Waubonsee Community College students win top spots in poetry competition

Submitted by Waubonsee Community College

Two Waubonsee Community College students captured the top two spots in the poetry category at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Writers’ Competition and Festival.

Carolyn Schroeder, of Geneva, captured first place in the poetry category for her poem, “Crabgrass.” The win marked the second time Schroeder had placed in the competition, as she added the poetry award to her 2011 first place short story entry, “Yellow Shoes.”

John Merrow of Plano took second place in the category for his poem, “I Smell Money.”

The works were judged during the competition and festival Nov. 22 at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines.

The competition included works submitted by students from Waubonsee and seven other Skyway Conference member schools, including Oakton, Elgin Community College, Morton College, Prairie State College, Moraine Valley Community College, McHenry County College and the College of Lake County.

Students’ work was judged in four categories: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama.

Also attending the competition were Waubonsee nonfiction writers Kenneth Rupp and Rebecca Jimenez, Assistant Professor of English Todd Laufenberg and Student Life Manager Mary Tosch.