Oklahoma City Memorial announces essay contest

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum announces its sixth annual essay contest, offered in conjunction with Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, a special exhibit created by the National Constitution Center that will open at the Memorial on February 12, 2007.

This year’s contest highlights Lincoln’s words on the importance of personal responsibility, as reflected in his 1860 statement, “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

Essay Topics by grade level are:

5th and 6th Grades: “I want in all cases to do right.” – Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was always concerned with doing what was right, even if it was not popular with everyone else. Describe an experience when you went “against the crowd” because you knew it was the right thing to do. How did others around you react? In the end, how did you feel about yourself?

7th and 8th Grades: “Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.” – Abraham Lincoln

Each and every day we are faced with situations in which we have to make decisions to go with the crowd or against the crowd. Describe a time when you had to confront someone close to you and you stood with the person in his/her decision because you knew it was the right thing to do. Or, describe a situation when you had to tell someone who was very close to you that you would not follow what he/she was doing because the person was doing the wrong thing. In either situation, how did others react to your decision? How did you feel?

9th and 10th Grades: “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln

What is a reputation? How important is having character? What does one’s reputation say about that person? Think of someone you admire. What is the person’s reputation? How did the person earn this good reputation? Is it easy to earn a good reputation or is it difficult? Why? How does the person you selected influence you and others?

11th and 12th Grades: The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.” – Abraham Lincoln

Based on your experiences in high school, choose a situation in which you had to act on your decision to “be just” because you knew it was the right thing to do. Explain how your passion caused you to remain steadfast in your struggle. Expand on your feelings of knowing you might fail. Why did you not give up? In the end, what was the outcome? If you did not succeed, would you still consider your cause a failure? If you did succeed, what kept you strong and determined?

First place winners in each category will travel with a parent or guardian to Washington, DC, for a special tour of the Lincoln Memorial and other recognition.

Entries must be typed or word–processed, double-spaced. Teachers may submit up to five entries per grade per school. Entries may be submitted by mail, e-mailed or hand delivered to the Memorial. Each entry must be accompanied by a signed release form, and must be received by 5 p.m. on February 1, 2007. A brochure describing contest details is available at http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/docs/OKCNM_2007Essay%20Contest%20For.pdf.

Last updated on 12/11/2006