Round 3 Commenters Respond Thoughtfully to Their Peers

All we can say is, you have survived. With each passing round of our 2022 Comment & Win contest, our Wharton Global Youth team is realizing that many high school students worldwide are emerging from the cave, as it were. Whether that cave symbolized isolation, darkness, muffled if not silent voices, or just hibernation until it was over, you are now looking toward the post-pandemic light.

What better way to re-engage than through some serious responsive commenting with other high school students – something that has clearly been a struggle in Zoom breakout rooms. Visit this round’s comment from Ryan S. for a “small rant” on that topic.

As we read through more than 70 comments in Round 3 – all replies to previous commenters in keeping with the rounds responsive theme – we valued your thoughtful peer-to-peer engagement. Listening to and appreciating different perspectives is a business superpower. And reading the original comments to which you were replying gave us an extra layer of student insight, sometimes providing perspective over a few powerful years laden with change and challenge.

We couldn’t help but smile at Sunny P.’s reply to Edison C. this round in which she alluded to Flow theory, a state of thinking in the moment and adapting to situations as they develop. At times during our Round 3 evaluation, our team appreciated this strategy to “optimize our productivity” by remembering to “clear out our workspace” and go “step-by-step” with our comment analysis and assessment.

With that, we have arrived at our Round 3 winners!

But first, a nod to a few Global Youth article threads that inspired deep responsive commenting in Round 3. Check out 6 Questions on Business, Climate and the Environment, A Data Project Explores Gun Ownership in New York City and The Business of Urban Living.

A note on your response technique. Lots of you acknowledged the commenter to whom you were responding (great insights, Joe!), and then proceeded to offer your detailed perspective on and connection to the article topic. While these comments were rich and thoughtful, they didn’t always qualify as responsive commenting. (Still, as always, we learned so much from them. Let’s just say: graveyard mall, popping candy flavors, Lee Yong Hak, virtual activism, growing garlic in Shanghai, RED, rotting body, Ramy and the Wild Kratts. You know who you are!)

Top commenters for Round 3 honored our theme. They read another commenter’s perspective, reflected, and provided a response that carefully recognized his or her points, provided feedback, and possibly offered a counter argument or related experiences.

The top responder in Round 3 is Jiwon R., 15 and a junior at Taejon Christian International School in Daejeon, South Korea, for her response to Jianyi Z. We especially loved Jiwon’s intentional and thoughtful reply about the environmental challenges facing the planet and her like-minded acknowledgement that “both of us are striving toward a common goal, which is to find the best way to slow down the progression of climate change.”

First runner-up honors go to Peter Z., 17 and a senior at Benjamin N. Cardozo in New York, U.S., for his response to Caroline G. We appreciated Peter’s sophisticated and multi-faceted reply to many of Caroline’s original points, which were made in 2021. His comment was well-written and rich with insight and reflection. On an article that addressed the balance between business and the environment, Peter struck an excellent responsive commenting balance.

The Round 3 second runner-up is Taee C., 16 and a senior at Stuyvesant High School in New York, U.S., for his well-expressed response to Carly W. on a 2021 article featuring John Legend. Taee’s comments about celebrity activism were both sharp and enriching to many of Carly’s original ideas.

Henry L., 17 and a senior from Bayview Secondary School in Ontario, Canada, captures third runner-up honors with his personal and fun response to Tiffy L. about the use of “you” as a music marketing tool. TBH, we had to Google “stan!”

Additional Round 3 Honorable Mentions go to:

• Jessica W., a junior at the Bronx High School of Science in New York, U.S., for her response to Kush M. Look for: Geronimo Stilton!
• Vera H., 14 and a sophomore at W.B. Ray High School in Texas, U.S., for her response to Evan L. Look for: Brevity and substance.
• Jade L. for her response to Ryan F. Look for: Community uber.
• Jian L., 17 and a junior at Edgewood High School in Wisconsin, U.S., for his response to Daeyoung K. Look for: Vegetable oil-powered school buses.
• Zizhou P., 18 and a senior at St. George’s School in Rhode Island, U.S., for his response to Harry G. Look for: Batman as a player in a grisly murder mystery.

Congratulations to all our winning Round 3 responders! We hope you will look for ongoing opportunities to engage in meaningful, respectful and insightful dialogue with your peers. These conversations are the seeds of progress, innovation and change. We’re counting on Joseph M. and Darina H. meeting up in Prospect Park, N.Y. to discuss – and likely solve — the economic struggles of city life!

Be sure to log your comments for Round 4 by Midnight Eastern on Friday, August 12. We are excited to read your ideas for our final “Innovation Nation” round. Need more details? Visit our Comment & Win page. We’ve had a lot of repeat commenters in each 2022 round. Who will be crowned our Grand Prize winner?

“Carpe Diem, am I right?”