2006HighSchoolAwards Presentation

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2006 Creative Writing Contest for Allen County High Schools 2006 Creative Writing Contest Winners

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This Passion By: Alexis Mohler

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Kayla Gilroy Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – “My inspiration mainly comes from my mood and what is going on in my life at the time.” “Fallen Angel” Excerpt – “I stand here before you A knife held high in my hand I cut my shimmering celestial wings off And hurl them towards the ground” Elida High School Sponsoring Teacher- Peggie Stubbs Interests – Writing Poetry and Fictional Stories, Reading, Music, Japanese Bands, Manga, Animation, Japanese/American Movies Future Plans – “I plan on going to college, although I’m undecided on which one at the current time, to major in an English related topic. I plan to become either a fictional writer or a poet.”

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Deborah L. Martin Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- Honorable Mention Future Plans- “I plan to be a high school science teacher…I believe that becoming a high school teacher is a great decision because it will combine my love for science and God’s calling in my life to work with the next generation of teens.” “The Dragon Path” Excerpt – “I decide to go back the way I came. I dare not go much farther. Yet when I turn around, I realize that the path behind has started to crumble.” Temple Christian High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elizabeth Knick Interests –Playing Softball, Writing Poetry, Playing Oboe for Band, Playing Piccolo for Pep Band, Playing Flute for Solo and Ensemble, On Church’s Bible Quiz Team

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Jeremy Redmon Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- Honorable Mention “Brainstorm Session” Excerpt – “My name is Chuck Michealson, and I have a dog named Fido. One time, Fido saved my life. I was being attacked by a rabid rock star. This rock star had everything: women, money, a giant house, women, a Rolex, women, and everything else you can imagine, unfortunately, he also had rabies. And this made him sad… That’s it! That is the perfect story! I knew if I kept at it I would get it! I never, EVER, doubted myself for an instant. I better get working on it right away.” Delphos Jefferson High School Sponsoring Teacher- Mrs. Siebeneck

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Kristin Schafer Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- Honorable Mention “What Can I Do But Flow?” Excerpt – “Together, we could bring color and life, The air would ring with the sound of the mountains. But the time is not right, the sun cannot shine forth, it is a prisoner. I must wait for the time when it is freed, I must continue to flow.” Temple Christian High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elizabeth Knick Interests – Playing Volleyball, Reading, Writing Plays, Veterinary Medicine, and Classic Literature. Future Plans – “Attend college for veterinary medicine and run my own large and small animal clinic.”

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Darya Task Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry) – Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – “The month that I had spent with my mom and grandmother at this datcha several summers ago was what first came to my mind.” “Datcha” Excerpt – “Little girl, losing her head, picking all that’s in sight, forgetting mom’s warnings, returning home beaming, little basket all full of bad mushrooms.” Bath High School Sponsoring Teacher- Charlyn Ellington Interests – Music (piano and percussion), Tennis, and Languages (studying 3rd language) Future Plans – “I am still undecided as to my major or future profession, but I hope to continue to write, regardless of either”

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Kim Zimmerman Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – She wrote this story because it describes typical high school life. It is also based on real-life situations she experienced first and second-hand. “Boy Problems” Excerpt – “The bowling part was a little lame but I will get over it. Chad asked me out Friday, so I have two days. I wonder what will happen!!” Bath High School Sponsoring Teacher- Charlyn Ellington Interests – cheerleading competitively for The Lima Rebels, The Center Stage Hotshots, and Bath High School Future Plans – Attend college to become a nurse

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Vicki Lynn McGhee Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention “The Devil and the Poor Man” Excerpt – “Listen to the tale of a man’s dull life, Who was married to a cantankerous wife, Who being as broad as she was tall, Dwarfed this man, who being very small, Feared her more than any known disease, She was a mean old woman and hard to please.” Elida High School Sponsoring Teacher- Peggie Stubbs

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Jessica Miera Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – “I dream a lot and thankfully, I remember them most of the time. The poem I wrote was simply me explaining all of the things I have done in an alternate world. Things that can hardly be done in this time and world, but [they] are everyday happenings in the realm of dreams.” “Wonders” Excerpt – “I have been a merchant and a mercenary I have been the darkness and the light I have been human and I have been animal I have been part of the most brutal fight” Spencerville High School Sponsoring Teacher- Emily Klosterman Interests – Drawing, working with animals, golfing, singing, reading

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Ross Short Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- Honorable Mention "Ark" Bath High School Sponsoring Teacher- Charlyn Ellington Excerpt – “Ark looked at the ravaged village in disbelief. He looked around for something to bring him hope; maybe they had taken a wrong turn. His last shred of hope was torn from him as he found a familiar building, his home. He ran inside and found his family scattered about. He checked them for life but found none.”

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Alexis Mohler Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- 3rd place Inspiration for the Work – Her interest in playing the guitar “This Passion” Excerpt – “Slick, smooth, cold to the touch; vibrates my fingers, gives me a rush. Satisfies the souls, soothes complicated feelings.” Delphos Jefferson High School Sponsoring Teacher- Mrs. Siebeneck Interests – Snow boarding, art, guitar Future Plans – Attend college to pursue a degree in design

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Abby Scalf Excerpt – “She occasionally popped a bubble, causing it to explode. The tink tink tink of her type writer began to get on my nerves, but I kept silent.” Delphos St. John’s High School Sponsoring Teacher- Christina Elwer Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- 2nd Place “The Rock God” Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- 3rd Place “The Martini Olive” Excerpt – “The memory of my time with The Rock God, Forever seared into my mind To replay over and over again, Until the day he rescues me Form this cold, Dark abyss.”

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Leslie Newport Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- 2nd Place Inspiration for the Work – “I have always been interested in psychological issues, but after I read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, it cinched my interest in writing a story around mental illness.” “Illusion of Reality” Excerpt – “Later, Alastair lay in the psychiatry dormitory and opened up his T.S. Eliot book. He tried to finish the poem he’d started earlier that day. The man who had cursed so profoundly earlier grinned at him from the bed next to him.” Lima Senior High School Sponsoring Teacher- Jeannine Jordan-Squire Interests – Irish History, Scottish History, Researching Medical Information, and Politics Future Plans – “Heading for Medical School”

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Renee Klausing Freshman/Sophomore Division (Poetry)- 1st Place Inspiration for the Work – Inspired by a true story “Medicine Man” Excerpt – “Make my mind stop thinking of the only thing it does Make my body rid you from me Because I can’t stand knowing my medicine man is killing me” Delphos St. John’s High School Sponsoring Teacher- Christina Elwer Interests – “I like to try to play my guitar. I love to listen to music. Music is my very own ‘little secret hide-out.’” Future Plans – “Something to do with music because music is a very large part of my life…Music is what inspires me to be creative, express myself, and show people how I’m feeling and who I am.”

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Taylor Andrews Freshman/Sophomore Division (Fiction)- 1st Place “The Returner” Delphos Jefferson High School Sponsoring Teacher – Mrs. Siebeneck Hobbies and Interests- Wrestling, Soccer, Writing, and Sketching Future Plans – “I hope to be a writer when I’m older.” Excerpt – “The Returner threw back the long sleeves of his trench coat and laced his fingers. The ink across his knuckles formed an ancient symbol that had long lost its true meaning. A translation was unnecessary now; the symbols meant one thing and one thing only: repulsion. Between his hands, the Returner could feel the cool metal of the medallion as he gripped it tightly.”

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Kathryn Collins Junior/Senior Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention “No Way Out” Excerpt – “Dying in a room with no way out Will my soul be able to leave when my body dies I am so ashamed of the way I must go Crushed by my own dark web of lies” Bath High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elaine Bradley Inspiration for the Work – “My twin actually inspired me for the reflection bit because we used to look so much alike that I can’t even tell her from myself in old pictures.” Interests – Writing poetry and stories, playing Alto Sax in Marching and Concert Band Future Plans – “Attending Rhodes State to become a medical transcriptionist… I also plan to write a little on the side just for a release from my stressful environment.”

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Eric Prichard Junior/Senior Division (Fiction): Honorable Mention “The Boil Up” Excerpt – “The air is hot, moist, and stale. He hates the smallness of the room. He hates the tiny window which allows him a view of paradise, but blocks the sweet kiss of an ocean breeze. A familiar feeling has returned. It is the notion that he is in some sort of dungeon. His tie, its knot tightly pressed against his Adam’s apple, feels like a collar, choking him and weighing him down. The Spanish speaking voices now belong to cruel inquisitors, and they demand loyalty to a mighty patriarch in whom he no longer believes or trusts.” Shawnee High School Sponsoring Teacher- Margie Bush

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Emily Rodhe Junior/Senior Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention “I am Like a Wild Flower” Excerpt – “I am like a wild flower Silent to corruption, deafening to vividness Growing rapidly and creating secrets Anger and passion feed my fiery disposition And my dreams and desires multiply Creating subsistence within the fields that I thrive Emptiness consumed by desires Built up in the blackened fires Of corruption The reach of a total loss Sanctioned by our own cross Of Redemption” Apollo Career Center Sponsoring Teacher- Jane Ewen

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Alex Rodabaugh Junior/Senior Division (Fiction)- Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – An experience Alex had with a stranger at the downtown Kewpee inspired this story. “I think that the story is more about classism than racism and I think sometimes those two are confused. I wanted to write about that and about unreasonable fear towards the poor.” “The Wrong Way Home” Excerpt – “At each stop, more and more of the same people began to enter the bus and take their seats around Frank. Dark skinned and ragged, poor and mischievous, he thought. The shiny belt of the purse of the woman sitting to his right flashed at him like an impatient knife. Bulges in the men’s pockets began to take on the form of portly pistols waiting for the opportunity to take aim. The glint of snow lost its wintry feel, replaced instead by bags of cocaine.” Lima Central Catholic High School Sponsoring Teacher- Joshua Vasquez

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Anna Reddick Junior/Senior Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention “Lessons of Baseball” Excerpt – “She thought a long while as the game went on And watched as Mike struck out anew. She watched a the parents waved to their child. Who still smiled at a loss of 13 to 2. After the game had ended The woman guided Mike with a tug To sit down as she said she’d like to be friends And she drew him into a hug.” Bluffton High School Sponsoring Teacher- Beth Cogley

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Brendan Sullivan Junior/Senior Division (Fiction)- Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – “What inspired me most was a short story I read by Jack London entitled ‘Moon-Face.’” “My Obsession, My Liberator” Excerpt – “One day, I was fervently drawing away with what was possibly one of the best drawings I had ever drawn, when the Blue Admiral flew away. I ran after it, searching with all that I had. I was so involved with the chase that I became completely disoriented. I had no clue where I was, until it dawned on me. I had stumbled into the very land upon which was forbidden to me: the north woods.” Temple Christian High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elizabeth Knick Interests – Music and Sports

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Brittany Dray Junior/Senior Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention “The Rules” Excerpt – “I am not your average feline Though I may seem sassy and high maintenance A contributor to life’s lessons A good companion for a teenage girl Remember curiosity never killed anything- Except a few hours.” Delphos Jefferson High School Sponsoring Teacher- Mrs. Siebeneck

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Erin Wrasman Junior/Senior Division (Fiction): Honorable Mention “Not Another Fairy Tale…” Excerpt – "The proposition was mailed to all the countries, and all of the arrangements were made for the princesses to come to Lekvoria.  A new day was dawning, and the time was nearing for everything to fall into place.  Now this brings us to the large, quaint town of Benestra, where in the center sat a magnificent palace.  It was surrounded by a moat that flowed from a huge fountain, practically a waterfall, located in the center of the palace.  Vines with gorgeous flowers climbed the palace walls and wrapped around the gates." Temple Christian High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elizabeth Knick

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Elizabeth Sylak Junior/Senior Division (Poetry): Honorable Mention Inspiration for the Work – “I was inspired to write my work because of the heavy stress of my life at the time, including going to college and tearing my ACL.” “Dangerous Flying” Excerpt – “she was traversing the high, pale clouds with wings unfurled and eyes bright until she crossed paths with Reality and he kicked her out of flight” Bluffton High School Sponsoring Teacher- Beth Cogley Interests – Reading, sleeping Future Plans – “I plan to go to Albion College in Albion, Michigan next year.”

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Rachel Mohr Junior/Senior Division (Fiction)- 3rd Place “The Covenant” Excerpt – “There is nothing on it, no name etched into its wooden cross. But looking at it, somewhat isolated from the others, I know whose it is.” Bluffton High School Sponsoring Teacher- Elizabeth Cogley Hobbies and Interests- Playing Piano, Writing, Playing Soccer, Acting, and Singing Future Plans – “I plan on majoring in aviation and minoring in Spanish at OSU (in Columbus) next fall and hope to eventually become a commercial pilot for international flights.” Inspiration for the work- Rachel got the idea for this story from a paragraph she had brainstormed a year ago.

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Dennis Zelenak Junior/Senior Division (Fiction)- 2nd Place Inspiration for the Work – “I believe that I wrote this story to not only express my interest and recognition of the Cajun/Creole heritage in Louisiana, but to show that people should not always judge on their first impulse.” Dennis previously lived in New Orleans and loosely bases his style on Creole writer Kate Chopin. “The Cheque” Excerpt – “Sitting at his dimly gas lit bureau, Andre was efficiently filing papers in between huge gray puffs of smoke from his Mexican cigar. As he was finishing up with his bank statements, he neutrally asked his wife for something to drink. After mixing it a little with the slotted absinthe spoon, she nonchalantly set it next to him. As she silently approached him, he eyed her with a slight suspicion- one that only comes when a normally inquisitive wife is sharply silent.” Lima Central Catholic High School Sponsoring Teacher- Joshua Vasquez Interests – Reading and Writing Short Compositions, Playing Violin and Piano, Traveling, and Louisianan Cooking

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Maggie Haiber Junior/Senior Division (Poetry)-2nd Place “Pieces of Falling Ink” Excerpt – he this boy, his reflection punch that mirror destroy the beauty with glass in his knuckles on the bathroom floor with the blood and tears he can trust the lies she’s told him” Delphos St. John’s High School Sponsoring Teacher- Susan Knippen Hobbies and Interests- Dance, Writing for Leisure, Drawing, Watching Silent Movies and Independent Art Films Future Plans – “I plan to attend Columbia College of Chicago and major in film/video production with a concentration in cinematography.”

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Gabriel H. Jimenez-Medina Junior/Senior Division (Fiction)- 1st Place Inspiration for the Work – “The War in Iraq. …This work was written as a means of catharsis, to release the tension I feel when I hear of some new atrocity.” “When I Was Young” Excerpt – “Then you would see a face so removed from the present that you could see right through his eyes, like the panes of slightly warped glass, and behind it a dropping away as if of some vast cliff, and at the bottom who knows?” Shawnee High School Sponsoring Teacher- Kathie Naab Interests – “I sincerely enjoy the act of writing and stringing words together in such a way as to be new and exciting. I have been an avid reader for as far back as I can remember, encouraged by family and teachers alike.” Future Plans – “I plan to try my luck at Stanford University in California… Maybe something in journalism… or perhaps something in the medical field (both my parents are doctors).”

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Korie Gesler Junior/Senior Division (Poetry) – 1st Place “Beast” Excerpt – “And as each moment passed Reason faded from their minds At first they began to squabble And then they began to fight And as the minutes passed They failed to see their plight” Bluffton High School Sponsoring Teacher – Elizabeth Cogley Interests – Reading, Writing, Running, Flag Corps, Watching Movies, and Listening to Music Future Plans – Study Pharmacy at The University of Toledo

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We would like to give a special thanks to Katie Motter and the Writing Center Tutors for all of their work preparing this presentation.