From left: First place winners - Triston Stringer and Jace Robertson. Second place winners - Katherine Burns and Vincent Hale.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville students earned a total of $7,000 in scholarship money during the campus final for the Stark Reading Contest on Wednesday, February 27. In Interpretive Reading Triston Stringer took First Place and will receive a $2,000 scholarship for his selections from “Chicago Poems.” Vinny Hale, who read “The Tell-Tale Heart,” placed Second and will get a $1,500 scholarship. First Place and a $2,000 scholarship in Declamation went to Jace Robertson, who read “Message to the Grassroots.” Katherine Burns placed Second, reading “Wellesley College Commencement Address,” for which she will receive a scholarship of $1,500. Finalists in Interpretive Reading include Hunter Hodges with “A Modest Proposal,” Trey Mathis with “The Duel” and Hannah Smith with excerpts from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Declamation finalists were Ashlee Meadows with “The Destructive Male,” Kent Morris with “Stanford Commencement” and Justice Peveto with “Advice to Youth.” Triston and Jace (top) will advance to the Stark Reading Contest County Finals on Sunday April 21 at 2:00, held at the Lutcher Theater. 

First place winners of the 2013 Bridge City local level of the Stark Reading Contest, Nick Burch and Alexis Morris. Second place winners were Tanner Royal and Sidney Schubarth.

The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation congratulates the students of Bridge City High School that participated in the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation. Students, led by director Kathie Dorman and assistant Debbie Miller, took part in the local level contest on Monday, February 25, 2013.
Participants in this year's competition were welcomed by Jordan Smith, the Bridge City first place winner in declamation from 2012. First place winners in declamation and interpretive reading were Nick Burch and Alexis Morris, respectively. Burch took the winning place with Russell Baker's 10 Ways to Avoid Mucking Up the World and Morris won with her interpretation of a selection from Aunt Polly Trying to Catch Tom from Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Each first place winner receives $2,000 in scholarships and the chance to compete in the County Wide Finals taking place at 2:00 p.m. at Lutcher Theater on Sunday, April 21, 2013. Second place winners were Sidney Schubarth in declamation and Tanner Royal in interpretive reading; each receive a scholarship of $1,500. On the evening of the competition, Bridge City High School Principal, Richard Briggs, presented winner with a red trophy. These trophies were given in recognition of the effort and achievement of the winners and to also signify Bridge City school colors and school spirit. Also, participants and audience members heard Bridge City band members in a brass ensemble perform musical interludes.

First place winners at the Orangefield High School Stark Reading Contest - Carrie Grace Henderson (declamation) and Kathryn Petry (interpretive reading). Second place winners - Kaitlyn Burke (declamation) and Bailey Berry (interpretive reading).

The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation congratulates the students of Orangefield High School, which participated in the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation on Thursday, February 21, 2013. The local level contest took place at the Orangefield Elementary Auditorium. The program began with a welcome address by the Stark Reading Contest interpretive reading winner for 2012, Kirsten Wolfford, followed by presentations in declamation, a musical interlude by Orangefield High School band students, presentations in interpretive reading and a final musical performance before the awards presentation. In declamation, Carrie Grace Henderson took first place with Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher, and in interpretive reading, Kathryn Petry won first place with her interpretation of a selection from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. Second place went to Kaitlyn Burke and Bailey Berry in declamation and interpretive reading, respectively, and they received $1,500 in scholarships. All participating students received recognition for competing in the contest from Orangefield High School Assistant Principal Deena VanPelt. The two first place winners, Henderson and Petry received $2,000 in scholarships and will go on to compete in the County Final contest at the Lutcher Theater at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2013. The aim of the Stark Reading Contest is to enhance the literary and forensic quality and skills of the students. The Contest has continued annually since its inception in 1904 and offers educational opportunities and experiences for students at Orange County public schools. The Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation is sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation as part of its continuing mission to enrich the community and encourage education.

From L-R: Alexandra Poteet, Kaitlyn Medley, Whitney Callahan and Mercedes Springs. The participants in the 2013 Stark Reading Contest at the recent Vidor High School local competition.

The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation congratulates the students of Vidor High School that participated in the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation. On Thursday, February 7, 2013, students took part in the local level contest at the high school auditorium. Mercedes Springs took first place in declamation with A Time for Choosing by Ronald Reagan and Whitney Callahan won first place in interpretive reading with her reading of a selection from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Both received $2,000 in scholarships and will go on to compete in the County Wide Contest at Lutcher Theater on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Kaitlyn Medley and Alexandra Poteet were named second place winners in interpretive reading and declamation, respectively. They each received $1,500 in scholarships.

Winners of the West Orange-Stark High School District Finals. From L-R: second place in declamation - Nathan Wood, first place in declamation - Amahri Finister; first place in interpretive reading - Tyffani Hinson, second place in interpretive reading - Kalairn Keaton.

The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation congratulates the students of West Orange-Stark High School that participated in the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation. On Sunday, February 10, 2013, students took part in the local level contest at the Carl Godwin Auditorium at 2:00 p.m. in West Orange.  In declamation, Amahri Finister took first place with War Message to Congress by Thomas Woodrow Wilson, and in interpretive reading, Tyffani Hinson won first place with her interpretation of T.S. Elliot's The Hollow Men. Second place went to Nathan Wood and Kalairn Keaton in declamation and interpretive reading, respectively, and they each received $1,500 in scholarships. The two first place winners, Finister and Hinson received $2,000 in scholarships. All participants received a medal in recognition of their participation, which was presented by Principal Hutcherson Hill. In addition, the winning students received a commemorative plaque for their efforts. First place winners will continue on to compete in the County Final Contest, for additional scholarship awards, at the Lutcher Theater on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.