Do The Write Thinghttp://www.dtwtx.org/ Texas Writing Competition

Hildebrandt Winners 2013

Athletes – Should competition create jealousy among teammates?

Bullying – What constitutes bullyingWhen do joking words become hurtful? 

Gangs – do you feel safe in your neighborhood?

Military families - What actions would you take to help all members of this family?

Peer Pressure - What should be done if drug use seems to be glamorized by some students?

How can violence affect students in middle school?

Family Relationships - Can emotional pain cause thoughts of suicide, or cause someone to use self-abuse? When the teen is expected to step into the role of the parent?

Peer Relationships - Can words be used in such a way as to be a violent act? How far should a person go to fit in, have friends or be popular?

Social Media - Is sending unflattering pictures of a classmate via text message wrong? How should you appropriately respond or react to negative comments on Facebook?

Entries must be in English. Students may submit only one essay entry per year. Student name on essay is acceptable, but no school

name please. Essays must be the work product of only one student.

Collaborative essays are not acceptable. Editing for essay content, grammar, or spelling by

someone other than the student is not permitted. Entries must be typed or legibly written on 8½ X 11

paper. Pages should be numbered. Essays must be non-fiction. Essays based upon plagiarism will not be advanced in

the judging process. Poems, plays and songs are permitted as long as the

language is positive. Essays should be approximately 500 to 1,000 words in

length with the exception of poems and songs.

Guidelines

How has violence affected my life?

What are the causes of youth violence?

What can I do about youth violence?

Entries will be judged on the basis of content, originality and the most thought provoking and responsiveness to the following 3 questions:

When you hear the words violence, what thoughts or memories do you have?

Where are you confronted by violence? In your home? At your school? In your neighborhood?

Do you think you can tell when another person is on the brink of a violent act?Would you intervene? Under what circumstances would you intervene?

What provokes people to be violent?

How has violence affected my life?

What are the causes of youth violence?

What can I do about youth violence?