Six MSU students were recognized for their outstanding essays at the ninth annual Dr. Michael N. Compton Public Affairs Essay Contest awards ceremony Nov. 16, 2023.

Essays addressed the 2023-24 public affairs theme, “Navigating the Now: Tradition, Innovation and Wisdom in a World of Change.”

Political science major Timothy G. Wellman earned first place for his essay, “When may quitting, pivoting, or falling back be the best steps forward?”

Wellman received a cash prize of $1500, and an additional $500 was donated in his name to Children’s Hope International, his charity of choice.

Second place winners were junior economics major Ashley Foster and junior biology major Alyssa Xiong. Foster and Xiong each received a $300 MSU Bookstore gift card, sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Philosophy.

Senior psychology major Olivia Grandberry, senior political science and biology major Oliver Grace and freshman English education major Jordan Fleske each received a cash prize of $125 for their third place entries.

Essays focus on public affairs mission

Sponsored by the Sigma Pi fraternity, its alumni organization, the Institute for Development of Ethics and Leadership (IDEAL) and the Department of Political Science and Philosophy, the annual contest emphasizes MSU’s Public Affairs mission.

Essays must address the current public affairs theme or some aspect of that theme. They are then evaluated for clarity, spelling and grammar, and length requirements.

Full-time undergraduate students attending the MSU-Springfield campus, except members of Sigma Pi, are eligible to enter.

Increasingly sophisticated content

According to Stacey Trewatha-Bach, Coordinator in the Office of Public Affairs Support, essay entries continue to reflect a diverse academic cross-section of the university yet also embody more sophisticated content.

She credits increased faculty involvement in the public affairs mission, through projects and course assignments, for this growth.

“The student entries have become increasingly more developed and creative, along with insightful perspectives, when writing on a specific aspect of the [Public Affairs] theme or as a whole,” she said.

In addition to providing a “sustainable public affairs leadership opportunity” for Sigma Pi, Trewatha-Bach noted that the contest gives all MSU students a clear incentive to engage in the public affairs mission.

“It is rewarding to see the innovation that students express about the theme and public affairs,” Trewatha-Bach said.

Contest inspires ethical leadership and intellectual engagement

MSU’s Sigma Pi – Alpha Rho Chapter and its alumni’s non-profit, IDEAL, started the Dr. Michael N. Compton Public Affairs Essay Contest in 2016.

Sigma Pi members coordinate and promote the contest across campus through emails, postcards, flyers and student group and classroom presentations.

Compton co-founded IDEAL to teach ethical leadership to Sigma Pi members. The essay contest, which not only awards cash prizes but also donates to winners’ favorite charities, grew from that original mission.

“The essay contest is one of the most focused, individualized ways students can engage intellectually with the University’s public affairs mission,” said Dr. Christopher Lynch, professor and political science and philosophy department head. “It invites students to gather their best thoughts on some aspect of the year’s public affairs mission.”

“In many cases this results in students connecting these thoughts with past projects and future career goals and explaining for themselves and to their readers the importance of public affairs,” he added. “This all makes the essay contest an important part of public affairs at the university.”

Those interested in supporting the Public Affairs Essay Contest should contact Stacey Trewatha-Bach.