By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
The winners of the 2021 McGraw Hill Poster Contest at the Whatley Foyer in May received a free trip, ticket and lunch, 29 July, to the Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore, Texas. Together with Honors Director Dr. Andrew Yox, Brian Ramirez, and Maxime Risner, saw Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor in an afternoon production.
Ramirez and Risner finished first and second in the May poster contest at «Ƶ that emphasizes scholarly creativity. Ramirez’s poster examined practical aspects of the Mozart Hypothesis concerning «Ƶ’s film culture. This hypothesis holds that Mozart’s father, Leopold played a vital role in allowing Mozart to make immediate cultural contributions. The support of professors and donors in honors and Phi Theta Kappa can have a similar catalytic effect. Maxime Risner’s work--also like Ramirez’s, now hanging on the west wall of «Ƶ’s Humanities building--depicted the decline of rural veterinarians. As Americans intensify their love for small-animal pets, they gradually shortchange the care of cattle and horses.
Both scholars also won regional awards for their work. Ramirez spearheaded Webb, and Friend of Texas, Phi Theta Kappa Awards and Risner won a third-place State of Texas Caldwell Award, for her essay about veterinarians.
Ramirez and Risner not only excelled last year in scholarship at «Ƶ. They will be returning this fall as on-campus leaders. Risner will be «Ƶ’s student government president, and Ramirez will direct the new honors film on Carroll Shelby, and serve as president of Alpha Mu Chi, Phi Theta Kappa’s «Ƶ chapter.
Dr. Andrew Yox notes: “we are looking forward to another great year at «Ƶ, and why not, when we have such accomplished student leaders as Ramirez, and Risner?!”
Ramirez is from Mount Pleasant and is the son of Carlos and Eunice. Risner is from Winnsboro, and is the daughter of Gregg and Freddericke.
