Entries due Sept. 29; $1,500 for winning essay
Each year during Brigham Young University's Homecoming, students are encouraged to learn about BYU's founders, those leaders who have made significant contributions to the university. One way is through the George H. Brimhall Essay Contest, a university-wide competition open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
This year participants in the essay contest will research Alice Louise Reynolds (1873-1938), BYU's honored founder for 2006. Reynolds studied under Karl G. Maeser and was a driving force in acquiring a substantial library. She was also the first woman to teach college-level courses at BYU.
The contest is funded through the generosity of the Brimhall family, whose ancestor was an early president of BYU. Five winners will share $3,350, with the first-place winner receiving $1,500, the second-place recipient receiving $750, the third-place recipient receiving $500, and two honorable-mention recipients receiving $300 each.
Entries should be about 750 words in length, center on the 2006 Homecoming theme, "Lighter of Lamps," and contain insights on Alice Louise Reynolds as well as personal reflections. The winning essay will reflect strong writing and the best connection to the founder.
Those interested in entering the contest are welcome to attend a workshop with a contest judge on Monday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. or on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. The location will be listed online at alumni.byu.edu or can be obtained calling (801) 422-7621.
Another aid for the project is the bibliography at the Harold B. Lee Library's Special Collections; visit sc.lib.byu.edu and select "Search" and "Popular Search Topics."
Students entering the contest need to download two cover sheets from alumni.byu.edu/saa/brimhall. Participants should then submit two copies of their essays (their names should not appear anywhere on the essays) with the cover sheets.
Entries are due by Friday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m. at the ASB Information Desk or the Alumni Relations reception desk in the Knight Mangum Building.
For more information, contact Charlene Winters at (801) 422-7579.
Writer: Charlene Winters
