Central High School celebrates poetry and books

Students at Valley Stream Central High School celebrated National Poetry Month on April 18 with a daylong extravaganza of verse. The event was part of a five-day celebration that also featured student presentations on favorite books in honor of National Library Week.
As a warm-up, students and teachers hid 50 poems “in our pocket[s]” around the school. Students who found origami pouches that had been created by the Japanese department could turn in sheets with three questions about their poems and receive extra credit. According to teacher Justine Chan, the first 50 pouches were found so quickly that a further 35 pouches had to be hidden.
“Some of the poems are controversial; some are about social justice; some are confrontational,” Chan said in describing the poems students were about to hear. The students themselves chose the poems and books they were to present.
With an impressive range of expression, students stepped up confidently and shared sometimes surprisingly personal ideas in performances that were self-assured and polished. Each of the four periods given over to the project featured at least a half-dozen students whose tastes ran from Dr. Seuss to William Golding to rap.
The event was the brainchild of library media specialist Lisa DiChiara, in conjunction with English and performing arts departments. In addition to the readings, the festivities included a production by the performing arts department and a library luncheon where DiChiara shared library enhancements with staff members.

Many of the students chose to present original poems, from Chris Huerta, with a sorrowful poem entitled “I love you even after you broke me,” to Khadija Zahid, with an impassioned poem about intolerance and injustice called “Islamophobia.” Alesha Gutierrez, who reached the state level of the Poetry Out Loud contest, offered a poem by Judith Ortiz called “El Olvido,” and Christopher Turnier read his original poem, “Mama.”
“The kids who volunteered included a number of students I wouldn’t necessarwily expect,” English department chair Lauren Cote said. “Of course, some are in Advanced Placement, but some are always on the list for detention, too,” she said.
The daylong celebration of poetry and books was capped by Eric Deleon’s presentation on “The Lord of the Flies,” William Golding’s eerie dystopian novel. “How many of you think you’d lose your minds if you were stranded on a desert island?” he asked. He went on to describe a frightening mental landscape of hallucinations and the struggle to survive. Then, the bell rang, and everyone went home.