2014 KSA English Writing Contest

Korea Science Academy of KAIST (KSA) is pleased to announce that the 3rd KSA English Writing Contest is to be held on May 27, 2014. All students are welcome to participate in the contest and take the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions creatively and logically!

1. Genres:

- Persuasive Essay Writing

- Creative Writing (non-fiction essay, short story, poetry)

2. Time & Place:

-  Persuasive Essay Writing (Offline Competition): May 27, 2014 (7 pm ~ 9 pm) at KSA Tamgu Building 2309

-  Creative Writing (Online Competition): All writings should be submitted online on the KSA homepage. (See the guidelines for details)

3. Prizes

1st	2nd	3rd
3 winners × 50,000 won gift certificate	6 winners × 30,000 won gift certificate	17 winners × 10,000 won gift certificate

4. Announcement of the Winners: The winners will be announced on the school website and the student council website on Monday, June 9, 2014

5. Others

- For the topics and more details, see 'The 3rd KSA English Writing Contest Guidelines'

- If you have any questions regarding the contest, please contact Juhwan Kim (amstkim@gmail.com).

The 3rd KSA English Writing Contest Guidelines

1. Persuasive Essay Writing (Offline Competition)

Participants will be asked to write a typical persuasive (opinion) essay about a controversial issue within a two-hour period. Topics and instructions will be given out on the day of event in the classroom. Using dictionaries is NOT allowed during the essay writing contest.

-  Example: More and more farmers and food manufacturers are genetically modifying their crops to reduce susceptibility to disease, improve flavor, and reduce costs. Do you think genetically modifying foods is a good idea? Why or why not? Use speciﬁc reasons and examples to support your position.

2. Creative Writing (Online Competition)

Creative writing contest includes THREE genres, non-fiction essay, short story, and poetry, each with some options and specific instructions. Participants may choose one of the options described below.

All writings must be submitted online in a file attachment with the registration form. A separate bulletin board for the contest will be created on the KSA website (www.ksa.hs.kr) and available for uploading until May 27, 7 pm.

Format: Use Hwp or MS Word for file attachment. Recommended length less than 1,200 words. 12-point font and single-line spacing. An original title is necessary.

1)  Non-fiction (Narrative) Essay

- Guilty Pleasure: Write an essay about something that makes you feel a little embarrassed or guilty for liking--maybe because it’s unhealthy, unpopular, not appropriate for your age, your parents, or friends disapprove of it, or it’s time-wasting. It could be a food, a song, a hobby, a habit, etc. The essay should be a mix of description (of the object, food, activity, artist, etc.) and analysis of why you like it, why other people don’t like it, why you feel “guilty” for liking it, etc.

- Sentimental Value: A worn-out T-shirt. A broken toy. A folded 1999 train or subway ticket. It is not easy to part with items that hold sentimental value. Write about something you cherish that would be trash to another person. Think beyond mere memories and explore what--the time, the people, the circumstances--that item represents.

- Fate vs. Free-Will: For a long time, humans have been concerned and often struggled with the relationship between fate and self-determination. Think about a time in your life when your inner strength and perseverance changed the outcome, or when you believe fate played a role. Write an essay that shows how this complex dynamic can be manifested in certain situations and complicate the way we as human beings live.

2) Fiction (Short Story)

- A Stranger: Imagine a person on the street, on a bus, or on a subway. Invent a dramatic story for that person: where is he or she going, and why? Make sure that your story shows a sense of consequence. In other words, your main character is doing something and going somewhere that is special, important, and possibly life-changing. This is not a normal day for this person. Also, your story should include a good physical description of the person.

- Hearing the Dead: Invent a story about a person who can hear the voices of the dead on a certain radio channel.

- Money, Bird, Toothpaste: Write a story that contains all three of the given words.

3) Poetry

- Family: Write a poem (free verse) about a member of your family doing 'a specific activity.' Like snowflakes, every family is unique (from quirky aunts and greedy uncles to gracious moms and despicable cousins).  Be honest. Be courageous. Be open. A suggested poem for inspiration is Robert Hayden's “Those Winter Sundays”

- Open theme: Write a ten-line poem (free verse) that includes at least three of the following nouns:

cliff   blackberry   needle   mother   voice   shoelace

and three of the following verbs:

burst   hum   float   shatter   ramble   spit