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| Local students enter international competition |
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| Education | |||
| Written by Aaron Cedeño | |||
| Wednesday, 18 November 2009 09:00 | |||
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For the Louisburg Lions Club, it’s not that picking the winners in the organization’s annual Peace Poster Contest could ever be described as truly “easy.” It’s just this year, well, it was a bit tougher than most. “We were really surprised by the quality, and there were about twice as many entries as there were in the past,” said local Lions Club board member Marilyn Tesh. The Peace Poster Contest is an annual competition organized by Lions Club International. Each year, local branches of the global service organization sift through literally hundreds of thousands of entries, submitted by students ages 11 to 13. This year, for example, approximately 350,000 posters were entered in the competition, each finding a way to artistically represent the central theme for 2009: “The Power of Peace.”  Locally, Tesh and Co. were able to whittle the entries down to a top three, and in an all-school assembly on Thursday the winners were announced. Seventh grade student Lindsey Turner took first place, which included a $50 check. Eighth-grader Will Garza and seventh-grader Alex Fish took second and third respectively, receiving $25 apiece. The competition, and art class in general, gives her an important creative outlet, Turner said. After struggling with finding an idea at first, a quick Web search gave her some inspiration, and she was off to the races. “We were given the option (to participate), and I was really excited to do something that was fun,” she said. “It was really fun doing the pictures.” The arts are an essential component of a well-rounded education, said LMS art teacher Dan Mathia. In his class, he strives to cross-teach, and bring elements of subjects such as math, science and history into the mix. “We have really good vocal music, a really good band program,” he said. “Some kids don’t like that, they really like the art aspect. It gives those kids something else to work on.” Mathia agreed the quality of entries this year was better overall, which he attributed to additional time dedicated to the posters. Unlike in years past, this year Mathia’s students were given six weeks of class time to complete the entries, and many of the students made use of every available second. For Turner, the competition is just beginning. As the first-place finisher in her local competition, her poster will now be submitted to a district competition. Should she win, it will then go on to the multi-district level, before ending with international competition. First prize is a trip to the United Nations, a plaque and $2,500 cash, while 23 merit award winners will receive $500 and a certificate of achievement. The draw of international competition is a strong motivating factor for Louisburg’s youth, Tesh said. “It’s quite a deal,” she said. “I think it makes a difference when they know that the contest is international.”
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