IHSA Journalism Sectionals Time Log

The following time-logs are documentation by Co-Editor in Chief Mandy Facer about her experience at the 2010 IHSA Sectional Competition for The Echo. For more information about Sectionals or the upcoming State competition, please visit http://www.ihsa.org/activity/jrn/index.htm.

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9:00 am: The Urbana High School Journalism team arrives at Gregory Hall for the 2010 IHSA Journalism Sectional Competition. Team members today include:

*Sophomore Meredith Headtke, our Advertisement and Political Cartooning entrant
*Sophomore Alyanna Balanay, our Sports Writer and Headline entrant
*Sophomore Gwen Childers, our Copy Editor and Yearbook Copy Writer
*Sophomore LaShaya Jackson, our Feature Photographer
*Junior Lily Smith, our Review Writer and Editorial Writer
*Junior Mandy Facer, our News Writer and Feature Writer

9:10: Echo Advisor Sydney Azzi registers the team. We all accept our press passes, maps, and schedules then head into the Auditorium to await a briefing from the University of Illinois’ Journalism Department Head Brian Johnson.

10:00: Mr. Johnson gives a brief outline of the day’s events and wishes all of us good luck in our blocks.

10:15: After a few words of wisdom and encouragement from Mrs. Azzi, we each take off for our individual blocks. Most of us are located in the basement of Gregory Hall where the Journalism labs are, though LaShaya will be all over campus to take her photos. Walking to my lab at the end of the hallway brings nervous butterflies, but also a desire to start. Our staff has worked so hard this year, and I’m excited to see how we’ll do.

10:30: Proctors in each room hand out the prompts and we begin. Live blocks (categories with a live person to interview for quotes) begin the ten-minute interview process, while the regular blocks start writing/taking pictures/drawing right away.

10:45: I’m in News Writing right now, and the roar of keyboards tapping away is a bit unnerving. All the competitors around me sigh, yawn, and click their mouses to the beat of competition.

12:00: The first block of competition is over. All entries are sealed in an envelope and given to the site director for the judges to read.

12:15: The second block of competition begins. I hope everybody on the team is doing well and not having any problems…. I talked to Meredith in the fifteen-minute break, and she’s made a friend from Homewood during her Advertisement session, which is reassuring.

12:40: Somebody in my Feature Writing block just got up and turned their article in and has exited the room…it looked like two pages, and I’ve only just finished my lead which is alarming.

12:55: My stomach growls loudly and the person next to is yawning so much I’m worried she’s going to fall asleep…

1:45: The second and final block of the competition is over: time for lunch on campus!

1:50: All of our team assembles to talk about how we think it went, and nerves begin to brew as we wonder about the results. Swarms of students are strolling about on campus: there’s one group of suited men that keep milling about, in addition to a large set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt-clad college students.

2:00: We enter Empire, a delicious Chinese restaurant on campus, and settle in at a circle table. We talk about our favorite moments of the year, Mrs. Azzi’s adorable new puppy, and how far we’ve come as Journalism staff in the past year while dining on rice, tofu and sesame seed chicken.

2:45: It’s time to return to Gregory Hall for the awards ceremony, and Mrs. Azzi tells us fun facts about the U of I campus as we walk through the Quad.

3:10: Mr. Johnson addresses us again, but this time it’s for the presentation for awards. Our team fared really well, and I’m proud of all of our contestants. Echo staff members who will move on to the State Competition on April 30 are:

*Lily Smith who earned first place in Editorial Writing
*Mandy Facer who earned first place in News Writing
*Gwen Childers who earned second place in Yearbook Copy Writing and third place in Copy Editing.
*Meredith Headtke who earned third place in Advertising.

As a Journalism team, we have everything to be proud of. Each member of our staff has significantly improved their writing ability, whether they have an award to recognize it or not. I am deeply grateful to be a part of The Echo, and to have the chance to work alongside so many talented and wonderful people. Here’s to a great year full of learning, new experiences, and camaraderie!