Daniel, Seneca High School Students Take Top
Honors at Tri-County's Annual Writing Contest

CONTACT: DR. MARIANNE TAYLOR, EXT. 2331

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/18/2000
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- D.W. Daniel and Seneca High School students took home first-place awards in the poetry and short story categories at Tri-County Technical College's Ruby S. Hicks Memorial Writing Contest held February 11.

Kana Takematsu, a senior at Daniel High School, won first place in the short story category and received $100 and a plaque.

Winning first place for her poetry was Jaime L. Poston, a junior at Seneca High School. She also received $100 and a plaque.

Hannah Wright, a ninth grader at Wren High School, won second place for her short story. She received $50 and a plaque.

Winning third place in the short story category was Amanda Fowler, a senior at Liberty High School. She received $25 and a plaque.

Elizabeth Richardson, a junior at Seneca High, won second place for her poetry and received $50 and a plaque. Laura Barkley, a senior at D.W. Daniel High, won third place for her poetry entry. She received $25 and a plaque.

Honorable mentions for the poetry category went to Katy Ricalde, a ninth grader at Seneca, and Mark Miesbauer and Diane Busch, both seniors at Daniel.

Honorable mentions for short story category went to Amanda Johnson a senior at Daniel, Katherine Acker, a senior at Pickens High, and Stephen Goza, a senior at Pendleton High School.

Since 1986, the event has recognized the creative writing abilities of area high school students. This year, the English Department renamed its annual writing contest to honor the late Ruby S. Hicks for her patronage, her encouragement and her friendship. For years, Mrs. Hicks graciously donated funds and encouraged the College to continue recognizing the creative talents of area high school students with an annual contest. Tri-County Technical College's Foundation sponsored the event.

"We are here tonight because we are interested in, because we believe in literature and young people," said Dr. Marianne Taylor, who leads the College's English department. "We believe in literature because it is a mirror; it captures the human spirit. The young people honored here, and others like them, are the reason that literature will continue to live."

She continued: "Each generation adds its literature to the great literary continuum. However, literature survives only if one generation commits its views, its hopes, its rages to public scrutiny and then ignites in its children the burning desire to write. If literature is to survive, each new generation must add to the tradition. The young must make our literature the news for the next era."
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