Each year, Isothermal Community College sponsors a poetry contest open to all citizens of Rutherford, Polk, and Cleveland counties. The deadline is Thursday, Feb. 26.

Winning poems and honorable mentions are published in the school literary magazine, The Anuran. Winners and honorable mentions will be recognized publicly.

A qualified person, who has no current affiliation with Isothermal Community College, will judge the poetry. Cash prizes will be awarded: $100 for first; $75 for second; $50 for third; and $25 for fourth. Honorable mentions will receive a certificate.

Contest rules state that each entrant must be a resident of Rutherford, Polk, McDowell, or Cleveland County. Employees of Isothermal Community College are ineligible. Entrants may submit up to two poems of any length. All poems submitted must be previously unpublished. Poems cannot be returned, so entrants are encouraged to keep a copy for themselves.

Last year’s first place winner is ineligible for the first place award in this year’s contest.

The winner will be notified no later than May 1. Receipt of submissions will not be acknowledged. All winning poems are subject to reasonable copyediting before publication.

Entries should be submitted to Erin Balmer or Elisabeth Barrows, Faculty Suite, Administration Building, 2^nd floor, or they may be mailed to Erin Balmer, Isothermal Community College, P.O. Box 804, Spindale, NC 28160.

All poems must be typed on 8 ½ x 11 paper, one poem per page, and have a title.

The entrant’s name should appear only on a cover sheet, which will be number-coded with the poem and removed before judging. The cover sheet should contain the following: title of poem, name, address, telephone number, plus the statement “I certify the attached poem is my own original creation,” followed by the entrant’s signature.

-submitted by Mike Gavin