“Click-Clack goes the sounds of the heartbeat of resilient city reborn.”
Click-Clack goes Dominican cheering on senior Ella Cheramie, the winner of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation’s 18 in ’18 contest.The Taylor Foundation created the contest for New Orleans youth to commemorate the New Orleans tricentennial celebration.
Cheramie placed first among eighteen finalists. Her poetry entry entitled “Click Clack” earned Cheramie an $1,800 prize. Cheramie’s first place poem also earned Dominican $18,000 which will go towards the English Department, according to DHS Principal Mrs. Carolyn Favre (’70).
Read Cheramie’s poem by clicking the link http://click-clack
“Dominican has been around for half of the tricentennial, since the Irish sisters came here in 1861,” said Mrs. Favre. “Dominican is a part of the fabric of New Orleans, and I am so thankful for our capable and talented students who are able to express their passion for our heritage.”
Alongside Cheramie was senior Vivian Palmer, one of the eighteen finalists for her essay “Ode to the Big Easy.”
“I enjoyed getting to combine my love for New Orleans with my love for the arts,” said Palmer.
Read Palmer’s essay by clicking the link http://ode-to-the-big-easy
The five winners of the contest were announced at the new Taylor Education Center on Oct. 18. Participating students submitted artistic entries varying from poems and essays to visual artwork and videos which all reflected on what the city and its culture means to them.
Cheramie drew inspiration for her poem from her family. Her father had been a jazz drummer, and her mom grew up in the Seventh Ward with her Lebanese immigrant family. “I came up with the idea of writing about New Orleans through sound because music and sound inspire everyone in the city, no matter their background.”
For Cheramie, the contest gave her and the other contestants a new perspective on the city that they often took for granted. “My favorite part of the contest was meeting the different students from schools across the city,” said Cheramie. “Everyone was open-minded and wanted to explore their curiosity about the city.”
Mrs. Meg Womble, English Department Chair, knew the Taylor Foundation 18 in ’18 contest would be a great opportunity for Dominican students. “DHS students are so talented, poised, and creative. Anything to showcase that is worth it,” said Mrs. Womble.
“Our students are great representatives of our school, our city, and what it means to be young Catholics in our society.”
Natalie Rodriguez-Ema
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