Francellys S. Maysonet Rodríguez

Prof. Cynthia Pittmann

INLG. 3135-002

23 May 2018  

Literary Contest Ceremony 

           I’m a new year student and for sure it never crossed my mind that a Literary Contest Ceremony, would be so good and entertaining as it was. I arrived early since I had a class before the event and waited with Alondra, Kiara, Isabel and Angela until we were allowed to enter. I love food with my whole soul, so you can imagen when I saw the table with all the little things to eat and enjoy I felt in heaven and oh God, there were little cones that you filled with spicy king crab, the event had not even started but I already gave it a ten out of ten. We got to meet Isabel’s and Angela’s moms and that was nice. Once the doors were open ad we could walk in we registered, and they gave us all a manual to follow the awards; from speeches to the Literary Contest winners. They also provided a evaluation paper for us to evaluate the event which in my opinion it show the dedication they have and how they really care and appreciate the events they carry out.

       The people that organized the event were all really nice, polite and welcoming. I thought it would be a more formal and up tight ceremony, but it was not at all an up tight event or really formal. We sat, and they made a brief welcoming announcement that made must f laugh when the announcer said “pa lante”. The announcers started mentioning the categories with their honorable mentions, third, second and first places. From third place forward, the winners would get prices and each and every winner would read their piece. We screamed when they mentioned Isabel and Angela as winners; I felt so proud of my classmates. 

 First, they called up the mini saga winners and even though Isael could not make it we applaud for him when he was called for his honorable mention. I remember that the second place was about strippers and hookers and the first place was about a mystery killer. Then they went on into the poems and it’s always the second and first winners that I remember about but God how the second place girl read her poem with such confidence and power, it even gave me chills. The second girl’s poem was about how she was too small for New York and too big for Puerto Rico; I loved her poem, but it has more to do with the way she brought it to life and how it made you feel what she may have felt or the girl from the poem. The first place was about living and a comparison to how flowers hold on to life. We also got to see the incarcerated women that form part of the university program, one of them read her poem and it was really good, I really liked how vulnerable it was. Finally, it was my classmates turn and they read their work on home and they made us laugh again since both finished with the same quote. 

All in all, it was a fun opportunity to be part of my classmates’ achievements. Also seeing how it’s no joke or a “come on people lets get this over with” ceremony made me appreciate it even more. Some people didn’t attend the event or brought friends or family to their achievement and that made me think that they maybe don’t give it to much light to what they achieved or cared. The students on campus should participate more of the event and form part of it because I found that it was really good, they go to the point and thanked everybody who attended. I actually recommend it, if you like food, listening to different styles of literature and information, you should give it a try even if you don't win or compete. At the end we filled a paper of suggestions, rated they ceremony and made our way into our other classes.