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SENIOR — OA K L A ND
TORIN RITTENBERG
SU PERPOW ER: EXPRES S IVE VIRTU O S ITY WEA PON OF C HOIC E : WORD S Origin story: Torin Rittenberg chooses his words as if they were weapons going into battle. Give him a topic, and he’ll research it and make it his own, then deliver in the tradition of great orators. “I discovered spoken-word storytelling and poetry as this whole new type of art form,” says the Bentley High student. Last summer, Torin was chosen as a finalist for Oakland Youth Poet Laureate after submitting a series of performances to the Youth Speaks organization. This year, he has been performing with Youth Poet Laureates at venues around the Bay Area, offering powerful original works about challenging topics, such as racial discrimination and social justice. Alter ego: “The Soccer Star.” Torin plays varsity soccer and is cocaptain of the team this year. Future stunts: Torin is waiting to hear from Brown University, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and others. —P.C.
“ I LOVE TO HEAR PEOPLE TELL STORIES BECAUSE WORDS TAKE ON A NEW MEANING WHEN YOU HEAR THEM SPOKEN.” —TORIN RITTENBERG
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