David Jung

As the 29 days of February come to an end, so does the 2024 Valentine’s Day writing competition. Thank you to all the writers and poets who participated in this month’s Open Canvas competition! Each piece exhibited novelty, creativity, thought, and themes that provided a uniquely beautiful take on love and friendship. 

All of us at The Bulldog Times enjoyed going through every submission. But for those who were unable to participate this time, don’t worry—Open Canvas will host more opportunities for writers and artists alike to showcase their talents in the near future!

Now, without further ado, here are the winners of the Valentine’s Day contest:

First place: “How Dare You?” by Dania Nasreldeen (11) and Sarayu Medasani (10)

“It gives the same vibes as “10 Things I Hate About You.” I love it so much. It’s like what goes through your head and your heart when you first have a crush on someone. All the feelings of question and denial that every person goes through and all the uncertainty that whatever’s happening is actually real. A little enemies to lovers-esque. It’s really sweet.” — Roxana Kalantari, Staff Writer

“It wasn’t overtly cheesy but it was still kind of sweet, because it seems like the person was in the denial phase. I also liked it because it was well formatted and well tied together. It also reminded me of the “enemies-to-lovers” trope which was cute as I tend to like those tropes.” — Janelle Lim, Staff Writer

Second place: “Roses and Violets: A Modern Love Letter” by Valentina Rodriguez (11)

“It takes the classic “Roses are red…” poem and puts a unique twist on it. The further you read the poem, the more you understand the emotions of the author and how they used metaphors and simple lines to convey much more complex emotions towards their love. The poem shows the vulnerability and courage the author had to put themselves out there and that in and of itself is lovely.” — Stephanie Lyn, Open Canvas Manager

“I felt like it was a classic poem that we all have heard turned into something more. It stood out to me because of how recognizable its structure was but how different the poem was. The rhymes were easily understood but they take a deeper dive into what love means to some people, making it relatable. Through its classic structure, but diverse meaning this poem made me want to read it over and over again.” — Aniya Grant, Staff Writer

Third place: “My moonlight” by Marian Lin (11)

“This entry is able to capture this idea of love that extends beyond a simple “I love you.” The word choice, structure, and overall premise is well constructed, making me feel warm and fuzzy inside as I hoped to get from a Valentine’s day themed writing piece. I think that this is a quality piece overall and the writer did an amazing job!” — Madeline Khoo, News and Features Editor

“It was more romantic than the others, and it was comforting in a way. It gives off a midnight romance and I find the scenario really cute. Even though it’s short, it still gives off a soothing mood from how it’s about two people having quality time with each other which makes them happy.” — Kaitlyn Angeles, Staff Writer

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Congratulations to our winners! Your submissions were all thought out and warmed the bottom of our hearts! Make sure to stop by at room B103 with your student ID to claim your drink vouchers!

You can read the winning submissions right now by clicking the hyperlinks above, or checking out the Open Canvas tab. The two runner up submissions will also be rolled out in a separate article under the Open Canvas tab, so make sure to check back to read your fellow Bulldogs’ amazing creative writing pieces!