More details to come soon!

PDF Format

All submissions must be in PDF format. If you do not have a PDF converter, you can convert your word document to PDF for free using one of the following links:

• PDF Online
• Adobe PDF Online

Any submissions emailed either after the 3rd OR are not in PDF format will be automatically disqualified. This is a very popular competition and judges must have ample time to read and fill out ballots before the tournament. Hence, absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS will be allowed. In addition, students who turn in their submissions late or do not email PDF documents will be subject to points lost from their score as well as their team score.

In addition to emailing your submissions, you must also turn in 3 copies during Registration and Orientation on the first day of the tournament. You are responsible for bringing your submission, not MIST and not the judges.

Rules

Failure to follow any of these rules can result in disqualification.

1. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
3. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. Competitors shall be introduced to the judges by their MIST IDs.
5. The written story must:
   • Be typed or word-processed and double-spaced.
   • Have a cover page with the title and MIST ID only. Contestant risks disqualification if his/her name appears anywhere in the story.
   • Typed on 8.5 X 11 inch paper, stapled in the left corner. 1 inch margins all around.
   • No more than 10 pages, Times new Roman, 12 pt font.
6. Story must reflect on this year’s theme. However, stories must also appeal to a mainstream American audience. Contestants should write stories with an Islamic flavor, however, they must be interesting and understandable by an American, non-Muslim audience. Stories can use Muslim terms, however, they should be easily understandable within the context of the sentence. For help or advice, please email us at dcmist@gmail.com.
7. THREE copies of your story must also be taken to MIST and turned in by the competitor to the event section leader at the competitor‘s orientation.
8. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

Important Note:Submissions must be emailed to competitions.dcmist@gmail.com no later than midnight of Monday, March 8th, 2010.All submissions must be in PDF format. If you do not have a PDF converter, you can convert your word document to PDF for free using one of the following links:

• PDF Online
• Adobe PDF Online

Any submissions emailed either after the 3rd OR are not in PDF format will be automatically disqualified. This is a very popular competition and judges must have ample time to read and fill out ballots before the tournament. Hence, absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS will be allowed. In addition, students who turn in their submissions late or do not email PDF documents will be subject to points lost from their score as well as their team score.

Competitors shall write about any topic that reflects on this year’s theme. Some sample prompts competitors can use are, but not limited to, the following:

• ” ‘He means well’ is useless unless he does well” – Plautus
• “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good” – Confucius
• “Modesty is the conscience of the body”- Honore de Blazac (1799-1850) French novelist
• “If a person has little hayaa, he will have little wara’ (fear of God and feeling of His presence). And the one who has little wara’, his heart has died” – Umar ibn Khattaab
• “When one seriously reflects on God’s perfect watch over His creation, the countless blessings He sends down, and then considers the kind of deeds one brings before Him- what possible feelings can one generate except humility and degrees of shame?” – Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf

Whatever your selection, be sure to refer to authentic sources of Islamic knowledge, as well as to facts from history.

The following is a list of rules and procedures for this event:

1. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
3. MIST ID will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. The written essay must be typed or word-processed and double-spaced. It must be on white, 8.5 X 11 paper and must be stapled in the left corner.
5. The essay MUST have a cover page. The cover page must include the title and MIST ID only. If the contestant name appears anywhere on the essay, it will be disqualified.
6. All Submissions MUST be in PDF format and MUST be received by the date above.
7. The written essay shall be a maximum of 2000 words. All abbreviations, acronyms (excluding a, an, the) will be counted. Only the first 2000 countable words will be read.
8. In previous years, some competitors have turned in very poor work. To prevent low scores from winning 1st, 2nd, or 3rd places, the following score limits will be applied:
   1. . 1st place winner must score above 90%
   2. 2nd place winner must score above 80%
   3. 3rd place winner must score above 75%
   4. If no competitors score within the above ranges, there will be no winners for the Prepared Essay competition.
9. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
3. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated for the interview.
5. Competitors shall be introduced to the judges by their MIST IDs.
6. Poetry must clearly reflect upon any aspect of this year’s theme.
7. All submissions must be labeled with the MIST ID ONLY. If the contestant name appears anywhere on the submission, it will be disqualified.
8. Competitors may use any style, rhyme, or meter.
9. To receive extra points, competitors may write in calligraphy, use Microsoft Word or any other computer program for graphics and/or background, inanimate illustrations, and anything else to liven the poem
10. A maximum of 5 minutes will be spent while the competitors recites the poem to the judge. Competitors are required to briefly explain the poem’s purpose afterward.
11. Poetry subjects must be within the bounds of Islamic beliefs and practices or risk disqualification. For questions or pre-screening, email dcmist@gmail.com. All ideas and poems will remain confidential.
12. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. The topic of this competition: Reflect on this year’s theme. Your essay must clearly relate to this year’s theme.
2. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
3. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
4. The competitor presents a memorized oration composed by him/herself.
5. The Orator must provide 3 COPIES of his/her script to be turned in during the competition orientation. MIST will not photocopy any scripts. Contestants must come prepared with their copies. The script that is submitted at this time is the one with which the competitor must compete with.
6. Orations must be labeled with the MIST ID ONLY. If the contestant name appears anywhere on the oration, it will be disqualified.
7. Judges shall call/know each competitor by his/her MIST ID only.
8. An orator holding a manuscript or notes will be ranked last.
9. The orator must be truthful. Any non-factual reference, especially a personal one, must be so identified.
10. There is no minimum time. No oration shall exceed 7 minutes. The starting and ending time will be marked on each ballot.
11. The keeping of time will be communicated to contestants. Judges will indicate minutes left by holding up the amount of fingers for minutes left. 30 seconds will be represented by a closed fist and no time left by a making a zero with your whole hand.
12. If the contestant continues beyond the maximum time, the STOP card must be shown and or an audible STOP voiced at the end of the 30-second grace period. If the contestant continues beyond the STOP signal, the contestant will be ranked last. Total elapsed time will be indicated on the ballot.
13. The oration may not contain more than 150 words of quoted material. Extensive paraphrasing from other sources is prohibited.
14. No props or visual aids may be used.
15. Orators caught plagiarizing or extensively paraphrasing will be disqualified.
16. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

The Extemporaneous Speaking contest is designed to enable the student to speak in an integrated manner on a central idea, organize his/her ideas in a pattern which is meaningful to his/her listeners, and orally communicate his/her ideas effectively.

The following are the rules of this competition. All contestants must adhere to these rules or risk disqualification.

1. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Students can prepare for it together, however each contestant will receive a separate test.
3. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.
5. The speech will be extemporaneously composed at the time of drawing the topic.
6. Topics are to be phrased in the form of a question. Topics will not necessary require reference materials, but will require a thorough understanding of contemporary issues affecting Muslims domestically and internationally.
   1. Example Topic: Does a significant rift exist between African-American and Immigrant Muslim communities?
7. Depending on the number of students who sign up for this event, the competition might be conducted in a series of rounds, with only the top contestants advancing to subsequent rounds.
8. Participants may, if they choose use references (books, the Quran, etc.) If any reference is used the participant MUST cite the reference during his or her speech. NO references will be provided by MIST. The use of reference material is optional.
9. Thirty minutes before the contest is to begin, the first speaker shall draw three topics, choose one, and return the others. The other contestants shall draw in like manner, in their speaking order, at seven minute intervals. A contestant drawing a topic on which he has spoken previously in the tournament shall return that topic and draw again.
10. After the contestant has chosen a topic, he shall withdraw to the preparation area and plan his/her speech without conferring or exchanging information with anyone. No prepared notes or outlines will be allowed in the preparation room. Reference to books, magazines and a bibliographical file is permitted. Once a contestant has chosen a topic, she/he may neither change from nor alter that topic. No visual aids may be used in the delivery of the speech.
11. Violation of the above rule will result in disqalification from the tournament.
12. A note card may be used in preliminary rounds of invitational qualifying tournaments but is not permitted in any elimination rounds of these tournaments.
13. Violation of the above rule will result in ranking down in the round in which the violation occured.
14. Time limit is seven minutes maximum with thirty-second grace period. Violation of this rule will result in the contestant being ranked last in the round when visible time signals have been given by the judge or by the authorized timekeeper.
15. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

If you voilate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. Only 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
3. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.
5. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs. Contestant names should not appear anywhere on the essay.
6. Participants will be allowed to draw three topics on the day of the competition. The participant may then choose one topic from among the three.
7. Topics will be on basic Islamic subjects, general knowledge, and current event topics. Participants do not need to have an extensive knowledge of Islam to do well in this competition.
   1. Example Topic: In contemporary society, how does Islam help to diminish social ills? Name at least two social ills and describe how Islam helps to terminate them.
8. The participants will be given one hour to write an essay on the topic.
9. The essay cannot be prepared beforehand, but must be extemporaneously composed at the time of drawing the topic.
10. The essay will be turned in to the judge at the end of the hour.
11. References: Participants may, if they choose, use references (books, the Quran, etc.) to aid during the one hour allowed for the formulation of the essay. If any Islamic reference is used the participant MUST cite the reference somewhere within his or her essay. If a participant fails to cite the reference he or she will be disqualified. References will not be provided, but may be brought to the event.
12. While there is no official minimum or maximum word limit for each essay, judges will be looking at how the writer supported the question with details and examples. Judges will also be looking for proper mechanics and proper use of the English language.
13. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

PDF Format

All submissions must be in PDF format. If you do not have a PDF converter, you can convert your word document to PDF for free using one of the following links:

• PDF Online
• Adobe PDF Online

Any submissions emailed either after the 3rd OR are not in PDF format will be automatically disqualified. This is a very popular competition and judges must have ample time to read and fill out ballots before the tournament. Hence, absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS will be allowed. In addition, students who turn in their submissions late or do not email PDF documents will be subject to points lost from their score as well as their team score.

You MUST also mail 3 completed copies of your Children’s book postmarked by March 8th, 2010 to the address below. Failure to mail this work postmarked by the above date will result in an immediate 20 point deduction. Mail your completed Children’s Books to:

Muslim Interscholastic Tournament
Adele H. Stamp Union, Mailbox #6
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

Rules

If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. No more than 2 students from each team can register for this competition.
2. This competition is NOT a team effort. Each competitor must turn in a separate piece of work.
3. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.
4. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.
5. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.
6. All work must be labeled with the MIST ID ONLY. If the contestant name appears anywhere on the work, it will be disqualified.
7. Be ready to answer judge’s questions during the interview period.
8. The Children’s book must have the following requirements:
   • Written for ages 8 to 9 or 3rd grade to 4th grade level reading. For examples of excellent children’s writing, refer to My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin. This page also provides excerpts of the book. These excerpts will help contestants see the quality of writing and vocabulary level needed for this competition.
   • Must be typed using MS word, MS Publisher, or any other application.
   • No less than 1500 words and no more than 3000 words. Articles, prepositions, “a”, “an” and “the” are countable. Word Count MUST be put on the cover page of the PDF document you email AND on the inside flap of the book you mail.
   • Book topic must relate to the theme.
   • While books must have an “Islamic” flavor, it should also be appropriate for mainstream American non-Muslim readers. Ethnic/muslim words or concepts can be used as long as they are easily understood within the concept of the sentence. For example: “He said to his friend, ‘Peace be upon you.’ This was the typical Muslim greeting and he said it in Arabic.”
   • Submissions should be in the form of a book. Book must be bound. Any binding method can be used such as ring binding, comb, coil, wire, thermal, perfect, or case binding. Binding can be done at any Copying or printing business such as FedEx Kinkos, Staples, Office Depot…etc. Information about Binding. Be sure to make the binding attractive. The more “book-like” your book looks, the more impressed the judges are.
9. Contestants can receive extra points by illustrating their book. Illustrations can be their own or borrowed. Borrowed illustrations must be identified as such. Contestants might also find someone to illustrate their book for them. If the contestant uses this method, they should clearly give credit where it’s due.
10. Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

Tips & Advice

• Stay away from cultural stories that are well known such as a remake of Cinderella.
• Don’t get bogged down in clichés. Judges don’t want to see cute talking animals, “ugly duckling” stories about shy wallflowers who save the day, and moralistic tales that shout “it’s OK to be different!” Strive for originality. (A note about taking animals: Talking animals aren’t completely taboo, it’s just that most writers don’t do them very well. What’s important is that your animals have completely developed, unique personalities and characteristics. You need to develop these characters just as carefully as if you were creating human characters. Too many writers use their animal characters as stereotypes, thinking kids will be immediately drawn to them just because they’re animals. Everything your animals say and do should be a logical extension of their individual personalities.) Excerpted from The Do’s & Dont’s about writing for Children.
• The elements of a book — the plot, characters, setting, description — are all important, but alone they make up the bare bones. With a voice, a book becomes more than words on a page; it becomes a story. The writer’s voice breathes life into a book and gives it a soul.Excerpted from Finding Your Voice.
• Endings are important. They are the final contact you’ll have with your readers; your last chance to make an impression. Take time with your endings and write them carefully. A satisfying conclusion will not only make reading an enjoyable experience, but children will anxiously await your next work.Excerpted from Writing Powerful Endings.
• For more help on writing for children, refer to these FREE articles on the Craft of Writing.

Each person will be asked to read with tajweed a random passage from ANY part of the Quran. Judging will be based on proper pronunciation and enchanting (the way to recite with a rhythm, described in Surat 73. Al-Muzzammil, verse 4) A ballot will be available soon. This ballot will be a guide to contestants who sign up for this competition. MIST reserves the right to change the ballot before the competition.

Judging will be based on the following:

1. Reading Category: Perfecting (mastering) the reading process without committing mistakes in reciting the words and/or verses.
2. Adaa (Performance) Category: Perfecting (mastering) the performance process. This category is a combination of both acquired skills that a person gains through proper training in addition to other qualities that are a gift from Allah (swt) (such as someone’s voice) that He alone gives to whomever He chooses.
3. Tajweed (Recitation) category: Perfecting (mastering) the art of reciting the Qur’an by respecting the correct outputs of the alphabets, phonetics, timing, and applying all the rules of Tajweed.

Judging criteria will be based upon the official MIST National Ballot.

The brothers and sisters competition will be separate if at least five competitors are registered for the competition. If there are less than five competitors in either section then the competition will be merged.

No more than 2 male students and 2 female students from each team can register for this competition. This competition is NOT a team effort.

If there is a tie for 1st place, judges will pick a verse of the Quran and competitors will have to derive all the tajweed rules that apply to that verse.

For advice on preparation, email dcmist@gmail.com, and messages will be forwarded to a qualified Shaikh.