Power Of The Pen

Mother Teresa, Anni Ryan Meyer, Mark Ludwig, Julie Sullivan, Steven Spielberg, Dave Barry, Steve Wade, Harland Lindner, Rev. George B. Cheney, May Arkwright Hutton, Christmas Fund donors and pawn shop owners.

Don’t know how often you’d find these people in the same room, but they were in the company of one another in the piles of entries judges sifted through to find the 1998 Young Columbus winner.

Students who entered the contest were challenged to find a person in the news who has been an influence on society, to summarize the person’s contributions and then write a fictitious letter to the person explaining how he or she has inspired them.

The judges were impressed with the more than 60 entries, all of which showed creativity and thoughtfulness.

Here are the entries of the five finalists. Anna Urio was the winner and will travel to Italy this spring with students from around the country.

Anna Urio

Age: 18

Hobbies: Playing the cello, gardening, acting, reading. She is revising her first novel, “The Bridge at Twilight” and teaching herself French.

Education: Anna is pursuing an AA degree in Library Science at Spokane Falls Community College, and plans to spend a year abroad after graduation as a volunteer for the British Board of Health.

Volunteer activities: Helps with multicultural activities in District 81, tutors immigrant students, writes for the African-American Voice. She is also currently one of the organizers of a rally to remember the historical event depicted in the movie, “Newsies.”

Anna chose to write about Steven Spielberg’s contributions to society.

Dear Mr. Spielberg,

I want to thank you for the film “Amistad.” In film making, you have a wonderful gift, and I appreciate that you use the gift to teach and to enlighten. Your films make our lives a little better.

I am sure that “Amistad” was a very difficult film, emotionally, to create, but you persevered. Djimon Honsou said that your work is “your love made visible.” We, as a society, are unusued to receiving gifts of love from people whom we have never met. Maybe that is why we are so deeply touched by your work - because it really is a gift, not only to the people whose dignity it upholds, but to all of us who learn from its message and are made better people for having seen it.

I aspire to be a writer, and I would like to emulate you. I know from experience that it is infinitely more difficult to write on serious subjects than to write fairy tales. Drawing words from the soul is painful and emotionally draining. But I also know that one gets out of something what one puts into it. So, I have made it my goal to write what is worthwhile. I hope that in my life I, too, will give to the world gifts of “love made visible.”

Ryan Cassidy

Age: 17

Cassidy wrote about Anni Ryan Meyer and her contributions to the Romanian orphanages.

Dear Mrs. Meyer,

As I read the story of your Romanian journey last fall, I was attempting to decide whether to return to Tijuana, Mexico with my church youth group during spring break. In Tijuana, we stay in a destitute orphanage centered in a modern day “Hooverville,” bond with the children, and build houses on the local landfill. I was uncertain if I could devote the next three months preparing for the trip and raising funds. Your story reminded me, however, that our lives are never too cluttered to help those in need. I have learned, through your Romanian children and my Mexican children, that we cannot live fulfilled lives until we have knelt in the dirt beside the oppressed. Both the Romanian and Mexican children are innocent bystanders in a cruel world. Their situation is desperate; it is our responsibility, as privileged souls in a developed country, to ease their suffering. Your trip has inspired me to pursue international relief work later in life. Though not all can travel to Romanian or Mexican orphanages, we are obligated, simply by being human, to participate in such humanitarian efforts. Your story provides an important reminder that we must unite to aid the needy everywhere.

Carrie Huffaker

Age: 14

Huffaker chose violist Mark Ludwig for his work in publishing music composed at a Czechoslovakian concentration camp.

Dear Mr. Ludwig:

Thank you for a courageous example of what true service entails! Because I firmly support volunteer work, I was excited when my English teacher assigned 10 hours of community service. Unfortunately, I felt too timid to get involved. Since reading about your good works, I’ve learned the value of taking pride in what I am blessed with to offer my community.

Service consists of using whatever gifts one possesses to inspire or enrich the lives of others. As you have devoted time to collecting supplies and teaching, I must use my own talents to strengthen my community. Neglecting these hidden abilities is like burying them in the sand: they will suffocate. By tending to these gifts their blossoming will enrich my own life and that of fellow citizens.

I realize now that I shouldn’t falter in giving of myself unto others. With desire and purpose, so much more can be achieved. I must be proud of my community with an honest desire to make an impact in the lives of its citizens. Enthusiastically, I will put my heart and soul into making a difference!

My game plan now? Volunteering for the Christmas toy drive.

Rebekah Mason

Age: 13

Mason selected Anni Ryan Meyer and her work with the Romainian orphanages.

Dear Mrs. Meyer:

I would like to thank you for helping those children in Romania. Your team and you got a lot accomplished in those two weeks. The children’s lives are probably forever changed. You showed the children love and compassion, and that there are people out there who really do care about them. You are an inspiration to all.

I would also like to thank you for making the public aware and getting it involved in the Romanian relief effort. After educating the public about the terrible living conditions of these children, the support from the community was overwhelming.

I think that community involvement is important because some people are not as fortunate as others, and if you help the less fortunate, you are really helping others to help themselves.

I would really like to thank you for organizing a volunteer group to repair the damaged building and restoring the faith in those children. I really admire you and all that you have done to help those children in need.

When everyone pulls their own weight, it’s amazing what a few people can accomplish.

I hope all of the children will benefit emotionally from your donations. I also hope that you will keep up the good work.

Stephanie Morse

Age: 12

Morse chose Spokesman-Review reporter Julie Sullivan for her series of articles about Romanian orphanages.

Dear Ms. Sullivan:

Since reading your article on Romania’s orphans over a year ago, not a day goes by that I don’t think about the thousands of abandoned children in Romania. After reading the descriptions fo the children and their horrible living conditions, and looking at the pictures in your article, I will never forget the look of suffering in the orphans’ eyes. To help them and give them love is the most wonderful thing a person could do.

I am going to start a kids’ group, here in Spokane, that would sponsor an orphanage in Romania. I hope to lead a group of students from my school or from my church.

We will find out what the orphanages need the most: food, clothing, medicine, toys or money. We will get donations and have fund-raisers to earn money to buy these things for the children.

For older orphans we will write letters and draw pictures and mail these to them.

Most importantly, we will let them know how much we care about them and we will never forget them. Since I read your article, I have wanted to go to Romania, too, and help the children as you did.

I think it was very courageous of you to leave your family and travel so far away to help the orphans. You had no idea what dangers you would meet up with.

By writing your article, you have opened our eyes to the suffering and neglect going on in a forgotten part of the world. Even if we, who read your article, never do more than remember and have compassion for the abandoned children of Romania, your article will always remind us of how lucky we are to live in a free and caring society.