Aurora Students Shine At Upstate Eight Literary Festival Competition

Press release from East Aurora School District 131:

June 11, 2020

Results from the Upstate Eight Literary Festival Competition were recently announced, with several Tomcats winning awards. The competition is a conference-wide event where students compete in six categories: descriptive sketch, dramatic scene, personal essay, poetry, short fiction, and slam poetry (spoken word).

“Our Tomcats never cease to amaze me,” said Michael Aye, literature and writing teacher at East High School. “The students took 13 awards this year, which ties our record for wins set in the 2017-18 school. Our creative Tomcats have now won 34 awards in three years.”

Across the Upstate Eight Conference, hundreds of pieces are submitted each year and reviewed by published authors, playwrights, and other highly qualified judges.

Students from East High earned awards in five categories:

Slam Poetry (spoken word)

• Laila Cole – Critic’s Choice
• Ava Lewis – 2nd Place
• Alex Cabrera – 3rd Place

Poetry

• Ava Lewis – Honorable Mention
• Trinity Dean – Honorable Mention

Short Fiction

• Cody Toth – First Place
• Kathato Mthewthwa – Second Place
• Elizabeth Hoffmann – Third Place
• Ava Lewis – Honorable Mention
• Angel Montes – Honorable Mention

Descriptive Sketch

• Allie Ochoa – Third Place

Personal Essay (narrative)

• Oralia Almanza – Critic’s Choice
• Kathy Alcaraz – Honorable Mention

Aye said he credits co-advisor, Amanda Bussman, for helping to create a space where the kids feel welcome and safe. “She exemplifies the kind of caring teachers we have at EA,” said Aye. “This makes our time together feel less like a class or club and more like a family.”

Laila Cole, a junior who earned a “Critic’s Choice” award for Slam Poetry, said she was initially shocked when Mr. Aye told her about the award. “I didn’t think it would place in the competition …I was excited and just all around appreciative,” said Cole.

The piece Cole submitted was based on an actual park on Chicago’s south side nicknamed “Murda Park” and was an ode to finding peace and comfort in a place where chaos resides.

Cole said her piece also touches on violence among urban and what most would consider to be “poor” communities, and that she was especially grateful to win the Critic’s Choice Award “on a piece about black struggles in a time like this. I felt heard,” said Cole.

Cole added that she while she doesn’t have any interest in any creative writing careers, writing has always been something she has done to escape and verbalize her thoughts without outside judgement. “I considered journalism at one point, but wasn’t too intrigued by it. However, I do plan on publishing a few poetry books.”

Mr. Aye said that a majority of the winners came from the high school’s creative writing club, called Literary Magazine Club, or “Lit Mag”, while others came from Aye’s Writer’s Workshop senior English class.

East High junior Ava Lewis, who won two awards, has been involved in the club since her freshman year. Lewis also earned a first place for Poetry during her freshman year.

“I was truly honored to be recognized and to represent the Lit Mag Club with my writing,” said Lewis. “I was happy to share and to be heard.”

Lewis intends for writing to be her career, and says she wants to continue to spread the love and passion she has within her community to help people who have had similar experiences, and help those be heard.

Students involved in Lit Mag, like senior Kanaan Blunt, say their involvement in the club has helped them become more outspoken.

And while Blunt didn’t win an award in this year’s competition, Aye considers Blunt to be one of the more passionate members of the club.

“Before I joined I was a very shy person and mostly kept to myself. But after some time in the club, I noticed that I was being more outspoken in what I believe and how I was feeling. I learned that you should always speak your mind,” said Blunt.

Blunt said that after joining Lit Mag, he realized his words hold power and his passion for creative writing grew. He discovered he could turn his words to an art form, and make people laugh, cry, smile and think.

“I also feel that Lit Mag is a family,” said Blunt. “Mr. Aye and Ms. Bussman have never discouraged us from speaking our minds.”

Congratulations to all our Tomcats!

This press release was produced by East Aurora School District 131. The views expressed here are the author’s own.