Crystal Lake student named finalist in New York Times editorial contest

CRYSTAL LAKE – Out of thousands of applicants, Izma Casubhoy of Richard Bernotas Middle School was one of 58 teens to be named a third-round finalist in the fourth annual New York Times student editorial contest.

The writing contest asks for teens to submit short, evidence-based persuasive essays about any topics they wish in about 450 words or fewer.

Casubhoy, who is in seventh grade, made it to the third round of the contest with an editorial titled “The Stakes of Steaks: Why Vegetarianism Is Clearly the Better Lifestyle.” She was one of six 13-year-old students recognized this year.

“Writing an editorial for this contest was such a valuable experience for me,” Casubhoy said. “I learned how to challenge myself as a writer and had the opportunity to express my opinion about a topic that means a lot to me. I never really imagined making it to Round 3. Out of all the wonderful writers out there, I am honored to be recognized.”

Students were required to have cited works that support their stance and used at least one New York Times source as well as one outside source in their writing. They were allowed to submit entries in teams or individually.

To help students and teachers with the contest, the newspaper provided a list of about 400 writing prompts in argumentative writing.

While Casubhoy didn’t win, her teacher, Belinda Strebel, said she wasn’t surprised to see her student recognized.

“Her topic of vegetarianism is one that is regularly written about, but she took a unique stance that stood out and taught the audience new information about an old topic,” Strebel said. “If you look at the list of recognized writers, the majority are 17 and 18 years old. To be recognized as a seventh-grader is extraordinary.”

This year’s popular topics included climate change, prison reform and discrimination.

The list of winners and runner-ups can be found at The New York Times website.