The Oaklandside Welcomes Laney Journalism Students for Summer Internships
Starting this summer, The Oaklandside will be welcoming Laney journalism student and former Citizen Editor-in-Chief Luke Wrin Piper for a 10-week, full-time reporting internship. This “Lede Reporter in Residence” will join The Oaklandside newsroom full-time for 10 weeks, learning from and working side-by-side with our award-winning team of reporters and editors.
This partnership will provide Laney journalism students an opportunity to build their skills by taking on assignments, pitching their own story ideas, participating in staff training, weekly team discussions, and one-on-one meetings with editors, and gain invaluable experience working with mentors in a professional news-gathering environment while making a meaningful contribution to their hometown. The internship will pay a living wage of $10,000.
Laney Gears Up for Hybrid Graduation
On Friday, May 27, Laney College will be awarding 710 degrees and certificates, in person and via online celebration. This is the day students from fall '21, summer '21, and spring '22 have been waiting for and we are pleased to be able to offer an in-person option for those who would like to participate. Laney is especially grateful to the Office of Student Activities and Campus Life, as well as Acting Director, Atiya Rashada, for planning an event that all can safely enjoy.
Laney's President's Office Launches The President's Podcast
On Wednesday, May 18, President Rudy Besikof and Pubic Information Officer Larena Baldazo recorded the first podcast from Laney College. The President’s Desk is a podcast written and produced by Larena, streamed and edited by KGPC Radio's Felicia Bridges, and hosted by Rudy. The first episode ran about 30 minutes long and features a conversation about the end of the semester festivities on campus, well wishes for the class of 2022 and an important discussion about Peet's Coffee versus Starbucks.
The goal of the show is for the President to connect with Laney staff members, students, and the Oakland community, to provide a safe space to speak freely. The President's Office looks forward to recoding an episode every other week and you can tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Laney.edu!
Laney Commemorates First 510 Day on Campus
On May 10, (510 Day) Laney hosted its first gathering of this type. While "510 Day" is celebrated amongst the Oakland Community, Laney Public Information Officer, Larena Baldazo was eager to bring the Oakland pride to the Laney campus, "last month, I was scrolling on Instagram, and saw some festivities going on for “415 Day” (April 15). I reached out to Atiya and thought, “we could totally bring this to Laney,” says Baldazo. This effort was made possible with the collaboration of the Student Activities and Campus Life Director, Atiya Rashada, in addition to the Associated Students of Laney College. Laney's Food Services team provided a nacho bar, with a sweet side of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from Culinary (a true Laney favorite!). The event started with music, which featured artists from Oakland, and went into a spoken word segment, where attendees were given the chance to share what they love about the Laney/Oakland Community.
Laney's Meal Distribution Comes to a Strong Close for Spring
Laney College Food Services Department has had another successful semester supporting our student community during these challenging times, with free meals, produce, and pantry. Our dedicated staff have produced and distributed 11,440 hot meals, 3,441 boxes of fresh produce and served 3,399 students and their families with our expanded Food Pantry distribution. Laney College is forever grateful for the help and support of our wonderful community partners, the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and the Oakland Rotary. The college would not be able to provide this level of support without their dedication and generous contributions.
The Emmys Award Laney PIO with Governors' Medallion
Laney's Public Information Officer, Larena Baldazo, was nominated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) to receive its Governors' Service Medallion, for outstanding service of time and talents to the Academy and Board of Governors. Baldazo has served on the NATAS board since 2017 and became Marketing Chair in 2018. She is responsible for social media and NATAS' monthly newsletter, Off Camera, in addition to marketing the Emmy Awards show. The official vote took place at the April 16 Board of Governors meeting and was officially announced on May 1. The award will be presented at the 51st Annual Northern Calif. Emmy Awards Show, Saturday, June 8, in San Francisco. This is the first in-person gala since the summer of 2019, click here to learn more.
This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Rudy Besikof, Laney College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. To view as a pdf, click here.
