Ludwig '19 wins Geifman Prize

Katherine Ludwig, a first-year student, has won the 2016 Geifman Prize in Holocaust Studies for her essay, "The Scapegoat."

The essay discusses the treatment of Jews in Europe around the time of the Holocaust and what may have motivated this treatment.

"Anti-Semitism has caused Jews to be used as scapegoats throughout history. A scapegoat is a person or group who is "blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency" (Oxford Dictionaries) despite having nothing to do with whatever the problem may be," she writes.

Ludwig is a geology major from Belvidere, Ill.

Supported by the Geifman Endowment, the Geifman Prize in Holocaust Studies is an annual student competition with awards up to $500. Submissions may include essays, research papers, poetry, drama, film, artwork, musical composition, or other creative expression. Faculty members on the Geifman Endowment Committee serve as adjudicators.