TROY, N.Y. - Prior to the conclusion of the 2021 spring semester, the winners of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) annual McKinney Writing Contest were announced and three student-athletes were among those recognized. Nyah Philip had the first prize submission in undergraduate poetry, while Hannah Price and Cooper Urban both earned third prize in the Undergraduate Essay/Creative Nonfiction.

Philip (Mississauga, ON / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins), a member of the Class of 2024 who plays hockey, submitted a piece entitled "Black Vagabonds." It reads:

It can take five hundred thousand years for a volcano to erupt.
But on average, seven weeks for a single eruption to occur.
I think of this when my Mama tells me that bruises travel,
Not from knee to ankle or ear to pinky,
But from man to man,
Woman to woman.
 
I see the same bruise on the girl who smashes in the skull of the goat,
On the one who drowns herself in fabrics of tulle and lace.
I am never to poke the bruises when they appear,                                   
Instead I watch as they fester, turning purple but never black.
The bruises do not travel alone, alongside them are songs sang in deep tones
And foods that fill your belly until it aches and threatens to burst,
Reminding you of what it is to feel full. 
 
I have bruises from the woman who weaves patterns into her hair,
Whose skin has been curdled by the hands of the sun.
She leaves me to wonder who I shall give my bruises to,
Whose battered woman I will be.
But for now, my wondering will remain just that,
And tonight I will sit before this bonfire,
Bruising, as their fingertips prod around the edges of the purple.

Also on the hockey team, Price (Canonsburg, PA / Pittsburgh Pens Elite) submitted "Rosemary Kennedy: How One Tragic Story Changed the Fate of the Disabled Community Forever." 

"In high school, I was a counselor for a special needs camp for three summers and I also volunteered during the summer as a "buddy" for the Miracle League in Pittsburgh," said Price, a member of the Class of 2023 whose piece can be read by clicking HERE. "I was inspired to write about the story of Rosemary Kennedy because of what a pivotal figure she was in the disability rights movement. The perception and treatment of those living with intellectual and physical disabilities were revolutionized because of Rosemary Kennedy's story. Her story is tragic and deserves to be more widely known!"

Urban (Glen Mills, PA / Salesianum School), a member of the lacrosse team as well as the Class of 2022, tied with Price for third place with his submission, "A Hairy Moment."

"I feel honored for my writing to be recognized," said Urban, who elected not to share his piece publicly.