1st Place Senior Multimedia

Elena Tangredi 

Cape Henry Collegiate School

Teacher - Ms. Amy Martin

A Quick Trip to the Mind Palace

This video depicts my thoughts on the past few years through the use of a whiteboard. It is a visual aid to show my emotions in more detail than my voice might suggest. 

2nd Place Senior Multimedia

Constance Bourle 

Granby High School

Teacher - Ms. April Taylor-Martin 

Students in 2020

2020 has been a hard year for everyone and especially students. In only one day, our life changed from going to school every day, talking and laughing with friends, doing activities... to staying at home all day, in front of a computer. I always loved doing videos about my life, about my trips, and about my friends. When I saw I had the opportunity to do a video talking about my life as a student in 2020, I was thrilled. I wanted to show my routine, what I have been doing every single day for the past five months. I had a lot of ideas that I put on a paper and I tried to structure them into a plan in order to build my video. As I was filming, more ideas came up, so I included them. I wanted to express the repetition of this endless loop with images and facial expressions. I chose music that I personally love, it is called "Forever" by Labrinth; the music adds a little bit to the repetition effect. Even though it's a tough time, we still have family, friends, and loved ones around us, and that's what matters the most. I really enjoyed doing this video and I hope we will be watching it in ten years, laughing without our masks. 

3rd Place Senior Multimedia

Alexander Fan 

Centennial High School, Bakersfield, CA 

Teacher - Ms. Luisa Forter 

Singing in Auschwitz: The Power of Artistry 

My piece is a vision, attesting to the salient role Holocaust survivors, especially Renee Firestone, played in my growth toward the accepting, loving, and passionate young gentleman I am today. Renee Firestone narrates her first night in Auschwitz, describing her pain and sorrow evoked by the young singer, reminding myself of the dynamic, provoking impacts of art. Listening to "My Yiddishe Momme," realizing I cannot understand the full suffering Holocaust survivors endured, I was moved to engage my artistry in their remembrance. Through speaking with Holocaust survivors and becoming a carrier of their stories, I am reminded of my grave responsibility in making "never again" a reality. If this piece moves even one person toward action against identity-based violence, then I will be proud. Holocaust survivor Yehuda Bauer declared, "Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander." 

Honorable Mention Senior Multimedia

Kennedi Spellman 

Oscar F. Smith High School

Teacher - Ms. Cristina Foss

Black Lives Matter 

In my video, I wanted to show the true meaning of Black Lives Matter, and shine a light on the issues black people face every day. Many people label Black Lives Matter as a terrorist group but fail to understand the true purpose of the organization. Black Lives Matter is a political and social movement protesting against incidents of police brutality and other racially motivated violence against black people. 

Chairs' Choice Senior Multimedia

Max Libman 

Academy High, Champaign, IL

Teacher - Mr. Gordon Brown 

Be It 

As I witnessed the events of the past few years, it felt like our country was ablaze. I refuse to surrender my optimism, and instead, I bear a responsibility to be part of the change. Creating this film allowed me to share a message through a medium that hopefully inspires each one of us to "be it" -- a light that helps defy the darkness.