Fountain Magazine announces essay contest winners


Date posted: November 16, 2013

Hizmet News, November 16, 2013

In celebration of its 20th anniversary,  the Fountain Magazine organized an essay contest titled “What’s Your Motto?” Hundreds of essays were submitted from four corners of the world. Magdalena Rusanova from Leiden, Netherlands won the first place, winning $1,500 cash prize. Here is the list of the winners:

1st Place – The Only Memory by Magdalena Rusanova, Leiden, Netherlands
2nd Place – Embrace Mortality by Noble Lee, Houston, MN, USA
3rd Place – Mother Always Told Me by Janet Fichter, Lakewood, USAHonorable Mention – Missing Pieces by Caroline Lawrence , Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Honorable Mention – The Watermelon Towel by Elizabeth Harmatys Park, Burlington, Wisconsin, USA

“Congratulations to all winners who were selected by a jury of writers, scholars, and editors. We thank each one of the participants and appreciate all contributions,” said the the Fountain Editorial Board in a brief statement the magazine’s website.

Why did the Fountain choose this title, “What is your motto in life?” The Fountain welcomed 2013 with a new motto: On Life, Knowledge and Belief.

As the magazine has spent over two decades exploring life and its many meanings, its board have come to believe that knowledge and belief are the two most important tools for life’s journey and these three three words summarize what they want to embody in the magazine. Life is existence, with all its dimensions and veils. Knowledge is the human effort to remove these veils to reveal the truth beyond them. And belief is what gives truth its meaning and relevance to our being.

The contest was open to all writers worldwide, winners won below cash prizes:

1st Place – $1,500
2nd Place – $750
3rd Place – $300
Two Honorable Mentions – $200 each

The Fountain covers a wide range of topics including interfaith dialogue, science, technology, arts, culture and society from a faith perspective (especially Islam). It promotes a holistic approach to universe and human nature believing that science and religion are not in conflict; rather, they are two faces of the same reality. The Fountain encourages critical thought and scientific inquiry on a wide range of topics: physical science, social science, ethics, education, literature, religion, and comparative studies. All topics are to be dealt with fairly and substantively, and articles are to be balanced and judicious.


Related News

Kazakh President congratulated ‘Katev’ Foundation on 20th anniversary

Students of the Kazakh-Turkish high schools for the past 20 years have gained many medals in international competitions. The President of Kazakhstan expressed his confidence that the graduates of “Katev” Fund would be highly qualified and would contribute to the economic development of the country as well as to strengthening of fraternal relations between Kazakhstan and Turkey.

Turkey’s first private Arabic station starts to broadcast

Hira TV will also feature Samanyolu TV, which has been broadcasting programs in Arabic for almost 20 years. Hira TV CEO Yusuf Acar said the new channel’s target audience is families, adding: “Through cultural and scientific TV programs, we will appeal to all Arab people, including both children and adults. In addition, we will broadcast lectures from Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish-Islamic scholar.”

UN to Turkey: Free and Compensate Gulen-linked Detainees

Turkey must release two men detained over suspected links to a cleric blamed for a 2016 coup attempt and pay them compensation for arbitrary detention, a UN body said on Wednesday.

Erdoğan has to respect civil society

ŞAHİN ALPAY Colleagues and friends ask me, “What is the reason for the feud between the government and the Gülen movement and between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Fethullah Gülen?” This is, briefly, my response. In Turkey the demand for education is very high. Universities are unable to meet the demand and there are […]

Opinion: Does the Turkish Intelligence Agency Plan to Abduct Turkish Dissidents from the US?

When it comes to conducting abduction operations in the U.S. soil Erdogan regime may receive help from his new allies, Russia and Iran. It is a fact that Erdogan has a deeply seeded network of Muslim institutions inside the United States.

Turkey’s Global Anti-Gülen Crusade Puts Tbilisi in Diplomatic Bind

Mustafa Emre Çabuk is out of prison but not out of trouble. The Turkish national, who for the past 15 years ran a Gülen school in the Georgian capital, Tblisi, is the latest international educator caught up in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anti-Gülenist campaign.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Erdoğan, Hizmet, assassins

Turkish opposition deputy: Women jailed with children are treated like enemies

O.C. Muslim leaders speak out against extremism

African Union Commission chair visits Turkish school

Hizmet contribution to global peace discussed in Addis Ababa

Hundreds celebrate Clifton’s diversity at festival

African Union, Kimse Yok Mu Sign Landmark Agreement

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News