Students' Winning Assignment Promotes Responsible Decisions

Mass Media Communication students recently participated in a contest to create public-service announcements that encourage their peers to makeresponsible decisions regarding drugs and alcohol.

The winners, all students in Dr. Bradley L. Nason's MCM232 class Radio Programming and Management (along with linked MP3 versions of their successful entries) are:

First place: Jean P. Chargois, Annville.Second place: Chargois and Alan M. Lusk, WilliamsportThird place: Samuel W. Winslow, McKeesport.

Counseling/Career and Disability Services was awarded a grant through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board for the 2004-05 academic year.One of the objectives for the grant and onefor which Mass Media Communication students were enlisted is to educate students and encourage them to make good choices.

The class project/contest took place during the fall semester.Counseling/Career and Disability Services provided brochures and recommended Web sites where current drug and alcohol information could be obtained by students interested in entering the competition.

The 30-second PSAs were judged by a panelthat selected the top three entries on criteria such as technical quality, appeal to college students and content, and the winners were announced during Thursday's College and Community Coalition meeting in the Bush Campus Center.The PSAs will be broadcast throughout the year on the College's radio station, WPTC; in addition to the airplay, the winners also were awarded Circuit City gift cards.

The coalition meets several times during the year to work on education and enforcement initiatives in the area of alcohol and other drugs.

Sharon Waters, director of counseling/career and disability services, said this is the second time in recent years that the community has been enlightened through an infusion of student talent.Entries in asimilarly themed poster contest during the 2002-03 academic year have been reproduced in a 12-month calendar that soon will be distributed.