Plague Time
An Essay Contest Sponsored by the Department of History and
Political Science
Topic:
We are living in profoundly
uncertain times. The COVID-19 epidemic
has disrupted all of our lives in ways that contemporary Westerners have never experienced. As college students and faculty, we have seen
our semester abruptly transformed. But
we are, in a sense, the lucky ones. All
around us are citizens who have lost jobs or seen their businesses shut down,
friends and neighbors who do not know how they will provide for themselves and
their families in the months ahead. Nor
do we yet know how high the numbers of the infected--or the dead--might
rise. Our societies have come to a
grinding halt. The most powerful and
richest societies know to human history have been brought to a standstill by an
enemy we cannot even see.
How should we think about this
startling situation? What does it mean
for us now, and what will it mean in the future? Students are invited to submit essays
reflecting upon the significance--moral, political, social, or cultural--of the
coronavirus epidemic. The topic is broad
in order to solicit responses from a variety of perspectives: historical,
political, economic, sociological, theological.
Students may wish to engage in historical comparison, or policy
analysis, or moral reflection. Any and
all approaches are welcome. We seek
essays that help us understand the present moment.
Eligibility and
Guidelines:
1. The competition is open to
students who have declared a major or minor in at least one of the following
areas: History, Political Science, Augmented History, Humanities, or German
Studies.
2. Submissions should be 3000-4000
words long and are due by midnight on April 30, 2020. They should be sent to peter.meilaender@houghton.edu.
3. Professors Meilaender and Esh
will judge the submissions and select a winning essay, with the winner to be
announced by May 15, 2020.
4. The winner will receive (a)
public esteem and recognition, (b) an achievement to add to your resume, and (c)
a small prize awarded by the department.
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