Contact: Chris Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
480-731-8503

January 16, 2001

Creative Writers of the Maricopa Community Colleges Take Honors in Student Competition

Greater Phoenix - Twenty-four authors, poets and playwrights are taking bows as winners in the 2000-2001 Creative Writing Competition for the Maricopa Community Colleges and the League for Innovation in the Community College.

In the 13th annual competition, students from throughout the 10-college district put fingers to keyboards to produce creative pieces with titles from "Silencing the Honker" and "99 Days After the Wake Up" to "Vaculuxe 2000" to "Pinchin' Shoes." The Maricopa County Community College District competition is sponsored and conducted by its Office of Fine Arts Development.

The writers win $300 for first place; $200 for second place; $150 for third place and $100 for honorable mention. First place entries will be sent on to national competition for the League for Innovation in the Community College, based in Mission Viejo, CA.

Contest judges for this year's competition included: Ms. C.S. McFadden, founder and executive director of the Playwright's Theatre; Dr. G. Lynn Nelson, associate professor of English/Education at Arizona State University; Ms. Ann Cummins, associate professor of English at Northern Arizona University and Dr. Sheila Murphy, poet and president of Sheila Murphy Associates.

The recently announced winners and categories are:
Poetry:
First Place: John Day, Phoenix College, "Cedar Island, N.C;" Second Place: Richard Pihl, Scottsdale Community College, "Silencing the Honker;" Third Place: Julia Fleeman, Phoenix College, "Three Paintings by Remedios Varo;" and Honorable Mention: Marika Brown, Scottsdale Community College, "West Alaskan Suede;" Cynthia Luzar, Scottsdale Community College, "Surviving;" and Rachelle Markley, Phoenix College, "When Women Are Invisible."
Creative Non-Fiction:
First Place: Nancy McCurry, Paradise Valley Community College, "Taking Wing;" Second Place: Scott Brill, Glendale Community College, "Sometimes Golden;" Third Place: James Chaney, Estrella Mountain Community College, "Never Volunteer;" and Honorable Mention: Lara Coscia, Scottsdale Community College, "Lilies;" Chrystal Lytle, Glendale Community College, "99 Days After the Wake Up;" and Christina Roberts, Paradise Valley Community College, "My Cowboy Adventure."
Short Story: First Place: Tracy Werth, Phoenix College, "The Mother Road;" Second Place: Deborah Bauer, Phoenix College, "Vaculuxe 2000;" Third Place: Lori Gonzales, Phoenix College, "The Loom;" and Honorable Mention: Jay Alagia, Phoenix College, "Grown Man;" Jacqueline Benton, Glendale Community College, "The Regulars;" and Marika Brown, Scottsdale Community College, "Tags."
One-Act Play:
First Place: Greg Chavez, Paradise Valley Community College, "It's Not My Bedtime;" Second Place: Zachary Ronstadt, GateWay Community College, "An American Dream;" Third Place: Diayn Day, Phoenix College, "Pinchin' Shoes;" and Honorable Mention: Shawn Hulsey, Paradise Valley Community College, "A Foot From Disaster;" Ryan Hood, Paradise Valley Community College, "Breach of Faith;" and Kristi Riedel, Paradise Valley Community College; "Divided."

An awards dinner is being planned for later this spring. The district will publish the entire collection of the work of these writers.

The Maricopa County Community College District is composed of 10 community colleges, several satellite campuses, skill centers and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu

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March 13, 2002