(All photos in this blog are not rightfully mine, all of which were taken by our coach and my co-journalist.)
Talent is like a hidden gem that often surprises us. Many folks out there have no clue about their innate abilities, which are either passed down through generations or bestowed upon us by a higher power.I am one of those people. Good day, everyone! This is me again, rilyaaan, and let me share with you my unexpected experience at the regional school press conference, or RSPC.
It was early in this year when our school paper adviser in English saw potential in my writing abilities, so she asked me to join the group that she had been creating for collaborative desktop publishing. The group lacked a member because it should have been composed of seven students. I was hesitant to accept it at first because, first of all, I have no experience in competitions that involve writing or journalism in general, and I was afraid that I would be the reason that they would lose in the press conference. But considering the experience and knowledge that I will gain, I accepted the role on the team.
A week before the contest day, our school organized a three-day seminar for the campus journalists that will be joining the press conference. The purpose of the seminar is to enlighten the journalists and train them to enhance the skills they already have to outperform their fellow contestants. Since our school has already established itself as one of the most competitive and dominant when it comes to journalism, they want us to keep the school name on top. So I felt a bit pressured.
After the training, our coach requested a meeting for the collab group, but one of our members wasn’t present. She asked us what role we wanted in the team so that we could settle and finalize everything before the day of the competition. I chose to be a news writer because, for me, it is the easiest and perfect role for me as a newbie in the world of journalism.
The day prior to the event, we had a group practice. We were tasked with writing and creating a newsletter. I then proceeded to write a news article, but when I passed my article, our copy editor told me that a news article was already created by one of our groupmates, and that person happened to be the absent member during our meeting. I was completely devastated.
I had to adjust to another role because we lacked a feature writer. I really wasn’t into feature writing at all. For me, feature writing is the most difficult category at the press conference. All those flowery words and attention-grabbing statements are my worst nightmares in writing. But there is nothing that I can do. So I tried to write an article, and it was really hard on my part. So I asked for advice on writing a good feature article from one of my classmates who is really good at it. She taught me how to catch the reader's attention and shared some of her work. As a gesture of thankfulness, I let her borrow some of my books because I knew she liked reading romantic books as well.
The day has come. During the contest, I didn’t expect that there would be a mini press conference for the feature writers. I was so nervous at that time because it was really my first time attending a press conference. It was so thrilling and exhausting at the same time, because I needed to write down the important parts or everything the panelists said so that I could write a detailed and precise article. At that moment, I felt like I’m a reporter. I experienced a blend of happiness and nervousness at the same time.
(Photo by ZelAn Sta Rita Dignos)
After the mini press conference, we were given four hours to finish writing, editing, and layouting our newsletter.Fortunately, we managed to finish with 10 minutes to spare.I figured we might end up in second place because our competitors have a team of students in grades 11 and 12, while our team is made up of students in grades 9, 10, and 11.Based on past experiences, I assumed they would be the ones to win. But out of nowhere, when the winners were announced, I felt so surprised because we won first place. At that moment, I came to think that maybe I also had a talent for writing. Honestly, I really didn’t expect to win the top spot, but maybe we really deserved it, so God made it possible.
After securing the top spot at the division level, we moved on to the regional level. We were excused from class so that we could practice writing articles and layouts to have a better chance of winning at the regional stage. We invested our time in practicing every day to learn new writing styles and strategies.
But an unexpected event occurred. The mechanics changed. From 7 members, it was changed to 5 participants per team, so someone from the group has to give way. Our photojournalist didn't hesitate to back out of the group. And it was late, and our coach needed to submit the final list of participants, so our news writer also gave way. But my mind was already fixed and I was ready to give way for the team, so I asked our coach to bring back our news writer and kick me off the team. Besides, she’s a better writer than me, so I think she would have a better value than me. And also, I have another regional-level contest coming up, so I wanted her to experience being on the regional stage as well.
After 2 weeks, a memorandum was released stating that the members of the group would be back to 7. So our photojournalist and I were back in action, eager to win the competition.
I was really excited on our way to Talisay City because it’s my first time attending a regional contest. When we got to our place to stay, Lawaan Elementary School, the faculty there gave us a warm welcome. They even had snacks, water, and bedding ready for us. And believe it or not, they even threw a welcome party for our division! If there is someone from Lawaan, please do know that in behalf of our whole delagation, we are so thankful for the way you showed us your kindness and generosity while we are there.
(During the welcome party)
After waiting for so long, the competition day finally came. The night before was a mess; I couldn't sleep because of my nervousness and excitement. Therefore, instead of lying down and doing nothing, I went up, read some articles, and wrote something while listening to my favorite music to entertain myself and, at the same time, prepare myself to give my very best during the contest.
Since our coaches saw our struggles and commitment to being campus journalists, they treated us at the biggest mall here in Cebu, SM Seaside. We felt so relieved to go there since we were stuck at our headquarters for 3 days. We ate at a Korean restaurant that has amazing, delicious, and worth-the-priced foods.
But sadly, we weren’t good enough to secure a place. Perhaps other teams were too good and more prepared than us, so we simply accepted our faith.
After the awarding ceremony, I went home with sadness and regrets. I really do think that I could’ve written a better feature article than what I submitted. But we can’t change the past, so after some time, I completely accepted our tough loss.
I am really thankful to our school paper adviser because she believed in my abilities and gave me an experience that I will truly remember until my last breath.
Our talent remains hidden until someone gives us the confidence, push, and opportunity to showcase it on a bigger stage. All we need is a small push to realize that we have talent in this area.
We may experience some moments when we feel down, but eventually we will realize that all struggles and challenges happen for a reason. It may be for us to learn or for us to be prepared for much bigger challenges ahead of us. That’s it for today. See you on my next blog.
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