Essay Prize in Ethics

The Schellhase Essay Contest asks students to think critically about the moral principles that drive human actions and behavior. The Schellhase Essay Contest was created in honor of Richard T. Schellhase, a former professor at Ursinus College.

Topics to Consider

The fundamental differences of what is “right” and “wrong”
Competing advocacy for the best course of action
Personal dilemmas
Unexpected consequences that resulted from a well-intended action
Important policy decisions and their implications
The obligation to help humanity and/or the environment

The topics above and many more can drive the thesis of an ethics essay. An ethics essay can be any essay that explores ethical situations and ideas.

Eligibility

Any current Ursinus student may submit one essay. Students of all disciplines and grade levels are eligible to compete. Your essay submission can be from any class or from your independent writing outside class.

How to Submit

Email your submission (one per student) as an MS Word document to cws@ursinus.edu by Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Make the title of the document “Your Name, Schellhase Submission.docx” and the subject heading of your email “Your Name, Schellhase Submission.” (e.g., Talia Argondezzi, Schellhase Submission).

Prizes

Up to $3,500 in prizes!

Judging and Scoring

Winning essays will be selected by a panel of Ursinus alumni. Submitted essays will be scored on their capacity to confront important topics with a sense of perspective, tenacity, and eloquence while maintaining a captivating flow.

Past Essay Contest Winners

2024

First Prize: “Capital Punishment: Analyzing the Demise of the Death Penalty’s Usefulness” by Emma Reyes

Second Prize: “Predictive Policing” by Emily Musgrove

Third Prize: “The Actions of a Lonely Woman and the Effects of Online Incel Communities on Society” by Antara Dabral

Honorable Mentions: “Refugees and the EU: A Study of the Preferential Treatment of Ukrainian Refugees” by Madelyn Cooper and “Abortion: Analysis of the Bioethical and Metaphysical Standpoint” by Lauren Kovarick

First Prize: “Consent in Conversation: Education of Sexual Violence in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Emily Benning

Second Prize: “Unchallenged Myth: Abolish the Family and Structure” by Julian Barocas

Third Prize: “The American Dream: Living Paycheck to Paycheck” by Ben Henwood

Honorable Mentions: “The Hidden Victims of War” by Drishti Khandelwal and “Surrogacy as a Means of Survival” by Emma Reyes

First Prize: “Persistence in the North Pacific: the Makah people and their fight to protect their cultural heritage” by Jeff Cocci

Second Prize: “Unlovable Labour: Rejecting the Do What You Love Ideology” by Trey Dykeman

Third Prize: “Uneasy Is the Head that Imagines the Burden” by Michael Adelson

Honorable Mentions: “The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice?” by Abigail Coachi; “The Role of the Filmmaker: Truth and Awareness” by Amy Litofsky; and “The Ethics Surrounding DIY HRT” by Ted Studt

First Prize: “Defending the Genetic Selection of Intelligence: A Moral Exploration of Principle” by Chase Opperman

Second Prize: “Ethical Considerations Regarding Paternalism in Medicine” by Lola Holcomb

Third Prize (tie): “Community Psychology’s Impact on Public Health and the Experience of Marginalization” by Katie Hudick

Third Prize (tie): “Fill the Gap: Assessing moral permissibility of rejections in dental practices, and promoting pro bono dental work through a non-profit organization” by Min Son

Have additional questions or concerns?

Reach out to targondezzi@ursinus.edu for clarification on requirements, dates, and eligible topics for the essay.

Need inspiration for your essay topic?

Check out this external link containing over 200 ethical topics to dig into.

Ethics is the difference between knowing what you have the right to do and what is the right thing to do.

- Potter Stewart