The winners of the Purdue University North Central annual Student Writing Contest for the 2008-2009 year have been announced by Robert Mellin, 
continuing lecturer of English and director of the writing contest. The winning entries are published in Portals, the annual PNC student literary journal.
The contest judging teams included faculty, staff as well as students.
There will be a banquet to honor the winners on April 29, at 6 p.m. in the PNC Library-Student-Faculty Building, Room 114.
The winners are:
Personal Essay:
- First place - "The Super Bowl," by Ethan Davis, Michigan City;
- Second place - "Waiting," by Tom Potter, Chesterton;
- Third place - "Some Fought for Each Other," by Mark Strudas, Chesterton.
English Composition Research Essay:
- First place - "Voluntuition," by Thomas Kuehl, Valparaiso;
- Second place - "The Great Debate: The Pros and Cons of Guns in the Classroom," by Robert Braddy, Michigan City;
- Third place - "Unsure of Uniforms: Are Assumed Effects Merely Hearsay?" by Jennifer Evan, Valparaiso; "A Study of Single-Gender Classrooms," by Dan Fortney, Valparaiso.
Campus-Wide Research Essay:
- First place - "Alzheimer's Disease in Society: Research Efforts Investigate a Cure Through Immunotherapy," by Jennifer Evan, Valparaiso;
- Second place - "Aspartame in the Membrane," by Lakiska Flippin, LaPorte.
Poetry:
- First place - "Blossom," by Karen Thompson, Valparaiso;
- Second place - "Ad Infinitum," by Karen Thompson, Valparaiso;
- Third place - "Twilight's Last Burn," by Amadeo Madrid, Michigan City.
Short Fiction:
- First place (tie) - "Crispix and Glasses," by David Mak, Michigan City and "A Touch of Time," by Deeb Browne, LaPorte;
- Third place - "Roll Call," by Jonathon Meyers, Michigan City.
Art Contest:
- First place - "My Home," by Cynthia de Santiago, LaPorte;
- Second place - "Midsummer SunLight at the Dunes," by Laura Gertzen, Portage.