Do the Write Thing Essay Contest
Purpose: The Do the Write Thing essay contest allows students to share their personal experiences and perspectives on violence in and around their lives. The essays are the first step in forming national platforms addressing violence in our country, particularly violence happening to, and among, our nation’s youth. The contest is nationwide and your voices are valued and taken seriously. This is a serious topic that should be discussed and written about with respect.
Contest Rules: Entries will be judged on the basis of content, originality, and the most though provoking and responsiveness to these three questions:
1. How has violence affected my life?
2. What are the causes of violence?
3. What can I do about violence?
Your final paper must adhere to the following:
· You may write an essay, personal narrative, poem, play or song lyrics. Whichever format you choose, it must total up to at least 300 words (minimum).
o NO FICTIONAL WRITING! This is a serious topic. Essays that include fictional events will result in a grade of zero. You may change the names of the people involved if you wish to protect them, but you may not make anything up.
· Your name (NOT the school’s name) should be written on EACH page
· Write in English only
· Print on only one side of the paper; no 2-sided copies
· Pages must be numbered
· Include a word count at the end
· You must answer ALL of the essay contest questions within your written piece.
· Editing for content, grammar, or spelling by someone other than the student is not permitted
· Staple together final paper and student/parent consent form
Awards & Recognition:
· One boy and one girl finalist will be chosen from Gorzycki. They will attend a recognition dinner in Austin during April or May.
· At the dinner, the national finalists for Travis County will be announced (one boy, one girl).
· The school and National finalists’ entries will be printed in a bound publication and distributed locally.
· The writings of the National finalists will be printed in a leather bound publication and placed in the Library of Congress.
· National finalists attend a 3-day Leadership Summit in Austin. Then the finalists will travel to Washington D.C. for one week in the summer.
Grading: Your grade will be determined by two things:
· Did you meet the formatting and length requirements?
· Did you turn in the permission slip?
***Absolutely NO papers without permission slips will be graded.
No permission slip = ZERO for the assignment.***
o If your parents object to you participating in the contest, they must write a note and attach it to the permission slip. You still have to complete the assignment, and you still have to turn in a permission slip (unsigned), but it won’t be submitted for judging.
I will not read your essays unless you ask me to. This is for your protection and to allow you the freedom to write about whatever you want. If the judges suspect your entry is fictional, they will let me know.
Final draft and consent form (stapled together) are due Wednesday, January 6th.