Power in pen: creative writing

Teams played against the clock in the creative-writing competition.

By JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

HOWLAND — In this age of abbreviation-loaded e-mails and instant messages, some wonder if writing is becoming a lost art.

Don’t say that to more than 130 seventh- and eighth-graders from three counties who competed Saturday in the Power of the Pen District Tournament at Howland Middle School.

“I just love to be creative,” said Karley Sullivan, an eighth-grader at LaBrae Middle School. “It’s great to think out of the box.”

“It’s fun to make things up,” said Anthony Yassall, 13, a Howland seventh-grader. “I think writing makes you become an all-around better person.”

Creative writing has been the essence of Power of the Pen, Ohio’s interscholastic writing competition for middle school pupils, since 1986. The competition is designed to mirror athletic tournaments.

Each school team consists of six members from each grade with writers competing for individual and team awards. The young writers also hope to be selected to compete in the regional tournament.

“We value creative and academic endeavors as much as the more publicized athletics,” said Howland teacher Cindy Christopher, tournament coordinator. “This really stirs up the interest for younger students when they hear about it from their friends.”

Darlene Corfman, reading and language arts teacher from Canfield Village Middle School, noted that the competition provides an outlet not found in standardized testing.

“Those tests are mostly informational and expository writing,” Corfman said. “These students love to take advantage of opportunities to be creative.”

The young writers agree.

“I love to write about things no one has thought of before,” said Shae Connors, an eighth-grader from Sts. Mary & Joseph School, Newton Falls. “Nothing makes me feel better than for someone to say, ‘How did you think of that?’”

“[Creative] writing takes my stress away,” said Jasmine Crump, seventh-grade, Boardman Glenwood Middle School, who already has had a poem published.

Just like basketball and football, teams play against the clock. Pupils are handed a topic chosen by the state competition’s executive staff and given 40 minutes to write an essay. Because topics are the same for every district tournament, they are not disclosed even after the essays have been submitted.

Each team’s coach judges another team’s submissions based upon six criteria, including creativity, figurative language, theme, and paragraph and sentence structure.

If that seems like pressure, imagine what it must feel like for Ishmeet Grewal, 13, a native of Punjab, India. He has been in America only since last August but writes with the eighth-grade team from BGMS.

“I’ve had to adjust from British English and its spelling,” Ishmeet said, “but I think I’ll be fine.”

Unlike athletic tournaments where losers are eliminated, some of the pupils who did not win Saturday will be able to continue competing.

The top 50 percent of the writers will move on to the regional competition later this month at the Kent State University Stark Campus, and each team is assured of at least one representative.

The tournament concludes with the state finals at the College of Wooster in May.

Coaches say Power of the Pen has been an inspiration to the young minds they help guide.

“You don’t realize how heartfelt the thoughts and feelings are in their writing,” said Gina Abruzzino of BGMS.

“I can see their passion for creative writing,” said Jodi Pleacher of LaBrae.

So can Denise Steinker, a parent volunteer for Poland’s Holy Family School, which is a first-time competitor.

“It’s wonderful that there’s something other than athletics for the kids,” Steinker said. “It’s cooler than cool.”