Since student artists and writers often lack opportunities to showcase their skills in a competitive setting, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards acts as a platform for creative teens to share their views, thoughts, and stories through many different art forms. Among a small percentage of winners were two Redhawks who received national recognition. 

One of these winners, sophomore Madhalasa Iyer, won a Gold Key award, the highest level of recognition, in the Science Fiction and Fantasy category for her short story, “Epiphora”, and an Honorable Mention in Poetry for “Fog of War”.

“My story is actually inspired by the COVID-19 situation, and how everyone around the world is extremely sad,” Iyer said. “At some point I imagined, what if sadness didn’t exist? And the story emerged from there. I think it is important to express oneself, and that is prominent in my story. This is a world where crying isn’t allowed, and that is a way that a lot of people express their emotions. So, I guess the moral of the story, so to speak, is to express one’s individuality in whatever way possible. Each person has a different life story and a different journey of their lives, and we need to share that.”

It took Iyer more than three months to finish her works, and this time paid off in the eyes of the judges. With two drastically different themes, Iyer sheds light on two issues and ideas she feels strongly about. 

“I got inspired by current events, and the theme of violence for my poem,” she said. “Now more than ever, because of all the violence and inequalities around us, it has become an important issue to discuss. In my poem I actually say that violence that isn’t necessary, and I really resonate with that. That is mainly because I feel that the words we speak and write have a lot of power. Whatever we write has an ability to create a lasting impact on people, more than what we do.”

The second winner, junior Emily Santoso chose a different route, and decided to enter a piece of art, “See Through”, which won Honorable Mention for Drawing and Illustration.

“As a junior I am preparing to go to college, and I have decided that I want to be an art major,” Santoso said. “So I thought that if this is a free competition where I can enter any of my art, I might as well go for it and see what happens. It was so surprising to win, but it feels really nice to say that I have won something, and that my art is good enough for the world.

Santoso’s project originated from a class assignment, one that required students to create a piece that centered around a crystal ball. After taking her own reference photo, she used a reverse style of art where white color is layered on top of a black background. 

“There is not really a deep meaning behind my piece, so I would want viewers to take away from my piece the idea that not all art needs to be serious,” Santoso said. “It can be something as simple as a black and white photo that could still win something in a competition, or it could be something that you feel happy making. You don’t have to pressure yourself to have a super deep meaning in your artwork, you can just go for it and have fun with it.”