2008 Woodie Awards
Film Contest Inspires Students to Get to the Polls
Courtney Hudson: Muleskinner
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Features
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know it is an election year. The presidential candidates have been dishing out reasons people should vote for them for more than a year. Now, students at UCM have an opportunity to convince other students to vote in the November election.
The New Acts Student Organization (NASO) and the American Democracy Project (ADP) have collaborated to create the "A reason to vote short film contest." The contest is open to all students, classes and organizations on campus.
Paul Carr, president of NASO, explained that the contest is a great opportunity for students to be creative and tell others why they should vote.
"It's a big election coming up, and this contest brings awareness to voting and encourages students to vote and that's the whole reason behind this," Carr said.
The requirements are simple. Student videos must be five to10 minutes in length and should explain why students should vote. The films can be in either VHS or DVD format and must be submitted by May 30. There is no submission fee.
Shari Garber Bax, the ADP project coordinator for UCM, said the film contest is crucial in helping to promote voting.
"We hope this contest will encourage students to think about their rights as students, and further, to promote voting in this critical election year," Bax said.
Winners of the contest will be notified on or before Sept. 1, 2008. Not only will those students be recognized in the UCM community, they may even receive national attention.
"The winning films will be screened by the ADP Steering Committee in consideration for exhibit at the ADP National Convention," Bax said.
The five winning films will be shown on campus Sept. 17, 2008 in honor of Constitution Day. Winners will receive a framed award certificate and have their accomplishment printed in the local newspaper.
"I think this is a really good idea for a film contest. The best I've seen in a long time," said Dave Buell, engineer for the Communication Department.
Students who decide to enter the contest can get access to the Department of Communications' film and video editing labs and may even check out recorders from the library, if they so choose.
So far there are five entries, but Carr is expecting at least 15 and is considering pushing back the entry date to June 30, so students enrolled in summer classes will have a chance to enter the contest.
The New Acts Student Organization (NASO) and the American Democracy Project (ADP) have collaborated to create the "A reason to vote short film contest." The contest is open to all students, classes and organizations on campus.
Paul Carr, president of NASO, explained that the contest is a great opportunity for students to be creative and tell others why they should vote.
"It's a big election coming up, and this contest brings awareness to voting and encourages students to vote and that's the whole reason behind this," Carr said.
The requirements are simple. Student videos must be five to10 minutes in length and should explain why students should vote. The films can be in either VHS or DVD format and must be submitted by May 30. There is no submission fee.
Shari Garber Bax, the ADP project coordinator for UCM, said the film contest is crucial in helping to promote voting.
"We hope this contest will encourage students to think about their rights as students, and further, to promote voting in this critical election year," Bax said.
Winners of the contest will be notified on or before Sept. 1, 2008. Not only will those students be recognized in the UCM community, they may even receive national attention.
"The winning films will be screened by the ADP Steering Committee in consideration for exhibit at the ADP National Convention," Bax said.
The five winning films will be shown on campus Sept. 17, 2008 in honor of Constitution Day. Winners will receive a framed award certificate and have their accomplishment printed in the local newspaper.
"I think this is a really good idea for a film contest. The best I've seen in a long time," said Dave Buell, engineer for the Communication Department.
Students who decide to enter the contest can get access to the Department of Communications' film and video editing labs and may even check out recorders from the library, if they so choose.
So far there are five entries, but Carr is expecting at least 15 and is considering pushing back the entry date to June 30, so students enrolled in summer classes will have a chance to enter the contest.
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