In the seventh week of the Summer Reading Contest, Michelle Zhibing Zhou, a 15-year-old from Hong Kong, emerged as the winner with her insightful response to a Science article about leeches. The article revealed that leeches can jump in pursuit of blood, dispelling some common misconceptions about these creatures.
Michelle expressed her initial disgust towards leeches, often associated with medieval medicine and blood-sucking parasites. However, the article provided a new perspective on these creatures, comparing their behavior to human cravings. Just like how Michelle craves chocolate and rushes to the store, leeches exhibit startling athleticism when motivated by their need for blood.
The groundbreaking footage in the article showed leeches leaping through the air, settling the age-old debate on whether leeches could jump. This new information not only fascinated Michelle but also helped her overcome some of her irrational fears of these creatures. Understanding their behavior and motivations made leeches less scary and more intriguing to her.
While Michelle found leeches captivating, she made it clear that she still preferred observing them from a distance, rather than encountering them in a tropical forest. The article transformed her perception of leeches from being nightmare fuel to being fascinating little creatures with amusing behaviors.
The Summer Reading Contest aims to challenge teenagers to engage with a variety of topics and share their perspectives on New York Times pieces. This year, students have the option to submit either written comments or 90-second video responses, allowing for creative expression and critical thinking.
In addition to Michelle’s winning response, the contest received 1,082 entries in the seventh week, showcasing the diverse interests of young readers. Topics that caught the students’ attention ranged from a nine-year-old chess prodigy to Kamala Harris’s cooking, Alzheimer’s disease, jewelry, cows, anchovies, and preserving memories of the Holocaust.
The Summer Reading Contest continues to inspire students to explore new ideas, challenge their assumptions, and articulate their thoughts on current issues. By providing a platform for young voices to be heard, the contest encourages a culture of reading, learning, and critical analysis among teenagers worldwide.
