On  March 7, the Delphi Community High School English department hosted their first annual This I Believe performance. Students read their winning essays in a well-orchestrated ceremony. This event subconsciously brought our community even closer together.

What is This I Believe? This I Believe was once a 50s radio program, run by journalist Edward R. Murrow, in which well-known people would voice their beliefs in reading thought-provoking essays. Names such as Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jackie Robinson made waves on speakers around the nation as people would gather around the radio to listen. Today, teachers challenge their students to write about their own beliefs so they may realize their voices do have value.

The Delphi English department was looking for a way to showcase students’ talents and also engage with the community. They found their answer in This I Believe. Mrs. Kreiling proposed this project to the other members of the department because of her success with it beforehand. “At my previous employer, we did the same program. The project was very well received, especially by the students who were excited about having the opportunity to write in a less academic format where they could have their own voice about something that mattered to them. The enthusiasm and the quality of work that I received was some of the best writing they had done all year long.”

The English teachers set their plan into action by tasking their classes with a simple prompt: Write about something you believe in. Every student was required to write the essay as a grade, but the goal was much more than a paper with a letter attached to it. The goal was to have students reflect on something they truly believed in and discover themselves. The outcome was nothing short of that. Ms. Isaacs was very impressed with her students: “I was in awe as I read their essays and I was truly moved by their words.”

After all the essays were handed in, teachers contemplated what would make a winning essay. They determined that a winning essay would have a well-written, engaging story with a powerful message. The department debated over the variety of essays but finally settled on the top four from each grade. “We were pleasantly surprised with the vast number of quality This I Believe essays we received,” Mrs. Tyner said. “The decision to select the top four essays at each grade level was difficult. The entire process was very rewarding and we are quite proud of all the essay winners.” Mr. Mroczkiewicz added, “Virtually all of the students wrote worthy essays that could have very easily been considered finalist material. All of the Delphi student body rose to the challenge, and our finalists should feel so very proud to have been at the head of that pack.”

This I Believe 2017 winning essayists

Freshman: Elizabeth Walker, Bryant Mays, Ensley Circle, and Andy Mendoza

Sophomore: Garret Workinger, Abigail Bieghler, Katey Roth, and Aaron Webb

Junior: Lauren Porter, Kristina Powlen, Emily Hudson, and Blaise Niles

Senior: Hannah Irelan (overall), Emilee Gear, Brooke Munson, and Kain Myer

Hannah Irelan explained how much being chosen as the overall winner meant to her: “Winning for me meant the justification of putting in the hard work and being creative and not having to follow a prompt. Just having the ability to voice my opinion without a direct grade attached, necessarily, was very cool.”

The English department put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the This I Believe event. They sat down with students one-on-one and discussed their essays with them. They also gave them tips on how to effectively speak in front of an audience, but were pleasantly surprised by what they learned from the students. “I realized that the way the essayists’ speeches sounded in my head was largely irrelevant,” Mr. Mroczkiewicz explained. By hearing the students read their essays, the teachers were able to understand the students’ messages as they were trying to convey them. “I was blown away by how the essayists not only just read their speeches, but performed them. The storytelling aspect of speaking they displayed was largely innate and also a sign of true talent.”

The chosen essayists weren’t the only students involved in the program, though. Mrs. Tonsoni worked toward having a flow to the ceremony by including intermissions between the classes of speakers. These acts included a Spoken Word poetry recital (performed by Cassidy Kelly, Kristina Powlen, Carly Resler, Luke Yoder, Emily Hudson, and Vanessa Reed), a video presentation (created by Hannah McCleskey and Amanda McCarty), and a piano performance (played by Bella McGill). “Every student that we approached to help in any facet of this program said yes immediately. Our students were more than willing to help. They put in the extra time without even a second thought.” The Culinary Arts department readily agreed to serve refreshments at the Opera House. The school’s print shop, run by Mrs. Pickering, was very accommodating as well by creating flyers, invitations, and programs. Mrs. Pickering even put an initiative into her own classroom by challenging her students to create the perfect logo for the event. This I Believe was truly a collaborative school effort.

Besides members of the school, this program had an overwhelming amount of support from our outside community. The Opera House, the setting of the affair, was offered free of charge. Sponsorships came from the Delphi Public Library, the Delphi Educational Foundation, and the Sandwich Shop. Other members of the community and small businesses contributed to the production as well. Contributions were made by Wabash National, Norm and Jane Miller, Psi Iota Xi, Patricia Brettnacher, Dogwood Kennels, All B Ques, Carroll County REMC, Deiwert Insurance, Designing Edge, Dr. Ryan K. Van Matre, and the Garden Gate Tea House. Speaking for the entire department, Mrs. Tonsoni expresses her gratitude for all the support This I Believe received: “We have an extremely generous community. Everybody that we approached about this project was more than willing to give support in whatever way they could. A lot of the businesses and clubs around town seemed especially excited to help promote something that revolved around academics.”

The performance came together perfectly. The ceremony flowed well and the student essayists spoke with charm and eloquence. All in attendance had nothing but praise for the occasion. Former choir director, Kevin Kayser, said, “It was a wonderful program and a really neat idea. The kids were very creative. It was like seeing a window into their souls and that was very cool.”  So many people showed up in support of this presentation. Parents, grandparents, and community members flooded the stands. There could not be a more perfect time for something so uniting to come along. “I feel completely rejuvenated,” Mrs. Circle shared at the after party. “All of the things going on lately, with all of the tragedy—I felt a weight lifted. I feel like the culture of Delphi, that Delphi Strong, that was tonight.”

Delphi’s first annual This I Believe program was a success. “Speaking for the entire English department, I’m not sure we could feel any better!” Mrs. Tonsoni shared. “We’re just thrilled with the talent of our students and how well they all performed. We feel great about the turn out. The community embraced the idea from the get-go and we heard more than once, after the program, that everyone thinks we should keep doing it, so we will definitely make this a tradition.”

The department’s motto from the beginning was “Students bringing people together-one essay at a time.” These Delphi students did just that.