THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603070021
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
On Feb. 22, Norfolk Branch 5 of the Fleet Reserve Association held its annual Americanism Night. This event is a result of an essay contest conducted in the Norfolk public school system. This year, 7,348 students in grades 7 through 12 wrote an essay titled ``What Patriotism Means to Me.'' The winners in each grade level read their essay and were presented their awards, including $100 savings bonds.
In addition to the winning students and their parents, Mayor Paul Fraim, Margaret Saunders (representing Superintendent Roy Nichols), 13 social-studies teachers and more than 100 members of the Fleet Reserve Association and its Ladies Auxiliary were in attendance. It was unfortunate that no one representing the media thought this was important enough to cover.
The next morning's Daily Break section of The Virginian-Pilot had 75 percent of its front page, plus portions of two other pages, devoted to The Virginian-Pilot essay contest, which received 115 entries from high-school students throughout the area.
I suppose 7,348 students in one school system entering a patriotic essay contest didn't deserve much attention. That certainly sounds like responsible journalism, doesn't it?
TOM LEISHER
Norfolk Branch 5
Fleet Reserve Association
Norfolk, Feb. 23, 1996 by CNB