Madison Reporter

Five students from Middleton High School's Visual Presentation Technology class, under the guidance of their teacher Mr. Boehm, achieved recognition in a safe-driving commercial contest held by WMSN Fox 47. The competition, titled "Message 2 Teens," had participants create a 25-second public service announcement illustrating the hazards of reckless driving.

Mr. Boehm explained, “Students collaborate to create a 25-second public service announcement, or PSA, highlighting the dangers of reckless driving. This hands-on project involves filming outside the classroom and bringing the footage back to the editing lab, where students refine and complete their final product."

Chloe Nguyen and Madyson Pasard secured second place, while Clay Carreyn, RJ Callow, and John Potamousis earned third place. As a result of their achievements, Middleton High School received two grants amounting to $3,000, and the students were awarded cash prizes and gift cards.

On April 7, WMSN Fox 47 and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation organized a recognition ceremony at Middleton High School. The ceremony was attended by State Trooper Zak McArdle and Fox 47 News Anchor Brady Mallory, who presented the students with their awards.

Mr. Boehm highlighted the long-standing success of his students in this contest, noting, “For the past 10 years, this contest has been a highlight of the class, providing students with valuable opportunities and earning the school cash prizes.” He also mentioned that students taking the course have the chance to gain industry certification in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Chloe Nguyen discussed the inspiration behind her team's video, stating it was based on Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. “At the end of the story, the tortoise wins the race because he takes things slow, so we applied that same formula to our video,” Chloe said. “The tortoise ‘wins’ by driving safely and under speed limit, and the hare ‘loses’ by getting into an accident. Winning was great! It felt like all the hard work on the video finally paid off.”

Mr. Boehm expressed gratitude for the support from Fox 47 and its sponsors, acknowledging their contributions as integral to the experience's success.

The winning videos can be viewed on Fox 47’s website.