Students show off creative writing skills at regional tournament

3 weeks ago

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Mar. 9—LIMA — About 145 middle school students from 27 schools in northwest Ohio competed in a regional tournament of Power of the Pen on Saturday at The Ohio State University’s Lima campus.

Power of the Pen is an Ohio-based, educational nonprofit that aims to positively impact middle schoolers by helping them find and develop their creative voices by writing stories based on prompts. Two district tournaments were previously held at Coldwater and Tiffin middle schools, and the top students regionally will advance to the state tournament on May 21 and 22 at Ashland University.

The northwest region of the program includes schools in Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Hardin, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Williams, Wood, Wyandot and Van Wert counties.

Seventh graders had 40 minutes to write about each prompt, including: “Practice makes perfect. Show how,” “Write a story about someone literally bumping into someone else” and “‘Not trying is much worse than failing.’ (Esther Pia Cordova) Build your story around this quote.”

Eighth graders had the same amount of time for three different prompts: “The meeting. Use this as a significant component in your story,” “Center your story around a photo that’s gone viral” and “‘That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.’ (John Green) Build your story around this quote.”

“I’m always blown away at the in-depth knowledge that these seventh and eighth graders have about World War III, about science, about technology. I mean they go so in-depth into the stories,” said Karaline Grubaugh, Power of the Pen’s northwest regional director. “It’s just amazing to me that in 40 minutes, which is all they have to write for an unknown prompt, that they’re able to come up with such unique stories and really take you to a whole other place.

“I know how important writing is,” she said. “I’m a former Power of the Pen kid (from St. Marys), so I know what this did for me in middle school and my confidence and the way it helped me even prepare for writing résumés, college entrance exams, even now, just learning how to professionally write in an email and a work environment. So the skills they’re learning here today are far more than just ribbons, trophies, things like that. I’m an example; it can definitely lead you on to success.”

Perrysburg Junior High School near Toledo took home multiple awards, including the big trophy for best combined seventh and eighth grade teams. Jamie Avery, the eighth grade coach, and Jennifer Scharer, the seventh grade coach, agreed with Grubaugh about the positive impact events like this can have on participants now and in the future.

“I think it just gives them an outlet, a way to express themselves, and writing goes into everything in life, really in all careers and every direction they take it,” Avery said.

“It’s a confidence booster. I think when you come and you win as a team or place as a team, you start to realize, even though it’s creative writing, I’m pretty good at this,” Scharer said.

POWER OF THE PEN REGIONAL WINNERS

Seventh Grade Individual

—First Place: Mia Ahrens, Anna Middle School

—Second Place: Cheyenne Grounds, Perrysburg Junior High School

—Third Place: Gabriella Hreish, Ottawa Hills Junior High School

Seventh Grade Team

—First Place: Edison Middle School

—Second Place: Perrysburg Junior High School (Toledo)

—Third Place: Ottawa Hills Junior High School (Toledo)

Eighth Grade Individual

—First Place: Ava Pennell, Edison Middle School

—Second Place: Grace Biggert, McPherson Middle School