North High Student Places 1st in Poetry Contest

Two Heartland AEA students who receive services from Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IESBVI) staff performed in a live, virtual forensics competition this November. The event was hosted by the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB), of which IESBVI is a member. The Heartland students, along with six teammates, helped IESBVI place first of the 10 participating schools.

Angela Wittrock, a sophomore at North High School, placed first in poetry. “Rude Awakening” by Savannah Nemeth was the free-form poem she performed. “It is from a rally about gun violence she felt reflected her own beliefs,” said IESBVI forensics coach Sheryl Thomsen. “She worked diligently each rehearsal to polish her piece, and it paid off for her with first place in the poetry category.”

“I was disappointed when I learned the competition would not be in person, but excited to have the chance to perform the speech I intended to perform the previous spring,” Angela said. COVID-19 caused the in-person competition to be postponed and provided time for the virtual event to be planned for this fall. “My poem was a very powerful piece and was definitely my favorite one I have performed.”

This was Angela’s fourth year participating in forensics. She participates in other IESBVI activities, including track and field, goalball, cheerleading, swimming and the Braille Institute’s Braille Challenge.

For more information about IESBVI, including its extracurricular offerings and 4PLUS transition program, contact regional director Jonathan Karli: jonathan.karli@iaedb.org.