Writers competed at the Upstate Eight Literary Festival at St. Charles East High School where numerous students placed.

“The Upstate Eight Literary Festival is held once a year, and it is a competition between all of the Upstate Eight schools to submit any sort of writing in any category,” adviser Tara Deleon said.

The different categories include poetry, slam poetry, short stories, descriptive sketches, and screenplay on April 8.

Senior Brando Perez won an honorable mention in rap, and senior Barbara Richert won third place in poetry.

Sophomore Kate Bove won an honorable mention in poetry, and sophomore Brandon Morsse won third and second place in poetry. Jacob Vogt took home first place in short stories.

“I am very humbled and proud to be receiving first place at the Literary Festival. It is a big achievement in my writing,” Vogt said.

The judges in the competition are either English teachers, authors, or publishers.

“We did really well. It was so exciting how Jacob won first place for his short story. There were 130 other people competing with him,” Deleon said.

Besides competing, writing workshops help to strengthen competitors’ writing skills.

“Kids do compete to see who can place a good story, but when we get there they do workshops. There is also guest speakers to help the students get out of regular school day settings,” Deleon said.

Workshops help students to become better writers.

“I feel like they teach people, and express themselves (at the workshops). It helps to expand what you know and it teaches things writers were not exposed to,” Perez said.

Competing in the Upstate Eight Literacy Festival helped to increase  students’ knowledge about writing.

“The competition is important because it gives the students a chance to see what other kids are doing. I think it pushes them to work harder or in some other category that they would normally not do,” Deleon said.

Many students who competed  are from the Creative Writing Club and the creative writing classes.

“I think students are grateful they went to the festival and got to make new experiences,” Deleon said.