GENESEO, N.Y.—SUNY Geneseo’s Department of English will present the winners of the 11th annual Genesee Valley Peace Poetry Contest on May 8 at 2 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium.
The contest is available for kindergarten through eighth grade students from 19 area school districts in the Genesee Valley. In the contest, the students are asked to comment on peace by creating a poem. The students’ interpretations of peace in the past have covered a range of topics, such as domestic strife, family members serving in war zones, or even the love a student can feel for their favorite foods.
“Poetry helps us all notice the world around us more and think about it more carefully,” said assistant professor of poetry Lytton Smith. “It helps us process what troubles us most, and share what makes us feel alive.”
This poetry contest will be no different, as its theme asks students to reflect on what makes them feel calm, peaceful, or at ease. Over 1,200 students submit each year, but only 70 of the students are invited to read their poems at the Peace Poetry Reading on May 8. After the readings, there will be a small reception, as sponsored by Campus Auxiliary Services.
The three first-place prizewinners will not only receive certificates, but also gifts provided by Sundance Books. Additionally, each student will be given a presentation chapbook at the Peace Poetry Reading, which will feature the students’ poems.
Free and open to the public, all are welcome to attend.
News release written by College Communications intern Alexandra Ciarcia.
Media Contact:
David Irwin
Media Relations Director
(585) 245-5529
Irwin@geneseo.edu