Contest

This information was for the 2010 program; the 2011 program has been suspended while the first-year seminar course undergoes changes.

Contest Winners

Congratulations to our Niagara Reads 2010 contest winners!

  • Essay - Crista Gugliuzza
  • Poem - Danielle Graham
  • Visual - Bethany Zakrzewski

Contest Description

The Niagara Reads Committee encourages all first-year students to submit either a written or visual project which reflects upon or responds to any one of the main themes found in "Escape from Slavery" by Francis Bok. Barnes and Noble will donate three gift baskets, valued at $125 each, for the contest prizes; we thank them for their sponsorship! 

Contest Description

The Niagara Reads Committee encourages all first-year students to submit either a written or visual project which reflects upon or responds to any one of the main themes found in "Escape from Slavery" by Francis Bok. These themes include (but are not limited to):

  • War
  • Slavery
  • Injustice
  • Relationships
  • Oral traditions
  • Human rights
  • Desperation
  • Triumphs
  • Culture and tradition
  • Americanization
  • Acts of kindness
  • Religion
  • Freedom

You may submit one essay, poem, or visual/multimedia art which addresses any of these issues or another meaningful element which you feel was in the book. In your project, you do not have to directly quote or paraphrase words or ideas from "Escape from Slavery", but you can if you want to. Please be clear about what theme you are representing in your project and how it relates to the book.

Possible Projects

Since there are many possible forms for expressing these themes, you can submit a written work of poetry or prose or a visual work such as a photograph, collage, drawing, mixed media project, or animation. You must choose one category and can only submit one project. Students may work in groups of two or three people to create a joint project, but are asked to clearly identify their work as a joint project and to include everyone's names and contact information on the cover sheet.

General Guidelines

All projects must be accompanied by a cover sheet with your name, student number, address, phone number, and e-mail address. If you are submitting a group project, please include everyone's names and contact information on the cover sheet. Please do not include your name anywhere else on your written or visual submission, as submissions will be reviewed by a process of blind review.

Projects will be judged by members of the University community who have expertise in essays, poetry, and visual work.

Written Project Guidelines

You may submit either:

An ESSAY (non-fiction work)

  • no more than 2,000 words (approximately 4 pages)
  • double-spaced
  • 12-point font
  • one inch margins

OR

A POEM (of any form)

  • no more than two pages
  • single-spaced
  • 12-point font
  • one inch margins

Visual Project Guidelines

You may submit one visual project, which could be a painting, drawing, photograph, mixed media work, cartoon, or Flash animation.

  • Paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and mixed media work should be no larger than 24 inches by 36 inches.
  • If you are submitting a piece of digital work, please burn it to a CD.
  • Please make sure that no identifying information appears on your work.

Only one submission per student or student group, please.

Project Submissions

Projects should be placed in the Niagara Reads Contest box outside room 326B Academic Complex (Education Department). They should include a cover sheet with your name, student number, phone number and e-mail address. Do not include your contact information anywhere else on your submission.

Deadline for entries:Wednesday, September 29th by 5:00 p.m.

Project Winners

There will be a winner in each category (essay, poem, and visual project). Each category winner will be awarded a gift basket worth $125, donated by Barnes and Noble Bookstore (group participants will share the prize if a group project is submitted). Project winners will be notified by October 6th. Awards will be presented at the Family Weekend Dinner on October 23rd. The works may be displayed on campus or reprinted in campus publications.

Questions?

Questions about the contest can be addressed to the contest coordinator, Michelle Ciminelli.