STANFORD, CA—Taking a cue from the Nobel Prize Committee, the Stanford Writing Center has modified the guidelines used to determine the winners of the Boothe Prize. Last week, the writing center announced both the modified guidelines and the winner of the 2009 Autumn award. “I couldn’t believe it—I hadn’t even started writing my paper when they told me I’d won the top writing award!” exclaimed award recipient Alex Freed. Alex continued sharing his thoughts about the award: “I am both surprised and humbled by the decision of the Boothe Committee. To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the IHUM kids who’ve been honored by this prize.”
After the committee made its announcement, the decision was analyzed by students and professors across campus. “It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t actually written the paper,” remarked IHUM professor Rob Reich. “The Prize serves to affirm the work we know he’ll accomplish before the end of the quarter. By presenting the award now, we hope to bolster his agenda, staving off procrastination and enabling him to write the paper he promised us on the first day of class.” Freed’s IHUM paper is due tomorrow at 5PM.
