By Keisha McDuffie/nw news editor
After screening 234 entries, the NE Campus English department has announced the winners of its 2006 fall writing competition.
After judges narrowed down the entries, 120 anonymous entries were left from the four categories: poetry, non-fiction, fiction and translation.
Six English faculty members and one student judged the remaining pieces. Each judge scored the entries with a first, second, third or fourth place ranking and awarded several more with an honorable mention.
Kelsi Davidson, won first place for her creative non-fiction essay, “Crazy.” Davidson was rewarded $100, and her essay will be published in the next Under the Clock Tower, a NE Campus literary journal of student writing.
In addition to placing first in last year’s competition, Davidson had three other entries place in this year’s competition.
Rebecca Balcarcel, associate professor of English and faculty editor of the journal, said the results were also a surprise for the judges. They did not know that Davidson had entered those pieces, much less won so many of the writing awards.
“ The judging is anonymous,” she said. “It just so happens that the pieces the judges enjoyed most were very visual. There was a lot attention to the image and sensory details, all characteristics of Kelsi’s writing style.”
Alice Whisman’s piece “The Dark,” a creative non-fiction entry, placed second and was awarded $75.
Cami Maki’s poem “Papa,” in addition to her story “Wouldn’t Boston Be Great?” tied for third place, with a $50 reward. Three of Maki’s other entries also placed in the competition.
Aaron Roe’s story “Blackout” placed fourth, receiving a $25 reward. Roe had four other entries recognized by judges.
The four students’ entries will be published in October in the 2007 edition of Under the Clock Tower.
“ The judges like the first line to be very strong,” Balcarcel said. “Otherwise, they don’t want to read the rest of the story.”
The writing competition had a record number of entries this year. Balcarcel said the link from the TCC Web site and NE students’ word of mouth are to thank.
“ Students are interested in writing and wanting to express themselves and be more creative,” she said.
The Community College Humanities Association awarded Under the Clock Tower second place in the Southwest Division for 2005 and 2006.
