Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 Sunshine Week Essay Contest!

One entry was received in each of the catagories. Based on the strong essays, the judges have awarded first prizes to the following students:

BU Student, Chris Fetterman, senior Political Science/Mass Communications double major from Lehighton
High School Student, Megan Rose, junior from Southern Columbia High School

Congratulations to Chris and Megan. Each was awarded a prize of $250. Their essays will be published in The Press Enterprise during Sunshine Week and will be posted to the Sunshine Week website, for possible use in any Pennsylvania newspaper.

Write 600-700 words on the following topic: Government efforts to secretly monitor telephone calls

There has been much debate over whether The New York Times should have revealed the U.S. government's secret wiretapping of phone calls without warrants. Critics say the program was a vital part of the country's anti-terrorism effort and that the newspaper undermined that effort by revealing it. Proponents of the articles say the newspaper revealed an improper and possibly illegal intrusion on Americans' privacy.

Should the government be able to listen in on phone calls without a warrant? Should we have been told about the program, or could that be considered "helping the terrorists?" Please address both questions in your essay.

In crafting your essay, you may want to consult the following sources:

• National Security Agency document archives from the site FindLaw.com
• Overview of the topic from the Washington Post
• Congressional Research Service Report: Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information

Prizes:

• 1st Prize: $250 and your essay published in The Press Enterprise during Sunshine Week (March 16-22, 2008)
• 2nd Prize: $150
• 3rd Prize: $100
• All three essays will also be published on the Sunshine Week website (sunshineweek.org) for possible use in any PA state newspaper
• Cash prizes are being provided by the Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Pro Chapter

Contest rules:

1. Deadline for submission is Friday, February 1, 2008. Essays must be received by this date (it is not a postmark date). Essays received after this date will be disqualified. If you are a Bloomsburg University student, submit one copy of your essay to Katie Yelinek in Andruss Library 235 or at the Reference Desk by 4 p.m. on February 1. If you are an area high school student, submit one copy of your essay to: Katie Yelinek, Andruss Library 235, Bloomsburg University, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.
2. Essays should be typed, double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font with 1-inch to 1.5-inch margins.
3. BU students should include a cover sheet with your name, your category (BU student), your phone number, and your email address with the submission. Do not include your name on the actual essay. Winning BU students will be required to sign a waiver giving permission to publish their essays online and in The Press Enterprise
4. High school students should include a cover sheet with your name, your category (High school student), your school, your phone number, and your email address with the submission. Do not include your name on the actual essay. High school students must also include a signed waiver form with their essay. Click here to download a copy of the waiver form (it is a PDF document). Essays received without this waiver form will be disqualified.
5. You must be a Bloomsburg University student or a student in a high school within The Press Enterprise circulation area to enter the contest.
6. University student essays will be judged separately from high school student essays. Prizes will be awarded separately in each category. You may enter in only one category.
7. The decision of the judges will be final.
8. Questions? Contact Katie Yelinek, Government Documents Librarian at Bloomsburg University, at kyelinek@bloomu.edu.

Other links:

• The Sunshine Week website: http://sunshineweek.org/
• The Andruss Library Government Documents Unit website: http://library.bloomu.edu/pages/govinfo/
• The Press Enterprise Website: http://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/
• Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Pro Chapter: http://spjkeystone.tripod.com/index.html