Students at station win county’s third annual drinking and driving public service announcement contest.
By: Nick D’Amore
A group of South Brunswick High School students’ message about the horrors of drunken driving was broadcast throughout the tri-state area this past weekend.
Matt Konowicz, station manager for Viking Television Network, the student-run SBHS television station, said the students had won the third annual drinking and driving public service announcement contest sponsored by the Middlesex County superintendent of schools and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.
"It benefits high school alcohol awareness programs or Project Graduation programs in the county," he said.
Mr. Konowicz said each high school in the county was asked to make a 30-second public service announcement on drinking and driving.
"We had 10 to 12 students working on it. They made five PSAs and chose the best one to go the competition," he said.
The public service announcements from around the county were judged by NBC-TV Saturday morning anchorman Walter Perez. NBC is Channel 4, locally.
SBHS received a $1,000 first prize and got its PSA broadcast throughout the tri-state area. The announcement and others appear regularly on VTN, Channel 28.
"We’ve been broadcasting all of our PSAs all during prom season," said Mr. Konowicz.
He said the winning PSA was "very powerful and very emotional."
It starts out with the sound of breathing and a heartbeat, asking the question of how many people die in drunken driving car accidents. As the PSA begins a count, images of fatal car accidents are flashed on the screen, faster and faster, as the breathing and heartbeat get faster and faster.
Finally, the screen turns black. A flat-line sound is heard and the total number of people that are killed by drunken driving flashes on the screen.
"It doesn’t target any specific age group. It’s aimed at the whole driving population," said Mr. Konowicz.
He said he was proud of his students, not only for their talent in visualizing and creating the PSA, but also with how they use their talents.
"I know we have a lot of talented students and I’m proud to see some have stepped forward to participate in this contest. I also like that they are using their talents in part for public service," said Mr. Konowicz.