Junior wins $250 Library Associates Award

Junior Zach Ludens, triple majoring in history, government and economics, is the recipient of the 2010 Augustana Library Associates Research Award, presented at the Augustana Symposium on Saturday, April 17.

His winning paper is entitled ''Protecting the Most Precious Gift: How the Forefathers Saw the Natural Aristocracy and Created a Government that Would Provide for its Flourishing.''

The $250 award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement in research methodology and writing. Participants in the Augustana Symposium were eligible to submit their work for consideration. This year, six entries were submitted.

''I think that is the goal of research, to really connect with the material and translate the material into something that other people can read, understand and enjoy,'' Ludens said.
Ludens originally wrote the paper for government professor Joel Johnson's Theories of American Democracy class last spring.

The paper took a closer look at an idea that appeared in one letter between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Ludens said there is one idea of natural aristocracy (the traditional landed class passed down by birth).

However, in doing research, Ludens found that Greeks and Romans in attack would throw out class systems in search of the best leader. Through this leadership, Greeks and Romans were able to change their statuses in the culture. This idea was articulated long before the Constitution was written.

''Obviously anyone that puts in the time and effort to write a research paper of this magnitude feels some investment in it,'' Ludens said. ''To have that investment honored, respected and recognized with an award like this is tremendous. Out of all the research papers that I have written, this one seemed to connect with me the most. To have someone read it and enjoy it, someone that is not reading it to grade it or reading it because they follow the subject, makes you feel really good about a paper.''

A committee of three people read the papers with the names removed. Mikkelsen Library Circulation and Reference librarian Jan Enright was one of the people who reviewed Ludens' paper.

''He did a good job integrating sources,'' Enright said. ''It was clearly written and interesting to read.''

Enright said this was her first time serving on the committee and that is was great to see the diversity of research styles within the varying disciplines.

This award was made possible through the Augustana Library Associates Friends Group. This group was established in 1983 to promote and support Mikkelsen Library and academic excellence at Augustana, and it is comprised of more than 500 alumni, parents and community members.

This year marks the fifth year the Friends Group has supported the Mikkelsen Library's Library Associates Award.

''The library is thankful for the library associates and their support,'' Lisa Brunick, Mikkelsen Library reference librarian and instruction coordinator, said.

Ludens is from Parker, S.D. He hopes to attend law school after graduating from Augustana. In December, he accepted a student clerkship at the United States Attorney's Office.