By SIDNEY WONG
STAFF WRITER
NOVICE NEWS:
4th- Henry Hsia (12)
13th- Rani Chor (9)
14th- Annmarie Li (10)
20th- Adrian Hernandez (9)
NEWSPAPER LAYOUT:
2nd- Candice Lee (10)
EDITORIAL CARTOON:
4th- Kayte Chien (12)
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY:
7th- Winnie Thong (10)
8th- Grace Jong (9)
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY:
2nd- Colleen Gapuzan (11)
FEATURE WRITING:
6th- Sarah Chun (12)
EDITORIAL WRITING:
4th- Vincent Cortes (11)
5th- Michelle Huang (12)
8th- Jenibelle Hsu (12)
NEWS WRITING:
1st- Justin Yeh (12)
YEARBOOK COPY:
8th- Katie Kyan (12), Jeffery Jew (12), Scott Lai (11), Meiqi Lai (10)
YEARBOOK LAYOUT:
5th- Katie Kyan (12), Jeffery Jew (12), Scott Lai (11), Meiqi Lai (10)
8th- Sarah Kwon (12), Brianna Co (12), Sherry Parngs (11), Natalie Wu (9)
2nd in NOVICE NEWS SWEEPSTAKES
3rd in NEWSPAPER SWEEPSTAKES
4th in YEARBOOK SWEEPSTAKES
Simone Yu (9)- Feature Writing
What did you expect to happen during the event?
“I honestly didn’t really know what to expect, since this is my first time attending ELAJEA. I just prepared the best I could so I would be able to handle any complications or difficulties I could come across during the competition.”
What was the most fun part of attending ELAJEA?
“I enjoyed the new experience, and getting a chance to hang out with my friends.”
Did the event change the way you feel about yearbook/journalism?
“I acquired a deeper understanding of what Journalism is all about.”
Charley Jackson (12)- Critical Review
What did you do in preparation for ELAJEA?
“We had mock write-offs and had editors work with writers on specific sections to explain the rules.”
What did you expect to happen during the event?
“I expected everyone to try their best with the preparation we gave them. [Most of all], I just wanted them to have fun.”
What are your thoughts on the outcome?
“I am proud of the new staff because overall they all did well and worked hard.”
Alex Castro (9)- Novice News
What are your thoughts on the outcome?
“We were pleasantly surprised that our team placed and proud of them for advancing to SCJEA.”
What do you think you could do to improve in future competitions?
“We could do more practice activities and [get feedback] from editors to improve our writing skills.”
What was the most memorable part?
“The most memorable part was being able to have fun with friends during the four-hour break when judges graded our papers.”
Vincent Cortes (11)- Editorial
What are your thoughts on the outcome?
“I am proud of our staff for placing extremely well and thankful for our editors [who prepared them].”
What was the biggest obstacle you faced?
“A factor that affected my writing was the weather. It was extremely cold and gloomy the day of the competition which ruined my mood.”
What did you take away from this experience?
“I learned how to manage my time effectively under high-stress situations. I also learned more about my personal writing style.”
Colleen Gapuzan (11)- News Photography
What did you do in preparation for ELAJEA?
“[As a photographer], I reviewed the functions of the camera and how to manage the settings and features.”
What was the biggest obstacle you had to face?
“For me, the biggest obstacle was taking an original photo that no one else would take especially when everyone is in the same vicinity.”
What did you take away from this experience?
“To think outside the box. I had to appeal to judges and go beyond their expectations.”
Meiqi Lai (10)- Yearbook Copy
What did you and your team do in preparation for ELAJEA?
“To prepare, we would practice writing captions and copies during class. The rest of my group would practice creating layouts.”
What could you do to improve for next year?
“[Ultimately, my team] could improve next year by thoroughly practicing our copies and layouts a month before the actual competition.”
How did this change your perspective on yearbook?
“I saw a deeper understanding of yearbook and the competitive side of being a staff member.”
Natalie Wu (9)- Yearbook Layout
What was your biggest obstacle during the competition?
“The biggest obstacle was making sure our work fit the criteria. Each person reviewed copies and captions.”
What do you think your team could improve on?
“I think we could improve our brainstorming to help write our captions and copies in order to be more efficient.”
How did experience change you?
“I learned how to communicate and collaborate with my team under pressure, yet still managing to present our best work.”
Justin Yeh (12)- News Writing
What did you take from this experience?
“This experience helped me become a better writer and editor, as I have learned how to better manage my time. [In addition], I will be expecting more out of our writers.”
What was your biggest obstacle?
“The biggest obstacle was deciding how I wanted to format/structure my article, and what details to include and exclude. I had trouble deciding on the most important information to include.”
What are your final thoughts on the event?
“I did not expect to do as well as I did, but I think that editing articles definitely helped improved my knowledge of news articles.”
Candice Lee (10)- Newspaper Layout
What did you do in preparation for ELAJEA?
“I practiced laying out on pieces of paper and drawing everything out.”
What do you hope to improve for SCJEA?
“I can improve for SCJEA by practicing layouts and searching for new ideas.”
What was the most memorable part of the event?
“I was surprised that I placed second, [despite walking] into the competition unconfident.”