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SUNY Plattsburgh Student Projects Promote Important Health & Safety Issues

student DJ and recent alumni, Damien Quinlan (now working at WPTZ Channel 5) Class Projects That Make A Difference

Students in SUNY Plattsburgh's Communication Program are listening to one of their class projects well beyond the end of the semester - on the radio. As a part of a spring advanced radio production class, student teams created "mini" radio public service campaigns for two local organizations.Student producers Max Bomser, Fernando Grullon, Brett Lustig, and Dennis Miranda, Jr. worked with Clinton County STOP-DWI Program Specialist, Molly Lawrence, to produce public service announcements to promote the department's "Teen Driver Safety" program.Lawrence was delighted about the ongoing assistance her organization has received from Plattsburgh State students. "I have enjoyed working with students for the past few years, and they have consistently produced effective and quality PSAs for our Traffic Safety Program," Lawrence said. "This year's campaign continues that success."

Lifestyle and Wellness Lessons

Student Max Bomser who served as the project director was excited about the results. "I was happy to work on a project that can make a difference - and possibly save some lives," he said.The second student team helped to get the word out about Type 2 Diabetes. Student producers Phil Badger, Anthony Gabriel, Matthew Mendelson, and Arthur Rizzotto learned more than just the ins and outs of radio production. Student project manager Tony Gabriel enjoyed working on the project and was glad to be a part of a campaign to keep people healthy. "Before working on this project, I didn't know what Type 2 Diabetes was and how important physical activity and a healthy diet can be," Gabriel said.Mandy Snay, Public Health Nutritionist for the North Country Diabetes Project, appreciated the creativity that the students brought to the process. "We want community members to know as much about diabetes as possible and about the resources available to them," Snay said. "The students did a great job incorporating our messages of prevention and risk awareness into the ads while also making them creative and entertaining. That should make the ads that much more effective."

Close Interaction With Faculty

Tim Clukey, associate professor in the department of communication at SUNY Plattsburgh had high praise for the students."It's great to see students working on a project that involves them in an environment outside the College. It was an eye-opener for many of the student producers, and empowering to have an opportunity to assist others in the community," Clukey said. "I think the students welcomed the opportunity to put their classroom knowledge to work, with a chance to do something for the greater good in the communities in which they are a part."The PSAs were distributed to radio stations in upstate New York and Vermont and will air in rotation through the end of the year. To hear the PSAs, listen online at http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/timothy.clukey/courses/advradio/advrad01.htm.

Contact Information

For more information about the Communication Program at SUNY Plattsburgh, please contact:Peter Ensel, Chairperson
Department of Communication
Office: 103B Yokum
Phone: 518-564-4287
E-mail: [email protected]

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