Write on the Money
Annual Student Writing Contest
Are you a Mid-State student who enjoys writing or has a strong example of a research paper or essay that you’ve already written? Submit your writing to compete for a $100 gift card and a chance to showcase your work!
This contest provides two categories for submission (Research Paper and Essay). Students can compete in one or both—the winner of each category will receive a $100 gift card from the location of their choice, donated by the Student Leadership Board.
Students are encouraged to submit existing writing that qualifies and adheres to the submission categories and guidelines, or write a new paper or essay just for the contest.
Qualifications for Entry
- You must be currently enrolled as a student at Mid-State Technical College for the spring 2023 semester.
- You may enter one paper per category.
- Your paper must be original, unpublished nonfiction (no fiction or poetry).
Submission Categories
- Research Paper: On any topic. Up to 2,500 words, double spaced, in APA style.
- Essay: A descriptive, definition, narrative, personal, persuasive, opinion, comparison, classification/division, process analysis, or cause and effect essay. Up to 2,000 words, double spaced, in APA style.
How to Enter
For instructions on how to submit your work, email your name and student ID # to Communication Instructor Jill Quinn.
Contest Timeline
- Friday, February 17, 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for submission.
- Friday, April 7, 4:00 p.m. – Contest winners notified.
Judges
Briah Krueger – Research Paper Judge
Former Mid-State Technical College student Briah Krueger, known by her pen name B.A. McRae, has pursued her passion for writing since 2008 and has traveled on her indie author journey since 2015. With eight published books, including collections of poetry, short stories, and a novel, she has a deep appreciation for the writing process and is a sucker for a good story. When McRae isn't occupied with a lovely book or writing a book herself, she can be found in her natural habitat of making memories with her loved ones, going on adventures with her fiancé, and recording episodes for her podcast, all while holding a cup of coffee. McRae will read from her novella We Went for a Walk.
Louis V. Clark III – Essay Judge
Louis V. Clark III was born on the Oneida reservation of Wisconsin. Raised during the often troubled, often wonderful, decade of the 1960s, Clark learned to stand up for what he thought was right, aided by the guiding hand of many influential people. He joined forces with his beautiful wife during their high school years and together they ran away to build their own life aided by the Oneida principle of “looking ahead seven generations.” Encountering many obstacles along the way, including a poetry professor who said that what he wrote wasn’t poetry and a theater professor who said that if what he wrote was any good that it was already being done, Clark continued to write. In Clark’s fifth decade the University of Arkansas along with the Sequoyah National Research Center published his chapbook Two Shoes. This work received an Oneida Fellowship Award and a Wisconsin Arts Board Award. In 2016 the Wisconsin Historical Society Press (WHSP) published his memoir in poetry and prose How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century. This book received the 2017 Midwest Booksellers Choice Award as well as the Oneida/Wisconsin Arts Board Award. WHSP published his follow-up book, Rebel Poet, in 2018, and this work received a Midwest Independent Publishers Book award. Clark currently has a play, Little Boy Lost/Stupid Indian, scheduled for airing on public radio. Clark’s presentation will incorporate all three of his books.
Judging Criteria
- Research category – Originality of ideas, clear expression of ideas, unified and cohesive structure, logically supported thesis, credibility of sources, synthesis of source material, and correct APA format.
- Essay category – Originality of ideas, clear expression of ideas, unified and cohesive structure, well-supported thesis, and unique voice.
