General Rules and Guidelines
The time limit for all categories, unless otherwise stated, is two hours. This time includes explanations, introductions and handing out contest materials.
Each category will have a contest moderator who will promptly open the contest, give all explanations, distribute fact sheets, introduce the speaker (if one is required for the contest), and see that all time limits are followed. Moderators will monitor presentations to ensure that contestants will be allowed 70 minutes of writing time. They will also collect all materials before contestants leave the room. Moderators will emphasize that final entries must contain information gleaned from the presentation as well as any relevant materials provided.
Contestants need to write the entry number clearly on each page. No names of students or names of schools should be mentioned or implied in any way, or disqualification will result. Please turn off all cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices during competitions.
Some materials are not provided. Please, consult individual categories in this rulebook for material lists. Contestants are expected to follow Associated Press style. Copy may be corrected by copy editing symbols.
Advisers must be WJEA members for a student to be eligible to register for a contest. Every category requires each contestant to be a paid conference participant and to be present during contest time. ONLY one student per school per category may be entered in a competition — entering the same student in more than one contest is prohibited. All categories are open for students (grades 6-12) of current WJEA member schools.
PLEASE NOTE: Contest fees are in addition to the registration fees. Nonmembers may not enter students in contests. All fees are non-refundable. Unless arrangements have been made with the registrar ahead, the school will be held accountable for the registration fee. Contest fee is $12 per student. This does not include conference registration fee. No contest registrations will be accepted on site; however, names may be substituted in categories for which your school has already registered. Late registrants may not enter Best of Show.
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Tips for a successful competition:
Dos:
- Stay in the room during the contest. If anyone leaves the room before his/her entry is submitted to the contest moderator, the entry will be disqualified. No contestant will be given additional time, regardless of the state the work is in at that time.
- Clearly indent paragraphs.
- Write “MORE” at the bottom of the page if the story is to continue.
- Pages must be numbered and fastened in order.
- Write your contestant number on EVERY PAGE of your entry.
- Write legibly.
- Use blue/black ink or pencil.
- Use AP journalistic style for copy editing, grammar, capitalization, etc.
- Show skill in the areas of grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and transitions.
- Prepare entries according to specifications on fact sheet and according to instructions given by the moderator.
- Ask the moderator any questions.
- Turn off cell phones, iPods, pagers and other electronic devices.
Do Not:
- Do not write your name or your school’s name on your entry.
- Do not talk to other contestants.
- Do not leave the room until you have turned in your entry.
- Do not bring samples into the contest room.
- Do not bring art type, border tape, screens, construction paper, professionally set logos or colored pens or pencils into the contest room.
- Do not bring food or drink into the contest room.
- Do not bring a typewriter or computer into the contest room (separate electronic spell checkers and dictionaries are allowed).
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