UW-Whitewater students participate in WISN-TV’s award-winning 'Student Commitment 2008'

October 31, 2008

For the past year, students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have been involved in WISN-TV’s Student Commitment 2008 project. Their involvement in the project helped the Milwaukee television station win an Emmy award for representing young voters’ political perspectives.

WISN-TV (Channel 12) was honored with the Emmy award at the 50th annual awards ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Chicago, Ill.  The award honored outstanding achievement within a regularly scheduled news program with advanced media features and hard news.

UW-Whitewater freshman Anna O’ Connor and junior Daniel Erskine worked with WISN-TV and other students from Marquette University, Cardinal Stritch University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to cover local and national politics from a young voter’s perspective for Student Commitment 2008.  Students were asked to use the latest technology to create student reports, blogs, videos and multimedia to share their political perspectives for WISN-TV.

“I have always had a deep interest in politics and am very glad that WISN-Channel 12 has given me the platform to bring my thoughts and ideas to a wider audience,” Erskine said. “Last fall I composed five blogs on the perils of globalization and the denial of college financial aid to drug convicts, and this year I’ve chosen to blog about the nation’s monumental financial woes.”

The WISN Student Commitment 2008 project was first introduced to UW-Whitewater students by Sociology Professor Wayne Youngquist last fall. “UW-Whitewater’s involvement in the Student Commitment 2008 project has been great exposure for students and younger people,” Youngquist said. “It’s been a tremendous opportunity for students to share their political perspectives using the latest in technology.”

For more information visit the Student Commitment 2008 web site at http://www.wisn.com/studentcommitment2008/index.html or contact Youngquist at youngquw@uww.edu.