U.S. Attorney Murray announces “Do the Write Thing” winners

Press release from the office of U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray:

U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced the two winners of the 4th Annual “Do the Writing Thing” (DtWT) essay contest, during a virtual award ceremony livestreamed today via Facebook Live and Instagram.

The “Do the Write Thing” essay contest is a program of the National Campaign to Stop Violence. The core aim of the program is to empower middle school students to examine and write about the impact of violence in their lives, and to become catalysts for positive change.

A total of 1,567 essays written by middle school students attending Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools were submitted for consideration, and the essays of 12 students were selected as finalists. Of the 12 finalists, Caroline Barton, a 7th grader with Asheville Middle School, and Noah Graham, an 8th grader with North Buncombe Middle School, were announced as this year’s winners of the essay contest. Speaking at today’s virtual event, U.S. Attorney Murray congratulated the two winners and the 10 finalists for their accomplishment, and commended all the students who participated in the writing contest.

“Violence comes in many shapes and sizes,” said U.S. Attorney Murray, who chairs the DtWT committee in Asheville. “Violence can happen in schools, on social media, in homes, and in neighborhoods. Those of us in law enforcement know that prevention plays a crucial role in reducing violence. The Do the Write Thing essay challenge is an opportunity for students to use the written word to express the impact of any form of violence on their lives, to examine its causes and to offer solutions to help decrease violence in their communities. But, most importantly, it provides students with a voice and forum to be heard. The voices and ideas of our youth are critical in our preventive efforts and must be encouraged. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to be a part of this valuable program,” U.S. Attorney Murray added.

During today’s virtual ceremony, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Asheville City Schools, the Buncombe County Schools, the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Asheville Housing Authority and Western North Carolina Rescue Mission for partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to form the DtWT committee and to implement the program in both school systems.

U.S. Attorney Murray also recognized the teachers, school administrators, counselors, parents, guardians, and caregivers for their dedication in this important endeavor, and thanked them for supporting the students’ efforts and for ensuring that, under these unprecedented circumstances, students continue to reach their full potential.