Redhawk recognized at Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Though tough competition, sophomore Madhalasa Iyer soared high at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards as her work “Epiphora” received recognition.
April 8, 2021
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is America’s longest-running and most famous and influential program for imaginative teenagers. This year five students in Frisco ISD won medals for their efforts, including gold medal-winning sophomore Madhalasa Iyer.
“At the moment, I felt immense gratitude,” Iyer said. “There are 230,000 submissions for nationals, and each and every one of those submissions were wonderful. I was ecstatic, to say the least.”
Pernie Fallon, a Fine Arts teacher and sponsor for the Scholastic competition is also a past recipient of the award.
“I know the hard work it takes to achieve the award,” Fallon said. “While Madhalasa truly has a gift for writing, her gift amounts to nothing without applying lots and lots of hard work.”
Iyer’s dystopian writing, “Epiphora” has a much deeper meaning relating to today’s world.
“In the current Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people around the world have lost their loved ones,” Iyer said. “In a utopian world, sorrow may be non-existent, yet the limitations on our expressions and feelings turn the world into a dystopian one. My dystopian story describes the journey of a girl in a world where crying is prohibited. The title “Epiphora” is a medical term which means the overproduction of tears and I thought that fit well into the plot.”
For English II teacher, Chad Doty, it is his first time having a student win the award.
“It feels amazing,” Doty said. “In fact, I was a little surprised because we haven’t prepared directly for this kind of competition. However, Madhalasa has mentioned that the types of short stories we read, typically dystopian literature, have given her a framework for deciding the kinds of stories she wants to write.”
Iyer also won the New York Life Award.
“The New York Life Award is a special award that is given to only six students across the country for their art or writing work about grief or loss,” Iyer said. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to share my work and be a part of many of the influential Scholastic Alumni’s.”
