JENKINTOWN, Pa. – Students of St. Basil Academy in Jenkintown, Pa., participated in a virtual poetry recital contest honoring Ukrainian poetess Natalka Bilotserkivets on April 13. The competition was organized by the Josyf Slipyj Research Center under the aegis of St. Sophia Religious Association of Ukrainian Catholics, Inc.
Anastasiya Bloshchynska (grade 12) won the competition, while Madeline Zetick (grade 12) took second place and Natalie Hrytsay (grade 11) won third place.
Following the competition, Ms. Bilotserkivets addressed the contest participants.
“I don’t know if any of today’s readers compose poetry and consider themselves poets, but I would like you to find in my poems something close and meaningful for you,” said Ms. Bilotserkivets. “Maybe it will be a feeling of the only land where we all live – a specific home, street, city, the countries of your residence – and the distant country of their ancestors, where God is greeted with pussy willows, and spring reminds some and promises others the first snowdrops and the first kisses.”
The competition was judged by Iryna Ivankovych, president of the St. Sophia Religious Association, and Alexandra Penkalskyj, vice-principal of St. Basil Academy. The judges graded each performance on the fluency of the recital, clarity of pronunciation, intonation, artistic performance and expression.
All of the participants in the competition were congratulated on their excellent performance and were awarded commemorative certificates and gifts. The sponsors of the event presented the winners with prizes. This was the sixth poetry recital contest organized by the St. Sophia Association for students of St. Basil Academy.
Source: St. Sophia Religious Association Press Bureau.