Cranbury teen wins contest at Princeton University.
By: Matthew Kirdahy
CRANBURY Leslie Hart of Plainsboro Road, an 11th-grader at Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, is the winner of Princeton University’s annual essay contest honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Leslie is a seasoned veteran of the contest. Having entered the previous four years, so she knew that when this year’s contest came up, she had to get cracking. She finished with an honorable mention last year and immediately set out to write what she felt best set the tone for this nationally recognized holiday.
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The essay (Soft underscoring of "Let There Be Peace On Earth.") (Each sentence of text is read by a different child, both boys and girls of different ages and ethnicities.) Today is Martin Luther King Day. Take a moment and think. Does that mean anything to you? What would the world we share be like without Dr. King’s influence? Do you know what he did to bridge the divide between people of different races? Do you know what his message was beyond his famous words, "I have a dream"? Dr. King envisioned a world in which all races peacefully coexist. Now ask, is that true of today’s world? If the answer is no, what can you do to change it? Dr. King’s legacy proves every voice counts. Find a way to be heard! |
"I wanted not only to express how I feel about what Dr. King stood for, but I wanted to ask a question of the listener. In other words, what does this day mean for you?" she said.
For its 2003 contest, Princeton University had students from grades seven to 12 write a script about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with first-place essays being aired as a 30-second radio spot on 95.7. Leslie also won $100 for her work.
Leslie’s radio spot poses questions about Dr. King and the civil rights movement, but no answers. The essay challenges the listener to ponder Dr. King’s envisioned world of peace and then challenges the audience to "find a way to be heard."
There were 542 students who entered from 17 different schools, which is the highest number of entries to date. Judges awarded prizes for first and second place finishers in each category followed by several honorable mentions.
Leslie, who prides herself on her theatrical involvement in school, was happy to write something for a medium that interests her.
"Even though I just set out to do a good job, it was really a privilege to win this year," Leslie said. "It was really exciting when we sat down at the beginning of the awards ceremony and my script was playing on the overhead speakers."
Even though she’s just a junior, Leslie said, she is looking forward to extending her classroom learning at an East Coast university when the time comes.
"Well, I haven’t applied to any places yet," she said. "But when the time comes it’d certainly be a privilege study the arts or science at Princeton."

