Buck student's poem places in national event

A fourth-grade student at the William L. Buck Elementary School received national acclaim for his comparison of violence and compassion in the 2015 Kids Philosophy Slam.

Ivan Hostiuk received the National Fourth Grade 4th Place Award in the slam for his poem, “Violence.”

The contest’s organizers said that it aims to give young people a voice, and to inspire them to think critically by unlocking their intellectual and creative potential through a powerful philosophical forum.

Each year, more than 4,000 students are asked to write an essay or a poem regarding a philosophical question that changes with each contest. This year’s topic was “Violence or Compassion: Which has a greater impact on society?” Hotsiuk chose the former, citing the permanence of violent acts.