ONEONTA _ The love of the spoken word was evident Friday as 10 students read their works during the finals of the 12th annual Share the Words high school poetry competition.
The event, held in Oneonta at the Foothills Performing Arts Center by Word Thursdays/ Bright Hills Press, culminated with the selection of winners in several categories.
About two dozen participants from Unatego, Jefferson, Norwich, Downsville and Cherry Valley-Springfield high schools participated, said Bright Hill director Bertha Rogers.
In announcing the winners, ONC BOCES Superintendent Marie Wiles told the students, "It's such a thrill to know you have so much talent in this community."
She encouraged them to continue their efforts.
In the current events and relationships category, first place went to 10th-grader Maggie Milner of Cherry Valley-Springfield, and second place went to 10th-grader Shams Harper of Norwich.
"It's very exciting," Milner said.
She works independently with a lot of help from her mother, she said, and her works are generally based on experience. She won in the formal poetry category last year.
She has been writing poetry since she was 3, she said: "It always just felt natural."
Winning in the nature category was 12th-grader Joy Jerome of Norwich. Second place went to 12th-grader Casey Homovich of Downsville.
Homovich said he has been in the competition for three years. He credits his English teacher, Andrew Morris, for encouraging him to write. He said he plans on studying poetry when he goes to college, as it helps in all fields of study.
The Nicholas Alicino Award for performance poetry is named for the Cooperstown English teacher who encouraged his students to write, Rogers said. Alicino died in 2004.
The award was given to two ninth-graders from Norwich, with first place to Ethan Steers and second place to Jeff Wilkinson.
Winning as coach of the year was Norwich English teacher Richard Murphy. This is the ninth time he has won the award. He explained his success and that of his students, saying, "We pay attention to poetry as an art form and writing as a craft."
The quality of the students' writings has "ratcheted up over the years," Rogers said. "They will carry that with them into a world of sound bites."
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