Event: More than 230 students from pre-kindergarten through high school will compete in the 36th annual Spanish Poetry Declamation Contest, earning points for their memory, interpretation and proper diction of Spanish poetic works.
When and where: Saturday, April 17, The University of Texas at Austin
The competition will run from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Benedict Hall. The award ceremony will be held from noon-1 p.m., Room A101A, Jester Auditorium.
Background: For more than three decades, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at The University of Texas at Austin has sponsored the declamation contest to reach out to Spanish language learners throughout Central Texas. The event brings the community together and promotes advanced study in Spanish literature.
Students from public schools, private schools and home schools come together for a fast-paced and good-natured competition that helps nurture an appreciation of Spanish poetry. Some of the students are native Spanish speakers; others are learning the language at area schools and/or private language classes.
They are supported at the event by parents, teachers and grandparents and judged by University of Texas at Austin faculty members.
This year’s poems include the works of Octavio Paz, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. They were selected for the contest by Associate Professor Enrique Fierro, a distinguished poet himself.
Excellent visuals and photo opportunities:
For more information, contact:
Lisa Mailloux, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, 512-471-8336.
Cristina Cabello De Martinez, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, 512-475-6775.
