Journalism Part 3: My biggest blessing so far…

I once said that Division Schools Press Conference is one of the most difficult contests in journalism. I just want to say that this time I’ll take my word for that.

Regional Schools Press Conference is a way harder. It is not because it was a level higher; it is because of the amount of all the aspiring journalists who’re desperate (and yes I used desperate) to advance to the National Schools Press Conference are way too high. Plus, they’ll be taking just the Top 7. Imagine you’ll be competing with hundreds of students and they will select 7 best articles and only the Top 3 will go to the NSPC.

In our Phase II training at Alfonso Central School, I can just simply describe what are the results my articles, THEY ARE ALL BAD! I mean none of them are even correct, even in the right way of format. That is just two days away from the contest itself. But in our stay at Dasmarinas Elementary School, I found another way on how to motivate myself, and I’m going to tell you, that it is not easy, because that motivation is a risk.

I won’t give any further explanation about that motivation because now it is completely gone (I guess), but what I wanted to have right now is to share to you my experience, the lessons that I got from that contest.

The value of friendship

Cliché to say but true. Back in our training, I never spent much time thinking about “I should win, I should win”. You know what’s in my mind, “At least one of us win; I’ll be glad with that.”

Why? Because it is not important for us if you’re the one who won the contest, what matter is one of us won.

Luckily, I belonged to the ones who won and advance to the NSPC. But I will never forget the way we interact, the way we helped each other at the coverage we need to cover, in every statistics we lack and the way we do to fulfil each other’s insufficient knowledge about a specific sports.

A contest is not just about you

We’re competing for a contest because we want to win, of course but we’re not there just to satisfy ourselves, we’re there to satisfy the craving of those people who our concern to us, who sacrificed the vacant time they must have just to teach you, the buckets of sweat they produced when they are having a hard time correcting your articles. Your competition is not just a self-fulfilment, although it always comes first, most part of it is about those people who prayed a lot more than you did for you just to win and for you to do well.

You’ll know yourself more

I never thought writing can be my passion. Writing will be my first love. Writing is the only place where I experienced the constant pleasure of self-satisfaction.

As a teen, we still have this big confusion in our minds, especially on identifying who we are. We don’t know what to do; we don’t know what to feel and what we’re feeling. We’re still unsure on what we’re doing because you have this fright that you’ll regret it someday. But I learned that writing will never become regret to anyone’s life.

Expectations and the things you imagined before came true, SOMEHOW.

Why somehow? It is because that is not the place I want to get. (Gusto ko kasi first. Haha. Walang kokontra, imagine lang naman. IMAGINE). But I’m very thankful.

I can clearly remember what my School Paper Adviser told me back when I was in my first year. She told me “Gusto mo bang mag-national, tulad ni Carlo Hizon?” *Carlo Hizon is an NSPC qualifier, Sports Writing Filipino*

I said yes of course but I quit back when I was in second year yay stupid me but now, I can’t believe that it came true. Back in my freshman year, I can still remember that I imagine winning the DSPC and recently, winning the RSPC. And guess what? It all came true. Wanna know why?

It is because I don’t want to disappoint myself. If I imagined that I want to make these things happen then I should help myself in making them. I don’t want to get stuck in my miserable life at all, full of challenges that are too hard to handle for a young me. I motivated myself through different kinds of ways, and those imaginations and expectations are parts of those.

Look at the one at the middle, that'll be the one to replace me, and look at Francis, HE'S SO CUTE!!

Right amount of confidence creates not just good articles, but a good you

I’m not bragging, but I’ve never gone nervous when I’m in the contest proper. Why? It because I know that being nervous will make me regret big time. When you’re writing, then you’ve gone nervous while writing, you’re content will be poor. The sequence of your thoughts will be ruined. It is just going to be regretful if you know that your write-up did not went well just because you’re ruined with your feelings.

I’m not bragging, once again but I just wanted to share this amazement that I felt about myself after the contest. I wrote the whole article for just 10 MINUTES! My gosh! I can’t believe it. See? My confidence never pulled me down. It just let me finish my article ahead of time super ahead of time. Unluckily, I rewrite for like 35 minutes it is because of that damn position at the gymnasium it made my whole body hurt so I guess I need to improve that.

Journalism also made me realize the true value of IQ and EQ

Once you got in for the Journalism, you must know how to value your intellectual and emotional aspects. I realized at journalism that your intelligence doesn’t matter if you’re not happy, if you’re just forcing yourself. IQ and EQ must be balance. Although it is hard, you’ll discover how, in time.

Once you won, you’ll regret about how you react

No! I’m not saying it is negative. It is just that it is way too funny that the way I reacted when I won was over. I jumped, I yelled, even at the stage I yelled which made some of my co-journalists recognize me in such a shameful way but I gotta say that it is pretty awesome to react in that way. That is what you call adrenaline rush haha where my HH session with someone belongs. That’s so ewwww. 

Look at Marco and Jaymark. Haha. 

Wow ang arte ni ate. Haha. But I did not cried. I really can't understand why it looks like

 

But I was happy. I was beyond happy that time. I never mind pulling other person’s hand. Hug people; shout in front of the jam-packed gymnasium (at the stage, yuck!) and act like a crazy girl who is so naïve about life. I never mind those because that time is my time, that time is the only time I felt that winning is not just something, it was DEFINITELY something.

Look at Neil and Toffer. Acting like "LALAKI AKO BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Experience is REALLY and TRULY your best teacher

It is another cliché but I swear that clichés are really working in this thing. My experience in journalism IS THE BEST AND I’M NOT GOING TO FORGET THAT IN MY WHOLE LIFE. 

I’m always going to reminisce every single precious moment that I had at journalism. Some say that journalism is too difficult they can’t handle it. That is also my thinking, but as time goes on, it was like the way I write is just a way too natural. Writing became a typical part of my life.

Winning can’t just make you feel happy; it will run through your deepest soul. That’s way too deep, so here is my other co-sports writer who won the contest.

4th place.Ang tagal niyang tumahan. Haha. He looks constipated :P

2nd. Sir Bedua was happy. Hihi. It's obvious on the photo

1st. Yeah men sweep Cavite Province. Look at me on the other side raising my hand. Haha

We promise that we’ll do our best. Wish us luck!

Be True, ALWAYS- RM

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