High School Guidelines

American Psychologist Gordan Allport, a recognized scholar in the study of human personality, reminds us that humans are not born prejudiced; rather, prejudice is learned.

• Prejudice is prejudging people or groups which results in thinking about them or treating them in certain ways.
  
• Discrimination is acting on a negative prejudice

Allport suggests that there are specific stages of behavior that are found in the escalation of prejudice. These escalating levels of discrimination move in the following order:

1. Spoken Abuse about the people or groups
2. Avoidance of the people or groups
3. Discrimination or Legalized Racism toward the people or groups
4. Violence Against People and Property of the groups
5. Extermination or Genocide of the people or groups
6. “It was Hitler’s spoken abuse that led Germans to avoid their erstwhile Jewish neighbors and friends. This made it easier to enact the Nuremberg laws of discrimination which, in turn, made the subsequent burning of synagogues and street attacks upon the Jews seem natural. The final step in the macabre progression was the ovens at Auschwitz” (Allport’s Nature of Prejudice)

After reading the list as shown from Gordon Allport’s “Stages of Prejudice,” describe an event (or events) during the Holocaust that represent one (or more) of the stages of prejudice. Also, take a recent event (or events) in our world (local or global) that is an example of one (or more) of the same stage (or stages) of prejudice.

There are 5 separate categories for this year's competition. This year's categories include Essay, Musical Composition, Poetry, Short Story, and Visual Arts.

The guidelines that apply to all six categories are:

• Entries must be submitted online through our official entry form.
• Entries must be pre-approved by your teacher.
• Entries must include a header on each page with only title of entry and page number.
• Entries must NOT include reference to student or school name.
• Each entry type has additional criteria which must be met. See the links below for your entry type.
• Entries that do not follow these criteria and the category specific criteria below will be disqualified.

• No more than 500 words
• Entries must be double-spaced, and in 12- point Arial font. Submissions must represent the independent work of the student, but teachers may provide grammatical or spelling recommendations.
• Include acknowledgement of sources within the essay and bibliography of sources at the end of the paper (which should not be included in word count).

Your music will encompass an example from Gordon Allport’s “Stages of Prejudice.” Use an event (or events) during the Holocaust that represents one (or more) of the stages of prejudice. Also, take a recent event (or events) in our world (local or global) that is an example of one (or more) of the same stage (or stages) of prejudice.

• May be instrumental or lyrical
• All instruments, sounds, styles and combinations are accepted.
• Software may be used to produce an audio recording provided it does not include commercially pre-programmed imported MIDI or other source files.
  • Entries containing algorithmic composition techniques are not accepted.
• Entries must be new and original songs inspired by the theme.
• Each entry must be the work of one student only.
• Audio must not exceed 3 minutes in length and 1GB (one gigabyte) in file size.
• Notation & Score Required.
  • Notation software may be used.
  • Appropriate instrumentation and voicing are required.
  • Each page must be numbered.
  • Notation/Score must be printed on 8.5"x11" (single-sided) or saved/scanned as a single PDF.
• Audio file may be MP3, WAV, or M4A.
• Videos are not accepted.

Possible styles and instruments: Choral, country, electronic, hip hop, jazz, world music, musical, orchestral, pop, R&B, religious, rock, symphonic/concert band and traditional. All instruments, sounds, styles and combinations are accepted.

Submitting a Musical Composition:

• Final musical entries must be submitted using WeTransfer.com, a free file transfer website.
• Instructions can be found on our official submission form.
• Entries will be judged on mastery of the medium, artistic merit, and addressing the prompt. Mastery of the medium may be a formal composition technique or a simple approach.

• You may use persona, narrative, or prose, or free verse.
• Each poem may be up to 450 words, double-spaced, in 12 point Arial font.
• Submissions must represent the independent work of the student, but teachers may provide grammatical or spelling recommendations.
• Students must include a Bibliography (not included in word count).

• Short Story 3-6 pages in length. Your story will incorporate the past and the present.
• Entries must be double-spaced, and in 12- point Arial font. Submissions must represent the independent work of the student, but teachers may provide grammatical or spelling recommendations.
• Include sources at the end of the paper (not included in word count).

• Only two-dimensional entries will be accepted. Minimum size: 8 x 10, Maximum size: 18 x 24 and Maximum depth: ¾”
• May include photography, digital images, charcoal, pencil, pen & ink, chalk pastel, watercolors, acrylics, oils or mixed media. Please note that all images, whether digital, artist, or photo-generated are considered property of the original artist.
• Fixative spray must be applied to charcoal, pencil, and chalk pastels.
• Renderings of another’s work will be disqualified.
• Winners will be required to bring the original piece (matted or mounted) to the award ceremony.

The decision of the judges is final. Judging will be based on:

• Originality and creativity
• Historical accuracy
• Addresses the contest theme
• Follows the specific criteria for each category
  

Contest judges review submissions with no knowledge of the student's identity, school, teacher, or residence. In order to provide anonymous papers for judging, the body of the entry should not contain any information identifying the author. The entry must be the original work of the student. Judges request that teachers review students' work. By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to all the judging criteria.

Judges request that teachers review students’ work and submit only entries worthy of being considered for judging. By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to all the judging criteria.

Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Some awards may not be given, depending on the number of entries received and evaluation of merit by the panel of judges

Entries must be submitted no later than March 1st, 2023.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept submissions that do not adhere to all of these guidelines, that are submitted late, or come from students outside the Northwest Louisiana area (Caddo, Bossier, Webster, DeSoto, Ouachita Parishes). Submissions will be retained by the Northwest Louisiana Jewish Federation, who will have the right to reprint winning entries in publications including local media/newspapers or posted online.

Submit Your 2023 Entry

Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Some rewards may not be given, depending on the number of entries received and evaluation of merit by a panel of judges.

• 1st Place Student (in each entry type): $400 Amazon Gift Card
• 2nd Place Student (in each entry type): $200 Amazon Gift Card
• 3rd Place Student (in each entry type): $100 Amazon Gift Card

Those who receive an award will be expected to attend the Holocaust Memorial Service.

• Teachers with students who submit qualifying entries in the Literary & Arts Competition will each receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
• Teachers who attend the Holocaust Remembrance Service with at least three of their students will receive an additional $25 Amazon gift certificate. (Students who attend with their teachers do not need to have submitted entries for the teacher to receive an award.)
• In addition to the winning students, contributing students, institutions, and award-winning teachers will be recognized during the Holocaust Remembrance Service.

Schools whose students submit eligible entries will receive $200.