West, East VFW Essay Contest Finalists Receive Awards

Smithtown West and East high schools, as well as VFW Service Officer Tom Mooney and the Commander of VFW Post 10870 Edward Hemp, presented awards to the 10 finalists in the Voice of Democracy Essay Contest at each school Thursday morning.

Although the most common reason for participating amongst the students was for extra credit in their social studies courses, numerous students offered reasons for participating beyond that.

"I feel like now it's so hard to get a voice and to believe in what you want for yourself I felt like if I did one small essay contest I could get my opinion out there," said West junior Juliana Wessler.

"I really liked the topic, I thought it was really interesting," said West junior Erin Fitzpatrick. "Other years didn't grab me but this years was really good."

The first and second place winners of the contest came from East. First place winner, sophomore Allie Shepis, read her essay at the Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Plaza. The second place winner, Kristen Scicchitano, said her place in the contest was a pleasant surprise.

"It came as a surprise, but I was honored to be chosen as a finalist for the VFW Essay Contest," Scicchitano said.

All five finalists at West of the 168 total participants between both high schools were juniors. The third place winner of the contest came from West, Mike Catalano.

"I was kind of surprised that I got third but I'm really proud that I could do that," Catalano said.

Catalano's essay was about his generation becoming leaders in the future, carrying America to where it needs to be, and performing the tasks of reform set forth by President Barack Obama.

The content of the other essays varied from changing the current views society has of today's youth, gay rights, new forms of fuel and more.

"I focused politically and I said that we need to bring our country back to where our founding fathers wanted it to be," said West junior Jessica D'Angelo.

"I wrote that we need to secure a new type of energy for the future instead of relying on fossil fuels and to secure the rights of gay people in America," said West junior Amy Sullivan.

Aside from monetary benefits, which ranged from $250 scholarship for the first place winner to $25 for those that rounded out the top 10 finalists, the results from participating varied.

"I'm very happy that I got to get my word out and personally I want to be a writer one day so I feel like my voice can make a difference and my writing can," Wessler said.

"I think we have a negative wrap right now," Fitzpatrick said. "People kind of look down upon us but I think we're going to do very well in the future."