Teen receives award

PALMER -- A Palmer High School freshman last week claimed the prize in this year's Alaska Youth Court poster contest.

Sarah Jones won this year's award sponsored by the Alaska Court System and the Alaska Bar Association for a black and white photo printed showing a black chair -- a chair that looks as one of authority -- sitting vacant and slightly twisted to one side with the Stars and Stripes hanging limp in the background. The printed white words over what is a judge's bench reads, "Just think what would happen if this chair was always empty."

The significance of the contest was to emphasize youth court's importance to the future of the judicial system and also to help promote Law Day, which was May 1.

Above Jones' picture read, "Liberty is a two-way street, the importance of Judicial Independence."

"I honestly didn't think I was going to win," Jones said.

Jones said last-minute work was a key factor in her poster design.

"My first roll [of film] didn't work, then I got extra time to get a snapshot before it was due," Jones said.

The concept of Jones' picture compared to the others was indeed different. The other pictures, for the most part, showed everyday life in the judicial system, various staged shots of teens in courtroom situations. Jones' concept was to let the viewer think about what would happen if the judge's chair was empty, no one to interpret the law, and no way for this country to have the means to uphold the law.

"The picture and the words all kind of just fell into place," Jones said.