Evening star., 1924-02-02
M'K|NLEY STUDENT
!. Wins STAR PRIZE
Richard D. NeWus Fourth in
! ''Best News Story"
: Competition.
CHOSE COOLIDGE APPEAL
= -
Considered Farm.Aid Plea of Out
standing Interest-Second
; Week Ends Today.
CHOSE COOLIDGE APPEAL

Richard D. Nevius. a student at
Mckinley Technical High School, was
s.djudged winner of the fourth and
Iiiial prize for the first contest week
Iu;The Stars best news story con-
test. The award was made today by
The committee of judges composed of
CditorS OF The Star. ~ check for IS,
the. amount of the fourth prize, has
been sent to Mr.. Nevfus with the COM
pliments of the managing editor of
The Star.
Mr.. Ncvius is sixteen years old and
lives at 512 Randolph street northwest
The essay which won the fourth prize
1or. him was based OH President
Coolidge's appeal to Congress for re-
i.ef for. the farmers in the northwest,
which appeared on. the first page of
Inc Star on January %.
1t is interesting to note that of the
Tour prizes awarded for the first con-
lest week, three OF them were won
IVY girls. NeviuS is the only boy who
was among the prize winners tor the
aFst contest week.
Second Week Ends Today.
Tho second contest week ends to-
uaN. All essays should be III the mail
belorc noon Monday. Essays post
marked later than tnat time will not
. rDc considered.
The following statement in regard
10 the four prize winning essays has
Decn made by the three members of
the editorial staff of The Star who
;-cted as Judges in the contest: 4
variety of considerations entered in
To the decision as the me rits of the
essays submitted, and must neces-
Sartly enter into decisions for the
subsequent weeks. A few brief COM
1hents on the qualities which resulted
N the nrSt weeks awards may be
helpful to contestants submitting es-
says in the future.
The first prize winner picked the
story of the bureau OF engraving and
printing scandal. This story un-
houbtediy had been eagerly waited
Tor by many thousands of Washing
tonians for long time, and, while
certain other news events had a
greater national Importance. few could
surpaSs its local interest Moreover. the
essay as to its value was exceilently
done.
Foreign News Important.
\ realization of the international
end humaniStic Importance of the
story OF the makeup of the new
British cabinet, which realization
win the second prize. Too often
arc readers overinterested in some
thrilling or intriguing loca! event
not of any real Importance. and too
>
with Scant attention foreign news
which, in the final analysis, directly
concerns America.
Perhaps no essay so far submitted
could serve better as model for
Just what The Star wants from its
scholastic readers than that which
won third prize and which picked the
story of the death and career of Lenin
:, Us the best news story of the week.
I'or this reason, as we'll as for the
real Importance OF the story and the
reasons adduced as to that importane,
the essay was included in the winning
four.
Decision Was Difficult.
Phat young person was sufIi-
ci1ntiy interested in economics to
grasp the vitality Of the story about
president Coolidge requesting of Con-
5ress five important steps to aid the
farmers of the United States of it
SELF was recopmendation to. the
along excellent lines, and subject and
treatment combined resulted in the
award of fourth prize. 5 Cd.
Decision as to the four winners was
difficult and lengthy, especially for
fourth place, as there were Il number
of almost equal merit. 1t may have
been noticed by those interested in
the contest that no wilmer picked the
news about the naval oil scandal
This was undoubtedly the story of
the greatest national Importance.
Although 1T was series of stories
rather than a single article, the eli
max was, of course, the unexpected
testimony of Mr.. Doheny to the effect
that he had loaned Mr.. Fall 100000,
which news was first carried in The
star last Thursday. Several essays
well above the average in quality
selected this series Of events. yet no
one singled out the proper climax,
while the exposition as to the merits
OF the series was not quite adequate.