CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

This year's contest received 800 entries!  Thank you to all who participated!

• List of participating schools & teachers
• Contest theme and guidelines
• Judges panel
• Photos from Writing/Art Contest Awards Reception

 

 

 

5TH / 6TH GRADE ART

1ST PLACE
Quinn Angelou-Lysaker, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Artist’s statement: My art piece shows a person enduring the weight of peer pressure symbolically in a large sack on his shoulder. Around him, white silhouettes of people bully one another. This scene is drawn in black and white on scratch board. I chose this because it shows that when people around you are being bullies, you can’t fall victim to the peer pressure. The person in the picture might play the role of a bystander. After learning about the Holocaust, I know that bullying can amount to something as awful as genocide.

2ND PLACE
Madison Beveridge, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Arist's statement: My art piece shows three paths, bully, victim, bystander, and activist. They represent the different paths that you can take in your life. The path representing the bully is dark, and it is showing that bullying is bad. The path representing the activist is the biggest and it is the brightest, it is showing that if you see bullying, then stop it. The path that is marked “bystander” is different colors and that is to represent that it is hard to always get involved, and too easy to be a bystander. The path that says victim is short and kind of darkly colored, but with flowers on the side of it.

3RD PLACE
Katrina Leino, 6th Grade.
Tyee Middle School, Bellevue. Teacher: Bill DeMartini. 
Artist’s statement: My poster represents the world in peace. Stopping bullying is making it one step closer to a better world. If we all look past the differences of others, we could have a much better world.

 

HONORABLE MENTION
Rachel Kaftan, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle.  Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Artist’s statement: My art piece is of a man behind bars, hopeless and powerless, only able to see a dark vast ground beyond him. Behind the man is the bright side: Butterflies slowly flying down, perching on different parts where the man stands. The hope for this image is that soon so many butterlies will overcrowd the darkness, that the man behind bars will have hope and will not be bullied anymore. Throughout learning about the Holocaust, I have discovered how important it is to stand up to bullying and what we can do to prove the bright side to the others around us.

 

 

HONORABLE MENTION
Kai Watson, 6th Grade.
Tyee Middle School, Bellevue.  Teacher: Cheryl Taylor.
Artist’s statement: My art project is saying that no matter what people’s race, culture, color of skin or interests all people should be treated fairly. Everyone should freely experience: love, respect, family, friends, self-worth, and a community. My poster connects to the Holocaust because Hitler didn’t respect the Jews and bullied them in the most horrible way imaginable. Just because of their ethnic and religious differences. This should be a world where everyone is treated fairly and with respect no matter what our differences.

 

5TH / 6TH GRADE WRITING

1ST PLACE
Bailey Fiechtner, 6th Grade.
Finch Elementary School, Spokane.  Teacher: Paul Regelbrugge.
Excerpt: "Someone once asked me, 'what is your favorite commandment?, " and I said, "thou shalt not stand idly by." (Elie Wiesel, author of countless books including Night, Holocaust survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.) People need to step forward. Empathy is ignored, whereas it should be as inherent to living as is breathing. Never should a fellow human being have to feel insecure, terrified for being who they are. Standing idly by, watching people being bullied, that is worse than doing the evil itself. We must learn from history and stand up for what is right and against what is wrong. The time has long since passed to stop watching, to stop bullying. Read full essay.

2ND PLACE
Taliah Mekuria, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Excerpt: I remember a time so clearly it is like it could have happened yesterday. It was the time I realized that sometimes people don't follow the rules that your teacher wrote on that bright sheet of paper in your second grade classroom. I learned that day that even though there are rules, people still will break them just to get some satisfaction. It was a bright autumn day and I had just started the third grade. I was actually enjoying school for once, but my opinion changed when a new girl stepped off the bus. The new girl wore a hijab and was herding three of her siblings. She made sure each had their lunch and she sent them off. I watched from a distance and held my breath as the girls in my class who made side comments while your back was turned, made their way to her like hungry cats.  Read full essay.

3RD PLACE
Ada Bowles, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Excerpt: Because I have been a bystander and a victim, I know how difficult it is to find the courage to confront a bully...I think in the Holocaust, the reason why most people didn't resist was because they were afraid of being killed or sentenced to prison. During the study of the Holocaust I learned about the spectrum of hatred and how something as big as genocide starts off with something as small as prejudice, hating or disliking someone for something such as their religion or race. Read full essay.

HONORABLE MENTION
Rachel Kaftan, 6th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle. Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Excerpt: The Holocaust has changed my views on bullying. I know how easy it is to be lured into something, how Germans got lured into Hitler's power. It felt promising and secure. The Nazis enticed people and it was awful what they managed to do for praise and honor. I understand how easy it is to be pulled into something; how we manage to go blind, only able to see the richness and glory of power in our eyes. This desire for power is human nature. The only option anyone has after they have bullied and realized what they have unleashed within themselves, the only beauty that we can use to prove ourselves honest and true, is to accept what we have done wrong in this world; to think about the victims, and the different stars that we avoided. It's a gift to be able to face our worst fears: Is laughing at someone bullying? Is whispering about someone bullying? Is shunning someone from my daily life bullying? Am I bullying? Read full essay.

 

7TH / 8TH GRADE ART

1ST PLACE
Kacee Gibson, 8th Grade.
Reardan Middle School, Reardan. Teacher: Kristy Koch.
Artist’s statement: The Nazis drank up the words Hitler said and he provided them the energy to perceive themselves as superior over any other people, religion, or race. The Nazis also used propaganda to encourage others to think a certain way. I use my “propaganda” to discourage bullying. The worlds will be a much better place when everyone breaks their addiction to Haterade.

 

 

 

2ND PLACE
Finn Colando, 8th Grade.
Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle.  Teacher: Lindsey Mutschler.
Artist’s statement: For my art piece, I used black paper, an x-acto knife, and paper from magazines. I split the paper into different squares. In each square, I cut out different eyes. The eyes represent bystanders witnessing prejudice or bullying. In the last square I cut out a mouth. The mouth represents another bystander considering speaking up against the bully. On the bottom of the poster I cut out “say something” to remind bystanders of the importance of sticking up for the victim, whether it’s genocide or a judgmental comment.

 

3RD PLACE
Kelly Stone and Lexi Butler, 8th Grade.
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue.  Teacher: Ann Gilbert. 
Artist’s statement: Many people say by and watched the Holocaust, doing nothing, saying nothing. So many people stayed silent in dear and never stood up for what they believed. If all these people had banned together to fight for what they thought was right, they may have defeated Hitler. The same thing applies to bullies. By themselves, one person can’t do much, but with the help of friends they can stand up and fight. The next time you see someone being bullies, don’t be afraid to stand up for them, because lots of other people probably want to do the same thing.

HONORABLE MENTION
Jane Huestis, 8th Grade.
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue. Teacher: Ann Gilbert.
Artist’s statement: My piece conveys two seemingly different sides of bullying. When read from the top to the bottom, the poem expresses the point of view of a victim of bullying. When read from bottom to top, the poem expresses the view of a bully, with the central idea that everyone involved is a victim. My poster connects with the Holocaust because the Nazis, as well as those targeted by Hitler, were victims of Hitler’s rule, though in very different ways. I intended this poster to bring the realization to others that no one benefits from bullying.

 

7TH / 8TH GRADE WRITING

1ST PLACE
Stephanie Lindblom, 8th Grade.
Seattle Christian School, SeaTac. Teacher: Karla Tripoli.
Excerpt: There’s a saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This saying is so not true! Words are completely enough to harm a person on the inside because words can cut right to the heart and kill a person on the inside. Sometimes the most lasting of the effects left on a person who has been bullied are the words. Words can damage someone’s view of themselves even if it’s not portrayed on the outside. They may start to feel depressed and will never forget the unkind things that were said to them. They will never feel the same about themselves.
 
Never keep bullying a secret, whether it’s about you, or someone else. That’s how the bullying keeps going and gets worse. The main reason that the Holocaust happened was because no one stopped the discrimination against the Jews at an early stage. It started with individuals keeping quiet about it, then led to companies, and then the government. If someone ever sees another person being bullied, they need to speak up and stop it before it gets any worse. If they speak up, things can get a lot better. Someone could have interfered when the discrimination of the Jews was minimal, but it kept building up and building up until it finally broke out into the mass killing. If we keep an eye out for bullies, we could be a step in stopping the bullying completely.  Read full essay.

2ND PLACE
Ariel Rabkin-Meyer, 7th Grade.
Whatcom Day Academy, Bellingham. Teacher: Jennifer Deshaies.
Excerpt: Daniella gulped. How could this have happened? She wondered. What was that Mr. Schneider had said before I fell asleep in class? Oh yeah, something like, "The Holocaust would not have been nearly as bad if more people had stood up against it, just like bystanders can stop bullying." Just then Daniella noticed something she hadn't before, that affirmed her teacher's statement. They were not randomly wandering in the middle of nowhere. They were marching through villages and towns, most of which were at least semi-inhabited. Those people could do something! Daniella wanted to scream. They have power! It will just get worse and worse if they don't, just like my problem with Josie and Sarah does. There are a lot of similarities between bullying and the Holocaust, Daniella concluded. I wish I was back in class so I could learn more about it. It is really interesting...when you're not in the middle of it. Suddenly Daniella realized how frightened she really was. She shut her eyes as tight as she could... Read full essay.

3RD PLACE
Teresa Yandl, 8th Grade.
St. Luke School, Shoreline. Teacher: Rosemary Conroy.
Excerpt: A childhood forgotten
A past we put behind
I hoped we could ignore it
But now there is no choice
People have begun, I fear
To ignore the voice
The voice of reason speaks to them
But they don't seem to hear
Read full poem

 

9TH - 12TH GRADE ART

1ST PLACE:
Claire Kennedy, 10th Grade.
Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle. Teacher: Matt Barmore.
Artist’s statement: In the 1940s, millions of Jews were slaughtered because someone deemed them different. We still see that same type of bullying being exemplified in our society today. If we do not respect the differences of our brothers and sisters, hatred will continue to grow and result in more violence. The Holocaust serves as a harsh reminder to humanity of a lesson that we should work to avoid repeating. We must learn to accept each person for who they are, and celebrate the diversity in one another.

2ND PLACE:
Serena Bernthal-Jones, 10th Grade.
Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle.  Teacher: Tim Reilly. 
Artist’s statement: The silhouette is generic—we have all been victims at one time or another. The tears shed are for the suffering of those bullied. The black stripes represent prison bars, showing how harassment makes victims of bullying feel isolated and alone. The silhouette is red, representing the bloodshed of the Holocaust, warning what can happen if no one stands up for those victimized. The duct tape covering the mouth reminds us that victims feel powerless to speak up. The poster urges the viewer to no longer stand by in silence and allow bullying to take place.

3RD PLACE:
Arianna Mosca, 10th Grade. 
Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle.  Teacher: Susan Leaverton.
Artist’s statement: The hardest part of reaching out for help is the fear that no one is there, extending a hand, to catch you if you fall. I emphasized the cries for help, shown by the hands, and the pain and sorrow of victims, shown in the Holocaust pictures. No one extended their hands or opened their eyes to the atrocities during the Holocaust; the world was not there. In my poster, the hands are colorless, because it does not matter who you are, just what you do. Anyone can change the world, just by lending a hand. Are you reaching out?

HONORABLE MENTION
Tim Bolan, 10th Grade.
Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle.  Teacher: Susan Leaverton.
Artist’s statement: While learning about the Holocaust, I learned that the Nazis used propaganda to single out a certain group of people to use as scapegoats, the Jews. This is a prominent version of bullying, singling out a certain person or group of people because of their race, religion, or appearance. My artwork combines many different skin colors, facial features, and hair styles to show that underneath it all we are all still humans and have the same feelings. The rainbow shirt signifies that we are all unique and our diversity can be something beautiful.

 

9TH - 12TH GRADE WRITING

1ST PLACE
Keelin Everly-Lang, 10th Grade.
Decatur High School, Federal Way. Teacher: Jeanette Kearney.
Excerpt: In museums they break down the Holocaust by date, by country, by severity, by bags of hair. Broken down into broken beds and empty gas pellets. How small do we have to make it to be able to understand? I wonder if the bodies know that they have become statistics. There are still no precise estimates for the exact number of people who were lost in the Holocaust. Instead we have amputated families with no roots back to their ancestors. There is no one to remember the way back to the past. It is arrogant to believe we can feel any more than a fraction of this tragedy by looking at seas of shoes left behind and pictures of strangers before they were killed. It is arrogant to believe that one person’s mind can hold so many dead. So we break it down. In a society where tragedies such as the Holocaust are allowed to happen everyone has the potential to be a bully. It’s surprising how often people fulfill their potential when hate is the easiest option. Read full essay.

2ND PLACE
Natalie Pilgeram, 10th Grade.
Mt. Spokane High School, Mead. Teacher: Eleen Northcutt.
Excerpt: I've heard the statistics - half of all high school students are bullies, and nearly half have been victimized by bullying - but, if I am going to be honest, it's not something I've given much thought...Every day as I travel between classes, or enjoy lunch with my friends, I see those students who seem not to belong anywhere, not with anyone but themselves. But they've never truly been "bullied," I reason. If they desired friendship, they would seek it out themselves. No one is directly excluding them. I'm not directly excluding them. And so, the issue isn't mine to confront. I was not uncomfortable with that perspective until, while studying the Holocaust, I came across the account of Melita Maschmann, who was a German living in the midst of rising antisemitism, which made her a witness of the aftermath of Kristallnacht ("the night of broken glass" - an infamous pogrom directed towards German Jews), that drew a reaction she would later describe: "For the space of a second I was clearly aware that something terrible had happened here. Something frighteningly brutal. But almost at once I switched over to accepting what had happened as over and done with, and avoiding critical reflection..." Though many years separate us, Maschmann's response to anti-Semitism around her eerily reflected my own thoughts in regards to bullying. The quote stopped me in my tracks. I realized that I too was "avoiding critical reflection," knowing that an honest examination would strip away the illusions that justified my comfortable way of living. Read full essay.

3RD PLACE
Kade Bode, 11th Grade.
Arlington High School, Arlington. Teacher: Sherida Taylor.
Excerpt: Recently, I have learned the going-ons of one of the most tragic events ever, The Shoah. Through this learning I have derived some profound insights into not only myself, but others. My French III class examined acts of the Holocaust and discussed them at length. These exercises changed me, forever. They provided a collective experience that was incredibly valuable in changing my view on a variety of things: the role of bystanders, empathy, the magnitude of little things, and how to react. Therefore, studying the Holocaust has altered my perception and reaction to bullying, which is now focused on both recognizing and stopping bullying. Read full essay

HONORABLE MENTION
Rachel Nies, 10th Grade.
Henry M. Jackson High School, Mill Creek. Teacher: Deb Kalina.
Excerpt:  Almost every day I see this senior girl and her followers strut down the hall after third period, she will purposely bump into a girl in my grade and then spit out humiliating comments such as, "watch it fatty." Mortified, the girl puts her head down and scurries off. I've seen the defeated look on her face far too many times, and I want so badly to stand up to the snobby senior. Yet I never have. I've always been too scared and have kept silent. This is the case for many students at my school as well, many of us are too worried to speak up to the bully so we either silently watch or even laugh with encouragement. However, after becoming a student of the Holocaust the way I perceive people and respond to uniqueness has changed completely. Personally, I have always been strong enough to brush off the harsh slurs I've received over the years. Thus, I never categorized myself as a true victim of bullying, and until reading the book Night I didn't think I was a bully either. Night has taught me that the people who witness the bullying and don't do anything are just as guilty as the bully himself. Never have I put a ton of effort in trying to stop a bully and in that case I am just as guilty for keeping silent. From the eyes of the victim the silent or giggling bystanders probably look equally cruel. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Read full essay