Students looking to pass the time during semester break can enter the American Poetry Association poetry contest and win up to $1,000.

The association has sponsored the contest twice each year for the last six years and opens it up to the general U.S. public with no entry fee. Association Chief Editor John Frost encouraged students to enter.

“December vacation should make it convenient for college students to send poems before the deadline,” Frost said.

Association representative Jennifer Manes said one reason the association holds the contest in December and June is “so students would be able to enter without having to think about school.”

Manes said the association receives about 10,000 poems each year competing for the 141 cash prizes. More than $5,000 in cash and prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 will be divided among winners.

Manes said many winners also will receive a publication of American Poetry Anthology, which will contain all the winning poems and some competing entries.

“We publish anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 poems (in American Poetry Anthology) up to four times a year, depending on the number of entries we have,” Manes said.

Poems are judged on originality, sincerity and technical skill.

“We have three very experienced judges who are very broadminded.” She said two of the three judges must agree on a poem for it to be a winner, and the poems are not chosen according to type (such as haiku).

Contestants are required to send three poems by Dec. 31, each with a 20-line maximum. The name and address of each poet must be written on each page of the poems.

Poems can be sent to American Poetry Association, Dept. CN-36, 250 A Potrero St., P.O. Box 1803, Santa Cruz, CA. 95061-1803.