The Department of English and Foreign Languages at Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, and the Gerald F. and Betty Fincher Scott Academic Endowment, recently sponsored its annual youth writing festival on the University campus.
The endowment is made possible through Harold and D.J. Fincher and the Peoples Bank of Magnolia and Waldo.
Founded by Dr. Kathleen Mallory, assistant professor of English at SAU, the purposes of the festival are to get students more involved in writing; to give students recognition for outstanding work; to motivate students to write more; to develop more fluent, competent writers; and to help raise awareness about the importance of writing.
More than 1,000 entries were received in grades 1-12 for participation in the festival writing contest. Writing categories included poems, short stories, and essays. Students were judged by category and grade level.
“I believe the entries are getting better year after year,” said Dr. Elizabeth Davis, chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages.
The festival concluded with an awards ceremony. Overall first place winners in each category received a named award, certificate, trophy, and cash award. Overall second and third place winners received a certificate and cash award.
Winners of the Youth Writing Festival included the following:
Grades 1-3
Elementary Poem
Gerald F. Scott Award, Kiera Longing, “Crazy Sounds,” Smackover Elementary School.
Second Place, Brooklyn Waller, “Robot Horse One Ninety-Nine,” Hugh Goodwin Elementary School.
Third Place, Jennifer Hayes, “Red Poem,” Smackover Elementary School.
Elementary Short Story
Gerald F. Scott Award, Ranie Holland, “Toad and the Flowers,” Emerson Elementary School.
Second Place, Summer Lee, “The Shrinking Potion,” Delight Elementary School.
Third Place, Justice Oglethrope, “The Two Best Friends,” Northwest Elementary School.
Elementary Essay
Gerald F. Scott Award, Riley House, “The Bald Eagle,” Delight Elementary School.
Second Place, Jodi Hudman, “Horses,” Mount Holly Elementary School.
Third Place, Greg Edmunds, “Spiders,” Northwest Elementary School.
Grades 4-6
Intermediate Poem
Betty Fincher Scott Award, Olivia LaBella, “My Back Yard,” Parkers Chapel Elementary School.
Second Place, Shanterica Crockett, “Student Prayer,” Central Elementary School.
Third Place, Jade Matthews, “The Log Cabin,” Huttig Elementary School.
Intermediate Short Story
Betty Fincher Scott Award, Sierra Strickland, “Stranded,” Central Elementary School.
Second Place, Remington Reed, “War of the Tribes,” Central Elementary School.
Third Place, Christine Schonefeld, “Vacation Mystery,” Washington Middle School.
Intermediate Essay
Betty Fincher Scott Award, River Kirkham, “Storms,” Delight Elementary School.
Second Place, Janilo Woodley, “Hail Storms,” Delight Elementary School.
Third Place, Gregory Edwards, “Football Tips,” Central Elementary School.
Grades 7-9
Junior High Poem
D.J. Fincher Award, Jessica Cheng, “Rice Krispie Treats,” Magnolia Junior High School.
Second Place, Alex Hoffman, “Shadow,” Magnolia Junior High School.
Third Place, Nickole Frazier, “Greatest Fear,” Smackover High School.
Junior High Short Story
D.J. Fincher Award, Jesse “J.T.” Thomason, “Surreal,” Ouachita Junior High School.
Second Place, Whitney Allen, “Once Upon My Time,” Magnolia Junior High School.
Third Place, Gideon Curlin, “Life,” Ouachita Junior High School.
Junior High Essay
D. J. Fincher Award, Timothy Horton of Waldo, “Today’s Patriots,” home schooled.
Second Place, Victoria Lehen, “Emily Dickinson,” Barton Junior High School.
Third Place, Trisha Emborgo, “The Importance of Crash Test Dummies,” Barton Junior High School.
Grades 10-12
High School Poem
Harold Fincher Award, Dustin Owen, “Death’s Deadly Dance,” Taylor High School.
Second Place, Sydney Kilgore, “A Prologue of the Sixteenth Autumn,” Camden Fairview High School.
Third Place, Hannah Horton of Waldo, “Distant Watchman,” homeschooled.
High School Short Story
Harold Fincher Award, Scott Banks, “Paranoid,” Ouachita High School.
Second Place, Matthew Herring, “Fear In Becoming,” Bismarck High School.
Third Place, Stacie Lein, “Deadly Night,” Parkers Chapel High School.
High School Essay
Harold Fincher Award, Taylor Wynn, “Fantastic Lies,” Parkers Chapel High School.
Second Place, Sara Caller, “The Many Sides of Hamlet,” Taylor High School.
Third Place, ShaQuanda Mixon, “Consolidation,” Waldo High School.
