UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Any Penn State undergraduate student interested in exploring and writing about ethical values and intercultural issues is encouraged to submit an essay for the tenth annual Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest, sponsored by the Paterno Fellows Program and the College of the Liberal Arts.
“The goal of the essay contest is to provide students with an opportunity to think deeply about issues that are of critical importance in the world — and of critical importance to the Penn State community,” said Jeremy Engels, Barry Director of the Paterno Fellows Program and professor of communication arts and sciences.
The contest is open to all full-time undergraduate students who are enrolled at any Penn State campus for the fall 2022 or spring 2023 semesters. Essays should be no longer than 800 words and will be judged on originality, relevance and creativity.
Students interested in participating must each submit an essay responding to one of the following prompts by Jan. 18, 2023.
- To what extent should a university pursue sustainability as one of its aims, and what is one way that a university can do this?
- We are living in a time of political, social and environmental crisis — big, wicked problems. How does one person live a life of meaning amidst these hardships and difficulties?
This year’s contest aligns with the College of the Liberal Arts’ theme for the academic year — “Moments of Change: Creating a Livable Planet” — which focuses on the many aspects of sustainability and highlights the ongoing work of Liberal Arts students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as the Liberal Arts Sustainability Council, in that regard. Similar to "Remembering 1968" (2018) and "A Century of Women's Activism" (2020), the college is planning an array of courses, lectures, presentations, and events centered around the "Creating a Livable Planet" theme.
“Few issues are more important than sustainability — how we are going to live and work together as human beings in a warming world,” Engels said. “Given all the bad news, I'm curious to know how our students find hope and meaning and the courage to face the day.”
Winners will receive $500 for first place, $400 for second place and $300 for third place. Winning essays will be published on the Paterno Fellows Program’s news website. Questions can be sent to PaternoFellows@psu.edu.
The Paterno Fellows Program is an innovative program offered jointly by the College of the Liberal Arts and Schreyer Honors College that encourages students to challenge themselves academically and distinguish themselves in areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts: ethics, service, and leadership; excellence in communication; and intercultural awareness. Fellows receive financial support to participate in enriching out-of-class experiences like internships, education abroad, and research.