By Anastasia Benstead, Assistant Editor-in-Chief
On Tuesday March 31, Saints gathered in the library gallery space to hear the Sampler Top Ten reading. The Sampler is a collection of short creative student works published in the spring semester by the English honors society, Alpha Chi Iota. All pieces go through a round of preliminary judging and final judging before being accepted for publication. Poetry pieces in particular are narrowed down until the ten best pieces have been determined. These Top Ten poems are submitted to the Academy of American College and University Poets Poetry prize contest every year.
Attendees listen intently to the Top Ten reading – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
This year’s winner of the AACUPP prize was Misplaced December by Elizabeth Bruso. The runner up was Who Am I? by Christian Alejandro Martinez-Ramos. Both poems were selected by Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Christine Stephens-Kreiger.
Bruso reads Misplaced December at the Top Ten Reading – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
“I am bummed that I am not be able to make it to the Sampler Launch, but I’m really glad I got to read my piece for everyone today,” Bruso said.
The preliminary judges consist of Dr. Jennifer Dawson, who stepped out of retirement for the second time to aid in the Sampler publication, Dr. Amy Dunham Strand and Dr. Erika Gotfredson. The Academy of American College and University Poetry judges were Dr. Gretchen Rumhor, Dr. Briana Asmus and Stephens-Kreiger.
The other poems in the Top Ten include:
Make Pretend; Worm food by Gionna Bean
A Woman Raises Her Voice in the Midwest Only to be Shot Down Like the (un)Rest; I hide, and Imogene by Zoebelle Bean
What Radicalized You?! by Sophia Lentine
A Summer Swim by Lily Slabbekoorn
My Brother by Aleida Vasquez
“This year’s Top Ten poems are a wide-ranging, heartfelt, well-crafted collection from some very talented AQ poets,” Dr. Amy Dunham Strand, director of ACI, said. “These poets have paid close attention to sound and have incorporated sharp, memorable images — like a month lost between couch cushions, or a garage door crumpled like a napkin, or sunlight draping — to convey experiences of displacement and connection, and to meditate on (in)justice and freedom. What a pleasure to get to read their work.”
All of the Top Ten poems were read, although not all of the poets were able to be present. Who Am I? was read by ACI president Anna Benstead and What Radicalized You?! was read by honor society secretary Maria Hillary.
In the past, poets were only able to read one of their poems if they had multiple poems accepted into the Top Ten, but a welcome change was brought about this year in which poets could share all of their works if desired. This was mostly due to the fact that five of the pieces in the Top Ten were written by two authors.
“When I received the Top Ten news from Dr. Dawson, I was very surprised and excited to hear that all three of my submitted Sampler works were also accepted into the Top Ten.” Bean said. “I’ve worked very hard to get here, through all my years submitting to the Sampler, and I consider this to be a significant achievement in my career as a writer.”
It feels important to note that only three submissions per student are allowed per Aquinas student.
The Top Ten poets who were able to attend the reading smile together as artists – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
The Sampler launch, which will showcase the actual printed magazine, will be held in the Wege Ballroom on Saturday, April 25. All are welcome, and those who are being published will be given the opportunity to share their creative works.
The Saint 