riting Contest

• Guidelines

• 2007 Writing Contest

• 2006 Writing Contest

• 2005 Writing Contest

• 2004 Writing Contest

4th ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Well it’s official. The 4th Annual Essay Contest has been judged and the winners are announced below. This year we had three categories and there was fierce competition. The topics included:

1. What is the importance to living Green? Describe how you are helping preserve Mother Earth for the coming generations.

2. How can we improve literacy and decrease illiteracy? Write about your efforts to inspire reading.

3. Who is your hero and why he/she is a role model to you?  Illustrate the importance of mentoring through walking the talk.

Our Grand Prize Winner is Angela Berquist whose essay is published here.

Angela has a Ph.D. in Consciousness Studies, is a published author, and has deep interest in our relationship to the environment.  Her entry was titled Rethinking our Relationship to the Environment. She wins a cash prize of $100 plus an interview on our radio program. You can listen to Angela live on January 24 during our show from 3-4pm pst/6-7pmEst on World Talk Radio. Go to http:// http://www.modavox.com/WTRStudioA/HostModaview
ForWTR2.aspx?HostId=289&ChannelId=14&Flag=1. Congratulations, Angela.  

The judges chose the following writers for HONORABLE MENTION: 

• Anne “Ma” Abruzzini

• Shirley Cheng

• Carol L. Gee

• Lois Elfman

• James Patrick Hooley

• Marcia L. Sinclair

Thank you to our judges and to all our winners.

Our 5th Annual Be the Star You Are!® essay contest will be announced in October. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and garnering lots of publicity, please email us at Be_the_star_you_are@yahoo.com, or call our offices at 925-376-7126.

RETHINKING OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE ENVIRONMENT
by Angela Berquist 

                As a philosopher concerned with psychological issues, I’ve spent considerable time pondering how our essentially dysfunctional view of the natural world evolved. My conviction is that the most effective way to address an impending environmental crisis is to educate the public to such an extent that they begin to think about their relationship to the environment, and understand why and how they think and act the way they do.

                A heated argument exists as to whether global warming is a real problem, or a natural phenomenon of nature. Before agreeing to participate in this now politically-charged issue, it might be best to take a few steps backward and ask some basic questions, the first being, if this is a natural phenomenon, why are we making it worse? Must we have insurmountable problems before we admit that it’s wise to take action?                 

               The second question is what does “being green” really mean? Perhaps, it means regularly recycling or driving a hybrid, but I suggest that the true crux of the matter is to learn so intently to think green that living in harmony with nature becomes second nature. In doing so, we are actually following in the footsteps of our ancestors who based survival on learning from the environment. In referring to ancestors, you may think I speak of people from the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries, but, no, I speak of people who lived during the Paleolithic or Neolithic eras in which humans paid very close attention to the environment because humans, in contrast to the present age, were wise enough to recognize they were servants of Nature. They knew very well they were in no position to take on the mantle of modern self-deception that insists humans are masters of the Earth. In early days, rather, it was necessary to develop an essential give-and-take vigilance in which the human literally listened to big and small movements in the environment and adapted to what was around them. In short, human survival depended on working with the environment, and not by forcing it into submission through an unconscious fear of being overwhelmed. We seem to have unknowingly inherited this fear from early ancestors. The advantage, however, was that in early days humans developed an almost psychic relationship with their surroundings in which they were able to predict future manifestations . . . and be prepared for them. Their sensitivity was so acute that it easily surpassed the knowledge and machines we use today. Whether we want to develop our inborn talents or not, we, as conscious beings, should be aware we have a capacity to cultivate a similar understanding.   

                So, I ask again: what does being green mean? By this time it should mean more than simply recycling and cleaning up litter. It means adopting a larger understanding in which we comprehend that we ourselves are part of the environment and must show respect for this environment. Then, in spite of our intelligence, it suddenly becomes clear that Earth really does have the last word, and our abuse of the environment will eventually return to torment us. What goes around, comes around. If only we keep an open mind, we might realize that, while many indigenous cultures had individuals with what we would now consider special powers, these individuals primarily had an enhanced interplay with the environment. That’s all. We killed indigenous people, or diminished the talents of these people, and are now destroying the Earth they valued. What does that say about us?

                Isn’t there a very profound background to “being green”?    

SPONSOR OUR 2007 ESSAY CONTEST 

WIN $100 AND A GUEST SPOT ON OUR RADIO SHOW!  

Be the Star You Are! 2007 
FOURTH Annual NATIONAL Essay Contest
Sponsored by   ?

Be the Star You Are!  501 c3 charity announces its 4th annual essay contest to promote literacy and positive messages. www.bethestaryouare.org.

• FEE  $10 donation per entry

•  DATES: October 18-December 27, 2007

1st Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are! (Total value, $700).  Additionally,  your story will be published in our StarSearcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org.  Other Prizes to be announced. In the event of a tie, winners share cash prize and both receive publication and radio interviews.

Other Prizes to be announced.

Runner-ups –Published in our StarSearcher’s Express newsletter and noted on web site.

You may choose from the three following topics

1. What is the importance to living Green? Describe how you are helping preserve Mother Earth for the coming generations.

2. How can we improve literacy and decrease illiteracy? Write about your efforts to inspire reading.

3. Who is your hero and why he/she is a role model to you?  Illustrate the importance of mentoring through walking the talk.

All submissions must be received by Be the Star You Are! by  midnight December 27, 2007. Essays accepted by mail or email.

You may enter as many essays as you'd like, however each one must be in a separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 tax deductible donation entry fee.

Be the Star You Are! is a 501 C3 charity. All entry fee donations are tax deductible according to the law.

·         Any statistics must be documented with researched sources.

·         Word Count: Please keep stories between 300-600 words .

·         Email address: – cynthia@star-style.com

 (no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of the email)

·         US  mail – Be the Star You Are! charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. USA 94556

·         All submissions must be original, and the sole property of the author.  Author retains all rights to submission. Winners and runners-up entries will be published on Be the Star You Are! web site effective January 9, 2007. Winners notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the web site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by check, money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.

Please supply:

    * Author's name

    * Mailing address

    * Email address

    * Phone number

    * Word count

    * 30 Word BIO

For more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org

2006
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the 3rd Annual Be the Star You Are! Essay contest sponsored by American Freedom Group. Many thanks to our generous sponsor for making this contest possible.

(The first place winners receive a monetary award and are interviewed on our radio show, Be the Star You Are!, http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118)

This strong, sweet memory overwhelms me as I drive by the library near my childhood home. The library, a lovely 1903 farmhouse, did more than hold books—it helped me find my own story…

Books carry me, catch me, show me the way. While the stories often fall short of reality—no one can make dad stop hitting, nothing will bring back my sister—I adore the act of reading. The joy in reading a book I have chosen for myself lifts me to a higher plane, as it does still.

Chat with her at Wordsong@sylviamdesantis.com. Her web site is www.sylviamdesantis.com.

By the time I got to my car the tears I’d choked back were spilling over. I must have been crazy, I said to myself, to think I could get a job in journalism without a degree — or without the right degree. I had been on my high school newspaper staff, had written for the college newspaper too. But that didn’t mean much when I had no professional experience and my degree was in speech and drama.

Once again I cursed myself for chickening out. I had been accepted to the journalism school but didn’t go because I was intimidated by the audacity it required — to call strangers and demand they answer my questions. I was reduced to jelly at the very thought of it. Now here I was, calling strangers as I tried to get a job.

2005
The Contest is Over!
Our Winners Have Been Announced!
and
We have co-winners this year!

Shirley Cheng
The Jewel From Heavenly Father
and
Barbara Blomquist
A Tribute To My In-Laws

Sponsored by:
 
Elsworth Berg Capital Management, San Diego, California

and US Bank, Lafayette, California  

The Jewel from Heavenly Father

Heavenly Father bestowed the most precious jewel upon
me on the day my life began. This treasure has shone
endless light upon me, bringing unconditional love,
unwavering support, overflowing happiness, and softest
serenity to my life. I have never felt empty or alone,
as I know the gem has me wrapped in its warm blanket,
protecting me from the darkest corners of the world.
Although twenty-two years have flown by, battling
through wind and storms, its sublimity is undaunted,
and not a speck of dust has ruined its beauty. It
continues to shimmer, not flinching away from any dirt
or mud. I always have it near me; if it is physically
away, it is always locked safely in my heart.

That diamond is my beloved mother, Juliet Cheng, a
beautiful woman in every sense of the word. When she
smiles, the world lights up alongside her. When she
cries, the days seem to dim in sorrow. Together, my
mother and I have shared laughter and tears; the best
of times and the worst of times. We have fought as a
team with our swords of justice. We have conquered
fiery oceans and thorny jungles and come out with
stars in our arms. She has climbed all the high
mountains with me, supporting and encouraging me every
step of the way. She has carried me on dangerous roads
and saved my life numerous times from the grasp of
death. I would have been long gone if it has not been
for her invincible stamina and courage to fight for my
life to the very end until she wins.

My mother has done all this while battling her own
horrendous illnesses. But she keeps on moving forward,
never abandoning me or faltering in any way. Her light
shines ever so brighter, never dimming as the years
pass us by. She does everything in her power to keep
me well and happy. Her love for me is "higher than the
sky and deeper than the ocean." With her love always
within me, I feel all the wonders of sensations. I am
a billionaire even though my pockets are empty. I have
all the riches in the world: love, happiness, peace,
security, and support. What more is there to life than
those pearls of the universe? She gives me all of
those treasures without expecting anything in return.
She is my life, and I give her all I can offer--my
love, heart, and soul.

She is as gentle as a summer's breeze, but the lioness
in her jumps out when she defends and protects me from
the harshness of the world. Her wit is as sharp as a
sword, and she is unafraid to use it against injustice
whenever it tries to harm me. Not only is she a
protector of mine--she embraces everyone, but the
world has not always returned her hugs. Nevertheless,
she remains a lover, never being sour with anyone.
No one is able to separate us. They may separate us
physically (and no doubt the world had tried very hard
several times), but we could never be spiritually
separated. We live within each other's hearts; we
could be oceans away, but we would still be near to
each other. She calls me her star, and I, too, call
her my star. We are binary stars, ever revolving
around each other, never drifting apart. She will
never be absent of her fiery glow, and I will forever
shine by her side. As long as there is life, there
will be her love and mine.

Shirley

Author's bio:
Shirley Cheng (b.1983), blind, disabled author, poet, has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since eleven months old, and received no education until age eleven. She hopes to earn science doctorates from Harvard. 

A Tribute to My In-Laws

Ozzie and Harriett, Ward and June Cleaver, and the Andersons of Father Knows Best, these were the television parents I remember from my childhood, but, they weren’t like my parents.   I thought they were totally fiction, until I found them, in the flesh, in my in-laws.

My parents are loving and supportive, but that was where the similarity ended between the make believe parents of early TV land.  Those parents, and my in-laws, were middle class and white collar. My parents were working class - a janitor and a cleaning lady.   We lived in an urban inner-city, my in-laws and the TV families lived in small towns or suburbs, and my parents were black, not white like the TV families, and my in-laws. 

When I met my husband in 1969 the world was changing, but race was still an issue.  Martin Luther King was assassinated the year before, and the Weathermen and the Black Panthers were in their heyday.  But, such radical elements meant little to me.  I was a product of Detroit’s inner city and lived at home while I worked my way through college. In September 1969 I enrolled in graduate school in Pittsburgh on a teaching fellowship.  I was achieving the American dream and there was little room for radical politics. I kept a low profile, worked hard and was overjoyed to be finally living in dormitory like a regular college student.  Therefore, I was personally surprised when two months after I met Roger, I was seriously thinking of marrying him.  Marrying this man would have meant that people would have noticed me and I didn’t want to be noticed, just to succeed. Roger WAS from the home of the Nelsons, Cleavers and Andersons, his great-grandfather had actually changed his name from Anderson to Blomquist before he immigrated to the US from Sweden.

My in-laws were as traditional as they come.  They were suburban middle class.  Vic was a chemist for the government and Mildred was a homemaker.  Little sister Linnea was the cutest little sweet tempered blonde teenager.  Having their son and brother hook up with me was not an exactly welcoming situation.  There were some tears, but there was also genuine Christian acceptance.

When we married two years later, my in-laws invited their friends and relatives, they paid for the rehearsal dinner and they were perfect hosts, to my family and friends of factory workers, nurses and clerks.

Mildred and Vic shared many significant events with my husband and me.  During three months of bed rest with our first child, they were there making a Sunday brunch for our eleventh anniversary.  Two years later they were there again, volunteering to take care of our daughter when we took a trip to visit friends in London. Our youngest daughter was even born on her grandfather’s birthday - 76 years later. 

Throughout the years, my in-laws provided parental love, support and much joy.  They treated us and our daughters equally as they treated my sister-in-laws husband and her daughters.  I have never had the desire to make any jokes about in-laws because mine were precious beyond description.  Today almost six years after their passing, I still rejoice that they were a part of my life. 

So, were television families of the fifties real? With a resounding North Dakota Swedish accent I say “You betcha” - they were my in-laws!

Barbara

Author's bio:
Barbara Blomquist is a wife, mother, screenwriter, SAG/AFTRA actress, volunteer community cable producer and a substitute teacher at a local middle school and she does windows.

Here are the contest rules:

Welcome to our second
Be the Star You Are!™
Writing Contest! 

WIN $100 AND A GUEST SPOT ON OUR RADIO SHOW! 
Be the Star You Are!™ 2005 2^nd Annual Essay Contest
Sponsored by:
 
Elsworth Berg Capital Management, San Diego, California

and US Bank, Lafayette, California

TOPICS:
You may choose from the three following topics.  One Grand prize will be awarded. Runners-up will have their essays published in our newsletter, StarSearcher’s Express and will be noted on our web site at www.bethestaryouare.org. 

1. Write an essay or personal story on the influence that adults have as role models for kids.

2.Write an essay or personal story as a tribute about great parents from the children who were loved by them.

3. Write an essay or personal story on how we can see the positive in world disasters and how we can help our children learn from them.

FEE  $10 donation per entry

1st Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!™ (Total value, $700)  Additionally, story will be published in our StarSearcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org.

Runners-up –Published in our StarSearcher’s Express newsletter and noted on web site.

Winners will be notified by email and telephone. Winning entries will be published on the Be the Star You Are!™ web site (http://www.bethestaryouare.org) and in the Star Searcher’s Express Newsletter.  Other publishing opportunities and/or prizes to be announced. Radio interviews are over-the-phone. Program broadcasts live and is archived from San Diego, California every Wednesday from 6-7pm PST on World Talk Radio, Visit: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118 to tune in.

All submissions must be received by Be the Star You Are!™ by midnight December 20, 2005. Essays accepted by mail or email.

You may enter as many essays as you'd like, however each one must be in a separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 donation entry fee.

Be the Star You Are!™ is a 501 C3 charity. All entry fee donations are tax deductible according to the law.

• Any statistics must be documented with researched sources.

• Word Count: please keep stories between 300-600 words.

• Email address: – cynthia@star-style.com (no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of the email)

• US  mail – Be the Star You Are!™ charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. USA 94556

• All submissions must be original, unpublished, and the sole property of the author.  Author retains all rights to submission. Winners and runners-up entries will be published on Be the Star You Are!™ web site effective January 9, 2006. Winners notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the web site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by check, money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.

• If sent by US mail, all submissions must be double spaced, neat and typed on 8.5 x 11 white bond paper. Handwritten submissions not accepted. No stories or materials will be returned. Provide contact information on first page of submission including:

  • Author's name

  • Mailing address

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Word count

  • 30 Word Bio

Direct any additional questions to Cynthia Brian at cynthia@star-style.com.

Thanks for entering our Be the Star You Are!™ essay contest. Enjoy the process.  Reach for the stars!

For more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org

2004
Welcome to our first
Be the Star You Are!™
Essay Contest! 

Be the Star You Are!™ is a 501 (c)(3) charity dedicated to empowering families and youth at risk through literacy and positive media.  Our motto is “To be a leader, you must be a reader.”

TOPICS:  You may choose any of the following topics.  There will be one overall First Prize winner selected and two Second Place Prizes awarded.

1. Write an essay or personal story on how what we witness in the media impacts our lives either positively or negatively.   Media includes television, radio, films, newspapers, magazines, and internet.

2.Write an essay or personal story on powerful parenting skills and how children are taught morals, ethics, respect, and discipline through the actions of adults.

3. Write an essay or personal story on the value of reading to children and the importance of fostering literacy programs in our country.

DETAILS:

FEE  $10 per entry (Click here to pay online, or send your check to the address listed below.)

1st Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!™

2nd Prize –Guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!™  to promote your work.

Winning entries will be published on the Be the Star You Are!™ web site (http://www.bethestaryouare.org) and in the Star Searcher’s Express Newsletter.  Other publishing opportunities  and/or prizes to be announced. Radio interviews either in-studio or over-the-phone.  If choosing in-studio, winner is responsible for travel expenses to/from studio.  Program broadcasts live and is archived from San Diego, California every Wednesday from 6-7pm PST on World Talk Radio, Visit: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118 to tune in.

Submissions accepted beginning October 8, 2004. All submissions must be received by Be the Star You Are!™ by  midnight December 20, 2004. Essays accepted by mail or email.

You may enter as many essays as you'd like, however each one must be in a separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 entry fee.

·        Any statistics must be documented with researched sources.

·        Word Count: Please keep stories between 300-600 words .

·        Email address: – cynthia@star-style.com (no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of the email)

·        US  mail – Be the Star You Are!™ charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, CA, USA 94556

·        All submissions must be original, unpublished, and the sole property of the author.  Author retains all rights to submission. Winners and second place entries will be published on Be the Star You Are!™ web site effective January 3, 2005. Winners notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the web site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by check, money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.

·        If sent by US mail, all submissions must be double spaced, neat and typed on 8.5 x 11 white bond paper. Handwritten submissions not accepted. No stories or materials will be returned. Provide contact information on first page of submission including:

    * Author's name
    * Mailing address
    * Email address
    * Word count

Direct any additional questions to Cynthia Brian at cynthia@star-style.com.

Thanks for entering our Be the Star You Are!™ essay contest. Enjoy the process.  Reach for the stars!

For more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org

2004 Writing Contest Winner!

MAMA AND THE DRUGS
by Maggie DiGiovanni

    Mama, though old-fashioned in many ways, thought raising her children in the proper manner could only be done with the use of drugs.  She used them liberally and she used them well.

     Twice on Sunday and every Wednesday night she and Daddy drug us to church. The preacher taught us about God and all the heavenly virtues. Mama and Daddy taught us to respect the teachings and our God.

     If either of her three children received a note from the teacher, Mama drug us back to school to hear both sides of the story. Ninety-nine percent of the time she agreed with the teacher. If we had gotten too far out of the bounds of decency, we were drug to the barn for a serious 'discussion.'

     Believing that family was everything, Mama drug her children, and a sometimes reluctant husband, to family reunions so we had a chance to get to know as many of our kin as possible.

     No matter how much work faced her, Mama drug out hugs, kissed our bumps and bruises and helped build a playhouse or fort, according to which child made the request. Even if she was in her Sunday best and her child was covered in dirt, chocolate or other grime, she drug out the belief that hugs were more important than the pretty dress she wore.

     If any of her children did their chores in a halfway manner, she drug him or her back to the task, explained the proper way to do it and insisted the work be completed. When we became adults, we knew that no job was too small to be done right.

     As we grew, Mama drug each of us aside to tell us the facts of life and urge us to respect ourselves enough to say no to peer pressures. When we faced our biggest challenges, she was always there to listen and advise without judging.

     At our senior proms, Mama drug Daddy along to chaperone. Because of the other 'drugs' she had administered in our youth, none of us felt embarrassed to have our parents present. Instead, we felt honored.

     Mama drug us other places, such as the dentist, doctor and the hospital and comforted us with her presence. She taught us that if we broke the law when we got older, policemen would be enforcing the 'drug' rules and they would be right to do so.

     She drug us into respecting those around us and ourselves.

     Both Mama and Daddy drug us to realize that our good names were the only thing we had that couldn't be taken away. It could only be given away through careless actions.

     Mama drug us to visit those less fortunate than ourselves and taught us to offer comfort in any way we could.

     When cocaine, marijuana, and heroin became commonplace in the lives of those around us, she drug us to see the effects they had on people.

     Yes, Mama's 'drugs' were powerful and she made sure she gave them to us personally. The first time she used them on any of her children was when she drug us into her arms and welcomed us into a world made of a loving family.

     I raised my children using liberal doses of the same drugs Mama dispensed until her death.

About Maggie DiGiovanni:
Maggie DiGiovanni, author, wife, and mother, has published a children's book, "Henley, The Frozen Hedgehog," and has "Daddy's Tall Tales," appearing in Good Old Days magazine in May 2005." Her daughter, Jaimie, who has Down's syndrome, is the star of a novel in progress titled, "I’m Twenty-One and I Drink Wine!"

"The Adventures of Henley Hedgehog" and a collection of horror stories called "The Junk Yard" should be complete by the new year’s end.

Maggie says: 
"Thank you and all the judges for the opportunity to be on the radio and get some of my writing out to the public.  If I don't get more writing assignments, it was well worth it just to meet you.  You and your show have the values I hold dear.  Thank you, again, for this marvelous opportunity." 

Maggie DeGiovanni, Grand Prize Winner in the Be the Star You Are!™ National Writing Contest

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