Forum Guidelines

Who can enter?
All current undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and staff within the College of Engineering (CoE) and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University are encouraged to enter.

I’m confused about the categories.
Quite understandable. Basically, the college you are in (CoE or CFAES) determines which main group you will be placed in. Each of these main groups will be divided into two subgroups: Students and Non-Students. Within these sub-groups, you may submit poetry concerning either a Technical Subject or a Non-Technical Subject. These distinctions will be important for determining awards after the poems are reviewed by faculty members in OSU’s Department of English.

The following flow chart may help you visualize the different categories in the forum.

*Students: graduate and undergraduate students
* Non-Students: faculty and staff
* Technical Subject: Since the majority of entrants are in technical and scientific fields, it was deemed appropriate that two different categories for poetry subject should be created. Thus, if a potential entrant is uncomfortable going out of their “comfort zone”, they may choose to write a poem about a subject that is near and dear to their discipline. Technical poem topics in the past have included: wetlands, a manure spreader, fractured glacial till, combined sewer overflow, septic systems, and infrared sensing (to name a few). You may choose to use a technical subject as a metaphor for another idea; judges will consider the creative use of technical language in this case. Depending on the strength of the metaphor, poetry forum organizers may choose to enter the poem in both technical and non-technical categories (thus increasing your chances to win).
* Non-Technical Subject: All other poems (those not dealing with a “technical” subject) would be entered into this category.

Are there prizes?
Yes, although the organizers use the term “special commendations” since this is a forum, not a contest (we’re all winners for trying, right?). Reviewers in the OSU English Department will look over the poems and designate 1st – 5th place submissions in eight categories: CoE-Student-Technical, CoE-Student-Non-Technical, CoE-Non-Student-Technical, CoE-Non-Student-Non-Technical, CFAES-Student-Technical, CFAES-Student-Non-Technical, CFAES-Non-Student-Technical, and CFAES-Non-Student-Non-Technical. First through fifth place poems in the four Student categories will receive monetary commendations. Thus, 20 monetary awards will be granted in the forum. First through fifth place poems in the four Non-Student categories will also be commended, although not with money.
The monetary awards for students will consist of gift certificates that may be used to purchase books and supplies (note: the poetry forum organizers elected not to offer cash rewards, since taxes would have to be taken out of each prize check. By offering a book certificate, honorees will be able to enjoy the full amount of the award). The following are the award amounts for each place:
* 1st Place: $100
* 2nd Place: $75
* 3rd Place: $50
* 4th Place: $25
* 5th Place: $10
A total of $1,040 will be awarded in the student categories. All entrants are allowed to submit up to two poems to increase their chances of winning an award; you may only submit one poem in any one category (thus, if you submitted two poems, one would be “technical” and one would be “non-technical”). It is possible to win more than one award in the poetry forum!

Will the poems be displayed?
Depending on the number of poems submitted, the organizers of the forum would like to display as many poems as possible. By submitting a poem, you have given the organizers permission to display the poem with your name included as the author. The best entries will be read at the Student Lounge Gala in the spring (details about the gala will be forthcoming).

When can I submit poetry?
You may begin to submit poetry on Monday, February 20, 2006. All submissions must be received by Friday, April 14, 2006. This will allow entrants roughly two months to submit poetry.

Where should I submit my poetry?
You may submit your poetry to graf.37@osu.edu; MS Word documents are preferred. Please include the following information with each entry:
* Your name
* Your email and telephone number
* Your college (CoE or CFAES)
* Your department or major affiliation
* Your student (undergraduate or graduate) or non-student (faculty or staff) status
* Whether your poem deals with a technical or non-technical subject

I’m not sure whether my department is in CFAES or CoE.
* CoE departments include: Aerospace Engineering; Aviation; Knowlton School of Architecture; Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Engineering Physics; Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering; Industrial, Welding, and Systems Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program; and the Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program.
* CFAES departments include: Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics; Animal Sciences; Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering; Food Science and Technology; Horticulture and Crop Science; Human and Community Resource Development; Plant Pathology; School of Environment and Natural Resources; the Soil Science Graduate Program; and the Environmental Science Graduate Program.

Are there any other rules, guidelines, or suggestions I should be aware of?
* Entrants can submit up to two poems, one in each category.
* Poetry must be the original work of the entrant.
* There are no guidelines pertaining to the content or style of the poetry. Poems do not have to rhyme, and they do not have to fit a particular form like a haiku or limerick. Creativity is encouraged.
* Be mindful of decency and brevity.
* If you would like some suggestions on how to write better poetry, please click on the “Poetry Help” link on the main page.
* Humor and creativity are highly encouraged. A limerick about fluid dynamics, integrative pest management, or market incentives in environmental regulations would be highly entertaining.
* Are you really stuck? Write a three-line haiku. A few haikus won in last year’s forum.

Good luck! Please feel free to use the other links on this web site to help you get started.