Essay Contest

2009 Maroon Edition Essay Contest for A Painted House

All freshmen are invited to submit an essay based upon A Painted House. This essay contest will be one of the final events in the Maroon Edition. There will be three winners who will receive book vouchers. Details and rules for this contest are below:

What to write about:

Your essay must address ONE of the following themes in your essay:

1. The theme of "a painted house" comes up over and over in this novel and takes on a different meaning depending on the desires of the individual and what they have and what they want. Explore what it means to have "a painted house" in the context of this novel as well as in society.

2. Many classic novels focus on the way a young person comes to be initiated into adulthood, at least into a new level of maturity. By the end of A Painted House, has Luke experienced such growth? Explain your answer.

Format considerations:

Your essay must not exceed 1000 words, and should be typed and doubled spaced, with one inch margins. Font type should be Times New Roman, with 12 point font size. Include a cover sheet which includes your title, your name, your netid, and your phone number. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY.

Submit your essay to essaycontest@msstate.edu as an attached Microsoft Word document.

Your essay must be submitted no later than October 9, 2009.

Student prizes:

There will be first, second, and third place winners who will receive a book voucher which can be used at Barnes and Noble. Please note that this contest is open only to freshmen students at MSU.

Contact:

If you have questions about the essay contest, you may contact Dr. Jerry Gilbert at jgilbert@provost.msstate.edu or Dr. Linda Morse at lmorse@colled.msstate.edu.