NIU’s Department of English will hold a “Unity in Adversity” writing contest that will recognize undergraduate writing that speaks to the courage and unity of the NIU community in the wake of the events of Feb. 14.
The contest is open to NIU undergraduates, who are encouraged to submit fiction or non-fiction writing in any genre or form, including essays, letters, narratives and poems.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the authors of the winning first-, second- and third-place entries, as deemed by a panel of judges.
“Writing after a traumatic event can be therapeutic,” said Michael Day, director of the First-Year Composition Program at NIU. “Although we can’t really grade student writing on the tragic events of Feb. 14, we want to foster self expression and encourage students to celebrate the ways that NIU has come together since the tragedy.”
English Instructor Lori Lawson came up with the contest idea. Many faculty members in the Department of English already had provided students with opportunities to write ungraded responses to the tragedy.
“With this contest, we wanted to provide another vehicle for students to write about their feelings and create an opportunity to recognize the best in the NIU community that has resulted from this worst-case scenario,” she said.
Winners of the Unity in Adversity writing contest will be recognized at the Department of English awards ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in the Chandelier Room of Adams Hall.
Contest entries must be submitted by 4 p.m. Friday, April 18, to the English Department office in Room 215 of Reavis Hall. All entries must include a separate cover sheet listing the following information: name, essay title, campus phone, cell phone, e-mail address, campus address, permanent phone and permanent address.
For full contest details, including submission guidelines, contact Diane Smith at (815) 753-1607.