De Anza College’s student newspaper La Voz Weekly won seven awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention March 22 to 24. 

The statewide convention was held at the Burbank Marriott hotel. Nine La Voz members, along with adviser Cecilia Deck, joined 500 other students from 47 community colleges. 

On the spot contests included first place for former news editor Bryce Druzin for the broadcast news writing, second place to current editor-in-chief Sara Gobets, for feature photo, third place to Druzin for copy editing, and honorable mentions to former editor-in-chief Michael Mannina for copyediting and to current opinions editor, Leila Forouhi, for sports writing.

 Forouhi had to report about a lacrosse game and had no prior knowledge of the sport. 

“We got to Occidental University and we were trying to quiz each other about lacrosse,” Forouhi said. “We happened to sit next to some very excited parents and we were asking them what play that was and they gave us scorecards. Then other reporters ran towards the parents and it was great because they wouldn’t help [the other reporters].” 

La Voz’s awards included categories for the 2010 – 2011 academic year from September to June. The students are eligible for both mail-in entries and on-the-spot contests, won by Forouhi, who said she felt confident in her story from the interviews she gathered.

“The copy editing awards are really great. To me, the copy editing is the polishing on the newspaper,” Deck said. “The front-page layout is also a great thing because that’s the first thing people see. It was three issues in a row from winter 2011. One of them was Valentines Day.”  

Mail-In awards included first place to Israel Gutierrez and Mannina for front-page layout, third place and an honorable to contributor Galen Oback, for editorial cartoons. 

“I’m proud of all of them really,” Deck said. “The students go in there not knowing what to expect, sometimes the advisors don’t even know and they are expected write a perfect story and the judges really know what they’re looking for.” 

JACC gives journalism students the opportunity to compete and to also learn from journalistic professionals. The conference has been celebrating California’s student journalists since 1962 and La Voz has won awards every year.