Cecilia Barajas | Staff Writer
barajaca@imail.losrios.edu
The City College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa took home five awards at the Regional Phi Theta Kappa Convention March 6-7 in San Jose.
Despite the fact that 87 chapters of the two-year college honor society were represented at the convention, City College managed to nab the Scholarship
Award for the Nevada-California Region – the top scholarship award for a chapter to attain. City College also won the Five-Star Award, which according to English professor and Phi Theta Kappa adviser Dr. Anna Joy, has been won consecutively by City College since 1999. For a chapter to win the Five-Star Award, they must achieve seven scholarship projects.
The City College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa plays a role in many of the events on campus each semester, including co-hosting Immigration Diversity Week with the Brown Issues club and inviting the dean of the UC Davis School of Law, Kevin R. Johnson, to come speak to students back in December of 2008. In addition to this, Phi Theta Kappa also raised $1,300 for the speech and debate team by sponsoring “A Night with Zinn,” an event that showcased readings from Howard Zinn’s “Voices of a People’s History of the United States.”
“This was a really good year,” Joy said. “We had very, very impressive students on our team.”
According to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society mission statement, “the purpose of Phi Theta Kappa shall be to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students. To achieve this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa shall provide opportunity for the development of leadership and service, for an intellectual climate for exchange of ideas and ideals, for lively fellowship for scholars, and for stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence.”
Many City College students won awards at the conference, including Asya Latvina, who placed second in the nonfiction essay contest for her essay on “Hamlet,” Elizabeth Fein, who placed third for honor member of the year, and John Wicks, who placed second for his work on City College’s
Honors Web site.
“It really has a good impact on students,” Joy said. “They are encouraged
to work hard because it makes them feel their work is finally being recognized. It validates what we do.”
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