The Department of English and Foreign Languages of Southern Arkansas University hosted the annual Creative Writing Festival on Saturday, April 7, and several local students took home awards.
The Festival, which is held every spring, has grown from 345 entries in 1995 to more than 1,100 entries. Students from schools across south Arkansas submit poems, short stories, and creative non-fiction essays, which are then judged good, excellent or superior. Out of the entries judged superior, three are chosen in each category and grade level to receive special recognition consisting of a cash prize for first, second, and third place winners, and a trophy for the first place winners.
The annual festival was developed from a summer writing class for public school teachers taught by Dr. Kathleen Mallory, associate professor of English at SAU. The event is co-sponsored by the Gerald F. and Betty Fincher Scott Academic Endowment, made available through the generosity of Harold and D.J. Fincher and Peoples Bank.
The winners of the festival are listed below.
Elementary Poem
Gerald F. Scott Award
C.J. Mock
Title: Cold, Winter Weather
School: Yocum Elementary, El Dorado
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
2nd Place
Kasey Dumas
Title: Please Recycle
School: Yocum Elementary, El Dorado
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
3rd Place
Rachel Murphree
Title: States
School: Yocum Elementary, El Dorado
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
Elementary Fiction
Gerald F. Scott Award
Troi Kacsir
Title: The Barn
School: East Side Elementary, Magnolia
Teacher: Regina Eddy
2nd Place
Presley Crump
Title: Why You Don’t Eat Chocolate Bunnies
School: East Side Elementary, Magnolia
Teacher: Regina Eddy
3rd Place
Hafsa Ali
Title: The Adventure
School: Yocum Elementary, El Dorado
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
Elementary Creative Non-fiction
Gerald F. Scott Award
Payton “Austin” Willeford
Title: My Soccer Tournament
School: East Side Elementary, Magnolia
Teacher: Rachel Ray
2nd Place
Whitney Renfroe
Title: My Dog Marlie
School: Smackover Elementary
Teacher: Heidi Tolin
3rd Place
Tanner Nielsen
Title: The Trashcan Ride
School: East Side Elementary, Magnolia
Teacher: Nancy Miller
Intermediate Poem
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Kayanna Jones
Title: Bad Luck Week
School: Central Elementary School, Magnolia
Teacher: Syliva Weldon
2rd Place
Donavan Mavis
Title: Me!
School: Blevins Elementary School
Teacher: Holly Johnson
3rd Place
Dylan Ainsworth
Spring
School: Central Elementary School, Magnolia
Teacher: Angela Watson
Intermediate Fiction
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Luke Genestet
Title: Close Call
School: Columbia Christian School, Magnolia
Teacher: Katie May
2nd Place
AnnaLisa VanAssche
Title: The Unsuccessful Hunt
School: Central Elementary School, Magnolia
Teacher: Sylvia Weldon
3rd Place
Kaitlyn Lancaster
Title: Brave Marie
School: Columbia Christian School, Magnolia
Teacher: Katie May
Intermediate Creative Non-fiction
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Thomas Crawford
Title: My Best Hunt
School: Yocum Elementary School
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
2nd Place
Kaylin Waller
Title: Sooie
School: Parkers Chapel Elementary
Teacher: Vicki Pepper
3rd Place
Taylor Lennard
Title: Why Did You Lie?
School: Central Elementary School
Teacher: Sylvia Weldon
Jr. High Poem
D.J. Fincher Award
Murphy Aycock
Title: A Little Girl’s World
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: April Richardson
2nd Place—
Holly Donahoe
Title: Peaceful Night
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: K. Stanton
3rd Place
Michael Howell
Title: Caged Bird
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: Sonia Barker
Jr. High Fiction
D.J. Fincher Award
Spencer Stanton
Title: Wishes
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: Sonia Barker
2nd Place
Brooke Finney
Title: Love’s Joust
School: Magnolia Jr. High School
Parent: Stephanie Finney
3rd Place
Courtney Davis
Title: Thirteen
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: K. Stanton
Jr. High Creative Non-fiction
D.J. Fincher Award
Alec Rushton
Title: Shady Lake
School: Magnolia Jr. High School
Teacher: Charlotte Foster
2nd Place—
Ashley Lancaster
Title: A Well Taught Memory
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Ruth Steely
3rd Place
Ariel Hudgens
Title: The Best for Last
School: Magnolia Jr. High School
Teacher: Charlotte Foster
High School Poem
Harold Fincher Award
Briana Curry
Title: I Stand In A Marvelous Light
School: Magnolia High School
Parent: Aynsandra Curry
2nd Place
Kristopher Bailey
Title: So You Want to be a Kid Again
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Keri Hamilton
3rd Place
Troy Dino
Title: Winter Heart
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: Aprile Richardson
High School Fiction
Harold Fincher Award
Lauren Morehead
Title: Unreliable narration or: the Past Is Better with Delusions and Purple Prose
School: Ridgeway Christian School
Parent: David Morehead
2rd Place
Blane Dolden
Title: Possession
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: Aprile Richardson
3rd Place—
Emily Church
Title: The Nightmare
School: Smackover High School
Teacher: Aprile Richardson
High School Creative Non-fiction
Harold Fincher Award
Joanna Horton
Title: Nate the Great
School: Home schooled
Teacher: Mary Horton
2nd Place
Patricia Anglin
Title: How to Dump Your Not so Significant Other (Boys)
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Amanda McMahon
3rd Place
Samantha Neal
Title: I Believe Miracles Happen
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Amanda McMahon
