On Feb. 19, student journalists traveled to Wichita State University to compete in the Regional Kansas Scholastic Press Association competition. Students who participated in this event did not have to be part of a school publication and competed in events of their choosing.

“It’s less pressure since it’s all on you,” senior Kelly Doffing said. “If you mess up, it’s on you, and not an entire group pays.”

Fifteen CSHS students competed overall, with 13 attending the on-site competition.Six of them were returning, and the rest were experiencing it for the first time. Students competed in a variety of areas related to photography, writing, designing or editing. For each event, students were given prompts and information, either ahead of time or at the event, to complete their work.

Students who had carry-in pieces were given prompts before the event, completed their piece, and submitted it by Feb. 11. Students who went to the campus and had on-site pieces experienced the pressure and thrill of writing their complete story, with no prior knowledge of the topic or information, during the allotted time.

“It was a relief to be done,” senior Jayden Stanley said. “But I kept thinking, ‘what if it’s the last time?’ I’m anxious and hope I make it to State a second year.”

As on-site journalists completed their events, they had several options to pass time when not competing. WSU had a bowling alley students could use, or they could simply relax in the student center and grab a bite to eat. After all the Conway students finished their events, adviser Tamara Salisbury took the students to visit and explore the campus publication room to get a feel of what journalism is like in college. This was the final hurrah of the day, as students then boarded the bus and headed back to school.

Rather than knowing the results later that day like most competitions, KSPA does not release scores for up to two weeks after the event. After being kept in suspense, students who placed in first through third or received an honorable mention qualify and move on to the State competition.

“I would recommend going because it’s a good experience,” sophomore Kenzie Wenke said. “You get to make new memories, and it’s really fun.”