Submitted by Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
?Iron sharpens iron.? And each spring for the last decade, scores of animated scholarly conversations at NTCC?s McGraw Hill Poster contest have furnished novel learning experiences.† NTCC students have learned by teaching and the friends of the college who serve as judges, by asking.
These contests have also, thanks to the generosity of McGraw Hill Education, and this year, to a Whatley Enhancement Grant through Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery of Scroggins, produced student awards. On 27 April at the Tenth-Annual McGraw-Hill Poster Contest at NTCC?s Whatley Foyer, top-ranked NTCC scholars emerged ahead.†† The judges gave the highest rating to Presidential Scholar, Matthew Chambers, who had presented his work on the Dallas elite competitively at the Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC), and also at a Lunch-and-Learn at the Mount Pleasant Library. Chambers won $400 plus a McGraw Hill coupon for $175.†† Jack-Kent-Cooke-winner, Alicia Cantrell came in second ($300) for her comparison of Jeanette Rankin with Hillary Clinton.† Rachel Jordan, and Cassidy Watkins, both of whom had presented work in Atlanta, and at Oklahoma State, came in third ($200) and fourth ($100) with assessments of institutionalized torture, and the decline of honey bees.
There was something akin to a dead heat at the top with other leading scholars, Brenda Godoy, Chesney Davis, Jazmin Garcia, and Jordan Whelchel very close behind.
The contest received another strong impetus, and financial boost from McGraw Hill Education. Casey Slaght, a regional Learning Technology Representative in Dubuque, Iowa, coordinated the awarding of the financial gift from the front office of McGraw Hill Education in New York City.
The response of local judges to the level of student scholarship at NTCC was again very upbeat.† ?Best ever? noted former NTCC Vice President, Dr. Jerry Wesson, who has judged the contest now seven times.† Lisa Ellermann of Region 8 who has judged the contest four times, described it as a ?worthy and interesting? experience to which she ?truly looks forward.?
A record number of area judges?fourteen--insured that each contestant had at least eight visitations.† Contestants with the highest average scores won.† Other judges in addition to Wesson and Ellermann were: sponsors Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery, Glenda Brogoitti, Deborah Carr, Dr. Shirley Clay, Wanda Cockrill, Edward Florey, NTCC Trustee Chuck Johns, Greg Holt and Austin Niblett from American National Bank, Rusty Jones, and Andrea Reyes, a former Presidential Scholar and Valedictorian from Hughes Springs--now a mother of three--served as adjudicator, and judge.
Other presenters, who had a work of research viable enough to qualify, included:
Rhylie Anderson of Winnsboro, Madison Blood from Big Sandy, Hannah Dickson of Pittsburg, Morgan Martin of† Mount Pleasant, Sebastian Martinez from Naples, Adriana Rodriguez from Mount Pleasant,† Yaritza Romero from Mount Pleasant, and Warren Wu of Daingerfield.
Honors Director, Dr.† Andrew Yox, noted that ?Honors Northeast is indebted to the Mowerys, Casey Slaght, the Whatley Enhancement fund, the many friends who have made the contest a dramatic illustration of student scholarship through the years, the mentoring of honors professors, and many others for allowing this tradition to continue.?
