Every year, the good folks at St. Vincent College’s Center for Political and Economic Thought hold an essay contest offering scholarship money for prizes. This year’s January 8th submission deadline is fast approaching, but writing an essay may be a good—and profitable—way to spend Christmas break for young scholars in synch with the Center’s focus on “themes of Western Civilization, such as individual freedom, limited constitutional government, free market economics, and the philosophical and moral foundations of America and the West.”
This year students are asked to reflect on the themes of George Washington’s Farewell Address and their relevance to contemporary American politics and constitutionalism. Guidelines include:
The competition is open to all full-time undergraduate students currently registered in any field of study at a college or university in the United States or Canada … Essays that are, in the exclusive opinion of the judges, of publishable quality will, with the consent of the author, be eligible for publication in the Center’s journal, Citizens and Statesmen: An Annual Review of Political Theory and Public Life. The first place winner will receive $2,000 and an invitation to attend an awards dinner and lecture to be held at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on April 13, 2016. Second and third place winners will receive invitations to said awards dinner and $1,000 and $500 respectively. Winners choosing to attend the awards dinner will be responsible for their own travel.
Essays should be a minimum of 2,500 words. There is no maximum length. Submissions should be sent in Microsoft Word format to marybeth.mcconahey@email.stvincent.edu by January 8, 2016. Winners will be notified in February.
Last year’s winning essays can be found here: http://www.stvincent.edu/Majors_and_Programs/Centers_and_Institutes/Cent…
For more contest information, please visit our website: http://www.stvincent.edu/cpet/