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Show CampusNews Page 2 Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Scribendi submissions increase, 24 winners named BY ALLEE EVENSEN features editor After featuring writers from all disciplines for nearly 20 years, the English department announced 24 winners of the 2012 USU Creative Writing Contest last week. The winning entries, which include both writing and art, will be published in Scribendi, a literary magazine released annually. The contest allowed entries from graduate and undergraduate students and was open to all majors. This year the contest garnered more than 180 entries. Brock Dethier, an associate professor in the English department and judge for the poetry portion of the competition, said each category was critiqued blindly by three professors. Because judging writing is extremely objective, he said, having multiple judges allowed the contest to be well rounded. "We balance each other out," Dethier said. Charles Waugh, director of the contest and the editor of Scribendi, said the contest has gotten bigger every year despite budget cuts. In the past the contest has offered some prizes with monetary value, but this year funding has gone exclusively to promotion of the contest and publication of the magazine, he said. "We've had to streamline some things, and we've moved toward printing only a limited number of print copies and relying on electronic publishing to reach the many people in the USU community eager to read our students' creative work," Waugh said. Dethier said 10 years ago the creative writing emphasis ASPIRING WRITERS SUBMIT THEIR best work, including poetry, fiction and nonfiction writing, to the English department's annual literary magazine, Scribendi.The magazine will be realeased April 26. KELSIE MASON photo illustration in the English department was nearly dead. When students realized there were job opportunities in the field, the program began to grow again, he said. This growth, he said, has contributed to the growth of the contest in the past few years. According to the English department website, the number of contest entries jumped 17 percent from last year and contestants came from 22 majors across campus. Waugh said though the English department sponsors the contest, the purpose is to help all students share their voices and not just those in his department. Christina Fernandez, an intern for the contest, said the magazine is being offered in ebook format for the first time this year. In the past the English department has offered PDF copies, but the new format will be easier to access, she said. "We want the students' work to be seen by everybody," Fernandez said. "It's for everyone, not just for English majors." Brian Jackson, a senior majoring in creative writing, first entered the Creative Writing Contest three years ago. Though he said he didn't place the first two years, this year he took home two firstplace awards in the fiction From Page 1 Strengthening troops will end conflict Soviet Army, but ... the Soviets invaded with an army that had not been defeated since the battle of Stalingrad in 1943." Tomsen also spoke about Pakistan's role in the war in Afghanistan. After the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban took refuge near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, he said. Pakistan's intelligence agency secretly gave the Taliban support while the government outwardly supported the U.S. In the months following the death of Osama bin Laden, many have questioned Pakistan's commitment to help the U.S, Tomsen said. "In the past 10 months, Pakistan has been in the news as much as Afghanistan, if not more," Tomsen said. "The Abbottabad raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan, his protected safe haven, dramatically threw into question, many say belied, Pakistan's claim that it is an ally of America in the struggle against terror and in Afghanistan." After the Soviet Army left Afghanistan, Pakistan worked to assassinate moderate Afghan leaders and put extremists into power, Tomsen said. Pakistan also created extremist groups to carry out attacks in Afghanistan while the Pakistani government practiced "plausible denial," Tomsen said. As many as 25,000 extremists are crossing back and forth from Pakistan to Afghanistan to carry out attacks, he said. Tomsen said to understand the war in Afghanistan, one must understand there are conflicts between tribes inside the country as well as conflicts between the nations around Afghanistan that contribute to the violence. Afghanistan rarely experiences peace "because it occupies a very strategic piece of turf in the center of Eurasia," Tomsen said. "These larger rival powers are always trying to dominate and control against other powers. Sometimes they want to deny control of Afghanistan to their rivals." Ammon Campbell, an assistant professor teaching military science and leadership in the Army ROTC program, said he enjoyed Tomsen's presentation. "I'm excited that such a renowned author and ambassador for our country was able to come and spend time with us," Campbell said. Campbell said that in the Q-and-A session following the speech "the students were insightful in their questions." Carrie Thomas, a sophomore studying social work, said she attended the event because she respects and appreciates those serving in the military. Thomas said she was able to keep up with Tomsen's speech because one of her classes covered the war in Afghanistan recently. Tomsen mentioned how non-governmental organizations are offering humanitarian aid, and Thomas said she would like to get involved. "I love how they are getting the schools up and running," Thomas said. "I think it would be really interesting to go and help." - steve.kent@aggiemail.usu.edu undergrad and nonfiction undergrad categories. His fiction entry, entitled "Scar Tissue," is about a man trying to connect to his brother in the wake of his father's death. He said the story shares strong ties to his own family and was driven by his personal interest in human relationships. Getting published is important for English students, as well as students from other majors, he said. "It's a great first step for getting your work re-copied outside the classroom," he said. Since he began studying in the creative writing major a few years ago, he said he has seen an increase in size and interest. "It's become a lot more popular since I started doing it a couple years ago," he said. Jessica Colleen McDermott, a senior majoring in creative writing, also won two awards from the contest — a secondplace poetry award and a third-place nonfiction award. She said the contest gives student writers confidence. "It just goes to show there are creative students at USU," she said. "It makes me feel like I left a mark here." This year's edition of Scribendi will be released April 26. Its release coincides with Helicon West, a weekly poetry reading held at Citrus and Sage, located at Federal Avenue and 100 East. At the event, books will be purchasable for $10. - allee.evensen@aggiemail.usu. edu Accepting Applications for Summer and Next School Year 677 EAST Goo NORTH 679 EAST Goo NORTH Fiction Grad 1st—Dallin Bundy, "The City Proper" 2nd—Joseph Bradbury, "Boisea Trivittata" 3rd—Kevin Larsen, "Fishmeal" Nonfiction Undergrad 1st—Brian Jackson, "Harvesting Animals" 2nd—Kuniko Poole, "Rings" 3rd—Jessica McDermott, "Primrose" Nonfiction Grad 1st—Kevin Larsen, "Of Cartoons and Storms" 2nd—Joseph Bradbury, "We Three" 3rd—Ryan Price, "My Father's Shortgun" Poetry Undergrad 1st— Tessa Ryser, "Attachment Therapy," "Rain Falls in Strings at My Cousin's Wedding," "Rollover" 2nd—Jessica McDermott, "Bear River Massacre," "Brisk Air," "My Scar" 3rd—Eliot Scheelke, "By the Red Door," "They Wear Their Hats," "Thirteen" Poetry Grad 1st—Tori Edwards, "Stolen Plums," Beyond Black and White," "Dragonfly Soldier" 2nd—Ian Weaver, "When Landlords Turn the Drunken Bee," "Pruning a Mugo," "Overlooking a Valley" 3rd—Jeff Howard, "Bug Collection," "The Jar," "On Tasting Manure for the First Time" Art Undergrad 1st—Tessa Ryser, "One Sunday Afternoon" 2nd—Grace Ryser, "Headless" 3rd—Tina Sitton, "Crimson Zen Blossom" Art Grad 1st—Sara Jordan, "Sierra Leone - In God We Trust" 2nd—Tori Edwards "High Flying" 3rd— Sara Jordan, "Sierra Leone - Posters" RANDEE HAFEN, A SENIOR majoring in exercise science, leads the Turbo Kick Fun, Fit, Forever Class in the HPER Building.This week all Fun, Fit, Forever classes are free of charge.The class schedule can be found at www. fff.usu.edu . CODY GOCHNOUR photo Logan's Premier Student Apartments BRESLAW Fiction Undergrad 1st—Brian Jackson, "Scar Tissue" 2nd—Christina Sitton, "Grief Wrinkles" 3rd—Heather Frost, "The Obituaries Section" Shaping up CLARKSBURG • BRESLAW • STONELEIGH CLARKSBURG 012 Scribendi Winners STONELEIGH 675 EAST Goo NORTH For more information call Dada • (435) 755 - 852 5 • (435) 770 - 0900 darladclark@pcu.net Sold out for '12-'13 school year. Accepting applications for summer only. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Single Student Apartments Across the Street from Campus Fully Furnished Private Bedrooms and Bathrooms Desk, Bed, Bookshelves in Bedrooms Large Closets - Vacuum Living Room with TV, DVD, and VCR Modern Fully Equipped Kitchens Digital Cable TV with Outlets in Bedrooms Washer and Dryer in each Apartment Central Heating and Air Conditioning Wireless Internet Service Private Parking - No Hassles Fire Places www.cbsapartments.com |