William Penn Life, 2010 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2010-11-01 / 11. szám

David M. Wolfe, Branch 18 Lincoln Park, MI

IF I COULD interview any person, past or present, I would choose to interview Thomas Paine. Paine was a brilliant man who devoted most of his adult life to shaping the country that he loved so much, the United States. Paine first wrote many brilliant pamphlets prior to the revolutionary war. These pamphlets, such as "Common Sense," beckoned to a nation that was in pain and turmoil due to the oppression of a far away government. Paine called upon all Americans to stand together, and stand up for rights that Paine felt were unalienable and due to all men.

I believe that Thomas Paine would be very interesting to interview because I think that it would be fascinating to hear his perspective of what it was like to shape a nation. Paine was also a major contributor to the Constitution of the United States of America, and as a future lawyer, I would be interested to hear exactly what he and the Founding Fathers envisioned when they drafted this document. Since its inception, the Constitution has been scrutinized and debated highly on how the content should be interpreted and applied. I feel that there would be a huge void between the original meanings of much of the Constitution and how they are currently viewed.

Thomas Paine lived in such a crucial time in America's history. He was heavily involved in the movement which led to this country's independence, and setting the very foundation that we still rely upon today. It is due to all of these reasons that I would choose to interview Thomas Paine. D

Second Prize - New Students - $300

Jennifer Ostronisky, Branch 44 Akron, OH

IF I COULD interview anyone, it would be Ryan Ostronisky. For those of you who do not know, Ryan was an incredible young man who loved the outdoors. He was carefree and his smile could light up a room. Unfortunately, he was in a fatal car accident on May 10,2009. My brother was a wonderful young man, and given the opportunity I would interview him.

There are many reasons I chose my brother to interview. The first is the most obvious, because I miss him. I spent nearly every day with that kid making memory after memory. My favorite days looking back are the days we did nothing but ride four wheelers, have bonfires, and relax. The opportunity to create more memories with him was taken in a blink of an eye. Even though it has been a year, I still miss him as much as the first day I spent without him.

The second reason is to catch up and be assured that he is doing alright. It has been over a year since I have had a conversation with Ryan, and a lot has changed in my life. I would want to be able to sit down and tell him what all I have accomplished and ask him how he thinks I am moving along in life since his passing. He was the type of guy to tell you if he disagreed with your actions or if he thought there was a better way to solve a situation. I want to know that he is proud of me. I also want to know he is alright, and it was his time. I like to think I am a Catholic with strong faith, but I have to admit losing my brother tested that fate. I would love to have the reassurance that God has a bigger plan for life although I may not yet understand it.

The third reason is I want to know what Heaven is like. As a child, I asked a priest what Heaven was like, he looked me in the eyes and said, "Heaven is a million times better than your greatest memory."

I want to know my brother's version of Heaven, because I know that he wouldn't hesitate to tell me exactly how it is. After much consideration I have

Second Prize - Renewal Students - $300

16 0 November 2010 0 William Penn Life