Three RTVC students at City have been nominated for student Emmy Awards.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Pacific Southwest chapter has nominated James L. Smith II, Alice Kim and Alex Miler Pastore for the Student Production, General Assignment award for three projects.

“Perez Captured,” the piece by Smith and Kim was a news piece that took place across the border. The piece follows the capture and extradition of Armando Perez, who has been accused of killing his estranged wife, Diana Gonzales, on City’s campus in 2010.

“It was an adventure, we went to Tijuana and had an interview with the chief of police,” said Smith, recalling the work that went into the piece.

“Covering the Diana Gonzales story was very difficult for students,” said Laura Castañeda, chair of the communications department at City and advisor of Newscene.

“It’s been challenging because it was in our backyard. It was a hard lesson to learn,” Castañeda said about Newscene’s coverage of the event.

One of Pastore’s two nominated pieces is also about the Diana Gonzales story. “One Year Later –— A Mother Continues to Cope with her Loss” is about the one year anniversary of Gonzales’ death and how her family is dealing with their tragedy.

Pastore and Smith have not only been nominated, but have also won in the past.

Last year Pastore took home the student Emmy for Student Production —- General News Assignment for his piece “San Diego Marks the End of D.A.D.T,” a piece he worked on with another student about the repealing of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Pastore explained that every student entry costs $40 to submit, so usually he just submits his best work. This year his best work included a piece titled “Election Indicators” that looked at unconventional ways that different people try to predict election results, including asking third grade students and buying certain cups from 7-11.

“I didn’t think it would place,” said Pastore of his election piece, “But it did.”

The student awards for the Pacific Southwest chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences are held annually in June. This year the awards will be held in Las Vegas on June 15.