10 Hawkeye staff members attended the WJEA state convention at Inglemoor High School on March 9.

The day started with the write-off contests and sessions from newspaper design, yearbook, photo journalism, to advertising, and more.

The Inglemoor Improv team also performed during lunch, and was followed by a keynote speaker, Shauna Causey. Causey is the vice president of decide.com, and president of the Social Media Club of Seattle. She was voted in the 100 Top Women in Tech by TechFlash, and was featured in the Los Angeles Times as part of the “Female Empire of Technology.”

There were two more sessions while the judges grade and critique the write-offs and best of show entries.

One of the highlights of the event was the First Amendment Freedom Fighters Start Historic Tour led by legendary Mary Beth Tinker and Mike Hiestand.

Tinker made history in 1965 as one of a small group of students who wore black arm bands to protest the Vietnam War and was suspended from school for it. Her fight for her rights went all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was established that “Students do not shed their Constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”

Hiestand worked for more than two decades as am attorney with the Student Press Law Center. In that time, he answered free speech and media law questions from around 15,000 student journalists. He has spoken to thousands of students across the country, and is primary author of several books on student press law.

The event ended with the WJEA awards ceremony. Six Hawkeye members received an award.

Alyssa Vallester: News Writing – Superior
AnhViet Nguyen: Newspaper/Newsmagazine Layout – Excellent
Nick Fiorillo: Headline Writing/Copy Editing – Honorable Mention
Serafina Urrutia: News/Feature Photography – Honorable Mention
Gurminder Singh: Editorial Writing – Honorable Mention
Sereena Gee: Advertising Design – Honorable Mention

For the whole list of winners, go to wjea.org, 2013 contest results.