$1,500 Writing Awards Part of USU's Arrington Lecture

Students who attend the Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture at Utah State University and submit an appropriate essay are eligible to win the top prize of $1,000. A second prize of $500 is also available.

The writing awards are provided by the Leonard J. Arrington Foundation and entry is easy, said Brad Cole, director of Special Collections and Archives at USU and coordinator for the lecture series.

 

Last year, the first place prize of $1,000 was awarded to Laura Newton of Logan. Joshua Booth of Ogden secured the $500 second place award. Both students were history majors at USU.

 

Students entering must attend the 13th Annual Arrington Mormon History Lecture, held Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Logan LDS Tabernacle (50 N. Main, Logan). The lecture begins at 7 p.m. Entry forms can be picked up at the lecture.

 

This year’s speaker is William A. Wilson, humanities professor emeritus in folklore and literature at Brigham Young University. The title of his lecture is “What’s True in Mormon Folklore? The Contribution of Folklore to Mormon Studies.”

 

Students must write a 2,500-word essay related to the lecture topic, including a one-page lecture synopsis. The essay topic should relate to the lecture topic but can expand or create new connections. The writing style may be expository, persuasive or reflective, but not fiction.

 

Notes taken during the lecture must be included on the back of the entry form and turned in with the essay. Students must use a minimum of two outside research sources that may include books, articles, newspapers and primary documents. These sources should be included in a bibliography that is not a part of the 2,500-word essay. All college students in Utah and surrounding areas are eligible. Submission deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14.

 

Prizes might not be awarded if no submissions are deemed worthy. Detailed requirements are included on the entry form provided at the lecture. Judging will be conducted by USU faculty and staff. Winning essays will be selected by early spring semester 2008. Call USU’s Mountain West Center for Regional Studies with questions, (435) 797-3630.

 

Essays should be mailed to the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, 0735 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-0735, or delivered in person to Old Main room 303 by 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14.

 

The winning award and lecture are sponsored by Utah State University, the Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, the Leonard J. Arrington Foundation and USU’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

 

Contact: Brad Cole (435) 797-8268

Contact: Mountain West Center for Regional Studies (435) 797-3630