When sophomore Adam Loosle first saw the poem he had written in English class last year splashed on posters across campus, his jaw dropped as he stared in awe. Loosle was one of many who wrote poems last year for the Vision+Voice poetry contest that was introduced to some students originally as an English class assignment. Campus administrators encouraged English teachers to participate in this school district wide poetry contest.

“I made one of the six weeks projects focus on poetry and made it as an assignment,” said English teacher Mary Singer. “I sent home the permission slip (to be entered in the contest) and I encouraged my kids to enter but if they didn’t want to they really didn’t have to.”

Last years poetry contest was the first one of its kind for the district. Vision+Voice is actually a branch off voiceprint, which according to its website, is “an online hub to showcase and celebrate Austin ISD students’ and teachers’ writing.” Voiceprint accepts all types of writing such as fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, autobiographies, biographies and poems.

“(The Vision+Voice contest) started with the literacy group last year, which was made up of principals, parents, librarians, and community members who came up with some strategies to engage students in literacy,” said Claire Hagen Alvarado, founding member and administrative supervisor of language arts. “We also partnered with ACC on the Vision+Vice competition.”

Once the winners and runner ups are announced and notified, a series of events soon followed, including an awards ceremony and publicity.

“I got one of the posters but the person who drew it is an Austin Community College student. Some students put the posters around the school and I was never told that this was going to happen,” Loosle said.

Sophomore Buddima Wanniarachchi was one of the many runner ups from Akins last year. He was another of Singer’s students who did poetry as a project. Although Wanniarachchi didn’t necessarily write his poem “Forbidden Words” for the contest itself he turned it in and did not regret it.

Many students are planning to submit their work this year for the first time as well as returners from the past years competition such as Loosle.

“(The contestants) will have some competition though because I am putting another poem in but, go for it.”

For this years competition poems are being accepted from now until March 15. Students can submit their own work to the contest without it being part of classwork. Information on how to submit are available at www.ahblogs.com/visionandvoice