation competition. The regional event was Feb. 23 at Carbondale Community Arts' Artspace 304.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Bulmer and the first-place winner, Leah Draper from Clay City High School, will represent Southern Illinois in the state competition on Friday at Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Three schools were represented in the competition: Agape Christian High School in Marion</span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>.</strong></span><span style="font-size: large;"> coordinated by instructor Julianne Doty; Clay City High School, coordinated by instructor Michelle Phegley; and Trinity Christian School in Carbondale, coordinated by instructor Becky Shaffer.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Instructors used Poetry Out Loud curriculum in schools and facilitated competitions at the school level. Winners of each school's competition represented their respective school at the regional competition.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Competing were Nicole Bulmer, Trent Grider, Brandon Feinhold and Maggie Wyatt from Agape Christian High School; Leah Draper from Clay City High School; and Cleveland Benedict from Trinity Christian School.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Students each prepared two poems for recitation.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: large;">Judges included Elyse Pineau, poet, performer, stage director and professor emeritus of communication studies at SIU; Kevin Purcell, professional actor, stage director and playwright; and Cynthia Roth, poet and senior lecturer at SIU School of Art and Design.</span></div>