On March 30, the English department held its annual Literary Pub Fest in Founders Pub.
The fest is meant to give English majors, and others interested in the department, a chance to come together, eat free food, play literature themed games, honor the greats of the year’s senior class and maybe have a drink or two while you’re at it.
This year, the chosen festivity was a matching game: match the quote to a book on “The List” that has been read in the first semester. It is a list of books compiled by professors to challenge students to read what they feel are “the greats.”
In addition to fun and games, there were awards given to deserving writers. The student awards were as follows: Ostrom Award in Expository Writing English 101: Trevor Hobarty; Ostrom Award in Expository Writing Sophomore: Anissa Dann; Ostrom Award in Expository Writing Senior: Maria Symons.
Each of these award winners won a cash prize of $200. There were more awards, though. The creative writing awards came next and these winners banked $100: Poetry Award: Chloe Burchett; Screenwriting Award: Camila Quiñones; Non-fiction Prose Award: Maria Symons; Lester S. Crowl Creativity Award: Camila Quiñones; Award for Excellence in Literary Studies: Maria Symons; Allen J. Koppenhaver Prize: Camila Quiñones.
Each winner kindly accepted their prize and read a bit of the writing which won them the honor. “Beyond sight, beyond return,” Symons, ’17, read in her piece about a mission trip she took to Cameroon. Although we may not all go on a mission trip to Cameroon, the retelling hit home to all the seniors in the room.
After Symons’ reading, Quiñones, ‘17, read her piece about “Harry Potter” and her father. She reminded the audience, especially the many seniors sneaking in their final colloquium credits, “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
The part which students awaited were the awards which the department dubbed the professors. Some of the goofier titles were The Manly Tears award given to Scot Hinson, “A hard outside, soft center and squishy as all get out,” Jessica Hamm, ’17, announced. The MacDonalds (Kate and Ian respectively) took home the Rogue Wanderer, and the Good Guy awards while Mike Mattison was honored with the Classic Villian award.
Student and faculty awards alike bring students together each year to celebrate the last stretch of the spring semester. It is a time to eat, drink and be merry.
