UIL Adds Essay Competition to Activities
By McKensie Wallesen, UIL intern | Wednesday, October 05, 2011 7:53 AM
The University Interscholastic League now sponsors the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition. Established in 1996, the competition was most recently administered by the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) of The University of Texas at Austin. The UIL is also a unit of DDCE, so that affiliation will continue.
“This is an exciting opportunity for UIL,” competition administrator David Trussell said. “It’s a new type of activity for our academic program, and it can provide an avenue for students who have not previously participated in UIL competitions.”
While some adjustments may be necessary, the UIL plans to maintain largely the same competition rules, guidelines and structures.
“The Barbara Jordan essay competition has a rich history and tradition, and we want to maintain that as a foundation for growth going forward,” Trussell said.
The purpose of the competition is to document African-American historical contributions that may have previously been overlooked and to encourage students to explore the history of their own communities.
Although the theme, “African Americans in Texas: Past and Present” remains the same every year, the entries vary widely because students gather unique first-person accounts from across the state.
“Last year, the state first place winner wrote about the cultural importance of the Victory Grill here in Austin,” Trussell said. “She interviewed people who were there in its heyday and documented a part of Austin history that more people should know about.”
Top essays become part of the historical archive in the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, so the use of primary sources and historical accuracy are required for entries.
“This competition challenges students to look inside their community at a specific person or group that they may not have explored before,” Trussell said. “They also have the rare opportunity to produce work as high school students that could become part of the historical record of the state of Texas.”
The top three essays from each of the 10 competition regions will be archived, and regional winners will be invited to an awards ceremony where the top three state winners will be announced.
First, second and third place state winners will receive $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 scholarships, respectively.
Entries are due Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. For more information go to: http://www.utexas.edu/world/barbarajordan/