YOUNG WRITERS HONORED

Twenty-seven young writers, the best from 72 schools in Southeast Missouri and the St. Louis metropolitan area, were honored recently at the 11th annual Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Awards program at Southeast Missouri State University.

"This program was initiated in 1982 by the university's department of English as a means of recognizing the importance of writing skills in the development of an educated person," said Linda Burns, professor of English.

This year, 348 students entered their writing samples.

At the ceremony, awards and honorable mention designations were presented to writers of fiction, essays and poetry in grades 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. The winning entries were published in book form and copies were presented to the winners and their schools.

Area winners in poetry were: (grades 7-9) Ryan Kasten, R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson; and (grades 10-12) Nikole Hennrich, Cape Girardeau Central High School.

The winners in fiction writing were: (grades 4-6) Andy Seabaugh, North Elementary School, Jackson; Meagan Edmonds, Alma Schrader Elementary School, Cape Girardeau; (grades 7-9) Natalie Jones, St. Vincent De Paul, Cape Girardeau; Tina Wu, Perry County District No. 32, Perryville; Ryan Mangels, St. Paul Lutheran School, Jackson; and (grades 10-12) Hennrich, Cape Central High School.

The honored essay writers were: (grades 4-6) Seabaugh, North Elementary School, Jackson; Sheri Grippo, Woodland Elementary School, Marble Hill; Alicia McWilliams, Perryville Elementary School, Perryville; (grades 7-9) Jamie Brown, R.O. Hawkins Junior High School, Jackson; (grades 10-12) Tessy Paikeday, Cape Central High School; and Sarah Fluegge and Kathleen Ivester, Jackson High School.