KSAK Has Its Biggest Year at the Golden Mike Awards

Mt. SAC radio broadcasting students had their best year ever, with 90.1 KSAK winning six Golden Mike awards at the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California's annual awards ceremony held recently at the Universal Hilton in Hollywood. KSAK's six Golden Mikes this year tied for most awards with Southland stations KFI, KFWB, and KCLU.

Student Daniel Nolte (Walnut) won a Golden Mike for Best Radio Traffic Report in Division B for radio stations with fewer than five full-time staff. The award was Nolte's fourth Golden Mike as a radio broadcasting student at Mt. SAC.

KSAK won the Best Documentary award for its "A Voice In Your Life" tribute to the late Don LaFontanie, known as the king of voiceovers. LaFontaine, who died in 2008, was the voice of more than 5,000 movie trailers and television and radio commercials estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

The Mt. SAC station also won three Division B Golden Mikes for its "Sense on the Dollar" series, a consumer program that deals with how to save money and be environmentally responsible. The series won awards for Best Use of Sound, Best Business and Consumer Reporting, and Best Individual Writing.

KSAK operations coordinator Cason Smith (Rowland Heights) and students Karlo Sy Su (Walnut), Danny Saldana (West Covina), and Jeff Bowe (San Dimas) together won the Division B Best Radio Sports Segment award.

The Mt. SAC radio station has won 14 Golden Mikes in the past four years.

The Radio and Television News Association of Southern California annually honors the best in radio and television, ranging from the major networks to college stations.

Faculty Program Gets Exemplary Award

Mt. SAC's Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program has received the Exemplary Program Award from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges for 2008. The award was presented to the co-directors of the program, Mt. SAC professors Rick Stepp-Bolling and Lori Walker, at the January meeting of the California Community College Board of Governors in Sacramento.

Created in 2002, Mt. SAC's Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program focuses on professional development to educate and inform Mt. SAC faculty about the developmental education needs of students on campus. Since its inception, 74 full-time faculty members and six adjunct faculty members have taken part in the program.

"The Certification Program promotes cognitive, social, emotional and professional growth of all individuals, at all levels, and is sensitive to individual differences and special needs that characterize each of us as 'developing' learners," said Mt. SAC's Academic Senate President, Michelle Grimes-Hillman.

The Exemplary Program Awards were established in 1991 by the Board of Governors to recognize outstanding community college programs. As many as two California Community College programs receive cash awards of $4,000 and up to four programs receive honorable mention plaques. The awards are sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and provide an excellent opportunity for colleges to showcase exceptional programs.

Mt. SAC “Mows Down” Competition in National Turfgrass Contest

Students in Mt. SAC's Turfgrass Science Program literally "mowed down" the competition by garnering first-place honors at the recent annual conference of the National Sports Turf Managers Association in San Jose.

In a highly competitive field of college and university teams from across the country, Mt. SAC sent two teams – one taking home the first-place trophy and a $4,000 cash award and the other team placing third. The prize money will be used to purchase necessary lab equipment.

First-place team members were: Pat Escalera, Geoff Miller, Chaz Perea, Hector Ramirez, and Noe Cardenas (alternate). Third-place winners were: Ricardo Guerrero, Giovanni Murillo, Ryan Rosebeary, Ed Schmachtenberger, and Tom Skelton. During the past three years, Mt. SAC students have achieved two first-place finishes and two third-place rankings. Prior to the contest, students spent more than five months in intense study and preparation. Topics ranged from pest recognition and disease identification to water management and drainage.

"It's very satisfying to do as well as we did," said horticulture professor Brian Scott, who served as coach along with professor Steve Dugas. "The competition just shows us where we stand in relationship to the top-notch turf programs in the country. This is an extremely difficult test, and all of our prep work paid off."

Demand for turf management specialists is increasing, according to Scott. "Opportunities for students in this industry are tremendous," he said, noting that Mt. SAC is among the few local colleges offering such a program.

"Coop" Views the Hoops at Mt. SAC!

Laker legend and Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper showed up at a recent Mt. SAC women's basketball game specifically to surprise Head Coach Laura Beeman and her team. Beeman, who enters her 14th year over the state-championship Mountie women's basketball program, moonlights as an assistant coach for Cooper and the Sparks WNBA team.

"It sure was a pleasant surprise to have Michael show up and boost the spirits of our team," said Beeman. The inspiration evidently paid off, as the Mounties went on to clobber El Camino 65-35.

Beeman has led the Mounties to four state championships in the last five seasons, including a three-peat in the past three seasons. For more information about this and other atheltic programs, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.594.5611 ext. 4629 or visit the Mt. SAC Athletics web site at http://athletics.mtsac.edu.