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After months of preparation, Christopher Columbus High School’s broadcast journalism team, CCNN Live, traveled to Tampa, Florida, to compete in the Student Television Network National (STN) Convention. It is one of the largest student broadcast competitions in the country. Schools from across the nation gathered to test their skills in writing, producing, reporting, editing and live broadcasting under strictly imposed deadlines.
For the CCNN team, the trip began on Feb. 26 and ended on March 3. In between those dates were long days, tight deadlines and the kind of pressure that comes with competing on a national stage.
One of the most demanding competitions at STN is the Crazy 8 Newsmagazine contest, where teams have only eight hours to create an 8-minute newsmagazine-style show from scratch. Students had to find stories, shoot footage, edit packages, design graphics and assemble a full broadcast in mere hours.
This year, CCNN Live once again rose to the challenge.
When the awards were announced, the team heard the words they had hoped for: first place in Crazy 8 Newsmagazine.
It marked the fourth year in a row and the seventh in the last 11 years that CCNN has taken home the national title in the category. It is an unprecedented achievement in the competition’s history. The victory reflected the work of the entire national team staff, each person playing a role in building the broadcast under the clock.
Beyond the team victory, several CCNN students were recognized individually across multiple competitions.
The Sports Panel team earned first place in this new format created this year, showcasing their ability to analyze and discuss sports topics in a live panel format.
The team also brought home strong finishes across several categories, including second place in Vertical Man, News Story and Human Interest. Continuing the accolades, the team received third place in Sports Commentary and Weather Report, as well as honorable mentions in Podcast and PSA competitions.
Outside of the timed contests, CCNN’s yearlong productions were also recognized through STN’s Broadcast Excellence awards, which celebrate the best student shows produced throughout the school year.
CCNN also earned recognition for the shows produced throughout the year, including the monthly news show ‘The Voyage’, the sports show ‘The Ship’, the podcast ‘The Navigator’ and the daily show ‘The Crusade’, which also received an outstanding mention.
Experiencing the Moment as a Team
For many students, the most memorable moment came during the awards ceremony itself.
Sitting in the crowd surrounded by teammates, it felt so much less like a class and more like a family. Each award represented months of effort that each and every one of us had put in, with late nights spent editing stories, writing scripts, planning shows and preparing for numerous competitions throughout the year.
When our team’s name was called again and again, the excitement in the room was impossible to ignore. There was pride in what we had accomplished together, especially knowing the history we had just continued with another Crazy 8 victory.
But at the same time, that moment wasn’t just about celebrating the past. As the ceremony ended and the team gathered together, there was already a shared thought moving through the group. We had appreciation for what we had achieved and motivation to come back next year, ready to dominate once more and do it all again.
Student Television Network Achievements
Crazy 8 – First place
All CCNN National Team Staff
Sports Panel – First Place
Marcos Montesino
Adrian Perez
Victoria Puente
Vertical Man – Second place
Adriano Buotros
Lucas Batalla
Pablo Izquerdo
News Story – Second place
Gabriel Hernandez
Brandon Caram
Axel Aubi
Patricio Zaldivar
Human interest – Second place
Brandon Pineyro
Morgan Lewis
Dominic Angulo
Evin Diaz
Sports Commentary – Third place
Daniel Zukovski
Christian Lopez
Ben Hayes
Matthew Benitez
Weather Report – Third place
Logan Beltran
Andries VanDerGraaf
Victor Baro
Podcast – Honorable Mention
Gavin Lynch
Juan-Pablo Piña
PSA – Honorable Mention
Cyrus Alba
Andres Rodriguez
Broadcast Excellence
Best of the Best News Show
Morgan Lewis
Brandon Rodriguez
Best of the Best Newsmagazine Show – Voyage
Patricio Zaldivar
Andres Rodriguez
Nicholas Dovales
Best of the Best Podcast – Navigator
Gavin Lynch
Marcos Montesino
Daniel Zukovski
Best of the Best Sports Show – The Ship
Rudolfo González
Maddison Martinez
Outstanding Mention – Crusade
Dominic Angulo
Armando Hernandez
Marc Corteguera is a junior at Christopher Columbus High School and a member of CCNN Live’s broadcast journalism program. He contributes to the production and writing of packages and live broadcasts, covering stories within the school and local community all year long.
