Political Awareness Essay Contest

Congratulations to Vishaan Patel '26, winner of the 41st Annual Class of ’35 Political Awareness Essay Contest. Essays are judged on clear and logical thinking and writing about political issues.

The six finalists were celebrated at an assembly featuring Senior Speaker Tyler Mee '26 and guest speaker Steve Demetriou '07, Ohio House Representative, West Point Graduate, and military veteran.

The finalists of the contest are: 

First Place
Vishaan Patel ’26 - “Saffron and Secularism: The Babri Masjid and Seismic Shifts in Indian Politics”
 
Second Place
Tejas Rajagopalan ’26 - “The Great Divorce: How the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Permanently Changed Indigenous Sovereignty”
 
Third Place
Charlie Martin ’27 - “A City Upon a Hill: Religion, Democracy, and the Rebranding of Imperialism”
 
Honorable Mentions

Jacob Isakov ‘26 - “Reform Gone Wrong: How the 2018 Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment Fails to Address Gerrymandering in Ohio Congressional Districts” 
 
Sahand Maleki ’26 - “Suppression and Struggle: The History and Legacy of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party”
 
Vijay Rao ’28 - “Imperial Decisions and Divided Nations: The Political Impact of Separate Electorates in Colonial India, 1909-1947”

The Political Awareness Essay Contest was established by the Class of 1935 on the occasion of their 50-year reunion to foster the habit of clear thinking about political issues past and present, to reward distinction in the art of expository writing, and to provide the opportunity to undertake original research.