By Kris Goracke

Reporter

Every year, Minnewaska Area High School students participate in the Starbuck VFW’s Voice of Democracy Competition. This year, junior Kendra Wilmes achieved recognition as runner-up at the state level.

Reflecting on the theme, “The Greatest Attribute of Our Democracy,” Wilmes, the daughter of Luke and Jessica Wilmes of Glenwood, shared her experience. “When we were first assigned the essay, our English teacher, Mr. Vinje, emphasized the need to understand the prompt before diving into writing,” she said.

Before writing her essay, Wilmes said she spent a lot of time brainstorming, drawing inspiration from her father’s military background. “My dad was in the military, so I was able to gain some perspective from him. Just talking out ideas with my mom and dad helped me. And then my mom said, ‘What about freedom?’ and that just clicked, and I knew what I was going to write,” she said.

“I jotted down a few ideas on paper, but mostly, I sat at the computer. Writing this essay was a unique experience since this was my first time writing on this topic. It was fun and instilled in me a deeper appreciation for our veterans. In my essay, I focused on the themes of power, protection, and peace, illustrating how our freedom in the United States results from the three P’s provided by our veterans in their service,” explained Wilmes.

When the students had completed the assignment, the class listened to each one and voted on the top three to be submitted locally for the competition. “Multiple English classes at Minnewaska High School participated in the Voice of Democracy contest this year, and we had some excellent entries. There are many talented students at Minnewaska, and it’s fun to see Kendra get the recognition she deserves. Kendra’s paper was chosen by her peers as one of the submissions from my ATCC College Composition class, so it’s great to see their choice validated by the contest judges,” said MAHS English instructor David Vinje.

Once selected by her peers, she had to record her essay. According to the competition rules, the recorded essay has to be between 3 and 5 minutes long. In addition to submitting the recorded essay, her typed essay and completed entry form were needed. All entries begin at the VFW Post level; for the Minnewaska students this means the Starbuck VFW Post 4582. From the local level, one winner advances to the District, and one District winner advances to the State competition. 

Wilmes’ essay advanced from the local to the district level. And then, at the beginning of January, Wilmes was invited to attend the state competition at the VFW in Brooklyn Park. “Participating at the state level gave me an even deeper appreciation for veterans.  It was an honor to share my appreciation from a student’s perspective,” she said. 

The Voice of Democracy which began in 1947 has provided students a platform to express themselves on democratic and patriotic themes through their recorded essays. The judging criteria include originality (30 points), content (35 points), and delivery (35 points), emphasizing imagination, organizational clarity, and credible speech.

The following is a transcript of Wilmes’ essay:

We Have Freedom.

You may find yourself asking, what exactly are the greatest attributes of our democracy? The answer to that is simple. Power, protection, and peace. Although these three words may seem little and irrelevant, they each have an enormous significance behind them. America has freedom. 

Power. We the people can make a difference. Each individual person has their own voice. The way our democracy is shaped is because of us. It is not one single person who has complete control, rather it is numerous individuals that are influencing the decisions being made. Our democracy is unprejudiced, although diverse viewpoints are looked at differently, they are all valued. We the people are empowered to stand up for our beliefs and change our society. Power gives us the capability to peacefully protest for what is right. By doing this we can endorse against discrimination and promote equal opportunities. We as citizens get the choice to vote and elect our representatives. It’s a choice; and while our choices are important, we must still be responsible with them. Outside of America, not everyone gets to input their opinion, but we are blessed to have that option. Power in democracy encourages us to form our future for the good. We have freedom. 

Protection. “All gave some and some gave all.” A quote that references the dedication veterans and active military members give to America. They put their life on the line to protect our country’s freedom and uphold the values that our democracy stands for. We need to remind ourselves that we all have a way to contribute to our democracy, whether it be small or large. The freedom we cherish daily can all be thanked to the sacrifices others are making for us and for the ones that gave it their all. America is extremely fortunate to have what we have, and we owe an immense amount of gratitude to all the men and women keeping us and our freedom safe.  Protection allows us to live our public life without the fear of oppression or persecution. Our democracy wouldn’t have the ability to flourish and succeed without a safeguard. The feeling of secureness is present when our opinion is spoken or when we engage in political activities. Protection fosters trust among the people which gives us the allowance of actively contributing to the democratic system. The foundation of our democracy is strengthened by the protection we receive. We have freedom. 

Peace. Peace in our democracy allows for peaceful resolutions. All parties in our democracy have a voice, yet need to come together in a peaceful way to show their respect.  Our world definitely needs more peace, and representing this high up in our democracy shows examples citizens of America look up to and witness on a daily basis.  Other countries also take note of what our democracy is like, which is why it is important we contribute to it in a respectful way. Just like a child looks up to a parent or older sibling, we as Americans notice the way people treat people in our democracy.  Representing peace in situations is one of those things Americans notice whether it’s on the news, in our media, or just in plain sight.  Our democracy needs to lead in peaceful ways, resolving issues the same way, and truly showing that our democracy can handle differences, yet in a respectful and peaceful manner. We have freedom. 

Power, protection, and peace are attributed to our democracy by the respect we as citizens receive. They are each associated with one another, implying that all three attributes are necessary to maintain a stable democracy. Our voices matter, we have freedom. 

–Kendra Wilmes