900 Middle and High School Student Poets to Compete in William Paterson University’s Annual Foreign Language Poetry Contest on May 15 More than 900 students from 50 high and middle schools in the region will recite poems in nine languages as part of an annual poetry contest at William Paterson University in Wayne on Thursday, May 15. The 31st annual Orlando Saa Foreign Language Poetry Recitation Contest will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University Commons Ballrooms. Students compete by reciting poetry in languages including Chinese, ESL, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, and Spanish. Students are judged on poise, pronunciation, intonation and delivery. Professors from the University’s Department of Languages and Cultures select the poems, and act as judges for the competition along with dedicated outside experts. Trophies are awarded to winning students at the beginner, intermediate and advanced/native levels. The competition dovetails with the University’s support of the importance of language learning. "At William Paterson University, we believe strongly in the value of language learning, not only for students' eventual ability to compete in a global economy, but just as importantly for their cognitive development and cultural awareness,” says Kara Rabbitt, dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The contest is sponsored by William Paterson University’s Department of Languages and Cultures. If interested in covering the event, call Phillip Sprayberry, media relations coordinator, at 973-720-2965. 05/13/14
