Student videos capture road safety and sportsmanship

A puppet rooster, reindeer and dalmatian were all actors in one of this year’s winning videos in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s annual video contest.

Twice a year, Dartmouth High School media students enter contests for the chance to win an award and have their videos featured online

These contests are put on by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, this year focusing on roadway safety and sportsmanship.

Creating a video for the department of transportation’s contest, senior Percy Nadeau and junior Molly Bell won an honorable mention for their focus on empathy for other drivers by creating a mock news story about someone who was almost involved in a road accident.

“We highlighted how you should have empathy for those that you're sharing the road with,” Nadeau said.

Between 30 and 40 teams submitted videos, with awards going to first and second place, as well as an honorable mention, Bell said.

“I was excited, but I was also surprised,” Nadeau said. “I think our final product wasn’t bad, but realistically I think some other people in our class also did a very good job.”

Freshmen Ava Arruda, Bryce Clancy and Anna Spinelli also received an honorable mention for their video about blind spots, crossing the street and using hand signals.

Sophomores Samuel Jansen and Michael Rapson created a video for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s contest, using clips from Dartmouth sporting events and narrating what was happening in the clips to express the importance of sportsmanship.

Jansen and Rapson placed second with their project.

“We were surprised by it because we definitely put in more effort and just time into other videos,” Jansen said. “We were actually more expecting to win other ones.”

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association post the students’ videos on their YouTube channels and will use them throughout the year for different types of messaging, said Robert Perrotti, the high school’s lead business, innovation and technology teacher.

“I think it’s important for kids to have their voices heard,” Perrotti said. “I think this is just one venue that student voices can be put out there on a state level.”