What if Martin Luther King, Jr. had never born? What if he were still alive today?
These are the questions posed to area high school students in the third annual University of Evansville Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Speech Contest.
“The purpose of this contest is to engage local high school students in recognizing the true significance of Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as to highlight the extraordinary talent that our local youth possess,†said La Toya Smith, diversity and equity officer at the University of Evansville.
The contest is open to high school students in Vanderburgh, Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. Speeches must be 350-600 words, typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins. Students must create a cover page as a separate document that includes their first and last name, phone number, address, and school. The speech itself may not include personal information (such as name or school).
Students entering the contest should keep in mind these important dates:
Thursday, December 1: Speeches due by 11:59 p.m. to La Toya Smith at ls103@evansville.edu. Both the speech and cover page must be e-mailed as attachments.
Monday, December 12: Top 10 finalists notified.
Monday, January 9, 2012: Top 10 finalists read their speeches to the UE Martin Luther King, Jr. Program Committee at the University of Evansville; committee chooses three finalists.
Monday, January 16, 2012: Final three participants read their speeches at afternoon community program; a panel of judges chooses the winner.
All three of the finalists will receive a framed certificate, and the winner will receive $200.
Past contest winners are Laura Guse (North High School) and Kevin Thomas (Signature School).
For questions about the contest, please contact La Toya Smith at 812-488-2413 or ls103@evansville.edu, or click here.
