VOCATION: BURDEN OR GIFT?
Alma College Student Contest for the
Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin
The Alma College Chapel, Department of Religious Studies, and Center for Responsible Leadership announce the Alma College Contest for the Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.
Purpose:
The purpose of the contest is to stimulate an interest in the theology of John Calvin, especially the ways in which his 16th century theology may be of benefit to 21st-century Christians.
Focus:
John Calvin wrote:
[T]he Lord bids each one of us in all life’s actions to look to his calling [vocation]. For he knows with what great restlessness human nature flames, with what fickleness it is borne hither and thither, how its ambition longs to embrace various things at once. Therefore…he has appointed duties for every [person] in his particular way of life. And that no one may thoughtlessly transgress his limits, he has named these various kinds of living “callings.” Therefore each individual has his own kind of living assigned to him by the Lord as a sort of sentry post so that he may not heedlessly wander about throughout life…[N]o task will be so sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God's sight. [Institutes of the Christian Religion III.x.6]
Students are invited to reflect on and respond to this quotation through the medium of their choice. Options include, but are not limited to academic essay, creative writing, visual art, film or music.
Awards:
The following awards will be given for the top three entries: $500 first prize, $300 second prize, $150 third prize. Winners will be encouraged to present their work at Honors Day 2010.
Eligibility:
1. Contest is open to all Alma College students; students of all majors and classes may participate.
2. Entrant must be enrolled as an Alma College student during fall term 2009.
Dates:
1. All entries must be submitted (physically brought or emailed) to the Kirk Center office, lower level of the Chapel by Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 at 5 pm.
2. Winners and other participants will be notified of results by December 15, 2009.
Guidelines
- The work must be solely the work of the entrant.
- Students may submit only one entry.
- All work must be the original work of the submitter and must not have been previously published or displayed.
- Written submissions may be no more than 2000 words in length, and must be typewritten and double-spaced.
- Artistic submissions must be accompanied by a typewritten explanation not to exceed 2000 words in length.
- Evidence of understanding primary source material is critical.
- All quotations and other references must be properly documented.
- All submissions become the collective property of Alma College, including all copyrights, and may be used at the discretion of the College including but not limited to editing the submission, reprinting the submission (in whole or in part), or selling the copyrights. Copyright permission for individuals to reprint their own material is hereby granted in perpetuity.
- The College’s decision is final, and the College reserves the right to reject any submission without explanation.
Submissions:
1. Include a cover page, separate from the submission, with your name, address, phone number, and class year.
2. Submit by email in PDF, MSWord, or Rich Text Format to gregg@alma.edu or bring submission to Carol Gregg, Kirk Center, lower level of the Chapel.
3. The pages of the written submission must not contain any name or identifying features, so the entries can be judged blindly with regard to entrants’ identities.
For More Information contact:
Carol Gregg at gregg@alma.edu or 989-463-7981
This contest is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
