By Megan Jacobson
The Collegian

With a little bit of animation and drama, mixed in with some nervous giggles, two fifth-graders from Fresno Christian Elementary School quickly get to their plight. They have a dog with bad breath who has to go. Well, not really.

Students Darby Memmons, 11, and Natalie Boone, 10, were just two of about 5,000 students came to Fresno State̢۪s campus this week to orally interpret a poem as part of the Peach Blossom Festival.

Memmons and Boone choose to recite the poem “Dog Breath� by Dav Pilkey and have been practicing and honing their acting skills since last December. The two represented their fifth and sixth grade classes at the festival.

“When our arms get sloppy, we practice by looking in the mirror and it helps,� Boone said. “Sometimes, I will go to bed thinking about what I can improve upon.�

Memmons said another advantage for her is learning how to articulate her words.

“Sometimes it is hard for me because of my braces,� she said. “However, I believe this experience has really helped me.�

Practicing and reading out loud, Memmons and Boone believe they were prepared to talk about bad breath.

“It’s fun doing it with other people and it’s a good way to get together after school,� Memmons said. “It is really kinda scary saying it in front of all your friends and doing the motions makes me nervous. I am worried that I will mess my part up.�

Fresno Christian sixth-grade teacher Norma Nickel said the best learning experience for these children are having to step out of their shell.

“Whether their poems are serious or hilarious, the fun comes from seeing their animated faces,� Nickel said. “These students have to take big risks getting up in front of other people.�

Celebrating its 49th anniversary, the 2007 Peach Blossom Festival is solely run by the department of communication. The event has grown tremendously and now attracts Central Valley schools from as far north as Livingston and as far south as Delano.

Kaley Delarosa, the public relations chair of the Peach Blossom Festival, said the purpose of the event is to help young people realize the importance of reading literature aloud, to teach them about interpretation, performance and how to be an audience member.

“We concentrate on the fact that the children get to have fun,� Delarosa said. “But our committee also recognizes the educational impact it may have on them. Reading and acting these poems out loud helps them understand their subject matter and makes them more confident in front of their peers and others.�