ACS WRITING AWARDS
ACS serves as a first-year foundational writing class, for which students create a portfolio of their best work. As an important part of the program, each year we honor outstanding writing submitted by students from their Ancients 1000 and Moderns 1001 classes. Our award categories include analytical and creative writing. Work is submitted anonymously for review.
The Dr. John A. Doody Award
Named for the founder of the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program, the award recognizes the most accomplished thesis-driven essays focusing on one or more texts from the Ancients course. Essays which analyze pieces of art from other mediums (paintings, sculpture, music) which connect to course texts and themes are also most welcome.
The Veritas Award
At ΈΜιΩΦ±²₯, we live by the virtues of Veritas-truth-Unitas - community - and Caritas -service. Augustine teaches us to seek the truth tirelessly, diligently, and passionately. This award honors students who seek to accomplish this task through writing about texts they encountered in their Moderns course. Essays which analyze pieces of art from mediums (paintings, sculpture, music) which connect to course texts and themes are also most welcome.
The Seamus Heaney Award
Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who won the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature, was a great friend to ΈΜιΩΦ±²₯'s Irish Studies Program and a visiting scholar on campus. This award recognizes the most accomplished thesis-driven essays composed for an Honors section of ACS, focusing on one or more texts from the Ancients and Moderns course.
The Earl Bader Award
Former ΈΜιΩΦ±²₯ English Department Chair Earl Bader, PhD, served as the chair of the ACS Writing Awards committee at its inception, encouraging student originality of thought and self-expression. This award recognizes creative work integrally linked with ACS texts that demonstrates knowledge and insight. Seeking submissions that epitomize originality, have a strong sense of voice, include vivid imagery, and reflect creative risks. Essays from both Ancients and Moderns are welcome.
The Robert Russell, OSA Award
Named for Father Russell, who established the first ΈΜιΩΦ±²₯ graduate program in Philosophy and the annual "Saint Augustine Lecture," this award recognizes the most accomplished essay on St. Augustine's Confessions. Competitive essays in this category will engage with Augustinian thought in thorough, innovative and exciting ways.
Application Criteria
To apply for any of these awards, please review the following criteria before submitting:
- Applicant must be a currently enrolled/registered ΈΜιΩΦ±²₯ University student.
- Accepted electronic submissions format in Microsoft word only.
- One submission per student, per category permitted.
- Applicant's name SHOULD NOT APPEAR anywhere on the manuscript (committee review is anonymous).
- All citations must be correct and complete.
- Submission deadline is the Wednesday, May 30, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.