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14 spotlight on schools ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ June 2008Writing Center PresentsMortimer Levitt Awards(L-R) Author & TV actress, Carol Higgins Clark, the First Place High School Essay Winner,Kristy Khoury, film screenwriter, Bruce Jay Friedman, and First Place Marymount ManhattanCollege Winner, Casey Mauro.(L-R) Marymount Manhattan College’s Director of Special Programs, Bob Rimmer, author & TVactress, Carol Higgins Clark, author and Writing Center Director of MMC, Lewis Frumkes, andthis event’s benefactor, Mimi Levitt.By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.There is nothing quite so heartwarming as seeingyoung talented students singled out and recognizedfor their literary efforts. It encourages them alongthe paths they have chosen and validates their selfworth.This is exactly what happened the other nightat Marymount Manhattan College when LewisBurke Frumkes, director of the writing center, andhimself an eminent writer, presented five highschoolstudents and five Marymount College undergraduatescash prizes and certificates of merit at theMortimer Levitt essay contest awards ceremony.Frumkes then introduced speaker Bruce JayFriedman, whose short story “A Change Of Plan,”was made into “The Heartbreak Kid”, and whowrote the films “Splash,” “Stir Crazy,” and “SteamBath, as well as the play “Scuba Duba” and adozen novels. Friedman talked about the writinglife, about his life and how one must getused to the ups and downs in a writing career.Frumkes recalled how Bruce had once told himthat he had asked his good friend Mario Puzo ifhe couldn’t come up with a better title for a bookthan “The Godfather.” but fortunately for Puzo,said Frumkes, the publishers and movie producersdecided “The Godfather” was not really such a badtitle. The students also got to meet and talk to thebeautiful and talented best-selling suspense writerCarol Higgins Clark who also attended the awardsceremony and lauded the students for their fineachievements.The Mortimer Levitt high-school essay contestthis year “Would Prince Charming HaveSaved Sleeping Beauty If Her Name Was SleepingGreat Personality?” was won by Krista Khoury ofBrooklyn, New York, who received a $2500 checkfor her efforts and an ovation from the crowd asdirector Frumkes read her essay and chuckled outloud to all assembled. Even Bruce Jay Friedmanroared with laughter at Khoury’s essay and smiledover to Frumkes with a thumb’s up.#Pulitzer Prize Winners 2008By Joy ResmovitsThe sun shone for the 2008 Pulitzer Prizes onThursday May 29 as journalists, historians, poets,writers, novelists, and musicians were awarded forshedding light on American issues. The Prizes recognizeda wide range of subject matter—from LouisaMay Alcott’s relationship with her father to the implicationsof DNA testing; from a social experimentconcerning virtuoso violinist playing in a train stationto exposing mistreatments in a hospital.The Pulitzer Board presented the awards, inColumbia University’s Low Library. Under a domedceiling, winners and their guests were treated toa reception and an elaborate luncheon before thepresentation of the 92nd year of awards. Each prizeconsists of $10,000 and a certificate—and, of course,the coveted epithet of forever being a “Pulitzer prizewinningprofessional.”After being passed over entirely in 2007, theWashington Post swept the Pulitzer Prizes atThursday’s ceremony, garnering six Prizes. The Postwon the prestigious Public Service award, whichadditionally merits a gold medal, and in five otherareas: feature writing, national reporting, internationalreporting, commentary, and breaking news reporting.The Post won the breaking news prize for their coverageof the killing in Virginia Tech. The six-prize haulis the second largest awarded to a newspaper at once,trailing behind New York Times’ seven prizes forcoverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks.Also unique about Thursday’s awards were theduplicate citations both in poetry and investigativereporting. Bob Dylan received a special citation inmusic “for his profound impact on popular musicand American culture, marked by lyrical compositionsof extraordinary poetic power.” There haveonly been 38 such citations since 1917, and Dylanjoins the ranks of distinguished past recipients suchas George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. Last year,John Coltrane received the citation posthumously.Since Dylan was unable to attend the ceremony, hisson, film director Jesse Dylan, accepted the award onhis behalf.This ceremony marked the beginning of newleadership for the Pulitzers, since co-chairs Jay Harrisand Richard Oppel took the Pulitzer helm for the firsttime this year. In his opening speech, Oppel laudedthe public service aspect of journalism by citing thewords of Joseph Pulitzer, founder of the ColumbiaSchool of Journalism, the institution that hosts thePulitzer Prizes. Oppel said that while Pulitzer mightbe more remembered for his warmongering yellowjournalism, his true legacy is an unfettered commitmentto public service. Journalists are in charge ofupholding the American republic by holding institutionsaccountable. Though there has been much talkof the declining state of journalism with the rise ofblogging, Oppel said that “even in these dark times,”the work of the Pulitzer submissions provide him withhope that the field is still fulfilling its promise of servingAmericans. He noted that freedom of the presswas originally not part of the constitution. Duringstate ratification conventions, citizens would ratify thedocument only under the condition of a bill of rights,which guaranteed freedom of the press.#State Budget:Good News for New York CityBy Mayor MICHAELBloombergRecently State leaders approved a new budget—onethat helps pay for the essential servicesall of us rely on. New York City didn’t get everythingwe wanted or needed from Albany—andthere’s been plenty of coverage of that in thenews media. But the glass is a lot more than halffull—let me talk about what that means for NewYorkers.Most importantly, we succeeded in preservingthe State agreement to provide fair funding forNew York City public schools. That was in doubtback in January when the State’s original spendingplan was proposed. But the budget approvedlast week set things right by increasing Stateoperating funds to our schools by $100 million.It also gives us the discretion we need in decidinghow to spend that money. And the State’scommitment to pay half the costs of building andrenovating the City’s public schools was stronglyreaffirmed. With the largest school capital planin the city’s history well underway, that’s goodnews for our 1.1 million schoolchildren and forour taxpayers, too.State leaders also agreed to restore the revenuesharing funds that come to the City with nostrings attached. Last year, this aid to our City hadbeen reduced. The adopted budget now restores75% of these revenue sharing funds.In the areas of special education for prekindergartenstudents, juvenile justice, and publicassistance, proposals to shift costs that had traditionallybeen borne by the State onto the backsof City taxpayers were rejected. State leadersagreed to reforms that we had long sought thatwill allow the City to build major public worksprojects more quickly and efficiently, and at lessexpense. Also, the State tax on cigarettes willgo up by $1.25 per pack—and our experience inNew York City shows that that’s a proven way todiscourage young people from taking up smoking,and to protect them from heart disease andcancer later in life.Other decisions made in Albany weren’t aswise. State leaders prohibited us from consideringstudent performance data when we’re makingdecisions about granting or denying teachers thelifetime job protections of tenure. That gives NewYork the dubious distinction of being the onlystate in the nation with such an ill-consideredpolicy—one that seriously shortchanges studentsand parents. The State Assembly’s refusal to evenbring the Governor’s congestion pricing bill to avote was also enormously disappointing, and theeffects of that shortsighted decision will be feltfor decades to come.But congestion pricing was only one piece ofour broad, 127-item agenda for creating a greater,greener New York City. Now we’re movingahead aggressively on all our other initiatives tomake sure that our children inherit a city that’seven better than it is today. #Ron Brown Scholarships to 20African-American StudentsThe Ron Brown Scholar Program, the nation’sleading scholarship program for African-American youth, recently announced its 2008class of Scholars. Of the more than 5,600 applicationsreceived this year, only 20 were awardedthis honor. Founded in 1996 and named inhonor of the first African-American Secretaryof Commerce, the Ron Brown Scholar Programprovides students with the financial resources toattend some of the finest colleges and universitiesin the country, in addition to promoting outstandingservice opportunities for the next generationof promising African-American leaders.“Each year, I am continually impressed by thethousands of students who apply to become RonBrown Scholars,” said Michael Mallory, executivedirector of the Ron Brown Scholar Program.Ron Brown Scholars are selected on the basisof demonstrated academic excellence, leadershippotential, social commitment and financialneed. Some key highlights of the programinclude: More than half of Ron Brown Scholarsattend Ivy League universities; Two Ron BrownScholars were elected to be the First Marshalsof their Harvard University graduating classes,considered the highest honor bestowed uponan undergraduate; One Ron Brown Scholar hasbeen selected as a Truman Scholar and two RonBrown Scholars have been selected as finalistsfor the Rhodes Scholarship; Ron Brown Scholarsdedicate themselves to enriching lives in theirlocal communities and worldwide. For example,nine Ron Brown Scholars have conducted AIDSresearch and community service with the Instituteof Human Virology.With a 100% graduation rate, Ron BrownScholars go on to succeed in a variety of leadershippositions. From finance executives andtop lawyers, to award-winning playwrights andSupreme Court Justice clerks, they have publishedbooks and documentaries, appeared asexpert guests on radio and television, and beeninvited as speakers to numerous internationalconferences.“The selection process is rigorous, and eachyear the applicant pool grows in numbers andpotential,” said Robert Binswanger, formerDartmouth professor and Selection Committeemember. “It is increasingly difficult to select onlytwenty Ron Brown Scholars, and I consider it anhonor to meet these inspiring young people.”The 2008 Ron Brown Scholars are:Derrick Asiedu, Nanuet, NY, Spring ValleyHigh SchoolJocelyn T. Bell, Pittsburgh, PA, Woodland HillsHigh SchoolPeter A. Boyce, II, Bronx, NY, Stuyvesant HighSchoolDora I. Duru, Lynwood, CA, CaliforniaAcademy of Math & ScienceRaymond D. Grissom, Austell, GA, CampbellHigh SchoolKani M. Keita, Miami, FL, Miami KillianSenior High SchoolOsha Kondori, Washington, VA, RappahannockCounty High SchoolChristopher M. Lyle, Ocean Springs, MS,Ocean Springs High SchoolDaren W. Miller, St. Petersburg, FL, St.Petersburg High SchoolEthan G. Monreal-Jackson, Frisco, TX, FriscoHigh SchoolDesiree C. Montgomery, Lakeland, FL,Kathleen Senior High SchoolDiana A. Ofosu, San Antonio, TX,Communications Arts High SchoolBradley D. Pough, Deltona, FL, Deland HighSchoolAmanda M. Reid, Flagstaff, AZ, Flagstaff Arts& Leadership AcademyWilliam K. Stone, Jersey City, NJ, TheLawrenceville SchoolWilliam A. Tarpeh, Alexandria, VA, ThomasJefferson High School for Science & TechnologyChristopher J. Taylor, Blythewood, SC,Blythewood High SchoolKiah C. M. Thorn, Fort Worth, TX, All Saints’Episcopal SchoolRyan O. Williams French, Riverside, CA,Riverside Poly High SchoolBriana L. Wong, Kent, WA, Kentridge HighSchool#