Six TU students were winners of this year’s Maryland State Police and Anti-Car Theft Committee Video/Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) Competition. This year’s winners included Yuri Butler, Ashleigh Coffelt, Alexander Fishman, Jospeh Freeman, Daniel Keenan and Brandon Leavens. Each of the students was awarded a $500 scholarship, while Butler and Fishman won an additional $1,500 grand prize.

The competition required the students to create audio or video that serves as a public service announcement about anti-car theft. Those winners who created a video announcement would have their video shown through the local news channel, while those winners who created an audio announcement would have their entry heard through local radio stations.

Elena Russo, deputy director of communications at the MSP and a professor in the department of mass communication and communication studies, said the scholarship is fairly new.

“We started this project two years ago. The Maryland/DC anti-car theft committee is a collaborative effort, not just the State Police. Their goal is to reduce auto theft in Maryland,” Russo said. “They didn’t have the money to put out any radio or television public service announcements to tell citizens that a lot of reasons we’re suffering from auto thefts is because people leave their keys in the car, leave the car running, or they leave the door unlocked.”

Towson University was selected to participate in the scholarship because of Russo’s connection as an alumna and a professor. She said this year the committee was able to go to the Motor Trend International Auto Show in Baltimore and unveil the winners at a press event where representatives of involved parties spoke about Towson University students and the creativity of their PSAs.

Butler, a junior and grand prize winner of the video side of the competition, said he was required to do the PSA for a class. Fishman, also a junior and grand prize winner, this time for the audio portion of the competition, had to participate as part of a class assignment, but said he wanted to make a PSA that others wouldn’t think of making.

“I wrote a song for [my PSA]. It was kind of a lighter side for the whole anti-car theft idea,” Fishman said. “I sat down and the whole thing kind of came to me. I kind of knew no one would take that approach, so I wanted to have that creative edge. Next thing I knew, I had a check for $2,000. It feels pretty good.”

Coffelt, a fifth year TU student, just recently was accepted into the electronic media and film major. She said the money will help her with the new major.

“I was really happy that I won because it was just then that I realized that I was really good at it,” she said. “I’m using the money to pay for some of my bills and the equipment to do my major in my house.”

Russo said if possible, the Maryland/DC anti-theft committee would love to offer this scholarship annually.