The finalists for the annual Means Essay prize, Auguste White ’17, Samantha Lin ’16 and Jared Newman ’15, read their essays during All-School Meeting (ASM) this past Wednesday. Their essays were titled: “Wonderful Things,” “They Dance for Me” and “It Becomes a Different Story,” respectively.
Founded in 1867 by William G. Means, the Means Essay Prize is awarded to an outstanding student-written essay from the school year, according to the prize description.
Essays are judged by the Means Prize Committee comprised of teaching fellows. This year, Marian Homans-Turnbull, Daniel Cadarette, Steven Kim, and Genevieve C. Barrons were the judges.
“We looked for essays that made interesting and effective use of language and form, that told compelling stories, that were presented thoughtfully and expressively in person, and that we thought would resonate with other members of the community,” wrote Homans-Turnbull in an email to The Phillipian.
“The broadest purposes of the competition include celebrating the art of public speaking, encouraging personal writing at Andover, encouraging students to share their stories with us and with the broader community, giving a platform to a few especially strong pieces of writing, and starting conversations on campus about aspects of the student experience,” she continued.
The final winner will receive a prize of 150 dollars.
