By Stella Keeney
Elm Staff Writer
The Rose O’Neill Literary House held its annual Senior Reading on Tuesday, April 21, where 11 seniors read aloud in showcasing their strongest writing for an audience of peers, parents, staff, and faculty. The works included poems, excerpts from larger fiction and creative non-fiction pieces, and even a translation, each with a unique theme and voice that contribute to the achievements of the class of 2026. The winners of Literary House Student Writing Awards were announced after the reading.
Seth Horan, who read a poem and a piece of short fiction, said that the Lit House is a great resource for students, regardless of their majors, and a place of community.
“The Lit House is pretty great because it serves as a home base for a lot of events, for classes, and for a lot of faculty . . . it sort of feels like an embodiment of what I cherish here,” Horan said.
Many students graduating from WC express a desire to further their skills for writing in their post-graduate lives, whether as a career or as a passion.
Andraya Sudler, another senior who presented her work, discussed her plans to write in the future.
“I would love to continue writing journalism and poetry, anything I can combine with writing creatively; I would love to do that,” Sudler said.
A variety of forms and genres were presented by the participating seniors, with each offering something distinct to the audience. Various audience members reflected on how this kind of diversity in writing allows for the opportunity to learn from and experience new perspectives during the reading.
Some senior writers blended environmental themes into their works, such as Melchior Tuerk, who read about their experiences in nature as a camp counselor. Outgoing Elm Editor-in-Chief Evelyn Lucado included personal ideas and concepts of LGBTQ+ experiences in her poems. Other seniors focused on fictional narratives, like Ellie Bogue, who read an excerpt from her novella that features elements of horror. Elm staff writer Melinda Kern read an Anglo-Saxon riddle poem she translated into English.
As the class of 2026 graduates, they leave a lasting impression on the student body and faculty members at WC. By sharing their voices in a final Lit House reading, graduating seniors reflect on what they have learned during at the College and look forward to what the future has in store.
The winners and runners-up of four awards were also announced during the event, each with a cash prize in reward. Submissions were open to all students.
The Pfister Poetry Prize was awarded to freshman Ed Roundy for his poem, “Boy Named Sue.” The runner-up was Lucado for “Pillow Princess Femme Pop.”
“I feel very proud of myself…I know that there are lots of people here who are older than me and have been doing this for longer,” Roundy said on winning as one of two freshman writers awarded. “I came tonight wearing my money-making shirt,” crediting the shirt as a key factor of his success.
The William Warner Prize for Writing About the Environment was given to Elm sports editor Aaron Rodenhausen for “The Years Will Pass You By.” Roundy was the runner-up with “Tuesday Coming Down on the Seaboard.”
The Harwood Award for Excellence in Journalism was presented to Elm news editor Logan Monteleone for her Elm article, “Campus identifies strengths, addresses misconceptions, and discusses improvements for Title IX process.” The runner-up was first-year John Valat de Cordova for “Trump Uses National Guard…”
The Genre Fiction Prize winner was freshman Piper Langenfeld for “Pick Your White Lilies.” Bogue was the runner-up with “Eat the Hearts Raw.”
“I’m having a very good experience with Washington College’s English department so far,” Langenfeld said. “I was not expecting to win, but I’ve edited this piece a lot, and I’m happy with how it turned out.”
The next literary reading will be for Sophie Kerr Prize finalists at the ceremony in Gibson Center for the Arts on May 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Sophie Kerr Ceremony will also be livestreamed.
Photo caption: Elm staff writer Faye Dorman reads her poem at the annual Senior Reading at the Rose O’Neill Literary House on April 21, 2026.
Photo by Katie Trego