2020 Writing Contest
The Catalyst team is beyond excited to share some of the wonderful essays, short stories, and creative pieces that were submitted by CNS students for the Fall 2020 Writing Contest. A huge congratulations to our winners Parker Davis, Maritza Ramirez, and Olivia Conway!
Winning Submissions:
Interested in learning more about the Catalyst Writing Contest? Scroll Down to find out more!
Interested in sharing your writing?
Catalyst is proud to present its CNS-wide writing contest, designed to feature the interdisciplinary talents and unique voices of UT’s Natural Sciences students. Our goal is to provide a student-driven platform that draws from both the sciences and humanities. We hope to encourage, recognize, and promote creativity in the sciences and beyond, supporting the ever-growing community of innovators, writers, and thinkers at the University of Texas at Austin.
Fall 2020 Catalyst Writing Contest
ACCEPTABLE ENTRIES:
The Catalyst Writing Contest seeks reflective or creative writing pieces written by undergraduate students in the College of Natural Sciences. Submissions must engage with a scientific topic, idea, or discipline in some way, though we encourage writers to be creative in how their piece draws from or interacts with the sciences.
Though this list is not exhaustive, below are some genres that are acceptable for submissions:
Science fiction/fantasy
Humor
Short story
Personal essay
Short script
Poetry
For any questions about acceptable submissions, please contact: nsc.catalyst.chair@gmail.com.
Our magazine strives to be respectful to the identities, experiences, and backgrounds of CNS students and in the UT community. We ask that submissions to our Writing Contest also hold themselves to this standard.
Only individual submissions will be accepted. Please ensure that all submitted work is your own, and any information drawn from outside sources is appropriately attributed.
JUDGING CRITERIA:
All entries will be scored based on the following criteria:
Originality
Clarity
Voice and Style
Grammar and Mechanics
Ideas and Impact
HOW TO ENTER:
Eligibility: Current UT undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Natural Sciences are eligible to participate in the Catalyst Writing Contest.
Submission: Submissions closed at 5 PM Central Time on Nov. 9th. A student may turn in only one submission. While we encourage you to use the spacing and formatting that fit your piece best, we do ask that entries be written in Times New Roman 12 pt. font and adhere to a maximum length of 5 single-spaced pages. Do not include your name in the document; only enter your name on the submission form. Entries will be accepted in .doc, .docx, and .pdf format. For any questions or inquiries, please contact: nsc.catalyst.chair@gmail.com.
Deadline: All entries are due by 5:00 PM on November 9th. Any entries which are submitted after this time will not be considered.
Judging: A blind judging process will be implemented to maintain a fair, impartial environment throughout the contest. Winners will be announced in a timely manner following the submission deadline. Results will be posted on the Catalyst website as well as on social media platforms managed by Natural Sciences Council. Participants will also be contacted with the results via email shortly after winners are announced online.
Awards: The writers of the top three submissions will be awarded gift card prizes. Winners’ pieces will be featured in Catalyst along with other stellar submissions from the Writing Contest.