Judges' Comments

The judges awarded the first place prize to Adeline Van Buskirk, for her essay “'Virtually Nobody': Protecting Older Adults in the COVID Era," written for Jeannine Johnson’s course, WRIT 144: What’s in A Name? Investigating What We Call People, Places, and Things.  They awarded an honorable mention to Victoria Ho, for her essay “The Political and Social Implications of François Boucher’s Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (1750),” written for Barbara Lynn-Davis’s course, WRIT 107: Introduction to the Histories of Art.

Adeline Van Buskirk’s paper identifies a doubly urgent issue—ageism in the era of COVID-19—and builds a well-informed, compelling case for why and how it should be addressed. The piece is a sophisticated blend of a research paper, analytical lens essay, and call to action. While Adeline makes strong use of varied, relevant sources, integrating them into a cohesive whole, her own voice is notably authoritative and clear.

The prize committee was struck by the way Victoria Ho’s paper so thoughtfully attends to the easily-overlooked details of Boucher's portrait--from the brushstrokes of the Marquise’s lace robe to the likeness of the king she wears around her wrist.  By drawing her reader’s eye to these details, she helps even readers familiar with this portrait see what they might otherwise have missed.  Victoria is equally as thoughtful when she explains why, exactly, these subtle details matter--and she uses sparkling prose throughout her analysis.  Likewise, Victoria expertly uses her sources to illuminate what Boucher’s portrait has to say about beauty, age, and power in the French court.