The staff of Lake Land College’s very own newspaper, The Navigator, recently participated in the Illinois Community College Journalism Association (ICCJA) Conference and took home 6 awards. 

The ICCJA Conference, gracefully hosted by Moraine Valley Community College, took place from Nov. 14 to Nov. 15 this fall. To begin, students were treated to a speech by none other than Yolanda Joe, an award-winning author and journalist. Joe spoke of tales from her adolescence, highlighting how these experiences helped shape who she became into adulthood. More specifically, however, the career path she was destined to embark on. The speech was inspiring and left many with the sense that they too could achieve greatness like her. 

Throughout the following two days, students were given the opportunity to go to various breakrooms, where they learned skills from professional journalists and writers. “In My Humble Opinion,” taught by Northwest India Times Opinion Writer George Grenchik and “Avoiding Bias in Sports Game Stories,” by Women’s Sports Analyst Alison Moran for “Snowman in the Morning” were just a few of the many insightful workshops offered. 

At the end of the first night, students from community colleges across Illinois came together for the awards ceremony. There, The Navigator received six awards in categories ranging from Front Page Design to Best Student Media. The first award went to Viv Ard for an honorable mention in Front Page Design. The second also went to Viv Ard, along with Doc Frazier, for first place in Page Design. Next came the Editorial Cartoon category, in which Brett Sawyer won first place for his depictions of the one and only Laker Louie. Eventually, it was time for The Navigator staff to be awarded second place in the Mike Foster General Excellence Award, which was met with excitement. And finally, The Navigator received third place in the Best Student Media portion of the night. 

Aisha Salami, Reporter and Layout & Design Editor, when asked what her favorite part had been during her experience at the ICCJA Conference, reminisced on the realization that this healthy awards competition between schools was helping to foster her dream of becoming an author. Aisha is now striving to be an even better writer than before. 

Overall, the ICCJA Conference was a delightful and unforgettable experience for The Navigator and community college students throughout Illinois.