Two Heights High Students Honored in Statewide Contest

When senior Jorge Morera contemplated making a video about using the Internet, he thought about how easy it is to make purchases online.

"In my country, Costa Rica, there are no addresses on the homes. So ordering on the Internet and having it delivered to your doorstep is amazing," Jorge said. 

As it turned out, Jorge's video was named one of the two winners in a public service announcement contest sponsored by Connect Ohio. And Brandon Green, a junior at Heights High, was awarded honorable mention. There were about three dozen entries submitted, and the contest wasn't just for high school students. 

Connect Ohio (connectohio.org) is dedicated to increasing broadband involvement across the state, with the goal of increasing employment, reducing health care costs and improving the environment.

The winning videos were chosen based on their messaging and demonstration of the usefulness of the Internet to the daily lives of Ohioans. 

The other winning videos are from Reynoldsburg and Westerville. 

Both students are in an interactive media class, taught by Jeff Glass, who had all of his students enter the contest as an assignment. He asked them to create a video about broadband availability and usage.

Jorge, an exchange student from Costa Rica, wrote and shot a video that emphasized how quickly things can be accomplished on the Internet.

For his cast, Jorge used Lenny Yelsky, the husband of Morera’s AFS adviser Adrienne Yelsky, and their granddaughter.

Brandon shot and narrated his video himself, using footage taken from the passenger seat of his family’s car as it drove to local shopping areas.

“I was in the car with my mother, and the idea just came to me," Brandon said. 

His video demonstrates the hassle of parking when shopping at stores compared to the ease of perusing items online.

Jorge won an Apple iPad for his entry, but he sold it to a relative back home. “I needed the money to buy a video camera,” he said.

Both students plan to pursue further education in the video and recording fields when they attend college.

Editor's note: In an earlier version of this article, Jeff Glass was incorrectly identified.