Philosopher and psychologist Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.”
That is actually how powerful words can be. It can heal, it can also break. It can build, it can also destroy.
Last Feb 17, a few young men and women used words as they expressed how they, and what they have in their minds.
In the anniversary we were celebrating during the 50th anniversary of DCCCO, we did not only commemorate the successes of the cooperative. We also celebrated the hidden talents that were in our midst, all waiting to be tapped and exposed for the world to see.
But you might ask, why did we have this essay writing competition? The contest has several benefits, particularly because they enabled the participants not just to win prizes or accolades. It was also one way of promoting the development of writing skills, and encouraged a healthy sense of competition and a commitment to excellence among our young people. As we know, good writing and critical thinking skills are important factors to success in school, in employment, and in life. By participating in an essay contest, our young people can hone their latent skills for future benefit.
The benefits of essay contests extend beyond the recognition and material compensation it carries with it. When a young person enters an essay contest, he/she is typically required to write an essay to a very high standard. While getting good grades in school can certainly be a strong motivator to write well, the possibility of earning recognition beyond a classroom grade can often inspire someone to work a level above and beyond what he/she is normally accustomed to. As one joins essay writing contests like what we are holding this morning, one may discover that his/her writing skills have improved. This will be of considerable benefit to the person over the years, whether or not one decides to pursue writing as a career.
In some cases, essay writing contests encourage beginner writers to address controversial issues and pertinent social topics. By participating in such contests, awareness about these issues is raised, and in some cases, can actually persuade others think about these issues and eventually address these concerns. As such, essay writing contests encourage participation of people in society. Also, the process of researching and writing the essay also builds skills that will be necessary for academic achievement once the young writer graduates and moves on to higher education. Ideally, these skills will continue to develop, preparing the learner for greater success once he/she graduates from school and begins to live and work independently.
I was once a participant to several essay writing contests during my high school and college days. Some of them were of international level, and modesty aside, I have won in several of them.
I must admit, I wasn’t born a writer, yet because I persevered and was willing to learn, I was able to develop my skills, and discovered that one may not need a writing degree to write or compose moving articles. Yes, to have formal training to write would be good but let’s face it, not all of us can have the opportunity to study and focus on writing. However, if we are willing to learn, willing to persistently practice, willing to make sacrifices, then to have good writing skills is not an elusive dream.
The day that we had the contest, every participant was given a chance to showcase his/her talent. They took advantage of the opportunity. Since not all of them was going to win, I advised them: “If you don’t win today, don’t quit writing. Try again, join another contest. And in your spare time, practice. In time, you will learn. In time, you can achieve perfection. But even if you cannot achieve perfection, don’t quit. Always remember that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ Persevere, and just like what Nietzsche said, turn the world upside down.”
The contestants in that competition are actually our future writers. They are our future catalysts, our future change makers. They are our future game changers.
And yes, I know that someday, some of those contestants will turn the world upside down.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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