We are delighted to announce the winners of our Harlequin Productions “What the Constitution Means to Me” contest! High school students from throughout Thurston County were invited to submit written, video, audio or triptych entries to answer the question about what our United States Constitution means to them.
We want to extend special acknowledgment to the many teachers who announced the contest to their students, despite handling all of their own “back to school” responsibilities within the same short timeline, and for educating our next generation. Thank you!!
Now. . . Enjoy the creativity of our winners!
First Place $500 Winner:
Sierra Polster – Capital High School; 10th Grade
Sierra’s entry is a pairing of sophisticated and thought-provoking art and essay. Sierra offers a pensive reflection on our Constitution; the framers who wrote it, the people who have amended it, and how a modern, complex nation, with many disagreements, continues to negotiate a path forward through this “Living Document.”
Read A Living Document by Sierra Polster.
Second Place $300 Winner:
Henning Gjertsen – Olympia High School; 12th Grade
Henning’s video teaches the audience about the Constitution by using our own Olympia Capitol Campus as examples of the three branches of government (executive, judicial and legislative). His presentation is informative and fun, with humor sprinkled throughout. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Henning as a script writer/actor on Saturday Night Live in a few years.
Third Place $200 Winner:
Jasper Newton-Stohl – Olympia High School; 12th Grade
Jasper submitted a paragraph describing his own personal feelings about the Constitution, focusing on freedom of speech and the subsequent free flow of opinions to create a vibrant democracy.
Read What the Constitution Means to Me by Jasper Newton-Stohl.