In the world of academics, there are many awards given to students for outstanding achievements. Some are prestigious, while others are less well known. One that is well known is the Sidney Prize, which is awarded for writing a paper that shows significant intellectual growth and demonstrates a commitment to the ideals of the profession. The National Association of Scholars also offers an award called the Sidney Hook Memorial Award, which is presented to a scholar who has distinguished themselves through their work in defense of academic freedom and the integrity of academia.
The Sidney Prize is an annual literary prize established in memory of Philip Sidney Ardern by a gift of $500 from Miss Ardern and subscriptions from friends. The Prize is intended to perpetuate the generative influence which Mr. Ardern exerted in the classroom and on hundreds of Dartmouth students through his classes, and it is not restricted to any particular field. The committee tries to choose “that piece of undergraduate writing which comes nearest to the high standard of originality and integrity which characterized Sidney Cox’s own work”.
Similarly, the physics department has two annual student prizes: the Mikiso Hane Prize for papers on East Asian studies and the Sidney DeVere Brown Prize for papers that connect art with physics or literature. The former is given to undergraduates and the latter to graduate students. In addition to the Sidney Prizes, there are a number of other literary and non-literary awards that celebrate individuals or organizations. One example is the Sydney Peace Prize, which honors a nominee who promotes “peace with justice and human rights” through nonviolent means. This year, Black Lives Matter founders Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza won the prize.
Another prize is the Hillman Foundation Sidney Prize, which is given monthly to journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling for public interest reasons. The winner of this prize receives a $5,000 first prize and will be published in Overland magazine, while two runners-up will each get $750.
In accordance with the wishes of Archibald’s father, the early winners of the Sidney Prize were people of some distinction in the worlds of art, letters and science. In 1924, however, a critic complained that the portrait of the architect Harold Desbrowe Annear won the prize when there were many more distinguished artists who could have been chosen.
Those interested in submitting a paper for consideration can do so through the submission portal. The papers must be between 10 and 30 pages in length and double-spaced. The paper can be written as part of a course or seminar, or as an independent study project. In addition, the paper must be accompanied by a letter from the student’s professor or advisor confirming that the paper was written while the student was an undergraduate. Submissions will be evaluated by scholars in the relevant field. The winners will be announced at the Wittenberg East Asian Studies Lecture and Symposium.