SAC Ascender student Sophia Farias took first place in a Short Story SLAM contest with her short story: “Forever Young.”  Ascender’s Siobhan Mcgurk also participated with her own short story: “My First Love.”  To hear their stories, go to https://sacguide.libguides.com/LCR2020

Ascender students participated in writing workshops to prepare for the event where they gained professional and expert guidance on writing their own short story told in a way that engages their audience through inspiration, motivation, triumph, and perseverance.  Guest judges for the Short Story SLAM included Chibbi, Eddie Vega, Florinda Flores-Brown, and Victoria Guerrero. Cash prizes were awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of $500, $300, and $200, respectively. Competitors were judged on four criteria of performance, content, production, and duration.

The Short Story SLAM contest was held after San Antonio College Library held their first annual Fall 2020 Library Common Read of the Moth Radio Hour’s book: Occasional Magic, True Stories about Defying the Impossible.  Throughout the course of the semester, Ascender students engaged in vibrant and interactive discussions surrounding readings in the Occasional Magic book, which conjured understanding for the human condition.  Students connected with the various writers in the book, and to each other, as they read the stories. To add further inspiration to the event, Rio Grande Valley of South Texas poet and spoken word artist, Eddie Vega, also known as the Taco-Poet of Texas, gave participants an evening of sharing his expertise and moving stories.