Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc



Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter

And

Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc.

2017 MLK Oratorical Contest Guidelines and Application Form

Dear Friends,

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Xi Alpha Lambda Prince William County Chapter and the Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund proudly present the 2nd Annual Bro. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at the Waterford Springfield, 6715 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA 22150. This year the theme of the contest is: “Waging the struggle with dignity.” The Oratorical Contest is open to students ages 14 through 18. Please see below the oratorical contest guidelines. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: Ernest Jones, (703) 789-2651, ecjcpt@; or Ron Atwater, (909)743-3892, atwaterr1@.

Contest Guidelines

We invite students from DMV area schools to participate by creating an original speech based on this year’s theme. Four finalists will be selected. The finalists must memorize and recite their speeches to a public audience for the competition. Prior to the competition, the finalists will participate in preliminary speech reviews. Finalist will also be given an opportunity to receive coaching by an assigned mentor who will assist strengthening speech content and honing presentation skills. All speeches must have original content and be no more than 1000 words in length (5-7 minutes).

Students interested in competing may register by completing the enclosed registration form, which includes a copy of the rules, requirements, and judging criteria. A copy of the entire competition packet is also available on our website: (idsef.).

On the day of the event, finalists will be expected to arrive at the Waterford at Springfield no later than 9:15 AM. A copy of the essay or speech, typed and double-spaced, must be presented to the Chief Judge upon arrival. A parent or guardian must accompany each finalist. Finalists are encouraged to extend invitations to members of their family, classmates, teachers, churches and friends.

Essay Question: In an excerpt from Dr. King’s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, he emphasized that the road to a just destination must be just in and of itself. Dr. King called on the March on Washington crowds to “conduct our struggle on the high plane

of dignity and discipline” and never “allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” With today’s intense partisanship and heightened tensions, too often we hear of violence and name-calling, rather than ideas and solutions.

In July of 2016, separate incidents occurred in Minnesota and Baton Rouge respectively where two black men were killed by police and a gunman chose to retaliate by killing five police officers at a Black Lives Matter rally in Dallas. The Army warned all military personnel in the United States to avoid 37 American cities over concerns that planned anti-police protests, dubbed “Days of Rage”, could turn violent. The notice said there was potential for violence and criminal activities in the aftermath of the shootings of five Dallas police officers.

In August 2016, after a night of violent protests, tensions were high in Milwaukee as residents gathered to mourn an armed man shot to death by police. The shooting triggered unrest in the city's north side and protesters torched businesses and threw rocks at officers. Four officers were injured and 17 people were arrested.

Given these recent events, the current climate, the pending presidential election, and the intent of Dr. King’s speech, the question posed to you is:

What is your dignified response to address the violence by and against police and to heal our fractured society?

Essay Criteria: The essay must be no more than 1000 words in length and should contain the following:

• An introduction, which identifies the subject and contains an explanation of the writer’s position. The objective is to demonstrate an understanding of the essay question and show that a response (position) has been formed.

• A body, which develops the argument from the writer’s point of view. This part of the essay should clearly articulate the position of the writer and reasons for that position.

• A conclusion, which summarizes the essay and restates the writer’s position.

Evaluation of Essays: The top four essay finalists will be selected from the field of applicants and required to present their essays competitively during the MLK Oratorical Contest on January 14, 2017 at the Waterford at Springfield. Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges using the following criteria:

• Focus: Examines how well the essay responds to the various parts of the question.

• Organization: Looks at the structure of the essay and the strength of the position taken.

• Conclusions: Examines how well the essay is summarized and closing thoughts presented.

• Voice: Considers how well the essay engages the reader. Does the essay fully capture the reader’s attention?

• Style and Mechanics: Examines how well the essay is written in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation, word-use and sentence structure.

• Oral Presentation: Examines how well the orator presents their essay to an audience.

Deadline for submission: A typed copy of the written speech and the Oratorical Contest entry form must be mailed and postmarked or email stamped to MLKOratoricalContest@ no later than November 21, 2016. The Oratorical Contest Entry form must be completed and signed by parent(s) and mailed no later than the same date in order to be eligible.

Contest Awards/Recognition: Upon completion of essay presentations at the MLK Oratorical Contest, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and given monetary awards valued at $1000, $800, $600, $400 respectively.

*Entry Form Below*

Speech Contestant Information

Name________________________________________________________

Parent’s Name________________________________________________

Age_______ School_______________________________ Grade______

Home Address

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Telephone Number_____________________________________________

Email Address_________________________________________________

Parent Signature_______________________________________________________

Please send a typed copy of your essay AND the Speech Contestant Information page to:

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter

Attn: MLK Oratorical Contest Committee

P.O. Box 10371

Alexandria, VA 22310

Or

MLKOratoricalContest@

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Alpha Phi Alpha

Fraternity, Inc.

Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter

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