The three top essays of the 2014 Bethany
Peace Essay Contest have been announced by Bethany Theological Seminary.
Out of 32 entries submitted, the following placed first, second, and
third, respectively, and received prizes of $2,000, $1,000, and $500:
Anita Hooley Yoder, senior MDiv student at Bethany Seminary, Richmond,
Ind.: “I’ve Read Too Much Poetry for That: Poetry, Personal
Transformation, and Peace”; Charles Northrop, PhD student at Cambridge
University, England, resident of Richmond, Ind.: “Hard Rock Pacifism”;
Gabriella Stocksdale, student at Larkin High School, Elgin, Ill.:
“Colors of Peace.”
Open to students enrolled in high school, college, and graduate-level
degree programs, the contest was advertised nationwide through
denominational and ecumenical venues and received a national, ecumenical
response. Writers were asked to reflect on how personal and local
peacemaking efforts can address universal concerns. They could choose to
explore this theme in one of the following areas, relating to personal
experience: art, music, or poetry; the just peace movement; protest or
change movements; social media; or interfaith efforts.
Anna
Groff, interim editor for the “Mennonite” magazine and a judge for the
contest, was pleased with the scope and quality of the entries.
“Overall, I was impressed with the thoughtfulness and critical thinking
apparent in the essays. These students are digging deeper than a surface
understanding of peace and what it means to work for peace. It was an
honor to serve as a judge.” Her fellow judges were Lonnie Valentine,
professor of peace and justice studies at Earlham School of Religion;
Randy Miller, editor of the Church of the Brethren “Messenger” magazine;
and Scott Holland, director of the Baker Peace Studies Program and
professor of theology and culture at Bethany.
The contest is
underwritten by the Jennie Calhoun Baker Endowment at Bethany, funded by
philanthropist, teacher, and scholar John C. Baker in honor of his
mother and her vision for peacemaking. His goal was to encourage
constructive communication about peacebuilding throughout all segments
of society, says Holland. “We share this vision of God's shalom and
Christ's peace at Bethany Seminary, not only in peace studies classes
but across the curriculum. The generosity of the Baker endowment for the
peace essay contest allows us to extend our educational work beyond the
classroom to conversations that are truly ecumenical, international,
and public. The many excellent essays composed for the contest remind us
that fine writing, like thoughtful preaching, is indeed the work of
ministry.”
Bekah Houff, coordinator of outreach programs at
Bethany, facilitated the work of the planning committee and helped
administer the contest. “The entire process ran smoothly and was quite
enjoyable. The judges each brought their own unique strengths to the
process and worked diligently, putting in many hours reviewing the
essays. I was so pleased and honored to work with them.”
According
to Houff, a variety of denominations were represented, including at
least 20 entries from the Historic Peace Churches: Church of the
Brethren, Quaker, and Mennonite. Bridgewater, Juniata, and Manchester
Colleges (Church of the Brethren) were represented along with Earlham
College and Earlham School of Religion (Quaker) and Eastern Mennonite
University. Among the others were Harvard and Duke Divinity Schools,
UCLA, Truman State University, Clark University, and four high schools.
The
winning essays will appear in the denominational publications
“Messenger,” “Brethren Life and Thought,” “The Mennonite,” and “Quaker
Life.” Planning is set to begin for the 2015 contest.
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Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for
Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. Find a story from the
Elgin “Courier-News” about Gabriella Stocksdale as the first high
schooler to place in the top three, titled "Elgin student places third
in national peace essay contest," at http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/schools/25957028-418/elgin-student-places-third-in-national-peace-essay-contest.html.
Source: 3/4/2014 Newsline