April 01, 2004
Winners of inaugural poetry contest announced
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Winners in the first Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest jointly sponsored by Southern Illinois University Carbondale's English department and its Women's Studies Program read their entries and received gift certificates from Barnes & Noble Booksellers at a reception held Wednesday, March 31, in the Student Center Illinois Room. Contest judge Mary Jo Bang, who teaches poetry at Washington University in St. Louis, also read from her work.
In the graduate division, Kevin J. Kainulainen, received a $50 gift certificate for his first-prize poem, "Apparitional." Second prize, a $30 gift certificate, went to Curtis L. Crisler for "When the rain hits concrete." Chad A. Parmenter took third place and received a $20 gift certificate for "The Secret Language of Women;" he also won an honorable mention for his poem "Rites." All three are students in the English department's creative writing program.
In the undergraduate division, Jonathan Travelstead, a sophomore majoring in English, won the first-prize $50 gift certificate for "Chains." David T. Craig, a senior majoring in history, was second for "Glory Please Robert" and received a $30 gift certificate. Rebecca L. Ashley, a freshman in English, received a $20, third-place gift certificate. Honorable mention went to Christopher L. Dennis, junior in English, for "Collecting the Collector."
Roxana Rivera, who earned a bachelor's degree in women's studies and English in 2002 from California State University, Long Beach, died in November when the car she was driving skidded off a country road. She was in her first year of the creative writing program, working in poetry, at the time of her death.
Leading in research, scholarly and creative activities is among the goals of Southern@150, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.