Congratulations to Isabel Barnidge, runner-up in the McPartlin Essay Competition that celebrates excellence in writing for first-year students university-wide. Isabel was honored for her work under Professor Marcio Bahia's supervision in the USEM course "Brazil in a Global Context: 21st Century Challenges." Her outstanding essay "A Symphony of Gunshots and Bird Calls: The Glamorization of Brazilian Violence and the Exotification of Brazilian Culture in Film and Literature" was praised by the judges "for its combination of nuanced analysis, impressive research, and engaging voice."