Panther Prowler journalists take home a win at CSUN competition
NPHS’ Panther Prowler student newspaper competed in the LA Times: HS Insiders “Journalism Day Competition” at California State University, Northridge [CSUN] on Oct. 26 and attended writing, reporting, photojournalism and layout workshops. Our staff placed in five different categories: Jasmine Zhang, junior, won second place in sports writing, Mika Inouye, sophomore, won second place in opinion writing, Isabella Boggs, senior, won first place in sports writing, Marli Saner, junior, won first place in feature photography and Hannah Shulman, junior, won first place in news writing.
The staff was split up into different groups for the workshop. In her competition room, Inouye was asked to form an opinion on Proposition 33 (local government’s authority to enact rent control). “I did really struggle with this prompt because without the internet, we could only rely on what [a document we were given] told us about why we should not vote for it and what the speaker told us about why we should, so it was hard to make a completely educated opinion based on the limited information we had and the short time span,” Inouye said.
Saner was awarded first place for her feature photo. “After [the] third and second place winners got called I was thinking that there was no way [I would place], [I] was really shocked seeing my name and hearing it being called,” Saner said. Saner submitted a photograph of the local band, Par 5, which printed in the Prowler’s first issue. “I was really proud of my photo and really thought it was one of my better works being put out for the judges,” Saner said.
The Panther Prowler’s co-editor-in-chief, Boggs, won first place in sports writing at the competition. Boggs listened to and interviewed two different members from the CSUN mens’ water polo team. Trying to find a unique angle, Boggs decided to ask the athletes about how they turn themselves around after losing a game. “Well, how do you guys get it in your heads that you can turn it around?” Boggs asked. Boggs believes she was able to pull it off. Along with taking home an award, Boggs feels she gained new information after talking to a “Los Angeles Times” journalist. “So that was really, really awesome, because I just, I haven’t had the opportunity to get to, like, see someone that’s so admired in the field of journalism before, and so that was just really cool to get to get to see someone who I’ve been looking who has a profession that I’ve been looking up to for forever, and just kind of get advice from them” Boggs said.
The entire day was filled with more learning and hardwork. “I think the day really showed me the importance of good journalism and why we need people out there who want to tell the stories of others,” Inouye said.
