Every year, for more than three decades now, The Christophers have sponsored two contests for young people that invite them to tap into their creative sides. Our Video Contest for College Students asks entrants to create a video or film (five minutes or less) that communicates the belief that one person can make a difference. Similarly, our High School Poster Contest asks students to interpret the theme "You Can Make a Difference."
With schools back in session, this would be the perfect time to tell the young people in your life about our contests. Not only do they offer an opportunity to win prizes, they highlight the love, faith, hope, and charity that the youth of today incorporate into their lives.
For instance, first prize in The Christophers' 36th Annual Video Contest for College Students went to Alexandra Carson, a film and television major at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. Her winning video, titled "My Friend, David," documents the life of her older brother David, who has low-functioning autism. Alexandra succeeded brilliantly in allowing viewers to get to know the human being behind the autism diagnosis. In her narration, she states, "[David] shows me what it means to be alive. . . . Whatever he feels, he feels with his whole being. He exists only in the moment . . . loves with everything he has."
"When I mention David . . . has autism," Alexandra continued, "most people freeze up. They don't know what to say, how they should feel. . . . To some, autism is this great 'other.' It exists outside of their universe. . . . When it confronts them, they shut down . . . maybe, it's fear. Fear of saying the wrong thing . . . of offending . . . of looking ignorant. . . . We can't always be right, but we can always try. And when that fear doesn't hold us back, doesn't stop us from . . . trying, from asking questions and making mistakes, from improving and growing, then maybe the world can change. Maybe, understanding can deepen. I don't . . . pretend to be any sort of expert on autism, nor is this some great moral narrative. It just is. David just is. . . . David . . . isn't the lesson, but maybe, you can be."
What a lovely tribute from a sister to a brother! And what an ideal reminder that we are all created in the image and likeness of God and worthy of respect, no matter what challenges we deal with.
The first prize winner in our 34th Annual Poster Contest for High School Students looked at creation itself and what role we play in it. Mattelyn Hall, a senior at Groesbeck High School, located in Groesbeck, TX, utilized watercolor paints to recreate a photo of herself and her fellow Agriculture Club (AG) members tending to their communal garden's array of crops.
"In this picture, my AG teacher, peers, and I were digging up potatoes," Mattelyn recalled. "We dug up around 100 . . . that day and donated them to school staff. . . . I believe that growing one's own food, understanding the hard work that goes into farming, and learning about agriculture is incredibly important. . . . So . . . the poster has two main messages: give back to the earth, and the importance of agricultural education."
If you know any high school or college students with artistic or creative talents - and who are looking for ways to tap into the "better angels" of their nature - please encourage them to look at our website at Christophers.org/youth for more information about past winners and entry forms for this year's contests.
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle"
column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of
weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current
events.
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