分类： 赛事资讯

我们通过发表论文来表彰学生 STEM 写作比赛的前八名获奖者。这是Varun Fuloria的。

不朽的水母”可以变回息肉，重新开始生活。相关文章信用。。。村井隆

这篇文章由15岁的Varun Fuloria撰写，来自加利福尼亚州圣何塞的哈克学校。，是学习网络第三届年度STEM写作比赛的前八名获奖者之一，我们收到了3，564份参赛作品。

我们的获奖者之一亚历山德拉·斯特林布（Alexandra Strimbu）评论了联合广场附近的Num Pang三明治店，称其为“一个微型风味工厂，空气中弥漫着温暖的民族气味”。 信用李昌文/《纽约时报》

早在十月份，我们就要求青少年走出去体验对他们来说很陌生的文化作品，然后为我们的第一次评论比赛写下它。

超过1，600名学生接受了我们的邀请，而且，由于我们的规则规定他们可以选择《纽约时报》审查的任何类型的创意作品，下面你会发现来自“南方”的所有内容。 公园“到莫扎特;美国航空公司的机上餐食，关于杰弗里·达默的图画小说;一款“瓦解其他RPG的流动道德”的视频游戏，到华伦天奴成衣秀 “交织了非洲和意大利的多元文化”。

恭喜我们的九位获奖者、九位亚军和 22 位荣誉奖，按字母顺序排列如下。

获奖评论

• Toby Berggruen, “‘Futurity': Innovative Exploration of the Civil War”
• Rachel Liu, “Falling, Failing, Flying”
• Matthew Mandel, “Synecdoche, New York – Charlie Kaufman’s Global Oracle”
• Rayna Perry, “Student Short Film Leaves Longlasting Impression”
• Sean Sawyer, “ ‘Undertale’ Video Game Review”
• Kristina Schafer, “ ‘My Friend Dahmer': The Young Life of a Murderer”
• Maya J. Sekhar, “Man of Mystery – A Sherlock Review”
• Alexandra Strimbu, “Break The Routine With A Num Pang Bang”
• Ella Weeks, “Leaving Listeners Wiped Out! with Emotions”

亚军

• Labiba Chowdhury, “Transforming The Black Narrative One Exhibition At a Time”
• Anna Cox, “ ‘Gone’ Series a Riveting Page Turner”
• Joaquin, “Blindness: A Blindfolded Expedition”
• Kathryn Lori, “Jurassic World”
• Kirin Mueller, “Black and Brown Stories Matter: ‘Show and Prove’ by Sofia Quintero”
• Gregory Nemesdy, “Black Mass Review”
• Max Oppenheimer, “I Am Malala”
• Sydney Sackett, “‘Deathstalker,’ a Space Opera to Outspace Them All”
• Chelsea Schroeder, “Book Review: How ‘All The Bright Places’ Changed My Life”

荣誉奖

• Alexis, “American History Gets a New Sound”
• E. M. Brenner, “ ‘Spectre’ Leaves the Audience Shaken, not Stirred”
• C@tie, “Review: ‘Annie and Friends,’ A Modern Twist on a Timeless Classic”
• Ella DeMerritt, “Of Miniature Houses and Broken Radios”
• Graham Deubner, “A Night with Mozart and the New York Philharmonic”
• Jed Dewey, “Gordo: Pure Gold”
• Mary Margaret Evanek, “ ‘Madam Secretary': Impacts of Female Leadership”
• Mateo Guynn, “David Guggenhiem’s ‘He Named Me Malala’ Doesn’t Do Justice to Its Subject”
• Lucas Hanson, “ ‘Hawken': Another Installment in the Free-to-Play Saga”
• Emily Holmquist, “ ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt': A Naïve Fish Out of Water”
• Tanner Huff, “More Than Just a Solid Game”
• ICoates, “Small Pill, Large Punch”
• Tomi Kennedy, “ ‘Jurassic World': A Monstrous Disappointment”
• Chase Moriarty, “Chicken or Pasta?”
• Grace Pulliam, “We All Know What You Did Last Summer”
• Onanma Okeke, “Review: Valentino Ready-To-Wear Spring 2016″
• Bailey Ottley, “An Interview Worth Seeing”
• Kedar Ramanathan, “A Look Back at N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ ”
• Rayner Reinhardt, “‘Scream Queens': Hilariously Good or Horrifically Bad?”
• Tristan, “ ‘South Park’ Analysis”
• Kenneth Vargas, “Ordinary People Can Change the World”
• Noah Young, “A Journey Underground”

评委: Richard Adams, Amanda Christy Brown, Georgia Faust, Michael Gonchar, Annissa Hambouz, Shira Katz, Katherine Schulten and Kate Spence-Ado.

Ella Weeks, age 14

Entitled “Wiped Out!,” The Neighbourhood’s latest album makes a splash. This Californian band, known for wrapping together jazzy textures, smashing beats, indie style, moody lyrics and the raspy voice of Jesse Rutherford, has got the attention of both teenage girls and alternative music fans. Released on October 30th, “Wiped Out!” doesn’t fail to address signature themes of California, the beach and Rutherford’s father and ex-girlfriends — yet explores an unexpected direction for the band.

Press play, and you’ll find you’ve paid $1.29 for 34 seconds of silence. Whether for respect or to prolong the wait for the highly anticipated release, it starts off with the mysterious and somewhat appalling “Moment of Silence.” The album then plummets into a four-song mini-collection (“Prey,” “Cry Baby,” “Wiped Out!,” and “The Beach”) of Rutherford’s identity-induced pain — something surprising for listeners. He sings, “I got the pressure that’s pushing my buttons and making me think about death,” in “Wiped Out!” and “I’m sick and I’m tired too…/ I hope I don’t murder me / I hope I don’t burden you” in “The Beach.” Although Rutherford’s lyrics feel earnest, they’re harsh for the more casual listener.

But the album then dips into the band’s more familiar side with songs like: “Daddy Issues,” a velvety ode to Rutherford’s deceased father; “Greetings from Califournia,” a haunting and bass-heavy piece not unlike “Let it Go” off their 2012 EP “Thank You”; and closing track “R.I.P. 2 My Youth,” the sinister hit about the band’s death of innocence. These songs rekindle the classic, melodious sounds of The Neighbourhood, as does “Baby Came Home 2 / Valentines,” the standout sequel to “Baby Came Home” off their breakout EP “I’m Sorry….” “She was five foot four with some money on the floor in a box that’s hidden under her bed / I was only twenty-two with a pocket full of truth but I gave her everything that I had,” Rutherford writes. The combination of mysterious lines and aching guitar chords give the sequel the sensuality and pain of the very relationship it’s written about.

Overall, the album adds a new flavor of distress. But the incorporation of the band’s styles isn’t as strong as it was on their last album “I Love You,” and neither are the lyrics. While some painful lines require a less casual listener to be enjoyed, the album’s seamless tone outweighs complaints. The sounds are heavy, moody, intoxicating and catchy; The Neighbourhood is still as captivating as ever. “Wiped Out!” evokes the feeling of being young, emotional and reckless underneath California’s palm trees — even for those who have never visited the state.

Alexandra Strimbu, age 17

Not many people like out-of-the-ordinary, especially New Yorkers. We get our bagel at the same bodega every day, shop in the same borough every week, hang out at the same park every weekend. We don’t like to go out of our way much because we’re busy trying to get somewhere else — but when we stumble across something amazing, we drop the routine and savor the spontaneity of the experience.

On Friday nights, I typically head to a Chipotle to finish off the week with a burrito bowl. So when I turned on 12th Street, I did not expect to find Num Pang Sandwich Shop right next to the place that awaited me. It was tiny, but it caught my eye because of the bright graffiti and the little line that definitely made me rethink mainstream “Mexican” food. But calling it a small sandwich shop was an understatement. Upon entering, I realized the place was a miniature flavor factory with warm, ethnic scents dancing in the air with the music that played under the soft lighting.

The sandwich menu went beyond a New York BLT — Hoisin Meatballs, Coconut Tiger Shrimp, and Ginger Barbecue Brisket were only some of the mouthwatering items listed above me. There was also a section on the menu that listed rice bowls, and since that was my original mission, I ordered one with roasted chicken. The colorful juices displayed before me also prompted me to buy their Sweet Mango juice.

The bowl was larger than I expected, and was filled with colorful vegetables, chili yogurt and chive lime vinaigrette that sat upon the chicken and jasmine rice. The flavor factory truly worked its magic into every single bite. The chicken was lightly seasoned and didn’t take away from the vegetables or dressings, which were perfectly balanced by the warm jasmine rice. The mango juice added just the right touch to the food, providing an oasis of sweetness when I took a break from the artistic blend of spices on my fork. If Chipotle and halal food had a baby, that food baby wouldn’t compare to that Cambodian rice bowl I had not intended to buy that Friday night. I could juice my own mangoes at home, but my product would taste nowhere as refreshing as that Sweet Mango juice did.

New Yorkers have been globally labeled busybodies thriving on the same old, same old. But Num Pang is not the same old ethnic food. Sometimes, having a spontaneous change of mind can really open your comfort zone in ways you’ve never tasted. Num Pang’s ambience and cuisine is both spontaneous and inviting — two ingredients for any dish that’s worth remembering.

Maya J. Sekhar, age 14

I’ve scrutinized the novellas, screened the spinoffs, and although the beloved and brilliant Sherlock Holmes has stood the test of time, I will have to agree with co-director Stephen Moffat in saying, “[He] hasn’t grown old — his times [have].”

Classic canons, the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have become a commodity in the movie industry — replicable mysteries, they are a dime-a-dozen. Would Cumberbatch be the inordinately tame John Barrymore? Or would the series turn into a 48-frame-per-second, Guy Ritchie piece? Naturally, I was dubious upon entering the series.

Oh, how wrong I was. Taking place in modern-day London, a young Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) shares a flat with John Watson (Martin Freeman) at 221b Baker Street. Watson runs a blog and Sherlock a website. A smartphone is glued to Holmes’ side for rapid referral, and forensic science is utilized to deduce. Goodbye, telegraphs. Welcome to the 21st century, Sherlock.

However, when an incognito bomber strikes Baker Street, the blasé Sherlock is roused from a state of intellectual-boredom, and engaged in an intense, phrenic match, as well as a race to save or sacrifice a multitudinous number of lives. Subsequently, a safe was found, revealing a phone and letter that would explain the madness. Moriarty, an old nemesis, was also consumed by ennui. “I’m bored,” he cackled, “we were made for each other, Sherlock!”

Their game of cat-and-mouse went accordingly…. First, a Londoner would be held hostage by the criminal-mastermind, strapped to a bomb. An image, indicating a clue pertaining to a proposed case, would be sent to Holmes’ mobile. An esoteric message is conveyed from the bomber, through the victim. If the conundrum can be cracked within the allotted time, a person is spared. If not, he or she is blown to smithereens. BLAM!

In nine hours…
Death by botulism is divulged.

In eight hours…
An insurance fraud is exposed.

In seconds…
An art heist is unveiled.

Suspense aside, the complexity and relatability of the characters, was intriguing enough to keep me hooked. Tall versus small, social versus sociopath — the contrast and chemistry of Watson and Sherlock is worth every moment. The superiority of this adaptation is found in Masterpiece’s construction of Holmes.

He tells an officer, “I’m not a psychopath, I’m a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.”

Cumberbatch is a strikingly rash, yet vulnerable Sherlock — causing viewers to question Holmes’ motivations and mental-soundness, tugging heartstrings along the way. “Listen, what I said before John, I meant it,” he would mutter, “I don’t have friends; I’ve just got one.”

One 90-minute-mystery is never enough. This cerebral-thriller will have young and old on the couch for the weekend, unable to pull away, hankering for more.

Kristina Schafer, age 17

Monster. Serial killer. Sicko. I think of these images when I hear the name Jeffrey Dahmer. The terms are, unfortunately, fitting descriptions of who… rather, what… he came to be. In “My Friend Dahmer,” author Derf Backderf exposes the adolescent journey of one of the most famed serial killers of our time, from Dahmer’s collecting roadkill as a middle-schooler to his committing murder as a newly graduated high school senior.

I picked up this graphic novel expecting a creepy back story of a murderer — in all, seventeen young men lost their lives to his bloodlust. Instead, I was shocked to find this reality: his path could have turned in a different direction if the adults in his life had been conscious to his condition. Growing up in the 1970s, Dahmer’s world was a bitter hell. He struggled with mental instability that drove him to private insanity as a teenager. His homosexuality was a plague worse than paralysis in an unaccepting era. And as his family split apart at home, Dahmer’s descent into darkness became so evident that it affected his friends — including Backderf, Dahmer’s high school classmate. The isolation of Dahmer at school and failure on the part of his adult figures led him to find grisly methods to satisfy the emotional release he so badly needed.

Backderf captures the early days of Dahmer’s downward slope toward the brink with startling truth and blunt accuracy. This firsthand account of Dahmer’s teenage world is expertly framed by artwork drawn in an awkward, stiff and knobby style, reflecting the insecurities of this time period in Dahmer’s life. The shots of each panel play out with smooth synchronicity, like a movie. And what better color scheme to paint the portrait of a fractured existence than the heavy shadows of black and gray? The writer realized this idea by drenching his world in monochrome.

This book was constantly in my hands until I had taken in every last picture and word. It grabbed my attention and held it until the end, and even now the story sends shivers down my spine. Because Dahmer was misunderstood, it was too easy for his condition to be overlooked. Backderf led me to see this insidious kind of tragedy: not of a troubled youth, but of an ignorant world. Dahmer devolved from human to monster when people turned away. After reading this, I was no longer tempted to be oblivious. This book leaves its handprint on the reader, no matter their background, walk of life or social standing. Dahmer’s tale is a striking one. “My Friend Dahmer” is an intriguing and disturbingly entertaining read for anyone willing to enter one of history’s darkest minds.

Sean Sawyer, age 14

In a market where originality and innovation are rare, Toby Fox’s “Undertale” achieves with one person and $50,000 what no multimillion dollar publisher could. This game is absolutely overflowing with personality, and people have taken notice. At the time of writing, this game is ranked 11th in Best PC Games of All Time on Metacritic, alongside such prestigious titles as “Half-Life 2,” “BioShock” and “Skyrim.” These are games by some of the most skilled designers, programmers and artists with practically infinite budgets, and one quirky little indie game manages to compete with them.

At first glance, the main gimmick of “Undertale” is that the player can choose to kill or spare their enemies in combat. Not unique, considering how many games have similar morality systems. “BioShock,” “Fallout,” “Mass Effect,” and “Dishonored” all come to mind, but “Undertale” manages something none of these games had. None of these games legitimately get me to be a good person, and I don’t feel bad about doing terrible things in them. “Undertale” is the first game to make it painful to be a bad person.

When I started out, I played this game like I would any RPG. I didn’t bother talking to other characters, thinking that they would probably just give me useless information. I killed the enemies that I came across, watching them disintegrate into dust in the same wholesome way that I had come to expect from RPGs. I found out later that for most people, the fight against Toriel (the mother figure who adopts you at the beginning of the story) was a turning point in their playthrough, where they started sparing everyone they could. I didn’t have that realization. I killed Toriel, not because I particularly wanted to, but because I thought it was the way to progress the story. The whole game went on like this, and the experience was short, lonely and depressing.

At this point, I looked into it some more, breaking my usual rule of not reading about a game while still playing it. I had to have missed something, right? In forum posts and reviews of the game, I found plenty of people who had done the same thing as I did. I started a pacifist playthrough, and finally I realized why people loved this game so much. The characters who I killed last time without a second thought were now friends, and the game seemed to be full of excitement and humor. There was value in being good beyond a few extra points on a karma meter. “Undertale” dismantles the fluid morality of other RPGs and replaces it with a system where the player’s actions have real, substantial consequences.

Rayna Perry, age 16

The student produced short film “Home,” recently screened at the Savannah Film Festival, follows the story of an elderly Chinese migrant worker, watching over an abandoned construction site, scheduled for demolition. On his last day at the site, a young girl wanders into his midst, and briefly breaks through the old man’s closed off demeanor. The film is entirely in Chinese with English subtitles, yet this hardly comes as a distraction to the viewer in ways that subtitles often can. The calm pacing and stunning cinematography mirror that of the lotus pond that rests in the center of the construction site, and acts somewhat as a centerpiece to the film itself.

The chemistry of the characters stems not from what they have in common, but in how they differ. The elderly man lives a life of tedium, and struggle, while life to the young city girl, no older than six, is currently one new discovery after another. “Home” takes its original exploration of homelessness and poverty in modern day China to an even deeper level, as the characters are united by a common search for love and belonging. The elderly man spends most of his time away from family due to the nature of his work, and the young girl is isolated by the unhealthy relationship of her parents.

The film attaches the audience to the fleeting bond between the main characters, but in a way that serves to share or inform, rather than relate to those watching the film. Even with the strong emotional pull, the abrupt and almost indifferent ending reminds the viewers that they are, indeed, only spectators. The conflict between the sobering reality of the characters and the audience’s desire to see them meet a happy ending truly caused “Home” to stick with festival goers, even after seeing over a dozen other short films within that hour.

The story candidly tackles universal themes of poverty, loneliness and abandonment, contrasted with those of adventure, and unlikely friendships, without rushing or overloading the viewer. The visual and written aspects of the film are balanced out, so as not to sacrifice a good plot for the sake of showcasing beautiful cinematography, or vice versa.

Not only does this standout student film expertly tell the story of a young girl and an elderly man meeting by spontaneous chance, “Home” prompts audiences to question the true definition of the word.

Matthew Mandel, age 16

As the directorial debut of Charlie Kaufman, notable writer of such universally praised movies as “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich,” “Synecdoche, New York” stands as Kaufman’s first opportunity to step out of the writer’s chair and take the reigns of an entire theatrical release, giving him full artistic license regarding the film’s story line, characters and overarching theme. Kaufman took advantage of this through his commentary on the mind-set of the information age and where society is headed into the future. “We’re all hurtling toward death, yet here we are for the moment, alive; each of us knowing we’re going to die, each of us secretly believing we won’t,” says Caden Cotard, a fragile, anxious playwright, and the protagonist of “Synecdoche, New York,” played by Philip Seymour-Hoffman.

In the film, Caden is awarded a MacArthur grant, which allows him to finally produce a masterwork which allows him to portray a pure representation of his inner workings (much like Kaufman with this movie). Unfortunately for Caden, this feat will cost him his career and his concentration, as he attempts to recreate every real-world conflict with thousands of actors and scenes within the play. All the while, he deals with issues of romance, fatherhood and aging, fully aware of the results of his every decision and the inevitability of death. Charlie Kaufman utilizes this deeply cognizant character to reflect not only himself, but also everyone living in the information age.

In this all-too-nearing future, constant access to public opinion and social ridicule leaves Caden overly self-aware, to the point where he questions his every move and action in the entire movie. He allows his eye for perfection within his play do a number to his physical health, neglecting his humanity for the sake of that which he wishes to share with the world. Could this, too, be the fate of humanity? Doomed to inevitably create our own ideal worlds, where all conflicts reflect our own perspectives, to a degree of tunnel vision wherein we begin to disregard our surroundings? This corresponds both with the director and users of social media, as posts and statuses may be perfected to portray to the world one’s best self, whether or not this may be their candid self. A book could be written on the detailed level of allegory utilized in this film, but the best place to begin searching is within the title “Synecdoche, New York.” Caden creates his own synecdoche, or a part meant to represent the whole, within his uncannily intricate depiction of the world at large. One thing is for sure, Charlie Kaufman’s 2008 treasure is sure to perplex, and allow for some deep introspection and self acceptance.

Rachel Liu, age 13

“Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson.”

The authors David Levithan and John Green (infamously nerdy YA authors of the century) piece together the confusion of meeting someone else with your name and a hilariously realistic comedy featuring a big gay guy, his best friend, another gay guy, and the most fabulous play to ever grace the high school stage.

Will 1 is stuck. He’s stuck in school, life, and also with Tiny Cooper, who is his (only if you must) best friend. He copes by following two simple but catastrophic rules: 1 —Don’t care too much. 2 —Shut up. His views on Tiny are also simple: “Tiny Cooper is not the world’s gayest person, and he is not the world’s largest person, but I believe he may be the world’s largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world’s gayest person who is really, really large.”

Then there’s Will 2: alive, but somehow not; seeing, but somehow not. He’s “constantly torn between killing myself” and “killing everyone around me,” but surviving, solely depending on his friend Isaac for comfort.

It’s their job to turn each other’s lives around by meeting in an abandoned corner tucked away in Chicago.

There’s something magical about the book: making friends and living inside the moment and taking a risk and the feeling of being a part of something. At the same time, it’s not all rainbows and neon colored unicorns galloping across the pages. The two authors illustrate that with love comes pain, and maybe more love, and more pain. It’s a dance the characters do around happiness: it doesn’t last forever, just like Schrödinger’s Cat (another feature in the book). You either have happiness, or you don’t. But to find out, the two Will Graysons along with their friends take a leap of faith across the pages: through fights, discoveries, and the ups and downs of life.

Love is an omnipresent thing in the book. Tiny loves love. He falls in love too easily, and it’s both his strength and weakness. Will 2 doesn’t believe in love. Will 1 falls in love. Tiny sings about love in his play. But throughout the book, none of them know what it’s really about. And that’s O.K., because as Tiny said, “Just fall for once. Let yourself fall!”

Because if there’s one thing I have learned in this book, it’s that falling doesn’t mean failing. As Will Grayson 2 said, “the world is more like try-error-try-error-try-error-try-error-try-error-try…at least fifteen more rounds…then try-error-try-and finally —it.”

And it will come and hit you one day, brighter than anything you will ever see, because you will get a happy ending out of falling, and you won’t break: you’ll fly.