Published Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, Gargoyle, student awards

This year's Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest, held as part of the University of Illinois' MLK Commemorative Symposium, asked area students to write a letter to King about where America is today with his dream of shared prosperity. Sophomores Shara Esbenshade and Michelle Gao finished among the top 10, and junior Benjamin Fu received an honorable mention. Esbenshade and Gao read their essays aloud as part of the MLK Community and Family Celebration held Jan. 21 in the lobby of the Krannert Center. The program ran from 2 to 5 p.m. They also received $50 gift certificates.

— Linda Song