Fayetteville High School Selected as Winner of SOS Drama Contest - April 21st, 2008
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 21, 2008) – Stamp Out Smoking, the media and public relations campaign for the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, has announced the winners of its fifth annual “The Big Pitch” drama contest.
Fayetteville High School Team A was awarded first-place and was presented with a $2,500 gift certificate to purchase drama equipment for its school. Team members Nathan Trucks and John Couch created a television spot starring Owen Kohler and Mike Thomas about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Their spot will air statewide in the next SOS media campaign. Arkansas High School’s “Razorback TV” team received second-place and was awarded $1,000 in store credit to purchase drama equipment. “Razorback TV” is made up of team members Tony Yarber, Hannah Klenk, Shirley Floyd, Quin Tramel, Ashlyn Rico, Emmanuel Davis, Aaron Brumley, Quintony Chiles, Kenny Nguyen, Jesse Tillis, Meg Fletcher and Chris Gonzalez. Fayetteville High School Team B, which includes students Josh Bonnell, Kyle Erf and Chris Wood, placed third and received a $500 gift certificate to purchase drama equipment.
To celebrate its fifth successful year, SOS added a People’s Choice Award to allow Arkansans to view entries online and vote for their favorite. The winner of the first People’s Choice Award is Haas Hall Academy, which includes team members Laferil Smith, Levi Foster and David Joseph. Entries were posted on stampoutsmoking.com, and more than 1,100 people participated in the selection of the People’s Choice winner.
Middle and high school students around the state were invited to create 27-second television spots focusing on the dangers of secondhand smoke. This year, SOS received 28 entries, the most in the history of the contest
An independent panel of judges from Stephen F. Austin State University’s drama department in Nacogdoches, Texas, evaluated the entries and selected the winners. Previous drama contest winners include Conway, Mountain Home, North Little Rock and Fayetteville high schools. Conway High School’s winning concept from the 2007 contest is currently airing statewide.
For more information about SOS school and community programs, visit stampoutsmoking.com.
