The Williams Honors College of The University of Akron is looking for undergraduate students to submit works for the Ben Auburn Award of Cultural Criticism.  

The Ben Auburn Award competition is open to all undergraduate students at The University of Akron. The first prize in each category is $500. 

Entries are due by April 22, 2022. 

There are two categories for submissions:.The first is a piece of work focusing on cultural criticism that identifies how culture adapts and changes within trends in arts, ideas and aesthetics. The second category is for works that can be submitted for the special topic this year, “Reexamining History and Culture.” 

Not sure what cultural criticism includes?  

According to the award website, “Cultural criticism does not vilify our society. Rather, as culture adapts and changes, criticism identifies and assesses trends in the arts, aesthetics, and ideas of a human society.”  

“General works are solicited that address any aspect of culture and society,” Dr. D. Dane Quinn, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research, explains. “[The award] focuses on works of cultural criticism, broadly interpreted to address, and comment on any aspect of culture and society” 

The website explains that critique is limited neither to high culture nor to popular movements but can be applied across all human artistic and intellectual achievements.  

“Moreover,” the site explains, “cultural criticism can take many forms and appear in a variety of media.” 

Students can submit an extended essay or article, a book chapter, video, audio, film, exhibitions or performances, poems and more. For the special topic “Reexamining History and Culture,” which believes that an evaluation of history and culture is made through the lens of an observer with preconceived ideas and biases. 

The award is sponsored by Mark and Sandy and David Auburn in memory of their son and brother Ben, seeking to expand the boundaries of cultural criticism.  

Works and accompanying form must be submitted by Friday, April 22 at 5:00 p.m. to [email protected]. The award competition will be held April 29, 2022. 

For more information visit http://www.uakron.edu/honors/students/ben-auburn-award.dot or contact D. Dane Quinn, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research, Williams Honors College, at [email protected], or at 330–972–6302.