Students Honored

For Taking The Plunge

By Larissa Lytwyn

Newtown High School seniors Jacob Vogel and Robert Krosky and junior Brian Silber won first place in the 2003 Fox 61 and WB 20 Student News contest in the Student News Outstanding Achievement category for Penguin Plunge, a documentary-style feature on local residents diving into Quassy Lake this past winter to raise money for the Special Olympics.

More than 250 state middle and high school students participate each year in the Fox 61 and WB 20 Student News Program. Since September, more than 210 produced one-minute news stories submitted to Fox 61 WTIC-TV and Connecticut’s WB 20 WTXX-TV during top rated shows such as The Simpsons and Fox 61 News at Ten. The contest is a culminating conclusion to the program. 

Newtown High School has been participating in the contest for four years. Video Production teacher Kerry Hrabstock said that Penguin Plunge marks the third straight year students have won first prize. “It was a lot of fun,” said Rob Krosky, who did the camerawork with Jacob Vogel. “It was an original story.” Brian Silber directed the film.

While Krosky enjoyed his role in producing Penguin Plunge, he says his ultimate goal is to go into music producing. “I would love to work in a sound studio someday,” he said. The awards, featuring keynote speaker Dr Marsha Della-Giustina, associate professor of Journalism at Emerson College in Boston, Mass., were presented in an Oscar-style format last month. Jacob, Robert, and Brian each received a $1,000 college scholarship.

Chris Morgan and Kevin Silber, Brian Silber’s younger brother, won second place for Cartoon Museum. Scott Forstrom and Matt Selezan earned honorable mention for their video, Sculptor. Jessica Rockwell won honorable mention in The Hartford Courant Current Affairs category for Birds at Shepaug Dam.