On March. 28, district UIL for academics occurred at Rowlett High School. This was the first UIL for the school year, with students from near districts involved. The competitions ranged from journalism to science, and several students travelled from school to compete in their specific competitions.
For journalism students, the competitions were news writing, editorial writing, feature writing, copy editing and headline writing. Yearbook and newspaper staffers alike achieved success, with several competitors placing and rising to regionals, the next level, which will occur on April 25 in Waco.
“I competed in Ready Writing,” Junior Nathaniel Jacob said. “I got first place. District UIL was really fun– we not only got to compete in competitions, we got to meet new people from different schools.”
The academic UIL featured more than just writing competitions, though. Many students from other academic disciplines were at UIL competing in their own preferred contests.
“District was really fun,” Jacob said. “I got to meet people and make friends. I’m looking forward to regionals.”
The day was busy and filled with success. For yearbook copy editor Emma Watson, she excelled in the AP Style test called Copy Editing. Watson had been studying and preparing all year, thanks to her grammar checking of each spread on the yearbook. Watson placed 7th in the competition.
“I chose to do UIL because I wanted to test my knowledge on AP Style,” Watson said. “I wanted to place to get my letterman. I enjoyed it because I got to learn from it.”
Though the day was familiar for many students participating, some UIL students were encouraged to try out UIL competitions for the first time. For newspaper staffer Jewel Jackson, she decided to showcase her skills through the editorial writing tournament.
“I thought UIL would be a good opportunity and experience because I’d never done a competition before,” Jackson said. “I enjoyed it because it was a fun experience, and I’d never been in an environment like that before. I would recommend UIL for anyone.”
