First Year Experience essay contest winners named

12:11 p.m., Oct. 19, 2011--Seven University of Delaware students have been named winners in an essay contest sponsored by the First Year Experience Program and based on the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Rebecca Skloot, the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, visited UD on Oct. 13 to discuss her award-winning work as part of the University’s 2011 First Year Common Reader Program.

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All freshmen, the winners include:

• First place -- Jason Hewett, an English major from Middletown, Del.; 
• Second place -- Colleen Foote, a biological studies major from Mullica Hill, N.J.;
• Third place -- Victoria Nadel, a University Studies major from Potomac, Md.;
• Fourth place -- Katherine Miller, a University Studies major from Arnold, Md.;
• Fourth place -- Jessica Dougherty, a University Studies major from Jersey City, N.J.;
• Fourth place -- Jon Godwin, a psychology major from Hockessin, Del.; and
• Fourth place -- Jason Greenapple, a biological sciences major from Charlotte, N.C. 

For the contest, students were asked to frame their essays in the form of a letter to the author, a member of the Lacks family or another individual in the book, discussing their concerns and insights regarding important or interesting themes that appeared in the work. 

Avron Abraham, faculty director of University Studies and Academic Enrichment and associate professor of behavioral health and nutrition, said students were also encouraged to consider important questions relating to medicine, science, race and ethics.

“The essay contest was a way to really engage the freshman class in a meaningful conversation about the award-winning book by Rebecca Skloot,” Abraham said. “We hope that the common reader and the essay contest helped to raise the awareness of the importance that UD places on writing, as highlighted by UD Provost Tom Apple.” 

Read by representatives from the University Writing Center, the essays also were evaluated on the persuasive use of textual evidence and clarity of expression.

Barbara Lutz, acting director of the University Writing Center, said that students expressed powerful reactions to the wide range of issues addressed by the book. 

“There was outrage at the injustices suffered by Henrietta and the Lacks family, heartfelt appreciation to Henrietta for her contributions to medical science, and admiration for the author’s tenacity to spend so much of her time unveiling the Lacks family history,” Lutz said. “Most of all, the students wrote to thank Rebecca Skloot for helping them gain a better understanding of the effects of racism, poverty, and medical research on individuals, families and communities.”

Article by Jerry Rhodes