August 28, 2006

Friends of UCSC Library honor student winners of essay contest

Imagine a collection of books you would like to own concerning your favorite subject. Then write an essay of up to 1,000 words describing your collection and why your chosen topic is important to you, complete with an annotated bibliography. It’s what every bibliophile dreams about at least once or twice in a lifetime.

Essay contest winners, from left, Andrew Skewes-Cox, Misty Peterson, and Tyler Cushing

Dreamers and winners of the Friends of the UCSC Library’s 40th Annual Book Collection Essay Contest for UCSC students were recently recognized at an awards ceremony held at McHenry Library.

Tyler Cushing (Crown College) took first place for his subject Self-Injury; Misty Peterson (Porter College) was awarded second place for The Art of My Books; and Andrew Skewes-Cox, (Porter College) garnered third place for Forever Young.  All of the students received cash prizes. Winners of the 12th Annual High School Book Collection Essay Contest also took home cash prizes for themselves and bookstore certificates for their schools.

The contest judges included UCSC Writing Program lecturer Tim Fitzmaurice; UCSC reference librarian Susan Chesley Perry; Friends of the UCSC Library board members Constance Wright,  Nick Bilardello, Dana Rohlf, Joya Chatterjee, and Penny Mudd; UCSC library reference specialist Laura McClanathan; and UCSC chancellor’s library representative Margaret Gordon.

Bookshop Santa Cruz, Bookworks, Borders, Capitola Book Café, Bay Tree Bookstore, Literary Guillotine, Logos, and Westside Stories donated certificates for the awards.

“The contest is a tremendous undertaking by volunteers who give selflessly many hours,” said Gordon, assistant to the University Librarian. “But it’s important for students to know that books are a gateway to learning about what they’re interested in, not simply about what the schools are interested in teaching them.”