Leaves of Gold Essay Contest Open to All Students; Submissions Due by Oct. 15

Leaves of Gold Essay Contest Open to All Students; Submissions Due by Oct. 15

We are very pleased to announce the first essay contest sponsored by the collaborative efforts of the Student Government Association and the School of Arts and Humanities at Reinhardt University.

“This essay contest, Leaves of Gold, promises to display the artistic abilities of many students at Reinhardt,” said Casey Robinson, SGA secretary. “The role of the Student Government Association will be to assist in funding the prizes that will be given to the winners of the contest, which will include:  first, second, and third place winners, as well as one honorable mention.”

Essay Contest Committee

Dr. Theresa Ast, will serve as chair of the Essay Contest Committee.  Dr. Ast graduated from Emory University with a degree in Modern European History, has served as a professor of History for fifteen years at Reinhardt, and is currently the Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program.  Her co-chair, Dr. Margaret M. Morlier graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in English.  Dr. Morlier is the Associate Vice President for the Graduate Studies Program at Reinhardt and is a professor of English. Casey Robinson, Student Senate Secretary, will serve as the Student Government Association liaison on the committee.  Dr. Ast and Dr. Morlier will also serve as judges for the contest.

Contest Has Received Great Acclaim

In addition to the great acclaim that the contest has received by the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, the faculty of the School of Arts and Humanities, and the Reinhardt Faculty Senate, Leaves of Gold has received further attention that is worth noting. Marcia K. Smith, a published and well-known author, has agreed to come on as a third party judge for the contest. Marcia graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism.  As a military wife she traveled widely, both inside and outside the United States.   From 2000 to 2003 she was the editor of The Paulding Neighbor—a weekly paper.  From 2003-2004 she was the “Government” reporter for The Cherokee Tribune—a daily newspaper. More recently, as a freelance writer, she has published her memoir, “My War,” about Saudi Arabia.  Marcia also published and a collection of poetry, “These Lines,” and two novels under her pen name Kathleen Cochran, “Take This Man” and “A Working Title Memory.”

Leaves of Gold has attracted the attention of the following benefactors: Anton J. Zellman and Joan McFather. Mr. Zellman will be presenting each of the winners with a copy of his book, titled “I Read Minds—and So Do You”, and Mrs. McFather will be sponsoring the first place prize with a very generous donation. 

Contest Details

Furthermore, the winning submissions will be posted on the Reinhardt University website (reinhardt.edu), as well as in the Reinhardt University Literary Magazine, Sanctuary, which is managed by Honors Program Coordinator, Dr. Donna Coffey.

Student submissions will be due on October 15, 2013 with the winners being announced on November 12, 2013 at the Reinhardt Faculty Senate Meeting.

“…soar to their highest potential.”

“As a major sponsor for the essay contest, the Student Government Association would like to see the students of Reinhardt University soar to their highest potential,” said Robinson. “We believe that in order to do so, academic recognition in opportunities such as this are vital and should be counted among a student’s greatest achievements.”