Top students gain plaques

As the semester comes to an end, hundreds of students were recognized and awarded for their Associated Student Body and Student Senate involvement, volunteer work and leadership skills at ceremonies and receptions.The PCC awards reception started the awards season by including five Crystal Awards and 27 honors certificates to leadership groups. The Crystal Award is given to the top PCC students for leadership and volunteer involvement. Debra Jones, Kris Karmelich, Charleen Moore, Bro. Vernon Muhammad and Ryan Ruiz were Crystal award recipients. Thursday, May 1

Additional awards recipients were Karmelich for the Adviser and Council Award, Butch De La Cruz and David Galves for the Council Award and Muhammad for the Adviser Award.

The ASB Student Senate staff at the LAC distributed 85 honors certificates and 28 Senate Stars for Student Senate involvement and club contributions.

Associated Student Body and Student Senate Adviser Bill Webb said, "Things are cyclical. A lot of students were involved last year and we had a boost in Senate Stars because of the number of honors certificates given last year."

The reception also presented clubs and individuals with special category awards.

Such recipients were Campus Progressives for Best on Campus Activity for the Documentary Film Series, TNT for Best Off Campus Activity for its work with Habitat for Humanity, Thor for Best Fundraiser, Kappa Epsilon Gamma for Best Community Service Project and the Student Committee for the Promotion of Science for Best New Club.

Benny Howell was presented with Best Club Sponsor, Eli Garcia for Most Outstanding Senate Representative, Vincent Jordan received the President's Award, LaTonya Neal was given the Chair's Award and Mariana Cabada and Long Sophoeoth gained the Adviser's Award.

The Viking Volunteer staff at the LAC awarded 83 certificates to students who recorded 30-49.5 service hours for the semester, 50 bronze medallions to students who contributed 75 to 99.5 service hours and 28 gold medallions to students who gave 100-199.5 service hours.

This year's reception included the most philanthropic awards in the program's eight-year history: 17 students.

The Hall of Fame award is given to students who donate 400 or more service hours over several semesters and recipients were John Kindred, Marcus-Michael Remington, Allysia Covarrubias, Lourdes Palacios and Kathryn Brown.

Other special category awards were distributed at the reception including the Dr. John R. Fylpaa Nordic Award for most recorded service hours for the semester, which was given to Palacios, who logged 370.5 hours.

Overall, students and employees recorded 17,170 service hours for the semester and 34,989 hours for the school year, the most hours for a Spring semester and school year.

The ASB awards recognized outstanding leaders on the board of directors and winners were Neal for the Choice Award for outstanding board member, Kindred and Karmelich for the Appreciation Award for dedication and service to the ASB board of directors and the students of LBCC and Elsie Nolazco for the Adviser's Award for service over and above assigned duties.

Rounding out the awards were winners Shaun Marshall and Karmelich for the ASB CEO Award.