This year, NSO is sponsoring an Essay Contest as part of the Common Read. The contest is open to all fall 2013 new incoming students.
Here’s the 2013 Common Read Essay Prompt:
Climate change, resource depletion, environmental degradation: books that treat these issues are usually research reports or political arguments. But No Impact Man is a story, a narrative about a family and a year-long experiment they undertake. Why do you think the author wrote the book in that form? What do you learn about the issues involved, about personal and social change, even about yourself, by taking that journey with him? Write an essay in which you connect the personal narrative of No Impact Man with the issues it treats. Use specific examples from the book to support your analysis or interpretation.
Here are the 2013 Essay Contest Rules:
- All fall 2013 new incoming undergraduate students are eligible to enter.
- Essays should be between 3-5 pages long, or approximately 750-1,250 words, typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point type.
- Direct quotations from No Impact Man should be appropriately marked and cited, with page numbers in parentheses.
- The first page of the essay should include your name, campus address, phone number, and UMass email address. Please give your essay a title.
- Essays should be submitted electronically as an email attachment (either PDF or Word) to commonread@sacl.umass.edu .
- Essays must be received no later than Monday, August 19, 2013, at 5:00 pm EST.
Essay contest winners will be announced at New Students Convocation on August 31, 2013. First-, Second-, and Third-Place winners will receive gift cards from the University Store and will have a chance to meet author Colin Beavan.
Questions about the contest should be directed to Prof. David Fleming, English Department, UMass Amherst, at dfleming@english.umass.edu.