Bethany Seminary announces results of essay contest

By Jenny Williams

The three top essays of the 2014 Bethany Peace Essay Contest have been announced by Bethany Theological Seminary. Out of 32 entries submitted, the following placed first, second, and third, respectively, and received prizes of $2,000, $1,000, and $500: Anita Hooley Yoder, senior MDiv student at Bethany Seminary, Richmond, Ind.: “I’ve Read Too Much Poetry for That: Poetry, Personal Transformation, and Peace”; Charles Northrop, PhD student at Cambridge University, England, resident of Richmond, Ind.: “Hard Rock Pacifism”; Gabriella Stocksdale, student at Larkin High School, Elgin, Ill.: “Colors of Peace.”

Open to students enrolled in high school, college, and graduate-level degree programs, the contest was advertised nationwide through denominational and ecumenical venues and received a national, ecumenical response. Writers were asked to reflect on how personal and local peacemaking efforts can address universal concerns. They could choose to explore this theme in one of the following areas, relating to personal experience: art, music, or poetry; the just peace movement; protest or change movements; social media; or interfaith efforts.

Anna Groff, interim editor for the “Mennonite” magazine and a judge for the contest, was pleased with the scope and quality of the entries. “Overall, I was impressed with the thoughtfulness and critical thinking apparent in the essays. These students are digging deeper than a surface understanding of peace and what it means to work for peace. It was an honor to serve as a judge.” Her fellow judges were Lonnie Valentine, professor of peace and justice studies at Earlham School of Religion; Randy Miller, editor of the Church of the Brethren “Messenger” magazine; and Scott Holland, director of the Baker Peace Studies Program and professor of theology and culture at Bethany.

The contest is underwritten by the Jennie Calhoun Baker Endowment at Bethany, funded by philanthropist, teacher, and scholar John C. Baker in honor of his mother and her vision for peacemaking. His goal was to encourage constructive communication about peacebuilding throughout all segments of society, says Holland. “We share this vision of God's shalom and Christ's peace at Bethany Seminary, not only in peace studies classes but across the curriculum. The generosity of the Baker endowment for the peace essay contest allows us to extend our educational work beyond the classroom to conversations that are truly ecumenical, international, and public. The many excellent essays composed for the contest remind us that fine writing, like thoughtful preaching, is indeed the work of ministry.”

Bekah Houff, coordinator of outreach programs at Bethany, facilitated the work of the planning committee and helped administer the contest. “The entire process ran smoothly and was quite enjoyable. The judges each brought their own unique strengths to the process and worked diligently, putting in many hours reviewing the essays. I was so pleased and honored to work with them.”

According to Houff, a variety of denominations were represented, including at least 20 entries from the Historic Peace Churches: Church of the Brethren, Quaker, and Mennonite. Bridgewater, Juniata, and Manchester Colleges (Church of the Brethren) were represented along with Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion (Quaker) and Eastern Mennonite University. Among the others were Harvard and Duke Divinity Schools, UCLA, Truman State University, Clark University, and four high schools.

The winning essays will appear in the denominational publications “Messenger,” “Brethren Life and Thought,” “The Mennonite,” and “Quaker Life.” Planning is set to begin for the 2015 contest.

-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. Find a story from the Elgin “Courier-News” about Gabriella Stocksdale as the first high schooler to place in the top three, titled "Elgin student places third in national peace essay contest," at http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/schools/25957028-418/elgin-student-places-third-in-national-peace-essay-contest.html.

Source: 3/4/2014 Newsline