Annual William S. Schweers, Sr. Essay Contest All-time winners
1999/2000
Topic: “Should gun manufacturers be held legally accountable for crimes committed with their products?”
| 1st Place | Shelah Sterling Cornell High School |
| 2nd Place | Anthony Markovich Hampton High School |
| 3rd Place | Yonina Fabian Yeshiva School |
Date of Presentation: February 17, 2000
The Grand Ballroom, Westin William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
2000/2001
Topic: “Under what circumstances should a person under the age of 18, who commits a crime, be punished as an adult?”
| 1st Place | Celeste Pagano North Catholic High School |
| 2nd Place | Carley Nuzzo Hampton High School |
| 3rd Place | Kelly Ann Nagy Deer Lakes High School |
Date of Presentation: February 15, 2001
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
2001/2002
Topic: “Should reparations be paid by the United States government to the descendants of salves?”
| 1st Place | Connor Lamb Central Catholic High School |
| 2nd Place | Christopher Payne Fox Chapel High School |
| 3rd Place | Julia Kiefer Hampton High School |
Date of Presentation: February 21, 2002
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
2002/2003
Topic: “Should the Fourth Amendment right to privacy from warrantless and unreasonable searches and seizures, the Sixth Amendment right to an attorney with whom one may communicate privately, and the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial by an impartial jury of one’s peers be accorded to individuals suspected of terrorism who are not American citizens?”
| 1st Place | Rachel Jakab Hampton High School |
| 2nd Place | Clyde Ledbetter, Jr. Oliver High School |
| 3rd Place | Danielle Carter Perry Traditional Academy |
Date of Presentation: February 13, 2003
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Michael D. Fisher
2003/2004
Topic: “Recently, a controversy has developed between music companies and Internet downloaders concerning the unauthorized appropriation of copyrighted music. Are the downloaders "freedom fighters" or "thieves"? Should Congress intervene?”
| 1st Place | Clyde Ledbetter, Jr. Oliver High School |
| 2nd Place | Richard Salvatori Seton LaSalle High School |
| 3rd Place | Jill Mazur Seton LaSalle High School |
Date of Presentation: February 19, 2004
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
2004/2005
Topic: “Should the United States be allowed to use methods of torture, which are banned by international law, to get information from suspected terrorists?”
| 1st Place | Scott Baxter Mt. Lebanon High School |
| 2nd Place | Chris Blanchard Hampton High School |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Kaylen Davidson |
Date of Presentation: February 17, 2005
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Thomas M. Hardiman
2005/2006
Topic: “Should the Government Fund Stem Cell Research?"
| 1st Place | Whitney White Stack North Allegheny Senior High School |
| 2nd Place | Amanda Erhardt Hampton High School |
| 3rd Place | Kara Zang Hampton High School |
Date of Presentation: February 16, 2006
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Joy Flowers Conti
2006/2007
Topic: “In these times when our country is engaged in conflict against terrorism, how important is an independent judiciary?"
| 1st Place | Elise Liu Fox Chapel High School |
| 2nd Place | Rachel E. Fabi Mt. Lebanon High School |
| 3rd Place | Josh Kalla Shadyside Academy |
Date of Presentation: February 22, 2007
The Allegheny Ballroom, Westin Convention Center Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Arthur J. Schwab
2007/2008
Topic: “Private Rights in Conflict with Public Safety & Family Interests: In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, should a prospective student’s health and disciplinary records be made a part of the academic record available to the university/college? Under what circumstances should the university/college be obligated to inform parents/guardians about the mental health and disciplinary issues involving students while on campus?”
| 1st Place | Hannah Gold Hampton High School |
| 2nd Place | Michael Schwartz Taylor Allderdice High School |
| 3rd Place | Matthew Redshaw Hampton High School |
Date of Presentation: February 21, 2008
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Nora Barry Fischer
2008/2009
Topic: “Should the United States abandon its long-standing tradition of affording citizenship to all persons born within its borders, whether or not their parents are legal residents of this country?”
| 1st Place | Eric Wasserman Stern Allderdice High School |
| 2nd Place | Rachel Isaacs Baldwin High School |
| 3rd Place | Scott Wasserman Stern Allderdice High School |
Date of Presentation: February 26, 2009
The Grand Ballroom, Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Arthur J. Schwab