On Apr. 4, a select group of East Rockaway High School student poets had the unique opportunity to participate in a creative workshop with Nassau County Poet Laureate Alan Semerdjian. The afterschool session was designed to help students refine their final drafts and performance techniques in preparation for the school’s annual Poetry Madness competition, which will take place on Apr. 10.

Semerdjian—a writer, musician, and teacher at Herricks High School—began the session by reading one of his original poems. Through his performance, he demonstrated how body language, eye contact, pauses and emotional tone can elevate a poem from the page to the stage.

Students were then invited to share their own work aloud. After each reading, Semerdjian offered thoughtful feedback, focusing on both content and delivery. He encouraged students to engage in peer critique as well, fostering a collaborative environment that left the students feeling confident and inspired.

The workshop was a powerful warm-up for Poetry Madness, a much-anticipated tradition run by the East Rockaway High School English Department. The contest follows a bracket-style elimination format, narrowing down hundreds of student entries to the final eight. Each poem submitted must align with a central theme—this year’s theme is “empathy.”

With guidance from a seasoned poet and renewed enthusiasm for their craft, East Rockaway’s young writers are ready to take the stage.