The Best Midwestern Writing Competition has announced winners of its student writing competition, and Gobles senior Elizabeth Ketchum won first prize in the Non-Fiction (11/12) category for her piece The Mirror in Her Words about a visit she made with her mother and sisters to a nursing home. The contest was open to high school students across the Midwest, sponsored by Western Michigan University.

The award carries with it a $500 prize, plus publication in two journals, The Laureate and ScholarWorks. Ketchum will be honored at a June reception at the Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University. Ketchum will attend WMU in the fall; she is the daughter of Sue and Kevin Ketchum.

As the school that nominated Ketchum, Gobles High School will be awarded $250 to support the purchase of books or other materials to be used in the English instructional program. Ketchum was nominated by her senior English teacher, Corey Harbaugh.

Gobles creative writing teacher Pam Westcott told the people in attendance at the April 25 Poetry Slam that there must have been poetry readings in Gobles back in the hey-day of the beat generation, perhaps back in the 60's or 70's, but it hadn't happened in a long time. So the words of the talented writers on stage washed across the audience like a breath of fresh air, garnished with an occasional slice of rhyme or a sublime serving of sizzling simile.

Here, Gobles senior Jacob Ellis shares a piece about growing up to be man his father can respect.

At the April 15 ceremony to induct students into the 2012-2013 National Honor Society at Gobles High School, featured speaker Pam Westcott challenged sixty-one students to personalize the symbol of the NHS torch: to live their lives as beacons of integrity, character, inquiry and kindness. Student officers followed Westcott and spoke of the four pillars of the National Honor Society, then lit candles to symbolize the spreading of that flame.

Here Gobles NHS President Nicole Lauhon lights a candle to represent leadership. Lauhon, a senior, is daughter of David and Debbie Lauhon.

Membership in The Mitchell Gordon Chapter of the National Honor Society at Gobles High School is an honor earned by students for displaying exemplary scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students applications are read and voted on by a faculty council following the strict guidelines of membership, and all members must take the pledge of the National Honor Society. Membership is reviewed each year to ensure students continue to live up to the high ideals that membership requires.
The four officers of National Honor Society are members of the Class of 2013, as follows: President Nicole Lauhon, Vice President Jessi Hutasingh, Secretary Tyler Pasek, Treasurer Andrew Grossmann, and Historian Lizzy Ketchum.

2013 Inductees are Seniors Emily Boyer, Jacob Ellis, Stephen Geresy, Iain Gildea, Ian Goodrich, Andrew Grossmann, Brian Hayward, Jessica Hutasingh, Seth Johnson, Skylar Kennedy, Michelle Kridler, Nicole Lauhon, Luis Martinez, Joseph Olsiewicz, Tyler Pasek, Wyatt Peterson, Brittany Ponicki, Ty Rock, Tyler Rose, Nicholas Sawicki, Keegan Scholte, Luke Smeltzer, Jakob Smith, and Brett Van Atti; Juniors Shane Ampey, Ashley Boyer, Taylor Cairns, Aly Chase, Danielle Cooper, Ian Cooper, Michaela DeKilder, Alissa Dickerson, Josiah Dickerson, Micaiah Grossmann, Lisa Macek, Laura Rall, Benjamin Shuler, Nicole Wahmhoff, and Amber Wallace; Sophomores Russell Aspinwall, Justice Blasengame, Alexis Boes, Ashley Cairns, Taylor Fifer, Ashley Frie, Tucker Harbaugh, Sharyena Hunt, Kyle James, Caitlyn Kropp, Paige Mizikar, Danyel Ransler, Tamera Rutherford, Cody Schafer, Michaela Scholte, Shannon South, Jacob Tiller, Pierce Vreeland, and Brenna Wiseley; plus three Honorary Members who are in Gobles as exchange students this year, Pattarin (Wiew) Maneesoowun from Thailand, Aleksander Sekulic from Montenegro, and Cathleen Minners from Germany.