Stark Reading Contest

Stark Foundation - Stark Reading Contest Website

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Important Dates

• November 6, 2024 - APPLICATIONS DUE
• LATE DECEMBER OR EARLY SPRING PRELIMINARY ROUNDS (if needed) - DATES TBD
• January 12, 2025 – SCHOOL Final
• FEBRUARY 6, 2024 - COUNTY FINAL (Please note that this is a Thursday night)

About the Contest
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The Stark Reading Contest (SRC) has been held every year since 1904. It began with Miriam Stark’s idea of promoting literary skills in reading and oral interpretation for area students. Over the years, the contest grew and evolved. The contests are now held at local schools providing students from Orangefield, West Orange Stark, Vidor, Little Cypress-Mauriceville and Bridge City an opportunity to compete at school contests for scholarship funds for college.

First Place winners of declamation and first place winners in interpretive reading from each school compete in a countywide final with first and second place receiving additional scholarship awards.
Contest winners receive scholarships, and all 10 finalists receive watches, a long held tradition of the contest.

The contest involves interpretive reading and declamation. This means that students will present/read selections for speeches, poetry or other literary works before an audience.

Declamation is a presentation of another author’s material such as a speech, address or other oratorical platform. Declamation encourages effective public speaking techniques. Example of declamation selection – A speech by Susan B. Anthony or Elie Wiesel.

Interpretive Reading or Poetry/Prose is the oral interpretation of a selection. It encourages comprehension, appreciation, and analysis of poetry/prose, demonstrating the ability to evoke an audience’s reaction through interpretation. Example of interpretive reading selection – A Poem by Pablo Neruda or a section of a short story by Kate Chopin.

Mrs. Claybar can provide guidance about each of these categories and selection options.
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Scholarships
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Local level​

• Each first-place winner in a participating school’s local level final will earn a $2,000 scholarship​
• Second-place winners in a local level final will each earn a $1,500 scholarship.​

​County level​

• The first place winners in each category of the county level of the Contest will receive a $5,000 scholarship. ​
• The second place winners in each category of the county level of the Contest will receive a $2,500 scholarship.​

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​Reading Selections

• ​Selections are to be 5-8 minutes in length​
• May choose from selection lists​
• Cannot have been a winning selection in the county contest in the previous two years.​
• Any student who has previously participated in SRC may NOT repeat or re-use a previous selection​
• You MUST have a SECOND CHOICE completed in part B of your application.
• Applications without a second choice will not be accepted.
• At least ONE of your choices MUST come from the approved list.
• All selections must be approved by their local level director and the SRC Coordinator, whether or not they are on the Approved Lists. No selection entry will have an automatic approval.

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​Proposed Reading Selections
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• Students can submit a Proposed Reading Selection request for selections not already on the Approved Reading List.
• IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A SELECTION THAT IS NOT ON THE APPROVED READING LISTS, PLEASE SEE MRS. CLAYBAR ASAP.
• Contestant must submit a hard copy of selection with proof that either the selection is published in hard copy (for prose selections) or a printout of the web page with the URL of the website downloaded in the header or footer pertaining to their selection (for speeches and poetry selections) for approval to their local level director, who in turn submits to the SRC Coordinator.
• Students may submit the full chapter of a title or full speech from either the Approved Reading Lists or Proposed Reading Selection for the SRC Coordinator to deem what portions are appropriate for Contest by the Proposed Reading Selection deadline date.
• Selections from the Selections of Literary Merit Lists are not required but recommended to be submitted for review by the Proposed Reading Selection deadline date.

​Selections of Literary Merit Lists
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Student Eligibility

• ​Maintain a 70 or above average in all classes​
• May not have previously received either one first place award or two second place awards in the same category of the Contest in which he or she seeks current participation​
• May not have had significant disciplinary action taken against the student​
• Never have been charged with or convicted of criminal activity​

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Applications

• Applications available in the library
• APPLICATION DUE DATE - OCTOBER 30, 2024
• You must provide a copy of your selection with your application. (This is required by the Stark Foundation.)​

​SRC on YouTube
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