West Wing Writers

The Mortarboard Award for Best Student Commencement Speech of the Year

Please read our official rules below before submitting at the bottom of the page.

Official Contest Rules

ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1.     Eligibility

 The Mortarboard Award for Best Student Commencement Speech of the Year (the "Contest") is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. Employees of West Wing Writers and other companies associated with the promotion of the Contest, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

To be considered eligible, each entrant must meet the following criteria:

1) Each entrant must be a member of the class of 2017, and have graduated or expect to graduate with an undergraduate degree from a college or university in the United States.

2) Each entrant must submit a speech from the current academic year (2016-2017). Only speeches from the current academic year are eligible for consideration (including mid-year graduations). Speeches from past years are not eligible.

3) Speeches associated with other official graduation events (baccalaureate speeches, class day, etc.) are eligible, provided the entrant gives some context in their submission materials. Entries without sufficient context, or from unofficial events, will be disqualified. 

2. Sponsor

 The Contest is sponsored by West Wing Writers, located at 1150 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20036.

3. Agreement to Official Rules

Participation in the Contest constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.

4. Contest Period

The Contest begins on May 15, 2016 at 12:01am, EST and ends on June 15, 2016 at 11:59 PM, EST (the "Contest Period"). Entries that are submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted for the duration of the Contest using any of the following methods:

5. How to Enter

Online: This method of entry will be available by visiting our website (https://westwingwriters.submittable.com/submit) and following the directions provided to fill out the entry information, and submit. Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address, and per household for the duration of the Contest Period, regardless of method of entry. Entries received from any person, e-mail address, or household in excess of the stated limitation will be void. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

Entry must be the original work of the contestant, must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person and must not violate any law Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entry for any reason, in its sole and absolute discretion. Odds of winning depend upon the number of entries received.

6. Judging

All eligible entries will be judged based on the judges’ determination of the quality of the writing. Judges’ decisions are final and binding.

7. Winner Selection

 Each eligible entry received during the Contest Period will be reviewed by a panel of employees of the Sponsor. They will judge the entries according to eligibility (above) and the aforementioned judging criteria. On or about July 15, 2017, the judging panel will select three winners: a First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize winner. The Sponsor will attempt to notify the winners via telephone or email on or about July 18, 2017. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place from the remaining non-winning, eligible finalists.

8. Winner Notification

The potential winners will be notified by email, mail or phone. Each potential First Prize winner (parent/legal guardian if a minor in his/her state of residence) will be required to complete, electronically sign and submit a declaration that they are in compliance with the eligibility conditions discussed above (declaration of compliance) within five (5) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, or fails to submit the declaration of compliance within the required time period (if applicable), or prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize. If the potential winner is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian, who will be required to sign the declaration of compliance on the potential winners behalf and fulfill any other requirements imposed on winner set forth herein. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize to the next remaining non-winning, eligible finalist.

9. Prizes

First Prize (1) - A check for $1000.00 USD.

Second Prize (1) - A check for $500.00 USD.

Third Prize (1) A check for $250.00 USD.

10. General Conditions

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the Contest is unable to run as planned for any other reason, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the Contest and, in the event of termination, award the prize at random from among the eligible, non-suspect entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages (including attorney's fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

11. Release and Limitations of Liability

By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of the application, the processing of entries application downloads or in any Contest-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Contest or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorney's fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

12. Disputes

Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in District of Columbia. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrants rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of District of Columbia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than District of Columbia.