News from SUNY Cortland

For more information contact: Jean Palmer, 607-753-2232

SUNY Cortland Honors Seven Students In 10th Annual Writing Contest

CORTLAND, NY (04/03/2008; 1017)(readMedia)-- Krista Merry, a senior speech pathology and audiology major from Homer, N.Y., has won the top honor in SUNY Cortland’s annual writing contest.

Merry is one of five undergraduate and two graduate students who will receive $100 in the College Writing Contest for each of their winning entries. She was recognized for her nonfiction, “Bringing War Home: A Soldier’s Story,” written for a Writing Creative Nonfiction class taught by Associate Professor of English Alex Reid.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the contest that is sponsored by the College Writing Committee, a group of 12 faculty members from a range of departments across campus.

The committee received 140 submissions of creative and academic work for the competition. The work was judged on superior thinking, originality and insight and excellent command of language. All submissions written for courses during spring, summer and fall of 2007 were eligible.

Merry will receive her award at the College’s Honors Convocation on Saturday, April 12. All winning entries will be published in a booklet dedicated to the College Writing Awards and posted online at www.cortland.edu/cowrc. The students will also present their work on Scholar’s Day, an annual forum for faculty and student research, on Wednesday, April 9.

The other undergraduate award recipients are:

• Philip Bolton Jr., of Middleville, N.Y., a junior professional writing major, for his blog, “Concealed Manifesto, A Compilation of Life Experiences,” for a Writing in Cyberspace class taught by Reid. Bolton’s blog can be found at http://philipboltonjr.blogspot.com/.

• Diana Gallagher of Wading River, N.Y., a senior professional writing major, for her story, “The Chess Queen,” written for Writing in Sports Literature taught by Tim Emerson, English lecturer.

• Savanna Kucerak of Herkimer, N.Y., a senior adolescence education English major, for her memoir, “My Remington Summer,” for the Teaching Writing course taught by Cynthia Sarver, assistant professor of English.

• Deana Lykos of Dix Hills, N.Y., a junior sport management major, for her blog, “The Sports Chick, Sports from a Chick’s Perspective,” for an Applied Sport Media Management course taught by Joseph Cooper, program manager for SUNY Youth Sports Institute. Lykos’ blog can be found at http://blog.cortland.edu/dmlykos.

The graduate award recipients are:

• Jerome Degan of Greene, N.Y., a graduate student in the adolescence education program, for his memoir, “Before the Land Was Ours,” written for Seminar in the Composing Process taught by Mary Lynch Kennedy, SUNY distinguished teaching professor of English.

• Allison Prozio of LaFayette, N.Y., a graduate student in the adolescence education program, for her research article, “Finding the Freedoms of Contemporary Free Verse,” written for Seminar in the Composing Process taught by Kennedy.

The 2008 contest will accept papers written for courses offered during spring, summer and Fall 2008. For more information, contact Kennedy at (607) 753-2086.

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