By Anabel Costa
Earlier this spring, the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts asked UC Santa Barbara students across all divisions and departments to submit their work for a chance to win a creativity contest and be published on our website. The Humanities and Fine Arts student intern team judged several dozen entries under the theme: Stories that Matter.
We are pleased to announce the winners in poetry, prose, video, visual art, and photography. They range from a first year student to a graduate student.
"Congratulations to the talented UCSB students who submitted innovative and timely pieces to the creativity contest," said Humanities and Fine Arts Dean John Majewski. "Seeing this work published gives us all a lift at such a challenging time for our campus community and the world at large."
Video by Calvin Bruhns
Connor Ding is enjoying venturing away from the world of numbers and into the humanities.
Connor Ding is a first year student majoring in psychological and brain sciences as well as comparative literature. He won first place in prose for his essay entitled “Numbers.” It tells the story of a Chinese UCSB student’s increasing concern as the Coronavirus spread through China back in January. “At the time there were many stories that I read on a Chinese social media platform that were quite moving and even heartbreaking,” said Ding. “I wanted to write this to help Americans gain a better perspective on how people were being affected by this disease.”
Please click here to read “Numbers” by Connor Ding.
Runners Up in Prose:
2nd Place: Leona Quigley for When There Are None
An essay about remembering the Holocaust and its survivors, as well as a reminder of memory’s power as a visceral, historical touchstone. Click here to read.
3rd Place: Nick Freedson for This is Not a Drill
A play about a group of friends and their last bus ride to school before a mass shooting, told from the perspective of the lone survivor. Click here to read.
In the poetry category, first place went to Forest Stuart, a fourth year student majoring in sociology as well as language, culture, and society, for their piece “re-forest-ation.” This collection of poems was a way for Stuart to work through past trauma alongside an exploration of their passion for environmental conservation. For Stuart, creativity can be a form of self-care. “The maintenance and nourishment of myself is also the maintenance and nourishment of my artistic output,” said Stuart.
Please click this link to read “re-forest-ation” and other poetry winners.
Runners Up in Poetry:
2nd Place: Junho Jeon for Children of the Concrete
A poem about the emotional, physical, and mental journey that takes place through the art of break dancing.
3rd Place: Monica Cornejo for Adulation to Him
A poem to a dear friend in Nigeria.
Marshall Sharpe is an MFA candidate in painting at UCSB.
First place for visual art went to Marshall Sharpe for his piece “Former Slave Cabin Disguised As Tool Shed On My 5th Great-Grandfather’s Plantation.” Sharpe, who is completing a master’s in fine arts, said the story he wanted to tell with his painting was one of discovery. “Growing up I knew that my family had enslaved a few African people,” he said. “But it wasn’t until I was 30 that I learned the true extent...my ancestors had enslaved hundreds of African people in the American South. It was devastating to learn the truth. I felt very ashamed. I felt very guilty.”
Sharpe said that although his initial reaction was to be silent, he knew that ultimately his silence would only contribute to the racism that had enabled slavery in the first place.“I feel that art is a unique language that can challenge some of the histories, pasts, and present that we are experiencing today,” he said.
Please click here to view the winning entries in visual art.
Runners Up in Visual Art:
2nd Place: Paige Baldwinson for Brother
A portrait of her sleeping brother.
3rd Place: James Gerety for Just a Little Social Anxiety
A narrative that leaves the details up to the viewer.
Andrea Hercules won first place in photography for her photo “Caylin in Paradise, at Yosemite National Park.” Hercules is a second year sociology major, and she loves the dream-like quality of film and photography. Her photograph is of her friend, Caylin, a first generation student on her way to take the California Subject Examination for Teachers in order to attend graduate school. The exam was in Fresno, so the two made a trip out of it. “I was really inspired by her determination,” said Hercules. “That photo was taken when we first got out of the car, and I thought, ‘wow, this just feels right.’”
This contest inspired environmental studies student Jim Dyson to revisit making music.
Please click here to view the winning entries in Photography
Runner Up in Photography:
2nd Place: Delenn Jadzia for Untitled
A moment captured on the edge of the UCSB campus as the fog creeps in for the night.
In music, first place goes to a song called “First Love” by Jim Dyson. Dyson is a second year student majoring in environmental studies. He composed “First Love” to tell a mini narrative depicting a semi-dysfunctional love story. “I’ve seen enough relationships play out like that,” said Dyson. “I was trying to sort of emulate that.”
Please click here to listen to the winning entries in Music.
Runner Up in Music:
2nd Place: Delenn Jadzia for Canary
The ballad of a girl afraid to come out as gay, and who takes comfort in protecting her secrets.
And finally, Delenn Jadzia won first place in the video category for “What Would You Say.” She is a third year student majoring in chemistry, anthropology, and writing and literature in the College of Creative Studies. This video is a scene from a full-length movie musical that Jadzia co-wrote the music for with Preston Towers. The musical is about a group of queer teenagers finding the courage to come out by playing the game Dungeons and Dragons. This song features two young women as they share their feelings for each other, and explore the possibility of entering a relationship. “Basically we wanted to create something that filled a niche that was not yet filled,” said Jadzia. “And for us that was the intersection of table-top roleplaying, and queer representation.”
Please click here to view the winning entries in Video.
Runners Up in Video:
2nd Place: Jesse Camcho for Days - an experimental narrative
A video to convey the way days blend together when one is going through a rut in life and creativity.
3rd Place: Andy Arciaga for HAWAII
A short video to remember Kauai.
College of Creative Studies student Delenn Jadzia performing in her music video “What Would You Say“ from the original musical film “Homebrewed: A Musical Quest.“