Top Award winners in PJC Creative Writing & Arts Creative writing and arts were celebrated at Paris Junior College on Wednesday with the "Swingers of Birches" awards ceremony. Top winners included (l-r): Journalism Student of the Year, Christina Gunlock of Bonham; Outstanding Student in English, John J. Kidwell of Hugo, Okla.; Outstanding Artist, Candra Wyatt of Paris; The Paris News scholarship, David Dannheim of Powderly; Outstanding Student in Foreign Language, Ingeborg Heijilgers of Cumby; and Outstanding Student in English as a Second Language. Edith Ramirez of Greenville.
Student awards and scholarships were presented at the thirty-seventh annual Creative Writing and Arts 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.
Paris Junior College President Dr. Pamela Anglin welcomed the students, friends and family members.
“This event signals that we are near the end of another year and gives us the opportunity to recognize the very talented students we have here at Paris Junior College,” she said.
J.D. Davidson, publisher of “The Paris News” and keynote speaker, told the crowd that although writers think that more words are always better in reality fewer are better.
“Fewer has greater impact,” he said. ”Creativity is useless if it’s lost in words.”
“There will always be a place for newspapers to share the message, rally communities, and improve the lives of people in the stories told.”
Winner of "Paris News" Scholarship, David Dannheim
Christina Gunlock of Bonham is the Journalism Student of the Year. Christina serves as editor of “The Bat,” the PJC student newspaper. The Outstanding Student in English is John J. Kidwell of Hugo. Ingeborg Heijligers of Cumby is the Outstanding Student in Foreign Language. The Outstanding Student in English as a Second Language is Edith Ramirez of Greenville. ”The Paris News” scholarship was awarded to David Dannheim of Powderly. Candra Wyatt of Paris was recognized as Outstanding Artist and received a scholarship.
“Swingers of Birches,” an anthology of the prize-winning entries published by the Communications and Fine Arts Division 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 J.R. McLemore Student Center on the college campus through the end of April. Viewing hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon.
Winners by category include:
Narrative essay: 1st, “Dark World,” Cortney Stewart of Powderly,
Paris High School; 2nd, “The Treasure Chest,” Jack Elliott of Paris, PJC;
3rd, “Healing Window,” Jessica Cannon of Paris, PJC; 4th, “Grandpa,” Emily
Bart of Paris, PJC. Honorable mention, “The Beautiful Truth,” Nathan Kip
Johnston of Hugo, PJC, and “Am I Dreaming,” Quniqwa Garnes of Paris, PJC.
Judge was Boyd Minner, Jr., Professor Humanities Division, Navarro College.
Poetry: 1st, “The Man,” Laura Shelton of Commerce, Bland High
School; 2nd, “Open Doors,” Travis L. Allan of Dike, PJC – Sulphur Springs
Center; 3rd, “La rosse du Matin,” Riede Faires of Paris, PJC; 4th, “The
Race,” Kelly Rumsey of Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins High School. Honorable
mention, “This Timeworn Trial,” Rhiannon Chambers of Paris, Paris High
School and “Lost Father,” Amanda Bisenius of Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins
High School. Judge was Tom Irwin, Adjunct Professor University of Illinois.
Regional literature: 1st, “Blue,” David Dannheim of Powderly, PJC;
2nd, “Goodbye,” Jessica Cannon of Paris, PJC; 3rd, “Paris, Texas (B),” Will
Whitaker of Paris, Paris High School; 4th, “Paris, Texas (C),” Marisssa
Hamra of Paris, Paris High School. Honorable mention: “Paris, Texas (A),”
Rhiannon Chamber of Paris, Paris High School and “Paris (E),” Daron
Williamson of Paris, Paris High School. Judge was Kaitlin Ammon, Site
Manager; Texas Historical Commission — Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Site.
Argumentative/Informative essay: 1st, “An Argument Against
Abortion,” Emily Bart of Paris, PJC; 2nd, “Frederick Douglas,” Rita Renee
Davis of Arthur City, PJC; 3rd, “Should Creationism be Taught in Public
Schools,” Cameron David of Paris, PJC; 4th, “For Education, or For Babies?,”
Tiera Easter of Paris, Paris High School. Honorable mention: “Pride in
Serving,” Kealy McPherson of Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins High School and
“Capital Punishment: Just for the Unjust,” David Terrell of Paris, Paris
High School. Judge was Chet Hillyer, Veterans Counselor (retired); U.S. Navy
Career Recruiter Force Academy.
Research essay with documentation: 1st, “I’ll Never Fall Apart
Because I Never Fall Together,” Rhiannon Chambers of Paris, Paris High
School; 2nd,”Dimmesdale’s Difficulties Overshadow Hester’s Hardships,” Will
Whitaker of Paris, Paris High School, 3rd, “Shakespeare’s Banquo,” Cortney
Stewart of Powderly, Paris High School; 4th, “The Mind of Darkness,” Emily
R. Mason of Paris, Paris High School. Honorable mention: “Sponge Bob Square
Pants: Harmful or Beneficial,” Kelly Rumsy of Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins
High School and “Hypocrisy of Arthur Dimmesdale,” Tiera Easter of Paris,
Paris High School. Judge was Shawn Williams, Publisher/Editor, “Dallas South
News.”
Short Story: 1st, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” Olivia Palomares of
Paris, Paris High School; 2nd, “Sir Astanus, Knight of Heartbreak,” Samantha
Weeks of Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins High School; 3rd, “Candy Hearts,”
Krystin Krodle of Cumby, Cumby High School; 4th, “The Face in the Mirror,”
Courney Stewart of Powderly, Paris High School. Honorable mention: “Grey and
White,” Graham Casey of Celeste, Celeste High School and “Moments of
Impact,” Adilene Herrera of Paris, Paris High School. Judge was Kelly
Turner, Director of Youth Ministries, Calvary United Methodist Church.
Visual Arts winners include:
Two-Dimensional Design: 1st, James Carey of Reno; 2nd, Candra Wyatt
of Paris; 3rd, Jessica Guajardo of Sulphur Bluff. Honorable mention: Candra
Wyatt, James Carey, and Mario Munguia of Paris.
3-Dimensional Design: 1st, Candra Wyatt, 2nd, David Malicoat of
Deport; 3rd, James Carey. Honorable mention: Ben Bement of Commerce.
Painting: 1st, Candra Wyatt, 2nd, Fancy Woods of Paris; 3rd, Michael
Thacker of Paris. Honorable mention: Fancy Woods, Michael Thacker, and James
Carey.
Drawing: 1st, Brian Parks of Avery; 2nd, Victoria Gribble of Paris;
3rd, Holly Banks of Paris. Honorable mention: Holly Banks, Clayton Thomas of
Blossom; and Candra Wyatt.
Photography: 1st, Tasha Johnson of Paris; 2nd, Debbie France of
Dike; 2rd, Fancy Woods. Honorable mention: Fancy Woods, Robert Giberson of
Sumner; and Debbie France.
Photography Level II: 1st, Montel Thomas of Paris; 2nd, Jessica
Guajardo; 3rd, Montel Thomas. Honorable mention: Devin Withers of Paris,
Holly Banks, and Henry Hickman of Ardmore, Okla.
Photography Level III: 1st, Frank Ray of Paris; 2nd, Joe R. Jackson
of Paris; 3rd, Sandra Kay Taylor of Paris. Honorable mention: Frank Ray, Joe
Jackson and Sandra Taylor.
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