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The Bernice L. Fox Classics Writing Contest sponsored by the Department of Classics at Monmouth College

Topic: A Figure from Classical History, Literature, or Mythology as the Next President of the United States

Make a pitch for a classical figure as president, or depict that person acting as president or on the campaign trail.

This contest is open to any student enrolled full-time in high school during the current school year. An award of $250.00 will be given to the author of the best entry written in English on the specified theme. The entry may be an essay, a short story, a play, a poem, or any original literary work.

This contest was established in 1985 by the Department of Classics at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, to honor Bernice L. Fox, to promote the study of Latin and the Classics in high schools, and to recognize the good work of high school students.

Judging

The entry should make frequent, specific, accurate, and appropriate references to events from historical or other classical sources, and to contemporary circumstances. Papers will be judged on accuracy to ancient sources, appropriate use of those sources, originality, quality of material, thematic development, appropriateness, correctness of English style, and effectiveness of presentation.

Contest Guidelines

  • Entries must be typed, double-spaced, and on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper.
  • Printing on both sides of a page is acceptable.
  • No electronic submissions.
  • The entry must fit the theme of this year's contest.
  • No minimum or maximum length is required.
  • The entrant's name and school must not appear on the entry.
  • Contestants should place a personal identification code (a randomly selected nine character series) on the top left-hand corner of every page of the entry and on a separate 8-1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper, which also contains the following information:
    • author's name, date of birth, the student's personal identification code, school name, school address, teacher's name, and school phone number.
  • No more than ten entries will be accepted from any individual school, and only one entry per student.
  • Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification.
  • All entries must be postmarked no later than March 15th, and mailed to Dr. Robert Holschuh Simmons, Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois 61462 (e-mail: rsimmons@monmouthcollege.edu).
  • All entries become the property of Monmouth College.
  • The winner will be announced on or by April 15th on the contest website.
  • Every entrant will receive a certificate of participation from Monmouth College.
  • For further information, including a list of previous winners, please consult the contest website (http://department.monm.edu/classics/Department/FoxContest/).

About Bernice L. Fox

Bernice L. Fox taught courses in English, Latin and Greek at Monmouth College from 1947 to 1981, and served as chair of the Department of Classics from 1970 till her retirement in 1981. Throughout her long and dynamic career she worked tirelessly to promote the Classics in Illinois high schools and colleges. She is also the author of Tela Charlottae, the Latin translation of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web. In 1991 Monmouth College conferred on her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. She died in 2003.