Junior Jack Forrest wins Thomas R. Keating writing contest; junior Natalia Nelson places third
Three undergraduates from The Media School took first, third, and finalist positions in the 39th annual Thomas R. Keating writing contest. Held Saturday and supported by the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation, the competition challenged 10 student journalists to find subjects, conduct interviews, and write a story related to the Irvington Halloween Festival in just five hours.
The festival is an annual, weeklong event that features participants and pets in imaginative costumes. Vendors, activities, food, and music accompany a large parade, just for Halloween.
Jack Forrest won first place and a $3,000 scholarship for his story about a tarot card reader vending at the Halloween festival.
“This entry does an excellent job of humanizing everyone in the story – from the tarot reader to her clients. We enjoyed the compelling storytelling and the detailed backstory of the tarot reader,” a judge said.
Forrest is a junior studying journalism and international studies. He currently serves as a managing editor at the Indiana Daily Student and is an intern for the Arnolt Center. He previously worked as an editorial intern at Indianapolis Monthly Magazine.
Natalia Nelson placed third writing about a tattoo parlor, a tarot card reader, and children at the festival. She received positive feedback for her ability to immerse the judges into vivid details.
Nelson is a junior majoring in journalism with a Spanish minor who is currently an intern for the Arnolt Center and works as a news desk editor for the IDS. She has previously covered the faculty and administration and campus life beats for the student newspaper.
Max Schneider, a senior, was also a finalist who competed in the contest.
Read the winning stories on the IPCF website.