OU honors the brightest of its student writers

Fourteen Oakland University students, recommended by their teachers, have won awards in the school’s 2008 Writing Excellence contest. The winning entries, selected from more than 100 papers, were submitted by students in academic disciplines from across the university.

Submissions included research and non-research papers from many courses in writing and rhetoric, as well as courses in the social sciences and humanities. This year’s award winners are students from writing composition courses WRT 150 and 160, English, art history, sociology and anthropology.

The contest is sponsored by the Department of Writing and Rhetoric with support from the Oakland University Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Beth Snyder.

“This awards program highlights Oakland’s conviction that developing strong writing skills is a critical component of a distinctive undergraduate education,” Snyder said.

Barbara Hamilton, associate professor of writing and rhetoric and chair of the Writing Excellence Awards Committee, added, “There were so many excellent entries this year that choosing winners was very challenging.”

Prizes for the honorees include $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place in each category. The winners and their teachers also have been invited to attend a luncheon in their honor on Feb. 18.

Research papers submitted in WRT 160
• First place – Lauren Keenan of Oakland Township, Mich.
• Second place – Jared Allen of Utica, Mich.
• Third place – Jeffrey Wenskay of Clinton Township, Mich.
• Honorable mention – Patricia Nicole Deering of Redford, Mich.

Papers submitted in WRT 150, non-research papers from WRT 160 and other 100-level courses
• First place – Dat Nguyen of Minneapolis, Minn.
• Second place – Jesse Williams of Royal Oak, Mich.
• Third place – Hamida Saric of Hamtramck, Mich.
• Honorable mention – Hillary Bockneck of White Lake Township, Mich.

Papers submitted in socials science, business and education courses
• First place – Jason Sotzen of Ortonville, Mich.
• Second place – Michelle Maxfield of Commerce Township, Mich.
• Third place – Robert Nicholas of Brighton, Mich.

Papers submitted in the humanities, including advanced rhetoric
• First place – Tara Fugate of Royal Oak, Mich.
• Second place – Natalie Mandziuk of Clinton Township, Mich.
• Third place – Andrew L. Kozlowski of Sterling Heights, Mich.