91ΧΤΕΔβS MAGAZINE OF CREATIVITY TAKES TOP HONORS IN STATE CONTEST
June 13, 2018
East Mississippi Community Collegeβs literary magazine, βSyzygyβ took top honors for the second year in a row among in-house college publications that were professionally bound in the 2018 Mississippi Community College Creative Writing Associationβs (MCCWA) annual workshop and contest.
The magazine won first place last year and placed second in 2016.
βWe were in first place for three or four years before that,β said 91ΧΤΕΔ instructor Marilyn Ford, who teaches courses in English composition, British literature and creative writing. βWe have had a really nice streak.β
The location for the annual contest rotates among the stateβs community colleges and took place earlier this year at Jones County Junior Collegeβs main campus in Ellisville.
Students from community colleges across the state also competed in categories that included Creative Writing, Dramatic Fiction, Literary Essay, Poetry and Short Fiction.
91ΧΤΕΔ student Anna Wood won an honorable mention in the Short Fiction category for her piece titled βBad Habits Die Hard.β 91ΧΤΕΔ student Emilee Wilcox also earned an honorable mention in the βLiterary Essayβ category.
βSyzygyβ is 91ΧΤΕΔβs annual magazine of creativity. Faculty advisors and judges choose the winning entries to be included in the magazine among student submissions. Due to timing constraints, magazines from the previous year are judged in the MCCWAβs annual contest.
First place entries in the 2016-17 βSyzygyβ magazine are: Bill Lauderdale Art Excellence of Award β Addison Garrett, who designed the cover for the magazine; Betty Killebrew Literary Award of Excellence β Elizabeth Shurlds; Ceramics β Desiree Savage; Drawing β Natalie Runyon; Design β Lexie Maier; Painting β Cassandra Ward; Photography β Brittany Turner; Poetry β Teon Taylor; Short Fiction β Ashley Crunk.
Ford said the magazine has proved popular among students.
βIt just seems like the kids still really want that print publication,β Ford said. βHaving it online just doesnβt seem to give them the same bragging rights. There is just something about having that print copy that means an awful lot to the kids, their parents and their grandparents.β
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