Salem, Bedford, Hanover, Merrimack Valley Students Win Prizes In 1st Civics Essay Contest

CONCORD, NH — Four New Hampshire students won prizes in the state’s first High School Civics Essay Contest.

Students from across the state participated in the contest, answering the question, “Should the government be permitted to regulate social media for people under 18?” The student submissions, 124 in number, needed to be between 750 and 1,000 words long and had to present a clear stance on the topic. The New Hampshire Bar Foundation sponsored the contest. About a dozen judges eyed the submissions.

On Tuesday, at the New Hampshire Supreme Court, three of the four students who won this year received their awards and certificates.

Scott Harris, the chairman of the board of directors for the foundation, said the organization raised $2.1 million for civil-legal services. He said, generalizing, 70 percent of people who show up in district court do not have lawyers.

“Having written these essays,” he said, “I think you can appreciate the legal concepts that we deal with on a day-to-day basis.”

Harris called courts “complex” and said that as many as 70 percent of people who appear in court do not have a lawyer to help them navigate the judicial process.

Gordon MacDonald, the chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, noted he, too, was a parent of a junior in high school and knew how busy students were. He commended their work as well as the foundation for creating the contest. MacDonald also said interns and others inspired them.

MacDonald said the work was even more critical today due to the lack of trust in civic institutions in the United States. In a poll last year, he said, 47 percent of Americans did not believe the judicial process delivered justice to all, while another 47 percent thought it did.

“Attacks on basic norms, including the essential need for an independent judiciary, are on the rise,” he said. “And at any time, but especially at this time, it’s hard to conceive of a more important priority than engaging with our public, especially our youth, on civics, on our institutions, on the judiciary, and on the rule of law.”

Kendra Jozokos, a senior at Salem High School, placed first in the competition. She received a $5,000 award. Merrimack Valley High School Senior Addyson Kimball placed second. She was not in attendance at the event. Hanover High School Junior Benjamin Hourdequin, who is also interning at the Supreme Court this summer, and Bedford High School Junior Eva Piacentini tied for third.

The second- and third-place finishers each received $2,500.

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