Writing Contest - Crafton Hills College

AY 2023- 2024

SUBMIT YOUR WORK!

Winning entries will receive cash prizes,
certificates, and recognition!

Who can submit: Any student currently enrolled at
Crafton Hills College.

When to submit:
Submission deadline is Monday, April 1, 2024 


How to Submit Your Work

  • We welcome both traditional essays and nontraditional compositions (podcasts, posters, newsletters, multimedia poems, zines, public service announcements, photo essays, etc.) 
  • Only one entry per student.
  • You may visit the Tutoring Center for additional help preparing your entry. 
  • Contact the coordinators onebook@craftonhills.edu for more information.
  • Email your submission as an attachment, either as Word doc, pdf, or rtf file to onebook@craftonhills.edu.
  • If submitting nontraditional texts, please contact the contest coordinators at onebook@craftonhills.edu for additional submission information.
  • You also need to fill out and include the contest cover sheet in your submission.
    Cover Sheet (pdf)
  • The subject line of your email should be “OBOC Writing Contest 2023-2024 Submission.”

Submission Options

Option 1

You may submit an assignment from any Crafton Hills course (one composed for a class during AY 23-24) as long as it is based on They Called Us Enemy. Entries may be revised before submission.

Option 2

Examine the acts of resilience and courage displayed by George Takei, his family, and other Japanese Americans during their incarceration. Discuss how they coped with adversity, maintained hope, and persevered in the face of injustice. Reflect on the lessons of resilience that can be learned from their experiences.

Option 3

Discuss Takei's reflections on the injustice of the Japanese American internment and how he confronts and processes this historical trauma in his memoir. Reflect on how this narrative urges readers to confront historical injustices and work towards a more just and compassionate society.

Option 4

Consider the relevance of They Called Us Enemy in the context of current issues related to racism, xenophobia, and discrimination. How can this memoir's message be applied to ongoing struggles for justice and equity in society? Discuss how understanding and learning from history can help prevent similar injustices from recurring. 

What Makes It Good?

Whichever option you decide to take on, a successful submission will

  • Display complexity and thoughtfulness in composing, particularly in response to the prompt.
    Ensure a strong thesis or have a clear purpose that encapsulates the main focus of entry.
  • Draw from They Called Us Enemy to support arguments and analysis.
  • Incorporate historical research and context to enrich analysis whenever appropriate.
  • In other words, a successful entry brings in examples/evidence from the book, and other sources to help make your point whenever appropriate.
  • Use proper citations for any references you make to the graphic novel or external sources. You may choose either MLA/APA format
    Has a title that describes the entry.
    Attends to features of the chosen genre of the submission (i.e. is organized or structured according to chosen genre)