2016 Black History Month Contest For New Jersey High School Students The Minorities in the Profession Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association is pleased to announce its annual BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONTEST in accordance with the rules set forth in this document. The purpose of this competition is to showcase and share the knowledge of our youth and encourage excellence in writing by New Jersey high school students. For further information contact: Tamika S. Wilson New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1500 732-937-7540 twilson@njsba.com
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RULES FOR THE ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONTEST The following rules will govern the Black History Month Contest sponsored by the Minorities in the Profession Section of the : Part 1. Qualifying Essay Contest 1. The contest is open to any New Jersey high school student (grades 9-12). Students may not collaborate. 2. To enter, students must first submit a short, qualifying essay on the topic below: Following the unfortunate death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the term Black Lives Matter began trending on Twitter. Since then, there have been numerous incidents that have caused people to join the Black Lives Matter movement. You are now running for President of your school s Student Government. At the candidate s forum, a group of students asked whether or not you support this movement. Explain why or why not. 3. All entries must be received by midnight Fri., January 15, 2016. All submissions become the property of the. By submitting an entry, the student agrees that the entry has not been previously published. (See page 3, How to Submit Essays) 4. Each essay will be reviewed by a panel of at least three (3) judges according to the following criteria: a. Point of view (clearly stated and well supported) b. Quality of writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation) c. Creativity and meaningful response (use of critical and creative thinking) d. Adherence to specified limitations (See page 4, Essay Format) 5. The top 5 essay finalists and up to 5 runners-up will be notified and announced online at njsba.com by 12 p.m. Mon., February 15, 2016. Part 2. Trivia Contest (Top 5 Essay Finalists) 6. Essay finalists and runners-up will be notified via postal mail, phone or email on Mon., February 15, 2015 with an invitation to attend an award reception. The letter will also include a study guide for the trivia contest. 7. Students must confirm their attendance and participation in the trivia contest within 3 business days or by Fri., February 19, 2016. Finalists who cannot attend will forfeit their chance to compete and a runner-up will take their place. 8. The award reception and trivia contest will be held at 6 p.m on Tues., February 23, 2016 at the New Jersey Law Center (New Brunswick, NJ). All contestants must be present to compete. 2
HOW TO SUBMIT ESSAYS Deadline: All essays must be received by midnight, Fri., January 15, 2016 By Mail: By Email: Tamika S. Wilson RE: Black History Month Contest New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1500 To: twilson@njsba.com Subject: MIPS Black History Month Contest Emailed essays must be attached to the email as a Microsoft Word document (*.doc, *.docx) or Adobe (*.pdf) file. Word Perfect (*.wpd) files will not be accepted; please print and mail them instead. BLACK HISTORY MONTH RECEPTION & TRIVIA CONTEST DATE: Tues., February 23, 2016 TIME: PLACE: 6 p.m. New Jersey Law Center New Brunswick, New Jersey The program will include the following: Trivia contest featuring top 5 essay finalists Art Exhibit by local artist Music by the Trenton High School Orchestra Keynote Speaker Award presentations PRIZES Winners of the trivia contest and runners-up for the essay contest will receive the following cash prizes: 1st Place $250 Gift Card 2nd Place $150 Gift Card 3rd Place $100 Gift Card Runners-up $25 Gift Card 3
ESSAY FORMAT Essays must include a cover sheet with the student s name, name of high school, student s home address, email address and phone number. (see sample below) Essays must not include student s name or any other identifying information about the student. This information should only be written on the cover sheet. Essays will be judged without knowledge of the identity of the author. Essays must not exceed 2 typed pages. Please note that submissions which exceed the word limitations will not be considered. Essays must be typed, double-space with 1-inch margins on all sides using a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman or Arial) Sample Cover Page/Essay Formatting Essay Title John J. Student Some Town High School 123 Main Street Anywhere, USA 12345 (732) 555-1234 johnsstudent@email.com the page. the page. the page. Type essay using a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial. Use 12 pt font. Double-space your document. You should also paginate your essay. Page numbers can be placed on the top or the bottom of each page; on the left, right or in the middle of the page. the page. Type essay using a standard font like Times New 1 Roman or Arial. Use 12 pt font. Double-space your document. You should also paginate your essay. Page numbers can be placed on the top or the bottom of each page; on the left, right or in the middle of the page. 2 4