The English department is thrilled to share that two students have been recognized in the prestigious New York State English Council (NYSEC) Creative Writing Contest for Poetry!
Mattison Carpenter has been named the first place winner for her poem, “Depression Likes to Party, Too.” Also receiving recognition is Walt McGill, who earned Honorable Mention for his piece, “Nowhere.” Both poems were featured in last year’s Whatever! Journal.
“It means a lot to me because I wanted my work to get noticed so people knew they were not alone,” said Carpenter. “I wanted to write this poem to help other people.”
“I am honored by this recognition,” said McGill. “I hope this shows people that if I can write poems, you can too.”
The dual honors are a significant achievement for the department, showcasing the ability of its students to compete successfully at the statewide level.
“Mattison is a talented writer,” said Vicky Brooking, high school English teacher. “Her powerful words have moved me more than those of any student I’ve taught in my 21-year teaching career.”
“Walt is an insightful reader, and his deep thoughts carry over into his writing. It has been fun to watch his creativity soar.”
Carpenter and McGill were formally recognized for their accomplishments at the annual NYSEC Conference on Friday, Oct. 24. The ceremony took place at the Albany Marriott Conference Hotel.
“Depression Likes to Party, Too” by Mattison Carpenter
Depression wakes up every day.
She sits in her bed and stares at the ceiling,
Hoping that if she stares long enough, she’ll forget that her middle name is sadness.
Her feet will hang off the end of her bed before she pushes herself out of it.
Depression looks in the mirror
With bags under her eyes and mascara smeared across her face from the tears shed
the night before.
She was too full of nothing to take it off last night. Ironic, right?
How can someone be so full of emptiness?
Depression skips breakfast and suppresses her hunger with nicotine and an iced coffee.
She goes to school and sees her friends – she laughs with them and plays the part.
Depression wears a smile like it’s a mask.
Her heart beats in slow motion, each thump a reminder that she’s still here,
Still fighting a battle that nobody can see.
She drifts through the day, a ghost in her own life,
Touching everything but feeling nothing.
The world moves around her, fast and loud,
But Depression is caught in the quiet, drowning in the silence of her own thoughts.
She goes home to an empty house. She sinks into the couch.
Her phone buzzes with messages she won’t answer – a lifeline she’s too tired to grab.
She watches the clock tick, each second a reminder of time slipping away.
She wonders if anyone would notice if she didn’t show up at school the next day, or the
day after that.
But Depression knows the answer, and it’s the knowing that keeps her here.
So she gets back into bed and closes her eyes,
Hoping that tomorrow she’ll finally live and not just try to survive.
“Nowhere” by Walt McGill
The closer I physically come
The farther I mentally go
My destination pulls me out of my body
And out of my mind
I don’t recognize who I was
Even less so, who I’ve come to be
But then I reach my destination
And my destination reaches me
And then I realize
I am now my destination
And my destination is me