C-SPAN visited Dutch Fork High School May 14 to celebrate and honor seven students for their prize-winning documentaries in C-SPAN’s annual StudentCam competition.
C-SPAN and Spectrum representatives joined classmates, teachers, family members, and community leaders to present awards and recognize the students and their teacher, AJ Chambers, who served as their StudentCam adviser, at a school ceremony.
• Wyatt Warner, Parker Brown, & Liam Roberts, 12th graders, won Honorable Mention and $250 for their film, The Fight for the Podium, about transgender athletes in sports.
• Grace Ma & Jordan Polluck, 10th and 11th graders, won Honorable Mention and $250 for their documentary, Unheard Voices, about minority representation in the government.
• Jackson Stengel & Trevor Bessmer, 12th graders, won Honorable Mention and $250 for the film, The Modern Witch Hunt, about unlawful persecution.
In recognition of the United States Semiquincentennial, C-SPAN – in cooperation with its cable and satellite television partners – challenged middle and high school students across the country to examine the enduring power and relevance of the Declaration of Independence by exploring:
(1) Its influence on a key moment from America’s 250-year history
– or –
(2) How the values stated in the foundational document touch on a contemporary issue impacting them or their communities.
Through this project-based learning experience, students engaged in in-depth research, critical analysis, and original storytelling to explore matters of both personal and national importance. The response was extraordinary: C-SPAN received more than 1,800 documentary submissions from nearly 4,000 students representing 38 states and Washington, D.C., underscoring the competition’s broad national reach and civic impact.
“As we recognize America’s 250th anniversary, this year’s StudentCam participants masterfully documented important political as well as societal issues and key moments from our nation’s history through compelling videos that highlight the values and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence,” said C-SPAN’s Director of Education Relations Craig McAndrew. “Each of their prize-winning videos is sure to spark meaningful reflections among viewers across the country and inspire future generations of filmmakers. On behalf of everyone at C-SPAN, congratulations to the exceptionally gifted young people who triumphed in the 22nd annual competition.”
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable, satellite and streaming television companies as a commercial-free public service. In Irmo, C-SPAN is available through Spectrum, our local partner in StudentCam.
“Each year, C-SPAN’s StudentCam competition demonstrates that the next generation is not only studying history – they’re engaging with it and applying it to the world around them,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs for Spectrum. “We commend the creativity of this year’s winners, who examined the enduring power and relevance of the Declaration of Independence at a pivotal moment as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.”
Among the most frequently addressed topics were:
• Themes of Equality (16 percent)
• Rights and Freedoms (13 percent)
• Immigration and Deportation (10 percent)
• Economy and Tariffs (9 percent)
• Health (8 percent)
C-SPAN is awarding one grand prize, four first prizes, 16 second prizes, 32 third prizes and 97 honorable mention prizes. These winning videos will receive cash awards of $5,000, $3,000, $1,500, $750 and $250, respectively. The StudentCam competition has awarded over $1.7 million in prizes since 2004. You can watch all 150 winning videos from this year’s competition at StudentCam.org.
