30 High School Students to be Honored as Part of Poetry Contest Held by UB College of Arts and Sciences

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Colin Stricklin of Amherst, a senior at Amherst Central High School, has been named the first-prize winner in the poetry contest for high school students sponsored by the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).

Initiated by CAS Dean Uday Sukhatme, the poetry contest was held as part of the college's increased efforts to introduce high school students to UB and its College of Arts and Sciences.

Entries in the poetry contest were judged by Carl Dennis, artist in residence in the UB Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and the winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his eighth book of poetry, "Practical Gods."

Stricklin and other winners of the contest will give poetry readings at an awards ceremony to be held at 12:30 p.m. April 5 in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. A reception will follow.

The poetry contest was open to students all across the nation, as well as Canada, and drew more than 1,300 entries from as far away as Arizona and Washington State. In all, 30 students were selected to be honored.

The contest was limited to current high school students, and each student was limited to one entry of an original poem in English of 25 lines or fewer.

Cash prizes will be awarded to first- ($200), second- ($100) and third- ($50) place winners. Four fourth-place winners will receive $25 gift certificates. Twenty-three honorable mentions also will be awarded. The winning works will be printed in a special program and all winners will receive an autographed copy of "Practical Gods."

In addition to Stricklin, other winners of the poetry contest are:

Second prize: Kaavya Viswanathan of Franklin Lakes, N.J., a junior at the Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology, Hackensack, N.J.

Third prize: Nicole Velazquez of Buffalo, a senior at McKinley High School, Buffalo.

Fourth prize: Elizabeth L. Goldleaf of Troy, a junior at Emma Willard School, Troy; Cecilia Livingston of Toronto, Ont., a super senior (grade 13) at Saint Clement's School, Toronto; Anna Merchant of Cazenovia, a senior at Manlius-Pebble Hill School, Dewitt, and Eleni Petrou of Williamsville, a junior at Williamsville North High School, Williamsville.

Honorable mentions:

Abraham Barranca of Brooklyn, a junior at Midwood High School, Brooklyn.

Caitlin Bell of Amherst, a senior at Nardin Academy, Buffalo.

Emily Berliant of Fairport, a senior at Brighton High School, Rochester.

Genevieve Boreanaz of Williamsville, a freshman at Williamsville North High School.

Angela G. Brown of New York City, a senior at Hunter College High School, NYC.

Karen Burhans of Elba, a senior at Elba Central School, Elba.

Brendan Fell of Peterborough, Ont., a junior at Lakefield College School, Lakefield, Ont.

Vallerie George of Webster, a senior at Webster Schroeder High School, Webster.

Katherine Gibas of Grand Island, a sophomore at Nardin Academy, Buffalo.

Maria Gonchoroff of Syracuse, a senior at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, DeWitt.

Courtney Heberling of Webster, a sophomore at Webster Schroeder High School.

Alyssa Janikowski of Amherst, a sophomore at Williamsville North High School.

Rachel A. Kavanaugh of Voorheesville, a sophomore at C.A. Bouton Junior-Senior High School, Voorheesville

Laura Lee of Brooklyn, a junior at Midwood High School, Brooklyn.

Eric Linsker of Millwood, a senior at Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua.

Elizabeth A. Picker of Albany, a sophomore at Guilderland High School, Guilderland Center.

Katherine Reedy of Buffalo, a sophomore at Nardin Academy, Buffalo.

Alison Smith of Melville, a senior at Half Hollow Hills High School, Dix Hills.

Melanie Smith of Niagara Falls, Ont., a super senior at Saint Paul High School, Niagara Falls, Ont.

Shona Watt of Clifton Park, a sophomore at Shenendahowa High School, Clifton Park.

Mary Katherine Stella of Medina, a sophomore at Medina High School.

Leah Zoller of Cincinnati, Ohio, a senior at Anderson High School, Cincinnati.

Hannah Zweig of Teaneck, N.J., a junior at Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz, New York City.