Congratulations to Alliah Irtan, Winner of the First Year AU Community Reads Award

The First Year AU Community Reads Award, sponsored by the First Year Experience Committee, is awarded for an outstanding response to this year’s AU selected reading, Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates.The prize is a $250 gift card to Barnes and Noble. All entrants worked hard their entries, ranging from works of art, to written responses.

We would like to congratulate first-year student Alliah Irtan on winning the 2016-2017 First-Year AU Community Reads Award. Alliah created a sculpture in response to Between the World and Me.

Alliah’s sculpture abstract reads: “I chose to make this bust because it shows that race is only what’s on the surface. On the front, printed across her back, it says, “We’re the same underneath.” To show this, a portion of her scalp is peeling back to reveal her skull. We may have different features (noses, mouths, hair, and skin tones), but everything beneath our skin is the same. We’re all humans. We all eat, sleep, breathe, etc. Why is there a need to separate ourselves by race?”

We would also like to acknowledge the Honorable Mention for this award, Melissa Campbell.

Congrats Alliah on your accomplishment, and a big thank you to all of our contest participants!