CLASSICAL ESSAY CONTEST

The Classical Association of Florida invites submissions to its second annual Classical Essay Contest. This years topic is Why Study Latin? Classics in the 21st Century. The contest is open to high-school students enrolled in Latin II, III, IV, or AP Latin whose teachers are members of the Classical Association of Florida. The three top submissions will receive certificates and prizes ($100 for 1st; $50 for 2nd; $25 for 3rd). Winners will be announced at the State Latin Forum in Orlando in April 2013. Students do not need to attend the Forum to participate. Essays may take the form of a traditional essay that provides a critical discussion of the topic, but submissions that take a more creative approachin the form of a short story, poem, or dramaare also welcome. Whatever form a submission takes, it should display critical thought and familiarity with ancient evidence (as relevant) about the topic. That is, it should not simply describe but also present some type of argument or analysis. Submissions will be judged anonymously based on their content, originality, style, and clarity by a panel of college and university faculty. Judges will score submissions based on the following criteria: (1) the overall relevance of the submission to the topic; (2) the overall coherence and focus of the argument, including its use of evidence and examples to support its thesis; (3) the organization of the essay or project and the logical flow of its ideas; and (4) the quality of writing, with emphasis on clarity and mechanics of good writing. Each project must be the students own work, with no assistance from other students, teachers, or parents. Students may receive guidance from others on resources and writing style, but they may not solicit or receive comments on drafts, proofreading assistance, or any editorial feedback. In addition, submissions should follow the following guidelines: Essays must include a separate cover page that provides the following information: o o o o o o o Title Students name Students email address (or other contact information) Name of school Teachers name Year of Latin studied in 2012/3 (Latin II, III, IV, AP) Students grade level

CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA

The students name must not appear anywhere in the essay.

(over)

Essays must also include the following statement on the cover page: This project represents my own original work. No outside help has been provided for this project. Signed Date

Submissions must be typed using a standard word-processing program. Microsoft Word is preferred. If a submission is composed using another program, it should be saved in .rtf format. Submissions must be double-spaced using a 12-point font with margins not exceeding 1.25 inches on any side. There is no minimum length for essay, but they must not exceed 1000 words. Essays should present a clear, coherent discussion of the topic. But they should do more than describe or present a list of facts. Instead, students should aim to present an interesting and lively treatment. Creativity and originality in approach are welcome. Students may (but do not have to) consult library resources, audio-visual materials, websites, and other primary or secondary sources. If any such sources are used, they must be cited using a generally accepted citation format (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago) and include footnotes or in-text citations, with a bibliography or list of works cited at the end of the essay. For examples of citation styles, see this Duke Library resource page: http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/index.html.

Essays must be sent or postmarked by March 22th. Electronic submissions are preferred and should be sent as e-mail attachments to: jsicking@fsu.edu. Please put the words Classical Essay Contest in the subject line of the message. Submissions may also be mailed to: Classical Essay Contest c/o Prof. J. Sickinger Department of Classics Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 32306-1510 Submissions will not be returned. Questions should be directed to Prof. J. Sickinger at jsicking@fsu.edu.

Funding has been generously supplied by the Committee for the Promotion of Latin of the Classical Association of the Midwest and South