Ranger awards recognize valuable source role models

The Ranger staff presented awards Monday recognizing college and district employees who have been interviewed week after week and responded to multiple calls and emails to assist reporting students in completing story assignments.

Students provided pastries, fruit, juice, coffee and laughs to guests at The Ranger's Source Awards in the newsroom in Loftin Student Center.

Student editors, reporters and photographers nominate sources who help train them as journalists each semester in 13 categories.

The Informant honors a source who always has all the information a reporter needs.

John Strybos, associate vice chancellor for facilities operation and construction management, earned the award, and honorable mention was presented to David Mrizek, vice president of college services.

Nominees included English Professor Dawn Elmore-McCrary, Faculty Senate president; Librarian Celita DeArmond and Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs.

Patience is a Virtue honors a source who gets repeated requests for information but always responds politely and efficiently.

Dr. Tom Cleary, vice chancellor for planning, performance and information systems, was awarded, and Dr. David Wood, director of institutional research, was awarded honorable mention.

Nominees included Mario Muñiz, district director of public relations; Don Adams, chief of police of Alamo Colleges; Strybos; student activities specialist Carrie Hernandez; and Kenny Patterson, district manager of client services in information technology.

Mortuary science Chair Felix Gonzales was honored as Mother Hen, an award that thanks a source "who takes a reporter under their wing" to help a student learn their beat and is nurturing in the learning process.

Honorable mention was presented to board liaison Sandra Mora. Carol Fimmen, district director of international programs, was also nominated for the award.

The Defender of Free Press honors a source who personifies First Amendment rights or one who literally defends The Ranger's right to publish and operate independently.

President Robert Zeigler was presented the award with honorable mention awarded to James Velten, a.k.a. KSYM's morning disc jockey Hot Mustard.

Journalism sophomore Dee Dixon, president of the Black Student Alliance, also was nominated for the award.

English Professor Jane Focht-Hansen was honored with the Booster Club Award.

The Booster Club recognizes The Ranger's biggest supporter with actions including referring new students, sharing news tips and sending words of support by letter, phone or e-mail or in visits to the newsroom.

Honorable mention was presented to DeArmond and Librarian Stephen Dingman. Other nominees included English Professor Steve Badrich and Gonzales.

The Big Tipper thanks a source who frequently calls or visits the newsroom and emails news tips on wide-ranging topics. The award honored Dingman with Counselor Steve Samet named as honorable mention.

The Sure Thing recognizes the most reliable source who returns phone calls, provides accurate and complete information, directs a student to another source if necessary, declines comment politely if they cannot talk, and provides feedback, clarifications or corrections on a published story.

The award was presented to Dr. Johnnie Rosenauer, director of Murguia Learning Institute, with Zeigler as honorable mention.

Nominees included Samet; Joe Jacques, assistant director of admissions and records; and theater Professor Paula Rodriguez.

The Forgive and Forget Award reconizes someone The Ranger has wronged unnecessarily but is gracious enough to not hold it against The Ranger.

Debora Morgan, director of strategic initiatives and performance excellence for the district, and Deborah Martin, director of public relations, were presented the award after a case of mistaken identity.

KSYM 90.1 FM earned honorable mention. Chloe Power, outreach coordinator for the Rape Crisis Center, also was nominated for the award.

The Overexposed Award went to Zeigler for suffering through the training of staff photographers, constantly being photographed and appearing in print many times.

Honorable mention was presented to the board of trustees. Nominees included Chancellor Bruce Leslie; Jacob Wong, Student Government Association president; Elmore-McCrary; and English Chair Mike Burton.

The men's and women's soccer teams was awarded the Underexposed, which recognizes a source photographed many times but without the payoff of appearing in print.

The Trusty Trustee Award recognizes a trustee concerned about issues facing students, faculty and staff throughout the district.