January, 2016 Chardon High School Learning Center Issue 6

Cleveland City Club Essay Contest

A great opportunity for students to enter an essay writing contest and gain
experience, notoriety, self-satisfaction and prize money has presented itself.
The QR Code will take you to the website for more information, but here you
can find basic facts.
Cleveland City Club is looking for essays from high school students that
discuss the role of f ree speech in t he 21 st cent ury. Essays should pull from
personal experience, current events, history, politics, art, anything really so long as they are
backed up with evidence. Essays will be judged on their clarity, content, originality, and
significance. Submissions will be accepted from January 19 t hrough March 4, 2016.
See Mrs. Eby in t he Learning Cent er f or hel p submit t ing your essay.
Here is the prompt:
Increasingly, higher education institutions require professors to post trigger warnings* on
potentially upsetting material. Opponents have argued that trigger warnings inhibit
intellectual and personal freedoms. Proponents have argued that failing to use trigger
warnings will revictimize students who have experienced trauma and alienate them from the
learning process. Discuss the role trigger warnings play in higher education with respect to
our nation?s commitment to free speech.

What are triggers?

*Oberlin College defines triggers as, ?not only relevant to sexual misconduct, but also to
anything that might cause trauma. Be aware of racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism,
cissexism, ableism, and other issues of privilege and oppression. Realize that all forms of
violence are traumatic, and that your students have lives before and outside your classroom,
experiences you may not expect or understand.? Trigger warnings alert students of the
presence of any of these triggers.
Cash Prizes!
1st , 2nd, 3rd, and 2 honorabl e ment ions f or 9/ 10 graders ($500, $250, $150, $100)
1st , 2nd, 3rd, and 7 honorabl e ment ions f or 11/ 12 graders($1,000, $500, $250, $100)

How wil l YOU set your essay apart f rom t he rest ? Focus on real -l if e or personal
experiences! Do you t hink f ree speech is compromised because of pol it ical correct ness?
Or, do you bel ieve being super sensit ive t o ot hers' f eel ings is t he way t o go?