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Peralta Community College District's Only Student-Run News Publication
Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Cedric Irving Jr. takes a seat at his commitment hearing at the René C. Davidson Courthouse on Friday, May 8, 2026 in Oakland, CA.
Judge orders involuntary medication for alleged Laney College shooter
Former Laney College student, Cedric Irving Jr., will receive treatment at a state hospital until he is able to proceed with his trial as the suspected murderer of former athletic director, John Beam
Ivan Saravia and Eliot Faine May 12, 2026
Presiding judge Armando Pastran Jr. ruled during Tuesday's commitment hearing that alleged Laney College shooter, Cedric Irving Jr., be "involuntarily medicated” to regain his mental competency
Mark Johnson stands in front of an archival display of promotional Peralta materials in Oakland, Calif. on April 23, 2026.
Peralta’s Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations to retire
The hiring process for Johnson’s replacement began after the job description for his position was revised at a May 12 meeting of the Board of Trustees, according to both Johnson and Gilkerson. The application will close on June 23.
Leo Premnath-Ray, Staff Writer • June 17, 2026
A look at Peralta’s crime data
A look at Peralta’s crime data
A deep dive into the crime data from the Annual Security Reports published by the district from the last 13 years.
Rachel Venable, Associate Editor • June 9, 2026
Photo taken by Li Khan, edited on Canva
Meet the candidates for Peralta’s Executive Vice President of Student Learning and Success
Eight candidates, including two current Peralta employees, completed their public forums this week. Only three will be hired for the roles.
Citizen Staff May 20, 2026
Notebooks on sale at the Bookstore at Laney College in Oakland, CA on May 6, 2026.
District’s only remaining bookstore will be online for summer
The bookstore at Laney College will close on Thursday and reopen in a new building in Fall 2026. Class materials can be purchased online in the interim.
Ariunzayat Yunren, Staff Writer • May 20, 2026
A ballot drop box sits on the corner of Oak and 12th Streets in Oakland, CA. on May 14, 2026.
What to know about Peralta’s Measure A on the June ballot
May 16, 2026
The Peralta Community College District sign sits outside the district offices in the setting sun on May 12, 2026 in Oakland, CA.
40% of Peralta buildings are in “deficient” condition, according to update on Facilities Master Plan
May 13, 2026
Graphic made in Canva by Eliot Faine
Instructure reaches a ransom agreement with international hacker group
May 12, 2026
The illustration uses a screenshot from Instructure's cybersecurity updates page for the Canvas cyberattack.
Canvas is back online at Peralta
May 8, 2026
Cedric Irving, Jr. leaves his commitment hearing at the René C. Davidson Courthouse on Friday, May 8, 2026 in Oakland, CA.
Judge delays commitment order of alleged John Beam shooter
May 8, 2026
Cybercriminals threaten public release of student data from Canvas security breach
Cybercriminals threaten public release of student data from Canvas security breach
Just a week and a half before finals, Canvas has been hit with a second cyberattack. Peralta’s solution is to “cut off access.”
Rachel Venable, Eliot Faine, and Ivan Saravia May 7, 2026
Raha Banoo, left, shows printmaking instructor Alex Echevarria, center, and classmate Abigail Shaw, right, a print of her work in the printmaking studio at Laney College in Oakland, CA. on Monday, Oct, 6, 2025.
Laney College printmaking instructor makes lasting impression; student work on display at SFO Museum
Nelzy Gonzalez-Zaragoza, Associate Editor • May 2, 2026
Laney College custodian, Dwayne Jefferson, pauses for a moment from work at Laney College in Oakland, CA on Dec. 4, 2025.
Tea with Tamara: Dwayne Jefferson, custodian at Laney College
Tamara Copes, Staff Writer • April 24, 2026
Laney gardener Bahadur Rai watering vegetables at the Laney Community Garden at Laney College in Oakland, CA on Oct. 1, 2025.
Laney College’s garden has a history of collaboration with Oakland’s immigrant communities
Ariunzayat Yunren, Staff Writer • April 21, 2026
Laney College culinary student Miracle Law-White smiles for photo on Feb. 27, 2026 at Peralta District Office in Oakland, CA
Peralta Colleges Foundation hosts fundraising events for student programming
Nelzy Gonzalez-Zaragoza, Associate Editor • March 26, 2026
Audience members watch Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee address a crowd of hundreds during a memorial for Laney College's late athletic director, John Beam, in Oakland, CA on Dec. 10, 2025.
The Citizen receives honorable mention in NPR’s College Podcast Challenge
Desmond Meagley, Multimedia Editor • March 9, 2026
Illustration by Eliot Faine, photo background by Romi Bales.
Student journalists have temporary roles, but a permanent responsibility
Nathaniel Delgado, Staff Writer • February 26, 2026
A student safety aide crosses the Laney College Quad at dusk in Oakland, CA on Nov. 20, 2025.
How The Citizen covered the Laney College shooting, and why our security reporting matters
Citizen Staff November 26, 2025
Graphic of a student journalist, using a rolled up newspaper to break the ribbon of silence.
The Citizen will not “take down” the truth
Eliot Faine, Multimedia Editor • October 4, 2025
Graphic by Desmond Meagley
Emergency alerts sent over 20 minutes after the Laney College shooting raise concerns
February 13, 2026
As the Peralta community continues to reel from the Nov. 13 Laney shooting, members of the community have expressed confusion and concern as details surrounding the shooting remain unclear.
A CoA counselor was told to cancel an unvetted “class” – then promoted a nearly identical one
A CoA counselor was told to cancel an unvetted “class” – then promoted a nearly identical one
October 29, 2025
The original “free class” to obtain a “security guard card” was promoted through a Sept. 22 CoA student services newsletter. An attached flyer for the event claimed attendees would receive a “certificate to become a security guard” after a one-hour training. The event was arranged by CoA counselor and Project Hope coordinator Robin “Bernard” Ward.
An athlete looks down the dark stairwell towards the locker rooms. Illustration by Eliot Faine
The Locker Room Stall: 47 years of Title IX allegations at Laney College
March 31, 2025

Laney sophomore and shooting guard Adrienne Blackwell says she never uses her college’s locker rooms to change or shower. Neither do her teammates...

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