Like an old photograph from a pile of old photo albums, all the nostalgic pre-pandemic memories of passionate campus journalists resurface as the Municipal School Press Conference (MSPC) returns after a long hiatus.

 

In preparation for this comeback, The Tillers, Tarlac Agricultural University–Laboratory School’s (TAU–LS) official student publication, has plumped-up new sets of campus journalists who represented the school, letting their voices be heard.

 

The newly improved Marawi National High School hosted the two-day competition, last January 6-7, 2023, between seven secondary schools in Camiling—Bilad High School, Birbira High School, Camiling Science High School, Camiling School for Home Industries, Malacampa National High School, Marawi National High School, & TAU–LS. The first day was intended for CJs with individual categories and the last day was scheduled for group categories, conducting a mini-press conference.

 

Somehow, due to the guidelines of the pandemic, the participants of each group category were limited to five which was supposedly seven, prior to the 2019 MSPC. However, it is a different case in the individual category, whereas until now, a maximum of three CJs from each school were expected to participate in each category.

 

Individual categories are News Writing, Editorial Writing, Editorial Cartooning, Column Writing, Feature Writing, Science Writing, Copy Reading and Headline Writing, Sports Writing, and Photojournalism—each in two mediums, English and Filipino. The same goes for the group categories; Radio Broadcasting, TV Broadcasting, Collaborative Desktop Publishing, and Online Publishing.

 

New normal, new rules. Individual categories are directly going to the Semi-finals of the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC). While on the other hand, group categories will still be on the run as they still need to pass through the eye of a needle, the newly established, Cluster 1 Secondary Schools Press Conference (CSSPC).

 

The ever-competitive, The Tillers, were unwilling to miss any possible points for the overall score and managed to fill up all the gaps at the last minute.

 

After dealing with their shaking composure and pressure amidst the contest proper, anyone can hear the proud cheers of competing students for each other while announcing the names of winners and next-level qualifiers. Just like the past years, this year, Tillers still dominated the MSPC after bagging another win to add to their close-to-two-decade winning streak of being the overall champion. Tillers also brought home the highest pointer in English and Filipino.

 

Fortunately, among all the entries of TAU – LS, almost all of them advanced to the next level. Truly, through hard work, dedication, and sacrificed semestral break, there is nothing you can’t achieve.

 

Sigh. What a memorable memory.