GRAND PRIZE $1,500

Plus, additional prizes in each category:

First Prizes $500
Second Prizes $250
Honorable Mentions $50

Sponsored by The Joella and Stewart Morris Foundation & The Museum of Southern History

How to Enter the 16th Annual “A Piece of the Past”  Essay Contest

CATEGORIES FOR SUBMISSION

Museums of Southern History, American Architecture and Decorative Arts
Dunham Bible Museum
Fine Arts and Contemporary Art Museums
First Year and HCU Academy Students

ELIGIBILITY

All current HCU undergraduate and HCU Academy students (including HCU December 2025 graduates) are eligible.

View Submission Guidelines

Submission Deadline:  Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.

HOW TO ENTER

  1. CHOOSE AN ARTIFACT OR ARTWORK
    You may choose any artifact or work of art in any of the five museums. Excluded are explanatory displays.  Museum staff will be available to help orient students to the museum collections and to discuss possibilities. The Museum of Southern History, the Dunham Bible Museum, and the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts are all located in the Joella and Stewart Morris Cultural Arts Center. The Fine Arts and Contemporary Art museums are located in the University Academic Center.
  2. CHOOSE A MENTOR, OR A PROFESSOR MIGHT REQUIRE or GIVE EXTRA CREDIT
    You may ask a HCU faculty member to formally serve as mentor for your essay.  Some professors will require you to write the essay for class; if so, he or she will be designated as your mentor. These mentors will give you guidance and feedback on your work.  You are not required to have a mentor, but the support will help.
  3. RESEARCH YOUR ARTIFACT AND WRITE THE ESSAY
    Write a 1,000 to 1,250-word essay  on your chosen artifact or artwork.  APA and MLA documentation styles are acceptable.  NO AI GENERATED essays will be accepted. Full essay guidelines are available online.
  4. IDENTIFY YOUR ESSAY BY H NUMBER AND NOT YOUR NAME
  5. SUBMIT THE ESSAY
    To submit your essay, you must join the Museum Essay Contest Canvas page here: https://forms.office.com/r/TUMqYxzcg1
  6. SEND TO THE APPROPRIATE CATEGORY FOR YOUR ARTIFACT

JUDGING
The judges will consider the following:

  1. Adherence to submission guidelines
  2. Quality, integrity, and use of research
  3. Organization, argumentation, evidence, and clarity
  4. Creativity and writing style
  5. Mechanical excellence, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage

The judges reserve the right to disqualify essays that do not meet the basic submission guidelines.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE…FRESHMAN CATEGORY/HCU ACADEMY CATEGORY: The winning freshmen/HCU Academy essays will be selected from the essays submitted in the special category for First Year and Academy Students. If you are enrolled in a 1000 level ENGL writing course, you are eligible for this category.  Otherwise, First Year status will be accorded to students with fewer than 32 earned college credit hours at the beginning of Fall 2025. Any student enrolled in the HCU Academy for either semester of the 2025-2026 academic year is eligible for this category.

NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS/PAST SUBMISSIONS: Students may submit up to three essays. Essays that have been previously submitted (and even won Honorable Mention awards in the past) may be revised and edited and resubmitted for consideration again this contest year.  Essays that have previously won 1st, 2nd, or Grand Prizes cannot be submitted again.

Enjoy exploring these artifacts in our university museums and sharing your knowledge! Questions? Contact Dr. Doni M. Wilson at dmwilson@hc.edu.