The winners of the inaugural Young Writers Competition pose with their awards at Clarkton School of Discovery. The competition was sponsored by Thecia DeLap of VanDyke Mortgage and Champion Media. It was hosted by the Clarkton School of Discovery Thursday in their auditorium. Back from left: Thecia DeLap, Mark DeLap; front from left: Luke Bridgers, Brooklyn Sasser and Tyrone Freeman.
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
YOUNG WRITERS SHINE IN BLADEN
Bladen Journal editor and general manager, Mark DeLap stands with Luke Bridgers, winner of the Walter Cronkite award and Tyrone Freeman, winner of the Pulitzer award. This was the first time that a competition like this one was held by the Bladen Journal.
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
The top three stories that came in the Pulitzer category were chosen by a vote of their peers. Third place went to Camryn Wood, second place went to Brooklyn Sasser and the top award went to Tyrone Freeman.
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
Photo Courtesy | Bladen Public Schools
Luke Bridgers won the Bladen Journal’s Walter Cronkite award at the Young Writers Competition Thursday in Clarkton. Not only did he win the top prize, had his story published and was awarded, but was asked to do some further writing for the Bladen Journal.
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Tyrone Freeman won the Bladen Journal’s Pulitzer award at the Young Writers Competition Thursday in Clarkton.
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Brooklyn Sasser won two awards at last week’s Youth Writing Competition, winning second place awards in both the Pulitzer and the Cronkite awards for her story on Water Pollution.
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Camryn Wood, an eighth grader from Clarkton School of Discovery won third place in the Pulitzer award for her creative story - God of the Dark Realm.
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
Thecia DeLap | Bladen Journal
ELIZABETHTOWN – This fall, Bladen Journal has sponsored its inaugural youth writing contest for all Bladen County eighth grade students and 12 Bladen County students won accolades for their submissions.
“It’s their last year before heading off to high school,” Mark DeLap, editor and general manager of the Bladen Journal said. “The Journal would like to find our talented
young writers in Bladen County and perhaps one day get a few that would be interested in a youth internship at some point in their high school or college years while here in Bladen County. It would be a great way to keep a few more kids who want to stay to live and work in Bladen.”
The contest was called “The Young Writers Competition” and it was open to any student currently in the eighth grade and is enrolled in either one of the Bladen
County schools or is homeschooled in Bladen County.
Stories were judged by veteran journalists from southeastern North Carolina as well as others who were peers and colleagues of DeLap from around the nation. The top 12 best stories were chosen based on content, imagination, journalistic integrity, AP style, creativity, spelling, grammar, picture quality and relative content.
The top 12 stories were published in the Bladen Journal with their submitted pictures in
the Nov. 12 edition and all stories were also posted online. From those top 12, the people reading the stories on the internet or in the Journal could vote for their favorite until Nov. 29 when the voting closed. Two awards categories were set up by DeLap. The first was the category of stories read and judged by professional journalists. The arm of the competition awarded “The Walter Cronkite award” after the famous broadcast journalist who was an anchor for CBS News for 19 years. He was nicknamed “The most trusted man in America.”
The second category of award called “The Pulitzer award” gave peers, family and outside readers a chance to vote for their favorite. There were 1155 votes that were tallied in the competition.
The top winners received a plaque and a monetary scholarship award along with a copy of the basic and popular book of choice of journalists, “The Elements of Style.” The awards ceremony was hosted by Clarkton School of Discovery Dec. 5 at 1:30 p.m. in their auditorium.
“This isn’t my first rodeo in things like this,” DeLap said. “I first initiated youth writing contests while working as a managing editor for two newspapers in Minnesota and then continued the tradition when I took a new position as a managing editor in Iowa. I have had the chance to work with many fine young and talented authors and journalists. Just to be chosen from among their peers in the best 12 stories in the county was an accomplishment. At the assembly, I told them of how I won a Voice of Democracy writing contest while I was an eighth grader back in the 1960s. I then also told them that I never won another writing award until I was 60 years old and then won over 35 writing and photo competitions in Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming. It was nice to be able to tell them, ‘you’ve only just begun.’”
The top 12 stories were submitted by:
Amanda Bolinger – Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program, Phoenix or Dinosaur?
Avery Smith – Helene: Ways to Help
Brody Mabe – How to Protect Schools from School Shooters
Brooklyn Sasser – Water Pollution
Camryn Wood – God of The Dark Realm
Kynslie Kinlaw – Blood Drives Can Save Lives
Kynzlee Wood – History of Softball
Laney Roberson – The Mother Country, Let’s Learn About It’s History
Luke Bridgers – Social Media’s Negative Impact on Children: An Attention Needing Concern
Sairy Ramos – Free Education
Sawyer Barbour – Lamar Jackson: Quarterback
Tyrone Freeman – Feeding Your Dog
Top winners:
Bladen Pulitzer Prize Winners:
1st Place: Tyrone Freeman for “Feeding Your Dog”
2nd Place: Brooklyn Sasser for “Water Pollution”
3rd Place: Camryn Wood for “God of the Dark Realm”
Cronkite Award Winners:
1st Place: Luke Bridgers for “Social Media’s Negative Impact on Children: An Attention Needing Concern”
2nd Place: Brooklyn Sasser for “Water Pollution”
3rd Place: Tyrone Freeman for “Feeding Your Dog”
“As the winner of the Cronkite Award, Bridgers will also have the opportunity to write a monthly column for the Bladen Journal for the remainder of the school year,” Bladen County Schools posted. “We cannot wait to see what he writes! We are proud of all the participants and grateful for the Bladen Journal’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of writers. Here’s to more great achievements together!”
“We’re not done here,” DeLap, who was a photographer for National Geographic said. “In the spring we are planning on opening up a photo competition for students and we are hoping to find and perhaps provide a training for aspiring photographers. Stay tuned.”
Many thanks go out to sponsors and supporters: Thecia DeLap and VanDyk Mortgage Corporation located in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, Bladen Community College – Dublin, North Carolina, Elly Johnson – Director of Communications & Family Engagement – Bladen County Schools, Marc Edge – principal Clarkton School of Discovery, The Clarkton School of Discovery, Educators, parents and students who participated and cheered on the writers, Denise Ward – Newspaper publisher at Champion Media Corporation, Signlogic of Elizabethtown, Champion Media Corporation, The Bladen Journal and editor and general manager Mark DeLap.