Nebraska Poetry Activated 2022 Results:
Finalists
Devin Konicek from Burwell Jr. Sr. High School
Kenzie Mattox from Lincoln Southwest High School
3rd place winner
Sophia Doyle from Callaway High School
2nd place winner
Max Veasman from Skutt Catholic High School
1st place winner
Aliyah American Horse from Gordon-Rushville High School
Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Honorable Mention
We want to give a special honorable mention to Mrs. Kinley Hadden and her 11th grade English class at Gordon-Rushville High School. We had incredibly powerful submissions from this group, including our first place winner, and we will be sending a special thank you to this group for their participation.
Competition Details
This year, in partnership with the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraskans for the Arts invited high school students (grades 9-12) across our state to participate in the second annual Nebraska Poetry Activated: A poetry writing competition for students.
In the words of poet Janice Lobo Sapigao, “poetry is activism because, line by line, it contains the potential to ask difficult questions, to participate in literary spaces, to push past discomfort, and to build words where possibilities drive us.” Poetry has the power to captivate, illuminate, and motivate. In reflection of this, Nebraskans for the Arts welcomed students to compose and submit an original “advocacy poem” – a poem that brings to light an issue in their community, advocates for something about which they are passionate, or encourages progress in a specific area of society.
Adjudication
Poems were adjudicated by a panel of three judges with extensive knowledge of poetry and poetry composition. Works were judged on the following criteria: originality, expressive use of language, clarity of topic, and effectiveness in conveying message.
Judges:
Jeevan Narney
Zedeka Poindexter
Ann Quinlan
