Jawaher Korichi, 17, from Columbus, Ohio, responded to an article headlined “Official Death Toll From Hajj Pilgrimage Climbs Into the Hundreds.” She wrote:
As a Muslim, those words pierce my soul, but as a Saharan, I’m not surprised. People don’t appreciate how deadly the desert is. I humbled myself, however, after reading that those hundreds struck down by the heat during Hajj season did not lack knowledge, but funds.
My paternal family never has to worry about affording any religious journey, let alone dying during it. They are comfortable and can stroll between the sacred mountains of Safa and Marwa. They could book a hotel instead of staying in a flimsy tent or lodging area, although the former lacks the modest charm associated with pilgrimage in the first place. Afterward, they can pick up gifts while exiting Saudi. I once received a glimmering blue dress.
My maternal family is different. My mother’s aunt on her first-ever Umrah; a smaller, more accessible religious journey. Facetiming us late one night, she smiled wearily showing us where she slept, an overcrowded room with yellowed walls. My mother warned of the heat; like most pilgrims pictured here, she is more than elderly. It is unlikely she will bring back anything besides her sanctification.
I’m going to Umrah this December. I’m grateful to do so. I’m also grateful for these authors revealing why so many die during Hajj. They bring to light how these people aren’t ignorant, but victims of price-gouging and predatory tourism companies taking advantage of pious people. People like my mother’s aunt.
Runners-Up
In alphabetical order by the writer’s first name.
Adam Liao on “Some Words Feel Truer in Spanish”
Annalise Huang on “Today’s Teenagers Have Invented a Language That Captures the World Perfectly”
Grace Xie on “Whirlwind Romances Are Not Reserved for Thin Women”
Jiachen Cao on “With Each Basket Steph Curry Shoots, I Inch Closer to Death”
Kanishk Dasgupta on “Well Beyond the U.S., Heat and Climate Extremes Are Hitting Billions”
Mara Gualtieri-Horowitz on “Supreme Court Upholds Law Disarming Domestic Abusers”
Oz Susskind on “The Very Online Afterlife of Franz Kafka”
Sabrina Baru Valdez on “How Venice Might Remake Itself as a Contemporary Art Hub”
Yihan Yoon on “How to Talk to Someone With Alzheimer’s”
Ziming Cheng on “A School With 7 Students: Inside the ‘Microschools’ Movement”
Honorable Mentions
Anya Wang on “This Is Peak College Admissions Insanity”
Brianna Liu on “Workers Shouldn’t Have to Risk Their Lives in Heat Waves”
Claire Dong on “A Sock War Is Afoot Between Millennials and Gen Z”
Emma Fennell on “No, I Don’t Want to Protest”
Jason Lu on “Enough With the Fireworks Already”
Julia Weissman on “Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis”
Sophie on “A.I. Is Getting Better Fast. Can You Tell What’s Real Now?”
Yehui Feng on “Our Pandemic Puppy Brought Pure Joy. Losing Him, Pure Heartbreak.”
Yihan Tang on “Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms"
Yujin Lee on “Today’s Teenagers Have Invented a Language That Captures the World Perfectly”
