Owls Honored in DAR Contest

Three eighth-grade Owls received honors in the Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest, and Liam Curran took first place in the chapter, district, and state.
Curran, writing as a delegate to the second Continental Congress, impressed the judges with his opening, “June 15, 1775, John Hancock strikes his gavel, and myself, a delegate from Virginia, along with my fellow delegates take our seats in the Pennsylvania State House. I and the other delegates are some of the most accomplished men of our time. And so, I began to discuss my ideas.”

His essay, which focuses on protecting Virginia’s tobacco exports and possibly extending an “olive branch” to England, will be one of 50 sent to Washington D.C. for judging nationally. Former MUS Math Instructor Maria Burke, representing the DAR Watauga Chapter, awarded Curran a cash prize, DAR medal, and a certificate.

Ike Emmert and Abdullah Khawaja received certificates for their participation in the essay contest. Emmert wrote as a delegate from Rhode Island trying to improve the state’s standing despite its land area while Khawaja spoke about the importance of Boston Harbor to his state of Massachusetts.

The contest, which included 28,000 entrants nationwide, asked the participants to imagine they were delegates to the second Continental Congress and to describe what they would like to accomplish during this nation-shaping meeting. Essays were judged on historical accuracy, adherence to the subject, organization of the material, originality, interest, and spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
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