By Amalia Medina, Allison Supanich-Goldner & Rachel Bato
Ceniad
East Lansing HS
1st Place Division 3, Yearbook Verbal
Headline Writing
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Clever/imaginative, engaging the reader
- Draws reader into copy
- Contents of headline establishes visual/verbal connection between photos and copy
- Headline/secondary makes spread content clear
- Adheres to rules of good journalism including: avoiding label headlines, freedom from editorial comment, careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors, correct use of grammar
The second Teo Tiburcio-Gomez (10) crossed the finish line, a swarm of East Lansing runners surrounded him. They hugged him and shouted congratulations in a chorus of joy. For the first time, Tiburcio-Gomez finished his race.
It was clear that the teammates who cheered for Tiburcio- Gomez had strong relationships with him, but it may come as a surprise that they had only known him for a little over one month.
Tiburcio-Gomez came to the US from Barcelona, Spain over the summer as a foreign exchange student. He wanted to meet new people and make friends, so he participated in a fall sport. Because he ran track back home, he decided cross country would be the best fit. However, track hadn’t prepared him enough for the grueling long distance races in cross country.
Prior to this race, he had run two races but didn’t finish them, because his legs had hurt too badly to continue. However, by the third race, he had become a better runner and was able to finish.
“I was feeling very good,” Tiburcio-Gomez said. “In the other two races I was feeling very tired, and in that race I was feeling good and was thinking I could finish the race.”
Tiburcio-Gomez’s plan worked. Soon after joining the team, he went to the annual cross country camp which helped him bond with his teammates on a deeper level outside of the sport.
“When I arrived at the camp I didn’t know too many people, but when I left, I knew a lot of people,” he said. “It helped me to better relationships.”
Although adjusting to life in the US has been hard, Tiburcio-Gomez likes being here and likes the people.
“I think the people are more open and like to talk, not so much in Spain,” Tiburcio-Gomez said.
Perhaps it is because of this openness that the team’s warm welcome immediately made him feel like part of the team. He has made lasting bonds with fellow teammates that have continued after the end of the season.
One of these bonds was with Andrew Lane (11), his closest friend on the team. Lane was drawn to Tiburcio-Gomez’s humor and light-hearted nature.
Lane was one of the teammates cheering Tiburcio-Gomez on in that race, and he’s watched Tiburcio become a better runner throughout the season. He’s also watched his friend become closer with many other East Lansing students. Despite the end of the season, the two remain best friends.
“I didn’t know a foreign exchange student was gonna be on the team,” Lane said, “but he showed up to practice one day and I introduced myself, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
Story by Amalia Medina