Hollywood,
CA – Daniel Marlos, Chair of the Media Arts Department at Los Angeles City
College (LACC), has announced that the Collegian newspaper has won several
awards, including a coveted “General Excellence Award” at the Journalism
Association of Community Colleges’ State Convention recently held in the
Pacifica Ballroom of the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.
Awards presented to the Collegian included:
- “General Excellence Award” in the newspaper category, which the
Collegian last won in 1997. Only 15 of 103 member colleges were awarded
the “General Excellence Award.”
- A First Place Award in opinion writing was awarded to Sara Hayes for the
top opinion piece in the state entitled “To Drive or Not To Drive.”
- A First Place Award in Graphics was awarded collectively to Ivie
Hasegawa, Julio Huerta and Kevin Hidalgo.
- An Honorable Mention Award was presented to photojournalist, Benjamin
Simpson.
“We were so excited,” said Collegian Opinions Editor Theresa Adams. “It’s
wonderful to know that all of our hard work is recognized by professionals
in the journalism community.” More than 600 students from California
community colleges and Colorado converged on the Wilshire Grand from April
3 – 5, 2008. They came to watch, compete and learn from some of the best
reporters, photographers and editors in the business.
Collegian Editor-in-Chief, Julio Huerta, who has completed four semesters
on staff remembered a time when there were no accolades for the student
newspaper. He says the Collegian staff members were the underdogs. “It’s
like a dream come true,” Huerta said. “This is my last semester since I’m
transferring to Cal State Northridge. I wanted to end it big with a grand
finale. And being part of this is something I will never forget.”
Judges called the Collegian “an attractive newspaper with generally solid
writing…layouts are clear and readable and sometimes inspired with stories
and profiles that show outside-the-box creativity.” Former Collegian
Editor-in-Chief, Cesar Hernandez, helped with a redesign of the Collegian
during the fall of 2007, and for him, the win was unexpected. “I was
surprised and I couldn’t believe it,” Hernandez said. “We didn’t really
have enough to work with, tools and staff. I felt like all the hard work
we put into it and all of the overnighters paid off.”
Hernandez has a strong background in photography and graphic arts.
Together with Collegian graphic artist and photographer, Beatrice Alcala,
Hernandez helped lead the staff back to a culture of excellence in visual
journalism. “We have come a long way baby,” said Beatrice Alcala who has
won three graphic arts awards at the state level for the Los Angeles-based
Collegian.”
The Journalism Association of Community Colleges is divided into northern
and southern regional divisions and colleges outside of California also
participate. Students compete twice a year, first in regional competition
in the northern or southern region, and then in statewide competition in
the spring. Conference sites alternate each year in the spring between
Sacramento and Los Angeles.
[5/1/08]
