Congratulations, 2024 Red Ribbon Week Campus Video PSA Contest Winners!

Congratulations to Kennesaw State University, Baylor University, and the University of Utah for winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place, respectively, in the 2024 Red Ribbon Week Campus Video PSA Contest, cosponsored by DEA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

 

1st Place – Kennesaw State University

A glimpse into the mind of a student considering drugs and alcohol at a party landed Kennesaw State University a 1st place plaque, $5,000 to support drug misuse prevention efforts, and a trip to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators 2025 Strategies Conference.

“You Sure” opens with the inner monologue of a student at a party, contemplating using drugs and alcohol to “loosen up.” But commentary from fellow students casts doubt on whether substances will make him feel happy or more included. After a deftly done build-up of tension, the protagonist gratefully accepts a friend’s offer to grab burgers instead. Kennesaw State University ends its message by directing students to campus resources, as well as SAMHSA’s helpline. 

Professor Sangsun Choi incorporated the PSA Contest into his Media & Entertainment Capstone class, submitting “You Sure” after the video beat four others produced by the class in a “competitive internal selection process.”

“After advice from our school’s Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery, we learned that PSA’s that rely on scare tactics are not effective,” said Professor Choi. “Because of this, we decided to represent an experience that college students can relate to: a party. We had our actors show what it feels like to be surrounded by harmful substances, and what questions they should ask themselves before deciding to abuse drugs and alcohol. We hope that viewers of our PSA feel that if they are ever in a situation where they may be tempted to abuse drugs and alcohol, they can look back on this PSA and know that they have the strength to remove themselves from those situations.”

 

2nd Place – Baylor University

Brimming with hope at a campus experience that does not revolve around substance use, Baylor University’s PSA earned the school a 2nd place plaque and $3,000 to support drug misuse prevention efforts on campus.

“The Whole Story – A Call to Community” opens with foreboding cinematography coupled with narration explaining how students can mistakenly view drugs and alcohol as central to the college experience. But after an impactful collage of drug misuse and overdose headlines, Baylor University transitions scenes of students playing music and sports or otherwise interacting in a substance-free manner, encouraging students not to “let substance use be your story.”

“Our message was that real college life and fulfillment can be found through experiences that promote well-being, growth, and connection without the reliance on substances,” said Jose Vallejo, the school’s assistant director for collegiate recovery. Also, Baylor wanted to highlight that substance use often isolates people, making them feel like they’re alone in their struggles. We sought to flip that narrative, emphasizing that recovery is strengthened when individuals come together to support one another.”

 

3rd Place – University of Utah

Envisioning for students the endless possibilities posed by living and promoting a drug-free campus life, the University of Utah scored a 3^rd place plaque and $1,000 to support campus drug misuse prevention efforts.

“What If…” flows seamlessly between campus scenes of both educational and recreational varieties, with a narrator sparking ideas for how University of Utah students can improve both their own lives and the lives of others by staying drug-free.

The PSA’s concept and script were created by Sydney Holcomb, a marketing content specialist at the school.

“Preventing drug and alcohol misuse is not only a central focus of [University of Utah’s] Center for Campus Wellness but also a personal commitment, shaped by my experiences with family members who have faced substance abuse and overdose,” said Holcomb. “Witnessing their challenges often left me asking, ‘What if?’ What if they had made a different choice? What if they had access to better resources or had found a strong support system? Could their lives have taken a drastically different path?”

“These same questions came to mind when I was drafting the video. I wanted students to see the ‘what if’ and envision a future for themselves free of substances.”

Congratulations again to Kennesaw State University, Baylor University, and the University of Utah!