Writers’ Ink contest winners are announced
EL DORADO —Thirty Union County high school students have been selected for publication in the 20th annual volume of Writers’ Ink, a literary magazine published by South Arkansas Community College and edited by the SouthArk faculty and staff.
During the 2016-2017 academic year, high school students were invited through their English teachers to submit original poems, essays and/or short stories as entries in a creative writing contest with the best submissions to be published in Writers’ Ink, with $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third in three literary genres and two age divisions — ninth and 10th grades and 11th and 12th grades.
In the junior division poetry contest, Morgan Hailey, a 10th-grade student of Tracye Couture at Parkers Chapel High School, won first prize with “The Damsel.” Second prize went to her classmate Cheyenne Barnes for “You Mean to Tell Me” and third went to Hannah Martindale, a 10th-grade student of Jessica Raines at Junction City High, for “Perfect Little Soldiers.”
Honorable mentions for junior division poetry were Payne Williams, a ninth grader at PCHS and a student of Stacy Kendrick; Ben Parker, a 10th grader at EHS and a student of Shannon Neblett; and Emily Russell, a 10th-grade student of Couture.
In the junior division short fiction contest, Joy Cherry, a 10th-grade student of Cindy Miller and Valerie Lockey at West Side Christian, won first prize for “Secrets and Love.” Second went to “Guilt” by Billie Beaird, a 10th-grade student of Raines, and third went to “Unfortunate Endings” by Alayna Garry, a ninth-grade student of Carie Green at JCHS. Honorable mentions went to Rebecca Benedetti, a 10th-grade student of Couture; and to Gayla Hinton, a ninthgrade student of Kendrick.
In the junior division essay contest, Hinton won first prize for “Starting Middle School.” Second prize went to “Christmas Day” by Caitlyn Nelson, a 10th-grade student of Raines. Third prize went to “Montana Mission Trip 2016” by Garry. Honorable mentions went to Ty Disotell, a ninthgrade student of Green; and to Annabelle Porter, a 10th-grade student of Raines.
In the senior division poetry contest, first prize went to “Morning Hunt” by Seth Graves, a 12th grader at WSC and a student of Beth J. Wiggins. Second prize went to “Other Days” by Charleston Baker, an 11th-grade student of Kendrick. Third prize went to “Nose” by C.J. Johnson, a 12th-grade student of Raines. Honorable mentions went to Alyssa Anderson, an 11th-grade student of Green; Kyle Holmes, a 12th-grade student of Raines; and Shannon Riley, a 12th-grade student of Kendrick.
In the senior division short-story contest, Rylee Osgood, and 11th-grade student of Green, won first prize for “Chemical Illnesses.” Alexie Pope, a 12th grader at EHS and a student of Clair Antoon, won second prize for “Motionless,” and Connor Barnett, a 12th-grade student of Raines, won third prize for “The Nurse.” Honorable mentions went to Alyssa Crow, Nathan Oliver and Loren Rhodes, all 12th-grade students of Antoon.
In the senior division essay contest, Geormar Owens, an 11th-grade student of Green, won first prize for “Are You a Nice Person, or a Good Person?” His classmate Brock McGoogan won second prize for “Impact.” Caleb Wess, a 12th-grade student of Wiggins, was third for “Unexpected Life Lessons.” Honorable mentions went to 11th-grade student of Green Clay Jolley, and Osgood.
The prizes in this year’s contest will be awarded and the magazines distributed at a ceremony at 7 p.m. on April 27 at the El Dorado Conference Center. The awards ceremony will be followed by a reception in honor of the student authors and their English teachers. The public is invited to attend.
Student authors published in Writers’ Ink will receive free copies. Additional copies will be available to the public for $5 at the SouthArk Bookstore.