Students Receive Honorable Mentions in NYT Writing Contest

Last fall, all Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) juniors wrote reviews of movies, music, TV, books, art, architecture and several other categories in their English classes, with the option of submitting their compositions to The New York Times’ Learning Network Review Contest. Fewer than two percent of the 3,200 students nationwide who submitted reviews were recognized; two of those students were Paola Reinosa (SHP ’25) and Andrew Stamos (SHP ’25), who each received honorable mentions in the contest, Reinosa for “The Long-Awaited Resurrection: Bad Bunny’s Trap Return,” and Stamos for “Barbie (But Really Ken) and the Mirror Men Need.”

 

Reinosa and Stamos were in SHP English teacher Stephanie Bowe Ullman’s AP English Language and Composition class last fall. Bowe Ullman said both students displayed “an extraordinary amount of effort” writing multiple drafts to achieve succinct, compelling reviews that met all of NYT’s requirements, which included capping the length at only 450 words. “[They] were not only open to—but eager for—peer and teacher feedback to help them refine their work,” she said.

 

With each round of revisions, the students were honing argumentation skills they’d been practicing since the beginning of the school year, making the contest a worthy exercise that allowed their very best works to be published in a reputable and prestigious outlet with a wide audience, she added.

 

“Paola worked particularly hard to weave the motif of resurrection and renewal throughout her review of Bad Bunny's latest album. Andrew's review offers a thoughtful defense of Ken, from the Barbie movie, as a reflection of masculinity in contemporary America… Needless to say, I'm extremely proud of them,” said Bowe Ullman.

 

Reinosa said that choosing a topic she is passionate about “made the writing process fun and engaging,” and receiving an honorable mention was “a surprise” she never expected. Her review of Bad Bunny’s 2023 album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, commends the artist’s desire to reveal his authentic self through a return to his roots in trap music.

 

In an excerpt from her review, she writes:

 

 

“I am grateful I got to write about what I love, and that people enjoyed reading about it,” she said.

 

In an excerpt from his review of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which Stamos calls “the most controversial film of 2023,” he wrote:

 

 

In recent years, several other SHP students have found success in Learning Network writing contests.Two years ago, three SHP students were recognized in a Narrative Contest, and the year prior, Kelly Shen (SHP ’23), was one of just 11 top winners of the NYT’s STEM Writing Contest with her piece, “From Babbling to Birdsong: What Finches Can Teach Us About Vocal Learning.”

 

Pursuing public contests where there is a chance of publication helps writing feel more authentic than assignments students feel they are just doing for a grade, said Bowe Ullman.

 

“Students typically get excited about writing assignments that extend beyond the walls of the classroom,” said Bowe Ullman. “With this assignment, they have a chance to put forth their very best and experience the thrill and gratification of recognition outside of school.”