Zelda Glazer Civil Liberties Writing Competition Essays Convey Diverse Issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2008
CONTACT:
ACLU of Florida Media Office: (786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Foundation of Florida announced the winners of the first Zelda Glazer Civil Liberties Writing Competition on Friday, May 9 at the annual ACLU Greater Miami Chapter Law Day event. The winners, Kimberly Carpel, Gensy Yero, and Amanda Labora -- all Miami-Dade Public School high school seniors -- were joined by their teachers and instructional supervisors of the Miami-Dade County Public School’s Division of Language Arts/Reading, an instrumental partner of the competition.
First place winner, Kimberly Carpel, a student in Debra Miller’s class at Design and Architecture High School (DASH), submitted an essay depicting her early life in Haiti and the political violence and repression she witnessed as child. The essay conveyed her adjustment as an immigrant student and her growing appreciation for the rights protected by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. She was awarded $1,500 to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida.
Second place winner, Gensy Yero, a student in Jo Ann Jones’ class at Miami Central Senior High School won for her well-reasoned essay describing the repressed society in George Orwell's "1984" in light of the post-9/11 USA PATRIOT ACT. She was awarded $1,000 to pursue higher education.
Third place winner, Amanda Labora, a student in Karen Sutton’s class at MAST Academy, offered a very well-written essay sharing her experience as a student newspaper opinion columnist when she stood up for the rights of student journalists. She will use her $500 award to pursue her education at Brown University.
The writing competition is an opportunity to recognize civil liberties scholarship that enhances an understanding of the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Seventy-six submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of noted civil libertarians, recognized educators, constitutional attorneys and ACLU members and leaders in the Greater Miami area. They chose the winning essays based on the student’s passion, content, writing proficiency, originality, focus and organization.
Established in 2007, the Zelda Glazer Scholarship Fund honors the memory and lifelong work of an amazing woman who for more than 40 years worked as a beloved Miami-Dade County Public School Language Arts teacher and administrator. Glazer was a dedicated advocate for civil liberties in our schools and community, and she worked hard to uphold our constitutional rights, especially for students in the areas of speech and journalism. This writing competition is close to the hearts of ACLU members across Miami-Dade County and Florida and to the students and teachers of Miami-Dade County Public Schools who were touched by Glazer. The essay competition will be held annually.
Please click on the following URL to read the winning essays: http://www.aclufl.org/issues/issue_detail.cfm?iID=11
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our Web site at: www.aclufl.org.
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