From left are JCC spoken poetry contest winners Ayomideji Israel-Akinbo, Tayanda Sebalo and Nicole Berry.

Seventeen original works of poetry were submitted for SUNY Jamestown Community College’s annual student poetry contest.

Four winners in written and spoken categories were announced after students shared their spoken poetry with classmates, faculty, and staff in the Jamestown Campus Student Union on Wednesday afternoon.

“Flower on the Weigh” by Mark Mitchner of Mayville was voted the written winner, while “Black & White” by Tayanda Sebalo of Johannesburg, South Africa, was chosen as the top spoken piece. “A Woman’s Strength” by Nicole Berry of Cape Town, South Africa, and “African Sun” by Ayomideji Israel-Akinbo of Makhanda, South Africa, were voted second and third among spoken works. Winners received gift cards from the campus bookstore and Amazon.

Poems were evaluated by faculty judges Justin March, Christopher Munde, and Karen Weyant, and Student Senate member Mufaro Malungisa.