Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition
The results of the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition for 2023 have been announced. Nine students from St Aloysius were chosen as finalists for the competition held on Friday, July 21st. These students were selected based on a perfect score given by an external assessor for their previous poetry recitations. During the finalist's round, three judges evaluated each recitation, and some students had to recite their poems more than once.
It is with great pleasure that we share the news of Anna Maria D’Onghia and Sienna Perez-Quintela's success in the Victorian State poetry recitation competition. Both Year 12 students were awarded second place in their respective categories - Italian Australian and Non-Italian. Their remarkable dedication and hard work leading up to and during the competition were truly impressive, and this experience will undoubtedly be a highlight of their final year at St Aloysius.
We would like to offer our congratulations to Maisha Beyene, Astha Bharadwaj, Amelie Ellerton, Alessia Marrazzo, Alana Pham, Alanah Schultheiss, and Sylvie Storrs - The seven Year 9 students who were selected and participated as finalists. This is an outstanding accomplishment, given that 1413 students from 42 different schools participated in this year's competition.
The Dante Alighieri Awards Ceremony Evening is scheduled for October 5, and it will be held at the University of Melbourne.
Rita Stangherlin
Participating in the Dante Alighieri poetry competition was an unforgettable experience that we were fortunate to be a part of. I chose to recite the last section of Dante’s Paradiso, originally written in the Tuscan language between 1308-21. I spent a lot of time memorising the poem and practicing my expression, pronunciation, and intonation. Though reciting Dante's poetry in front of three judges was nerve-wracking, it was a valuable opportunity to refine our speaking abilities and present in front of evaluators. All in all, this was a greatly fulfilling experience, and we are proud of our performance.
Anna Maria D’Onghia
Year 12 Second Prize Winner (Italian Australian)
Memorising and reciting my Dante poem must be one of the highlights of the year. I was elated when I found out that I had won second place in the state. This achievement was particularly meaningful to me, as it was one of the few things I had focused on for the past two months. The experience of reciting my poem at the Old Melbourne Arts Centre with my peers and our teacher, Ms. Stangherlin, was unforgettable. It was also exciting to see just how many other schools were participating in the competition. Although reciting my poem in front of three professional judges was nerve-racking, it helped me prepare for my end-of-year exam. I highly recommend this experience to all Italian students!
Sienna Perez
Year 12 Second Prize Winner (Non-Italian)