In a display of resounding journalistic skill, IUSD schools dominated the Orange County Journalism Education Association (OCJEA) competition, winning in several categories and qualifying for the State Competition in April.
About the Competition
The annual competition, which this year was divided into North and South divisions, saw IUSD schools participating in the highly competitive South division. With 88 students from four schools participating, IUSD showcased exceptional journalistic talent, with a remarkable 32 students qualifying for the state write-off competition scheduled for April 5. IUSD students secured 32 of the 40 available qualifying spots in the South division, leaving only eight spots for other districts.
At the competition, Northwood High School led the pack with a total of 22 awards, including 17 in newspaper categories and 5 in yearbook. Portola High School followed closely, securing 22 awards with 13 in newspaper and 9 in yearbook. Woodbridge and Northwood High Schools also had an impressive performance, each earning recognition with 14 and 11 newspaper awards.
The OCJEA competition pushes students to demonstrate their skills in high-pressure, real-world journalistic scenarios. Students underwent rigorous competitive exercises and simulations, including:
- Attending a mock press conference and producing a news story within one hour
- Crafting complete newspaper spreads in just two hours
- Drafting critical reviews of performances immediately after viewing them
IUSD Demonstrates Journalist Excellence
Numerous IUSD students demonstrated their exceptional skills, earning qualifications for the upcoming state competition scheduled for April 5. These students excelled in various categories:
Online Best of Show (Best Website)
- 1st place - The Northwood Howler
- 2nd place - The Portola Pilot
Print Edition Best of Show
- 2nd place - The Portola Pilot
- 3rd place - El Vaquero (Irvine)
Newspaper Sweepstakes
- 1st place - Irvine
- 2nd place - Northwood
- 3rd place - Portola
Yearbook Sweepstakes
- 1st place - Portola
- 2nd place - Northwood
Editorial (students in this category qualified to compete at the State write off on April 5th)
- 1st - Anthony Park, Northwood
- 2nd - Emily Dissanayake, Irvine
- 3rd - Aishwarya Ramasubramanian, Northwood
- 4th - Valerie Lam, Irvine
News (students in this category qualified to compete at the State write off on April 5th)
- 1st - Ian Shin, Irvine
- 2nd - Sohum Sarwate, Northwood
- 3rd - Stephanie Hwang, Portola
- 4th - Parmin Zamani, Portola
Feature (students in this category qualified to compete at the State write off on April 5th)
- 1st - Sonia Wang, Portola
- 2nd - Emily Zhao, Irvine
- 4th - Ashley Liau, Irvine
Sports (students in this category qualified to compete at the State write off on April 5th)
- 1st - Mia Jong, Portola
- 2nd - Raelle Tiong, Northwood
- 4th - Ruhi Samudra, Portola
Yearbook Sports Copy
- 1st place - Selina Wang & Connor Hsiao, Portola
- 2nd place - Sami Azad & Tiffany Chu, Portola
- 3rd place - Emily Law & Hana Boroumand, Northwood
Yearbook Sports Design
- 1st place - Connor Hsiao & Selina Wang, Portola
- 2nd place - Isabelle Targanyan & Samatha Wilson, Northwood
- 3rd place - Tiffany Chu & Sami Azad, Portola
Yearbook Feature Copy
- 2nd place - Jay Bruce & Diya Grover, Northwood
- 3rd place - Ruby Ross & Zoe Leong, Portola
Yearbook Feature Design
- 2nd place - Jay Bruce & Diya Grover, Northwood
- 3rd place - Claire Ko & Harini Rameshbabu, Portola
Editorial Cartoon
- 1st place - Hyunjung Lee, Northwood
- 2nd place - Kayla Fu, Northwood
Critical Review
- 2nd place - Madison Lam, Irvine
- 4th place - Claire Liu, Portola
Newspaper Layout
- 1st place - Thomas Ahn, Woodbridge
- 4th place - Lauryn Chew, Northwood
Yearbook Photo
- 2nd place - Lochlann Hung, Portola
- 4th place - Kaitlyn Ma, Portola
Magazine Cover
- 4th place - Sara Qazi, Woodbridge