John Updike once noted that anyone seriously interested in doing something better or right will be creative.† On the morning of May 2, while some students were studying for finals, 20 students†gathered†to compete in the Seventh Annual McGraw-Hill Poster Contest.†The event was held at the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts.
Their object was to convey to well-educated adult judges from our community something that the latter did not already know.† Each of the twenty students had an idea they had developed. Their hope was to show that their idea was certainly creative, but also better and right.†
Thanks to Lisa Bailey, the college?s McGraw-Hill representative, the winner, Noah Griffin (left), not only won the $400 first-place award, but also a McGraw-Hill Gift Certificate for $175.† Griffin, who ranked among the top twenty community college students in the nation with the All-American Team (See his feature in†USA Today,†8 April 2014), featured a provocative discussion of ?People and Prokaryotes.?† Griffin argued that most people do not realize the positive role played by prokaryotes, or where some of the most harmful bacteria are located (by lavatory drainage pipes, for example).† Griffin?s project received excellent mentoring help from Dr. Shirley Clay, Dr. Mary Hearron, and Dr. Paula Wilhite.† He is the son of Dr. Steven and Joy Griffin with whom he was homeschooled, and a resident of Pittsburg.
Two other Presidential Scholars, also from Pittsburg, came in second and third, winning $300 and $200.† They have been familiar faces as well in the award-winning skein of the sophomore class.††Matthew Jordan (2nd) presented his award-winning work on the selective hydrogenation of acetylene.† Ricky Huitema (3rd) pioneered some insights on the frequency of large earthquakes in the last forty years.
Another honors student, Courtney Phillips from Winnsboro, placed fourth with her insights about how whites and minorities understand immigration legislation differently.† Immigration was a favorite theme of the contest.† The top-scoring non-honors student, Grecia Beckett (7th), an Honduran immigrant, showed how the United States ironically stimulates emigration from Central America.
?Once again our young scholars were invigorated and educated by the questions of our community judges," Dr. Andrew Yox, Northeast Honors Director, said.†
This year they included:†Glenda Brogoitti (Mount Pleasant), Wanda Cockrill (Hughes Springs), Andrea Cruz (2007 Presidential Scholar from Hughes Springs), Lisa Ellermann (Mount Pleasant), Edward Florey (Mount Pleasant), Peter Hairston (Mount Pleasant), Karen Harmon (Mount Pleasant), Rusty Jones (Mount Pleasant), Rev. Dr. Wayne Renning (Mount Pleasant), Noureen Ronchetto (Daingerfield), Lonnie Smith (Mount Pleasant), Dr. Jerry Wesson (Mount Pleasant), and Billy Wayne Flanagan (Mount Pleasant).†Professor Joy Cooper, representing the NTCC Honors Committee, also judged the contest and presented the awards.
Other students who participated included Elyse†Coleman (Gilmer), Kayleah Cumpian (Mount Pleasant), Zachary Davis (Pittsburg), Lauren Fennimore (Mount Pleasant), Kaitlyn Klepfer (Mount Pleasant), Ana Martinez (Mount Pleasant), Miranda Mendoza (Mount Pleasant), Stephen Milburn (Mount Pleasant), Maria Perez (Naples), Tyler Reynolds (Pittsburg), Alisha Richardson (Avinger), ††Michaela Willis (Mount Pleasant), and Armando Yepez (Mount Pleasant).†
