How to Enter the 15th Annual “A Piece of the Past” University Museum Essay Contest
Spring 2025
GRAND PRIZE $1,500
Plus, additional prizes in each category:
First Prize $500
Second Prize $250
Honorable Mentions $50
Sponsored by The Joella and Stewart Morris Foundation &
The Museum of Southern History
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 2024 graduates) are eligible.
Submission Deadline: Monday, March 31, 2025
HOW TO ENTER
- 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. - CHOOSE A MENTOR
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. - 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. Full essay guidelines are available online. - SUBMIT THE ESSAY:
To submit your essay, you must fill out this form to join the Museum Essay Contest Blackboard page. Then submit to the appropriate category in Blackboard for your artifact.
JUDGING
The judges will consider the following:
- Adherence to submission guidelines
- Quality, integrity, and use of research
- Organization, argumentation, evidence, and clarity
- Creativity and writing style
- 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 three museum categories. Freshman status will be accorded to students with fewer than 32 earned college credit hours at the beginning of Fall 2024. Any student enrolled in the HCU Academy for either semester of the 2024-2025 academic year is eligible for this category.
NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS/PAST SUBMISSIONS: Students may submit up to three essays. Essays that have 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.