Despite its size, Sidney has punched well above its weight for centuries. Its students and alumni have had a huge impact on the country’s culture, religion, politics, business, legal, academic and scientific achievements. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the College has also produced poets and novelists, political cartoonists, historians, geographers, the man who introduced soccer to Hungary, architects and engineers, a 1928 Grand National winner, a renowned astronomer, best-selling authors and a linguist.
Its graduates have gone on to become judges, archbishops, MPs, professors, doctors and lawyers as well as the founder of a major pharmaceutical company. They have contributed to all areas of industry and are famous throughout the world for their achievements. And many of them have a good story to tell about how they got there – some of the College’s most famous alumni include Nobel Prize winners, a king and queen, a famous painter, a prime minister and even a professional footballer.
The prestigious Sidney Prize is awarded for undergraduate writing in English, with submissions being considered by a committee of Hanover members. A single judge of manuscripts is chosen yearly from among the Committee; this person will appoint his or her successor for the following year.
While today’s busy lifestyle can make it easy to lose focus, the Sydney Prize serves as a reminder that longform journalism and thought pieces remain worthwhile. Recent recipients of the prize have included Hilton Als, writing for The New York Times, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, who writes for The Atlantic.
In 1968, the late Sidney Edelstein, noted expert on dyes and dye processes and founder of the Dexter Chemical Corporation, donated funds to SHOT for a prize in memory of his commitment to scholarship in the history of technology. The prize carries the name of the eponymous scholar and is intended to encourage students in their pursuit of excellence.
The Prize aims to stimulate deeper consideration and thinking by HLS students about their chosen profession and its role in society. Its scope includes (but is not limited to) issues such as the management of law firms, legal departments, or other providers of professional services, the effect of globalization or other social trends upon the delivery of such services, diversity or gender-related issues in the legal profession, and changes in the profession over time. The prize is a one-time award of $500.