59th Annual Writing Contest
Congratulations to the winners of the Department of Humanities’ 59th Annual Writing Contest!
2024 winners represent the Armour College of Engineering, College of Architecture, Lewis College of Science and Letters, College of Computing, and Stuart School of Business.
EDWIN H. LEWIS PRIZE FOR NONFICTION
- 1st: Lily Decator Smith (Digital Humanities, 3rd year), “A Computational Investigation of Rhetorical Strategies in Won vs. Lost Defamation Cases”
- 2nd: Owen Walsh (Business Administration, 2nd year), “My Mother’s Life”
- 3rd: Gemma Brizzolara (Architecture, 4th year), “5 Brief Analyses on Conditions of Interiority Through My Home(s)”
EDWIN H. LEWIS PRIZE FOR FICTION
- 1st: Angela Petrone (Digital Humanities, 4th year), “Lost and Found”
- 2nd: Ranjith Pemmasani (Computer Science, 4th year), “Lolie’s Child”
- 3rd: Julia King (Global Studies, 2nd year), “Pitch of the Dead”
MOLLIE COHEN PRIZE FOR POETRY
- 1st: Beatrice De Castro (Architecture, 4th year), “Camera Obscura”
- 2nd: Vincent Ross (Food Science and Nutrition, 1st year), “Cost”
- 3rd: Fionn Hui (Architecture, 3rd year), “Living in Ambivalence”
HENRY AND MYRNA KNEPLER FRESHMAN ESSAY PRIZE
- 1st: Partick Tenedor (Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1st year), “The Dedication of Oneself to Their Self: A Eulogy of Inner Love”
- 2nd: Victoria Li (Computer Science, 1st year), “The Meaning of Saturday”
- 3rd: Amir Sabljic (Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1st year), “Light”
WARREN SCHMAUS PRIZE FOR PHILOSOPHY WRITING
- 1st: Nabil Fawaz (Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, 4th year), “Eulogy of Nabil Fawaz”
Prizes
| Prizes* | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin H. Lewis Prize for Fiction | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| Edwin H. Lewis Prize for Nonfiction | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| Henry and Myrna Knepler Freshman Essay Prize | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| Mollie Cohen Prize for Poetry | $300 | $200 | $100 |
| Warren Schmaus Prize for Philosophy Writing** | $150 | N/A | N/A |
An in-person awards ceremony will be held on April 18, 2024, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m.
Edwin H. Lewis Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction
The prizes for fiction and nonfiction are named for Edwin H. Lewis, an English Professor at Lewis Institute, one of the forerunners of Illinois Tech, from 1895 until 1936. Among other classes, Lewis taught Shakespeare, and apparently looked somewhat like him, too. It is said that students would come to campus just for his lectures, often without even being enrolled.
Mollie S. Cohen Prize for Poetry
The poetry prize was established in 1965 by Illinois Tech English professor Mollie S. Cohen as she was retiring. Cohen was a native Chicagoan and attended Lewis Institute before doing graduate work at the University of Chicago and at Sorbonne in Paris. During her time as a professor at Illinois Tech, she worked closely with women students and international students.
Henry and Myrna Knepler Freshman Essay Prize
The prize for freshman essays honors the late Henry and Myrna Knepler, both former professors of English at Illinois Tech. Henry Knepler served as chair of the Department of Humanities for 16 years. Myrna Knepler was an alumna of Illinois Tech who received her doctorate in linguistics. The prize is funded by an endowment made by the Kneplers, both of whom were very committed to English as a Second Language instruction and to writing instruction.
The Warren Schmaus Prize for Philosophy Writing
The prize for best undergraduate paper in philosophy honors Warren Schmaus, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, who taught at Illinois Tech for 42 years. The prize is funded by an endowment made by Terry Straus, daughter of Fay Sawyier, a long time philosophy professor at Illinois Tech.