Essay Contest Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Area eighth- and ninth-graders are eligible to participate in an essay contest to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The contest is sponsored by the Fairmont State University Office of Student Affairs and the Fairmont State GEAR UP Partnership.

"I think this is a great opportunity for all students to learn about the great, late Dr. King," said Persis Bates, FSU Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs. "This contest allows students to go beyond the classroom and create an essay that reflects Dr. King's beliefs. Hopefully, as part of our goal, the participants will get a chance to express their commitment to making a change in today's society in relation to Dr. King's statement on social change and civic engagement."

Cash prizes will be awarded for first place ($500); second place ($300); and third place ($200). The award winners will be announced at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008, during a banquet in the Colebank Hall gym. All contest participants will be invited to the banquet.

The essay topic is the answer to King's question: "Life's most urgent question is 'what are you doing for others?'" King believed in a commitment to social change, and students should explain how they see themselves answering his call to civic responsibility.

Essays should be 500 to 750 words and typed in black, 12-point font and double-spaced on white 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper. Name, address, home telephone number, school, grade and age of the student author must be submitted on a cover page accompanying the essay. The student's name should be written on the back of each page, not on the front. All essays are to be in English and include a bibliography with at least one book source, but no more than one web site source. Exact words from sources must be included in quotation marks. All sources consulted to prepare the essay should be listed on a bibliography page at the end. Failure to acknowledge sources is grounds for disqualification. Judging criteria will include evidence of research on King, excellence in content, originality of thought and clarity of composition (including grammar, mechanics, spelling and adherence to contest rules).

One of the goals of the contest is to encourage students to read some of King's writings. All students are encouraged to show in their writing that they have reflected on one or more of King's speeches or essays. The text of King's speeches, along with many of his other writings, are found in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by James M. Washington, Harper and Row Publishers. They can also be viewed online at the web site of Stanford University's The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute.

The essay should be the work of the student. Teachers may offer suggestions for improvement or correction, but all content should be the student's own thinking and all writing must be done by the student. Teachers will submit the top three essays from their school as contest entries. The essays will be judged by faculty members of the FSU Department of Language and Literature.

Essays should be received by Wednesday, Dec. 5, by Persis Bates, Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs, Fairmont State University, 1201 Locust Ave., Fairmont, WV 26554. For more information call Persis Bates (304) 367-4950.