10 'U' writers receive awards

BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily

LSA sophomore Adi Neuman accepts his award at the Hopwood ceremony yesterday in Rackham Auditorium.

By Sharon Wong

For the Daily

Aspiring University writers got their due - and a check - yesterday at the 70th annual Hopwood Underclassman Awards Ceremony held at Rackham Auditorium. Family, friends, professors and students gathered to congratulate freshman and sophomore writers as well as to listen to renowned speaker C.K. Williams.

The awards proved not only to be an exciting afternoon for young talented writers but also for a captivated audience. Williams, a 2000 Pulitzer Poetry Prize winner, read pieces from his award winning publication, "Repair," as well as other selected poems from "The Vigil," and "Misgivings: My Mother, My Father, and Myself."

"The entire program was inspiring. ... It encouraged me to go home and refocus some of my energy to writing again," LSA junior Karen Papalois said. "The afternoon inspired me to pick up a pen and utilize my creative side."

In addition to the poetry reading by Williams, 10 University freshmen and sophomore writers and poets received 11 awards, totaling $6,500 and ranging from $100 to $1,000 each. RC sophomore Anna Clark won the top prize in both the essay and fiction categories.

Judges selected the winners from 77 underclassman contestants, said Andrea Beauchamp, associate program director. The three general categories in which students submitted works were essay, fiction, and poetry.

"What's great about this program is that every year there is a little more money for the scholarships and fellowships," Beauchamp said.

RC freshman Alyson Foster was awarded $600 for her three short stories, "Roses at 147 Fancher," "Graffiti," and "Dye Job." "It took me a couple of hours for each story which I also wrote for my creative writing class," Foster said.

LSA sophomore Kate Levy received $400 for her poem, "Wanted or Needed."

"Much of my inspiration came from an important event in my life," she said.

Levy hopes to eventually join the University's Creative Writing program.

Both Foster and Levy plan on using their winnings for college expenses.

"I hope to buy more paper," Levy joked.

Besides offering underclassman students monetary awards for the three categories, the Hopwood Program also administers other prizes and fellowships.

The Jeffrey L. Weisberg Memorial Prize for best poem was awarded to LSA freshman Robyn Anspach and sophomore Residential College student Frances Reade, for $300 each. The $100 Academy of American Poets Prize, which is awarded to one graduate student and one undergraduate, and went to LSA senior Todd Carmody.

English profs. Craig Holden and Julian Levinson were the judges for the essay and fiction divisions; The judges for the poetry division were Julie Ellison and Macklin Smith.

o Underclassman essay and Underclassman fiction, 1st place: Anna Clark, Residential College sophomore and Daily Staff Reporter.

o Underclassman essay 2nd place: Nicole Eisenmann, School of Architecture

3rd place: Alyson Foster, LSA freshman; Eric Geffner, LSA freshman

o Underclassman fiction 2nd place: Adam Hunault, LSA freshman

3rd place: Alyson Foster, LSA freshman

o Underclassman Poetry 1st place: Adi Neuman, LSA sophomore

2nd place: Robyn Anspach, LSA freshman; Josh Izenberg, LSA sophomore

3rd place: Kate Levy, LSA sophomore