Four juniors from Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy (SLA) gained recognition from C-SPAN during a ceremony held on Tuesday for their impactful contributions to this year’s StudentCam competition.
With more than 1,700 submissions from across the country, junior Ione Saunders achieved a remarkable third-place prize of $750 for her video addressing addiction in Kensington.
The theme for this year’s competition was, ‘Your message to the president: What issue is most important to you or your community?’.
In her documentary, Saunders aimed to highlight underrepresented narratives within the addiction crisis.
She noted, “I thought there were interesting stories to be told through a documentary, and I could use this as a good tool to get those personal stories out there that may not be seen with the negative perspective that people usually have on people who use drugs.”
Saunders emphasized the importance of street interviews in her work, sharing that one particular interview with a drug user posed challenges that required sensitivity and respect.
In addition to Saunders, SLA juniors Desmond Maggione, Nati Roemer-Block, and Jaiel Lapp Yoder received honorable mention awards, each earning $250 for their documentary titled, “The Battle of Misinformation.”
Maggione expressed his concern over misinformation in today’s digital age, stating, “In the modern day with social media and all forms of the internet, it’s very easy to fall prey to misinformation.
My parents, grandparents, even, especially the older generations, tend to see everything on the internet and believe it to be true instantly.”
Lapp Yoder added, “We interviewed a representative from factcheck.org who shared a story about individuals misled into believing the COVID vaccine was harmful.”
His video delved into the motivations behind the distortion of truth, asserting, “I think that a lot can be gained from misinformation — mainly money and power.”
Roemer-Block shared his evolving perspective on misinformation, revealing, “I went in thinking misinformation was always totally wrong facts.
But I learned it’s often more facts that are swayed to one side.”
This nuanced understanding reflects the complexities surrounding the issue of misinformation in society today.
The ceremony was attended by Pam McGorry, C-SPAN education program senior specialist, City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, and Philadelphia School Superintendent Tony Watlington.
McGorry highlighted the goal of the StudentCam competition, mentioning, “C-SPAN has been hosting the StudentCam documentary competition for over 20 years, and the aim is to engage young people on issues affecting their communities and the nation.”
She further explained, “By providing them with this platform to have their voices heard, they can get out and explore those areas of interest.”
Other Philadelphia-area students were also recognized for their entries in the StudentCam competition.
Daniel Aasa, a student from Winslow Township High School in Atco, New Jersey, secured the first-place award for his video, “Saving Sudan: U.S. Aiding in a Forgotten Crisis,” earning a prize of $3,000.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Matthew Dougherty, Gage Arcaro, and Israel Santiago from Central High School for their documentary about undocumented immigration; Hafsa Kanchwala, Emily Sidlow, and Emi Maeda from The Baldwin School for their work on affordable housing; and Megha Mallavarapu from Lenape Middle School for her video on clean water.
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