A group of juniors who had written pro-green essays helped clean a part of the county on Earth Day.

Equity Group, a poultry processing plant in Clinton County, held an essay contest for Wayne County High School juniors, in which participants wrote about how their generation can contribute to the causes of conservation and environmental cleanliness. Each paper was judged by a panel from Equity Group on originality, relevance, and development.

 English teacher, Angela Sloan, who was partly responsible for organizing the contest, was very happy with the level of participation in the event.

 “The majority of the junior class was working on the same thing at the same time. There were discussions in the hall between different students as to what they were writing, and they were sharing ideas. One-hundred percent of my class participated, and most of the other English III classes can say the same.”

 An assembly was held on Earth Day to announce the three prize-winners as well as several honorable mentions. McKenzie Stinson took first place, Logan Anderson received second prize honors, and Presley Keith came in third – each winning a Wal-Mart gift card.

 After the winners were announced, Wayne County Solid Waste Coordinator, Tim Bell, talked with the students about the effects of littering.  All those that participated in the contest then went out to lunch at local restaurants before working together to pick up trash in the F and T area of Lake Cumberland.

 Tiffany Thompson, a junior who wrote one of the honorable mention essays said writing the essay was a learning experience for her.

“I came away with a greater respect for the planet,” Thompson stated.

The WCHS English Department is hoping to make the Earth Day essay contest an annual event.