By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com
April 10, 2008 10:05 am
—
As the political races heat up nationally, those running locally also are fighting to get the voters’ attention.
So, students with WJHS, the television production at Jeffersonville High School, decided to cash in.
For the first time, students are producing and airing political commercials, which began airing Monday.
Tom Gross, who teaches the vocational television class at JHS, said a candidate running for the Greater Clark County Schools board asked if he could buy a commercial spot. That was the first time the group has ever faced such a request.
“It seemed like a good opportunity to make more money for our department,” Gross said.
So, he agreed. Over spring break, Daniel Parish, 18, and Andrew Steele, 18, filmed two commercials for two different candidates. This was a way for them to earn some extra cash — 15 percent of the proceeds — while also making some money for the broadcasting department.
“The revenue will help our department immensely,” Gross said. “It goes into a fund that helps pay for things like paper, compact discs, DVDs and other supplies for our department.”
The students have produced commercials for area businesses before, but said this experience was neat because it got them involved in politics.
“I haven’t paid that much attention (to politics) in the past, because I couldn’t vote,” Steele said. “But now that I can, I’m paying more attention.”
“I think it would be pretty cool if we have an impact (on voters),” Parish said. “It’s not often that teenagers like us can have an impact on anything, so I think that would be pretty cool.”
Those commercials will be shown during the WJHS newscast that airs during school and is also rebroadcasted many times on Insight Cable channel 25.
Gross said he is happy with how the first two commercials turned out.
“I think the kids did a really good job on them,” he said.
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