floating breakfast
you find me by the pool
on a unicorn tube

Jesal Sheth

pinball
at the beach motel
her bikini tilts

Randy Brooks

on the hardcourt
palm trees provide
no shade

Morgan Bettner

Miami blistering sun
varieties of people
without actual pants

Kaitlyn Foster

floating breakfast
you find me by the pool
on a unicorn tube

Miami blistering sun
varieties of people
without actual pants

Miami blistering sun
varieties of people
without actual pants

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

bottom quarter champion

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

sand creeping in
places
sand does not belong

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

Morgan Bettner

mixture of brown and yellow
feeling the cool water
under my piggy toes

Jesal Sheth

sand creeping in
places
sand does not belong

Morgan Bettner

competing
who
can jump the highest wave

Morgan Bettner

TOP half champion

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

FRONT PAGE CHAMPION
 

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

BOTTOM half champion

midnight
beach walk
to watch the moon rise

Morgan Bettner

moss covered steps
                     we descend
                         towards the creek

Rory Arnold

he kissed like
he was underwater
i was air

Kaitlyn Foster

sticky fingers
from caramel apples
delicious first kiss

Nicole Wells

moss covered steps
                     we descend
                         towards the creek

he kissed like
he was underwater
i was air

moss covered steps
                     we descend
                         towards the creek

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

bottom quarter champion

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

different city
same friends
cake by the ocean

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

she looks out
the ship window
waves for miles

Kaitlyn Foster

different city
same friends
cake by the ocean

Jesal Sheth

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

Morgan Bettner

beach bod
or mom bod
I don't care

Katherine Goethals

watching
everyone's snapchat
wishing I was there

Alyssa Rodriguez

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

Rachel Humphrey

work work work
all break long
building up the bank account

Lexi Doss

jumbo margarita
to drown my sorrows
about working all week

Allyson Isenhower

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

jumbo margarita
to drown my sorrows
about working all week

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

bottom quarter champion

daytime cartoons
pulling me back
to my childhood

long and white
my lab coat
keeps me warm

daytime cartoons
pulling me back
to my childhood

stuck in an office
on a beautiful afternoon
she looks out the window

Alyssa Rodriguez

long and white
my lab coat
keeps me warm

Allyson Isenhower

spring break
lunch date with granny
every day

Lexi Doss

daytime cartoons
pulling me back
to my childhood

Lexi Doss

TOP half champion

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

BACK PAGE CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION
 

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

BOTTOM half champion

old town
new
through your eyes

Rachel Humphrey

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

Nicole Wells

staring up at the stars
lying in the wet grass
I reach for her hand

Andrew Cliatt

the curl of the dog’s
sleeping body
matches hers

Rachel Humphrey

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

staring up at the stars
lying in the wet grass
I reach for her hand

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

bottom quarter champion

dark evening mist
we carry the canoe
towards the quiet lake

dark evening mist
we carry the canoe
towards the quiet lake

backpack full
of homework to do
. . . it can wait

dark evening mist
we carry the canoe
towards the quiet lake

Rory Arnold

11 pm
no commitments tomorrow
another episode

Rachel Humphrey

backpack full
of homework to do
. . . it can wait

Allyson Isenhower

finally warm
the last day
of spring break

Ryan McDonald

floating breakfast
you find me by the pool
on a unicorn tube

Jesal Sheth

pinball
at the beach motel
her bikini tilts

Randy Brooks

on the hardcourt
palm trees provide
no shade

Morgan Bettner

Miami blistering sun
varieties of people
without actual pants

Kaitlyn Foster

cold waves
just happy
to have my feet in

Morgan Bettner

mixture of brown and yellow
feeling the cool water
under my piggy toes

Jesal Sheth

sand creeping in
places
sand does not belong

Morgan Bettner

competing
who
can jump the highest wave

Morgan Bettner

sticky fingers
from caramel apples
delicious first kiss

Nicole Wells

midnight
beach walk
to watch the moon rise

Morgan Bettner

moss covered steps
                     we descend
                         towards the creek

Rory Arnold

he kissed like
he was underwater
i was air

Kaitlyn Foster

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

Morgan Bettner

I can imagine walking through the darkness on the beach, and watching the moon. I can feel the sand between my toes. The waves are coming in slowly and freezing my feet as I walk through the beach. I, once again, love the second haiku because of the imagery in the writing itself. It feels as though you are descending, or falling, towards the creek while reading it. The way they spaced the words are very clever and I like the way it is laid out. Katie

This is my favorite pair because I love nature and the picture that these haiku paint. I love the beach and taking a midnight walk to watch the moon rise is a beautiful thought. Moss covered steps is a nature-filled picture that makes me feel like I’m at an old lake house. I grew up next to a creek so the haiku brings back good memories of my days at the creek. Lexi

I really enjoyed reading "turnt and burnt" because of the imagery behind it. It really made me feel as if I was in this moment. I imagined still being pretty drunk and sunburned. I am with a group of close friends and we were having such a good time on this vacation. However, it's going to be all over tomorrow so we take in the last of our vacation while we can and roam the beach together. We reminisce over the good times we had and watch the sun go down together. Alyssa

I really enjoyed reading "he kissed like" because of how sweet it felt. It made me think of a couple that are on a date. They both really like each other, but haven't kissed yet. Then, once they get to say goodbye to each other, the guy finally works up the courage to kiss her and it's all she was waiting for. It's not just a quick kiss either, they are kissing for a pretty long time, and it's almost as if he doesn't want to stop. It's as if he had been wanting to kiss her sooner, and he finally got his chance and he didn't want it to end. Also, I really liked the tone this haiku gave off. I read it in a way that it sounded like the girl was just as much enjoying the kiss as he was. Alyssa

Very intimate haikus that have a fun and innocence in a certain aspect. I enjoy the images that are painted in my mind when I read these. Josh

Turnt and Burnt is funny because if you are in college you have probably been drunk before or at least drank alcohol. The imagery in this haiku is good as well though. Now I haven’t ever been burnt myself but I know people that have. Now if you’ve ever been to the beach preferably the ocean, then you know just what it’s like to be walking on the beach for the last time. It is sad, I believe I have seen my grandma cry walking on the beach the last day of vacation. Also like how she has a new line for “for the last time”

she looks out
the ship window
waves for miles

Kaitlyn Foster

different city
same friends
cake by the ocean

Jesal Sheth

turnt and burnt
we roam the beach
for the last time

Morgan Bettner

beach bod
or mom bod
I don't care

Katherine Goethals

These two haiku work well together because of their locations: far from home, yet still comfortable with their surroundings. Though the latter of the two is happier, they both are relaxed, in a vacation state. I see the first as being lonelier, trapped in a world of waves, sitting amongst the calmness of the sea, while the latter is more of a clatter, with friends clinking drinks, looking out upon the same waves in a smiley, drunken manner. Rory

This was my favorite pair from the Matching Contest because “turnt and burnt” is just so funny and creates a clear image in my head. I really liked this pair because they were both funny and you need this funny haikus that lighten up the matching contest. I think that we take haikus too seriously sometimes. Andrew

watching
everyone's snapchat
wishing I was there

Alyssa Rodriguez

seeing pictures
ocean after ocean after ocean
sinking further into the couch

Rachel Humphrey

work work work
all break long
building up the bank account

Lexi Doss

jumbo margarita
to drown my sorrows
about working all week

Allyson Isenhower

I liked this pair of haiku because they both relate to how I spend my spring break. Last year, I went to Florida to spend the week in the sunshine and warm weather. Sadly, this year I worked 9-5 the entire week and only got to see the beach through other people’s pictures, and I was very jealous. Ally

I liked this combo because it made me feel how my spring break went. One was my haiku but it was the other haiku that was a great combo for my haiku. The two haiku work together well and they portray a lot of students who had to spend spring break at home doing nothing. It is a feeling of sadness but it is a feeling of comfort as well, being safe at home. Ryan

stuck in an office
on a beautiful afternoon
she looks out the window

Alyssa Rodriguez

long and white
my lab coat
keeps me warm

Allyson Isenhower

spring break
lunch date with granny
every day

Lexi Doss

daytime cartoons
pulling me back
to my childhood

Lexi Doss

I love this pair because it is very relatable. I love the first one because, according to me I feel like spending some quality time with my grandparents is very important. They might not be with us in the next few years, so I would want to spend my spring break. Friends will be there for a long period, but grandparents don't have that much life to live. So, it's very importantly to me to have a gala time with them till they pass away. Unfortunately, my grandparents live in India, and I couldn't afford to go, but if they were here, I would definitely make plans with them first, then friends would come next.
I love the second one because watching cartoons played and still plays a big role in my life. I still love to watch Scooby-Doo, Power puff girls, Tom and Jerry and what not! Sometimes I feel stupid in front of friends when I tell them I am watching cartoons, but I honestly don't care, because cartoons are not just meant for kids. Even adults can watch them too! Jesal

This was one of my favorite pairings on the matching contest because both really capture the freedom of spring break and wanting it to last a long time. Even simple things like watching cartoons and lunch breaks, which you were so used to as a kid, become really exciting when you’re home from school. Rachel

"Spriong break with granny" is a great one because I am a grandma’s boy and I like to eat with grandma because we always have good conversations. On spring break I did go out to eat with my grandma and grandpa a few times and it reminds me of this haiku just because if I had more time and lived closer to grandma, I would go out to eat with her a little more then I do now

old town
new
through your eyes

Rachel Humphrey

in every way, he was perfect
at least with moonlight
to cover his flaws

Nicole Wells

staring up at the stars
lying in the wet grass
I reach for her hand

Andrew Cliatt

the curl of the dog’s
sleeping body
matches hers

Rachel Humphrey

dark evening mist
we carry the canoe
towards the quiet lake

Rory Arnold

11 pm
no commitments tomorrow
another episode

Rachel Humphrey

backpack full
of homework to do
. . . it can wait

Allyson Isenhower

finally warm
the last day
of spring break

Ryan McDonald