Celine Rezvani, staff writer

The Highlights and Watchtower staff competed and won at the Southern California Journalism Education Association State Write-Off at Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach on March 21.
Over 200 students from 27 schools competed in 16 categories including news, feature, sports, op-ed and photography.
Juniors Brenna Nouray, Sadie Hersh and senior Charly Azoulay all won in their photo categories.
Photo editor Sadie Hersh was pleased to see her work appreciated outside of the Highlights classroom.
“It was nice to have my hard work be acknowledged and seen beyond the school paper,” Hersh said. “I got good feedback from the judge to help me improve my work.”

Sophomore Ben Shofet took seventh place in the critical review category. Sophomore Veronica Pahomova received an honorable mention in editorial writing. Senior Lucas Harward and junior Guy Ginsberg competed in the category of sports writing. Harward received an honorable mention and Ginsberg placed second.
Attending his first state write-off was a challenging, but rewarding experience for Harward.
“It was a pretty fun event that really tested my skills as a writer and a journalist, especially since I was going up against some of the best student journalists in Southern California,” he said. “Overall I’m glad that I attended.”