By On Thursday, Nov. 17, Carroll and Helena High students had the chance to present their very own works of prose or poetry in a contest hosted by the Carroll College English Department.
Students went head-to-head in a contest that tested their writing and creativity in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other genres. With a large cash prize attached (some victors earning up to $250 for a Montana Book Company gift card), many students showed up to compete in this epic English event.
The contest started at 3 p.m. in the Corette Library, where Nicole Williams, Madeline De Leo, and Marissa Kuka each read their writing piece, “Feeding the Family,” “These Dreams Belong to Heaven,” and “Feminism in the Classroom,” respectively.
After a long break, the contest moved to Trinity Hall Lounge at 7 p.m. The first presenter to speak was Helena High School Student Fiona Kuntz, who read from her work, “Painting and Other Poems.” Kuntz’ piece about her various poetry pieces won her the high school prize.
The first place Carroll Winner was Greyson Gold, who presented his essay, “The Wisdom of Wizards” and the runner-up was Madeline De Leo, who presented her long poem, “These Dreams Belong to the Heavens.”
“The argument of my paper is that fantasy literature…can tell us something about the real world, even if it is far removed from reality,” said Gold.
He cited many philosophers in his essay.
“[Fantasy literature] can reveal insights into reality in…the creation of these worlds,” Gold said.
Beyond winning the Literary Festival, the essay “The Wisdom of Wizards” was also featured in the philosophical journal Stance.
