You're invited! Support our student writers and artists (while enjoying free food)!

Join us Wednesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. in UNCW Library's Discovery Hall Event Space, room DH1070 for a reading and reception honoring the contest's winners, honorable mentions and contributing artists. Copies of this year's anthology will be available free of charge.

Winners:

First: "My Daddy’s a Mountain Maker" by Jasmine Olson
Second: "Plastic Bangle Bracelet" by Megan Eesley
Third: "Renewal" by Tamma Svecharnik

Honorable Mentions:

"Unclean" by Rhianna Beaupre
"It's Only Trash" by Logan Knowles
"Treasure/A Matter of Opinion" by Sydney Nelson
"Routine" by Libby Newman
"Nature only exists, so do I" by Brielle Nugent
"Trash Day" by Zoe Phillips
"We Chose Extinction" by Bridget Roy
"The Middle, Not the End" by Tran Minh
"The Blue Bag That Talks" by Emre Vancin
"What Once Was, Now Is" by Katelyn Walbourne
"The Water Bottle" by Jovan Wilson
"Become Practical" by Ty Yandle

Illustrators:

Jordan Eadie
Itzel Avellaneda-Cruz
Kylie Schreiner
Luke Loeser
Dylan Messner
Lauryn Lea
Emma Fox
Katharine Ciener
Sara Stotesbury
Dannika Ward
Breana Jackson
Eden Asher
Mariyella Nunez
Gray Mock
Emma Graham

Learn more about the FlashLIT Writing Contest

UNCW Library will host Recharge, a three-day final exam destress event May 3–5, offering relaxation activities, free snacks and wellness experiences to support students during exams. The event is open to students seeking a break, a quiet space or additional support as the semester concludes.

May 3  

The event begins with evening refreshments:

6 PM | Beverage service and snacks (Discovery Hall, MakerStudio, DH1065)

May 4

A full day of activities will be offered across the library:

1-6 PM | Destress Activities (Randall Hall, First floor)

Take part in fun activities, play games, win prizes, and try your luck at the Ultimate Study Break Gift Basket!

1-4 PM | Picture books and Pups with Paws4people (Children's Area, Randall Hall, First floor)

Destress from final exams while enjoying picture books in the calming presence of assistance dogs.

1 PM | Beverage service (Discovery Hall, MakerStudio, DH1065)

2-4 PM | Sweet Trolley Stops (Randall Hall and Discovery Hall)

Look out for the Sweet Trolley! Grab-n-go snacks, motivational stickers, pencils, index cards, and more!

4:30-5:15 PM | Destress with Sound Healing (Randall Hall, RL1045)

Enjoy a guided meditation and immersive sound bath. Explore how music and vibration support balance and relaxation. All supplies provided. No experience needed. 

6 PM | Beverage service and snack drop (Discovery Hall, MakerStudio, DH1065)

May 5  

Programming continues with:

12:30-4 PM | Zen Den (Discovery Hall, Link, First floor)

Take a break and unwind at the Zen Den, where the University Learning Center and Office of Student Wellbeing will host a DIY table to create “stress less study hack packs” with helpful study materials and resources. Enjoy an afternoon of expressive art, mindfulness activities, snacks and community connection designed to support your well-being during exams.

6 PM | Beverage service and snack drop (Discovery Hall, MakerStudio, DH1065)

NOTE: Event details, including activities and locations, are subject to change. Snack and beverage service times may also vary.

The UNCW Library fosters and promotes student success, faculty scholarship and community engagement, providing information resources, learner- and scholar-centered services, and community programming for the campus and greater Southeast North Carolina community in a welcoming and inclusive environment. We aspire to be the intellectual heart of the campus and community.

By designating your gift to UNCW Library during Seahawks Give, you provide critical support for priority resources, services and programs.

Your gift supports funding for:

• Materials and technology for students to freely check out and use
• Research scholarships to support student research and travel
• Public programming, such as author talks, guest speakers and traveling exhibits
• MakerStudio supplies for participants in community and campus workshops
• Digitization of local collections for campus and community use
• Specialized software for student researchers
• Equipment for our MakerStudio, used for fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting) and digital production (podcasting or video production)
• Library resources (books, databases, journals, media)

(James Covial, B.A., 2026, recipient of the Anne Pemberton Award )

Make a Gift to the UNCW Library

Students recognize the impact of your gift:

"The Makerspace has provided some really amazing craft opportunities. Having access to quality tools and materials has made creativity accessible at UNCW!" — Micah Gesualdi, Class of 2029

"The UNCW Library makes it easy for us as students to flourish creatively in such a cool way. The library's 48-hour film challenge is a prime example of the opportunities that become open to us as scholars because of this resource. Being able to rent equipment for free, tackle challenges in a fun way and connect with people you relate to is such a rare and special opportunity that the library grants us as Seahawks!" — Marissa Swindells, Film Studies

"I had the privilege of being a student employee at the UNCW Library MakerStudio for my entire four years as a student at UNCW … Being a student employee, not only did I have the unique opportunity to learn to operate and use cutting-edge technology in creative ways, but I also developed invaluable working skills that I can take with me as I further my career academically and professionally." — Jordan McLeod, B.S., 2025

"I am so grateful for this scholarship … None of my research would've been possible without the incredible support from the UNCW Library." — James Covial, B.A., 2026, recipient of the Anne Pemberton Award

(Jordan McLeod, B.S., 2025)

Make a Gift to the UNCW Library

"Currents of Connection" Opens April 14 at UNCW Library

A student-curated exhibition drawn from the UNCW Library Art Collection will open this month, spotlighting a group of artists connected through their participation in the No Boundaries International Art Residency between 1998 and 2008.

"Currents of Connection: 'No Boundaries' and its Artists, 1998–2008" brings together works that reflect the residency's "art without borders" ethos, highlighting themes of connection among artists, community and nature. Although the works on view were not created at the residency, they serve as a testament to the bonds formed there and the residency's lasting impact on each artist's work.

The exhibition was organized by the inaugural cohort of students in ARH 391, Introduction to Art Museums, under the direction of Dr. Ewa Matyczyk. The No Boundaries residency, now approaching its 30th anniversary, continues to welcome artists each January for two-week sessions.

An opening reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. April 14 at UNCW Library, Sherman Hayes Gallery, Randall Hall, first floor. The reception is open to the public.

The exhibition runs April 14 through July 24.

Take a break and reset with our Destress Series, a collection of four wellness experiences designed to help you slow down, recharge, and reconnect. Each session offers a unique, hands-on approach to mindfulness, from painting and sound healing to tea and play. All supplies are provided, and no prior experience is needed. Sessions are held Wednesdays in April, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at UNCW Library, Randall Hall, Retreat at Randall, room RL2016. Registration is required.

Destress sessions:

April 8 | Destress with Mindful Painting
Reset your mind with a relaxing painting experience using rocks, shells, or canvas. All supplies provided. No experience needed. Register

April 15 | Destress with Sound Healing
Enjoy a guided meditation and immersive sound bath. Explore how music and vibration support balance and relaxation. All supplies provided. No experience needed. Register

April 22 | Destress with Mindful Tea
Slow down and savor each sip in a mindful tea experience that builds awareness and connection to the present moment. All supplies provided. No experience needed. Register

April 29 | Destress Through Play: The Gamification of Mindfulness
Reset with a fun, interactive mindfulness game. Experience how play and simple challenges can build awareness and connection. All supplies provided. No experience needed. Register

UNCW Library Names 2026 Anne Pemberton Student Research and Creativity Award Winner

James Covial, a UNCW senior expecting to graduate in May 2026, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Anne Pemberton Student Research and Creativity Award.

Covial's project, "Dream Lounge: A Virtual Listening Experience," is a virtual reality program that allows users to experience music in immersive environments designed to reflect the nature of each song.

His work embodies the mission of the Anne Pemberton Award through a student-centered, practice-based exploration of mindfulness using immersive technology and library-supported research spaces. Covial combined self-directed learning and hands-on experimentation throughout the research process, leveraging the library not only as a source of information but as an active research environment — recruiting participants, gathering feedback and conducting demonstrations in library spaces.

His use of the Visualization and Analysis Lab (DH1072) and Event Space (DH1070) positioned the library as a collaborative research partner and creative laboratory. His project bridges artistic intuition and technical execution while remaining grounded in a concern for mental wellness and student experience.

"I am so humbled and grateful for this scholarship," Covial said. "This started off as an idea with no clue if it was even possible. Through the resources at the library, I was able to turn that dream into a reality. None of my research would have been possible without the incredible support from the UNCW Library. I plan to continue building Dream Lounge until it is ready to be released to the public and on the Steam Marketplace. The long-term dream is continuing to blend the beautiful experience of music with the infinite possibilities of virtual worlds."