June 12, 2007 > Fremont and New Haven USD students win PSA contest Fremont and New Haven USD students win PSA contest Submitted By Patty Guinto More than 50 local high school students produced, wrote, directed, filmed and in many cases acted in their own anti-tobacco public service announcements. These creative amateur filmmakers participated in the third annual Anti-Tobacco PSA Contest, sponsored by the Alameda County Tobacco Control Coalition in partnership with the American Cancer Society and other local community agencies. The Youth and Tobacco Committee of the Alameda County Tobacco Control Coalition established the Anti-Tobacco PSA Contest in 2005 as strategy to spread the anti-tobacco message among local youth. The American Cancer Society supports the contest and participates as a member of the coalition in helping educate youth about tobacco. Mahita Penke, a student at Mission San Jose High School won the county-wide anti-tobacco contest. Penke was honored with an award, cash prize and other items at a ceremony on Thursday, May 31 at the Alameda County Office of Education. She created a 30-second television public service announcement that illustrated the harmful effects of tobacco by calculating the time wasted smoking cigarettes in a day, week, month, year and lifetime. Third place in the contest went to a group of Logan High School students for their work on a PSA; they also received a cash prize and other items. This year's first, second and third place winners will receive a cash prize. The winners are: First Place: Mahita Penke, Mission San Jose High School Second Place: Brian Hosler and Stephen Turney, Piedmont Middle School Third Place: Andrew Mijares, Man Nguyen, Cory Schmidt and Tagaloa Vaiaoga, Logan High School First Honorable Mention: Adam Bonnin, Pete Cramer, Garrett Kail and Ryan Lewis, Piedmont Middle School Second Honorable Mention: Antonio Berroldo, Berkeley High School Third Honorable Mention: Gael Ruiz-Rodriguez, Noemi Chi and Tania Chi, Oakland High School