Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: The Clarion Entry Title: Support transgender athletes Entry Credit: Kaleia Lawrence Judge Comment: This is a tough issue, handled well with a bit of nuance. I do wish the writer had taken more stylistic chances — the “carefulness” of all these columns worries me a bit. But the arguments laid out here are strong and reasonable and if the writing is a little dry that may well be because we’ve trained readers to expect that sort of remove when dealing with serious subjects,
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Student Voice Entry Title: UWRF new animal policy 'lets the dogs out' Entry Credit: Lexi Janzer Judge Comment: I love this column. I do wish it weren't quite so strait-laced and driven by policy arguments.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Clarion Entry Title: Making a case for nuclear energy Entry Credit: Ebenezer Idowu, Jr. Judge Comment: The writer comes across as earnest — and like all the entries — a little too careful. Still, though the arguments aren’t novel, they are solid and there’s not a hair’s breadth between this column and the first placer. I would encourage all these writers to loosen up a little and let it rip a little more, but the conventionality of these pieces might be a result of their playing to editorial expectations.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Student Voice Entry Title: Question for the culture: Valentine's Day edition Entry Credit: Natalie Riddle Judge Comment: See the competition note — this might have come second or third on a different day. It’s a good column, worthy of notice but I do wish someone had manifested more personality.
Competition Comment:
One of the reasons I’m awarding an honorable mention is because there’s not a whole lot of daylight between the 1st place column and the HM — on another day, the order could have been very different. All the columns are serviceable and well-realized and even well (if somewhat stolidly) written, so degree of difficulty does play a part in deciding who fall were. I wish all the entries had exhibited more personality BUT the general quality of the competition is higher here than in some professional competitions I’ve judged.
