C-SPAN will visit Liberty Middle School May 9 to celebrate and honor Ben K. for his first prize winning entry in C-SPAN's annual student video documentary competition, StudentCam. C-SPAN and Spectrum representatives will join the community in recognizing Ben at an assembly of classmates, teachers, family and elected officials.

Ben K., a seventh grader at Liberty Middle, won first prize and $3,000 for the video, Losing a Generation about the opioid crisis. During a week long period of public voting where over 21,000 votes were cast, Losing a Generation received over 8,000 of those votes making Ben's video the 2023 StudentCam "Fan Favorite" with an additional prize of $500.

This year, C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable television partners, invited all middle and high school students to enter StudentCam by producing a short documentary on the theme, "If you were a newly elected member of Congress, which issue would be your first priority and why?"

"For the first time in the history of the competition, we asked students to envision themselves in a position of power, as newly elected members of Congress," said Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations. "As each participant considered which issue would be their first priority and why, they creatively wove detailed research with expert interviews and proposed actions to address their concerns. Capitalizing on the platform of short film, these passionate young people masterfully showcased the fruits of active learning, and we are excited to share their work with the country."

Now in its 19th year, nearly 3,000 students across the country participated in the contest. C-SPAN received over 1,500 entries from 40 states, Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi. The most popular topics addressed were:

• Health Care (16%)
• Environment (14%)
• Education (12%)
• Economy (10%)
• Gun Violence and Firearm Policy (8%)

Congratulations to Ben on an amazing accomplishment!