Members of Modesto Junior Colleges speech and debate team won several medals in four categories during the 2014 Phi Rho Pi National Tournament April 7-12 in Denver.
Emily Akers and Michael Rourick won gold in parliamentary debate, while Jon Sahlman, Jacob Holleman, James Baugh and Josiah Scholten all won bronze medals in the same event. Sahlman won a silver in extemporaneous speaking, and Carissa Autry brought home the bronze in persuasive speaking.
Posthumously, MJC speech professor Charles Mullins was awarded the Collie-Taylor Fellowship Award for Coaches in honor of his dedication and passion for the event of forensics. And Todd Guy, an MJC professor who coaches the speech and debate team, was recognized with a distinguished service award by the Phi Rho Pi National Forensic Organization for his dedication and excellence in coaching.
Fellowship for UC Merced student
Merced resident and UC Merced student Jennifer Anaya is among 15 California college juniors receiving $10,000 Donald A. Strauss scholarships. Strauss scholarships fund public-service projects that the students have proposed and will carry out during their senior year. Anaya, a Merced High School graduate, will implement the Inspiring Great New Ideas Toward Education, or IGNITE, Project at Merced High, where she will encourage and inform freshmen English-language learners about the college eligibility and application process.
MJC students get scholarships
Modesto Junior College students Allison Wilbers, Heather Wilson and Kyle Quevedo received scholarships ranging from $600 to $1,300 from Alpha Gamma Sigma, the academic honor society and service organization of the California Community Colleges. Wilbers received the Charles Bell award, which is the highest service award given by the society. Wilson received the Kathleen D. Loly Award, which recognizes academic excellence. Quevedo was honored by the MJC chapter of AGS at the event with a chapter Award for Excellence.
Local poets honored
Lynn Hansen of Modesto won the grand prize at the 88th annual Ina Coolbrith Poets Dinner, among her three recent first places and two honorable mentions in national, state and local contests. Hansen and other members of the Modesto branch of the National League of American Pen Women fared well, with Cleo Griffith, Nancy Hackett, Louis Kantro, Linda Marie Prather, Calder Lowe and Roberta Bearden all earning awards in various categories.
Calling Oakdale business owners
Citing the need to help in a time of financial constraints in the city of Oakdale, Steves Chevrolet-Buick will weed, beautify and maintain the downtown traffic island at F and South Fourth streets, and is asking other businesses to adopt other islands as well. Some have landscaping, but budget cutbacks prevent the city from maintaining them, dealership president Jeff Steves said. He adopted that particular stretch because it is near the site of the familys original dealership, which is now in a larger and more modern space several blocks to the east on F Street, which also is Highway 120 and Highway 108.
Food director honored again
Billy Reid, director of food services for both the Salida and Denair Unified school districts, received an award from the Produce for Better Health Foundation during a convention in Arizona in March. He received the Fruits Veggies More Matters Industry Role Models for 2013 honor. Denair contracts with Salida Unified for Reids services. Its yet another honor for Reid who, in 2011, led a Salida Unified team that won the gold award of distinction in the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, a part of first lady Michelle Obamas Lets Move initiative.
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