History of the
Celebration of the Humanities
The Celebration of the Humanities was the brainchild of Bob Mognis, a former Dean of the Literature and Language Arts Division. A teacher for many years, Bob was impressed with the talent of many MJC students and sought a way to honor them for their achievements. He also wanted to inspire students to discover and develop their ability, and he needed to provide an incentive. As a result, in 1977 he created the Humanities Contest.
That first year was small but promising. Instructors Bob Gauvreau , Shirley Woodward, Jim Johnson , Ken Allen, David Dow and Dan Petersen worked with Bob on the project. There were three contests within the category of Writing (short story, essay, poetry; two within Music (art, popular); three in Art (drawing, painting, three-dimensional); one in Speech, and two in Photography (black and white, color). Cash prizes were given to first, second, and third in each competition. Students reacted enthusiastically, and faculty were excited when they saw their students’ pride upon winning or receiving honorable mention.
Within a few years with a wider vision of its potential, the Humanities Contest became the Celebration of the Humanities. The Celebration’s faculty steering committee was for years coordinated by Dan Onorato , later by Richard Serros and Mike Sundquist, and currently, by Flora Carter. The Awards Ceremony outgrew the Fireside Room in the Student Center and for nearly ten years captivated larger audiences in the Auditorium. This year we will be celebrating in the Music Building Recital Hall while our Auditorium is being remodeled. Following the Ceremony, a delightful reception will be held in the Art Patio nearby. The Art Gallery will be open to view a juried exhibition of student paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, and ceramics and mixed media submitted for the Celebration. The Celebration has added categories and contests over the years. It now has nine categories-- Art, Photography, Theatre, Dance, Video, Music, Writing, and Speech and Storytelling-- and offers prizes in over twenty contests.
With up to $300 prize money awarded in each contest, with a distribution of over $6000 in prizes per year, fundraising has been essential to maintaining the Celebration. A small amount of money comes from nominal entry fees, but donations from the community are the largest single source of support. Some donors choose to contribute for specific prizes or in honor or memory of a specific person. The Associated Students of MJC has contributed in many years, and the MJC Foundation has generously provided financial assistance.
One prize-- the Sylvia Lopez-Medina Short Story Award-- is named to honor an outstanding award winner. Sylvia symbolizes what this contest means to students. A single mother of two children and a returning student in the mid 1980’s, Sylvia found her special gift through the Celebration of the Humanities. Her English teachers encouraged her to enter, and being a risk taker she did. Two years in a row she won first place in the short story contest. The first year she could hardly believe her good fortune. Her second year’s honor helped her chart her future. Soon she was accepted into the very selective UC Santa Cruz Creative Writing Program, and shortly after graduating she published Cantora, her first novel. Before her life was cut short in a car accident, she wrote a second novel and was working on her third. Sylvia’s last years were filled with confidence, enthusiasm, purpose, and generous sharing of her talents with others. In the preface to Cantora, she credited the Celebration of the Humanities for helping her gain the courage to pursue her gift.
What Bob Mognis created is now entering its thirtieth year. In that time across the disciplines there have been other Sylvia Lopez-Medinas. And there have been hundreds of students who have grown in confidence and purpose because they were honored for their excellence. This year’s Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 12, 2008 will continue this important tradition of celebrating students for their talent and success. If you’re an MJC student, please consider participating. If you’re part of the MJC staff or from the larger community, support your local artists and share in their joy on April 12th.
Last updated:
11/28/2007