Elizabeth Frost/Photo Courtesy LAPS

LAPS NEWS

Los Alamos High School student, Elizabeth Frost, has earned a first-place finish for her essay submission to the New York Times Summer Reading Contest.

Since 2010, The Learning Network has encouraged teenagers to write an essay about something that sparked their interest in The New York Times. Each week from June 12-Aug. 21, judges choose a favorite and publish the winner’s essay.

Frost’s opinion essay was chosen as the favorite out of 1,233 submissions during the seventh week of the contest. The topic of her essay, which can be read here, was in reaction to an article titled “Who Gets to Be a ‘Naked Athena’?” written by Mitchell S. Jackson. In her essay, Frost draws similarities between the Black Lives Matter movement in Los Alamos to that in Portland and the diversion of attention from local racial issues.

She says, “It is easy to forget the more pressing issues surrounding us when we focus on the ‘heroism’ associated with our small protests.”

“The New York Times Summer Reading Contest is a summer assignment for AP Language and Composition 11 assigned by me and my fellow AP English teacher, Christine Engelbrecht,” said teacher LAHS English teacher Margo Batha. “We are so excited for Elizabeth.”

Frost explained that she grew up watching her parents read the New York Times, so the whole experience has been all the more rewarding.

“I am extremely grateful to Ms Englebrecht and Ms Batha for providing me with this wonderful opportunity,” Frost said.