Congratulations Hotchkiss writers! The following 14 students have won a total of 41 awards for their writing in Scholastic’s Hudson-to-Housatonic Region.

Sarah Asante ’22 – 2 Gold Keys, 1 Honorable Mention

Oliver (Qitian) Chen ’22 – 1 Gold Key

Alexander Cheng ’23 – 1 Silver key, 2 Honorable Mentions

Stephanie Ge ’22 – 3 Honorable Mentions

Emily Hellqvist ’23 – 2 Honorable Mentions

Ben Herdeg ’23 – 1 Gold Key

Eric Jin ’22 – 1 Gold Key

Angela (Xinyi) Li ’24 – 1 Gold key, 1 Honorable Mention

Shannon Meng ’22 – 1 Honorable Mention

Stella Ren ’22 – 1 Silver Key, 4 Honorable Mentions

Isabel Su ’22 – 3 Gold Keys, 3 silver keys, 3 Honorable Mentions

Ha Trang Tran ’22 – 1 Gold key, 1 Silver key, 3 Honorable Mentions

Celina Wang ’23 – 1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key, 1 Honorable Mention

Ben Who ’24 – 1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key

Gold-key winner Isabel Su ’22 commented: "It's amazing to be recognized for pieces that I've worked hard on and put a lot of heart into. A lot of my writing is very personal, so knowing that the judges understood and appreciated it is incredible to me. Something that really helped me get into creative writing was the daily themes unit during my lower-mid English class with Dr. Blevins. The prompts and feedback I got from that class gave me the confidence I needed to really start writing on my own.” 

Su won three Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, and three Honorable Mentions. Students who won Gold Keys will be entered in to the national competition. Winners will be announced in March; National Medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $10,000. Read one of Su's Gold Key-winning poems below.

of the Body    By Isabel Su’22

I mold my thumb into the bruises on my knees; a royal-purple ache,

euphoric.

I exist to be sentenced,

            a mannequin pruned,

observe: my eyes could be gouged-grotesque, my skull dizzy & broken

and the blood would garnish my corpse—

 

We learn our imperfections, too soon

my finger traces harsh the crest of my hips; taut &

taught. please, slough the flesh off my bones

where it weighs me down;

I want to soar, knees-knocking &

hair-whipped.  

if only the Body could be emptied forever—

 

I bare my teeth for myself, flash-white in

erratic reflection,

I relish the curve of my

chest when I breathe. concave soul no longer,

my limbs rest easy & unclasped. tell me this Body could be

the last —