THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606040110
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 76 lines
THERE WERE 230 serious young people, earnestly moving from building to building and classroom to classroom one recent morning at Virginia Wesleyan College.
But these weren't college students. They were students in grades nine through 12 from Norfolk's five public high schools, attending the city's third annual literary festival.
Teachers Linda Parks of Norview and Barbara Bowman of Granby organized the event, which awarded cash prizes to winners in six categories.
``The purpose is to encourage writers and showcase the student's writing; to show, `Look, we can write,' '' Parks said. ``The atmosphere of higher learning is to encourage them to write. They need all the encouragement they can get.''
``It's my first year as co-coordinator,'' Bowman said. ``We've had a blast doing it. It's so much fun. It includes students from ninth grade to Advanced Placement. That's the point; we want to give as many kids as possible a chance to be honored.''
The students approached the day's activities with seriousness and maturity. During the two workshops each attended, they sat in rapt attention as the judges discussed the finer points of writing and style. Cautioned in advance against the common youthful practice of booing winners from other schools, such cautions seemed unnecessary as the students sat through the proceedings like young professionals, albeit jubilant ones as their classmates became winners.
Entrants from each school had been winnowed down to 20 entries per category per school, by in-school judges. Each school's entries were sent to the judges, who had made their decisions in advance of the festival. First-prize winners received checks for $100; second-prize, $50; third-prize, $25; and honorable mention, $15.
The categories were short fiction, essay, poetry, personal narrative, descriptive sketch and dramatic scene. Each student could submit as many as three entries. Two poems could be included as one entry.
Judges were Dr. Donald Brown, professor at Norfolk State University; M. Evelina Galang, instructor at Old Dominion University; Dr. Rosalie Kiah, a professor at Norfolk State; Charlise Lyles, an author and staff writer for The Virginian-Pilot; Dr. Alfred B. Rollins, Jr., former president of Old Dominion University; William Ruehlmann, a professor at Virginia Wesleyan College and a writer; and Kathryn Forrester Thro, Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
``This is my third year coming to the literary festival,'' said Amy Harrison, 18, a senior at Granby. ``Writing is my life, the very center of me, everything I am. I come every year to get some exposure.''
Harrison writes poems, short stories and personal narratives, she explained, usually in a humorous vein. Personal narrative was the only category she entered this year.
``I think everybody gains from it,'' she said. ``Most people concentrate on history and math, but writing is a part of everybody. You use it everyday.''
Alex Hunsucker, 15, a sophomore at Granby, had earned an honorable mention last year in descriptive sketch.
``The classes are very interesting,'' he said. ``You hear out-takes from professional writers as well as different techniques on how to write. From that, you can adapt your style.''
Hunsucker, who wants to be a journalist, writes short stories and essays. He had entered the short fiction, descriptive sketch and personal essay categories.
``I want to convey personal feelings into stories,'' he explained. ``I feel so many things need to be talked about.''
This year, he took first place in short fiction. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
M. Evelina Galang, an Old Dominion University instructor, conducted
a fiction workshop at the literary festival.
1996 LITERARY FESTIVAL WINNERS
[For a list to winners, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB