To be quite honest, I still haven't really come to accept that I'm never competing in a write offs competition any longer. It's pretty much over, and I'm sad, because I love these competitions. These competitions are fun, and it's nice to see my writing abilities grow and be evaluated by alumni who have been involved with journalism. I didn't place until this year, and it's really fine, because I appreciate it so much more as a senior. It's the chance that I had to place, to know that my work was recognized as "well-written," with my style and attitude all over it. It's pretty neat.

Honestly, yesterday is still a blurr to me. I am ridiculously worn out by this weekend but I am so proud of my newspaper staff. I don't care if we didn't get that Newspaper sweepstakes or Super Sweepstakes trophy (after all, our name is already imprinted on it from years past!) but what matters to me is that we were GREAT hosts and we had a great time together. 

Yesterday, I competed at my last ELAJEA Write Offs Competition. I competed at my first ELAJEA Write Offs competition at Alhambra High School, and ended it at Alhambra High School. Luckily for me, Alhambra is going to be my Alma Mater, and starting here and ending here means a great deal to me, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

In the three previous years I had never placed in a single category-- Novice News, Critical Review, and Newswriting. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. I didn't expect much this time. After all, I was writing Editorial.

I have never competed in the Editorial category. I've never even been the most clever and witty Opinions writer (my Opinions editors are FANTABULOUS when it comes to being smart and funny!) and I just didn't know what to expect. I went into the competition with a bright mind and whatever it took to just place. I didn't care. I just wanted to place. Even if it was 10th place, I would've taken it.

After the competition, I was like "it's okay. You win some, you lose some. Okay, in my case, you don't win any." I knew my staff would do well, so I wasn't nervous for them. I was just worried for myself.

After bonding time during lunch, we came back to school and had an amazing jam session. I haven't been so happy just singing my heart out since...well, since forever. My life has been unstable because of all these college decisions coming out, and it was just what I needed to keep myself from thinking about the horrors of being rejected to my dream school. Anyway, I met an amazing girl (and now friend) and she just really touched my heart because she is so beautiful and sweet and her voice and talent is really a blessing from God. Jamming for a couple hours with her and Alison, and having a small crowd watch us and cheer us on was really fun! My staff was so supportive of us :')

Well, awards came and I was like nervous and trembling and what not. Editorials literally came like second to last! And I was completely terrified. When they got to about 5th place, I was SURE I didn't place. I mean, Catherine and Daisy took 4th and 5th. There was absolutely NO WAY I could place at this point!

And then it happened.

"In second, from Alhambra High School-- (being Mr. Padilla, he took a long pause) Joyce Lam!"

My reaction? KJSDNFKJSDNF WHUT IS GOING ON THERE MUST BE A MISTAKE THERE IS NO WAY ARE YOU SURE OHMYGOSHS DKJFNSJKDNJKFNSDF

Seriously, that right there, is not an understatement. It's accurate in it's entirety cause those were the thoughts going through my head.

Our publication ended up taking 3rd (or was it 4th?) in Newspaper Sweepstakes, but I was proud of my staff regardless.

After all these years of investing my life in Newspaper, I do not regret a single bit of it. I can even say that I'm definitely coming back to give back to a program that molded me and stretched me into a versatile person. 

The Moor, you have made me a proud Editor in Chief.

ELAJEA: East Los Angeles Journalism Education Association

Every year, about ten high schools in the San Gabriel Valley area compete in journalism and yearbook competitions, including my high school. Categories range from News, News Layout, Yearbook Layout, Feature Photography, Critical Review, Editorial, and more. The top schools with the most points (and I believe it's in accordance with how many publication members per school place within the top in the competition) earn a trophy for Newspaper Sweepstakes and/or Yearbook Sweepstakes, and the overall winning school earns Super Sweepstakes.

My editor-in-chiefs decided about two weeks ago to place me the Editorial category, because I apparently seem like someone who "is able to write critically." If you were to ask anyone else, they'd probably tell you that my ability to write editorials comes from a bitch-ass opinionated motherfucker lol. Many of the other categories are able to take in multiple competitors per school, but with Editorial, only two competitors are allowed at most per school. Winning Editorial relied on me and Lauren, our News editor.

I'm not gonna lie, I barely prepared myself. I was so caught up with schoolwork and projects that I almost forgot. Because I was given the job to the write the editorial for our school newspaper this month, I decided to just work on the night before as my form of last-minute practice and preparation. Luckily, that happened to play out in my favor because the topic we were given for the competition felt so similar to the editorial I wrote for this month's paper. Yeaaaaah bitches.

After going out to eat, buying material for my adviser's farewell/retirement card, and going to the library during our three-hour break, it was finally awards time. We headed to the auditorium and I literally spent the entire time up until they began to announce the winners for Editorial slouching in my seat and telling myself I lost to save myself the feeling of disappointment

...Shit man. Our school did pretty amazing. We had publication members place top 10 in almost every category. I was literally getting out of my seat and screaming my ass off, to the point where I stood up and the entire room was spinning. When they began to call out the places for Editorial, I just shriveled up in my seat and was waiting for it to be over lol. And then... this happened:

Announcer: And for 6th place, from San Gabriel High School... Natalie Tran! My school:  WHOOO HFJEAHAHJL YHYEAHH Me: ..............huh

It's been about 8 hours. I'm still sitting here thinking "wait what." I beat out 16 other kids for 6th place. I just... what. And then Lauren, who was probably more worried than I was, ended up getting 1st place for editorial. FIRST PLACE. HOLY SHIT. THE EXCITEMENT RUNNING THROUGH MY BODY, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW.

Last year, our school took home Newspaper Sweepstakes, Yearbook Sweepstakes, and Super Sweepstakes. This year, we lost the Super Sweepstakes trophy to another school, but we got to bring back home Newspaper and Yearbook Sweepstakes. The best part about all of this though? Knowing we made our adviser proud. It's his very last year at our school as he is retiring this June. Having him as my sophomore English honors teacher pushed me to become a better writer, and that pushed me into joining journalism. Now I have my eyes set on possibly majoring in communications. I really don't know what I'd do without having my adviser for journalism. He's one of the few people I know who has told me to always take risks in my writing and never fall back from a stance. Having our school winning these awards was one thing, but making him proud of us was what was really worth it.