Local Students receive awards for Simpson Beck Poetry and Songwriting Lyric Contest, April 23, 2018, Hayesville, NC

On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, Hayesville Middle and High Schools received awards for their entries in the Simpson Beck Poetry and Songwriting Lyric Contests. The Clay County Historical and Arts Council (CCHAC) and the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West (NCWN-West) gave awards. Joan Ellen Gage had spearheaded the effort representing NCWN-West, along with Carla Beck, English teacher at Hayesville High School, and Reba Beck, retired teacher from Hayesville High, and a member of the CCHAC.The event was Emceed by Carla and Reba Beck. Ms. Gage was unable to attend.

The Copper Door Restaurant, Brothers Willow Ranch Restaurant, Rib Country in Hayesville, Chevelle’s in Hayesville, and Bowl of Asia, donated NCWN-West’s awards for the judges.

Winners of the Middle School Contest for Poetry were: 1^st place, Dierks Tolley, 2^nd place,  Jasmine Scheuler, and 3^rd place, Addison Bunch.

There were no entries for Songwriting Lyrics for the Middle school.

Winners of the High School Contest for Poetry were: 1^st place, Piper Snowdon, 2^nd place, Paula Murcia, and 3^rd place, Isabella Rogers.

Winner of the High School Contest for Songwriting Lyrics was: 1^st place, Emily Long.

Rosemary Rhodes Royston

Judges for the contests included author Rosemary Rhodes Royston, and musicians and songwriters Rob Tiger, Wyatt Espalin, and Brian Kruger, who were the song-writing lyric judges.. Royston read from her book, Splitting the Soil.

Rob Tiger

Wyatt Espalin

Brian Kruger

Poetry and Song-writing Lyric Contest for Clay County Schools, NC, renamed Simpson Beck Poetryand Song-writing Lyrics Contest

Nancy Simpson

Reba Beck

The Clay County Historical and Arts Council and the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, in an effort to promote the arts in our community, are again co-sponsoring a poetry writing and a song-writing lyric contest for Hayesville High and Middle Schools this month. The writing contest has been renamed the Simpson Beck Poetry and Song-writing Lyrics Contest, in honor of its founders Nancy Simpson and Reba Beck. 

 

The winners will be announced Monday, April 16, 2018, and the award ceremony for them will take place on Monday, April 23, 2018, at 7:00 PM at the Hayesville High School Lecture Hall. The public is invited to attend this event, and their will be refreshments and cookies.

The poetry judge for the contests is Rosemary Rhodes Royston. She is the author of the book, Splitting the Soil, a widely published poet, a representative of the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, and a professor of English at Young Harris College.

Songwriting Lyric judges include Rob Tiger, local songwriter and singers, Brian Kruger, and Wyatt Espalin.

For more information, please contact Joan Ellen Gage, at: iamjellen1953@gmail.com