Welcome to our first web version of the English Festival's Festival of Writing! Those of you who want to move immediately to the Table of Contents to find your or a friend's article, click here.We begin with 1999. The Thomas and Carol Gay featured writer was Christopher Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963.
The Bank One Lecturer was Naomi Shihab Nye, editor and poet. We were also lucky to feature Lloyd Kajikawa, National School Project coordinator for the Japanese-American National Museum, on Wednesday.
For nearly all of its twenty-one years, the Youngstown State University English Festival Committee has published a collection of the prize-winning essays written during each Festival’s activities and competitions. Such a publication is wholly in keeping with the Festival’s stated goal to “recognize and reward distinctive writing.” It is also a means for publicizing the extraordinary work that Youngstown-area students do at the Festival, both in preparing themselves by reading the works on the English Festival booklist and in composing thoughtful and engaging essays before and during the Festival.
The essays included in this 1999 edition of A Festival of Writing are no exception. They reflect the excellent language facility of our area’s students, as well as their careful reading and critical thinking. The YSU English Festival Committee congratulates those students whose work appears in these pages, and it commends the parents and teachers who have supported these young writers.
Just for your information, below were the books required of the students attending the 1999 Festival:
7th–9th Grades
Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Naomi Shihab Nye, editor
This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from Around the World
Robin McKinley
The Hero and the Crown
Angela Johnson
Humming Whispers
John Christopher
The White Mountains
Ruth White
Belle Prater’s Boy
James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My Brother Sam Is Dead10th–12th Grades
Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Naomi Shihab Nye
Fuel
Robin McKinley
The Hero and the Crown
Jon Krakauer
Into the Wild
Kaye Gibbons
Ellen Foster
Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Game
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston
Farewell to Manzanar
Candace Gay Memorial Awards
First-Prize Essays
Williamson Fund Impromptu Prize-WinnersWednesdaySecond-Prize Essays
Changes
Natalie Welsh
Cardinal Mooney High SchoolThursday
Learning Ethics
Shereen Khanuja
Howland Middle SchoolFriday
Let Freedom Ring
Monica A. Selak
St. Rose SchoolWednesdayThird-Prize Essays
At Home and Free at Last
Kristen N. Conrad
Howland High SchoolThursday
It’s the Values That Count
Nicholas McFarland
Howland High SchoolFriday
Sam Meeker’s and Aerin’s Values and Beliefs
Gina Donald
Boardman Center Middle SchoolWednesday
Thoughts by Ellen Foster
Christina Magyar
Canfield High SchoolThursday
Loyalty
Harish Amirthalingam
Howland High SchoolFriday
The Morals of Mortals
Melody Joachim
Boardman Center Middle School
Because the topic for the Impromptu essay contest changes each day, we thought it would be convenient if we included it here:Wednesday's Prompt: Sometimes people make decisions that create difficulties for themselves and others. Write an essay in which you examine decisions made by characters from at least two but not more than four Festival books, and explain what you think the characters should have done.
Thursday's Prompt: Imagine that you have been transported to a little-known country, the languages and customs of which you know nothing, and must somehow find your way home. You have the ability, however, to transport three characters from three different Festival books to help you on your journey. Choose the characters you think would help you most on this difficult venture, and write an essay explaining your choice.
Friday's Prompt: Characters in several of the Festival books must adjust to new (and often frightening) environments. Write an essay in which you explain how characters in at least two but no more than four of the Festival books meet the challenges of new environments.
WednesdaySecond-Prize Essays
The Price of Bad Decisions
Natalie Welsh
Cardinal Mooney High SchoolThursday
Journey Home
Jenna Nash
Howland High SchoolFriday
With Courage and Determination
Lindsay Mitchell
St. Charles SchoolWednesday
The Power of Fate
Sarah Holowach
Canfield High SchoolThursday
King Thurath’s Punishment
Diana Santangelo
Boardman Glenwood Middle SchoolFriday
True Strength
Nicholas Guerrieri
Canfield High School
Third-Prize Essays
Wednesday
Decision Tightrope
Carlee Tressel
Boardman High SchoolThursday
Character Hotline 7 - 0 - 2
Monica Cuevas
Boardman Glenwood Middle SchoolFriday
Overcoming Challenges
Emily Ann Taylor
Greenville High School
The
Vindicator Journalism Workshop Prize-Winners
First-Prize Winners
WednesdaySecond-Prize Winners
Writer Acclaimed by Fellow Writers
Michael Macko
Greenville High SchoolWednesday
Students Learn about Japanese-American Internment during WWII
Emily Gula
Greenville High SchoolThursday
Noted Author Visits Youngstown
Melissa Neiheisel
CrestviewThursday
Literary Agent Speaks to Students at YSU English Festival
Stephanie Genareo
Laurel High SchoolFriday
Young Journalists Learn by Experience
Amy Reynallt
Austintown Middle SchoolFriday
Literary Agent Looks for Talent
Amanda Nowotny
Mohawk High SchoolWednesday
Success in Writing
Mark Cina
Boardman High SchoolWednesday
Remembering Japanese-American Contributions
Kristen Boback
Boardman High SchoolThursday
Multiple Award Winner Visits Youngstown
Lauren Gallo
Boardman High SchoolThursday
Author Becomes Literary Agent
Stephanie Gent
Boardman Glenwood Middle SchoolFriday
Area Kids Get Tips from Award-Winning Author
Sophy Walker
Struthers Middle SchoolFriday
Flannery—Literary Matchmaker
Michelle Vincent
Greenville High School
Third-Prize Articles
Wednesday
Underachiever Achieves Big
Amanda Smith
Hubbard High SchoolWednesday
Remembering Japanese-American History
Paul Gaige
Cardinal Mooney High SchoolThursday
Curtis Comes to YSU
Taylor Burnette
CrestviewThursday
Literary Agent Talks to Students
Kathleen Crowe
Byzantine Catholic Central SchoolFriday
Creator of “Weird Watson” Talks to Students
Gina Donald
Boardman Center Middle SchoolFriday
Literary Agent Works Behind the Scenes
Jessica Miller
Jamestown High School
