Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project

www.uncg.edu/~lixlpurc/CIMP/WebHeader.html The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

 

 

 

2009 Prize Essay Contest

 

 “My Life before and after Coming to the Carolinas”

 

 

 

Essay Topic and Contest Guidelines

 

I. Who may participate in the essay contest?

 

All immigrants and migrants who arrived in the United States from abroad and settled in North and South Carolina are eligible to participate in this prize essay competition. Naturalized citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. are also eligible.

 

II. What kind of essay should be submitted?

 

The Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project (CIMP) is looking for autobiographical essays and diary compositions written by immigrants of all ages, including school children, community college and university students, teachers, parents, and any other adults, whose country of origin is outside the United States, and whose family or employment situation brought them to the Carolinas. The Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project seeks to receive a wide range of essays and autobiographical compositions through which we hope to learn more about the obstacles and accomplishments that shape modern migrant experiences. CIMP wants to hear about your migration odysseys, your memories and beliefs, your concerns and achievements, your personal interests and hopes for the future. While we supply the general topic of this year’s contest “My Life before and after Coming to the Carolinas”, you are invited to focus on your own personal story and to describe your most vivid memories and experiences. Write about an autobiographical topic that you feel strongly about, provided it is related to the broader frame of resettlement in the Carolinas.

 

III. How long should the essay be?

 

Essays can be written in English or any other language and should range between 4-10 pages up to a maximum of 12 pages in length. Essays are best submitted via e-mail to a_lixl@uncg.edu. Essays can also be mailed through the postal service. Mailed essays should have a cover page identifying the author, his or her address, phone number, e-mail address, the title of the essay, and be typed and double-spaced, using a 12-point font with 1-inch margins. If you don’t have access to a computer or a typewriter, you can send a handwritten copy of your essay.

 

IV. When is the submission deadline?

 

The deadline for submitting an essay online or via postal mail is November 1, 2009.  CIMP will notify all contest participants about the status of their essay by December 15, 2009. If you do not hear from us by then, please let us know via e-mail or phone. All information necessary to enter this contest is contained on this web page. It is not necessary to write for more information. If you have any questions, however, please contact Andreas Lixl at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro at (336) 334-5427 or via e-mail.

 

V. How should the essay be submitted?

 

Your essay can be submitted via e-mail to a_lixl@uncg.edu

 

If you don’t have Internet access, mail your essay with a COVER SHEET (below) to the following address:

                   Professor Andreas Lixl

                   Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project

Department of German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese Studies

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

1131 MHRA Building

Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

 

Here is a quick checklist for submitting your essay:

·          Length: 4-12 pages (typed, double-spaced)

·          Deadline: November 1, 2009

·          Mail Submission: Fill out the COVER SHEET below and staple it to your essay. Mail all materials in one envelop. Keep a copy for your records. Note: Essays will not be returned.

 

VI. Who will receive the $100 prize award?

 

The best essay will receive a prize award of $100. The best essays will also receive certificates of recognition. Each submitted essay will be judged on style, content, and relevance to the topic. CIMP will award writing that is clear, articulate, descriptive, and logically organized. The award recipients will be chosen by a special committee, whose decisions will be final. Essay entries will not be returned and will become property of CIMP, which will make the best entries available to the public. The best essays will be documented in future CIMP publications and exhibits, including the CIMP web site. In addition, selected essays will be showcased in special photography exhibits, or video and audio recordings.

 

The Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project is looking forward to receiving your autobiographical essays. We will be delighted to be your first readers, and, perhaps your first editors and publishers.

 

VII. How can you improve your chances of winning this essay contest?

 

1.    Make sure you understand that your essay has to be autobiographical and cover a topic related to your immigration or resettlement experiences in the Carolinas.

2.    Make sure you understand the submission procedures. Submit your essay via e-mail. If you don’t have access to the web, please send your essay via postal mail using a print-out of the submission form below as a cover page. If you have any questions concerning these instructions or procedures, please contact us so you have all the information you need.

3.    Remember to stay focused on your autobiographical topic and keep your essay within the four to 12-page length limit. CIMP will offer the best essay a $100 award, based on considerations of writing style, contents, and relevance to the immigration topic “My Life before and after Coming to the Carolinas.” In other words, your essay should be written from personal memory - with emotion, honesty, integrity, and clarity.

4.    Given the stated four to 12-page limit of your essay, descriptive adjectives and visual references are writers’ best friends. You only have a handful of pages to convince readers that you deserve a best essay award. Therefore, make sure that every word in your essay carries its weight. From a writing standpoint, this means lots of strong adjectives and visual descriptions.

5.    Don't stop with one entry. This essay contest has no limits on the number of entries you may send, as long as the essays cover autobiographical and migration experiences that are significantly different from each other.

 

 

VIII. MAIL ESSAY COVER SHEET [click here]

2009 CIMP Prize Essay Contest

“My Life before and after Coming to the Carolinas”

 

 

 

 

First Name: ________________________________   

 

Last Name: __________________________________

 

 

Current USA Contact Address

 

 

What year did you come to the USA? _____________________

 

What year did you arrive in the Carolinas? ______________________

 

How old are you? ______________   

 

What is your gender? _____ Female         _____ Male

 

Contact Telephone Number __________________________

   

E-mail Address ______________________________________________

 

City and Country of Origin __________________________________________

 

Contact Address outside the USA (optional)

 

 

 

If you are a student, where do you attend school or college?

 

___________________________________

 

 

Your current grade level (circle one)

 

      5      6      7      8       9      10     11     12     College

 

 

How many years of schooling did you have? (circle one)

 

      less than 9         9-12         more than 12

 

 

If working, what is your profession?

 

_______________________________________

 

 

What languages do you speak at home?

 

_______________________________________

 

 

WHAT IS THE TITLE OF YOUR ESSAY?

 

________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

I accept the conditions for participating in the 2009 Prize Essay Contest “My Life before and after Coming to the Carolinas” as stated below:

The best essay will receive a $100 award. The best essays will also receive certificates of recognition. Each submitted essay will be judged on style, content, and relevance to the topic. Essay entries will not be returned and will become property of the Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project, which will make the best entries available to the public. The best essays will be documented in future CIMP publications and exhibits, including the CIMP web site. In addition, selected essays will be showcased in special photography and audio-visual exhibits.

 

 

 

 

      __________________________________     ___________

            Signature                           Date

 

 

 

Checklist for submitting your essay:

 

·         Length: 4-12 pages (typed, double-spaced)

·         Deadline: November 1, 2009

·         Mail Submission: Fill out the COVER SHEET and staple it to your essay. Mail all materials in one envelop. Keep a copy for your records. Note: Essays will not be returned.

 

 

Carolinian Immigrant Memory Project Andreas Lixl, PhD. Professor of German [Resume and Biography] Department of German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese Studies (GAR) The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) UNCG Office: 1131 MHRA Building Greensboro, NC 27402-6170 E-Mail: andreas_lixl@uncg.edu Tel.: 336-334-5427 and Fax: 336-334-5885 January 2009