The 2026 Celebration of the Humanities Contest invites all Modesto Junior College students to submit their creative and academic work to any of our 22 contests, which range across 9 different categories.
With $300 of prize money granted within each contest, the Celebration of Humanities awards more than $7,000 a year directly to students.
The Celebration of the Humanities was the brainchild of Bob Mognis, Dean of the Literature and Language Arts Division. In 1977, with the support of instructors Bob Gauvreau, Shirley Woodward, David Dow, Jim Johnson, Ken Allen and Dan Petersen, the Humanities Contest was launched. From its modest beginnings-eleven total contests in the categories of Writing, Music, Art, Speech, and Photography the Humanities Contest has grown to comprise nineteen contests in nine categories. In time, with a wider vision of its potential, the Humanities Contest became the Celebration of the Humanities. For years the Celebration’s faculty steering committee was coordinated by Dan Onorato; later by Richard Serros, Mike Sundquist, Flora Carter, Deborah Barr, Chad Redwing, Jim Beggs, David Dow, Aishah Saleh and most recently Chelsea Gilmore and Sara Tesfai.
Fundraising has been essential to maintaining the Celebration. A small amount of money comes from nominal entry fees, but donations from individuals are the largest source of support. Some donors choose to contribute for specific prizes or in honor or memory of a specific person. The MJC Foundation has provided generous additional financial assistance, and we so very grateful for them. Since Bob Mognis’s vision has become a reality, there have been hundreds of students who have grown in confidence and purpose because they were honored for their excellence.
All MJC students are eligible to enter all categories. All entrants must be or have
been enrolled in at least one class at MJC during the 2025-2026 academic year (including
Summer 2025).
Professionals cannot enter in their area of expertise.
Students who have not enrolled in an MJC course by February 1, 2026 will not be eligible to enter the Celebration of the Humanities contest.
Registration and entry forms open February 1, 2026.
A $10.00 Entry Fee is required of all participants. Payment of the fee allows students to submit multiple entries to multiple contests, with the limitations of the 3 submissions per each contest. Students entering multiple contests need only pay the fee once.
To pay your fee, please visit our ticket website to pay your entry fee under the event labeled "Celebration of the Humanities 2026 Contest."
After you pay your fee, you will receive your confirmation email. You will then scroll to the Additional Information heading which will give you the code and the link to the contest entry application website where you will submit the code in order to enter into the competition.
In the event that a contest is cancelled, students will receive a refund of their entry fee.
Payment of the fee allows students to submit multiple entries to multiple contests, subject to the limitations of individual contests. However, participants may not enter a contest in which they have placed three times. All entries must be original unpublished works (unless otherwise noted) and cannot be under contract. Original works can be adaptations, but must be presented as such. A minimum of five entrants in most contests is required for a competition to proceed.
Every reasonable effort will be made to safeguard the entrant’s work. However, Modesto Junior College, its staff, consultants, and volunteers are not responsible for property loss or damage through fire, theft, or any other cause. The Celebration of the Humanities Committee reserves the right to publish the winning entries for promotional purposes related to the Celebration of the Humanities Competition. By submitting an entry, the student agrees that the Celebration of the Humanities has the right to disseminate all works in any way deemed appropriate by the committee as long as the student receives credit for their work.
Judges are selected by the Celebration of the Humanities Committee. The decisions of the judges are final. All winners are encouraged to attend the various festivities at which contest results will be announced.
Registered work(s) for Summer/Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. A copy of the registration receipt (entry fee) is required to submit with each contest.
CONTESTS
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission
form for each contest you wish to enter.
There is a limit of three (3) items per artist in a single contest.
Important Dates:
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Graphics Contest: DJ Combee 209.575.6730 or combeed@yosemite.edu
and Kwei-Yu Chu 209.575.6109 or chuk@yosemite.edu
Comics Contest: Dr. Theresa Rojas 209.548.5857 or rojast@yosemite.edu
All other Art Category Contests: Chelsea Gilmore 209.575.6097 or gilmorec@mjc.edu
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission
form for each contest you wish to enter.
All choreography must be original. Choreography will be judged on form, intent, clarity of theme or idea, and performance of work.
All styles of dance are accepted.
Dances should be no longer than five (5) minutes.
Entries from a minimum of three (3) contestants are required for a contest.
Please include a short, one paragraph statement of choreographic intention with the title of your piece, the names of the performers, and the duration of you dance piece. Please refrain from using music that is explicit or inappropriate.
The dance audition will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 4:00pm in the Performing
& Media Arts Center, room 246, East Campus. No other date/times will be available!
Awards & reception date and time TBA
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Kim Davis 209.575.6496 or davisk@yosemite.edu
This contest is part of our Annual Celebration of the Humanities, where we reflect on the power of ideas and creativity across disciplines to unite and inspire us.
Fragmented Identities and the Path to Unity: Confronting Modernity and Rediscovering the Self in the age of Technology.
In a world shaped by technological advancements, social divisions, and rapid cultural shifts, the human experience often feels fragmented. Modernity presents challenges that strain our connections with ourselves, others, and the natural world. Yet, within this tension lies the potential for profound unity.
This contest invites you to explore the interplay between the disjointedness of modern life and the transformative journey toward self-discovery and collective harmony.
Participants may draw from diverse disciplines—humanities, social sciences, sciences, or personal experiences to enrich work.
Consider:
Think about current and past events that shape how we engage with ourselves, others, and the broader world.
Themes you can draw on:
The Tension Between Individualism and Community
Technology’s Role in Fragmentation and Connection
Rediscovering Self in a Rapidly Changing World
The Influence of History and Culture on Unity
Social Justice and Collective Action
Environmental and Global Unity
Aesthetic and Artistic Expressions of Unity
Bridging Generational and Cultural Divides
Spirituality and Transcendence
Resilience and Hope
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission
form for each contest you wish to enter.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Sara Tesfai at 209-575-6802 or tesfais@yosemite.edu
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission
form for each contest you wish to enter.
All works must be original. Arrangements of other composers’ work will not be accepted.
Scores or Jazz Charts must be clearly legible and complete. Compositions should be
between two (2) and ten (10) minutes in duration. Composers can enter different contests.
However, a single composition cannot be entered in more than one contest. Five (5)
entries maximum per contest for each composer. Entries from a minimum of three (3)
contestants are required for a contest.
Submit one electronic copy of a musical manuscript for each composition in PDF format.
A recording of the composition is optional but highly encouraged.
The recording should be submitted in MP3 format. If you use a music notation program such as Muse Score, Sibelius or Finale to notate
your composition, a synthesized recording from the score is acceptable and encouraged, but a recording alone without the manuscript will not
be acceptable.
The Classical Music category should have a full score for the musical composition.
In the Popular Music category, a lead sheet (melody and chords) is acceptable if a
recording of the piece is included.
Electronic Music compositions that cannot be notated by traditional means will be
acceptable, provided some form of graphic or descriptive score accompanies the recording.
A popular song with lyrics, accompanied by all electronic instruments, should be entered
in the Popular Music category.
To insure anonymity of your entries, use only a pen-name, not your real name on all submitted works, recordings and include it on the entry form. Title of the composition, pen name only, and
instrumentation should be on the manuscripts. Do not put your real name on the manuscripts
or recordings. Works that are not copyrighted will be accepted, however, composers
are advised to copyright their works through the Library of Congress.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
David Dow 209.575.6078 or dowd@yosemite.edu
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission
form for each contest you wish to enter.
All pieces must be from the standard repertoire of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
and Twentieth Century periods.
All pieces should be original works, not arrangements.
Compositions can be up to eight (8) minutes in duration.
Performances will be for solo voice or solo instrument and accompanist if needed.
On the entry form, submit the title of composition, composer, opus number, instrumentation,
and duration in minutes and seconds. The name of the soloist and accompanist should
also be included. Performers are responsible to secure an accompanist for their performance.
All entrants and accompanists must be available for the live-juried audition from
2:00pm-4:00pm on Friday, March 13, 2026 in the MJC Recital Hall, Music Room 108 on
East Campus. No other times will be available! Entrants who are unable to attend the audition will be disqualified.
Judging will be on a juried live performance basis with up to three judges in attendance.
No tapes, CD’s, or Audio Files of the performance need to be submitted as all judging
is by live performance. One published copy of the manuscript will need to be submitted
to the judges at the time of the jury. You will not be submitting your score in the online submission form; bring it with
you to the jury. JUDGES WILL NOT ACCEPT COPIED MUSIC unless it is out of print.
First-place winners need to be prepared to have their work performed for the New Music
Concert on Friday, April 10, 2026 at 7:00pm in the MJC Performing and Media Arts Center,
Main Auditorium, East Campus. Compositions may need edited to fit the time available
for performance in the awards ceremony.
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an entry submission form for each contest you wish to enter.
All works must be from the popular repertoire of the last one hundred years.
Original arrangements of established works are encouraged.
Original compositions are accepted. However, they will be judged on performance and
interpretation rather than compositional values.
Original popular music compositions are best entered in the Popular Music Composition
category for consideration of compositional values.
The performance can be up to eight (8) minutes in duration. Performances will be for
one or two performers. Both performers must enter the contest to be considered. Bands
and drum sets are discouraged due to logistical problems during judging. Solo voice
or instrument entries may have an accompanist if needed.
On the entry form, submit the title of composition, composer, opus number, instrumentation,
and duration in minutes and seconds. The name of the soloist and accompanist should
also be included. Performers are responsible to secure an accompanist for their performance.
All entrants and accompanists must be available for the live-juried audition from
2:00pm-4:00pm on Friday, March 14, 2025 in the MJC Recital Hall, Music Room 108 on
East Campus. No other times will be available! Entrants who are unable to attend the audition will be disqualified.
Judging will be on a juried live performance basis with up to three judges in attendance.
No tapes, CD’s, or Audio Files of the performance need to be submitted as all judging
is by live performance. One published copy of the manuscript will need to be submitted
to the judges at the time of the jury. You will not be submitting your score in the online submission form; bring it with
you to the jury.THE JUDGES WILL NOT ACCEPT COPIED OR XEROXED MUSIC unless it is out of print.
First-place winners need to be prepared to have their work performed for the New Music
Concert on Friday, April 11, 2021 at 7:00pm in the MJC Performing and Media Arts Center,
Main Auditorium, East Campus. Compositions may need edited to fit the time available
for performance in the awards ceremony.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
David Dow 209.575.6078 or dowd@yosemite.edu
CONTESTS
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
Reminder: If you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an
entry submission form for each contest you wish to enter.
There is a limit of three (3) items per artist in a single contest. Any work that incorporates the use of light-sensitive image capture and materials may be entered: black and white, color, non-silver, and digital photography processes.
Works entered in the Mixed Media contest should be submitted under the Art Category contest.
Important Dates:
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Noah Wilson at wilsonn@yosemite.edu or the MJC Photo Lab at 209-575-6947
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
Reminder: if you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an
entry submission form for each one.
Submissions for the speech category are welcome with the following criteria.
Submission
Submissions should be submitted in high resolution .mp4 format. We can also accept unlisted YouTube or CanvasStudio links.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Ryan Guy at 209-575-6110 or guyr@yosemite.edu
Kyle Stubbs at 209-575-666 or stubbsk@yosemite.edu
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
Reminder: if you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an
entry submission form for each one.
Contestant should prepare two contrasting monologues: Modern/Classical, Realistic/Absurd, Dramatic/Comedic, and so on.
Selections should demonstrate the versatility of the performer. Selections must be memorized.
The total program, excluding introduction, may not exceed three (3) minutes.
Actors will keep their monologues to three minutes. Props and costuming are not allowed.
A chair is fine.
Selections must be from published plays. TV or movie scripts are not acceptable.
The monologue competition will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 2:00pm - 4:30pm in the Performing and Media Arts Center, Little Theatre, East Campus. No other times will be available!
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Lynette Borrelli-Glidewell at 209.575.6621 or borrellil@yosemite.edu
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
Reminder: if you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an
entry submission form for each one.
Scripts must have a title page with date of completion and student ID number only (no names).
Playing time should be between seven (7) and ten minutes (10) or approximately 7-10 pages of dialogue, or 4-5 pages of monologue).
All scripts are to be written for the stage. No radio, television, or film scripts will be accepted.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Lindsay Bryan at 209-575-6734 or bryanl@yosemite.edu
CONTESTS:
REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS:
Reminder: if you are submitting more than one entry, you will need to fill out an
entry submission form for each one.
Academic Essays are limited to no more than 3000 words.
Short stories are limited to no more than 5000 words.
Creative nonfiction is limited to no more than 3000 words.
Poetry Contest poems are limited to no more than 100 lines. There are no spacing restrictions on poetry. No more than five (5) poems may be submitted by any entrant.
Poem in Spanish:
Any degree of plagiarism will disqualify an entry. Works that rely closely on a previous work - for example, parodies, adaptations, or sequels - must be identified as such.
For further information regarding this category, please contact:
Emily Malsam at 209-575-6648 or malsame@yosemite.edu
Zaid Shlah at 209-548-5793 or shlahz@yosemite.edu
Donations - Help support the Arts!
The Celebration of the Humanities Contest is supported by private donors including faculty, staff and alumni. These donations have helped to maintain the over contest over the past four decades.
If you are interested in making a tax deductible donation to The Celebration of the Humanities please call the School of Arts, Performance & the Humanities at 209.575.6081 or email us at mjcarts@yosemite.edu
