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Our 3rd Annual Personal Narrative Writing Contest

We invite students to tell a short story about a meaningful life experience in 600 words or fewer. Contest Dates: Oct. 13 to Nov. 17, 2021

By The Learning Network

Update, Jan. 20, 2022: Winners have been announced!

When you think of The New York Times, you probably think of front-page news, but The Times also has a long tradition of publishing personal narratives, and you can find new ones online nearly every day if you know where to look.

In fact, over the years there have been columns dedicated to personal narratives on themes from love and family to life on campus, how we relate to animals, living with disabilities and navigating anxiety.

For this contest, we invite you to write a personal narrative of your own about a meaningful life experience.

We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to submit, resources for teachers and students, frequently asked questions.

Students ages 11 to 19 anywhere in the world attending middle or high school can participate. Read the instructions carefully to determine the best way to participate.

Student Submission Form

If you can answer YES to either of these two questions, then you can use our student submission form :

Are you a middle or high school student residing in the United States or the United Kingdom who is 13 - 19 years old?

Are you a middle or high school student residing in any country outside the United States or the United Kingdom who is 16 - 19 years old?

If you are a middle or high school student who answers “No” to both of those questions, then please ask an adult to submit on your behalf.

Teacher/Parent Submission Form

Adults can submit on behalf of any middle or high school students ages 11 - 19. We offer two forms for teachers and parents. Choose which form is best for you.

Individual Submission Form: If you are an adult submitting on behalf of one student, use this submission form .

Bulk Submission Form: If you are an adult submitting entries on behalf of more than one student, use this bulk submission form .

Your narrative should be a short, powerful, true story about a meaningful experience from your own life.

It must be 600 words or fewer, not including the title.

You must be a student ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school anywhere in the world to participate. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade. Students in lower grades cannot participate. For students outside the United States, students must be 11 years old to have their work submitted to this contest.

Your essay should be original for this contest, meaning, it should not already be published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Keep in mind your audience. You’re writing for a family newspaper, so, for example, no curse words, please.

Submit only one entry per student.

While many of our contests allow students to work in teams, for this one you must work alone.

All entries must be submitted by Nov. 17, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific using the appropriate contest form above.

Please read through all the official eligibility and submission rules before submitting your narrative. If you have questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

A unit plan on personal narrative writing , including writing prompts, mentor texts, lesson plans and reader ideas.

An on-demand introductory webinar, Teaching Narrative Writing With The New York Times , with Learning Network staff on using writing prompts and mentor texts to prepare students for the contest.

An on-demand webinar, Personal Narratives From the Newsroom to the Classroom , featuring two guest experts — a New York Times editor who selects stirring personal stories for the popular Modern Love column, and a high school English teacher who uses our narrative-writing unit and mentor texts from The Times to help her students write college essays with voice, style and meaning.

A lesson plan, “ From ‘Lives’ to ‘Modern Love’: Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times ,” on everything from avoiding “zombie nouns” to writing “dangerous” college essays.

An annotated essay from the Modern Love column, “ Annotated by the Author: ‘Why Can’t Men Say “I Love You” to Each Other?’ ”

The seven winning essays from our 2020 contest and eight essays from our 2019 contest.

Three annotated essays — “Pants on Fire,” “Speechless” and “Cracks in the Pavement” — and video interviews with past student winners that illuminate the narrative writing process.

A short video with advice from three or our past winners (embedded above).

Our collection of 550 Writing Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing .

Our contest rubric .

Below are answers to your questions about writing, judging, the rules and teaching with this contest. Please read these thoroughly and, if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, post your query in the comments or write to us at [email protected].

Questions About Writing

What is a personal narrative?

For this contest, we’re defining a personal narrative as a short, powerful, true story about a specific experience, event or incident from your real life.

Because you’re telling a story about a particular moment rather than, say, summarizing your whole life or reflecting on your feelings about a topic, there should be a clear narrative arc — a beginning, middle and end — that is driven by a conflict of some kind that is eventually resolved or spurs an attempt at an ongoing life change.

Keep in mind, however, that any story can work. It doesn’t have to be the most dramatic thing that ever happened to you; it can, instead, be about baking brownies with your brother, or a conversation you had on Tuesday’s bus ride to school. It’s all in how you tell it.

And a good personal narrative not only tells a story but supplies a reason for telling it , so that readers come away with a sense of some larger meaning or a universal message they can relate to. The best essays often do this subtly and leave room for the reader’s own interpretation.

How can I make my essay stand out?

We are primarily looking for good storytelling, as explained above. But we’re also looking for writing that is vivid and engrossing. A few tips:

Hook your readers right from the start by dropping them into the scene .

Write from your own point of view in your real voice . We want to see your personality come through on the page.

Follow the adage “ show, don’t tell. ” For example, don’t simply say: “my brother was angry.” Instead, describe his clenched fists or flared nostrils. Such imagery elicits a more powerful response because readers can imagine the scenes you describe, and feel what the narrator is feeling. But be careful to avoid overly ornate or complicated wording that could detract from your story.

Try to avoid sweeping conclusions, clichés and platitudes (like “it’s always darkest before the dawn”). A strong story will clue us onto its themes without having to state them overtly.

I have no idea what to write about. Where should I start?

Everyone has a story to tell. Read essays from the Times’s personal narrative columns (linked below) or look at winning essays from 2019 and 2020 .

You might also scroll through our list of “ 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing ” that includes questions about childhood memories, friendship, travel, social media, food, sports, school and more. Try responding to a few that interest you. You might choose one that you enjoyed writing about to turn into your piece.

Can I submit my college application essay?

As long as it suits the requirements of this contest and our definition of a personal narrative above, your entry will be considered.

However, please keep in mind that we are not looking for a résumé of your accomplishments or a reflection on the themes or patterns from your life thus far, which many college applications ask for. Instead, we want a concise, compelling story about a life experience that transformed you, whether it was in a small or profound way.

Can I have someone else check my work?

You are welcome to get suggestions for revising and editing your narrative, of course, but the work you submit should be fundamentally your own.

Where can I find examples of personal narratives in The Times?

Start with the Lives column, the inspiration for this contest. It ran from 1996 to 2017 and invited writers to tell short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences in 800 words.

Here are several more personal narrative columns from around The Times:

Modern Love , a weekly column about relationships, feelings, betrayals and revelations.

Rites of Passage , essays that explore notable life transitions and events, big, small and absurd.

Metropolitan Diary , reader tales from New York City.

On Campus , dispatches from college students, professors and administrators on higher education and university life.

Disability , essays, art and opinion exploring the lives of people living with disabilities.

Menagerie , essays that explore the strange and diverse ways the human and animal worlds intersect.

QUESTIONS ABOUT JUDGING

How will my narrative be judged?

Your work will be read by New York Times journalists as well as by Learning Network staff members and educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.

What’s the prize?

Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to be chosen to have your work published in the print New York Times.

When will the winners be announced?

About two months after the contest has closed.

My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?

We receive thousands of entries for this contest, so, unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.

Questions About the Rules

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

For this contest, we invite students ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school to write a personal narrative. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade; students outside of the United States must be at least 11 years old to enter.

The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. Nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

If you are not sure if you are eligible for this contest (for example, if you’re taking a gap year), please see our more detailed eligibility rules .

My personal narrative was published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?

No. We ask that your narrative be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Who can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?

Leave a comment on this post or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING WITH THIS CONTEST

I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?

Start with our unit plan for personal narrative writing . It includes writing prompts, mentor texts and lesson plans that can support this contest. To learn more about how to teach with this unit, watch our on-demand webinar .

You can also use winning essays from 2019 and 2020 as student examples.

Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?

Students can get free access to Times pieces through The Learning Network . All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page.

However, if you are interested in learning more about school subscriptions, visit this page .

How do my students prove to me that they entered this contest?

After they submit their essays, students should receive an email from The New York Times with the subject heading “Thank you for your submission to our Personal Narrative Contest,” which they can forward to you to show their entry has been accepted.

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Winning Writers

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

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Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry

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Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

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Possible publication

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

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Trio House Press

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024

Storytrade Book Awards

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Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Gold contest badge.

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📅 Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

Related Resources:

• What is a Memoir? An Inside Look at Life Stories  (blog post)
• 21 Memoir Examples to Inspire Your Own (blog post)
• How to Outline a Memoir in 3 Powerful Steps (blog post)
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Story in 9 Steps (blog post)
• How to Market a Memoir: Top Tips from the Experts (blog post)

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7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

• 7-minute read
• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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Competition

New York Times Personal Narrative Writing Contest

November 17, 2023.

High School

Description:

For this contest, we invite you to write a personal narrative of your own about a meaningful life experience. We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/10/learning/our-3rd-annual-personal-narrative-writing-contest.html

Writing Type

Essay, Prose, Nonf𝔦ction

Publication

International

The New Quarterly

Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

$1000 for one winning personal essay.

The 2024 contest is now closed.

Edna Staebler was a pioneer in the field of literary journalism and a beloved figure in her (our) home region of Waterloo, Ontario. Her first article, “Duellists of the Deep,” a story about swordfishing with Neil’s Harbour fishermen, and published in  Macleans  when she was in her forties, won the Canadian Womens Press Club Memorial Award. Edna went on to publish with  Macleans ,  Chatelaine ,  Saturday Night , and other flagship magazines, while her books include the  Food that Really Schmecks  series—cookbooks so entertaining that people read them in bed. Edna led by example in other ways as well, founding eponymous writers’ awards, scholarships, and bursaries to nurture writers. She helped to found  The New Quarterly  in 1981, and in 2005 her generous bequest allowed us to establish this award, in her honour.

• A $1000 top prize will be awarded for one personal essay.
• All entries will be considered for publication in The New Quarterly ($250 paid upon publication).
• Entry fee: $40 per essay (includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly ).
• Entrants’ anonymity will be preserved throughout the judging process.
• Decisions will be posted by late August. Finalists will be notified ahead by email.

Eligibility

• We are interested in essays in which the writer’s personal engagement with the subject provides the frame or through-line.
• Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident).
• Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they be accepted for publication elsewhere.
• Submissions are accepted online only.
• We also accept payment by cheque or credit card over the phone. Contact us for more information.

Formatting Guidelines

• While there is no word limit to personal essay contest entries, most essays fall within the range of 2000 – 5000 words.
• Kindly use 12-point font and use 1.5 spacing in your personal essay submission.
• Include a word count at the end of your personal essay.
• Include page numbers at the top right hand corner of your submission. Format page numbers as: “Page 1 of x.”
• Submissions must be in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.
• Do not include footnotes or Works Cited in your submission. If external sources are absolutely necessary to include in your personal essay, please reference them within the text.
• Entrant’s name must not appear in the essay.
• If names used in your essay might reveal your identity, please use pseudonyms and make a note on your entry form; that way we can ask for real names should the piece go to publication.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Orange High School junior earns second place in City Club’s Free Speech Essay Contest

• Updated: Apr. 19, 2024, 4:39 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 19, 2024, 9:08 a.m.

Orange High School junior Lucy Campbell earned second place in the City Club of Cleveland’s 2024 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest (Photo Courtesy of Orange City Schools)

• Ed Wittenberg, special to cleveland.com

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Orange High School junior Lucy Campbell earned second place and $750 in the 11th/12th-grade category of the City Club of Cleveland’s 2024 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest.

Winners were announced April 9.

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Bruce Drysdale 5th-grade student advances to national finals in DAR's essay contest

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Bruce Drysdale fifth grader Lia Martinonis has advanced to the national finals in the Daughters of the American Revolution 2024 Essay Contest, and each time her essay has advanced, her family has celebrated with a cake.

She is anxiously hoping for more cake. Martinonis is one of eight fifth-grade finalists in the nation, and so far, she's won three awards for her essay — one at the local level, one at the state level and the latest for the Southeastern Division.

"I am unbelievably proud. I have felt both shocked and pleased each time I learned that I had won," she said.

And there's prize money involved: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place. The winners will be recognized at the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Continental Congress, which is being held June 26-30 in Washington, D.C.

The topic for the contest was “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Essay writers were asked to imagine they were a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times on May 14, 1897, and the newspaper's editor asked them to attend and report on the first public performance of John Philip Sousa’s new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” The students were to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song.

Lia was with her family on April 20 in Durham to receive the state award, her mother, Andrea, said.

"This essay contest has been an incredible experience for Lia. My daughter aspires to be a writer when she grows up," Andrea Martinonis said. "This opportunity has given her the confidence to pursue that dream. Lia researched the essay subject, learned about American history, honed her writing skills, and read her speech to a large audience at the initial award ceremony.

"As an educator, I couldn't be more pleased that DAR sponsors this contest, encouraging students to write essays and learn about our nation's past. As a parent, I am thrilled that my daughter chooses to spend her free time reading and writing and that her interests and skills are being recognized."

More: North Henderson student one of four grand prize winners in national essay contest

Lia said her teacher, April Summey, assigned the essay contest to her class.

"I remember being frustrated when drafting my essay, but now I am so glad my hard work paid off. I still cannot believe this is all happening," Lia Martinonis said.

This part of her essay describes Sousa talking about composing his new march:

"...Sousa said that he composed the song in his head on his return to America as he grieved the death of his beloved band manager, David Blakely. Sousa said, “In a kind of dreamy way, I used to think over old days at Washington when I was leader of the Marine Band…when we played at all public functions, and I could see the Stars and Stripes flying from the flagstaff.” He also stated, “And that flag of ours became glorified… And to my imagination it seemed to be the biggest, grandest flag in the world, and I could not get back under it quick enough.”

More: Apple Valley Middle student one of four grand prize winners in national contest

Summey called Lia a phenomenal, gifted student who "always goes above and beyond."

"She thrives on a challenge and is an avid learner. Her contagious curiosity shines brightly as she lights up upon acquiring new knowledge," Summey said. "Every year, my fifth grade students work on the DAR essay. They are given a prompt and required to read multiple primary and secondary sources about the topic in order to prepare. I am very passionate about the contest, because it helps students learn history and get excited about it."

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Bruce Drysdale student 1 of 8 national finalists in DAR essay contest

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Tortured Poets Take the Lower East Side

Swifties stomped and swayed to taylor swift classics at arlene’s grocery..

I wish I liked anything as much as these people like Taylor Swift is a recurring thought I found myself having while pressed against the wall of Arlene’s Grocery last Friday night.

As someone whose knowledge of Swift’s discography and personal life has always been information acquired by happenstance, my attendance at this album-release party and costume contest for The Tortured Poets Department felt like sociological field research. I was an impartial observer sent to study the Swiftie in their natural habitat.

An overwhelmingly white, late-20s crowd turned out to celebrate the debut of Swift’s latest album at the Lower East Side bar around midnight. They danced in small clusters around the room. The women were largely clad in light-wash denim and various bodysuits, while the men seemed fresh off a long week at their marketing jobs, ripping shots before dancing it out with their boys and then quickly moving on to the next bar. But the more die-hard fans stayed for hours, belting out the words to every track while doing a lot of what I can only describe as hand choreography — pointing, clapping, and spirit fingers, punctuated by the occasional dramatic flourish of an invisible tambourine — which is a style of dance not all that dissimilar to the professional choreography I’ve seen clips of Swift doing onstage. During a couple of particularly rowdy numbers (“Love Story” and “22”), the crowd stomped their feet to the beat until it shook the floorboards. There was actually quite a bit of stomping that night.

As I circulated among the Swifties, attempting to glean what it is they love so much about this woman and her music, I heard the same answer time and time again: It’s the lyricism . Her ability to put into words the subtle nuance of the human experience, particularly as that experience pertains to love. These fans told me they’d grown up with Swift, their romances and heartbreaks, triumphs and losses unfolding in lockstep with her own. Their entire lives had been accompanied by the soundtracks she’d created. Their own youthful memories intertwined with these songs. It was a fact I could see plainly on the face of a man who gravitated to the center of the dance floor when “Style” came on, eyes closed and arms outstretched overhead as though lost in religious ecstasy.

In preparation for these conversations, I’d brushed up on my Swift lore , listening to snippets of the new album and binging the many TikTok conspiracies explaining what they all meant, connecting the ever-present clues in her work to a grand unified theory of the Swiftie-verse. But it turns out all that prep was unnecessary as they didn’t play a single track from the new album all night. The costume-contest aspect also turned out to be a bust with only one man showing up in a sundress and folklore cardigan . The closest runner-up was wearing a sweater vest. Not exactly the eager, enthusiastic stans I had expected to see flooding the venue that night.

I was also, selfishly, disappointed not to witness the crowd’s live reaction to these new songs. I wanted to glance slyly around the room during lyrics such as “Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto ” and “I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists,” curious if their fandom was sincere enough to withstand these cornier moments, or if I would catch them admitting to the fallibility of their idol with a knowing eye roll and a shrug. Instead, the DJ stuck to Swift’s standard repertoire of radio hits. Pop classics, to be sure, but at this point going on a decade old. While not a ringing endorsement for the popularity of this new record, many attendees informed me that TTPD was not exactly bop heavy. It’s an album for the real fans, not the masses, they explained. About two hours into the event, the DJ stopped playing Swift’s music entirely, replacing it with the staples of my own middle-school dances, like Shaggy, the Black Eyed Peas, even Sir Mix-a-Lot. And when Justin Bieber’s “Baby” came on, it received, by far, the biggest reaction of the night.

With the release party being a bit of a letdown, at least for the Tortured Poets among us, I stopped by the restroom before heading home. There, I came upon two drunk women pressed tightly into one of the stalls, whose conversation I couldn’t help but overhear as it was delivered in heightened stage whispers. They were unpacking some drama that had just transpired on the dance floor — a heartbreak in progress. One repeatedly proclaimed that she was “so done” with this unnamed man as the other attempted to comfort her, confirming not only his profound idiocy but her friend’s utter perfection. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but feel like somehow this was the true Swiftie experience.

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AREA — Calling all MSAD44 Middle School Students!

Enter our Memorial Day Essay contest, sponsored by American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 68, Locke Mills

The top three entries will receive cash rewards:

• 1st Prize Winner – $200 • 2nd Prize Winner – $125 • 3rd Prize Winnter – $75

Topic: Write about an American who died in military service to our country and what inspiration that offers to you personally or to future generations.

Contest details: Advertisement

•  Eligibility: MSAD44 students in grades 6-8 (public, private, and homeschool)

•  Deadline: May 5, 2024

•  Requirements: 250-500 words; typed in 12-point font; double-spaced; no more than 2 pages in length. Include name, grade, school, email, and phone number

•  Prizes: The top 3 entries will receive cash rewards and media recognition. The winner will be invited to share in Memorial Day activities organized by the American Legion.

•  Submissions can be emailed to Paige at [email protected] or mailed to P.O. Box 701, Bethel, ME 04217. Call 207-739-9842 for more information.

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