Nayelly Barrios, an undergraduate student in our creative writing track, has just received news that she was accepted into the Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets, a great fellowship to study in the summer at Bucknell. In June 2008, the Stadler Center will conduct the twenty-fourth annual Seminar for Younger Poets. Held for three weeks in June, the Seminar provides an extended opportunity for undergraduate poets to write and to be guided by established poets. Staff and visiting poets conduct writing workshops and offer lecture/discussions, present readings of their own work, and are available for individual conferences. In the past, such poets as Robin Becker, Denise Duhamel, Linda Gregg, Terrance Hayes, James Harms, Mary Ruefle, Gerald Stern, David St. John, Michael Waters, and Afaa M. Weaver have served as visiting poets. Weekly readings provide the participants with the opportunity to hear and be heard by their peers. Applicants compete for ten places in the Seminar, all of which come with fellowships. Fellowships include tuition, housing in campus apartments, and meals. The Department is pleased that Nayelly Barrios has been awared this wonderful opportunity in such a competitive process (only 10 students accepted).  She has been very active as a volunteer mentor with me and other students in the service learning project for incarcerated young adults and she works tirelessly in building community among her peers on campus for poetry readings and activities on and off campus.  If you know Nayelly, please do congratulate her on this accomplishment.