Allan Lovelace, a former Riverside City College journalism instructor, receives the emeritus award at the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees meeting on April 16, honoring his exemplary contributions, marking four years post-retirement. Photo by Joannah Clemente

By Joannah Clemente

Riverside Community College District conferred Allan Lovelace with emeritus status for his unwavering dedication to the Riverside City College Journalism Department at the District Offices on April 16.

Amidst the recognition, Lovelace, a former Associate Professor of Journalism from 1996 to 2020, was revered alongside instructors from various disciplines.

These included individuals like Scott Blair (Astronomy), Linda Braiman (Library Services) and James Cregg (Computer Information Systems).

Lovelace’s commitment to advocating for students’ First Amendment rights inspired students and the broader campus community.
He encapsulated the essence of his students’ motivation, “They were driven to make a difference,” Lovelace said. “They wanted to serve the public.”

Under his guidance, the student newspaper Viewpoints, thrived as a platform for diverse perspectives and open expression.

“I tried to make sure that every student had an opportunity, no matter what their background was… to do whatever they wanted with the newspaper,” Lovelace said.

It mirrored his philosophy of promoting student-led journalism and unrestricted reporting freedom.

Illustrating his dedication, Lovelace passionately supported investigative journalism, encouraging students to expose faculty misconduct and raise awareness campus-wide.

“Their goal was to tell an important story that the public needed to know, especially for the students,” he said.

Despite challenges, he staunchly defended students’ rights and press freedom, even amidst efforts to oppose the closure of Norco College’s newspaper.

“It was important to win that victory, at least temporarily (two years), that made me feel really good,” Lovelace said.

Recognizing its impact, achieving this press freedom felt meaningful to him as an instructor despite its fleeting nature.

Also, he acknowledged the privilege of working with students and his role in shaping their learning atmosphere.

“It’s a privilege for me to get to work with them and be the one who created the right environment,” Lovelace said.

Matthew Schoenmann, Viewpoints Journalism Specialist, echoed Lovelace’s advice: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

Schoenmann emphasized the importance of embracing imperfections and learning from Lovelace’s mentorship.

Similarly, former Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief and Fresno Bee reporter Erik Galicia recalled Lovelace’s influential mentorship and emphasized his advocacy for student voices.

“His words were powerful and important and made me believe in what I do as a journalist,” Galicia said. “It’s important not just for the democracy of our country but for social justice in our communities.”

To reiterate Lovelace’s stance, Schoenmann emphasized that students went beyond being labeled “student journalists.”

“I don’t like the term student journalist,” Schoenmann said. “They are as much of a journalist as someone from The Press-Enterprise or New York Times.”

This perspective showcased the students’ professional caliber, a lesson Schoenmann took from Lovelace.

Galicia also remarked on the challenges posed by the 2007 recession during which Lovelace steadfastly upheld Viewpoints as a respected newspaper under his leadership. 

“He firmly stood up for Viewpoints and the journalism program,” Galicia said.

His reflections confirmed Lovelace’s dedication and affirmed his emeritus status as a testament to his profound influence on the college, its students and the newspaper.

Laura Tapia, former Editor-in-Chief and current Clinic Administrator at Massage Envy appreciated Lovelace’s recognition for his past guidance during her tenure as Editor-in-Chief.

“He wanted us to never stop fighting for what’s right and to never give up on the right to press freedom,” she recalled.

According to Tapia, Lovelace’s significant contributions shaped students’ careers, including hers and had a lasting impact on the institution.

Expanding on this, Galicia acknowledged Lovelace’s lasting legacy in empowering students to enact change through journalism.

“What he instilled in his students is to amplify voices, hold the powerful accountable and provide a public service to our community,” Galicia said.