C-SPAN honors Eva '26

For the third time, the junior has earned recognition for her C-SPAN StudentCam documentary. Elected officials and a representative from the network honored her during High School Assembly on Friday, May 2.
By Juanita I.C. Traughber, Director of Marketing & Communications

C-SPAN celebrated and honored Eva Choe for her Honorable Mention-winning entry in C-SPAN's annual student video documentary competition, StudentCam, before classmates, teachers, family members, and an elected official on Friday, May 2.
 
Eva won Honorable Mention and $250 for the video, “The News, Politics & You.” Her winning video, which explored the intersection of news media and politics, resonated with C-SPAN due to its relevance to the network’s non-partisan, unbiased coverage, Affiliate Relations Manager Rachel Katz said during the Assembly.

“For a high schooler to be thinking about these issues, it says a lot about you. It says a lot about your community, your school, and your family. And we are just really excited to be here today to celebrate you,” Katz said. “For us, it was very important the issue that you brought up about the political polarization and how people are in their bubbles and watching the news that already affirms what they think.”

Eva has had multiple wins over the year, including an Honorable Mention win in 2023 and a Third Prize win in 2024, earning a total of $1,000 over three years. Her past videos addressed topics like political polarization, education, diversity, and history.  

“It's very gratifying to dig into a topic that you're passionate about, and a good way to get people to understand why it is important,” said Eva, adding that she plans to pursue a career that touches on politics. From the lectern before peers, she discussed her passion for documentaries and the importance of media consumption. She said she started by researching media and looking up subject-matter experts, then created a storyboard to edit her short documentary.

Students watched a clip of her 6-minute video, which features USN parent and Vanderbilt University Political Science and Law Professor Alan Wiseman, other Vanderbilt professors, and C-SPAN clips and covers the deregulation of news, which she said has led to biased coverage and misinformation.

State Sen. Jeff Yarbro was present, and other elected officials commended her for her contributions to civic education. 

“I want to brag on Eva. Not only is it a great video, it's actually taking on a problem … bedeviling the smartest people in the country. If you look at the leaders of media industry, the leaders of politics, academics, historians, they all are recognizing that this is a moment where the media landscape is so fractured that not only do people sort of live in echo chambers, they almost live in different realities,” Yarbro said. “She is not shying away from controversy. It's going to be people like Eva and people like everyone else in this room who actually go into the trouble of trying to examine what's happening and how to make it better.”

A letter from State House Rep. Bob Freeman read, “Your documentary will spark important conversations about how information is consumed and how it shapes our perceptions, opinions and society as a whole. This is no small feat, and your commitment to the truth and critical thinking is inspiring in this day and time.”

USN parent and Metro Councilmember At-Large Quin Evans Segall also recognized Eva with a proclamation co-signed by several Counselmembers that "recognize[s] and commend[s] Eva Choe for her outstanding contributions to civic education and documentary filmmaking" on behalf of the Metropolitan Council, the legislative authority of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. 
 
This year, C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable and satellite television partners, asked middle and high school students to address the theme — “Your Message to the President: What issue is most important to you or your community?” In response, C-SPAN received over 1,700 entries and nearly 3,500 students participated from 42 states and Washington, D.C.
 
“Congratulations to all of the incredibly talented young students who won awards in this year's competition. Through in-depth research and interviews with an array of topical and technical experts, you have crafted impactful short stories that capture issues of wide public interest and importance,” C-SPAN's Director of Education Relations Craig McAndrew wrote in a press release. “Your documentaries set a very high bar for future StudentCam filmmakers, and you should be proud knowing your work will inspire your peers and foster thoughtful consideration from all audiences. We can't wait to see what you do next.”
 
C-SPAN is funded by America's cable and satellite television companies as a commercial-free public service. In Nashville, C-SPAN is available through Comcast, its local partner in StudentCam. Now in its 21st year, this project-based learning experience asked students to explore and analyze matters of personal, local or national importance. The most popular topics addressed were:
  • Climate, Environment, and Land Use (11%)
  • K-12 Education Policies and the Cost of College (10%)
  • Health Care and Mental Health (10%)
  • Gun Violence, School Safety, and Firearm Policies (9%)
  • Inflation, Taxes, Government Spending, and the Economy (9%)
C-SPAN Classroom uses the network’s programs on public affairs, coverage of Congress, nonfiction books, and American history to create free digital tools for teachers, students, and the public to use in classrooms, in projects or for research. C‑SPAN Classroom’s website provides social studies teachers with access to thousands of free resources, including short current events videos, Lesson Plans, and Bell Ringers, plus Constitution Clips and On This Day in History events. 
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