Senate forum honors Stars

Toga-clad Student Senate members sporting olive leaf laurels greeted student leaders and employees as they walked into the Nordic Lounge for the Student Senate awards luncheon Tuesday, May 8. "A Roman Affair" was the theme for the Spring awards ceremony, complete with an Italian feast catered by Eastside Marios. Student Senate president Gwendolyn Hillard and student activities adviser Bill Webb greeted hungry patrons before presenting the awards.

The announcement of J.J. Nimmons and Angelique Webber as the Long Beach exchange club's "Man and Woman of the Year" was made and current and former Viking award winners were honored as well.

The Senate presents three distinguished awards at its biannual ceremony. The certificate of honor is given to first-level award recipients or to Viking award winners who continue to demonstrate leadership and academic excellence at the school.

This semester, 69 certificates of honor were awarded.

The second-level award given is either the Crystal award for the PCC students or the Student Senate Star award for the LAC students. Crystal awards were earned by James Medearis, Stacie Dudley and Jammie Smith at the PCC awards luncheon May 3.

The Star award, a numbered award that comes with an actual star, was presented to 13 deserving students for the Spring semester. The recipients were Tom Chek, No. 134, star name Iclarkari; Andrea D'Angelo-Risner, No. 135, star name Izar; Crystal Bilotta, No. 136, star name Kableced; John Synco, No. 137, star name Kaff;

Arcely Zan, No. 138, star name Kaff In Bevcar; Jason Chan, No. 139, star name Kalb Al Akrab; Tiffany Lim, No. 140, star name Kalabelaphard; Mike Brown, No. 141, star name Kappa Orionis;

Karla Martinez, No. 142, star name Kaus Australis; Alisha Oropez, No. 143, star name Kiffa Australis; Dawn Krytusa, No. 144, star name Paga Kocab; Stephany Lin, No. 145, star name Kochab; Monica Conde, No. 146, star name Kochah.

Other awards presented went to Kassai for the best on-campus activity.

Kassai initiated the "Mona Lisa project," where the female honor society members took part in a campus beautification project by coming in over Spring Break and repainting the LAC benches.

Best off-campus activity went to the Alpha Gamma Sigma-Kappa honors society for its continued work serving food to the homeless at the Rescue Mission and best fundraiser went to the women's social-service club TNT for raising $1,000 at the Mini Grand Prix.

The academic advancement award went to the LBCC Filmmakers Association for its open enrollment promotion in January.

"We were definitely surprised and honored to win this award. Receiving a Student Senate award means that our organization is gaining visibility on campus," said club president Ericka Concha. "It means that we have positively impacted the college in some way and I am proud to have been a part of that."

The Viking awards will be handed out at the Associated Student Body awards banquet Friday, May 18 in the English Lounge.