Collecting the three cash prizes at the May 1 awards ceremony in the Library with the top reports on their favorite series of books were Diego Dardon, an English major from San Jose; Jessica Potts, a Business Administration major from Sonora; and Luis Madrigal, a Philosophy major from Delhi.
Dardon was awarded the $300 first prize for a report on his collection of Nibanna books which are the foundation of a search for faith and meaning. He said reading the works helped him to embrace Buddhism, to see beauty in all things, to question the world around him, and to think critically in a never-ending quest for truth.
Potts received the $200 second prize for a report on her poetry collection that revealed how she closed the rift between daughter and mother, eased their strained communications, and returned to family structure from a pained relationship through poems.
Madrigal, who collected the $100 third prize, said his “Finding the Faith” collection of Catholic publications facilitated a spiritual journey the helped him realize a calling to service as a priest and his discovery of faith. In his quest to bolster his spiritual beliefs, Madrigal said he began collecting a number of books, graphic works, and plays that explored the topics of God, argument, and religiosity.