Welcome to the Central Cambria High School Writing Festival, (CCHS Writing Festival), home page.
Here we attempt to display some of the many aspects associated with this most unique and
ground breaking event. Certainly, there are other festivals of this kind in the world, but you would
be hard-pressed to discover any offered at the high school level--and fewer still that offer a writing competition at the
very heart of the event. This writing competition promises cash prizes to its winning entrants.
Why should students be paid to write well?
The average high school aged student understands two tenets very well--money and competition. It is not the festival's aim to
pay any student to write. No, that would defeat our purpose. Our purpose is to reward exceptional writing within the
constructs of a competition, and in an effort to inspire a level of respect, or even love for writing. The CCHS Writing Festival
seeks to nourish and nurture the creative genius that lives within us all. It has been said by many intellectuals that
the age of technology will give rise to a new age--an age of creativity. Here, human history will highly value and even
place a premium on active, creative thinking--not passive activities. It is
the festival's view that writing is one such activity, along with music and the arts, which helps spur creative thinking.
Elevated writing and thinking helps to further elevate the human condition and society.
Does a better reason need to exist in order to host a writing festival?
--J. Yahner, Festival Organizer
NEWS FOR 2009: The second CCHS Writing Festival will be held at Central Cambria High School
on Saturday, April 18, 2009. In addition, the committee hopes this event will be
even better than the festival's debut in 2008. Our first planning meeting was
July 9, 2008. It was a productive start. But, we need your attendance and ideas.
Our second meeting was equally productive on Wednesday, August 13, 2008,
at the Y.P.C.C. in Ebensburg. Our next meeting is scheduled for October 8, 2008.
Any interested student or adult may join us! It's all free!
Perhaps you have an idea for the 2009 event, or perhaps you would like to explore
a project. For example, senior projects are welcomed!
Join us!!!
Announcing the winners and the finalists for our 2008 writing competition: (Drum Roll... please.)
WINNER.......J. MASTRINE ! ---- SELECTED FROM 321 POETRY ENTRIES
Poetry High School--Finalists --; C. Brennen; A. Terndrup; K. Miesko;
S. McGregor; G. Michkofsky; S. Morris; C. Ley; S. Shearman--
Poetry Middle School----WINNER: B. MACKANICK!
FINALISTS: V. Minor; B. Snyder; T. Brodish--
Song/Lyric Competition: S. McGregor--WINNER!!! Congratulations!!!
Journalism/Feature/Interview/Sports Story- WINNER: J.R. KIMBALL!
-Finalists--;S. Shearman; A. Shaheen
Senior Essay: C. Rose, Winner!!! Congratulations!!!
Short Story: S. McGregor, Winner!!! Congratulations!!!
THANK YOU TO DR. RICHARD BARGDILL, PRESIDENT OF THE EBENSBURG ART ALLIANCE, ALL MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE,
AND ESPECIALLY, LITERARY QUOTE POSTER CONTEST JUDGES, INCLUDING VETERAN EDUCATORS, KATE KALE AND CAROLYN VAUGHN!
JUDGES WERE TO PICK ONLY ONE POSTER WINNER--HOWEVER, DUE TO THE QUALITY OF THE WORK,
TWO HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS WERE CHOSEN ALSO:
WINNER----- K. GLAVACH, GRADE 5
h. m.-----------A. COPOSKY, GRAFE 7
H.M.-------------S. MCGILL, GRADE 7
SPECIAL THNAK YOU TO: Sister Mary Ann Dillon, P.H.D., President of Mount Aloysius College.
Congratulations to Carol Myers--Class of 1977--Due to your efforts and those of your graduating class, the class
of 1977 is the winner of the Battle of the Classmates fund drive. Carol was recognized for this achievement
and for her dedication and inspiration to all the Central Cambria School District Family at the festival in 2008.
ANNOUNCING NEWS CONCERNING WRITING FESTIVAL 2009:
OUR DATE HAS BEEN SELECTED. IT IS: SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2009!
OUR HONOREE FOR 2009---- AUTHOR, HERO, CAMBRIA COUNTY SON:
ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY!!!
IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
HIS DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH POLE, THE
CCHS WRITING FESTIVAL,
IN CONJUNCTION
WITH THE CRESSON AREA HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION, INC., AND
BARBARA ZABOROWSKI, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF
LIBRARY SCIENCES AT PENNSYLVANIA
HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, IS
PROUDLY OFFERING A SPECIAL
WRITING CHALLENGE TO ALL STUDENTS
SERVED BY THE ADMIRAL PEARY VOCATIONAL
TECHNICAL SCHOOL, (IN GRADES 5-6), AND A
SPECIAL, PEOPLE'S CHOICE ARTIC POSTER
CONTEST FOR ALL 7TH GRADERS IN THE
PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS. PLEASE CLICK
ON THE SUBMISSION BUTTON ON THIS
WEB SITE FOR MORE DETAILS ON THESE
AND OTHER CONTESTS IN
MID-SEPTEMBER 2008. THE 2009 EVENT
PROMISES TO BE A GREAT EXPERIENCE
FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS!
Over $853.00 was awarded to students at the 2008 writing festival. Thank you to all our supporters!
We are a non-profit community group. We cannot exist without donations from the public.
Won't you contribute today?
Corporate, private, and individual contributions are accepted through the Central Cambria Education Foundation, P.O. Box 624, Ebensburg, Pa 15931.
Please make checks out to the Central Cambria Education Foundation/Writing Festival. Donations are greatly
appreciated. THE CCHS WRITING FESTIVAL IS A NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY GROUP!
Visit the submission and contact links on the upper left portion of this page. Thank you for visiting.
WRITE NOW...WIN BIG!!!
J. Yahner, Festival Committee
P.S. AN INSPIRATIONAL NOTE:
J.K. Rowling was once a welfare mom who wrote her stories about Harry Potter in a
coffee shop, because she could not afford to pay her heating bill. Actors Matt Damon and
Ben Afleck were once struggling screen writers. They all had virtually launched their respective careers the moment
each took an idea,
great ambition, and a love for the written word--
then put it all down on paper.
Where will your writing take you???
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