This year Oskar Bednarek received the Humanities and Philosophy Department Award for outstanding academic achievement and extracurricular involvement in the department. Oskar is a wonderful student whose philosophical abilities have bloomed during his time at Oakton. His thoughtful commentary in class and participation in debate has been a great addition to the student body. Additionally, his participation in the Students for Social Justice as co-leader and his role as a contributing writer for the OCCurrence newspaper have given dimension and support to his voice as an academic and activist. Last summer, Oskar spoke in front of a large group at the People’s Summit in Chicago regarding student activism at Oakton and their work towards building a more sustainable cafeteria with local produce, vegetarian options and ethically raised meat. Oskar also led a campaign to eliminate plastic water bottles from the campus. He also starred in the student produced zombie film, ACE, where he portrayed Tom Bowen. We are very proud of Oskar, and look forward to witnessing future pursuits of his along his sparkling path!