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CLEVELAND, OH – Two elementary students from Walton K-8 School on Cleveland’s near West Side will perform their original poems at the historic Apollo Theater for the fifth annual National Poetry SLAM in New York City Monday, April 11. Kassandra Brown and Riakeem Gardner, both age 10, will represent America SCORES Cleveland along with 28 other youth from 15 cities across the country.
Kassandra and Riakeem were chosen to represent America SCORES Cleveland last November at the after-school program’s annual Poetry SLAM. Judges selected Kassandra and Riakeem from 16 girls and boys who also recited their original poems before a crowd of 500 people at Cleveland State University’s Waetjen Auditorium. Over 280 third-fifth graders from nine Cleveland schools performed group poems as well.
Kassandra said she was shocked to be chosen and cannot wait to visit New York for the first time. The fifth grader will perform her original poem titled, “One Day.”
Riakeem said that he was alone when he wrote his poem, “Hands and Feet.” “No one told me what to write. I liked that I could just make stuff up,” he said. The confident third-grader lists his Poetry SLAM performance as one of his favorite memories and said that he is excited to meet kids like him from across the country.
“Both Riakeem and Kassandra like to express themselves in written word. They look forward to writing poetry,” said Leida Diedrichs, their poetry coach and chaperone for the weekend. “I am excited for them because this event celebrates every performer. They will leave New York feeling like celebrities — they’ll even sign autographs at the end of the night!” Diedrichs attended the National Poetry SLAM last year with the 2010 Cleveland representatives who were also from Walton K-8 School.
Both students knew little of the Apollo Theater’s history
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