Now Accepting Submissions for 2025 Edition until December 13th.
All submissions must be completely anonymous
Cadet Activities Fair
Eligibility of Students and Submission Types
All Citadel students, undergraduate and graduate, as well as students studying abroad, are welcome to submit:
to the current edition of The Gold Star Journal. Submissions are usually due by the Friday after final exams end in the Fall semester. All submissions to The journal must be anonymous and void of any information that could identify the author. The journal is published both electronically and in print annually for Corps Day, mid-March.
Nonfiction Papers
Research papers from any discipline may be submitted for publication. To learn more or to submit a nonfiction paper, please visit this page. Some recent papers addressed German war graves, the development of electric car batteries, Cleopatra, cybersecurity and cryptography, the Manchu army, and quantum computing. There are prizes for:
- The Boyd Family Distinction Award, $800
- The Best Undergraduate Submission, $600
- The Best Graduate Submission, $500
- The Best Oral Presentation, $600
Photo Stories
A photo story is a small collection of photographs that tells a story about a trip, an experience, etc. with brief prose. The first photo story was published in 2019 by William Rasberry. To learn more or to submit a photo story, please visit this page. There is a prize for:
- The GSJ Distinction in Photography, $400
Photographs and Artwork
Photographs of anything are welcome. Past photographs have shown the unique military scenery of The Citadel campus, the life of a cadet, the beautiful scenery of the Charleston area, study abroad experiences, historic sites, etc. Please consider submitting photographs by visiting this page.
Scans of student’s artwork are welcome additions to the journal. The 2023 edition of the journal featured several pieces of art, some of which appear below. Please consider submitting a scan of your art (drawings, paintings, etc.) by visiting this page.
There is a prize for:
- The Best Photograph, $400
- Most Creative Artwork Award, $400
Review Process and Acceptance for Publication
Students, serving as editors, review all anonymous submissions and decide which works to publish. Authors and photographers are contacted by early March about their submission(s). The editors work with select authors on revising their work early in the spring semester.
The Gold Star Journal Academic Conference (GSJAC)
Published authors and photographers also have the opportunity to speak at the annual Gold Star Journal Academic Conference, which occurs the Tuesday just after Corps Day. Editors work with the authors and photographers to prepare for this event.
The Gold Star Journal Awards
After submitting the final papers for publication, the editors decide which ones should receive further recognition with awards. After the dress rehearsal for the conference, the editors select the awardee for the best oral presentation. Awards are also given for photographs. All awards are given at the conference. Awards include a trophy and check for the amounts indicated above. Each author and photographer receives a certificate of publication at the conference.
Disclaimer
The author bears the sole responsibility for their articles and as such are liable for any infringement of copyright, proprietary rights, and privacy; defamation of character; obscenities; and libelous and unlawful material. The Gold Star Journal bears no responsibility for statements made by authors in their published articles. The Citadel and The Gold Star Journal are not liable for any article published in the journal.