|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The kids are alright seems to be the message coming out of Las Positas College these days.
The community college in Livermore has spotlighted a slew of student awards in recent weeks – no surprise that the journalism program success jumped out to me first.
LPC editors, reporters, photographers and cartoonists brought home 19 awards overall, including six for first-place, from the NorCal Regional Conference for the Journalism Association of Community Colleges in San Francisco last month.
“We felt honored,” Jakob Arnarsson, editor-in-chief for The Express and a winner for Profile Feature and Sports Game Story, said in a press release from LPC. “All the work we’ve put into this paper has gotten recognized, and it’s a feeling that only has us working harder.”
The haul came on the heels of The Express staffers in the summer earning awards including first-place for Justin Gomes (News Photo) at the CNPA California Journalism Awards and reporter Olivia Fitts being named a finalist for Reporter of the Year (Two-Year Schools) by the Associated Collegiate Press.
Elsewhere in experiential education on campus, LPC’s Talk Hawks team earned the First-Place Sweepstakes Award at the Golden Gate Opener Forensic Speech and Debate Tournament at San Francisco State University from Sept. 27-28.
In a dominant performance, the Talk Hawks cleared the second-place squad by more than 100 points in the overall standings of the 24-team tournament.
Six LPC students took home first-place awards individually, including Lindsey LoBue winning the coveted Top Speaker Award for the entire event. The school also scored multiple second- through fourth-place honors.
That same week, the Talk Hawks competed simultaneously in the OATS No. 1 Online Asynchronous Tournament Series in Forensics, finishing 10th out of 43 nationwide.
The fall competitions provided an apt bookend for the Talk Hawks, who performed well in the 2024 spring semester as well, including first place in the Community College Division and sixth overall in the International Forensics Association’s World Championship in Ireland.
Calling it “a magical year” for her team, co-director Natalie Kellner said “From dominating the competition at both national and international levels to receiving scholarship offers, our students have shown incredible dedication and talent. We couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.”
Also this autumn, LPC student Raza Ali had the opportunity to present his original research project “Bioactive Molecules in Islamically Recommended Foods” at a conference hosted by the University of Pennsylvania – one of just two community college students selected to speak.
“As the first in my family to engage in research and pursue medicine in the U.S., I strive to transform academic inquiry from an ivory tower institution into a societal service,” he said in a press release afterward. “This opportunity allowed me to share my work with a broader audience and connect with leading researchers in my field. I was excited to represent Las Positas College and contribute to the interdisciplinary dialogue at this event.”
As if all of that wasn’t enough, LPC confirmed just the other day that it had been awarded a five-year grant worth $2.998 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s “Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions” program.
“This grant represents a critical investment in the future of our college and our students,” LPC President Dyrell Foster said in the press release. “By enhancing our Guided Pathways program, we’re not only creating a more inclusive, supportive environment for our Hispanic/Latinx and low-income students but also ensuring that every student has a clear path to success.”
On the ground at the campus during the past week, LPC hosted its inaugural Arts and Humanities Expo on Nov. 7 and its latest catalytic converter “Etch and Catch” event with the Livermore Police Department on Wednesday.
The college district also this week released its year-end report to the community for 2022-23, something to leaf through as time allows.
Achievements that initially stand out are a student headcount of 25,642 with 2,854 degrees and 1,213 certificates awarded district-wide two academic years ago. In all, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District reported an annual impact of $801.2 million that year.
Next Tuesday afternoon, the college is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its state-of-the-art Viticulture and Winery Technology Facility, “offering students access to the tools, equipment, and education necessary to be successful in the wine industry,” vice president of academic services Nan Ho said in a press release.
And if you believe it, LPC is already looking ahead to 2025 – as probably we all should, given the calendar. On the heels of their recent modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, the theater department announced that it will stage an original production of playwright and composer Jesse J. Sanchez’s “Sueños: Our American Musical” in March.
“This groundbreaking contemporary musical … celebrates the rich tapestry of Mexican/Chicano culture and explores the intricate dynamics of family, identity and the American dream,” LPC officials said.
Sounds like another winner.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
