HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-08-2006 2nd Annual Halina Poetry Prize Winners Announced SOU T$BF��
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
May 8,2006
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications& Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
2nd Annual Halina Poetry Prize Winners Announced
Mayor Stephen J. Luecke announced the winners of the second annual Halina Poetry
Prize contest at the May 8 Common Council Meeting. The Halina Poetry Prize, a poetry contest
for high school students, was designed to showcase area students' literary talent and to honor
South Bend's Sister City, Czestochowa,Poland. This year's winners are:
Halina Prize__________________________________ Joseph Beatty, Grade 11, Adams H. S.
Honorable Mentions, Grades 11-12 Ashley Kay Peterson, Grade 11, Riley H.S.
Brandie Picton, Grade 11, Riley H.S.
(Note: Ashley Kay Peterson also received the 2005 Halina Honorable Mention for
the 9-10 Grade Division.)
Honorable Mentions, Grades 9-10 David Tidmarsh, Grade 10, Adams H.S.
Megan Weldy, Grade 10, Adams H.S.
Teachers Adams High School—Ann Raymer
Riley High School—Susan Pantoja
"The Halina Poetry Prize gives high school students from public, parochial and private
schools an opportunity to express themselves and be recognized for their outstanding skills,"
stated Mayor Luecke. "The contest also helps build recognition of our Sister City, Czestochowa
and its great history and culture. It is through international relations like these that cities can
build important ties that link individuals across thousands of miles, and through better
understanding, help us to peacefully embrace our differences."
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This year, a total of 345 entries, 40%more than 2005, were received from students
representing eight South Bend high schools including Adams, Clay,Riley,Washington,Naftali
Riff Yeshiva, Bendix Adult Alternative, St. Joseph High School, Community Baptist, and
several homeschoolers. "We were very pleased with the terrific response of our local students,"
noted Halina Poetry Prize Committee Chair, Dr. Gabrielle Robinson. "More importantly we
were so impressed with the quality and the insight represented in their body of work."
Committee members anonymously judged the entries and selected the Halina Poetry
Prize winner and two Honorable Mentions in each category, grades 9-10 and 11-12. The Halina
Poetry Prize winner received $200 and Honorable Mention Award winners received $50 each.
In addition,the top poems in each age category have been selected for inclusion in the 2006
Halina Poetry Prize Chapbook.
The City of South Bend would like to thank the sponsors of the 2006 Halina Poetry Prize
contest for their generosity. Sponsors include DLZ Construction, University of Notre Dame
Institute of Nanovic Studies, Chopin Fine Arts Club, and M.R. Falcons.
The Halina Poetry Prize was named in honor of Halina Poswiatowska who was born in
Czgstochowa on May 9, 1935. She wrote poetry from a very young age and published three
volumes before her untimely death at the age of 32. Her poetry is still highly regarded in Poland.
The Halina Poetry Prize Committee includes Dr. Gabrielle Robinson, IUSB International
Programs; Vernell Ball Daniel,African-American Arts Assoc.;Nancy Botkin, IUSB English
Department; Conrad Damian, Washington High School; Patricia Falvey,Holy Cross College;
Mary Sue Freitag, Chopin Fine Arts Club;Bonny Hoover, Clay High School;Patricia Jones,
South Bend Area Music Teachers' Association; Phyllis Moore-Whitesell, IUSB English Dept..
The third annual Halina Poetry Prize contest will be launched at the beginning of 2007.
The City of South Bend and the Halina Poetry Prize Committee would like to thank area high
schools for their participation and in particular the English teachers who encouraged and
facilitated student contributions.
This year's winners will present a reading of their poems during the Chopin Fine Arts
Club Youth Piano Competition Winner's Recital on Thursday,May 11 at 7P.M. at the Snite
Museum. In addition, this year's partnership also includes the South Bend Symphony and their
Na Zdrowie! Sister City Celebration. The Symphony's Guest Artist, Pianist Maciej Zagorski
will also perform at the Chopin Recital as well as at the Symphony Concert on Saturday, May 13
at the Morris Performing Arts Center at 7 P.M.
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