About
In 2010, the Union College Board of Trustees launched the Writing Awards as a way to further encourage Union students to develop their writing skills.
Award categories
Lower-Division Research Writing ($1,000): Submissions must reflect research in secondary sources (and primary sources if fitting) and appropriate academic conventions. The range of appropriate topics is that of ENGL 212, Writing for Scholarly Audiences, and the essays will be judged on originality, coherence, insight, and rhetorical effectiveness. Length: 8-12 pages
Upper-Division Research Writing ($1,000): Submissions must reflect research in secondary sources (and primary sources if fitting) and appropriate academic conventions. Projects must illustrate upper-division-level research. The essays will be judged on originality, coherence, insight, and rhetorical effectiveness. Length: 12-25 pages
Expository Writing ($1,000): Appropriate submissions include narrative, descriptive, non-fiction, scholarly, and critical writing. A successful essay will fuse voice, style, and composition skill on a topic of choice. Essays will be judged on originality, coherence, insight, and rhetorical effectiveness. Length: 4-25 pages
Creative Writing ($1,000): Appropriate submissions include poetry, drama, short fiction, novel-writing, or creative non-fiction. Entries will be judged on originality, coherence, insight, and rhetorical effectiveness. Length: 12-25 pages (poetry–maximum 6 poems and/or 20 pages; book-length writing and drama–first chapters or acts not exceeding 25 pages)
Previous recipients
2020-2021
- Lower-Division Research Writing
Myla Kaufmann, "Undersea Warfare: How Modern Technology Is Changing the Submarine Force of the United States Navy"- Honorable Mentions
Sidney Needles, "Charisma: What Is It, and What Role Does It Play in the Political Sphere?"
Brian Peoples, "An Analysis of Mass Media’s Impact on Voter Behavior"
- Honorable Mentions
- Upper-Division Research Writing
Juliet Bromme, "Silencing the Subordinate Speaker: An Analysis of Muted Group Theory" - Creative Writing
Annika Cambigue, "Growing Pains: A Collection of Poetry"- Honorable Mentions
Lacey Stecker, "Ten Minutes to Go" and "Klutz Anonymous"
- Honorable Mentions
- Expository Writing
Orison Wilken, "Don’t Tell Mom"
2019-2020
Lower-Division Research Writing
Jadyn Anderson, "Laughter in Medicine"
Upper-Division Research Writing
No award given.
Creative Writing
Faith Paden, "What a Mountain Told Me"
Expository Writing
Juliet Bromme, "Survivor Two Decades Later: Still Going Strong"
2018-2019
Lower-Division Research Writing
Gabriel Zita, "Policing the Legal: Is Social Vigilantism an Asset in the Internet Era?"
Upper-Division Research Writing
Kayla Miller, "Socioeconomic Status and Sleep Quality in Pregnant Women: A Correlative Pilot Study"
Creative Writing
Juliet Bromme, "Collection of Creative Writing"
Expository Writing
Gianna Starr, "Knock, Knock"
2017-2018
Lower-Division Research Writing
Natalie Hamilton for her essay “Gray Is the New White: A Comprehensive Examination of Indecision”
Upper-Division Research Writing
Melissa Ratter for her essay “Avatar the Last Airbender: Challenging Gender Stereotypes”
Expository Writing
Melissa Ratter for her essay “The Burden of Referentiality that Minority Writers Face”
Creative Writing
Natasha McWilliams-Nasser for her short story “Black Ink Heart”
2016-2017
First-Year Research Writing
Sara Kemp—"Integrative Medicine: The New Form of Primary Care Medicine in the United States"
Honorable Mention: Sarah Huh
Upper-Division Research Writing
Emy Wood—"The Humans of New York Effect: Envisioning a Global Humanity Through a Network Narrative"
Honorable Mention: Stefani Leeper
Creative Writing
Stacy Adams—"A Moment at Sunrise"
Honorable Mention: Sara Roberts
Expository Writing
Kayla Miller—"Borderline Viability: Should Extremely Premature Infants Be Resuscitated?"
Honorable Mention: Abigail Beaven
2015-2016
First-Year Research Writing
Stacy Adams—"Self-Compassion: The Effect of Gender and Gender Socialization"
Honorable Mention: in this category goes to Rachel Scales.
Upper-Division Research Writing:
David Deemer—"The Doctor Is Out: A Dramatistic Analysis of Physician Behavior in House, M.D."
Honorable Mention: Shaina Adams
In the categories Creative and Expository Writing, no awards were given.
2014-2015
First-Year Research Writing
Tori Severs—"Colleges and Imposter Phenomenon"
Honorable Mentions: Nigel Sumerlin and Sable Kessler
Creative Writing
Sarah Ventura—"Her"
Honorable Mentions: Misha Darcy and Katie Turk
Expository Writing
Misha Darcy—"Searching for an Awesome God"
Honorable Mentions: Ray Daugherty and Kathy Edwards
Upper-Division Research Writing
Aphelandra Messer—"The Case for Diverse Dystopian Fiction"
Honorable Mentions: Amanda Ashburn and Susy Gomez
2013-2014
First-Year Research Writing
Emily Wood— “Bridging the Gap: Yoga as a Treatment Method for Eating Disorder Recovery”
Honorable Mentions: Stefani Leeper, Aerlice LeBlanc, and Sierra Clark
Upper-Division Research Writing
Michael Rohm— “Land of a Thousand Dreams”
Honorable Mentions: Susy Gomez, Slade Lane, and Emily Syvertson
Creative Writing
Enrique Quezada—“Of Love and Other Ills”
Honorable Mentions: Ricky Amimo, Michael Rohm, and Slade Lane
Expository Writing
Kyle Berg— “Racial Discrimination and Segregation at Union College from the 1930s to the 1960s”
Honorable Mentions: Pablo Colindres, Aphelandra Messer, and Emily Wood
2012-2013
First-Year Research Writing
Oscar Quezada—“The 2012 Mexican Presidential Election: PRI's Strategies to Regain Power”
Upper-Division Research Writing
Tyson Kahler—“Equality in Ministry: Expectations for Pastor-Teacher Relationships Within the Mid-America Union Conference”
Creative Writing
Aphelandra Messer—"Stories My Mother Won't Tell You"
Expository Writing
Michael Rohm—“Eastward Bound: A Journey from Oregon to Nebraska”
2011-2012
First-Year Research Writing
Aphelandra Messer—“Fairy Tale Flaws: Misogynist Messages in ‘Cinderella’”
Upper-Division Research Writing
Michael Rohm—“Zorba and the Pursuit of Liberation”
Creative Writing
Sarah Ventura—“Responses to and Inspirations from the Poems of Sappho”
Expository Writing
Laura Selivanoff—“Nadejda: A Narrative of a Russian Emigre, 1896-1995”
2010-2011
First-Year Research Writing
Cassandra Johnson—"Foreseeing the Silent Killer: Development of Eating Disorders"
Upper-Division Research Writing
Serena Stevens—"The Effects of Brand Name on Quality Perception and Preference"
Creative Writing
Addison Hudgins—"Peach Pie and Turtle Fudge Sundaes"
Expository Writing
Laura Selivanoff—"What Does He Mean? An Examination of Paul's Discussion of the Law in Romans"