Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts and the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life Announce “My Quarantine Story” Contest Winners

Cornerstone Liberal Arts and the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life have announced the winners of their “My Quarantine Story” contest.

Students were prompted to reflect on the unique historical moment they are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic and connect their experiences with readings in SCLA 101 and 102 classes. Topics could include reflections on how students’ worlds have changed, how isolation has changed students’ vision of themselves and their futures and more. More than 70 submissions were received and judged by a panel of seven Cornerstone faculty judges.

First place was awarded to Brandon Watson, a student in Professor Li Wei’s SCLA 101 class, for his essay “An American Dystopia.” In his submission, Watson compared aspects of our current crisis to Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in A Handmaid’s Tale. Watson is a junior majoring in political science. He received $100 for the winning submission.

Margaret Jane Hutchinson, a student in Professor Jody Watkins’ SCLA 101 class, was awarded second place. Hutchinson’s essay compared both the destruction of the pandemic and the goodness of humankind to the emotional twists and turns of Anne Bradstreet’s poem, Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666. Hutchinson is a rising sophomore studying materials science and engineering. She received $75 for her submission.

The following students received honorable mentions: 

• Alex Lin, freshman, first-year engineering.
• Almina Cunanan, freshman, actuarial science.
• Matthew Kwan, freshman, pre-pharmacy.
• Shobana Iyer, sophomore, actuarial science and applied statistics.
• Sam Zhang, freshman, biomedical engineering. 

Each honorable mention received $50 for their submission.

Cornerstone Liberal Arts and the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life would like to thank Purdue President Mitch Daniels, whose student enrichment fund for Cornerstone paid for the prizes.

Writer: Matthew Vader, Writer/Social Media Coordinator, Vice Provost for Student Life

Source: Amanda Mayes, Student Life Curricular Integration & Research Administrator, asmayes@purdue.edu

Read the announcement on the College of Liberal Arts' Think Magazine website here.

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