Lizzie Martinez

Senior reporter

Freshman Sami Keim’s challenge to the class of 2012 won her recognition at the Sept. 2 convocation and a free semester’s worth of books. Keim won first place in the third annual freshman summer creative project contest.

The contest encourages incoming freshman students to submit a work responding to the Colloquium book, “Three Cups of Tea.”

Keim wrote an essay entitled “A Call to Action,” asking Linfield students, especially the freshman, to step out of their comfort zone and follow in Greg Mortenson’s footsteps.

“A lot of people read about other people, but one of the biggest problems I see is that nobody does anything,” Keim said. “I am challenging people to do something.”

She encouraged students to donate

$1 to Mortenson’s crusade to bring education to remote regions of the Middle East. In some regions, as little as $1 per day can pay a teacher’s daily salary.

“I think people, especially college students, get consumed with what they’re doing at the moment,” Keim said. “It doesn’t take much time to help people.”

Freshman Alyssa Peterson won second place and a $100 gift certificate to the Linfield bookstore. Her PowerPoint presentation, “A Key to Peace is Education,” emphasized the radical effect education has on people’s lives.

Two other students were awarded Recognition Awards and $50 gift certificates to the bookstore. Freshman Jenna Johnson was recognized for her complementary essay and painting titled “A Journey of Many Steps,” pictured to the right. Freshman Hilary Hastings also earned an award for her essay, “The Power of Five,” detailing the five things she learned from the text. ”