Press Release:
Genesee's Library Poetry Contest Awards Seven Student Poets
BATAVIA -- The Alfred C. O'Connell Library at Genesee Community College has awarded seven student poets in its eighth annual student poetry contest.
The seven winners include a diverse set of students, from many campus centers and age groups. They are Terra Bartlebaugh, Daniel Branciforte, Michael Hoerbelt, Ricky Howard, Andrea Louis, Nathan Palmer and Sadie Waala.
Taking top honors in the contest was Nathan Palmer of Dansville whose poem "Blackberry (Not Just an Electronic Promotion of Capitalism) reads":
White bud in June
Bright red in July
Purple bloom in August
Sharp thorns in your side
Maroon branches don't cost us
Because you're outside and wild
Not planted by me years ago
But by great grandma as a child
Alongside the barn they grow and wait
Seeds fall to the ground
Wind blows up their fate
Bugs fly all around, too quick
Bees land to pollinate
Each summer they're picked
Those thorns I hate cause me to bleed
With buckets in my hand
To the woods I leave
On top of hills I stand to look for Blackberries
When asked what he wanted to convey when writing the poem Nathan noted, "I'm worried that the world won't know what a real blackberry is. I asked my sister what a blackberry was and she replied 'a phone!' I ultimately wanted to comment on the state of our world."
Second-place poet and ACE Student, Sadie Waala of Batavia entered the contest with her poem entitled "Self-Portrait." A student at Batavia High, Sadie will be attending St. Rose College in Albany this fall.
Tied for third place were Terra Bartlebaugh of Alden with her weather-inspired poem "Spring" and Daniel Branciforte of Batavia with "Bubbled," a journey poem that originally started as a class assignment.
Honorable Mention for Body of Work was awarded to Lancaster, NY native Mike Hoerbelt.
This year's contest also included two math-themed winners. Winning the Math X category was Ricky Howard of Arcade and the Math Y category winner was Andrea Louis of Waterport.
All the winners were awarded a variety of gifts and prizes donated by Darien Lake Theme Resort, the Genesee Country Village & Museum, the Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, and the Campus community. They also were given their own journals and a certificate of recognition.
For copies of each poem, please contact Anita Whitehead at 585-343-0055 x 6231 or at awhitehead@genesee.edu.
