Winners
Chosen this week from 1,374 submissions.
Ranvir Sharma, 14, from London, made the video above about the article “For Stonehenge’s Altar Stone, an Improbably Long Ancient Journey”
Aarushi Bahadur, 17, from Eagan, Minn., was one of several students in the last few weeks to comment on “What Trump Means When He Mispronounces ‘Kamala.’” Here are her thoughts:
I can’t count the number of times my name has been mispronounced. In Hindi — the language in which Kamala means ‘lotus’ — my name, Aarushi, means ‘dawn’. No matter how lovely my parents thought it was, I often found it a burden and wished I was an Arya or Anya instead.
In the article, the author describes how Trump’s deliberate mispronunciation of Harris’s name presents it as alien and needing assimilation. This is especially harmful given India’s history of linguistic colonialism by the British. Hundreds of words in Hindi have been reappropriated using Anglo pronunciation — shampoo, pajamas, veranda — and other words were entirely changed for the convenience of English pronunciation — including the country’s name.
Language is integral to culture. It allows us to communicate, build relationships, and create community. Without it, we aren’t human. So by deliberately mispronouncing Harris’s name over and over again, Trump not only others her but furthers a legacy of colonialism and dehumanization.
Like my name, Harris’s symbolizes new beginnings. Lotus flowers bloom when the sun rises and return to the murky water at dusk. They symbolize resilience. Rebirth. Yes, Trump’s remarks will continue to be damaging. But hearing her name pronounced correctly in the mouths of millions of American voters brings me hope that a kinder and more accepting future is ahead. A chance for something beautiful to blossom from the brackish dark.
Runners-Up
In alphabetical order by the writer’s first name.
Janet Omoruyi on “Why These Summertime Braids Cost $450 (and Can Take About 5 Hours)”
Jer-Shyan Chang on “For Gen Z, an Age-Old Question: Who Pays for Dates?”
Katelyn Deng on the Times puzzle Vertex
Naomi Ling on “I Keep the Family Tree — And I’m Flummoxed About Whom to Include.”
Neeraj Bhogavilli on “From Harlem to Selma to Paris, James Baldwin’s Life in Pictures”
Nicholas Tozzi on “Why Schools Are Racing to Ban Student Phones”
Yair Abreu on “Why Schools Are Racing to Ban Student Phones”
Honorable Mentions
Aditya Bharti on What Trump Means When He Mispronounces ‘Kamala’
Audrey Cho on “Helen Marden, Grieving in Bright Colors and on Her Own Terms”
Carter Ho on “Lokiceratops, a Horned Dinosaur, May Be a New Species”
Daniel A on “The Night Owl’s Special: Midnight Spaghetti”
Dyanne Jiang on a recipe for lugaw
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