In case you hadn’t heard, The Free Press essay contest for high schoolers is back. We’re looking for essays from incoming ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders to tell us what the world gets wrong about Gen Z.
We’ve already received some killer submissions. But to make sure you have enough time to write something great, we’re officially pushing back the submission deadline to September 15.
If you’re unsure whether to apply, the winner of last year’s contest, Ruby LaRocca, is here to offer some advice: “Just write the damn thing and send it in.” Whether you win or not, she says, “the effort of trying to figure out what you think, and give your thoughts a kind of life and language, is valuable for its own sake”. Here’s more from Ruby:
Feeling inspired? Here’s our prompt for this year’s contest:
A lot of people—mostly Boomers—like to say that Gen Z is doomed. You live on your phones. You don’t go outside. No one touches grass. By now, you know the criticisms. But in our view, Zoomers are one of the most interesting generations. You’re incredibly diverse, both on the typical metrics—race, nationality, sexual orientation—and ideologically. Zoomers are very left wing and right wing. Very optimistic, but also very pessimistic. How do you see your generation? What are the biggest misunderstandings about Gen Z? Why are these misunderstandings popular?
Your essay should be no more than 1,200 words, and submissions close at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 15, 2024.
The winner will receive a lifetime subscription to The Free Press and a $2,000 cash prize. We will also choose two runners-up. All three essays will be published in our pages.
You can enter today by using this form. We are eager to hear from you—so get writing!
If you know a high schooler who would love this contest—whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling—be sure to send the details their way. And teachers, this essay makes for a great back-to-school assignment—or even extra credit. So why not send to a student you think is up to the challenge?
The winner of the 2023 Free Press Essay Contest was Ruby LaRocca, who wrote “A Constitution for Teenage Happiness.”
And if you want to help nurture the next generation of independent journalists, become a Free Press subscriber today:
I would love an explanation from ground zero on why gen z is so overweight, poorly dressed and covered in tattoos. I’m a millennial so I still hold on to dated notions like trying to look attractive, healthy, and stable. I simply don’t understand why someone would desire to be off putting - let alone an entire generation.
I think I might enter