La Lumiere students have been regaled over the years by stories of notable alumni who are well known for their oratory talents, including; Chief Justice John Roberts; President Clinton’s speech writer, Tom Rosshirt; and comedian Jim Gaffigan. These alumni inspired the current generation of La Lumiere students as they were given the opportunity to show off their communication skills on Wednesday, November 12 at La Lumiere.
All underclassman were required to participate in the Annual Poetry and Speech Contest, and based on performances during preliminary competitions, eight students were invited to compete as finalists in the poetry division and four were chosen to compete in the original speech division. The contestants presented in front of a panel of judges including; Peyton Daley Wilson, faculty member at the Second City Training Center; Jen Cullerton-Johnson, a La Lumiere alumna who is a writer and educator; and Dr. Paul Hecht, Associate Professor of English at Purdue University North Central.
The poetry division contest was held in compliance with guidelines established by the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Rowena Quinn, a sophomore from La Porte, won the contest and will compete at the state level on February 21, 2015. Ming Washington, a sophomore from Michigan City, earned second place in the competition and will serve as alternate at the state competition. Zoe Surma, a sophomore from La Porte, came in third.
Rachael Yemc, a junior from Long Beach, won first place in the original speech division for her speech entitled, Living Life to the Very Fullest. Dany Brooks, a junior from Michigan City, came in second place, and Jamonay Wise, a junior from Robbins, Illinois, came in third.
Assistant Headmaster Kevin Kunst noted, “Our competitors embraced the fine art of poetry and speech declamation and the power that words can have to move and inspire, and their efforts represent the spirit of excellence we consistently see from La Lumiere students.”
About La Lumiere School
La Lumiere School is a premier college preparatory boarding and day school located on a spectacular 190-acre campus 25 miles west of South Bend, 8 miles from La Porte, 7 miles from New Buffalo and about an hour southeast of Chicago. Academic excellence characterizes the entire curriculum and helps to prepare its students to attend some of the best colleges in the country including Stanford, Northwestern, Rhode Island School of Design, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Middlebury, Georgetown, Cornell University, Colgate University, University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago. For additional information, go online to lalumiere.org. La Lumiere School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA).
More information about La Lumiere School can be found at lalumiere.org.