Our students entered the ISA Sixth Form Essay writing competition for students in years 12-13, choosing the ‘Arts and Humanities’ section. We are thrilled to share the news that Bosworth students have won the First Prize and the Highly Commended in this category as well as the Overall Essay Winner.
The judge’s Overall Winner and First Prize winner in the Arts & Humanities category, Chloe Chang Liu, submitted an essay entitled
‘The Majority’
Highly Commended winner in the Arts & Humanities category, Daisy Zhexiang Wang, wrote an essay entitled
‘Emerging Feminism; Chinese girls, be confident!’
John Goddard, Adjudicator explains all, “The Arts & Humanities category received the highest number of entries this year and left me pondering issues ranging from the merits or otherwise of globalisation to the foundation and evolution of joint enterprise via a passionate plea that we should act like toddlers!
“I was particularly struck by the timely and powerfully personal essay by Daisy Zhexiang Wang entitled ‘Emerging Feminism; Chinese girls, be confident!’ This is an interesting exploration of the contrast the author experienced between her home culture and her experience as an overseas student in the UK from the age of 15. Her response is not a rejection of her own culture, but a suggestion for improvement – a desire to strengthen the feminist cause through a comprehensive scheme of sex education. As she comments, ‘educating children about sexual values, not trying to eliminate them.’ This essay is awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate.
“The winning essay in this category, and the judge’s choice for the overall winner of this year’s competition, is Chloe Chang Liu for her wonderfully creative essay ‘The Majority’. The author imagines herself back in history, to be a part of the crowd who democratically decided on the fate of Socrates. Somehow, in a way the author chooses not to explain, she also becomes Meursault in Camus’ novel, The Stranger, and then a 20th century American who reads Camus and who witnesses the trial of OJ Simpson. Still alive in the 21st century she reflects on the 2016 referendum in the UK and the choice to leave the EU. In the author’s mind this brings us full circle: ‘Direct democracy finally brought about the problem of the tyranny of the majority, where the minority’s interest and will are scarified and ignored. When I heard the result, I recalled the afternoon when Socrates died.’ She concludes, ‘History repeats itself. I still do not know how long I am going to live. But I hope referenda can be used more carefully, and the law, as well as the government, can always be here to protect unpopular minorities.’ I enjoyed the scope and conceit of this essay, its use of language and its relevance to our contemporary situation. A worthy winner of the ISA Sixth Form Essay Prize 2017.”
