Appreciation, childhood games, new friendships ? not what I expected to get out of a nerd convention. As I began my first JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Phoenix, AZ, I felt expectations of defeat and monotonous classes, but came out with a newfound appreciation for competitions, as well as learning a variety of information unrelated to journalism.

As the trip began, I looked forward to sharing a plane and a room with four other journalism girls. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the overall trip, but immediately anticipated a jovial atmosphere after many jokes of junior Spencer Lee, sports editor, getting lost and an airport official calling junior Suzanna Quiring, features editor, to security.

Despite my solitary seat on the plane surrounded by strangers, I was amused by the characters around me. While one man with somewhat of a southern accent shared all his personal stories and his girlfriend’s wisdom, another woman choked on jalape