Winning Essay

The Great KU-Maine Student Essay Contest

Win an all-expenses paid trip to Boston on September 25, 26, and 27, 2015

Open to all KU-Maine Students

Submission Dates: June 10, 2015 - July 31, 2015

Winners will be announced on August 20, 2015

KU-Maine is sponsoring an essay contest which is open to all KU-Maine students.

The winning contestants will receive an all-expenses paid educational excursion to Boston, which will include transportation, hotel, meals, and activities.

Up to three winners may be chosen.

The trip will include two nights in Boston with cultural and historical sightseeing events. Students will be hosted by KU- Maine faculty and campus representatives.

Sample activities might include visits and tours to the following:

The Boston Science Museum

The Freedom Trail

The Old North Church

Harvard University

The U.S.S. Constitution

Museum of Fine Arts

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Duck Boat Tour

To enter the contest, students must complete the submission form below and submit it, along with an original 500 – 750 word essay to Don Berthiaume and Kevin Kelly no later than July 31, 2015 at the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]

Students may choose to write essays on any suitable topic. They may write an essay related to an issue that is relevant to their field of study or on a topic of personal interest to them.

Essays should be written in a formal academic style, and may incorporate elements of narrative, illustrative, descriptive or other rhetorical modes, suitable to the topic and purpose of the essay.

Essays must be original for this contest. ***Students may not use an essay written for another KU or other university course.

Essays should include clear thesis statements and main ideas, supported with interesting and relevant content and (if necessary) references to outside source material. If outside sources are referenced in the paper, a bibliography must be included at the end of the paper.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Parental Rights and the Immunization of Children

· Deflate-gate, and Ethical Behavior in Professional Sports

· Gender Bias in the Business Community

· Effect of Technology on Children’s Intellectual Development

· The Use of Body Cameras by Law Enforcement Agents

· Should people be able to sell their own organs?

· The Value (or lack thereof) of Reality Television

· Should cell phones be banned in all school classrooms?

· Are social networking sites beneficial to our society?

· Popular music and its influence on my generation.

Judging

The judges will decide on the winning entries by August 15, 2015.

A panel of judges will include campus faculty and deans who will choose the winning essays. Essays will be judged as anonymous entries.

Winners will be notified on August 20, 2015.

Judging Criteria

Essays should include:

· A compelling introduction and a strong, effective conclusion

· A clear thesis statement or main idea

· Interesting, engaging, and appropriate supporting content

· Original thought that reflects the writer’s unique perspective

· Appropriate source citation, as needed

· Paragraphs that are well-developed, coherent, and logically organized

· No serious errors (sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, or spelling)

The Great KU-Maine Essay Contest Submission Form

Name: ______________________________________________

Contact:

Email: Personal ______________@_______________________

Kaplan ________________@_______________________

Phone: Cell _________________________________________

Home _______________________________________

Work________________________________________

Program of Study: _________________________________________

Agreement to terms of contest

By entering this contest and submitting this form, I verify that I have read the guidelines and agree to abide by all rules of the KU-Maine Essay Contest, and I verify that this essay is my original work. I understand that any plagiarized work will be disqualified.

Essay Requirements:

Length between 500 – 750 words. Student contact information and references are NOT included in the total word count.

Typed using double line spacing 12 point font size

1 inch margins (top, bottom, left and right)

– Citation of references should be in APA format. All work must be original. Plagiarized essays will be disqualified.

Essays containing plagiarized text will automatically be disqualified.

Essays and cover sheets must be submitted electronically on or before 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Friday, July 31, 2015 as an e-mail attachment to [email protected] or [email protected]