In honor of the late professor who inspired generations of students at Dartmouth, the Sydney Prize is awarded to undergraduate writing that best exemplifies the values and scholarship Sidney Cox championed. It is awarded to the student whose work, as judged by the faculty, most fully explores feelings through language. The winner receives $500, a bottle of union-made wine, and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel.
The Sydney prize is one of several awards given by the Hillman Foundation each month. The foundation is dedicated to the memory of Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations who devoted his life to fighting for “a better America” through a progressive industrial democracy and social justice. The Hillman Foundation has been awarding journalism prizes for over sixty years to journalists who pursue “deep reporting and courageous exploration of important issues” in the public interest.
This year’s Sydney prize has been awarded to Nazanin Boniadi for her work on promoting women’s rights in Iran and her tireless fight against the regime. The city of Sydney, Australia, where the prize is awarded each year, congratulates her for her efforts. “Nazanin is a shining example of how to turn outrage into action,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
In the spirit of the Sydney Prize, the Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story prize is an opportunity for writers to showcase their talent in a competition for a $5,000 cash prize, plus publication in Overland and on the Overland website. The judges for this year’s contest were Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh. The judges had the difficult task of choosing a winning piece from among the eight shortlisted stories, and also selecting two runners-up. The submissions were assessed based on their ability to portray the theme of travel, and to capture the essence of the city of Sydney in a way that is relevant to the modern world.
As part of their prize, the winners are expected to use the money to promote science in the wider community. This could be through educating the general public on scientific matters or encouraging young people to take up careers in science. The money can also be used to help scientists develop new technologies that benefit humanity.
The Sidney Hook Memorial Award is given in the name of a distinguished American philosopher and Phi Beta Kappa member who was also a leader in advancing liberal arts education. It is presented to an individual who has attained national distinction in scholarship, undergraduate teaching, and leadership in promoting the cause of liberal arts education. The prize is supported by a grant from the John Dewey Foundation.
The Edelstein Prize was established in 1968 through the generosity of Sidney Edelstein, a dyestuff expert, founder of a specialty chemical manufacturing firm, and recipient of SHOT’s Leonardo da Vinci Award. It is presented to the author of a book published during the three years preceding the year of the award.