On February 6, the Department of English honoured award recipients at the annual English Achievements & Awards Reception. The program offers a number of awards each year, including prizes and scholarships that recognize the achievements of majors and minors in English and Creative Writing. Several awards were established to honour former faculty members; one honours the Department鈥檚 retired faculty; and one was established by a former Chancellor of 91亚色. In addition, prizes are awarded for the best essays written in courses at each year level. Most of the awards are supported by donations from former faculty, alumni, and affiliated community members. The Department also f锚ted the winners of the 2021-2022 T.A. Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Stephanie Stavro Scholarship in English, and the LA&PS Digital Composition Prize (3000-Level). This year鈥檚 awards reception 鈥 the first one since before the pandemic 鈥 was held in a bright, balloon-festooned dining room in the Schulich Executive Learning Centre. It was organized by the English Department with the support of staff members Michelle Hong and Rose Crawford.
Bottom: Prof. Natalia Khomenko, Sarah Paiva Spadafora, Abbie Mauno, Raven Lovering, Judith Nancekivell, Prof. Dana Patrascu-Kingsley, Prof. Megan Hillman
The event began with opening remarks by the Chair of English, Professor Tina Y. Choi, and Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning, Professor Anita Lam. Both Professor Choi and AD Lam extended warm congratulations to the award winners and spoke about the pleasure of being able to honour students in person after a three-year hiatus. The Undergraduate Program Director of English, Professor Stephen Cain, presided over the ceremony. Faculty members who had nominated students for prizes presented the awards to the winners, speaking in glowing terms of their students鈥 work. Many award recipients took to the podium to express eloquent thanks to their professors, families, and friends. Following the formal ceremony, award winners and their guests, faculty, and staff mingled over sandwiches, treats, and beverages.
鈥淚t is such a delight to celebrate our wonderful students,鈥 said Natalie Neill, a Teaching Stream Professor in the Department. 鈥淲e are so proud of their accomplishments.鈥
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Warm congratulations to all the winners and honourable mentions! The following is the list of winners:
Best 1000-level Essay Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Tia Buckeridge for 鈥淧oke the Bear: Deconstructing Hegemonic Culture and Gender Norms in Satire鈥
Honourable Mention: Sarah Paiva Spadafora for 鈥淭he Cut That Always Bleeds鈥
Best 2000-level Essay Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Lisa Sterrett for 鈥淎 Postmodern Caribbean Commodity鈥
Best 3000-level Essay Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Kirandeep Bhanot (2022 Recipient of the LA&PS Digital Composition Prize) for 鈥楳an vs. The Horrors of Nature in Green Romanticism: 鈥淭he Rime of the Ancient Mariner鈥 vs. 鈥淒arkness鈥濃
Honourable Mention: Judith Nancekivell for 鈥淭he Function of Music in As You Like It and The Tempest鈥
Best 4000-level Essay Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Vanessa Spagnuolo for 鈥樷淚鈥檓 sorry. Me too.鈥: The Disruption of Oppression in Harlem Duet and its Predecessor鈥
Honourable Mention: Raven Lovering for 鈥淎udible Visions: Synaesthetic Synergy in the translation of The Hours from novel to film鈥
The Avie Bennett Prize in Canadian Literature 2021-2022
Winner: Sebastian Fess for 鈥淭he Cost of Building a Nation: The Representation of Immigrant Workers in 'Towards the Last Spike' and In the Skin of a Lion鈥
The Brian Hepworth Memorial Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Adrian Grek for 鈥淭he Unbearable Weight of Huffing Opinions About the Mind-Brain Problem鈥
The Department of English Retirees鈥 Scholarship 2021-2022
Co-Winner: Jelem Cuary
Co-Winner: Jordan Gionet
The Elizabeth Sabiston Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Zoe Kavouris for 鈥樷渁m I not a gracious proof鈥: Manipulating Constructions of Femininity in 鈥淭he Defence of Guenevere鈥濃
Honourable Mention: Ashlei Stewart for 鈥淭he Enchanting Queen: Examining Cleopatra鈥檚 Sexuality in Antony and Cleopatra鈥
The H.K. Girling Literature Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Tiger Thompson-Davidson for 鈥淥edipus Rex: Monarchical Exploitation and Contemporary Class Struggle鈥
The June McMaster-Harrison Memorial Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Robert Candoni for 鈥淎fter Arthur: An Attempt at Describing a Post-Arthurian Text鈥
The Lucille Herbert Memorial Scholarship 2021-2022
Co-Winner: Abbie Mauno
Co-Winner: Kaila Gallacher
The Matthew Ahern Memorial Prize 2021-2022
Winner: Caio Popovic
The Stephanie Stavro Scholarship in English 2021-2022
Winner: John Batista
The TA Award for Excellence in Teaching 2021-2022
Winner: Maybelle Leung
Winner of Avie Bennett Prize in Canadian Lit.
Winner of Best 2000-Level Essay Prize