YOUNG WRITERS HONORED IN WRITING AWARDS PROGRAM

Twenty-six young writers from grades 4-12 were honored at the annual awards ceremony for the Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Awards program April 23 at Southeast Missouri State University.

"This program was initiated in 1982 by the university's department of English as a means of recognizing the importance of writing skills in the development of an educated person," said Linda Burns, professor of English at Southeast.

"The Writing Achievement Awards Program is designed to encourage students in grades four through 12 in their writing and to recognize publicly some of the best student writers in the state and their schools," she said.

Eighty-five schools from Southeast Missouri and the St. Louis metropolitan area participated, and 390 students entered their writing.

At the ceremony, awards and honorable mention distinctions were presented to writers of fiction, essays, and poetry in three grade ranges: four to six; seven to nine; and 10 to 12.

Winning entries were published in booklet form, and copies were presented to the winners and their schools.

Area winners in poetry were: (grades seven to nine) Erin Fluegge, R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson; Jason Brown, Dexter High School; and Jennifer Stoverink, St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau; and (grades 10 to 12) Sarah Fluegge of Jackson High School.

Area winners in fiction writing were: (grades four to six) Cailin Bricknell, Clippard Elementary School in Cape Girardeau; and (grades 10 to 12) David Jenkins, Dexter High School.

The honored essay writers in this area were (grades four to six) Sheri Grippo, Woodland School in Marble Hill; and Josh Pfefferkorn, West Lane Elementary School in Jackson; (seven to nine) Shaun Hanschen, R.O. Hawkins Junior High; and Chad Heuschober, St. Vincent de Paul School; and (10 to 12) Cliff Verhines, Jackson High School.