Participant information
Competition format
- Students will prepare for the competition by completing the assigned reading. This
year's reading can be viewed or read online.
- The day of the competition students will engage in a 45-minute on-campus presentation
from the Presidential Scholarship Lecturer. You may take notes during the presentation.
- Students will then have approximately 90 minutes to write an essay in response to a question provided on the topic.
- The reading can be brought with you to the competition for reference. No additional materials can be used to write your essay.
Assigned reading for 2013
- This year's reading is a keynote presentation on "The Future of Lying" by Jeff Hancock,
Cornell University associate professor. Hancock spoke at the TEDxWinnipeg conference
last September.
- This presentation can be viewed or read online.
The video can also be viewed on YouTube.
About TED and TEDx events:
TED is a non-profit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design. The organization believes passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. TEDx conferences (i.e. TEDxWinnipeg) are locally organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Speakers, like Jeff Hancock, combine with other sessions to spark deep discussion and connection in smaller groups.
If you have trouble opening the presentation, please type the following address :
http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_hancock_3_types_of_digital_lies.html
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msz_DCpQbfY
After the competition
- Each essay will be read and scored by two Bluffton faculty members. Winners of the four premier scholarships will be determined by essay score, GPA and ACT/SAT results.
- All students competing will receive an additional $1,000 annual scholarship to Bluffton (worth $4,000 over four years).