.:
OTM Writing Tips
OTMs are due from your campus
administrator/committee to the Regional Associate Director of NRHH through the
OTM database by 11:59:59 p.m. on the
10th of each month following the month of
nomination.
Type the OTM nomination in Word (or another
Word Processor) then copy and paste it into the on-line form at
http://otms.nrhh.org. This allows you
to use the spell check and grammar check features on Word. You can go in and
edit your OTM on the database as well as count the number of words up to the
regional deadline.
Be descriptive, creative, and inventive when
talking about people and events. Those reading the nominations probably won’t
know anything about specific schools besides what is in the nomination. If it’s
not in the OTM, then the readers don’t know about it. Write so that they can
visualize and understand everything...paint the picture so that readers feel
they have met the person or attended the program.
Write OTMs immediately following the program
for which they are written. It will be easier to remember all of the details and
events that occurred. If you are not writing it directly after the event, take
some notes to make the OTM writing process easier.
Look at all the criteria for writing the OTM
and interview the person, if applicable. This will help make the OTM detailed
and informative. In each of the OTM categories, you have a certain amount of
words that you can use. The maximums are there for a reason so utilize them
although it does not have to be a novel!
Submit all OTMs to the OTM database at
http://otms.nrhh.org. It will help your
campus, your regional director, and the national office. In addition, you can
use the database to see nominations that have won in the past. Check out what a
winning OTM is composed of. Don’t copy the OTM, but learn how to make an OTM
better!
Define acronyms!! They
aren't always universal! State what you are talking about, put the acronym in
parenthesis, then you can use it later in the OTM. For instance, the National
Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) encourages the use of an acronym. We at
NRHH feel that it’s an important part in an OTM. Without that knowledge,
some won’t know what the OTM is about. Be specific and cover all your bases.
Make sure you are nominating someone or
something in the correct category. This is a common error that is made. To avoid
mistakes, look at the following pages of criteria. If in doubt, talk to your
Regional Associated Director and get their feedback. After all the work of
writing a great OTM, it doesn’t need to vanish because you accidentally
nominated something in a wrong category.
Presentation is the key! Proofread the OTM to
make sure you are clearly saying what you mean to say and that everything is
spelled correctly. Also, it’s helpful to put spaces in between paragraphs.
Paragraphs make the OTM easy to read for everyone.
Make sure a nomination is
MONTH SPECIFIC! This specification is very
important to highlight the outstanding things that the nominee did during the
month of nomination. Use phrases like "in the month of ____ they did...”.
Maintain this consistency throughout the OTM. If the OTM is not month specific,
it could be disqualified when being graded on the regional level.
Have fun! Realize you are doing this to honor
someone else. Try and imagine their face when out of the blue they receive
an award congratulating them for a job well done!
|
.:
Submit an OTM!
Take a moment out of your day
and recognize someone on your campus whose story deserves to be told to MACURH
and NACURH! Log onto http://otms.nrhh.org
and get to it! You never know if you or your nominee will be recognized on
the regional or national level(s)!
.:
MACURH Values Statement
"In providing student
resources, The Midwest Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls
values diversity, advocacy, integrity, recognition, service, development, and
community in an on-campus living environment."
|
The
views and opinions in this page are strictly those of the page author.
This site is maintained by the students within the Midwest Affiliate of College
and University Residence Halls. The contents of these pages have not been
reviewed or approved by MACURH, NACURH, Inc., or NRHH.