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    Edible Book Festival Sparks Creativity on USM Campuses

    University of Southern MississippiBy 2 Mins Read10 Views

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) inspired students, faculty, and staff to create an “edible book” that showcases a book title, author, or character for the annual Edible Book Festival hosted by University Libraries. The event is held every April in person and online.

    The unique festival invites each participant to create an entry made from edible materials. Participants were encouraged to incorporate puns throughout their display. Entries were displayed to the public.

    On the Hattiesburg campus, participants competed for categories including Best in Show, “Punniest”/Most Creative, Best Virtual Entry, and People’s Choice Award.

    • Best in Show: “Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary” by Blake Denton, inspired bySmothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary
    • “Punniest”/Most Creative: “Lime of Pie” by Josh Cromwell, inspired by The Life of Pi
    • Best Virtual Entry: “Tale of Two Zitis” by Dena Temple, inspired by A Tale of Two Cities
    • People’s Choice: “The Scarlet Lettuce” by Raine DeLancey, inspired by The Scarlet Letter

    Madison Valentine presents her interpretation of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.

    Madison Valentine won with her interpretation of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” at the Gulf Coast Library in Long Beach, Miss. Valentine is a freshman majoring in Elementary Education.

    “The reason why I wanted to participate this year is because I love doing something creative. I thought it would be fun to create a project based on a children’s book,” expressed Valentine.

    John Eye, Dean of University Libraries, enjoyed looking at the creativity of each entry.

    “The Edible Book Festival is a light-hearted event our faculty and staff use to showcase the creativity and imagination of each participant. Books have been a part of all our lives, and this provides a way to connect our favorites with ingredients that would be delicious to the taste. The occasion is joined with a call for food pantry donations as well,” said Eye.

    Participants were encouraged to donate an item to the local USM Food Pantry.

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a comprehensive public research institution delivering transformative programs on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites in central and southern Mississippi, as well as online. Founded in 1910, USM is one of only 130 universities in the nation to earn the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity” designation, and its robust research enterprise includes experts in ocean science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, and sport venue safety and security, among others. USM is also one of only 40 institutions in the nation accredited in theatre, art and design, dance and music. As an economic driver, USM generates an annual economic impact of more than $600 million across the state. USM welcomes a diverse student body of approximately 15,000, representing 71 countries, all 50 states, and every county in Mississippi. USM students have collected four Truman Scholarships and 36 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, while also leading Mississippi with 24 Goldwater Scholarships, an honor that recognizes the next generation of great research scientists. Home to the Golden Eagles, USM competes in 17 Division I sports sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For more information, visit usm.edu.

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