SHEO Presents Poetry Slam at Liberty Theater

DAYTON—Last week, Chris Andrews, Lily Reconoco, Josh Hartwell, Kylee Harris, Logan Literal, and Sheanna Brinckens, from the organization Students Helping Each Other, performed a trial-run poetry slam before an audience at the Liberty Theater.

With only eight minutes allotted to each, the students had to explain adverse childhood experiences, describe the number of their own individual risk factors, explain the concept of resilience, and describe their participation in all the drug prevention-type activities that took place throughout the school year.

The presentation was a dress rehearsal for a statewide competition at the Spring Youth Forum at Great Wolf Lodge in Centralia, Wash., and for the annual youth conference, in Las Vegas, Nev., if they make it that far, according to Peggy Guiterrez, Program Director for the Drug-Free Communities Grant.

“This is the ninth year for Dayton SHEO to attend the Spring Youth Forum, she said.

“They have been working hard on their presentations,” said Guiterrez.

Spring Youth Forum is an annual youth conference hosted by the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. Schools at the Spring Youth Forum will compete for a $5,000 scholarship to attend the national conference, said Guiterrez.