Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008

A senior at Bryan Station High School earned the People’s Choice Award, and several students from Paul Laurence Dunbar High took home first-place honors in the Keep It Real Video/Internet contest.

Cory Mabson’s 30-second video includes a series of still photographs and somber music symbolizing the effects of alcohol abuse. Mabson, 18, won a $200 prize after his video, “Wake Up,” garnered more than 19,000 votes online.

Students from seven high schools entered more than 60 videos. The winners of the fourth annual event were awarded a total of $2,500 in prize money Jan. 22 at the Kentucky Theatre.

Among the $150, first-place winners:

• Best direction: “Don’t Drink Just Think” by Hutch Pimentel, Kyle Kolpeck, Will Bradley and Sophia Barnhill of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
• Best art direction: “Flashing Life” by Alex Thompson of Henry Clay High School.
• Cinematography: “Rush” by Scott Heierman, Dianna Jefferson, Madeline Hart and Megan Neal of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
• Most original: “It’s OK to Be Different” by Lindsay Quick, Stephen Hicks, Emily Bratton and Cameron Lindsey of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
• Best comedy: “ Alcohol Isn’t Sexy” by Jackson Lester of Henry Clay High School.
• Best use of music: “Not So Cool” by Marci Adams, Anne Evans, Jono Moore and Emily Yingling of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

The Keep It Real campaign is a youth-driven community effort to educate young people about the risks of drinking alcohol. The guiding premise is that young people are more likely to understand the message when they help design the message.

The contest is spearheaded by the Bluegrass Prevention Center and facilitated by KY-ASAP (Agency for Substance Abuse Policy), the Fayette County Local Board and the Mayor’s Alliance on Substance Abuse. Funding is provided through the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Initiative and the Kentucky State Police. Other sponsors include Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington Legends, Video Editing Services, Fusioncorp Design Mediahouse, Jordan Chiles Inc., Lynn Imaging, and Lexington Family Magazine.