Decatur High Writer Honored For Zombie Story

Another journalism student at Decatur High School has been recognzied for excellence.

Madelyn Carlson wrote a feature story about another student who worked on the set of the hit television series "The Walking Dead." The school system sent out this information about her.

Junior Madelyn Carlson, a team editor of Decatur High School's Carpe Diem magazine, has been recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association with an honorable mention in the national Feature Story of the Year competition.

She is one of only ten students to be named in this category.
The print Story of the Year contest is co-sponsored by The Headline Club, the Chicago chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The contest honors student work in the following categories: News, Feature, Editorial, Sports and Diversity. The categories combined yielded a total of 789 entries.

Judges selected finalists based on the following criteria: value (importance or worth of story), quality of reporting and quotes, quality of writing and editing, and credibility and leadership.

Carlson's 2011 story "I want to eat your brains" details a senior's experience working as a production assistant for the zombie-themed AMC show "The Walking Dead."

"Madelyn believes in thorough reporting, and she used interviews and description effectively in this piece. I'm proud of her," journalism adviser Jon Reese said.

Decatur High School publishes its student magazine Carpe Diem five times a year. The print staff works with the school's broadcast program to maintain a convergence website, 3ten.org.