United We Walk


	2009 Student Expressions Contest Winners Ciara Jones, Orchard Lake Middle School "United We Can" Wouldn't it be awesome to live in a world where everyone was accepted for who they are? Wouldn't it be profound if we could accept each other's differences? I mean differences not only in color, language, and religion but differences in thought. I believe that in that world all people would be respected and feel good about not only themselves but everyone. I truly believe that in order for us to live united we must take the time to get to know one another. Currently it seems like it is human nature to judge others we meet based on some preconceived notions. We all do it. We judge people that we just meet (strangers), like a new student at school or a guest speaker. We already have in our mind what this person is going to be like and we either like them or don't like them. What we forget about these strangers that we are making judgments about is that in so many ways they are just like us. Maya Angelou states, "We are more alike than we are unalike." Every single one of us has eyes, ears, a mouth, a heart but better yet, a story. We choose not to like or trust someone based on what we see and perceive but we rarely take the time to truly get to know them and listen to their story. If we took the time to listen to each other's story I believe that our preconceived judgements may be proved wrong. Recently at my school we had Challenge Day, during Challenge Day they asked us to drop the waterline, which means to let people see who we really are what we keep hidden inside because we fear that others won't accept us. You see they made it clear that most of us walk around not truly sharing ourselves. We show a fake outer shell which allows others to make judgments. So I believe to truly live United we must all drop the waterline. So if you really knew me you would know that I see myself as truly unique. I am not like any other African American in the World, so do not judge me because of the things you have seen on music videos or on television because that is far from me. If you really knew me you would know that I am an all A student and I aspire to be on Broadway. If you really knew me you would know that I was Miss Michigan Pre-Teen last year and that I did lots of charity events that were fun. I enjoyed traveling to different states representing Michigan. If you really knew me you would know that I spend a lot of time organizing my thoughts and work because it is very important to me to reach my goals. Did you know that from just looking at me? Does this change any of your ideas about me or others like me? Wouldn't it be awesome to live in a world where everyone is accepted for who they are? Wouldn't it be profound if we could accept each other's differences? I mean differences not only in color, language and religion but differences in thought. I believe that in that world all people would be respected and feel good about not only themselves but everyone. I truly believe that in order for us to live united we must take the time to get to know one another. We must Challenge ourselves to drop the waterline and not only tell but listen to each other's stories and only then can we truly live united! David Kakos, West Bloomfield High School "The Changing Times" How long has it been since those days of old? Where equality was just a thought that was told Dreaming was thought to be a waste of time But, dreams do come true, as you’ll hear in this rhyme For, what is color but the pigment in your skin? The Earth, the mere prism for which we shine in The Moon, a reflection of our brothers long gone Hand-in-hand, as we struggle to march on! I stand up here proud, knowing where we have been And, I know Dr. King’s face is draped with a grin Discrimination is now a thing of the past And, Dr. King’s Dream is realized at last! Through the hardships of inequality and standing together, We fight in this great battle because we know better Racism and segregation have finally been outlasted Our new President shall push to glory, and America will surpass it At first glance, you wouldn’t think our country is great But, America’s beauty comes not in a small package, but a crate United, we finally live in America today Here’s my plea, don’t make our past leaders fret in dismay United, we are seeing our struggles come to an end The laws of our past have been through more than just a bend We should all take a moment and appreciate America for what it is today “I Have a Dream” became more than words. (That’s all I have to say.) Winners are: Megan Hollowell, Allen Park High School Taylor Daugherty, West Bloomfield High School Megan Hollowell's manuscript for “The State of the Dream”. Towards the mid-1900s, most American Caucasians were living the dream and had occasional nightmares. However, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was living a nightmare; nevertheless he had a great dream. What was this nightmare he was living? It was hostility and discrimination against African Americans. Unlike most people, Dr. King decided to change America and make his dream a reality for not only himself, but those all around him. His dream was equality. One little word can mean so much… equality. Can you even imagine not being treated as an equal? Can you picture being treated less than human? This is how the people of the same race as Dr. King were treated every day of their lives. Even though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered for his dream on April 4, 1968, his vision is still alive today. The words to his famous speech are still “I have a dream”, not I had a dream, we must keep this in mind with every move we make. The dream does still figuratively exist today; however, it also is becoming a reality. People of different colors, races, and religions are coming together, like at today’s event. They are becoming more than acquaintances, they are friends. Communities are not only allowing different ethnic groups into their neighborhoods; they are welcoming them to be a part of their local families. People are now seeing past outside appearances and looking at who somebody is on the inside. The dream still needs work though. There is still racism in existence today. Innocent people are still being slaughtered because of their race. We need to stop this. We need to keep the dream alive. Dr. King informs us that we need to work together to make this dream a reality. He tells us “we cannot walk alone”. So, how are you going to stop prejudice? Everybody must do their part to stop this in their own way. It could be protesting, stopping racist comments and rumors you hear, and simply showing love to those who are different than you. However you decide to show your participation in the dream, just do it. If you will not do it for today’s victims, do it for Dr. King because he can no longer take care of the dream himself. If Dr. King’s dream can come true, yours can too. Anything can happen if you work towards it enough and do not give up. After all, “We cannot turn back”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has shown us this. If he was willing to die to make his dream come true, why can the people of today simply not stand up for what they believe in. After all, the popular thing to do is not always the right one. Evan Grossman-Lempert, Abbott Middle School I find this life a very good life, but it wouldn’t at all be as good if everyone was the same. Of course, we know that everyone is different, but it can come with prices, such as the Holocaust or slavery. But, let’s not bother about that right now and venture into my story of how I know that we live united. I noticed it in 4th grade at my first ever Odyssey of the Mind tournament. I had lots of different types of kids on my team with me, but I didn’t really bother about that until just now. Jarrell is Asian, Abhinav’s family is from India, Rodriana and Toccaria are African American, and Jethrix is Filipino. I was the only “Caucasian” child in my group. My mom and Jerrell’s mom were our coaches. I know it’s unique that we ended up being 6 kids from 5 different races, but it worked for us. The judges complimented us that we worked well as a team and that everyone had a valuable part in our presentation. In fact, they said we had the best score for that part of it. We weren’t friends before, and not even really afterward, but, for the Odyssey of the Mind tournament and our time together practicing, we lived united and didn’t even notice it as anything other than “our team.” It’s weird but I’m telling the truth about my experiences. And, it goes to show that that’s how united we live.

2009 Student Expressions Contest Winners