Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2009

Students from Paul Laurence Dunbar and Henry Clay high schools picked up several awards in the fifth annual Keep It Real Video/Internet Contest.

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 teens are more likely to understand the message when they help design the message.  The contest gives students an opportunity to explore this issue and develop messages that will have a positive impact on their peers.

First Lady Jane Beshear, a leader in the effort to reduce underage drinking, helped present the awards during a ceremony Feb. 24 at the Kentucky Theatre.

Winners from Fayette County Public Schools:

Most Original

Winner: Drinking is Wrong in Any Language, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Nicha Dhamabutra, Anna Kiluba, Megumi Mizoguchi, Doniya Soni) 

Runner-up: Subliminal Preview, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Jim Pollock, Matt Lind, Joseph Cameron Lindsey, Adam Fusco, Sebastian Midence) 

Best Editing

Runner-up: I Am A Teenage Alcoholic, Henry Clay High School (Griffin Sims)

Cinematography

Winner: Regret, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Marshall English, Andrew Von Neida, Sterling Baxter, Jimmy Carroll, Spencer McGuire, Dylan Knight)

Runner-up: Protect Our Future, Henry Clay High School (Aaron Howard)

Best Script

Runner-up: Try This, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Rhiannon White, Kayla Bryan)

Best Sound

Winner: Think Before You Drink, Henry Clay High School (Audrey Bondurant) 

Runner-up: Shattered, Henry Clay High School (Cody Guiler) 

Most Promising New Producer

First Runner-up: The Lost Facts, Eastside Technical Center / Lafayette High School (James Arnold, Tim Michl, Jacob Arnold)  

KSP Award

Winner: Lexington Day Treatment Center

• I’ve Been Watching You (Chase Ratliff, a December graduate of Henry Clay High School; Cody Combs, Tates Creek High School) 
• LDTC News: (Theresa Leverenz, now back at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School; Daybraun Fields, Bryan Station High School)  

The video contest is spearheaded by the Bluegrass Prevention Center and facilitated by KY-ASAP (Agency for Substance Abuse Policy), 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, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Lynn Imaging, WKYT-TV, WideEyed.com, National Cinemedia, Clear Channel Radio and Lexington Family Magazine.