Sept. 28, 2007 — Students in grades seven through 12 are invited to participate in an essay contest with a thought-provoking title and topic.
The deadline for the "Comm-Unity" essay contest is Dec. 9.
Participants will write about the following topic:
"While the Virgin Islands progresses as a working model of harmonious multicultural and multi-ethnic society, there persists the thought that there isn't much solidarity among African descendants of the trans-Atlantic slavery experience.
"There is a perception that the effects of the divide-and-conquer tactics used during slavery and the colonization of African and the African diaspora continues today within our communities, keeping us a fragmented people.
"Is it true, and if so, how can it be addressed individually and collectively to create harmony. If it's false, why do you believe it's false and how can we eliminate this perception? Based on the book Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery by Na'im Akbar, how can we promote increased unity without our community?"
The contest is sponsored by the territory-wide non-profit group Conscious Thought and Action.
Akbar's book is available at public libraries and, starting Monday, at the University of the Virgin Islands bookstores on both St. Thomas and St. Croix, said Devorath Elcock, the contest's organizer. Students may also ask local bookstores to special order the book, she said.
The group thinks youthful writers will look at the issue from a fresh perspective, Elcock said. Conscious Thought and Action was founded specifically to organize activities such as the essay contest, as well as poetry contests, she said.
"It's about getting people to think about how they act consciously," Elcock said. "Many times they react without thinking about it first."
The contest is open to students from public, private and parochial schools, as well as home schoolers.
First-place winners in each category will receive $150 in cash, a $100 gift card from an office, school or computer-supply store, and a calculator. Second-place winners will get $100 in cash, a $75 gift card and a calculator. Third-place winners will receive $50 in cash, a $50 gift card and a calculator. The calculators will be Texas Instruments model TI83-Plus, unless the winner is in grades nine through 12, in which case they will receive a TI84-Plus.
Each school will select preliminary winners from grades seven through nine and 10 through 12.
All finalists are eligible to participate in a raffle for items such as an iPod, an electronic organizer, gift cards and books. Teachers of winning students will also receive prizes.
Students in grades seven through nine must submit essays of 500 to 750 words. Essays for students in grades 10 through 12 should run 950 to 1,200 words.
The panel of judges will use a double-blind method where neither the judges nor the participants are known to each other. Essays will be judged on content, analysis and style.
Elcock declined to release the names of the judges until after the contest is over, but said they will be entrepreneurs, community leaders and educators.
Conscious Thought and Action is raising money to fly St. Thomas and St. John students to St. Croix for the awards ceremony. It is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 20.
For more information, call 340-244-2460, visit vibarter.net or send an email.
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