1999 FOX WRITING CONTEST
AT MONMOUTH COLLEGE

The Department of Classics at Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois, is proud to announce the winners of the fifteenth annual Bernice L. Fox Classics Writing Contest. The goal of this year's contest, open to all high school students, was for the students to write the closing statement for either the defense or the prosecution in a trial of Aeneas for breach of promise and abandonment of Dido. 248 entries were received from twenty nine schools in thirteen states. Of these 168 argued for the defense and 80 for the prosecution. Each entrant receives a certificate of participation from Monmouth college.

The winner of a $150 cash award is Danielle Pinto of the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Her teacher is Dr. David Califf.   Click here to read the winning entry.

Honorable mentions (listed randomly by school) were awarded to the following twenty five students: Joseph P. Kochuveli, Andy Franger, Semmy Sebastian and Bruce Ponsaran at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois (Teacher: Mr. Mathers); Irene Pappas at the Academy of Notre Dame in Villanova, Pennsylvania (Teacher: Dr. David Califf); Eric Basford of Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine (Teacher: Sally Cody); James King at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Virginia (Teacher: Mrs. A. Lukes); Brady Birk at Monacan High School in Richmond, Virginia (Teacher: Ms. Sameth); Amy Renee Dunn and Jill Placek at Rosary High School in Aurora, Illinois (Teacher: Mrs. Kathy Spencer); Katherine Green and Jennifer Driver at Marlborough School in Los Angeles, California (Teacher: Dr. Ortiz); Sarah Calabi at Camden-Rockport High School in Camden, Maine (Teacher: Bill Curtis); Sarah Burley at Midlothian High School in Midlothian, Virginia (Teacher: Mrs. Robertson); Ashley Catherine Powell at the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia (Teacher: Mrs. Elizabeth L. Heimbach); Natalie Crowson at Hillwood High School in Nashville, Tennessee (Teacher: Dr. Rick Seay); Daniel Gelfand, Renee Della Ratta, G. Bradley Bookatz, Valerie Senior, Megan Strobel, Jarrett Skirball, and Stephen F. Rose (Teacher: Stergio Lazos) and  Philip Berkman and Matt MacEwan (Teacher: Julie Gill) at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio.

This essay honors Bernice L. Fox who taught English, Latin and Greek at the college from 1947 to 1981 and who also served for some time as chair of the Department of Classics. Dr. Fox has spent much of her life in promoting the study of Latin in Illinois high schools. The college welcomes suggestions for future contest topics. Please contact Dr. Thomas J. Sienkewicz, Capron Professor of Classics, Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois, 309-457-2371. E-mail: toms@momn.edu.