PSU’s Commission of the Status of Women
2016 Student Essay Contest Deadline April 25th, 8:00 am
PSU’sCommissionontheStatusofWomenandtheDiversityActionCouncilofferanessayawardto
supportundergraduateandgraduatestudentswhoareworkingtowardadegreeorcertificateinany
PSUprogramandwillbeenrolledatPSUduringthefalltermof2016.
Twoawardsof$1,000:onetoanundergraduateandonetoagraduatestudent.Winnerswillbe
notifiedonMay11,2016,andrecognizedatthePSUPresident’sDiversityAwardseventonMay25th
atPSU.
Theme:As a Black feminist and writer Alice Walker confides, “One of the joys of
work is where it takes us. It helps us develop. That’s why it is so important to do
work that you absolutely love. It’s the only way to grow into who you are meant to
be.” Define feminist work and describe how it may be challenging, yet joyous, and
allows individuals to grow into who they are meant to be--personally and within
communities.
Pleaseaddressallaspectsoftheabovethemeusingoneoftheexampletopicsoryourown.
• Describehowgender,raceandclassinformfeministworkandpersonalgrowth.
• Howdopersonalexperiences,includingyourown,informthejoysandchallengesoffeminist
work?
• Howandwhyisloveincorporatedintofeministwork?
• Howdoesacknowledgmentofpersonalpowerandprivilegeshapetheapproachesto
feministwork?
• Howdoesthefeministworkofindividualsandcommunitiesdrivesocialchange?
MinimumQualifications:Essaycontestisopentoallstudentsregardlessofgender.Applicantsmust
beacceptedintoadegreeorcertificateprogramatPortlandStateUniversityforthefall2016term,
andbeeitheranundergraduateorgraduatestudent.
ü Submissionsmustincludetheentrant’scontactinformation,identifyasgraduateor
undergraduatestudent,andPSUIDnumber,
ü SubmissionsmustbeinMS-Wordformat,double-spacedwith12-pointfontincluding:
a. A4-5page(maximum)essaywithaclearthesisstatementandevidencebasedon
theabovetheme,and
b. Aseparate150-wordparagraphabouthowtheawardwilladvanceyoureducation.
ü Studentsmayenteronlyonepaperforthiscompetition.
ü Paperswritteninanon-EnglishlanguageshouldbetranslatedintoEnglishpriorto
submission.
ü Entriesmustbereceivedby8:00amonApril25,2016byemailingentryto
[email protected]“CommissionontheStatusof
Womenessay.”
Entrieswillbeevaluatedbasedon:originality,argument,persuasiveness,organization(clarityof
concept),style(useofgrammar),andhowtheawardwilladvancetheentrant’seducation.
[email protected].