Fifteen Publications Staff members competed in the Orange County Journalism Education Association (OCJEA) Write-Off on Feb. 28. Almost half won individual awards, in addition to the group’s fourth place in the overall sweepstakes award and Best of Show awards in newspaper and online.

1. 1st Place Critical Review, Julia Dupuis
2. 2nd Place News Writing, Namita Prakash
3. 2nd Place Feature Writing, Kristin Saroyan
4. 3rd Place Critical Review, Claire Dwyer
5. 6th Place Yearbook Photography, Jackie Nam
6. 10th Place Sports Writing, Liam Murphy
7. 10th Place Editorial Writing, Amanda Ong

“I personally didn’t know what to expect,” said executive editor junior Amanda Ong, who wrote an award-winning editorial. “I’ve never really written editorials before and did not know how to write an editorial. But that’s what made it fun for me. It was like a big experiment.”

In the News, Feature, and Editorial Writing categories, participants interviewed speakers, from an award-winning author and journalist to a California senator. “It was cool getting to listen to a real Senator [Sen. Gloria Romero] talk about an actual state law,” Ong commented.

Twenty schools in Orange County attended the competition and entered 260 students.

“It was shocking to see how many students are involved in a publication around Orange County,” said online editor sophomore Tommy Lee. “I loved the experience of getting to meet other people who are passionate about journalism.”