St. Olaf student wins journalism contest
St. Olaf student Zeke Warren-Weigmann ’21 has been named the winner of the first Big Scribble student journalism contest.
Founded in April by professional journalists Jeff Pearlman and Jonathan Eig, the Big Scribble aims to support student journalists during an uncertain time. More than 400 college students across the country participated in the contest, with contestants assigned a new type of article to write each week. The six judges — each a highly regarded journalist, including writer Candace Buckner and editor David Maraniss, both from the Washington Post — selected the winners each week, with the pool of students being narrowed down to a final top 10 and then the winner.
As the winner of the Big Scribble, Warren-Weigmann made a guest appearance on Pearlman’s writing podcast “Two Writers Slinging Yang.” The Big Scribble also offered Warren-Weigmann one-on-one mentorships from a group of over 30 journalists from publications and programs such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, 60 Minutes, and The Wall Street Journal. Warren-Weigmann selected two writers, Mirin Fader from Bleacher Report and Seth Wickersham from ESPN, to meet with.
As he looks forward to making these professional connections, Warren-Weigmann also hopes that his win will provide opportunities to meet fellow up-and-coming writers. “I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a bunch of really famous journalists who have given me invaluable advice and who I eventually hope to work for or with,” Warren-Weigmann says. “But what I’m arguably more excited about is the chance to connect with a multitude of other student journalists, people who make up the next generation of great journalists and people I hope to work with someday.”
I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a bunch of really famous journalists who have given me invaluable advice and who I eventually hope to work for or with. But what I’m arguably more excited about is the chance to connect with a multitude of other student journalists, people who make up the next generation of great journalists and people I hope to work with someday.Zeke Warren-Weigmann ’21
Warren-Weigmann says his love of journalism was sparked at St. Olaf. A history major, he credits Associate Professor of History Anna Kuxhausen as a key mentor in his development as a writer. He also started writing for St. Olaf’s student newspaper, The Manitou Messenger (soon to be renamed The Olaf Messenger) two years ago.
“In writing for the Mess, I realized just how much I loved writing, especially writing about sports. St. Olaf is where I fell in love with writing, and the Mess is what gave me the outlet to write. I wouldn’t be where I am now without my fantastic editors,” Warren-Weigmann says. With the goal of becoming a professional sports writer, his philosophy is simple: “In a piece, I have two main goals: Tell an interesting story and entertain the reader.”