Four Princeton staff members have been honored for their essays in the fifth annual Princeton Writes essay contest. From left, 2018-2019 honorees Anna Braverman, University Health Services; Jeff Labrecque, University Advancement; and Kira O’Brien and Gwen McNamara, Pace Center for Civic Engagement. The 2018-2019 contest inspired a record 70 submissions from 44 academic and administrative units. University staff members were invited to introduce a personal community, place or pastime and reflect on its meaning in their lives. An essay by Kira O’Brien, program coordinator at the John H. Pace, Jr. ’39 Center for Civic Engagement, took the Princeton Writes [...]

The topic of Princeton's fourth annual staff essay contest has been announced: Describe an encounter or relationship that has given you a new perspective. Between now and February 28, members of the University's academic professional, administrative, and support staffs are invited to craft and submit an essay of between 750 and 1,250 words. Broadly conceived, this year's topic is not restricted to Princeton -- perhaps it was a grandparent who influenced the way you see the world -- or even to people -- maybe one of nature's wonders has affected you profoundly. The possibilities are legion; what matters is how clearly, [...]

Princeton Writes marked the successful conclusion of its third annual staff essay contest with a festive reception at Maclean House on June 12. In his remarks, program director John Weeren thanked contestants for revealing overlooked and underappreciated facets of Princeton's campus, as well as important aspects of themselves. When we write, he said, "we remove our own cloaks of invisibility, so to speak, and that demands both personal courage and faith in others." Vice President for Human Resources Lianne Sullivan-Crowley offered her own congratulations before the contest's honorees were introduced. Princeton Writes Prize winner Tom Dunne and honorable mention recipients Matt [...]

The 2016-2017 Princeton Writes essay contest invited University staff to share their thoughts on something they believe is overlooked or underappreciated at Princeton. Among 40 submissions across 31 academic and administrative units, four essays stood out. Tom Dunne was awarded the Princeton Writes Prize, and Matt Eaton, Jon Horowitz, and Gwen McNamara received honorable mentions. Pictured at the Princeton University Art Museum, from left, Princeton Writes Essay Contest honorees Tom Dunne, Jon Horowitz, Gwen McNamara, and Matt Eaton. Photo: David Kelly Crow. The four honorees painted a captivating picture of their “special something” at Princeton through a rich blend of original [...]

Princeton Writes honored those who entered its second annual staff essay contest at a celebratory reception at Maclean House on June 16. Before a beaming crowd of family, friends, and colleagues, the winner of this year's Princeton Writes Prize, Bryant Blount, and honorable mention recipients April Armstrong, Violette Chamoun, and Brian Mondschein accepted their certificates, along with autographed copies of On Writing Well by the late William Zinsser '44. In his remarks, Princeton Writes' director, John Weeren, praised contestants for embracing a topic -- diversity -- that is "so idiosyncratic and so transcendent; so central to an understanding of oneself and others [...]

Staff members at Princeton University can compose more than just well-crafted emails and reports as proven by their participation in the second annual Princeton Writes essay contest, an initiative designed to inspire and recognize outstanding writing on their part. This year’s submission prompt invited employees to share their thoughts on diversity in our community. Out of 20 submissions across 18 academic and administrative units, an essay by Bryant Blount took the top prize. April Armstrong, Violette Chamoun, and Brian Mondschein received honorable mentions. From left, Princeton Writes Staff Essay Contest honorees Brian Mondschein, Bryant Blount, Violette Chamoun, and April Armstrong. [...]

Please consider entering Princeton Writes’ annual essay contest, which was inaugurated last year to encourage and recognize clear, creative, and compelling writing on the part of the University’s academic professional, administrative, and support staffs. This is a unique opportunity to express yourself outside the day-to-day confines of emails, spreadsheets, and reports, and even those who do not think of themselves as “writers” are warmly invited to participate. This year’s contest focuses on diversity of all forms in our community. You are invited to write about your experience with the presence or absence of differences and the impact of that experience on [...]

On a sunny afternoon in June, in the gracious setting of Maclean House, Princeton Writes honored the contestants in its inaugural staff essay contest, which attracted submissions from across our campus. While four employees, Marianna Bogucki, Ruth McGuire, Jamie Saxon, and Dana Sheridan, received special recognition, program director John S. Weeren paid tribute to all who exercised their creativity, thanking them for embracing the "challenge that every word presents – to be as true as possible to what we see and hear and touch and taste and smell and feel; to capture, in this case, the character of our remarkable University." [...]

Four employees have received accolades for their submissions to Princeton Writes’ inaugural essay contest, which was launched last fall to encourage and recognize outstanding writing on the part of University staff. Marianna Bogucki, Ruth McGuire, Jamie Saxon, and Dana Sheridan were among 41 contestants, representing 29 academic and administrative units, who responded to the Selection Committee’s invitation to “describe an aspect of Princeton’s campus that often catches your attention.” In a pool of superlative essays, theirs most clearly, creatively, and compellingly addressed this topic, earning Bogucki the Princeton Writes Prize and McGuire, Saxon, and Sheridan honorable mentions. From left, Princeton [...]