Bulletin News

04/09/2019 

The winners of 2018 SUNY Cortland Outstanding Writing Awards will read their work at the annual “Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference” on Friday, April 12.

In addition to reading from their winning entries at “Transformations” and seeing their work published in a booklet dedicated to the 2018 SUNY Cortland Outstanding Writing Awards, the student writers earned cash prizes. The first-place winners for each category earned a $100 prize, and honorable mentions earned a $50 prize.

This year marks the 20th year of the contest sponsored by the College Writing Committee, the group that also judges the submissions. This year, the College Writing Committee and the Collin Anderson Family sponsored two contests with many awards: the Collin Anderson Memorial Awards in Creative Writing and the Writing across the Curriculum Awards for Academic Writing.

Student writing written for classes taken between January 2018 and December 2018 were eligible for the 2018 Outstanding Writing Awards. This year, nearly 100 entries were submitted across all the categories. Written work is judged based on originality, clarity, organization, development and editing.

Individual award recipients included:

• Taylor Esposito, a first-year musical theater major, won the Kathy Lattimore Prize in First-Year Writing for her piece, “‘Schlag-ing’ the Flag and Whatever that Means,” written in a writing studies course taught by James Miranda, adjunct lecturer of English.
• Jacob Robinson, a first-year new communications media major, won honorable mention for the Kathy Lattimore Prize in First-Year Writing for “Guilty Until Proven Innocent,” written in a writing studies course taught by Mario Hernandez, lecturer II in English.
• Jonathan Herr, a graduate student in history, won the Graduate Student Academic Writing Award for “How the Germans Stole Christmas (Back), or how Berliners Maintained Agency in Their Christmas Celebrations during the Height of the Cold War,” written in a European history course taught by Scott Moranda, associate professor of history. Herr also won the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction for “Myself the Migrant,” written in a readings in history course taught by Gigi Peterson, associate professor of history.
• Amber Kent, a graduate student in English, won honorable mention for the Graduate Student Academic Writing Award for “More Than Just a Myth: How Shapeshifter Rhetoric Relates to ESL Students,” written in a literary criticism course taught by Tyler Bradway, assistant professor of English.
• Griffin Smith, a senior new communications media major, won the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Poetry for “Unspoken,” written in a writing poetry course taught by Heather Bartlett, English instructor.
• Marlee Vedder, a sophomore childhood/early childhood education major, won honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Poetry for “If the World is Cold,” written in a writing poetry course taught by Gregg Weatherby, lecturer I in English.
• Elle Kellher, a junior English and history major, won the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Fiction for “Turpentine,” written in a writing fiction course taught by Mario Hernandez, lecturer II in English.
• Julie Currier, a sophomore early childhood/childhood education major, won honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Fiction for “Janie Foster,” written in a fiction course taught by Gailanne MacKenzie, lecturer III in English.
• Kaili Mello, a senior English major, won honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction for “Falling into Space,” written in a Revising and Editing course taught by Kevin Rutherford, assistant professor of English.
• Victoria Van Every, a sophomore professional writing major, won the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Digital/Multimodal Writing for “Social Media and Teaching Writing,” written in a writing in the digital age course taught by Kevin Rutherford, assistant professor of English.
• Benjamin Mayberry, a senior professional writing major, won the Academic Writing Award in the School of Arts and Sciences for “The Endoxic Method and Tlalticpac: Seeking the Right Answer in Virtue Ethics,” written in a philosophy course taught by Sebastian Purcell, associate professor of philosophy.
• Kevin Robinson, a senior psychology major, won honorable mention for the Academic Writing Award in the School of Arts and Sciences for “Miseducation, Socialization, and Conformity in the Black Community,” written in an African American studies course taught by Distinguished Teaching Professor Seth Asumah, Africana Studies and Political Science departments.
• Hope Palma-Simoncek, a sophomore communications major, won honorable mention for the Academic Writing Award in the School of Arts and Sciences for “Data Companies and the Need for Privacy,” written in a writing studies course taught by James Reardon, adjunct lecturer in English.
• Breanna Washington, a senior special education and childhood education major, won the Academic Writing Award in the School of Education for “How Assessments Affect Students of Diverse Demographics,” written in a foundations of education course taught by Rhiannon Maton, assistant professor in foundations and social advocacy.
• Jade Tatulis, a junior inclusive childhood education major, won honorable mention for the Academic Writing Award in the School of Education for “School Discipline: Right vs. Wrong,” written in a contemporary issues in education course taught by Anne Burns Thomas, associate professor in foundations and social advocacy.
• Raquel Rodriguez-Asher, a graduate student in community health, won the Academic Writing Award in the School of Professional Studies for “The Real Cost: Summary and Reaction,” written in a drug education for teachers course taught by Al Sofalvi, assistant professor of health. Rodriguez-Asher also won honorable mention for the Academic Writing Award in the School of Professional Studies for “Violence Against Women,” written in a women’s health course taught by Jena Curtis, health professor.

A call for submissions for the 2019 Outstanding Writing Awards will be announced at the end of the spring 2019 semester and again in the fall. Eligible papers will include those written for courses in 2019, whether spring or fall semesters, or winter or summer sessions.

For more information, contact Laura Davies, assistant professor of English and director of Campus Writing Programs, at 607-753-2074.