Contact:

Abby Houck            
412-268-4290        
ahouck@andrew.cmu.edu

Carnegie Mellon Honors Student Winners
Of Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Awards

PITTSBURGH—Winners of Carnegie Mellon University's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Writing Awards will honor the vision and sacrifice of the slain civil rights leader when they read their work as part of the university's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
    
The university's Creative Writing Program, part of the Department of English in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, sponsors the awards along with the Office of the President and Division of Student Affairs. Students from several Pittsburgh-area high schools submitted essays or poetry reflecting on the role race has played in their lives. Cash awards will be presented to winners in poetry and prose (fiction and nonfiction) categories.
    
The awards ceremony and readings will begin at 1:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18 in Rangos Hall, University Center. A list of winners follows. These entries will be available for download beginning Jan. 19 at http://english.cmu.edu/degrees/ba_cw/mlk/mlk_awards.html.

Poetry

First Place
     "For A Day the Air Is New" by Claire Matway, 9th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA
     "How In the World" by Taylor Randall, 11th grade, The Neighborhood Academy

Runners Up
     "White Face" by DeAsia Davidson, 11th grade, The Neighborhood Academy
     "I Come From" by Aaron Holness, 11th grade, The Neighborhood Academy
     "Somewhere Close to Georgia" by Arbil López, 11th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA
     "My History Home" by Kaitlin Manion, 10th Grade, Pittsburgh CAPA

Honorable Mention
     "Crossroad Complexion"by Ekin Erkan, 9th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA
     "Past, Present, and Future" by Amanda Lawson, 12th grade, The Neighborhood Academy
     "Blue Scarf" by Alison Malehorn,11th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA

Prose

First Place
     "A Racial Revelation" by Ramsey Daniels, 12th grade, Winchester Thurston School
     "The American Boss" by Rachel Rothenberg, 12th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA

Runners Up
     "We Face A World: Lookism" by Jehyun Han, 11th grade, Kiski School
     "The Other Doors" by Dokyun Kim, 11th grade, Kiski School
     "Behind These Eyes" by Ari Schuman, 11th grade, Winchester Thurston School
     "Equal Souls with Equal Ancestors" by Yongsu Ryoo, 11th grade, Kiski School
     "I Had A Dream" by Samantha Wanko, 11th grade, Winchester Thurston School

Honorable Mention
     "Breaking the Color Barrier" by Themba Searles, 11th grade, Winchester Thurston School
     "Discrimination" by Armand Holmes, 11th grade, Kiski School

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