2022 Essay Contest
2022 Essay Contest Results
The contest was for youth ages 14-18 with the topic, "According to the Gathas, can one be a Zoroastrian without a belief in God?"
Four intelligently written essays were received. Congratulations to all of you.
After collaboration with the contest judges, we will announce one winner and three honorable mentions as follows:
Winner:
Mr. Zeyus Spenta from British Columbia (ZSBC)
Honorable mentions:
Mr. Rayhan Driver from Illinois (ZAMC)
Ms. Chista Irani from California (PZO)
Ms. Mantra Roointan from California (CZC-LA)
The winner will receive a check for $300 dollars and the honorable mentions a check for $75 dollars each.
Many thanks to our wonderful contestants, contest judges, Mr. Man oochehri our wonderful webmaster, Ms. Azadeh Hormozdiari for designing our flyer, California Zoroastrian Center, FEZANA, and all the religion teachers for their support.
Topic
According to the Gathas, can one be a Zoroastrian without a belief in God?
Zarathushtra called his message Daena Vanghuhi meaning the “good conscience”. Later it was also known as Mazdyasni meaning “celebration of Wisdom”, Din e Behi meaning “the good religion” and today commonly known as Zoroastrianism or Zarathushtrian.
Guidelines
Essays are accepted to the deadline on January 15, 2022
Essays must be 500-800 words in English. MS. Word format only
The contestant must be 14-18 years of age
IMPORTANT
To submit your essay, you must go to online submission section and follow the required steps or email your essay to zessayentry@yahoo.com along with your
1)full name, 2)email address, 3)phone number, 4)mailing address, 5)gender, and 6)birthdate
Confirmation of receipt of essay will be in the form of an email within 48 hours of submission
Deadline
Entries must be received via email no later than Jan 15, 2022
Awards
First Place: Certificate and prize of $300
Second Place: Certificate and prize of $200
Third Place: Certificate and prize of $100
* All prize winners will be announced on March 20, 2022 on this website
* Certificates and prizes will be mailed to the winners on April 20, 2022
* Additional awards will be given if applicable
* A minimum number of entries is required to have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
For further inquiries concerning the Essay Contest for Youth, please contact zessayentry@yahoo.com
By submitting you agree for essay Contest organizer to publish your essay in any desired form
Supported by
CZC los angeles (czc-la)
Endorsed by
CHEHREHNAMA Magzaine & FEZANA Journal
Sponsored by
Ms. Parimarz Firoozgar
Special thanks to
Our Judges, Ms. Parmida Behmardi for designing our flyers, P arviz M anoochehri for designing webpage &
Ms. Dina McIntyre and Mobedyar Maneck Bhujwala for reviewing the topic information
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Are there any exceptions to the age limit for participating in the contest?No. You must be 14, 15, 16, or 17 years old at any given point in time between September 1, 2018 and January 15, 2019. For example if you turn 18 on September 2, 2019, you will be eligible to participate since you were 17 at one point between September 1st and January 15th. For the same reason, if you turn 14 on January 15th, you will be eligible to participate.
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Is there a fee for participating in this contest?No. The contest is free of charge.
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Do I have to be Zoroastrian or American to join the contest?No, all nationalities and all beliefs are welcome to participate.
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How are the essays evaluated?Once received, a number will be assigned to the essay instead of the contestant’s name in order to avoid any bias on the part of the judges. Then the essay will be emailed to the judges with the number identifying each sent essay. The judges will rate the essays as follows: 35% for originality and how much thought was put into the essay. 35% for how relevant the essay is to the topic and to Zarathushtra’s teachings (in the Gathas). 30% for how well was the essay written (organization/development of idea/clarity/style), for a total of 100 points.
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What happens if two or more of the essay finalists have the same score?The essay finalists with the same score, will be submitted to two judges different from original judges for new scoring.
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Who will be judging the essays?Our judges are knowledgable and experienced individuals in Zoroastrian religion and the main concepts in the Gathas. Judges’ names will be provided upon request.
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Do I need a cover page for my essay submitted on line?Cover page is not needed, however, please provide your full name, phone number, email address, mailing address, birthdate in the email when you submit your essay to essayentry@yahoo.com
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Can I give any title to my essay?Yes, you can give your essay an original title as long as the content is in line with the topic.
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Is there a specific format for the essay (font style, size, line space, etc.)?"There are no particular rules regarding formatting. However, your essay file should be submitted in either MS Word(DOC/DOCX) or PDF format.
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Can I quote from books or websites? If so, where should I write the reference?"If you use quotations, please include the reference at the bottom of the essay. The reference should not be included in the word count.
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Can I add photos, images, or my biography to my essay?"No. Please send your essay only.
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Can I submit more than one essay?No.
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I did not receive a confirmation email after submitting my essay. How can I make sure that my essay has been successfully submitted and received?If you have not received a confirmation email within 24 hours of submission of your essay, please contact us at: zessayentry@yahoo.com
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Who can I contact for further questions?Please email any questions or concerns to zessayentry@yahoo.com