About the Scholarship
Starting this year, all college-bound seniors at Dow are encouraged to apply for this scholarship
awarding $1,000 to the winning submission of an original, creative piece of writing, art, or
music. Details on the requirements for each submission are listed below.
This scholarship was established to celebrate the life of Maxwell Muessig, one of Dow High’s
most charismatic and compassionate graduates. After Max’s life was cut short in an unthinkable
car accident during the spring of 2017, his family and the Charger Class of 2015 worked together
to create this award to share part of Max’s passion with later generations of Dow students.
One of Max’s many gifts was his inexhaustible wit and uncompromising dedication to sharing it
with those around him. To this end, he constantly worked on unprompted projects both during
and after school hours so he could share his humor and creativity with anyone who would listen.
Memories of his works continue to bring smiles to the faces of those who were blessed enough to
experience them, and these works remain a fitting reminder of his warm and inspiring presence.
In the spirit of Max’s wide range of talents and pursuits, submissions for this scholarship are
largely open-ended to generate a diverse group of applications. Each entry will fall into one of the four categories listed below:

Satirical essay or commentary–800-1000 words–Max was very humorous and satirical, and took
particular interest in satirizing a great many things.
If you choose this option, pick some topic of interest and compose a humorous or witty commentary
about the nature-or impact of-your topic. Remember, satire is a form of mockery; however, it is
always tasteful, intelligent, and thought provoking. It is intended to change the status quo, not destroy it.
Topics from which to choose are:

• Politics
•  Sociology
•  Outdoors issues-environmental protection, conservation, etc.
•  Sports, particularly baseball, racquetball, tennis, and wrestling.
•  Movies, with an emphasis on classic films. Let’s put it this way-while most students
  were flocking to the theater to see the newest Marvel movie, Max was more content
  sitting at home watching The Godfather or Citizen Kane.
• Literature-Max loved to take the subject matter of books (especially the ones being read
  in class) and move them in directions the authors probably never even dreamed was
  possible. He didn’t re-write the texts, but he would take one particular component of
  them and elaborate on them in a refreshingly new fashion.
• History–Max enjoyed learning about the world’s history, particularly global conflicts of
  the 20th Century, and critiquing them through a modem lens. Ironically, he despised
  violence, but enjoyed reading about major battles, with a particular interest in figuring
  out why they occurred and how they could have been prevented.

While his interests certainly were not limited to these areas, they provide a solid starting point for any
sincere submission. If you are unsure of a topic, feel free to reach out and talk about it with Mr. Frye, or
email the scholarship committee at MaxScholarship 17 (a),gmail.com.

Poetry or song lyrics–25-50 lines–Humorous and light-hearted; nothing gothic or sad and lachrymose. It can be a parody of other poems or lyrics or passages. These can be based on existing songs or set to original music and words can take any form in either song or poem. The ultimate goal of this category is to elicit good-natured, honest laughter.

Stories–Max was one of the finest story tellers to ever walk the halls of Dow. When he prepared to regale a tale, the audience was immediately transfixed and interested, and their attention never wavered. His stories always had a point-some purpose or lesson–whether it was silly or goofy-interesting characters, and an uncanny ability to focus the reader’s attention in increasing intensity as the story unfolded.
Should you choose this option, the judges are looking for no more than 1,800 words with a clear, developed plot, interesting characters, and, above all, an engaging voice with a masterful sense of humor. Avoid anything dark or melancholy, as these themes were not consistent with Max’s uplifting character.
Illustrations–7-10 tastefully done illustrations depicting something humorous pertaining to subject chosen. Again, the subject can come from the list given above, or from a student’s own inspiration. Additionally, as an addendum, student should submit 200-400 word explanation behind the choices made and subjects lampooned. Submissions with illustrations do not need to complete the additional explanatory paragraph detailed below.
Finally, for submissions other than illustrations, we ask that students submit a brief paragraph (200-400 words) explaining the inspiration behind their work and why it is meaningful to them. Applications will be judged by a panel of DHS teachers, Max’s classmates, and family members. Any questions can be directed to Mr. Frye, and the winner will be announced at the Senior Awards Ceremony in May of 2019.
How to apply:
Send pieces of work to MaxSchoalrshipl7(a),gmail.com by March 15th, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be notified at the Senior Awards Ceremony in May of 2019.