Youngstown State University is celebrating six students and one faculty member from the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education whose work was selected for “A Day in the Loop”, a community arts competition hosted by Loop Youngstown.

The competition invited community members to submit written and visual works that capture a snapshot of life in the Mahoning Valley. Selected submissions reflect personal, cultural and creative perspectives of the region.

The YSU students whose work was selected are Will Anderson, Jordan Bond, J. Tristan Hostetter, Lauren Macovitz, Shane Trevor and India Gatts. The faculty member selected is Michele Ristich Gatts, adjunct faculty member in journalism.

“This was an outstanding opportunity for students to participate in a community-engaged project where they could demonstrate the skills they’ve learned at YSU,” Gatts said.

The works were originally submitted in October 2025, and all selected pieces are now featured in an online gallery hosted by Loop Youngstown. The gallery is available for public viewing at the Loop Youngstown website.

The students and faculty member were honored Sunday, Feb. 8, during a public reception. During the event, selected works were projected in a slideshow, and authors of written pieces were encouraged to read their work aloud.

Loop Youngstown hopes to secure a physical location for an in-person exhibition that will open at the end of this month.