Annually, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or the VFW, hosts a few competitions for middle and high school students. One of these is the Voices of Democracy contest. The writing contest is designed to encourage students to be patriotic and reflect on their beliefs.
This year, the contest featured the prompt, “How are you showing patriotism and support for our country?” North sophomore Aarush Parikh, inspired by a poster in the library, submitted to the prompt. Parikh felt strongly about this prompt given his life experiences. His essay details the various acts of service he participates in, as well as the daily challenges he experiences. He connects these experiences to his definition of patriotism.
“Well, I felt like, as someone who does a lot of community service and tutoring, I would have a strong message for the contest,” said Parikh. “I also really resonated with last year’s theme too, even though I didn’t do that essay. So that’s what inspired me to [submit].”
Parikh won at the St. Charles Post of VFW. After this win, his essay moved on to a district level. At the district level competition, Parikh placed fifth. After the win, Parikh attended the VFW banquet, where he was presented with a certificate for his win.
Parikh’s take on patriotism is not what one would expect given today’s political climate. Politics lies in a very divisive spot right now, but Parikh does not view showing patriotism as large acts to cause immediate change.
“To me, patriotism is not just about a flag or an anthem. It is a choice repeated in small, ordinary ways: the choice to listen, to learn, to fix what is broken, to stand for those in need of help,” wrote Parikh in his essay.
