The Center for Writing Excellence is pleased to announce the winners for the Montclair Book 2013 Essay Contest; congratulations go to Alexis Raven Marrero, Khadijah Danielian and Gysel Espinoza. The Montclair Book Essay Contest was offered as part of the year-long activities surrounding Montclair Book, a common reading program using Rebecca Skloot’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, as the selection for 2012. The essay prompt asked undergraduate students to discuss the most critical questions raised by the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family, her cells (which were taken without her knowledge or consent) and her enduring legacy, including race, bioethics, the politics of science, and a person’s right to his or her own body.
The CWE consultants faced a challenging task in choosing the winning submissions from the many provocative entries. Thirteen entries were received; three outstanding essays were chosen, representing various perspectives.
- Alexis Raven Marrero’s essay, “At the Expense of Patients” was awarded the winning prize of $100.
Two runner-ups were selected and awarded $25 each:
- Khadijah Danielian, “Ownership of Oneself: Scientific Gain vs. Individual Rights”
- Gysel Espinoza, “Medical Infringements”.
A certificate for honorable mention will be given to essays that qualified for the final round.
- Rebecca Haupt, “Achieving a Compromise”
- Andrea Miller, “The Ethics of Patient-Practitioner Relationships”
- Charlotte Vangsnes, “The Miracle of Immortality”.
Certificates of recognition were given to the other students who submitted their essays to the contest.
The CWE hosted a celebration honoring the winners and participants on Wednesday, May 8, 2012.
The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks
(Sponsored by the Center for Writing Excellence)
There’s a photo on my wall of a woman I’ve never met, its left corner torn and patched together with tape. She looks straight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed, lips painted deep red. It’s the late 1940s and she hasn’t yet reached the age of thirty. Her light brown skin is smooth, her eyes still young and playful, oblivious to the tumor growing inside her—a tumor that would leave her five children motherless and change the future of medicine. Beneath the photo, a caption says her name is “Henrietta Lacks, Helen Lane or Helen Larson.” No one knows who took that picture, but it’s appeared hundreds of times in magazines and science textbooks, on blogs and laboratory walls. She’s usually identified as Helen Lane, but often she has no name at all. She’s simply called HeLa, the code name given to the world’s first immortal human cells…involving HeLa cells.
–Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Essay Prompt
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks can be interpreted on many different levels, including but not limited to cultural, social, historical, ethical, educational, medical and scientific issues. Choose one or more of these perspectives and write an essay in which you discuss the most critical questions raised by the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family, her cells (which were taken without her knowledge or consent) and her enduring legacy, including race, bioethics, the politics of science and a person’s right to his or her own body. You may choose to focus solely on the book itself, or you may use it as a starting point for analyzing another text, cultural product or another contemporary issue related to the questions raised by this book. You may cite outside sources, but they are not required. (If you do cite sources, then follow the citation style of your discipline.)
Essay Contest Requirements and Guidelines
Length: Between 750-1,000 words
Submission: Double space and use a 12-point font. Entries must include a separate title page with your name, essay title and contact information: email address, phone number and mailing address.
Evaluation criteria: Each essay will be judged based on the extent and effectiveness with which it:
- Engages audiences
- Communicates an argument effectively
- Uses persuasive evidence
- Exemplifies excellence in writing
Eligible contestants: Open to all undergraduates enrolled at Montclair State University during the Fall 2012 or Spring 2013 semester
Prizes:
One winner will receive $100
Two runners up will receive $25 each
Submission Deadline Extended to: April 22, 2013
How to Submit: Send an electronic copy to cwe@montclair.edu and in the subject line enter “Montclair Book Essay Contest.” In the email message, indicate the college or school in which you enrolled, the degree for which you are a candidate and when you expect to graduate. If you have not yet declared a major, please indicate that as well.