{"id":27804,"date":"2018-05-11T13:51:32","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T17:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2018\/05\/11\/necc-celebrates-peace-with-poetry-contest\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:21:10","slug":"necc-celebrates-peace-with-poetry-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2018\/05\/11\/necc-celebrates-peace-with-poetry-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"NECC Celebrates Peace with Poetry Contest"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Paul Saint-Amand (rear center) is surrounded by the Peace Poetry winners. (front l to r) Julia Hutchinson, Malika Meskine, Nate Reily, Esra Cetin. (rear l to r) Jonathan Lovett, Saint-Amand, and Michelle Howard.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cCircle is the shape of love, and if you split it in thirds, it\u2019s the symbol of peace and, when peace and love come together it becomes indestructible,\u201d read Nathan Lagueux, a third-grader from the River Valley Charter School in Newburyport, during Northern Essex Community College\u2019s\u00a010th Peace Poetry Contest & Reading.<\/p>\n

The annual event was held Friday, May 4, in the Hartleb Technology Center on the Haverhill campus, 100 Elliott St.<\/p>\n

Dozens of students from area public and private schools, kindergarten through high school read their original peace poems in front of hundreds of family members and friends.<\/p>\n

Over the past 10 years, more than 10,000 poems on the subject of peace have been submitted. This year alone, more 800 poems were written by students representing 27 schools from Haverhill to Hudson, NH.<\/p>\n

Dr. Paul Saint-Amand, an NECC English professor and founder of the contest gave the keynote before introducing the six finalists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I may, I would like to primarily address my words this evening to our children poets\u2026 As a military veteran and educator, I know, peace is a difficult and often evasive virtue because we often don\u2019t recognize it or know how to make it blossom\u2026 \u00a0sometimes it takes a child to get us to see that vision of hope and peace,\u201d he told the audience. \u201cTo write about peace is always an act of generosity, giving both to yourself and to others\u2026 When you write about peace from the heart, you are also taking care of today, nourishing yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nate Reily, Grade 6, of Newbury Elementary School in Newbury, wrote the winning Peace Poem for grades 6-8. He was the winner of the 3-5 grades division last year. The poems are selected blindly from hundreds submitted each year.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFind out what puts you at peace and what keeps you from it,\u201d he offered. \u201cChange yourself and you change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five students and one teacher received recognition for their poetry. The authors and their winning poems are: for grades K-2, \u201cUntil Your Heart if Full\u201d Julia Hutchinson, Grade 2, \u00a0Salisbury Elementary School; Grades 3 -5 \u201cWelcome in Peace\u201d Malika Meskine, Grade 3, The Islamic Academy for Peace; Grades 6 – 8, \u201cThe Peaceful Side of Nature,\u201d Nate Reily, Grade 6; \u201cWhy Do Missiles Scream?\u201d Grades 9 – 10, Jonathan Lovett, Grade 10; \u201cThe Human Tragedy,\u201d Grades 11-12, Esra Cetin, Methuen High School, Grade 11; \u201cSomewhere Within,\u201d teacher Michelle Howard, Salisbury Elementary School, Grade 2.<\/p>\n

Ten years ago, Saint-Amand, a Rockport resident and Vietnam-era veteran created the Peace Poetry Contest and Reading, quite simply to promote peace. His intent was for students, teachers, and community members to \u201cembrace this social justice activity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Saint-Amand, is also founder and project director of the National Peace Poetry Project and the director of the Vietnam Veterans Chapbook Project.\u00a0He has taught at NECC since 2007. He previously taught at a number of institutions including SUNY- Potsdam, NY. He is also the founder of the NECC Veterans Writing Group.<\/p>\n

The contest is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, the Division of Liberal Arts, the English Department, and the Service Learning Committee.<\/p>\n

Additional information can be found at the Peace Poetry\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Or contact Saint-Amand, at (978) 556-3307 or\u00a0psaintamand@necc.mass.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t