Essay and Art Contest

Attention incoming students to Salisbury University! Here’s your chance to win a $300 gift certificate to the Salisbury University Book Store. You can use the gift certificate for anything the book store sells, including all those expensive textbooks you’ll have to buy. All you have to do is submit the winning essay or the winning art project related to the New Student Reader, Into the Wild.  

All entries for the essay and art contests must be mailed to:

Salisbury University
Guerrieri University Center
Attention: Lawanda Dockins-Gordy, Director
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801

and postmarked no later than August 8, 2008. Winners will be notified the week of August 18. Entries should include a cover letter with contact information. In addition, students submitting art projects should include in their cover letter the name of their project and an artist’s statement or brief description of the intended meaning of the project.

Guidelines for Essay on Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

You have two choices. First, you can choose one of the five discussion questions included with the book, and write an essay of 500-750 words, which should demonstrate your own serious reflection on the book. Don’t feel as if you have to cover every question in its entirety; if you want to narrow the scope of your essay so that you write about one part of a question, that's fine. Your other choice of topic is to write an argument in which you compare your own life journey to that of Chris McCandless, if you think there is a comparison worth making.

The essay should be typed, double-spaced, and consistent in its format. If you quote or paraphrase passages from the book, you should include a parenthetical citation (following MLA style). In addition to your cover letter, you should attach a cover page to your essay. The cover page should include your name, the title of the essay, the date of submission, your email address and your cell phone number (if you have one). Be sure to create your own title for the essay; the book’s title is not an acceptable title for the essay. The essay will be judged on its effectiveness as an argument, its creativity and originality, and its overall readability. It should be focused, well-reasoned and written clearly, with correct spelling and grammar. It should be stapled and submitted by the deadline to the address above.

Guidelines for Art on Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

The art work must reflect the meaning of the author and must be your original work. Please take the opportunity in the cover letter to address this for the judges. The art will be judged based on the following elements of artistic expression:

1. Creativity, newness and originality of the design.
2. Visual balance of the project.
3. Clarity of the theme to the viewer. The artist's statement will be considered in making this judgment.
4. Expression of emotion and the extent to which the project can be expected to evoke an emotional response in the viewer.
5. Finish or completion of the project and attention to quality.
6. Overall impression. The effect of the project as a whole, often based on the first glimpse of the finished piece will be judged. . Without regard to the other criterion, does it stand on its own as a good and complete work of art?