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Essay contest will be part of Book Fest 2004


Dyersburg State Community College is sponsoring "The Voices of West Tennessee" Essay Contest, which is partially funded by a grant from the Tennessee Humanities Council, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This contest is conducted in conjunction with the book festival, which takes place on the Dyersburg State Campus March 15-18. The festival theme and topic for the essay contest is “Corps of Discovery: The Journey of Lewis and Clark.”

Three winners will be selected from each category of entry levels. These winners will be given a book for third place, a $50 savings bond for second place, and a $100 savings bond for first place.

The essay must be typed and double-spaced. No plastic binders or folders will be allowed; the pages should be stapled together. A cover sheet with each essay should include the writer’s name, social security number, school and classification, or specify adult, title of essay, date, home address and phone number, and permission to display the essay and to reproduce it online.

The submissions will be judged in the following categories: college and adult (500 words), high school (400 words), middle school and intermediate school (350 words) and grade school (250 words).

The essays must be based on the knowledge of the Journey of Lewis and Clark. Students may write essays about the events by focusing on the historical, scientific, physical ordeal, Native American affairs, characters involved in the journey, Seaman, river exploration, or Rocky Mountain adventure. Students may explain what made the journey a success, why did President Johnson want to sponsor the expedition, what role did Sacagawea play, or why Seaman was important.

Essays should be received by Dyersburg State by March 4.

To enter, mail an entry form to: The Voices of West Tennessee Essay Contest, c/o Mrs. Cynthia Vories, Division of Arts and Sciences, Dyersburg State Community College, 1510 Lake Rd., Dyersburg, TN 38025-0648.