JTHS students win top awards at 2020 SPC Literary Festival

Joliet Central and West High School students earned top awards in the Southwest Prairie Conference (SPC) Literary Festival, with ten other schools also submitting their original written works to the Southwest Prairie Conference. Although the 2019-2020 Conference event was cancelled, the SPC reviewed the submissions and announced the winners on April 7, 2020.

Student participants submitted writing pieces in seven categories including: Personal Essay, Critical Essay, Personal Narrative, Poetry, Dramatic Scene, Descriptive Sketch, and Short Fiction.

Joliet West High School student Arriana May earned second place in the Personal Narrative category for her piece, Gameday. West student Sophia Delgadillo earned second place for the Personal Essay category for her essay 387 Miles Really Isn't That Far. The Joliet West High School Lit Fest Sponsors were Van Martz and Brian Newman.

Joliet Central High School student Nora Sauseda won the highest honor, the Critic's Choice Award, in the Personal Narrative Category for Terrorists Inside My Brain. Also, in the Personal Narrative Category, Central students Devaun Cross earned first place for Rule 10 Section X/II and Alina Robles earned third place for Love Triangle. Alyssa Flores earned an Honorable Mention in the Personal Narrative Category for Imagination, Life is not your creation Barbie and an Honorable Mention in the Descriptive Sketch Category for Tears. Cassandra Rosales earned first place in the Personal Essay Category for her essay Blur.

Joliet Central High School English teacher VanDyne Martz said, "I am extremely proud of the progress we've made as a school and district with this competition in the few short years since we've joined the conference. Lauren Carter and Sam Manering are my co-sponsors for Lit Fest and a huge special thanks to Kelly Halusek for all the extra time she puts in with her students on this competition."