Silver Spring Student Docs to Air on C-SPAN This Week

What’s the most important issue the president should consider in 2013?

That's a question few could answer in just a few minutes, but 26 students from Silver Spring schools managed to not only answer, but do so in short documentaries, some of which will air on C-SPAN beginning this Friday. 

The students, 17 8th graders from Eastern Middle and nine 10th graders from Montgomery Blair High, all placed in the network's StudentCam 2013, a national student documentary competition. 

Lauren Frost and Camille Torfs-Leibman's original documentary on water pollution, "Fishable, Swimmable, Drinkable," is first up, set to air on C-SPAN this Friday, April 5 at 6:50 a.m. The girls, both 8th graders at Eastern Middle, won third prize and will win $750 for their award. 

Next, on April 19, Rebecca Levy and Shelvy Stevens' second-prize documentary, “What’s the Catch?,” about finding a safe and sustainable source of fish, will air at 6:50 a.m. The girls, also 8th graders at Eastern Middle, will win $1,500 for their award. 

Katherine Wang and Timothy Zhou's documentary on the economy, “The Federal Deficit and Debt: Darkening the Future,” will air April 21 at 6:50 a.m. The pair, both 8th graders at Eastern Middle, won second prize and will win $1,500.

On April 23, “Healthcare Reform,” Jessica Ji and Olivia Lindsley's documentary on the Affordable Care Act, will air at 6:50 a.m. The girls, both 8th graders at Eastern Middle, won second-prize and will will win $1,500. 

The following students received honorable mentions and $250 for their work:

• Connor Smith, Max Scribner and Sam Howells, 10th graders at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, “Passing the Test,” about education reform in the U.S.
• James Saah, Jacob Popper and Ross Cohen-Kristianse, 10th graders at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, “A Simple Truth,” about U.S. relations with Israel and Palestine.
• Max Kronstadt, Ben Miller and Leigh Cook, 10th graders at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, “DC Statehood.”
• Ramida (Prim) Phoolsombat and Nicholas Fechner-Mills, 8th graders Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, “Illegal Immigrants and their Education,” about education in immigration.
• Roxanna Ulloa, Isabel Fetter and Mika Yatsuhashi, 8th graders at Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, “Climate Change.”

“StudentCam proves yearly that students are paying attention to the pressing issues of the day,” said Joanne Wheeler, C-SPAN vice president of education relations, in a statement.