National Writing Competition

Delta Epsilon Sigma sponsors an annual writing contest open to any undergraduate (member or nonmember) in an institution which has a chapter of the society. Manuscripts may be submitted in any of four categories: for creative writing, either poetry or prose; for expository writing, either informal essays or scholarly, research-type work. The winner in each of the four categories will receive a five hundred-dollar prize.  A second prize of $250 is also sometimes awarded.

The first phase of the competition is to be conducted by local chapters, each of which is encouraged to sponsor its own contest. Editorial comment and advice by a faculty mentor is appropriate as an aid preparatory to student revision, so long as all writing is done by the student. A chapter may forward to the national competition, only one entry in each category. All entries must be accompanied by a cover sheet giving the author's name, title and category. Do not include the name of the institution on the cover sheet. Prose manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced 1,500-5,000 words in length. A long poem should be submitted singly; shorter lyrics may be submitted singly or in groups of two or three. Moderators should email all entries to desnational@stthomas.edu by December 1.

Final judging and the announcement of the result will take place not later than May 1 of the following year. Winners will be notified through the office of the local chapter moderator.
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The J. Patrick Lee Prize in Ethics

This annual undergraduate essay competition is established to honor Patrick Lee who served as National Secretary-Treasurer of Delta Epsilon Sigma with dedication and commitment for over 20 years, and whose leadership transformed the Society. As a tribute to Dr. Lee’s praiseworthy ethical character and judgment, this competition encourages students to reflect on ethical issues in ways that engage the challenges of our contemporary world.  Essays should evidence research and well reasoned reflection on a specific ethical issue that emerges from an academic, professional, political, ecological or social justice context. Topics should explore ethical issues engaging the Catholic intellectual tradition. Essays must be submitted as MS Word Documents, in double-spaced format, and be between 1500 and 5000 words in length. An abstract should also be included. Proper citation is expected, following the norm in the discipline from which the topic area derives (e.g., APA. MLA, Chicago Manual of Style, Terabian, etc.). There is a Prize Award of $2,500.00, along with publication of the essay in the Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal. Senior projects from the calendar year will be accepted, and there is no limit to submissions from each campus. Deadline: December 1^st.  Materials should be sent electronically to the National Office at the University of St. Thomas at desnational@stthomas.edu .