Alyssa Moncure Junior is more than just a Poetry Out Loud winner

Alyssa Moncure finished second in the Missouri State Poetry

Out Loud competition on March 12. (Photo by Rachel Ergovich) 18LE JOURNAL MARCH

The Magic of Moncure

Junior Alyssa Moncure’s involvement in the Poetry Out Loud competition has led her to explore her interests in social and environmental issues through an introduction to Debate and Forensics that has helped her shape her personal beliefs along the way.

BY RACHEL ERGOVICH REPORTER

he plants her feet in the middle of the crimson, Persian-style rug as

Sdozens of eyes gaze up at her adoringly. The scene in this classroom turned coffee shop might seem intimidating to anyone else, but for junior Alyssa Moncure, it is a place of comfort and ease.

Moncure began her rise to poetic stardom her freshman year when everyone in Shawn Watts’ English I Honors class were required to memorize and recite one poem in front of the class. While most people viewed the assignment as just a grade, Moncure took a different approach. As the last student to recite her poem, she seemed to be reluctant, but her recitation didn’t only surprise everyone in the class, it left many in the room speechless.

Since her freshman year, Moncure has won Sion’s Poetry Out Loud competition, as well as the Kansas City South Regional competition, and she has performed at the Missouri State competition all three years. In her third year, Moncure won the school competition in a packed classroom that had been transformed into a coffee house open mic environment. She then went on to win the Kansas City South Regional on Saturday Feb. 21 and was runnerup in the state competition in Jefferson City, Missouri on Thursday March 12.

Moncure’s success and experience in the Poetry Out Loud competition helped to introduce her to the world of Debate and Forensics. After her performance at Fine Arts Day her freshman year, Debate teacher Kristin Pennock and other Debate students tried to recruit Moncure.

“We were in Debate the day after she had recited her poem in English class, and we were talking about Poetry Out Loud, and we all agreed that Alyssa was so good at reading poetry,” junior Katie Pendergast said. “I told her that she could actually compete with poetry, and the next year she signed up and ever since then has been competing really well at Debate tournaments.”

Moncure is currently ranked 10th and has the fourth most wins among high school Varsity Policy speakers in Kansas City. Not only has her involvement in Debate helped her hone her public speaking and recitation skills in poetry and prose, but it has also allowed her to explore her interests in social issues and her passion for the environment.

Because of her severe ADD as a child, Moncure had trouble listening to others. She also disliked when people tried to tell her what to do, which has led her to be skeptical of others. But all of that changed during her time at Green River Preserve (she likes to call it “hippie camp”) in Cedar Mountain, North Carolina from sixth through eighth grade, where she developed her foundation of environmentalism.

The camp was different from anything that she had ever experienced before, from the ambience and the ideals to the people and the interfaith aspect of the camp.

“We discussed spirituality to a great extent,” Moncure said. “We read prayers from a plethora of faiths, and I was able to hear different narratives that I had been hearing my entire life.”

Green River Preserve also promoted environmentalism, and the campers were taught about preservation. At the camp, Moncure was educated about ecology, farming and other environmental issues. They even played a game simulating the effects of DDT, an insecticide, that led to a lesson about the author and marine biologist Rachel Carson.

Moncure can attribute her passion for social issues and her strong belief system to a conversation about feminism that she had with her sister when she was about 13 years old.

“She just shined light on all of these issues that I had had been blind to,” Moncure said.

Moncure began to read about feminist theory and learned about all of different aspects of feminism, such as inclusion of different races, classes and religious beliefs. She continues to educate herself on the various issues and reads critical theory, something that she loves.

Moncure likes to consider herself open-minded and says that her beliefs are constantly evolving. She is always looking for an educational opportunity and says that she has been allowed a great amount of intellectual exploration at Sion with the help of her teachers.

Moncure feels comfortable discussing her beliefs with the teachers at Sion, especially English teacher Melissa Wilcox, Theology teacher Paul Kramschuster and Pennock. Wilcox is Moncure’s mentor for Poetry Out Loud, and Moncure says that she is “the most dedicated woman ever.” She enjoys Kramschuster’s classes because she can always learn something, and he frequently engages in debates with Moncure. He also offers her extra resources and books that help her to further develop and strengthen her beliefs. And she believes that Debate has helped her develop her beliefs the most, and she gives credit to Pennock for helping her in the development.

“She answers all of my questions and welcomes my inquiries,” Moncure said. “She also proposes new ideas to me that I in turn ponder. I’ve learned so much from her.”

As she walks to the center of the stage in the Harry S. Truman Building in Jefferson City, Missouri, Moncure feels calm and relaxed. She has retired from the cardinal red Persian-style rug from just a few short weeks ago. She is in her comfort zone, doing something she’s done since freshman year. Something she will do again next year. Something that led her to success in Debate and Forensics. Something that has helped her explore her passions and strengthen her beliefs. Something that has become a part of herself.