Woodhull Student Wins Award for Chat with Abe Lincoln
Any historian would probably be willing to pay any price for an opportunity to chat with Abraham Lincoln. But, since the 16th president died more than 143 years ago, that’s not possible. But, don’t tell that to Paul O’Beirne, a soon-to-be sixth grader at Woodhull Intermediate School, who won third place for his short story in the Huntington Youth Writes competition sponsored by Project Excel.
Mr. O’Beirne’s work is a funny story about an unplanned “meeting” he had with Mr. Lincoln near Madison Square Garden, as if the great orator was alive today. In one humorous passage, the student and the president attend a Knicks game together and Mr. Lincoln expresses amazement at the music, the sport and the cheerleaders.
“We left Dick’s and were now walking on 21st Street when Mr. Lincoln said, ‘What jobs do people have today?’” Mr. O’Beirne wrote in one passage. “I explained that there were many careers. I listed many jobs like salesman, computer programmer, TV repairmen, police officers, dentists, and electronic sales people. I told him, ‘Professional athletes make millions of dollars each year just playing in games. They make millions of dollars more from endorsements.’ I had to explain what that meant. I told him that actors and movie stars make millions too. He asked, ‘Why do they make more money than doctors and teachers who help people?’ I said, ‘Because they have agents and managers.’ Mr. Lincoln looked more and more surprised as he learned about what life is like today.”
“They go to a Best Buy store where Mr. Lincoln gets hooked on playing a Spiderman Xbox 360 game,” proud mother Donna O’Beirne said. “Throughout the story, Mr. Lincoln is in awe of what people wear, drive and use (cell phones, GPS).”
Mr. O’Beirne earned a handsome certificate, cash prize and goods associated with three raffles, including a Starbucks gift box, Best Buy gift card and a large tray of Bon Bons famous chocolates along with an assortment of gift certificates at local stores. “It was his night to shine,” Mrs. O’Beirne said with delight.
In addition to Mr. O’Beirne, Huntington’s honorees in the Project Excel competition included first place winners Nicolas Maiarelli and Laura Zenzerovich, runners-up Shannon Lee Connors, Katerra Griffin and Dylan DelGuidice and third place finisher John Foley.
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