UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — First-year students have the chance to meet award-winning author Dave Eggers and win a $100 gift card to the Penn State Bookstore by participating in the Penn State Reads Essay Contest.
The incoming class will read Eggers’ dystopian novel "The Circle" this summer as part of Penn State Reads.
“A goal of Penn State Reads is to foster intellectual engagement within and beyond the classroom,” said Jacqueline Edmondson, associate vice president and associate dean for Undergraduate Education. “The essay competition provides students with an opportunity to think deeply about one of the many issues "The Circle" presents to readers, and through writing, to express ideas and opinions about the book.”
The contest challenges students to submit original responses, no longer than 1,000 words, to one of two prompts by Sept. 9.
In the first prompt, students must consider the merits of "The Circle" as it addresses the positive and negative implications of inundating society with technology. The second prompt asks students to think critically about the destructive powers of social media by drawing upon a New York Times article and the novel.
The essays will be judged on their responsiveness to the prompt, connection to Penn State principles, demonstrated understanding of identity and literary style.
Two winners will be selected and their submissions will be displayed on the Penn State Reads website. Edmonson said she encourages all students to participate.
Additional information about the prompts and guidelines for the contest can be found at pennstatereads.psu.edu.
Penn State Reads is part of Penn State Student Affairs and Penn State Undergraduate Education. Undergraduate Education is the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at undergrad.psu.edu.