‘I Am’ papers to explain heritage, values

Ohio University Southern will have its ninth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest.
Students in grades 6-12 from around the Tri-State are invited to submit a personal “I Am” essay by Jan. 4. The contest is sponsored by Southern’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

The “I Am” essay contest gets its name from a famous speech that King gave at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, on Oct. 15, 1962, which includes the now famous phrase “I am convinced that men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they don’t communicate with each other, and they don’t communicate with each other because they are separated from each other.”

The essays will be considered in two categories: grades 6-8 and grades 9-12.

Students are asked to write personal “I Am” essays in which they focus on an aspect of their personality, cultural heritage, values, or any aspect of identity to communicate with others about themselves. Organizers say the essays are hoped to help students communicate about themselves and their unique roles in the community.

Rules and Guidelines may be found online at www.ohio.edu/southern/events/mlk.cfm. All essay submissions must adhere to the guidelines and be submitted by an entry form which can be found on the contest website. Cash prizes for the top three essays in each age category will be awarded.

For more information, please contact Robert Pleasant, associate director of
Student Resource Commons Ohio University Southern. He can be reached by calling 1-740-533-4600.