Invitation and Guidelines

April is National Poetry Month! In honor of NPM, Nicolet College will continue its poetry project beginning Tuesday, April 1, 2014. The Fourth Annual Poetry Project will provide a venue for students, staff, and community members to share a common interest in the reading or the writing of poetry. You don’t need to be an icon like Emily Dickinson to write an original poem, nor do you need to be a literary critic of poetry to appreciate it! 
  
How Will The Poetry Project Work?: For each day throughout the month of April, I will post two poems: an original poem voluntarily submitted by Nicolet students and one poem voluntarily submitted by Nicolet staff personnel or community members within the Nicolet district. The poems will be posted via an educational blog (http://Nicoletpoetry.blogspot.com). Students, staff, and community members will be able to access this blog site to read not only their own submissions but those of their peers and colleagues as well.

How Do I Submit Poems?: (1) Students, staff, and community members who are interested in participating in this voluntary project should submit their poems to me at okilgus@nicoletcollege.edu. I will collect and organize all submitted poems, and I will post an original poem on a daily basis; (2) Please include in your submission your name, the title of your original poem, and a brief comment about yourself that I may use in the postings; (3) An original poem may be submitted in any language. Please include an English translation; (4) In accordance with Nicolet College’s Code of Conduct, I reserve the right to refuse any poem that “violates campus policies, including but not limited to harassing, threatening, or profane language aimed at creating a hostile or intimidating environment” (Nicolet College Social Media Guidelines).*

*Provided that original poems do not violate the above-mentioned policy, please be assured of the following: (1) No poems will be edited by me; (2) No poems will be edited by your peers or colleagues; (3) No one will be able to add any commentary to the blog; (4) Original poems may be submitted anonymously and anonymity will be honored.


Best Original Poem Contest: Students and community members who submit an original poem are invited to enter their work in the Best Original Poem Contest. The student winner of the contest will receive a $100 cash award, a $50 gift certificate from Book World, and recognition at Nicolet College’s Award Ceremonies on May 6. The community member winner will be awarded season tickets to the Nicolet Players series. Upon the closing of Nicolet College’s Poetry Project 2014 (April 30), a committee of faculty members will vote for Best Original Poem submitted by a Nicolet student as well as the Best Original Poem submitted by a community member. Both winners will be invited to read their winning poems at the Award Ceremonies.