Judge Rendell Congratulates Kids
HARRISBURG – First Lady of Pennsylvania Judge Marjorie O. Rendell today congratulated five Fox Chapel Area High School students from Allegheny County for their video that won the grand prize in an online contest designed to highlight the importance of civic engagement through voting.
The video, “Voter vs. Non-Voter,” is a spoof of the Apple vs. PC commercials. It depicts two high school-aged students discussing the important issues facing the nation and the convenient access to answers on voting questions through the Department of State’s VotesPA.com Web site.
The winning entry was produced and submitted by Thanh Doan, Alexander Radkoff and Charles Wei of Ohara Township; Akansh Murthy of Aspinwall Township; and Anders Bergren of Fox Chapel Township. All students are seniors.
“These students are to be commended for their creativity in taking a concept that is widely recognized and using it to convey the opportunity before young voters to help shape the future of this country at a time when there are so many pressing issues,” said Judge Rendell.
The first lady also recognized Michael Wolfe as the runner-up in the contest. Wolfe, of Shickshinny, is a senior at Northwest Area High School in Luzerne County. His video, “An Honest Opinion,” is a silent 40-second spot that depicts how one person’s opinion cannot have an impact unless it is voiced by going to the polls.
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy, or PennCORD, launched the Voting: The Power of Your Voice contest in September. The statewide contest challenged Pennsylvania students in grade six or above to create a 30-to-60-second video that demonstrates how voting gives power to citizens’ voices and why it is important for them to exercise that power. The competition was presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania departments of State and Education.
All videos submitted urged viewers to visit www.VotesPA.com to learn more about voting in the 2008 general election on Tuesday.
www.VotesPA.com is a Pennsylvania Department of State online tool that has information for different types of voters, including first-time voters, college students, older Pennsylvanians, citizens with disabilities, members of the military, and voters who have recently moved or changed their name.
The Web site’s Election Day assistant can help voters find their polling place and tell them what to bring. Those with questions about electronic voting machines can learn more about their county’s system by watching a video demo. First-time voters or voters who are voting in a precinct for the first time can view a list of acceptable types of identification they need to present at the polling place.
The Web site also provides facts about absentee, alternative and provisional ballots.
PennCORD is a unique union of educational, advocacy and governmental organizations committed to improving civic learning for students in grades K-12 that was created in 2004 in response to The Civic Mission of Schools report and is currently supported by the Annenberg Foundation. PennCORD’s goal is for every Pennsylvania school to prepare its students to understand and participate in their communities, society and government. The initiative supports schools across the commonwealth in their efforts to fulfill their civic mission by offering resources and opportunities to participate in statewide and local programs. For more information, visit www.penncord.org.
PennCORD, led by the first lady, was founded by the National Constitution Center, Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Governor’s Office of the First Lady.
“I want to congratulate all of the students who participated in this competition,” said Judge Rendell. “The response and number of entries we received tell us that young, eligible voters are aware of the issues we face and are excited about participating in the upcoming election.”
The top videos, as well as each entry received, are available at www.ourstage.com; click on “Music Videos” near the top of the page.
The grand-prize winner and the runner-up will receive a cash prize for themselves and their school. The grand-prize winner will have the opportunity to appear on the Comcast Newsmakers program with Judge Rendell and will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Harrisburg or Philadelphia. Additionally, the top 20 videos will be available for viewing on Comcast OnDemand, available to all Comcast digital cable customers.
The video, “Voter vs. Non-Voter,” is a spoof of the Apple vs. PC commercials. It depicts two high school-aged students discussing the important issues facing the nation and the convenient access to answers on voting questions through the Department of State’s VotesPA.com Web site.
The winning entry was produced and submitted by Thanh Doan, Alexander Radkoff and Charles Wei of Ohara Township; Akansh Murthy of Aspinwall Township; and Anders Bergren of Fox Chapel Township. All students are seniors.
“These students are to be commended for their creativity in taking a concept that is widely recognized and using it to convey the opportunity before young voters to help shape the future of this country at a time when there are so many pressing issues,” said Judge Rendell.
The first lady also recognized Michael Wolfe as the runner-up in the contest. Wolfe, of Shickshinny, is a senior at Northwest Area High School in Luzerne County. His video, “An Honest Opinion,” is a silent 40-second spot that depicts how one person’s opinion cannot have an impact unless it is voiced by going to the polls.
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy, or PennCORD, launched the Voting: The Power of Your Voice contest in September. The statewide contest challenged Pennsylvania students in grade six or above to create a 30-to-60-second video that demonstrates how voting gives power to citizens’ voices and why it is important for them to exercise that power. The competition was presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania departments of State and Education.
All videos submitted urged viewers to visit www.VotesPA.com to learn more about voting in the 2008 general election on Tuesday.
www.VotesPA.com is a Pennsylvania Department of State online tool that has information for different types of voters, including first-time voters, college students, older Pennsylvanians, citizens with disabilities, members of the military, and voters who have recently moved or changed their name.
The Web site’s Election Day assistant can help voters find their polling place and tell them what to bring. Those with questions about electronic voting machines can learn more about their county’s system by watching a video demo. First-time voters or voters who are voting in a precinct for the first time can view a list of acceptable types of identification they need to present at the polling place.
The Web site also provides facts about absentee, alternative and provisional ballots.
PennCORD is a unique union of educational, advocacy and governmental organizations committed to improving civic learning for students in grades K-12 that was created in 2004 in response to The Civic Mission of Schools report and is currently supported by the Annenberg Foundation. PennCORD’s goal is for every Pennsylvania school to prepare its students to understand and participate in their communities, society and government. The initiative supports schools across the commonwealth in their efforts to fulfill their civic mission by offering resources and opportunities to participate in statewide and local programs. For more information, visit www.penncord.org.
PennCORD, led by the first lady, was founded by the National Constitution Center, Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Governor’s Office of the First Lady.
“I want to congratulate all of the students who participated in this competition,” said Judge Rendell. “The response and number of entries we received tell us that young, eligible voters are aware of the issues we face and are excited about participating in the upcoming election.”
The top videos, as well as each entry received, are available at www.ourstage.com; click on “Music Videos” near the top of the page.
The grand-prize winner and the runner-up will receive a cash prize for themselves and their school. The grand-prize winner will have the opportunity to appear on the Comcast Newsmakers program with Judge Rendell and will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Harrisburg or Philadelphia. Additionally, the top 20 videos will be available for viewing on Comcast OnDemand, available to all Comcast digital cable customers.
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