School Board Recognizes Winning Student Essayists, Hawes as School of Character

Three students were recognized by the Ridgewood Board of Education Monday for their grand prize winning essays honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights leader's death, John Domville, a social studies teacher at the high school, explained that in years past the YWCA had sponsored the Martin Luther King Jr. essay writing contest. But with a new focus this year on scholarships, the program was unfortunately discontinued.

Not wanting to see the tradition broken, the district pulled together to continue the contest and had 94 participants from grades 4-12 submit essays. Eighty-four students received certificates and three students were on hand Monday night to receive their grand prizes.

Alec Cobb, junior at RHS; Jack Trevisan, a 6th grader at G.W.; and Thea Saunders, a 5th grader at Willard all received a plaque and a copy of Dr. King's autobiography for their winning essays.

Cobb, Domville said, wrote in his essay that the U.S. "must not succumb to the breaking up of the brotherhood Dr. King dreamed of." Instead of debating the consequences of and injustices of racism, as a nation Americans must stand up as one and act in a common goal of unity and prosperity, he argued.

Trevisan remarked in his essay that many don't know that the famous speech was called the "March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs." A good education, he argued in his essay, leads to a good life. Trevisan noted that while not all can be Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and donate $100 million, a difference can still be made by helping those less fortunate graduate school and get a better job.

Saunders wrote in her essay that the recent events of Haiti were devastating but brought citizens around the world together to donate their expertise and kindness, all toward a common good. "Because no one deserves to suffer," Domville said in summation of her speech.

For the second recognition of the night by the board of education, Hawes principal Dr. Paul Semendinger joined the four teachers tasked with crafting the report that led to Hawes being named an honorable mention award as a school of character by the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development (NJASECD).

Teachers Jane Kalfus, Jill Rota, Ellen Raupp and Tom Trubac accepted the certificate of recognition with Semendinger, who vowed see Hawes return next year with a higher honor than "Honorable Mention" next year.