At the end of the 2022 fall semester, the Columbiana County campuses literary journal, Black Squirrel Scholars, held a short fiction writing contest and the winners were announced at the beginning of the new semester.
First place was awarded to Joaquin Shuman for 鈥淎n Untitled Work.鈥 He is a high school senior and enrolled as a CCP student. He intends on majoring in a science field at Kent State but hopes to add a writing minor to explore his creative writing interests.
Second place was awarded to Emma Hammers, also a CCP student who is a junior at Salem High School. Her entry was titled 鈥淭rust Me.鈥 She is undecided about her college plans.
Third place went to Mandy Morris, a second-year early childhood education major at the Salem Campus for her entry, 鈥淭o Mend a Sole.鈥 She credits Dr. Dawn Roginski, assistant professor, for encouraging her to express herself through writing.
Dr. Joshua Myers, assistant professor of English and faculty advisor to the Black Squirrel Scholars literary journal, explained that the winners鈥 stories will be published with 鈥渟pecial distinction鈥 in the upcoming issue of the journal, to be released in April. Each winning writer also will be featured in a published interview.
Space Chappelear, an English major at Kent State Salem, is the chief editor of the Black Squirrel Scholars.
Cutline A: Working out final details for the upcoming literary journal are (from left) Space Chappelear, chief editor; Mandy Morris, Joaquin Shuman and Emma Hammers.
Cutline B: Writing awards went to (from left) Joaquin Shuman, Mandy Morris and Emma Hammers.