Volume 80 No. 5
Grimsley High School
801 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
Wednesday, February 4,2004
Student honored as school’s Poet Laureate
Senior Travis Diehi was
recently crowned as
Grimsiey’s Poet Laureate.
Among three finalists, Diehl
was selected and will recite
his poem during graduation
in May.
By Brian Gould
Staff Writer .
Mi
A • I 1 Ai. Leung photo
As Grimsley s first official Poet Laureate Travis Diehl writes during his English Class,
he is also considering the many responsibilities he must fulfill as the winner of this
competition. Diehl must attend many events as well as honor the senior class by
reciting his award winning poem during graduation.
A new contest at Grimsley and other
North Carolina high schools drew
interest in poetry. Sponsored by the
Greensboro Public Library, the Poet
Laureate program provided students
with an opportunity to compete against
other writers to become a school’s Poet
Laureate.
Ms. Kate Cummings, a media
specialist, is the current Chair of the
High School Poet Laureate program.
The Greensboro Public Library
organized the new competition to create
interest in poetry among students.
Grimsley, along with many other
public and private schools, encouraged
students to submit original poems to
be judged. Twenty entries, from all four
classes, entered the contest at Grimsley.
Mr. Mathew McNees and Ms. Mary
Walker, creative writing teachers,
judged the selections. They chose
three students’ submissions to progress
to the final judging process.
Former North Carolina Poet Laureate
and current UNCG employee Fred
Chappell selected the winner of the
contest. Senior Travis Diehl won the
title, and junior Alex Ledford and
sophomore Thad Eagles were both
runners-up.
“Diehl has a gift for drama, for imagery,
for interpretation (his poems about
Warhol works are fascinating), and for
phrases,” said Chappell about Diehl’s
winning poem.
Diehl will attend a luncheon and
receptions at the Greensboro Public
Library on a date not yet set and the
Carolina Theathre on April 4. The widow
of Randall Jarrell, a former UNCG
professor, renowned author, and Poet
Laureate of the 1960s, will be present at
the event as well as other prominent
figures from the poetry world, Diehl will
also be present as former United States
Poet Laureate Billy Collins addresses one
of these events.
“It’ll be interesting, matching a well-
known, accomplished literary figure to
his work and seeing the personality
behind the personality present in his
[works],” said Diehl.
As Grimsiey’s first Poet Laureate,
Diehl will assume responsibilities while
holding this position.
“I have to attend a number of [events]
and receptions. A Poet Laureate, as I
understand it, represents poetry,
represents his art, so I have to do justice
to poetry however I can,” said Diehl.
Students, parents, and staff will have
the chance to read Diehl’s winning work
as well as many other students’ poems
from across North Carolina. A
publication of the poems will be available
before the end of April.
Among Travis Diehl’s many
obligations as Grimsiey’s Poet Laureate,
his recital of an original poem at
graduation will honor the senior class.
Democratic Nominees 2004
m.
i
John Edwards
Howard Dean
John Kerry
Joe Lieberman
Wesley Clark
A1 Sharpton
Initial Preference
Iowa Caucus Results
Final Preference (98%)
Iowa Delegates
Kerry
29%
Kerry
38%
17
Edwards
23%
Edwards
32%
15
Dean
21%
Dean
18%
7
Gephardt
16%
Gephardt
11%
0
Kucinich
0%
Kucinich
1%
0
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News 1
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Features 7
Sports 13