Local student essay wins state honors
Trinity Byrnes Collegiate School student Stephen Josey
Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Stephen Josey, a sophomore at Trinity Byrnes Collegiate School, has garnered statewide recognition by winning an essay contest, and – with a little luck – he could end up competing at the national level for an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C.
“The essay was about Christopher Columbus and Charles Lindbergh, comparing and contrasting the two,” says Stephen, who heard about the essay contest through a school Latin instructor. “The way I approached it was looking at their attitudes… they both dared to do something that no one had ever done before.”
Lindbergh, an iconoclastic Michigan native nicknamed “Lucky Lindy”, was the first pilot to successfully fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. He completed the journey in a plane called “The Spirit of St. Louis,” departing New York City on May 20, 1927 and touching down in Paris, France some 33.5 hours later.
Columbus, born in Genoa, Italy, famously traversed the Atlantic Ocean (four times) during an age when many thought the Earth was flat and sailors were bound to topple right off the edge into oblivion. Columbus’ original expedition set off from Spain on August 3, 1492, and arrived on a Bahamian island in October. He left behind a complement of men on Hispaniola and returned to Spain in March of 1493.
Both men initially were hailed as heroes, but Stephen notes that the men responded very differently to fame and power.
“A lot of people think of Christopher Columbus as a hero because he did this thing that no one had done before, and that’s true, but there is a dark side to him. He enslaved a lot of native people and almost considered himself like a messenger from God,” Stephen observes. “He became very egotistical and narcissistic.”
Columbus was even charged for his crimes against natives and sent back to Spain in chains. He tried one more trip to the Americas in 1502, landing in Panama and failing by a short distance to reach the Pacific Ocean before being repelled by natives. He died in Spain in 1506.
“Lindbergh was more shy… he wound up moving to Europe to escape from the crowds and attention. He just didn’t enjoy the popularity,” Stephen says.
Once the blush of public adoration wore off, Lindbergh drew criticism from many Americans for his perceived Nazi sympathies, though he flew over 50 combat missions in the Pacific during World War II. After the war ended, he withdrew from public life and spent his later years campaigning for wildlife conservation. He died of cancer in 1974.
Stephen says he learned a lot of interesting things about both historical figures while researching the essay, and while not all of those revelations were purely positive, he feels the project was worthwhile because both men – their human flaws aside – dared to take up life-threatening challenges, and their success literally changed the world forever.
The essay contest was sponsored nationally by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Italian American Foundation in honor of Christopher Columbus. It was open to students in grades 9 through 12, with chapter winners proceeding to state judgment.
Stephen’s essay will next be reviewed at the division level, and then at the national level. The overall national winner will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., where they will read their essay before a live audience on Columbus Day, October 10, 2016.
Carol Stackhouse Hall, member of the local Major Robert Lide NSDAR Chapter, says her group is very proud of Stephen’s win. At a state luncheon in Columbia on March 19, they presented him with a certificate (plus $50 for winning local chapter honors) and they wish him the best of luck in further judging.
Hall says this essay contest is one of many programs and projects the DAR participates in to promote interest in history and patriotic activity. Recently, they have worked to recognize Vietnam War Veterans on the 50th anniversary of that conflict, they have honored an outstanding JROTC Cadet at Hartsville High School, and they have presented Good Citizen awards to two other local students.
“(The NSDAR) is a non-profit, non-political women’s service organization, and our mission is to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism,” says Hall. “To be a member, you must trace your lineage to an American Revolution patriot or soldier.”
To learn more about The Daughters of the American Revolution, visit their website at www.DAR.org, or call Carol Stackhouse Hall at 843-992-5729.
