Winners of the Literary Art Competition at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce May Membership Luncheon, left to right are Krystal Sommers, second place Literary; Hadeel Taha, second place Art; Sara Gerke, first place Art and Faith Blanchard, first place Literary.
With borders that follow the Clear Creek Independent School District as well as a deep commitment to academic excellence over the past 50 years, the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has held a close relationship with the area schools. Keeping the community connection alive between the Chamber and the School District, the Chamber of Commerce held a Literary Art Contest for Clear Creek ISD high school students.
The objective of the contest was to challenge the students to collaborate in pairs and create a written piece and an art piece that calls to mind the spirit of the community. Students had from January to the end of April to complete their assignment, and winners were recently announced at the Chamber’s May Membership Luncheon.
The winners received savings bonds as well as the privilege of having their artwork featured in newsletters, magazines and more.
First Place Literary
by Faith Blanchard
First Place Art by Sara Gerke
When looking up the definition of a community, you will find the extremely scientific explication. This views a community as a group of organisms intermingling in one environment. However, anyone who has lived in any place even remotely close to the environment that has been created in the Clear lake Region knows that a community can be so much more than anything even remotely possible to explain with those few simple words.
It takes years of hard work, leaps of faith, and many mess ups to create what we are able to enjoy and take full advantage of daily. We can not forget that actual people are the reason for this. In a community each person counts, and no goal is impossible to obtain. For instance, at one point in time it was considered psychotic to believe that a man could land on the moon and unheard of to go even further. Who would have predicted that a crazy idea like that would have provided millions of people with jobs and inspired children to think bigger than the blue sky. We have people who literally make it their profession to protect the lives of the people in the community, and teachers spend most of their day making sure the next generation is prepared to pick up where others left off. Let us not forget even the unregistered jobs; such as being a mother. Without each and every one of these contributions we would not be where we are today. Every job, even the messy ones, helps us live comfortable lives. A large sum of this big picture that is a community are the people – the foundation – that worked hard because they saw the possibility of something better.
These are but a couple of the fires that fuel the people of today to improve everyday life continuously. There is a countless amount of young adults building on the thoughts of the past as well as striving toward new plans. We are a community where everyone has an opportunity to explore their ideas and goals. This allows for endless possibilities. When children grow up in an environment riddled with role models, they are bound for excellence. This ensures a bright future full of magnanimous individuals following in the footsteps of today’s outstanding people. There is no way but up for the Clear Lake Region and no intention of slowing down at any time.
Second Place Literary
Second Place Art by Hadeel Taha
The Destination of the Journey
An endless sky inviting minds to admire its vast beauty,
covering the earth and heads of every being,
directing a soft breeze to caress skin, comb hair.
It holds a circle of light, lifting it high for eyes to see.
Broken reflections gleam on a swaying ocean
in peace; everything is at peace.
Realization of the miles some feet will never walk
wakes this dream to mourning.
Light is sinking; the world darkens;
creatures in the sea close their eyes.
Opportunity ceases for the day, and
the tides are influenced by the wondrous
orb laying on a speckled blanket.
Life: a reassuring cycle, promises time with
the light again. But for now, motion is idle
in the darkness, restfully anticipating daybreak,
lost in languid thoughts produced by a subconscious
that whispers hushed desires.
Scenes behind eyelids
of temptation
to navigate a boat beyond the horizon,
sailing onward–
clocks ticking rhythmically, slow.
The edge of the world approaches,
nearing it, one knot, two knots.
Eyes yearning a new perspective
look to the beckoning sky,
longing to fly away in a hot air balloon.
