Essay Contest

By popular demand the first annual DTF1 essay contest is here. This has briefly been discussed elsewhere, but let's make it official!

RULES:

1. You are to write an essay, do not give an outline or anything like that - it will not be accepted.
   
2. DO NOT post your essay here - e-mail it to me as a word document so others can't see it and so that it can be formatted properly.
   
3. Your essay must be original and you must acknowledge your sources.
   
4. There is no minimum or maximum length requirement. Answer the prompt.
   
5. By submitting your essay, you lose all copyrights to it and parts of it may be posted here. The winning essay will be posted here in its entirety.
   
6. All entries must be received by the last out of the last Tigers game this season. The exact moment will vary as their season could need playoffs and games don't last a pre-determined amount of time. Get your entry in early to make sure it's on time!
   

PRIZES:
First Prize*: 2 Tigers DVDs of your choice from a list I'll provide
Second Prize: 50 cents (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope).
Third Prize: My autograph (again, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope).
*NOTE: If this contest actually gets some serious participation and if people want to work on putting together a better prize, that can be arranged.

ESSAY TOPICS:
Please choose one of the following topics and write an essay.

LITERATURE:
In the section entitled "The Grand Inquisitor" in Fydor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov the author describes the Three Temptations of Christ and Christ's refusal to perform a miracle for the Inquisitor. How do Christ's three temptations relate specifically to Ivan, Alexei, and Dmitri? Be sure to reference the entire novel, not just this chapter.
FURTHER READING: The Brothers Karamazov can be purchased here.

Discuss the role of family in To Kill a Mockingbird, paying close attention to Aunt Alexandra.
FURTHER READING: To Kill a Mockingbird can be purchased here.

Throughout Don Quixote, Cervantes claims that his novel is a true history about real people and based on documented evidence. Why does he make this claim? How do his games with history and authorship advance the themes of the novel?
FURTHER READING: Don Quixote can be purchased here.

HISTORY:
Thomas Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territory was unconstitutional but necessary to ensure the survival of the United States as a whole. Assess the validity of this statement.

Compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as wartime presidents. What challenges did they face and how did they overcome them? Who, in your opinion, was the better leader, and why?

Discuss the course, failures, and consequences of the Fourth Crusade.

ART:
Compare and contrast Francisco Goya's The Third of May 1808 to Pablo Picasso's Guernica. Be sure to discuss the historical context and stylistic elements of both paintings.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
The Third of May 1808:

Spoiler:

Guernica

Spoiler:

FILM:
Orson Welles' Citizen Kane has often been called the greatest film of all-time. Why?
FURTHER INFORMATION: Purchase Citizen Kane here.

PHILOSOPHY:
Analyze and evaluate the two proofs of God's existence from René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy. How are they different? Is one more convincing than the other? Why did Descartes think he needed two proofs? Do they do different work for him?
FURTHER INFORMATION: Purchase Meditations on First Philosophy here.

MUSIC:
Rolling Stone Magazine cites Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone as the greatest song of all-time. Why?
FURTHER INFORMATION: Listen to Like a Rolling Stone here.

These choices are not appropriate for this website. I feel that the choices should be topics about baseball such as:

ASSES:
Compare and contrast the guys' asses. Which player has the best ass and why?

ARMS:
Analyze and evaluate everyone's arms as they come up to bat. Whose arms look good and who might need to workout a little more?

LEGS:
Discuss the ways in which each player uses their legs and how they are important to his position. What features do you find important in each player's legs?

FACES:
Examine each player's face carefully and describe what you might find as an attractive traight. For example: If I were to look at someone's face on the Tigers, oh let's just say a "random" player, I might say something like, "He has the most incredible smile, it just makes me melt right into the floor."

* Women on the board may find these topics much easier to write about.
* The men might choose one of Catbox's choices or may prefer to compare and contrast different kinds of beer or engine types.

LOL! We'll stick with my topics

ok, but I think we'd get more entries if mine are included.

iluvpudge7 wrote:

ok, but I think we'd get more entries if mine are included.

Again, I love this site cuz it makes me But I think I will stick with Cat's topics...

Hey! I read To Kill A Mockingbird in English this year, thank you Cat!

gdennis59 wrote:

Hey! I read To Kill A Mockingbird in English this year, thank you Cat!

I figured some of you would have. I think it's mandatory for freshmen or sophomores (I forget what year I read it).

It's been a while for me though, I don't even remember Aunt Alexandra

Then WHERE did you get the question? lol. Yes, we read it this year and Im a freshman.

iluvpudge7 wrote:

These choices are not appropriate for this website. I feel that the choices should be topics about baseball such as:

ASSES:
Compare and contrast the guys' asses. Which player has the best ass and why?

ARMS:
Analyze and evaluate everyone's arms as they come up to bat. Whose arms look good and who might need to workout a little more?

LEGS:
Discuss the ways in which each player uses their legs and how they are important to his position. What features do you find important in each player's legs?

FACES:
Examine each player's face carefully and describe what you might find as an attractive traight. For example: If I were to look at someone's face on the Tigers, oh let's just say a "random" player, I might say something like, "He has the most incredible smile, it just makes me melt right into the floor."

* Women on the board may find these topics much easier to write about.
* The men might choose one of Catbox's choices or may prefer to compare and contrast different kinds of beer or engine types.

I vote for these topics.

Why write an essay when pictures say sooo much more:



I vote for this a**

Seriously? Why even bother when you can just file this under the Faces Category?

Spoiler:

No words necessary!

True, I think , , , , , and can pretty much describe our thoughts so that words aren't even necessary!!!

gdennis59 wrote:

Then WHERE did you get the question? lol. Yes, we read it this year and Im a freshman.

I don't want to say where I found that question as they give essay ideas but after the contest I'll reveal my sources. Of these 10 questions I probably wrote 5 of them.

If anyone is curious as to how your essays will be scored, feel free to write a practice essay and I'll give you feedback. For the practice essay, there is only one topic:

Assess the Presidency of Chester A. Arthur.

TIP: That's a pretty broad topic. You can argue he's great, terrible, or anywhere in between. Just write about anything that has to do with Chester A. Arthur's Presidency.

Hmm me thinks that cat has a few papers that he doesn't want to do.....

iluvpudge7 wrote:

These choices are not appropriate for this website. I feel that the choices should be topics about baseball such as:

ASSES:
Compare and contrast the guys' asses. Which player has the best ass and why?

ARMS:
Analyze and evaluate everyone's arms as they come up to bat. Whose arms look good and who might need to workout a little more?

LEGS:
Discuss the ways in which each player uses their legs and how they are important to his position. What features do you find important in each player's legs?

FACES:
Examine each player's face carefully and describe what you might find as an attractive traight. For example: If I were to look at someone's face on the Tigers, oh let's just say a "random" player, I might say something like, "He has the most incredible smile, it just makes me melt right into the floor."

* Women on the board may find these topics much easier to write about.
* The men might choose one of Catbox's choices or may prefer to compare and contrast different kinds of beer or engine types.

You crack me up! I definately like your topics better than those other ones.


But seriously folks, there would be no arguing about who is the best in all of those categories.

Mike has it covered!

mrsrabelo wrote:

Hmm me thinks that cat has a few papers that he doesn't want to do.....

Nonsense! My English class is ancient literature (if it isn't 2000+ years old, we don't read it!) and those are based on a 20th century book (To Kill a Mockingbird, an 18th Century book (The Brothers Karamazov....actually I've written that essay!), and a 17th Century book (Don Quixote....actually I've written that essay, too!).

As for the history questions, I don't take history and never will again. I'm taking art history and our midterm had an essay question about one of those paintings (The Third of May 1808). We haven't studied Guernica although I'm sure we will and we might have to write an essay. That is my favorite painting of all-time though and I know tons about it (I've read a book on it!) so I could already write an essay on it.

I've seen Citizen Kane and could write that essay, I've written the philosophy essay, and Like a Rolling Stone is probably my 2nd favorite song of all-time so I don't need help on that essay. Besides, I've already taken a music history class.

So there!


EDIT: That legs essay is actually writable I think. It doesn't necessarily require you to say "Neifi Perez has the cutest little legs" or anything disgusting like that.

Ok well now that school is almost out I think Ill get to starting mine...

Pass!

had enough, have you?

Did anyone ever win?

Here's an example of a poor essay. I wrote this in 11th grade AP United States History (I didn't turn it in for obvious reasons):


In some year, in which the biographer of this testimony is unsure of, Thomas Jefferson was born. He had a long and inspiring childhood jam-packed with proceedings of which this writer has no information (Bailey, Kennedy, and Cohen 250-252). Thomas Jefferson, although originally born to serve no purpose did in fact have one. He was President of the United States of America, who, at one point in his life, became the greatest purchaser of the Louisiana Territory of all-time and then had a finish to his life resulting in death.

In the years later than John Adams was President of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson was designated (not by the populace, but by an assemblage of elected representatives) President of the United States of America (habitually truncated USA and sometimes pronounced US of A, although this author prefers United States of America, consequently it will be second-handed throughout this testimony). As President, Jefferson had his fair-hared share of accomplishments. His principal accomplishment; however, was, in this author’s opinion, the Louisiana Acquisition (more or less all the time called Louisiana Purchase) (Newman and Schmalbach 186).

In c. 1800, Thomas Jefferson sent this lone chap out to France to procure the great metropolis of New Orleans for a sum of an assured quantity of capital that was not at all disclosed. The guy was, in actuality, flourishing, because for some raison d’être the guy in charge of France, Napoleon Bonaparte I, wanted to do away with of all his western claims for some reason. So the guy that Jefferson mailed et. al bought lots of land (including New Orleans).

Those who supported him considered the move luminous, while those that didn’t deemed it dim-witted. Here is an excerpt from a historian to be:


Jefferson was one intelligent [smart] guy. . . He seized [took advantage] of the opportunity [chance] to acquire [gain] these new lands for his country. I think Jefferson [was] brilliant [smart] in his decision to dispatch [send] that one guy to France to get his [country] some new land. The move was Jeffy’s [Jefferson’s] best-ever. That is why Jefferson will be considered the greatest purchaser of Louisiana of all-time. (Donahue)


Next, the move was, according to Jeffy (Jefferson’s new name from now on), very unconstitutional. Jeffy felt that for some reason which was never stated that he didn’t have the Constitutional right to do it. Jeffy eventually got over his idiocy and decided that he might as well “take candy from the baby,” baby of course referring to France and candy of course referrig to the Louisiana Territory. That last metaphoric phrase type-dealy was in a certain way ironic since France was called a baby and it doesn’t take a genius scholar like the guy in that long quote used earlier to notice that France was hardly the “baby” in the deal since France was much more not new than America. By definition (according to Webster’s), a baby is:


Something young. Generally not very old in age because it isn’t. Often used in the metaphor taking candy from a baby. Antonyms: Adult, old person, ancient one, older than god, and older than dirt. (287)


Nextly (yes this biographer/historian to be realizes nextly is not a word), Jefferson was eventually not President. After he was no longer President, he had no choice but to do other things. As non-President he got old. He eventually, sadly, had no choice but to watch his magnificent life come to a sudden, abrupt halt. He died of unknown causes which are yet to be determined. He probably had a funeral and if he did it was probably attended by some who were probably sad if they were there (Smith, Bradly, Johnson, et. al 18-666).

In termination, Thomas Jefferson was a first-class President. He did a great deal of stuff and without him, somebody else would have had to do it in his place. Therefore, Jeffy was one heck, of a President. Although there is a lot more to cover, this author has already met the bear minimum to the assignment and will have to reason to write any more because that would be pointless.

I think I'll participate in this, I already know which question I'm going to answer.

Hey, I was going to do the Bob Dylan one, but since I watched Citizen Kane, I could do that one. Even though I don't think neither "Like a Rolling Stone" is the greatest song ever nor Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever...

I was thinking of doing the Bob Dylan one too. Only because I'm in love with him so it should be a fairly easy one for me. I think I've watched Citizen Kane, but can't remember and I know I've read to kill a mocking bird. But it was like in the seventh grade so don't remember much.