Writing Contest Winners to Read at ‘Transformations’

04/14/2014 

The winners of SUNY Cortland’s College Writing Awards will read their work at the annual “Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference” on Friday, April 25.

In addition to reading from their winning entries at “Transformations” and seeing their work published in a booklet dedicated to the College Writing Awards, the seven student writers each earned a $100 prize.

They will read from their work during a presentation titled “SUNY Cortland Writing Contest Award Winners Present!” from 3 to 4 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 104.

This year marks the 15th year of the contest sponsored by the College Writing Committee, the group that also judges the submissions. Written work is judged based on originality, clarity, organization, development and editing.

Individual award recipients included:

• Rachelann Lopp Copland, a graduate student studying English, won the academic writing prize for “The Epistolary Journal in the Postcolonial Light: How Mariama Ba and Ernest Gaines Obscure the Limits of Genre and the Public and Private Spheres of Experience,” written in an English course taught by Professor Emmanuel Nelson.

• Jonathan Herr, a senior history major, won the fiction prize for “Summer’s Gone,” written in a professional writing course taught by Lecturer Heather Bartlett.

• Melissa L. Howard, a senior history major, won the academic writing prize for “Protesting with Palestine: The International Solidarity Movement, 2001-2011,” written in a history course taught by Associate Professor Gigi Peterson.

• Jenna Ingiosi, a graduate student studying English, won the creative nonfiction award for “A Memoir of New Orleans, To Michael,” written in an English course taught by Distinguished Teaching Professor Mary Lynch Kennedy.

• Jacob Richter, a junior English and professional writing dual major, won the non-course writing award for “Man to Man.”

• Brittney Thomas, a senior anthropology major, won the poetry award for “Stoop,” written in a professional writing course taught by Lecturer Mario Hernandez.

• Nichole Toussaint, a sophomore pre-major, won the academic writing in a composition course award for “Rude Awakening to College,” written for a composition course taught by Lecturer Anne Wiegard.

Certificates of honorable mention were awarded to the following students:

• Copland in the creative nonfiction category for “Annotated Biographical Bibliography,” written in an English course taught by Professors Victoria Boynton and David Franke.

• Samantha M. Green, a senior health major, for “AIDS Awareness Week: The Importance of HIV/AIDS Awareness on College Campuses and the Effectiveness of the Various Events Offered at SUNY Cortland,” written in a health science course taught by Associate Professor Sarah Beshers.

Additionally, Copland has been named the 2013 Kathy Lattimore Award recipient for Excellence in Writing while Toussaint will receive the Composition Award, which will be awarded at the College’s Honors Convocation on Saturday, April 26.

A call for submissions for the 2014 College Writing Contest will be announced in the fall. Eligible papers will include those written for courses in 2014, whether spring or fall semesters or winter or summer sessions.