HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16-2007 3 rd Annual Halina Poetry Competition Underway 4
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, April 16, 2007
4:30pm
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
P Annual Halina Poetry Competition Underway
The submissions are in and the judges are hard at work as the third annual Halina
Poetry Prize contest moves into its second phase.
"A hundred and thirty students from South Bend submitted their poetry to the
competition this year," reported Professor Dave Stefancic, Chair of the 2007 Halina
Poetry Prize Committee. Judges must now go through the process of reviewing each
piece and selecting the winners. The poetry competition results are set to be announced
at the beginning of May.
The Halina Poetry Prize, a poetry contest for South Bend high school students, is
designed to showcase area students' literary talent and to honor South Bend's Sister City,
Czestochowa, Poland. The competition is open, every year, to South Bend students,
grades 9-12.
"The Halina Prize gives high school students the opportunity, through poetry, to
explore the common human experience that exists even in different cultures," stated
Mayor Luecke. "The contest helps us recognize the outstanding skills of our youth, while
we build ties of understanding across social, cultural, and national boundaries."
Each entry into poetry competition is judged, anonymously, by a committee of
community members. Eventually, the committee selects the Halina Poetry Prize winner
and two Honorable Mentions in each category, grades 9-10 and 11-12. The Halina
Poetry Prize winner receives $200 and Honorable Mention Award winners receives $50.
The top 20 poems in each age category are also selected for inclusion in the 2007 Halina
Poetry Prize Chapbook, apublication of the Contest.
The Halina Poetry Prize was named in honor of Halina Poswiatowska who was
born in Czgstochowa on May 9, 1935. She wrote poetry from a very young age and
published three volumes before her untimely death at the age of 32. Her poetry is still
highly regarded in Poland.
Since its inception in 1957 by President Eisenhower, the Sister City program has
furthered international understanding and cooperation. Czgstochowa has been South
Bend's Sister City since 1992 when former Mayor Joe Keman established the
relationship after a visit to Eastern Europe. Mayor Kernan continued to strengthen this
program throughout his tenure as mayor. Mayor Luecke has done the same and has
visited our Sister City with representatives from our community. Czgstochowa has also
sent delegations to South Bend as recently as the summer of 2004.
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