CAZENOVIA — Last spring, Cazenovia High School (CHS) creative writers Skylar Dannan and Morgan Schaffer were named youth winner and selected finalist, respectively, of the inaugural “Poetry in Flight” contest at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR).
Dannan’s poem, “Flights,” and Schaffer’s piece, “Soaring,” are currently on display in the SYR terminal near the Regional Aviation Museum alongside the works of the adult category winner, Rebecca Myers, of Ithaca, and other selected finalists.
Presented by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA), the aviation/travel themed poetry contest was a celebration of “National Poetry Month” — observed each April. The initiative was presented in partnership with the YMCA of Central New York’s Downtown Writers Center (DWC) and Delta Air Lines.
A panel of local writers organized by the DWC reviewed all submissions and selected the finalists and winners throughout the month of May. Aviation or travel themed poems were accepted in two categories: adult and youth (students in grades 6-12).
“We appreciate the time and creative efforts of everyone who participated in the Poetry in Flight contest,” said SYR Executive Director Jason Terreri in a press release announcing the winners. “We can truly say the essence of a region returning to air travel is captured by these poetic works.”
As the youth winner, Dannan received a gift basket from Barnes and Noble, valued at $500, as well as one year of enrollment in the Young Authors Academy at the YMCA of CNY’s DWC in Syracuse.
“Poetry to me is about more than just words, it’s about conveying a thought, idea, or most interestingly, an emotion,” said Dannan, who is now a junior. “Just feeling it, and letting the words flow through your fingertips is a magical experience, made even more beautiful by the interpretations of others; seeing how each mind interacts with the same arrangement of words can reveal something you didn’t even know you were writing about. Poetry is more than just words on a page, it is meticulous and focused, it is creative and free, it is boundless and rule-less; poetry is expression.”
The winners’ and selected finalists’ poems are posted online at syrairport.org/poetry-in-flight-poetry-contest.
Schaffer, a junior, also earned first place in the student grade 9-12 category of Cazenovia’s “Poetry on the Trail” contest last spring.
Throughout the month of April, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, the Friends of the Cazenovia Public Library, and local poet Eric Evans accepted submissions of tree-themed poetry from community members. Prizes were awarded in the following categories: grades K-4, grades 5-8, grades 9-12, and adults.
“I love writing poetry because there aren’t many rules,” said Schaffer. “You can write freely and let your heart pour out onto the paper.”
The winning poems, including Schaffer’s submission, “Growing Up,” and the works of the selected finalists were published on the CPF website and displayed on interpretive signs along the CPF Gorge Trail.
“I’m really proud of the girls’ willingness to take risks and put themselves out there by sharing their work with a wider audience,” said CHS English Teacher Wendy Everard, who taught the students in her creative writing elective last year. “Sharing your writing with others outside of your circle of comfort can be an anxiety-producing venture, especially at a young age, and I was glad to see them confidently take risks by submitting their work to these contests.”
To learn more about the Cazenovia High School English Department, visit cazenoviacsd.com/high-school/.
