By Macie Allen, XHS Junior
On Saturday, January 27, approximately 90 students from 11 different schools brought their pens and their passion for writing to Xenia High School for the Southwest Regional JustWrite Ohio Tournament. Although this is the fifth year for the JustWrite program, this is the first time the program has held a tournament in the southwest region of the state.
The competition consists of three rounds of creative writing and an optional original poetry submission. For each round, students are given a randomized prompt and genre to compose an original story with only 45 minutes — and no technology or pre-writing allowed! After the third writing round, students gathered for lunch in the cafeteria where they had the opportunity to choose a free book to take home, all thanks to The Friends of Greene County Public Library, who donated over 120 books!
Xenia High School’s Writing Team wrote their way to the top, placing 2nd overall out of 11 total teams. The Division II team, which placed 3rd of 11, consisted of seniors Sophie Duke, Zoey Blake, and Kassidy Little as well as juniors Erin Kelly, Macie Allen, and Houda Loukssi. Kelly placed 3rd and Duke placed 5th in their division. The Division I team, comprised entirely of novice writers in grades 9-10, placed 3rd out of 7 teams. Division I writers included Abigail Hutchins, Aiva McGrew, Ava Wellman, Elleana Severt, Jillian Dameron, and Adison Bruce. Hutchins and McGrew won individual awards, placing 6th and 9th respectively. Additionally, Kelly had two first place stories, and Severt, Hutchins, and McGrew each had one, all of which will be evaluated for possible publication in an anthology later this summer.
Eight of the writers will advance to the state competition that will be held at the University of Findlay on May 9: Erin Kelly, Sophie Duke, Macie Allen, Houda Loukssi, Abigail Hutchins, Aiva McGrew, Elleana Severt, and Ava Wellman.
When writers were asked about the competition, there was nothing but good feedback. Kassidy Little, the only novice writer on the Division II team, remarked, “As someone who is a first-time senior in Writing Club, this competition was a very fun experience. I loved receiving feedback from judges and the level of inclusivity in the environment. Everyone is very welcoming and supportive, we are all our own little family here. My only regret is not participating in a competition sooner.”
When asked about the tournament experience, Abigail Hutchins, a sophomore, said, “My experience with the competition was lovely, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity to write creatively with a team of wonderful people! I am very excited for state and cannot wait to learn more about improving my writing skills!”
All in all, Xenia’s first time holding a regional writing contest went extremely well and demonstrated lots of positivity in the community. Senior Zoey Blake, one of the inaugural members of Writing Club, remarked, “As a writing club veteran, I’m absolutely thrilled for our club to have the opportunity to expand its skills as well as provide more attention to the impact of the written word. I’m overjoyed that I've been able watch as everyone involved improves their skills as we continue to succeed.”