Every year, students have the opportunity to submit a short story or a poem for the Hays Arts Council writing contest.

“I know some of my students like to write outside of class and they really enjoy creative writing,” English instructor Lisa Renz said. “So I usually send out emails or encourage them in class to send stuff to me and we go through it and proof it. Then I submit it to the Hays Arts Council.”

Freshman Kalyssa Boyle said that she had entered during her eighth-grade year and won third place but is still striving to get first place.  

Other students like junior Genevieve Newsom entered for the first time this year.

 Newsom said that she wanted to write something last year but had been unable to enter because the story was over the word limit. This year she entered and placed first.

“My entry is like a paranormal horror type,” Newsom said. “It’s not based off of a personal experience or anything, but it came from the mind. As I like to put it, I put my blood, sweat and tears into it.”

This year, eight students placed in the competition and will be recognized on April 29 at FHSU during the Hays Arts Council Creative Writing Awards Ceremony.  

Freshmen poetry:

Second place- Audrey Rymer

Third place- Andrew Duke

Freshman prose:

Honorable Mention- Kalyssa Boyle

Sophomore poetry:

First place- Mulu Bannister

Second place- Levi Hickert (tie)

Third place- Emily Goetz

Junior prose:

First place- Genevieve Newsom

Second place- Jackson Stanton

“If you enjoy writing about things that inspire you, you should just go ahead and do it,” sophomore Emily Goetz said. “I wasn’t really comfortable with what I wrote about at first, but then I realized that it could help a lot more people that feel the same way.”  

 19rporter@usd489.com