Shalani Tandon, finishing her joint major in Ancient History & Classics and English Literature, was delighted to find out that she’d won the James Middleton award for her essay. Examining Ovid’s inversion of the idyllic setting to reflect the violence present in the Metamorphoses, Ms. Tandon’s essay conveys her fascination and enthusiasm with the dualistic and transformational aspects of Ovid’s work. Ms. Tendon plans to pursue a Master’s degree when she graduates.

 Mr. Middleton, an accountant and passionate advocate of human understanding, established the prize in 2004. His impetus was “to promote a sense of responsible community through an understanding of humanity”, an objective that he feels is central to a degree in humanities, and of vital importance to our development as a species. “The study of the humanities is, first and foremost, about becoming and being a human. These are things that we’ve forgotten [as a society] in the pursuit of economic gain, and look at the damage it’s caused”, Mr. Middleton said in a passionate speech delivered during the award luncheon.

The James Middleton Essay Prize is awarded to up to two students in the humanities each year. Students studying philosophy, ancient history and classics, english, and history are eligible for the prize on a revolving basis.

Ms. Tandon’s essay is available on to read online at the Associate Dean of Arts & Science web site.

Posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2009.