|
Question submissions sought for Quest IV competition
The fourth Richmond Quest is underway, with a Jan. 31 deadline for submission of proposed questions. Questions “should be broad enough to enable exploration by all of the University’s academic disciplines--arts and sciences, business, law and leadership studies,” said Julie Tea, director of special projects and staff co-chair of the Richmond Quest. In addition, they should be compelling enough to unify the campus as a theme to be embraced by new courses, seminars, research, lectures and other programs, she said. The Richmond Quest competition is held every two years to find a far-reaching question to be examined by the University community. Students have received a brochure and invitation to submit questions, which must be accompanied by a rationale explaining why their questions are important and how they will intellectually engage all areas of the University community, said Tea. Entries should be no more than 1,500 words. “Quest is trying something new this year, allowing groups as well as individuals to submit questions,” said Dr. Dana Lascu, chair of the marketing department and faculty co-chair of the Richmond Quest. “We want the entire University to be abuzz with Quest fever, with stimulating intellectual exchanges, as students ask important and universal questions,” she said. Faculty and staff also received letters encouraging them to collaborate with students to prepare questions. “Mentors are essential in the process. Staff and faculty alike can help out as sounding boards for student questions and their rationales,” said Lascu. “I picture brainstorming sessions in their offices, as well as in classrooms, dormitories and D-hall.” Mentor(s) to the winner(s) will receive a special development grant. Question-and-answer sessions about this year’s competition will be held in the Brown-Alley Room of Weinstein Hall Nov. 10 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Jan. 19 from 2:30–3:30 p.m. A committee of individuals involved in Richmond Quest, including the two co-chairs, will select the winner, said Lascu. As in the past, the selection will be a blind process; the names of students and, if applicable, their mentors, will not be shared with the reviewers. Since group entries, including those from organizations, are allowed this year, entry forms should indicate how the prize money should be divided if the group wins. The winning question will be announced at a reception Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Alice Haynes Room of Tyler Haynes Commons. The student or group that submits the winning question will receive a cash prize of $25,000. Larina Orlando, ’99, submitted the first winning Quest question, “Is truth in the eye of the beholder?” The competition received coverage in the national news media, and a number of secondary schools and universities in the United States and abroad emulated the program. Liza Stutts, ’04, posed the second question, “When does discovery inspire change?” and Amy Robin Hoffman, ’03, won the third competition with her question, “How do we know which questions to ask?” Faculty have created nearly 50 courses around Quest questions, including courses in English, philosophy, rhetoric and communications studies, theatre, marketing, computer science and economics, among others. Quest-related programming has brought to campus more than 75 speakers and events, including Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. In addition, Quest has funded 30 international research opportunities for students, taking them to such places as Prague, Bombay (Mumbai), the Russian State Library and Ukraine, either through courses or independent research projects. The Richmond Quest has announced that Lascu will step down as Quest co-chair in May 2005 after four years of service. The new co-chair will be Dr. Kathy Hewett-Smith, associate professor of English. “Dana has been a tireless promoter of Quest, personally encouraging dozens of faculty members to create new or revise existing courses to reflect the Quest question,” said Tea. “She has been a tremendous asset to Quest.” Hewett-Smith and her colleague John Marx led the Quest course on Mumbai and oversaw the independent studies of 10 Quest Scholars. For more information, visit oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/quest/QuestIV/competition.html. |
||||||
 |
