Frequently Asked Questions |
- What are the contest categories?
- What forms and media can entries use?
- What are the prizes?
- What is the deadline for submissions?
- What can I write about?
- Where can I get ideas?
- Can students from any major enter?
- Can students from Oxford, Hamilton, or Middletown enter?
- Can graduate students enter?
- What criteria will be used in judging the entries?
- Who are the judges?
- How many entries can I submit?
- Can I enter something I wrote or created in the past?
- Can I enter something I wrote for a class?
- Will my entries be made public?
- When will winners be announced?
- Who are the sponsors of this writing contest?
- What if I have other questions?
What are the contest categories?
"Personal Compositions" (works describing events in the author's life, perhaps involving some analysis as well)
"Analytical Compositions" (pieces that analyze Mali's and/or other texts)
"You Name It" (fictional, poetic, etc.)
What forms and media can entries use?
Entries can reflect those forms addressed in College Composition and Composition and Literature courses, such as rhetorical analysis, ethnographic writing, engaging public discourses, creative production, close reading, reading in cultural or historical contexts, studies of metaphor, dialogue, narrative. However, any media relevant to any discipline is acceptable in any category.
Winners in each category will be awarded $100 gift certificates to the campus bookstore and certificates commemorating their accomplishment.
What is the deadline for submissions?
December 1, 2009
Entries should represent some involvement with themes related to Taylor Mali's What Learning Leaves and should represent some expression of your views on learning, such as what you expect your learning to leave on others and the world around you, what helps or hinders your learning, how your views of and experiences with teaching and learning compare or contrast with Taylor Mali's, and what you value about teaching and learning in general.
You can base your ideas on Mali's convocation talk, the discussion sessions that follow, study questions posted on the summer reading program's website (http://www.units.muohio.edu/srp/), any course work that involves When Learning Leaves or other issues in education, or any ideas you might gather from or contribute to the Facebook site, "Taylor Mali at Miami University." Also, visit Taylor Mali's website: http://www.taylormali.com/index.html.
Can students from any major enter?
The contest is open to all first-year students, regardless of major.
Can students from Oxford, Hamilton, or Middletown enter?
Yes.
No. The contest is open to first-year undergraduate students only.
What criteria will be used in judging the entries?
Depending on the category, judges will be looking for originality, persuasiveness, insightfulness, accuracy of facts cited, polish of the written, visual, and/or aural presentation. The best pieces will help their audience think in new ways about how Miami's students experience teaching and learning.
Members of the Summer Reading Committee, members of the Inklings staff, and past and present members of the Liberal Education Council.
How many entries can I submit?
You may submit 1 entry per category.
Can I enter something I wrote or created in the past?
Yes.
Can I enter something I wrote for a class?
Yes.
Will my entries be made public?
Yes. All entries will be posted on the Howe Writing Center's website. Winners will be posted on the Office of Liberal Education website. Winners that represent works composed for a College Composition or Composition and Literature class will be considered for publication in College Composition at Miami. Winners in applicable forms will also be considered for Inklings, Miami's undergraduate literature magazine.
When will winners be announced?
January 2010.
Who are the sponsors of this writing contest?
The Office of Liberal Education and the Howe Center for Writing Excellence.
What if I have other questions?
Contact John Tassoni, University Director of Liberal Education (as of July 1, 2009), tassonjp@muohio.edu.