Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Galena High School Entry Title: “Friends Don’t Lie”-But Expectations Do: A Stranger Things 5 Finale Review Entry Credit: Seven Smith Judge Comment: An excellent, in-depth analysis of what the writer perceived as both the strengths and weaknesses of the polarizing "Stranger Things" finale.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Harrisburg High School Entry Title: Book vs. Movie: Why ‘The Housemaid’ Works Better on the Page Entry Credit: Rylan Palmer Judge Comment: The writer makes the most of their limited word count by building a convincing case for why the source material of the hit movie, "The Housemaid," was superior.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Harrisburg High School Entry Title: Nostalgia and Storytelling Make “Stranger Things” a Fan Favorite Entry Credit: Rayson Varner Judge Comment: This loving ode to the appeal of "Stranger Things" makes me eager to read more of the writer's thoughts.
Competition Comment: Though I wish there were enough entries to fill the five slots, the three writers who submitted their work did a superb job of expressing their views with intelligence and even-handedness.
