Children to present award-winning poetry to families, faculty and the public

Some will rap. Some will rhyme. Some will dabble in free verse. But all 65 young winners of Fairfield University's Poetry for Peace contest will be extolling the virtues of amity, harmony and accord when they read their poetry at the Aloysius P. Kelley Center on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. The public and the media are welcome to attend this special event.

More than 700 Bridgeport and Fairfield children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade entered the fourth annual competition, which is sponsored by Fairfield University's Humanities Institute; the Offices of Academic Engagement and Student Development; the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee ; the Peace and Justice Studies program; and the Department of English . The winning poems are published in a book, which will be distributed to the children and their families at the event.

The contest is designed to encourage discussion of how the imaginative and original language of poetry relates to the creation of peace. It provides an opportunity for young writers to express their own concepts of peace through the creative act of writing. Some students submitted poems composed in Spanish, a first for the contest.

"This is one of the most exciting events of each year," said Robbin Crabtree, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Humanities Institute. "It is such a joy to have so many students, parents, and teachers from the surrounding communities on our campus working with Fairfield's students and faculty. A shared passion for poetry and for justice is cultivated by this project, which is a fitting tribute to Dr. King."

The Poetry for Peace Contest was announced in September 2011. Entries were submitted in November and judged by a committee of faculty and students from the English and Modern Languages and Literatures departments and the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions .

The children's entries were placed into three divisions, Kindergarten-2nd grades, 3rd-5th grades, and 6th-8th grades. First, second, and third place winners were selected, as well as some 'judges' favorites' for each category.

Posted On: 01-06-2012 11:01 AM

Volume: 44 Number: 150