Political Awareness Essay Contest

4/8/2025

Congratulations to Stephen Kaufman '25, who earned first place in the 40th Annual Class of ’35 Political Awareness Essay Contest. Essays were judged on clear and logical thinking and writing about political issues.

The six finalists were celebrated at an assembly featuring guest speaker Dr. Pierre Yared ’97, MUTB Professor of International Business at Columbia Business School and Vice Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the United States Executive Office.

First Place
Stephen Kaufman '25 - "Defining Limits: Robert H. Jackson's Concurrence in Youngstown and the Boundaries of Executive Power"

Second Place
Max Salisbury '25 - "A World Apart: Reflections on Humanitarian Interventions in Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda"

Third Place
Charlie Martin '27 - "Divided We Fall: Cultural Polarization, Political Paralysis, and the Global Crisis of Democracy"

Honorable Mentions:

Zaid Ashruf '25 - "The Ummah in America: Muslim Leadership and Advocacy in American Politics in the Post-9/11 Era"

Ethan Chan '27 - "A Tale of Two Systems: Hong Kong's 1997 Return to China and the One Country, Two Systems Regime"

Oliver Krishnaney '27 - "The Hidden Epidemic: Socioeconomic and Systemic Drivers of Disparities in Black Maternal Health Outcomes"

About the Class of 1935 Political Awareness Essay Contest

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.

Back

- Front: Max Salisbury '25, Stephen Kaufman '25, Charlie Martin '27. Back: Mr. Alan Cate, History Chair and Teacher, and Essay Contest Advisor, Zaid Ashruf '25, Ethan Chan '27, and Head of School Patrick Gallagher.
- Dr. Pierre Yared ’97 speaks at the assembly.