Eight students took center stage in the auditorium after school Nov. 27 at the second annual Poetry Out Loud event, a recitation contest.

The top two students, freshman Talia Brenner and junior Allegra Caldera, will move on to the county competition Jan. 18 at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Junior Ali Foreman and sophomore Rachel Bird tied for third place.

Poetry Out Loud began in high schools nationwide five years ago. Tens of thousands of students participated the first year, and the event has grown each year to reach nearly 400,000 students. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partners with state arts departments to bring the competition to high schools.

The school round is the first level of the nationwide competition before county, state and national rounds. Each state winner receives $200 dollars and an all-expenses paid trip to D.C. to compete in the national championship. The winner’s school receives a $500 donation to purchase poetry books.

English teachers Eric Ertman, Beth Rockwell and Prudence Crewdson chose a winner based on the student’s presentation and accuracy.

“I wouldn’t say [judging] was easy, but I had a very clear sense of who was doing well,” Ertman said. “I felt fairly confident in my decision.”

Students who competed recited two poems: one fewer than 25 lines and one  from before the 20th century. Participants recited a variety of poems, ranging from “Old Ironsides” by Oliver Wendell Holmes to the more modern “anyone loved in a pretty how town” by e.e. cummings.

“I was really impressed, not only by the recitation but also by the selection of the poems,” Ertman said.

Bird said she chose to participate in the contest to improve her public speaking skills. Despite the nerve-wracking competition, she learned a lot from the experience, Bird said.

“Public speaking is a good fear to overcome,” she said. “I thought I did alright, but I definitely got nervous.”

Brenner, who recited “The Spring” by Thomas Carew and “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser, said she enjoys the dramatic element of recitation, drawing from her prior experience in community theater.

“I thought I did okay, so I was surprised and happy when I won,” Brenner said. “It was a great experience, so I want to try again next year.”