Lander University student Amber Ballenger, of Abbeville, reads from her short story, "All the Texan Poppies," during the launch party for the 2021 edition of "New Voices," Lander's student journal, on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The story earned Ballenger, a professional writing major, the 2021 Creative Writing Award. Other award winners included Angelina Vita, of Honea Path, winner of the Dessie Dean Pitts Award for exceptional nonfiction; Christina Aguayo, of Las Cruces, N.M., winner of the Race and Identity Dialogue Special Recognition Award; and Jerusha Nolt, of Greenwood, whose artwork, "Fish of Fortune," was selected for the cover of this year's issue. "New Voices" is a publication of Lander's Department of English and Foreign Languages.