(Newark, NJ--April 29, 2018) High Tech's Poetry Slam Team won first place at Louder Than a Bomb, New Jersey's youth poetry slam competition, battling several schools in multiple individual and group rounds at the Paul Robeson Center at Rutgers-Newark, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.
High Tech scored a perfect 30 with both of its group pieces at Louder Than a Bomb.
The following students took part in the competition: Victoria Rodriguez of Bayonne; Jersey City residents Isabel Culpepper, Jaden DeArmon, Joshua Fowler, Amaya Montanez, Jahvel Pierce, and Katerina Vail; and Layla Ferreiro of North Bergen.
Founded in 2001, Louder Than a Bomb features youth poetry slam built around teams, rather than emphasis on individual poets and performances. The structure of Louder Than a Bomb demands that kids work collaboratively with peers, presenting, critiquing, and rewriting their pieces. Teams create an environment of mutual trust and support.
According to Brian Mooney, High Tech Language Arts Instructor and Moderator of the High Tech Poetry Slam Tech, he hopes that High Tech can compete at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam in Houston, Texas, this summer.
