Three undergraduates have received prizes as winners of the “My Cornell” writing and video contests held in honor of the university’s sesquicentennial year.

The winning essays and video will be showcased at the April 25 “Sights and Sounds” panel during Charter Day Weekend. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 3 p.m. at Cornell Cinema in Willard Straight Hall.

Winner of the video contest and a $500 prize:

• David Karp ’16, an American studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for “myCornell: Timeless (From 16 mm to the Digital Age).” Karp’s video tracks the evolution of cinema and the transformation of Cornell alongside one another.

“I wanted to capture the sights I’ve seen every day for the last three years, the stunning architecture and beauty of campus,” said Karp, who said his dream is to one day be “Woody Allen without the scandals.”

Winners of the essay contest and a prize of $300:

• Karen Ortega ’15, a science of nature and environmental studies major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, for “161.” After transferring to Cornell, Ortega starts climbing Libe Slope every morning, then the 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower. Does she have what it takes to become a chimesmaster?
• Lauren Frazier ’15, an environmental engineering major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, for “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” Frazier’s sense of belonging to Cornell feels strongest when she spends a semester in New Zealand, where she discovers that, to her fellow students at the University of Auckland, she is Cornell.

Honorable mentions in the writing contest:

• Lianne Bornfeld ’15, an English major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for “Becoming Jew-ish.”
• Michael Levin ’15, a natural resources major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, for “A Slippery Slope.”

The contest was the brainchild of Glenn Altschuler, dean of the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies and a Weiss Presidential Fellow. “The My Cornell writing and video contests gave students opportunities to reflect on their Cornell experience,” Altschuler said. “I am delighted by the splendid quality of all of the submissions – and am looking forward to congratulating the winners.”

Undergraduates were asked to write essays and make videos that focused on their experience as a Cornell student. Students were encouraged to explore any topic that shaped their time here, from learning experiences, extracurricular activities and study abroad to friendships and mentorships.

“I wrote ‘161’ to share the experience of becoming a chimesmaster and to give the Cornell community an idea of what really goes on in McGraw Tower,” Ortega said. “Being a chimesmaster is odd in that everyone knows ofus, but no one really knows anything about us.”

“The My Cornell writing contest has made me realize just how much Cornell means to me in so many different ways,” Frazier said. ”I could have chosen multiple topics for this essay, and all of them would have contained such important parts of my life and the shaping of my character.”

Register for the “Sights and Sounds” event this and other Charter Day Weekend activities. Winning videos and essays will be available to view online after the event.

The contests were sponsored by the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee, the Department of Performing and Media Arts, and the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines.