Eagles Write! Celebrates Student Writing
Wed, 10/23/2013 - 10:43am | By: Ashlea Maddox
A celebration of student writing is currently on display in Cook Library Gallery on the Hattiesburg campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. Coinciding with the National Day on Writing, which was celebrated nationwide on Oct. 21, Eagles Write! showcases student works and recognizes them as authors.
In its fifth year, the National Day on Writing emphasizes writing as an art and empowers students at every level. It is an initiative of the National Council of Teachers of English to celebrate all forms of writings and their authors.
Eagles Write! was spearheaded by English department faculty, Kelli Sellers and Erin Boade, and it is the first official celebration of student writing at Southern Miss. Dr. Joyce Inman, director of composition in the Department of English, hopes the celebration continues to evolve and include acknowledgement of strong writing in disciplines across the university.
“Our celebration of student writing is something I've hoped to accomplish for a number of years, and I am excited that we are finally able to do so," she said. "Our students are authors and producers of many different kinds of texts, and they deserve to be celebrated as such.”
Composition instructors from all first-year writing courses were asked to submit nominations, from which winners were chosen. Holly Lykens, Kristen Dupard, Rachel Lambert, and Kristen Morel are the 2013 winners.
The other nominees were Haleigh Bradley, Diana Garrett, Jesse Bass, Katelyn Daniels, Landon Drennon, Ellyn Dunbar, Sarah Evans, Tori Gans, James Hall, Kevreonna Hypolite, Celeste Monus, Victoria Osborne, Robanika Patterson, Joshua Polk, James Richter, Will Simmons, Ansley Davis, Rebecca Winstead, and Stephen Callahan.
The Eagles Write! exhibit also features concrete poetry, which is poetry represented graphically.
“This partnership with Art and Design gave us the opportunity to celebrate the various ways writing is represented and imagined at our university,” said Inman.
The winners of the concrete poetry contest are Cody Bass and Kameron Smith.
The exhibit is available for viewing until the reception at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 24. A reading by the four winners will take place in the Speaking Center classroom and will be followed by a reception, which includes refreshments and door prizes. The reading and reception are free and open to the public.