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Winners of the 56th Annual M. Roland Heintzelman Memorial Awards read original pieces aloud E-block yesterday in the auditorium.
The Annual M. Roland Heintzelman Memorial Awards recognizes outstanding writers from this school and South, according to English department head Melissa Dilworth.
Over 120 juniors and seniors submitted to the competition this year, said Dilworth.
Junior Malini Gandhi won the first prize. South senior Emily Wu and South junior Rose Taylor received honorable mentions.
Dilworth introduced Gandhi’s short story.
“Her language captures themes of isolation, loss and disillusionment,” said Dilworth.
Then Gandhi read her piece, “Before the Rain Has Gone,” which is written from the perspective of a guest at an awkward party after his wife left him.
Next, South English department head Brian Baron addressed the audience to introduce Taylor’s poetry.
“Rose Taylor’s poems are fresh, vibrant and accessible,” said Baron.
Taylor shared four of her eight winning poems from a collection entitled “Plugged In and Spaced Out.”
One poem called “Have to/Want to” described the struggle of balancing hard work with happiness, saying, “The point is that it’s 110 percent good better best no sleep no food no friends no carbs 11 days a week until 2:30 in the morning.”
Baron also introduced Wu, whose short story he described as “among the most ambitious of the entries we read this year.”
Wu read half of her piece, “Blank Slate.” The plot followed a young man named Silas’s chat room interaction with a friend because of his therapist “insisting that he try and connect with the people he met online.”
After reading, each writer received a certificate confirming her accomplishment.