2010 Literary & Video Contests
New Jersey resident students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to participate in our efforts to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive by entering the 2010 literary and video contests. The deadline for submission is Friday, November 6, 2009. Contest winners and their families are encouraged to attend the King Day celebration on January 18, 2010, where winners will be recognized for their achievements and awarded significant prizes. The submissions of all contest participants help contribute greatly to our community’s understanding of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
The work (created or chosen) for the literary or video submission should focus on a nationally debated existing or proposed social or economic policy that results in inequitable or has unintended negative outcomes and should speak to the challenges facing those citizens least likely to be heard. Mortgage lending practices, taxes, healthcare, unemployment, auto emissions, environmental and criminal justice are examples of the policy topics that may be addressed. In the fashion of Dr. King, the final presentation should pose hard questions, cause individuals to think deeply and critically, and raise a level of awareness that encourages others to say “I cannot be silent.” The challenge now falls to you! What creative insight or original work can you present that transforms the consciousness of American citizens, champions Dr. King’s dream for a society that is structurally and morally just, and furthers the idea of equality that is embedded in the ideals of the American dream?
Sample Resources:- www.thekingcenter.org/
- www.stanford.edu/group/King/
- www.ontheissues.org
- www.publicagenda.org
- www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/index.html
- www.lwv.org (and then click on issues at bottom of page)
- www.cesj.org
- www.nclej.org
- www.civicframe.org
Contest instructions
Contests are open only to New Jersey resident students. Students may not use copyrighted material without proper permission. Submissions may not be returned unless self-addressed stamped envelopes are included with requests for returned materials. Submissions also may be picked up immediately following the MLK Day Celebration on Jan. 18, 2010. Where applicable, entries may be submitted electronically by the deadline to: MLKentry@princeton.edu. However, it is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that the entry has been received.
Students must attach (staple preferred) the 2010 MLK contest submission form (which may be photocopied or downloaded from www.princeton.edu/mlk/) to each entry and may enter only one contest per individual. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten as illegible forms will result in disqualification. In the literary contest, we expect to award, per grade grouping, one prize of: $100 as first place; $75 as second place; and $50 as third place. Honorable mentions will also be awarded though no monetary prizes will be given in this category. In the video category, we expect to award only first place winners per grade grouping (e.g., one $100 prize for the best video submitted from a 7th OR 8th grader—there will be no 2nd or 3rd place prizes). Award winners will need to provide their Social Security numbers for prize payment. In keeping with Dr. King’s message of inclusiveness, social and racial justice and respect for the dignity of others, submissions that include profanity and/or language inconsistent with Dr. King’s philosophy will be disqualified.
In addition to these instructions the specific rules below also must be followed, depending on entry category [winning entries will be judged on a variety of factors including message, creativity, originality, accuracy and inclusion of Dr. King and/or the messages for which he stood]:
Each entrant (grades 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12) must incorporate Dr. King’s philosophy and principles of equity, justice and/or peace into an original artistic expression [e.g., critical essay, poem, song lyrics, children’s book, play script] or a critique of an existing artistic expression of a work conceived to bring awareness to an area where social or economic injustice exists and rally everyday citizens to take action and bring about change. Each submission must be double-spaced and typed or handwritten containing no more than 1,000 words. Entries that are illegible and/or unduly long will be disqualified. Pages must be single-sided and numbered, with the student’s name written on the back of each page and not the front. Entries that the judges deem as plagiarizing or otherwise infringing upon copyright protected material will be disqualified.
Each entrant (grades 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12) must submit one original VHS, DVD or PowerPoint presentation [e.g., performance video – instrumental, vocal, spoken word, or dance; documentary film; educational video] that raises awareness on an issue of social or economic injustice and calling for support of their plan of action to address the issue. Video submissions must last between two and seven minutes. Entrants’ names and contact information must be attached to the actual submission. If the submission is created using non-standard software, a means of loading the software, so that the entry can be viewed, must also be submitted. Submissions that malfunction or are too long will be disqualified. If you have questions about equipment or playback, please email MLKentry@princeton.edu. Entries that the judges deem as plagiarizing or otherwise infringing upon copyright protected material will be disqualified.
Entries must be delivered either electronically to MLKentry@princeton.edu or to the Office of Human Resources, 1 New South, with entry form, by 4 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2009.
For more information or clarification, please call Felicia Edwards at (609) 258-7801 or Zia Bartley at (609) 258-9149. Thank you for your help and for ensuring that guidelines are followed. We look forward to reviewing the submissions.
2009 Essay & Video Contest
The 2009 winners of the essay and video contests were announced in early January, and were honored at the Jan. 19 celebration. A full list of winners is available online.