Theme: A Piece of MY World
2020 Art Challenge Winners
First Place: Mridula Satyamurti (above)
Second Place: Rebecca Friedman (above)
Third Place: Sam Price (above)
Honorable Mention: Alisha Parikh (above)
Honorable Mention: Mitt Lauenstein (above)
The two judges, Carol Abram and Emma Davidson, jointly made the selections based on connection to the theme, artistic ability and overall aesthetic of the piece. There were many wonderful entries, and it was a difficult decision. We thank everyone for submitting their beautiful artworks to the OBOT challenge and applaud the winning artists.
Writing Contest Winners
Adult Prose
Honorable Mention Adult Prose
Adult Poetry
Honorable Mention Adult Poetry
Student Winners
Elementary
Middle School
High School
1st place Ranya Merchant
2nd place India-Mae Fraser
3rd place Tanvi Shah
Honorable Mention High School
Sara Parulekar
Senior in High School
Whitney Place Award Winner: Diana Li
OBOT award winner: Rachel Wachman
Honorable Mention
Art Challenge (See art works above)
1st place: Mridula Satyamurti
2nd place: Rebecca Friedman
3rd place: Sam Price
Honorable Mention
Alisha Parikh
Milt Lauenstein
There were five judges for the adult prose, four for the adult poetry, and six for the student entries. Winning submissions were based on the following criteria: a very strong connection to reader; insightful; self-reflective; a powerful voice; engaging; smooth flow. The piece was satisfying from beginning to end. If it were presented to an audience, the listener would be actively involved in every word.
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2019 Writing Contest Results for I AM AMERICAN
Student Winners
Elementary School
First Place: Felix Wang
Felix Wang
Secondary School
First Place Poetry: India-Mae Fraser
India-Mae Fraser
Second Place Poetry: Helen Brewer
Helen Brewer
First Place Prose: Mehul Bhattacharyya
Mehul Bhattacharyya
Second Place Prose: Manjari Kannan
Manjari Kannan
Third Place Prose: Ruemon Bhattacharyya
Reumon Bhattacharyva
Honorable Mention: Dana Blatte
Dana Blatte
Upper High School
First Place: Rachel Hess Wachman
Rachel Wachman
Second Place: Sarah Khan
Sarah Khan
Third Place: Lindsay Navick
Lindsay Navick
Adult Winners
First Place Prose: Vera Jordan (Both stories placed first)
Vera Jordan
Vera Jordan
Second Place Prose: Linda Zoe Podbros
Linda Zoe Podbros
Second Place Prose: John Reilly
John Reilly
Third Place Prose: Lan Jiang
Lan Jiang
Third Place Prose: Linda Zimmerman
First Place Poetry: Adelene Ellenberg
Adelene Ellenberg
Second Place Poetry: Barrie Haji
2018 Writing Contest Results for Unconditional Love
PROSE – ADULT
First Place
To My Unborn Baby Boy by Mindy Levine
I’ll Love You on Sunday by Jodi Tolman
Second Place
Third Place
Conditioning Book for Flowers by Thu Hang Tran
Honorable Mention:
Midwinter Light by Sandra Churchill
The Most Beautiful Girl by Adelene Ellenberg
Rebecca’s Birth by Lonnie Friedman
Zahava’s Birth by Lonnie Friedman
Love, Dormant, Old by Linda Zoe Podbros
In Appreciation:
The Last Man on Earth by Al Mollitor
Creepy Spiders by Caterina Marsilli
Unconditional Love (n) by Allison Herman
Here’s the Thing by John Reilly
Dogs are the Best by Anna Golubev
The Question by Cam Giangrande
For the Love of Books by Moira Silva
Amor Vincit Omnia by Alan N. Francis
POETRY – ADULT
First Place
Second Place
Maybe she, like me by Autumn Andrade
Third Place
Love is much more like a flame by Ric Calleja
Honorable Mention:
I am a child by Miriam Leah Epstein-Preil
Another Letter to My Love by Shane Whitman
In Appreciation:
The Sight of Mirrors by David Abrahamson
I love you from afar by Kathleen Habel
Wet Wood Burns by Katarzyna Gilek-Seibert
Anagram to my Mom by Phyllis Fine
Purest Love of All by Shweta Khadelwal
PROSE – STUDENT
First place
That Was All That Mattered by Ilana Wulf
2nd place
Unconditional Love by Jayani Suresh
3rd place prose
Unconditional Love by Ranya Merchant
Unconditional Love by Eshel Potok
POETRY – STUDENT
First place
Unconditional Love by Benjamin Wulf
Earth and Sun by Lindsay Navick
Second place
Unconditional Love by Adiel Potok