The Ostrom Awards for Expository Writing

English 101

A $200.00 cash award to the first-year student showing the most improvement in English 101.

Sophomore Prize

A $200.00 cash award to a second-year student showing excellence in critical writing in an intermediate literature course, English 170-290 (first year students are also eligible).

Junior Prize

A $200.00 cash award to a junior showing excellence in expository writing in an upper-level English course (300 and above).

Senior Prize

A $200.00 cash award to a senior showing excellence in expository writing in an upper-level English course (300 and above).

 Requirements

English 101 Prize

The student should submit a folder with three marked and graded papers, possibly with revisions.  At least one of the papers must include cited sources. Accompanying the papers, the student must write a cover letter detailing his or her growth as a writer through successive papers.  For more information, please consult your English 101 teacher.  English 101 papers written in either fall or spring are eligible.

Sophomore Prize

Two or three short essays, or a sustained essay of approximately ten pages.

Junior Prize

Two or three essays, or a sustained essay of approximately fifteen pages.

Senior Prize

Two or three essays, or a sustained essay of approximately fifteen pages.

Note: Winners may not receive more than one of these expository writing awards.

 Creative Writing Awards

Poetry

A $100.00 cash prize for a superior collection of five to eight short poems, or one longer (two to four pages) and two or three shorter poems.

The Sherwood Anderson Prize for Fiction

A $100.00 cash prize for a superior entry of one or two short stories, or one or two chapters of a novel, or one story and one chapter of a novel; minimum length per story, 1000 words.

Non-fiction Prose

A $100.00 cash prize for a superior entry of creative non-fiction (two individual essays of a minimum of four pages each or a sustained essay.)

Playwrighting/Screenwriting

A $100.00 cash award for the best play or screenplay.  Plays may be any length from 10 pages to full-length 3-acts.  Screenplays may be one hour (48-60 pages) or feature length (85 to 120 pages).  Formatting in either genre must be done correctly.

Note: Competition for the above prizes is open to any full-time student, but the same prize may not be awarded to the same person more than once.

The Lester S. Crowl Creativity Award

A $100.00 cash prize for the best cumulative portfolio of creative work by a junior or senior English major.  This award may not be won by the same person more than once, but the winners of other writing awards may enter this competition.  Entries may include creative writing (even if submitted for the genre awards), as well as critical essays, photographs or other art work, tapes of performances, and anything else that demonstrated imagination and quality.

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Submissions Requirements for Writing Awards

1. Prepare clean, anonymous, typed copy of professional caliber.  Entries must be titled, typed double-spaced and paper clipped.   Poetry and dramatic dialogue should be single-spaced.
2. Submit in an unmarked, unsealed, 10" x 13" manila envelope, to the English Department Secretary, Hollenbeck 102, no later than 4:30 p.m.  On Monday, April 5, 2010.
3. Fill out the standard identification form and make sure that the Secretary codes the envelope.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Students are not allowed to win the same category twice.  For instance, if you win the sophomore expository writing award, you can’t win the junior or senior expository writing award.