HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-14-2007 3 rd Annual Halina Poetry Prize Winners Announced 0�sau Tx BF
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, May 14, 2007
7:00 PM
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
3"d Annual Haling Poetry Prize Winners Announced
South Bend, IN: Dr. Dave Stefancic, Chair of the Halina Poetry Prize Committee, announced
the winners of the third annual Halina Poetry Prize contest at the May 14 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:
Hanna Prize ......................David Tidmarsh*, Grade 11, Adams H. S.
Honorable Mentions .........Katharine Yugo, Grade 11, Adams H.S.
Mark Fay, Grade 10, Clay H.S.
(*Note: David Tidmarsh also received a 2006 Halina Honorable Mention for the 9-10 Grade
Division.
Teachers...........................Adams High School—Ann Raymer
Clay High School— Celeste Hilliard
"South Bend is pleased to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Sister City relationship
with Czestochowa," stated Mayor Luecke. "Through this contest we help build recognition of
our Sister City, Czestochowa and its great history and culture. As importantly, 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," said Mayor Luecke. "We are
so proud of the efforts our local students have made and we are grateful to their teachers for their
guidance and support."
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This year, over 150 entries were received from students representing six South Bend high
schools including Adams, Clay, Riley, Washington, Naftali Riff Yeshiva, and Trinity School at
Greenlawn. "We were very pleased with the response from our local students," noted Dr.
Stefancic, "as well as the depth and breadth of the topics they selected."
Committee members anonymously judged the entries and selected the Halina Poetry
Prize winner and two Honorable Mentions. The Halina Poetry Prize winner received $200 and
Honorable Mention Award winners received $50 each. The poems will be published in the 2007
Halina Poetry Prize Chapbook, as well as a retrospective of previous years' winners. New this
year was the participation of students from St. Mary's College. Dr. Stefancic acknowledged the
assistance of Max Westler, St. Mary's College and his poetry students who reviewed all of the
poems submitted and shared their expertise in poetic analysis.
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.
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.
The Halina Poetry Prize Committee includes Chairman, Dr. Dave Stefancic, St. Mary's
College; Conrad Damian, Washington High School; Patricia Falvey, Holy Cross College; Phyllis
Moore-Whitesell, IUSB English Dept., and Dr. Gabrielle Robinson, IUSB.
The fourth annual Halina Poetry Prize contest will be launched at the beginning of 2008.
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.
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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