Community Corner

Whiz Kid of the Week: William Dale

Dale will compete in the state Poetry Out Loud competition

Name: William Dale, 17

School:

Accomplishment: Won regional Poetry Out Loud competition and will compete in the state contest.

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Key to Awesomeness: William Dale has not been working toward a Poetry Out Loud title throughout high school. In fact, he has never really aimed to be on stage beyond playing trumpet in the Oakton High School band.

Yet just last month, the senior faced off in Poetry Out Loud against other Northern Virginia students — for the first time ever — and not only won the regional competition, but earned a spot to compete at the state level after reciting "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley and "The Death of Allegory" by Billy Collins. He will add "The Bearer" by Hayden Carruth to his repertoire for the state competition.

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It all started because English teacher Nancy Jackonis decided to bring the program to Oakton for the first time. Students performed for their Oakton peers, who then voted on who would represent them at the competition.

"I actually wanted to do it," Dale said. "After I performed for the students and they told me they thought I did a good job, I started thinking about it and thought, 'Why not? Why not do this?' It really is a lot of fun."

He praised the talent of the other participants at the regional competition, but when pressed for why he thought he took the title, he said he thinks not trying to stand out helped him actually stand out.

"There really is a difference between poetry recitation and a theater performance. The emphasis is on the poem," he said. "I wasn't putting on a theater show. I was trying to convey the poem. It's not about me; it is about the poem."

His Poetry Out Loud experience has given him a new appreciation for poetry. He picked the poems he recited for specific reasons and has had to analyze and come to appreciate each in order to fully convey the meaning during his recitation. And he consciously picked three poems that show range, mostly because it was fun for him.

"I was already familiar with 'Ozymandias' from studying it in World History. The message really resonated with me, the idea that even the cruelest of tyrants dissipate over time," he said. "I stumbled across 'The Death of Allegory' and I liked it, and it's a good contrast from 'Ozymandias.' It's satirical and humorous. ... 'The Bearer' is very dark, almost mysterious in a way, with all sorts of nuances."

He has no concrete plans for pursuing more events like Poetry Out Loud, but he is keeping an open mind in case other opportunities in drama or public speaking present themselves.

"We'll have to see where things go," Dale said. "Maybe I'll take a theater class or two just for fun. It'll be different for me, certainly."

Dale plans to attend college next fall. He has already received an acceptance letter from Tulane University, but is still holding out to hear from other schools, including his No. 1 pick, Boston College.

But no matter where he goes or what he studies, he will be doing what makes him happy.

"My one life motto is to do what you want to do, what makes you happy," Dale said. "A lot of my friends find themselves involved in things they never wanted to do in the first place, and that's not what I want to do. My motto is to follow your passions and see where it leads you."

 

To read about other Oakton Patch Whiz Kids, click here.

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