When we first announced the Student Voices Project in 2013 we were wary of calling it a âwriting competition.â Quakers often bristle at that word, especially when itâs used around young people. It suggests an obligation of comparison that weâre simply not comfortable with, given that we believe in the spiritual equality of all people. The Student Voices Project aims to give space for and celebrate the writing of younger voices in our Quaker meeting and school communities. There are no winners and losers, rather âhonoreesâ and âparticipants,â which feels more truthful to me, anyway. But this year, we asked students to write about the very thing we chose to avoid naming: competition. I realize the irony in this, but couldnât resist the pitchâand we saw enough richness to explore that we dedicated the whole issue to this often ignored topic.
Language goes a long way with Friends. It seems that our aversion to the competitive way of being largely stems from how related words like âstatus,â âprestige,â and âsuccessâ are batted around in todayâs getâahead culture. The goal is to be better than your peers, no matter the damage done to others and even yourself. Beginning very early on, young people encounter this message in many aspects of their livesâin academics, student government, sports, club activities, and social media, to name just a few. Youâll see evidence of all of these in the 22 student essays weâve selected for this issue (10 are in the print edition and 12 more are online). Our honorees cite the mindful influence of Quakerism on how they choose to approach a potentially damaging instance of competition. That approach has much to do with an emphasis on joy and connection, an embrace of collaboration, a deep understanding of selfâworth, and remembering that Spirit is always there with us. This isnât an easy task! As honoree James Bradley writes, âCompeting to win and yet still representing Quaker values is a fine line to walk ⌠Developing the skills to walk this line is what I believe Quakerism is about: shining your Light wherever you go.â
To round out our issue, we didnât have to look far to find a Quaker with something to say about competition. Jon Watts, our colleague behind the QuakerSpeak lens, contributes an intentional and worshipful perspective on the wonderful world of sports and games. When Jon says, âI will play [any game], and I will try to beat you at it,â he really means it. The past few summers weâve enjoyed playing a quirky game called soccer tennis (a combination of soccer and volleyball played on a tennis court), and Iâve seen the focused yet generous energy Jon brings to friendly competition, elevating the level of play to spark better performance and mutual respect on both sides of the net. In the end, it really doesnât matter who wins, right?
But when the stakes are raised and the outcome of a competition feels life changing, how can we guide our young people away from what released minister Mark PrattâRussum calls âa desperate clamoring for status and attentionâ and toward âthe power and beauty of collaboration?â In his work with Quaker adolescents, heâs found a better way: first provide sanctuary and rest, then tap into the radical potential of Quakerism to spur counterâcultural action in the world. Weâre the carriers of a tradition that rejects the status quo; letâs all model that.
See you out on the court and in the world, Friends.