NW
Nicole Walters
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Class of 2017
  • Sunbury, OH

Nicole Walters recognized for Trine's Cunningham Writing Contest

2016 Feb 10

Trine University's Humanities and Communication (HAC) department recently announced the winners of its 2016 Walter Cunningham Writing Contest, college division. This is the seventh year for the contest, sponsored in conjunction with the Humanities Institute and the Writing Center.

First-, second- and third-place prizes and honorable mentions were awarded in academic, creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry categories. To ensure fairness in judging, authors' names were removed from their entries, which were then ranked by a panel of judges from across Trine's campus.

Among those recognized for their achievements in the contest is Nicole Walters of Sunbury, Ohio (43074). Walters is a senior majoring in chemical engineering.

Below is a list of the winners in each category, along with a description of their work. To read the full submissions, visit the HAC department's online literary journal at inscriptionsjournal.org.

Academic

First place - Elyse Buehrer, an Angola senior majoring in music.

Her submission "The Dangerous Daily Grind: A Rhetorical Analysis of Gotye's 'Easy Way Out' " focuses on breaking down Gotye's song "Easy Way Out" through a dramatistic/narrative approach. It argues that alternatives to the norms of society do exist.

Second place - The team of Kyler Bolen, a Fort Wayne junior majoring in design engineering technology; Taylor Breidenbach, a Brownsburg junior majoring in mechanical engineering; Travis Haynes, a West Unity, Ohio, junior majoring in mechanical engineering; Kaylea Jordan, a Columbia City sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering; Kayla Spande, a Mapleton, Minn., junior majoring in accounting and Cody Verhey, a Paragon junior majoring in mechanical engineering.

"Scootin' Towards Undergraduate Financial Freedom," written by six students who will be graduating with student debt, the work is a proposal to increase all students' awareness of and preparedness for their financial loan situation.

Third place - Tyler Marx, a Waterville, Ohio, senior majoring in social studies education.

"The House that Sutpen Built" is an analysis of William Faulkner's novel "Absalom, Absalom." In this piece, Marx examines how Faulkner used the novel to critique the post-Civil War South.

Honorable mention - Alexis DeLancey-Christiansen, an Angola junior majoring in professional writing and English studies; awarded for " 'A Long and Bloody Time:' Hunger and Growth in Black Boy."

Fiction

First place - Cate Porter, a Maumee, Ohio, senior majoring in marketing and communication.

Porter's story "Evil Unveiled: The Tale of Snow White Retold" has readers enter into a new world of the classic tale as told through the eyes of the evil queen.

Second place - Michael Conner, a Zionsville, Ohio, senior majoring in chemistry.

In his submission "Soldier of Asphodel," readers follow a man through his travels as he tries to find his place as a slave and attempts to figure out which Roman afterlife he will join when he dies.

Third place - Taylor Eash, a Shipshewana sophomore majoring in civil engineering. In "Maverick," a tale of the sea, two brothers dream of an adventure together. Their lesson is to never give up as fate tries to strike down their dreams.

Honorable mentions - Nicole Walters, a Sunbury, Ohio, senior majoring in chemical engineering, awarded for "Child's Play;" Grace Connolly, a Sheridan, Ill., senior majoring in biology, awarded for "Just Another Day;" and Brian Roskowski, a Mooresville freshman majoring in civil engineering, awarded for "If Words Could Kill."

Creative nonfiction

First place - Elyse Buehrer

"The Silence That Swallows You Whole" embodies the ideals and mindsets of a great portion of America. In this piece, Buehrer discusses the differences of urban and rural upbringings while describing why she loves her hometown.

Second place - Adam Miller, a Hicksville, Ohio, senior majoring in computer engineering.

In this short story, "Aww Nutz," Miller details a normal evening supper with his family, which changes in an instant when he goes into shock.

Third place - Stephanie Delph, a Lake Station junior majoring in professional writing and English studies.

In "Mausoleum Mess," Delph describes the not-so-conventional pastime of "graveyard hiking." She recalls a time during the summer when she and her friends went to a graveyard for some late night thrill-seeking.

Honorable mentions - Stevie Rosales, awarded for "Blank Space;" Cate Porter, awarded for "Queen of Last Chances;" Katherine Leach, a Walton junior majoring in biology/pre-physical therapy, awarded for "I Made a Difference."

Poetry

First place - Mikaela Gerba, a Highland senior majoring in social studies education.

"The Face I Know" describes the facial features of a caring man and his joy upon seeing his daughter.

Second place - Stevie Rosales, an Adrian, Mich., sophomore majoring in math education.

In "Do Not Write," readers are encouraged to do the things they love in life because once they do, their writing will become more genuine.

Third place - August Buehrer, an Angola junior majoring in music.

In her poem "Chopin," Buehrer portrays her dream about death.

Honorable mention - Ian Carmicheal, a Westlake, Ohio, sophomore majoring in marketing; awarded for "Last Night I Didn't Sleep"