Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Wants Meeting with Students

Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker has requested an audience with students on the Renton High School speech and debate team after learning that several of the students used Walker's books as inspiration to win the Washington state speech and debate championship held last weekend. Walker, whose prize winning novel The Color Purple was made into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Ophra Winfrey, will be in Seattle on Thursday, March 24 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center as part of the YWCA 2005 Benefit Luncheon.

After reading an article about Renton High's team on the front page of the Sunday edition of The Seattle Times, the director of the YWCA sent the article to Walker's publicist. Walker was impressed with the students' work and loved the idea that her writings - such as her novel Meridian, which takes a powerful look at racism - were used as part of the student presentations.

Students on the school's speech and debate team have worked hard in this their first year of competing. They committed themselves to perfecting their craft, often staying after school until 7 p.m. to practice. The hard work and belief in themselves has paid off. Not only are they the state champions, but three of the students will compete in the national high-school speech and debate tournament in Philadelphia in June.

Read The Seattle Times story.