Inquirer staff brought home 11 awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges state convention in Sacramento, including an award for general excellence for fall 2010.

The general excellence award is based on three consecutive issues and looks at writing and layout skill, sourcing, photo quality and news judgment.  It requires all staff members to work well collaboratively.

“Kudos go to Samanda Dorger… for coaching the staff to this win,” said current Inquirer adviser Mary Mazzocco, who was elected to a three-year term as president of JACC at the convention.  Dorger was adviser for the paper during the fall semester.

Former co-editor-in-chief Jonathan Roisman, now an intern at Diablo magazine and 7×7 magazine, received honorable mention for column writing.

“It is nice to know that your work is appreciated,” said Roisman

Annie Sciacca, Roisman’s co-editor-in-chief, won honorable mentions for profile feature and news stories.

“It really helps to make the paper better and bring it together as a whole,” she said.

Other individual winners included:

·         Scott Baba and Annie Sciacca, first place for inside page layout

·         Ariel Messman-Rucker, first place for news story

·         Troy Patton, second place and honorable mentions for critical review

·         Julius Rea, honorable mention for front page layout and two awards for on-the-spot front page design (fourth place from the professional judges and third place in the “people’s choice” voting).

The state convention brought together 47 community colleges and more than 560 student and faculty delegates for a weekend of speakers, workshops and on-the-spot journalism competitions.