The Summer Reading Program Committee is sponsoring an essay writing contest for the 2012 freshman class. All first year students are eligible to submit essays. Essays will be read and evaluated by members of the Summer Reading Program Committee. The winner of the contest will be invited to have dinner with Josh Neufeld, author of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge on September 27 and will be given a $100 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble bookstore.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the lives of millions of people, including the characters we meet in Josh Neufeld's graphic novel A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge. Through graphics and text, Neufeld reveals the 
indignities and sense of abandonment that his characters endured. A.D. joins a body of media, including photographic, print, and video journalism, that document the environmental, political, and personal storm that washed over our country following the hurricane. What impact does the graphic novel format have on the telling of the characters' stories? Do the images render events more meaningful or represent social dynamics or politics in a more accessible way? Use the questions stated above to help you form a thesis-driven essay, and develop your thesis with specific references to the text.
