Hopkins County Students Among
PJC Creative Award Winners

 

Press Release From PJC

 

Student awards and scholarships were presented at the 
thirty-third annual Creative Awards ceremonies held Wednesday at 
Paris Junior College. The awards were begun in 1976 to encourage and 
recognize student writing and later broadened to include art.
             Program speaker was Dwight Chaney, Dean of Academics. 
Chaney reviewed the lives of William A. Owens and Rebecca Fitch. 
Owens was an area resident who attended Paris Junior College and went 
on to become a renowned writer and author. Fitch taught English and 
art classes at Paris Junior College. Both Owens and Fitch had a 
special way of inspiring their students. Chaney said, “I am proud of 
the long tradition for promoting creativity at Paris Junior College 
that included Owens and Fitch and their colleagues.”
             Highlighting the event was the presentation of the 
William A. Owens Scholarship for creative writing to Stephanie Norman 
of Paris. Norman, who currently serves as co-editor of “The Bat”, the 
student newspaper, also was named the Journalism Student of the Year.
             Robin Wheat of Cumby received the Outstanding Student in 
English.
             Justin Duane Hughes of Powderly was awarded the 
Outstanding Student in Foreign Language.
             The Outstanding Student in English as a Second Language 
award was given to Jeanett Draeger Money of Sulphur Springs.
             Mike Graxiola, Paris News Publisher, presented the Paris 
News Journalism Scholarship to Marta Goerte of Telephone. Goerte 
serves as co-editor of “The Bat,” PJC’s student newspaper.
             The Best of Show Award for visual arts was won by Anita 
Donaldson of Paris, for “Digital Landscape”. The Outstanding Freshman 
Visual Arts Scholarship was presented to Josh Clark of Paris.  
Returning student, Michael Saludares of Reno was given a special 
visual arts award.
             “Swingers of Birches,” an anthology of the prize-winning 
entries published annually by the Communications and Fine Arts 
Divisions and produced by the PJC Print Shop, was distributed at the 
reception following the awards ceremony. To receive a copy, contact 
the English Department.
             An exhibit of winning art works is on display in the 
lobby of the JR McLemore Student Center on the college campus through 
the end of April.  An additional student art exhibit is in the foyer 
gallery of the Art Building located in annex #3. Viewing hours for 
both exhibits are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 
Friday, 8 a.m. to noon.

 

             Winners by category include:
             Argumentative and informative essay: 1st place, Robin 
Wheat, Cumby, “Education Transformation”; 2nd place, Ashley Shew, 
Paris, “The Nasher’s Lewis and Clark: Borofsky and Gormley Explore 
the Terrain of the Human Relationship to Possibility”; 3rd place, 
Dace Downs, Paris, “Stem Cell Research”; and 4th place, Nathan 
Jordan, Paris, “Sports Controversy”. Honorable mentions: Michael 
Clifford, “Winter Morning” and Jason Anthony Mastino, Roxton, “ 
Struggling for Meaning of Loneliness in Frost’s ‘Desert Places’”.
             Narrative essay: 1st place, Callie Leach, “My Personal 
Place”; 2nd place, Drew Sanders, Paris, “The Best Week of My Life”; 
3rd place, Kadee Melton, Sulphur Springs, “Lead by Being Involved” 
and 4th place, Monica Velasquez, Blossom, “The Rivers of Life”. 
Honorable mentions: Ashley Shew, Paris, “And I Laughed” and Stephanie 
Norman, Paris, “Positive, Neutral and Negative”.
             Poetry: 1st place, Heather Blank, Paris, “Pumpkin”; 2nd 
place, Jason Anthony Mastino, Roxton, “Grief on a Popsicle Stick”; 
3rd place, Dace Downs, Paris, “The Somber Slumber” and 4th place, 
Darrin Higgins, Paris, “My Child”. Honorable mentions: Stephanie 
Norman, Paris, “All Gone” and Rowdy Peacock, Paris, “Name in the Bark”.
             Regional literature: 1st place, Drew Sanders, Paris, 
“Endless Beauty”; 2nd place, Dace Downs, Paris, “Drowsy Daydream”; 
3rd place, Jessica Miller, Paris, “The Dock” and 4th place, Lynsey 
Boss, Paris, “Beach of Dreams. Honorable mentions: Ashley Russell, 
Paris, “Wetlands” and Cassandra Finley, Paris, “My Grandparents’ House”
             Research essay with documentation: 1st place, Cortney 
Battle, Paris, “Charles Dickens”; 2nd place, Kayla Williams, Sulphur 
Springs, “Uniforms Benefit Schools”; 3rd place, Dace Downs, “Stem 
Cell Research” and 4th place, Harper Hunt, Paris, “One Writing, 
Multiple Meanings”. Honorable mention: Jaclyn Gold, Sulphur Springs, 
“Apology Effects”.
             Short story: 1st place, Ashley Shew, Paris, “The 
Negative Effects of Speaking Out, or How I Learned to Hate Coaches”; 
2nd place, Jordan Welch, Paris, “Scarred Beauty”; 3rd place, Harper 
E. Hunt, Paris, “The Red Letter” and 4th place, Alvaro Aguilar, 
Sulphur Springs, “The Valedictorian”. Honorable mentions: Jason 
Anthony Mastino, Roxton, “ A Soldier’s Lament” and Chae Caldwell, 
Paris, “Drills”.
             Painting: 1st place, Michael Saludares, Figure Study, 
Oil on Paper; 2nd place, Laurie Edwards, Monotone Figure Study, Oil, 
3rd place, Michael Saludares, Self Portrait, Oil. Honorable mention: 
Laurie Edwards, Self Portrait, Oil, Michael Saludares, Untitled Oil 
on Canvas.
             Drawing: 1st place, Michael Saludares, Multiple-Figure 
Study, Charcoal on Paper; 2nd place, Kevin Eubanks, Figure Study, 
Graphite and 3rd place, Josh Clark, Drapery Study, Graphite. 
Honorable mentions: Kaylee Barrett, Figure Study, Graphite and 
Michael Saludares, Multiple-Figure Study, Charcoal.
             Photography:  1st place, Cole Kelley, “Jesse Berry 
Swinging”; 2nd place, Jennifer Cook, “Rolling in the Mud” and 3rd 
place, JaLeah Fox, “Feeding Frenzy”. Honorable mentions: Ranier Hunt, 
“3-D Glasses”; Katelyn Parson, “Texas Sky”, Jennifer Cook, ”Red 
Door”; Lawrence Love, “Bannisters”; Anita Donaldson, “Us” and 
Barrillon Daugherty “Swanzly Shadows”
             3-D Design: 1st place, Josh Clark, “The Opera House”, 
Study of Space, cardboard and paint; 2nd place, Alicia Edwards, 
“Hypnotic”, [motorized] Modules, wood, metal and 3rd place, Audrina 
Lakes, “Flight of the Bee”, Movement, colored rubber bands. Honorable 
mentions: Alicia Edwards, “Black Swirls”, Study of Form, cardboard 
and paint; Audrina Lakes, ”Up”, Study of Form, cardboard and paint 
and Alicia Edwards, “Lift Off”, Study of Form, cardboard and paint.
             2-D Design: 1st place, Anita Donaldson, Digital 
Landscape; 2nd place, Barrillon Dougherty, Digital Design and 3rd 
place, Samantha Dye, Digital Self-Portrait.  Honorable mention: 
Alicia Edwards, 4th Grade Class Design, Ink on Paper.
             Ceramics: 1st place, Amy Dalton, Sushi and Saki Set; 2nd 
place, Sue Smith, Bowl and 3rd place, Paige McKinley, Salter, Dish.