Sciences Participating with Arts & Culture in Education

Fourth Annual SPACE Writing Competition

In 2021-2022, SPACE held its fourth annual writing competition. Students from all disciplines across Dawson College were invited to submit writing that offered a personal interpretation of this year’s theme, Intersections. The submissions were judged in a blind fashion by an interdisciplinary jury—Amanda Beattie (Faculty, Fine Arts), Nadim Boukhira (Faculty, Physics) and Andrea Strudensky (Faculty, English). Entries were evaluated according to originality and depth of thought, style, and connection to the theme. The winners received gift certificates from Argo Bookstore, and the winners and honourable mentions have been published and highlighted in the SPACE web magazine and will also be invited to offer a public reading of their work towards the end of the semester. All participants in the competition had the opportunity to be mentored by SPACE faculty and to submit their work for possible publication in the SPACE web magazine. 

Below are the winners as well as the honourable mentions in the prose, poetry, and essay categories (click on the links to access the full texts).

Kim Poirier: New Ecology—First Prize, Prose
Such a great piece! The intrigue, the descriptions, the style. It kept me wanting more – but I also loved the ending. 
Good story, great characterization, great descriptions. (I felt like I was there.) Great integration of SPACE theme as well as science and art. I was engaged.
Strong tone, voice, point of view. Takes on a big subject. Love the ending. 

Wendy Lewis: A Current Event—First Prize, Poetry
Wow! A master of words! Strong use of vocabulary, fascinating style.  

Mai-Thi Ho: Newton’s Laws Revisited: Studying Myself as an Object—First Prize, Essay
Taking the laws of physics and adapting them to human behavior requires both a good understanding of physics and a good dose of imagination. 
This essay integrates science and art in a way that is clever, entertaining, interesting, and relatable. 
Well-written, sincere and very creative storytelling. 

Gigi Haddou: BBQ Sins—Honourable Mention, Prose
I really enjoyed the humour in this piece, and the author's writing style in general.
Contains a good sense of humor! 

Mia Kennedy: A Dog Story—Honourable Mention, Prose
I appreciated the author's approach to writing - very emotional and sincere. I can imagine this family. 
There is good style here, and good insight on human suffering. Very moving.  

Olivia Helguero: Plastic Love—Honourable Mention, Poetry
Very creative and original - gripping. Interesting intersection between love and technology, and loneliness and false company.