[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6631-S6632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE IN CREATIVE MEDIA

 Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure and pride 
to announce that students from Waianae High School, on the Island of 
Oahu, recently won the National Television Academy's National Student 
Television Award in the sports category. Waianae High School's Searider 
Productions was one of only seven school-based production operations 
from across the United States to be honored.
  The National Student Television Awards are sponsored by the National 
Television Academy, which is dedicated to the advancement of the arts 
and sciences in television. The academy is best known for recognizing 
excellence in television programming through its coveted Emmy Awards. 
In its purpose statement, the academy states that it is committed to 
promoting excellence in broadcasting through education and inspiring 
the next generation of broadcast journalists.
  I recognize the following four Waianae students who produced the 
excellent news piece: Katie Hoppe, Priscilla Mathewson, James Kapu-
Kaaihue, and Justine Campos. Submissions for this competition were held 
to professional standards for high-quality journalism as well as 
creativity, execution, and strong writing. The special presentation of 
sports news that these students produced, entitled ``A Paddle Through 
Time,'' far exceeded professional standards.
  I also take a moment to recognize Searider Productions, the 
multimedia education program of Waianae High School, which nurtured 
these excellent students. This innovative program offers the 
opportunity for talented students to gain workplace experience while 
developing their artistic and academic skills. Over the course of a few

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years, Searider Productions has produced incredible work and has 
garnered an enormous number of accolades. From highly acclaimed public 
service announcements to an update of an online voting Web site, the 
work Searider Productions has performed is outstanding.
  As a former teacher and principal, I take pride in seeing students 
from Hawaii receive national recognition. I know that it is because of 
school and parental support, dedication, and commitment that these 
students excelled in this area. These four students have made their 
families, school, and community proud. I look forward to seeing the 
future productions by the excellent students of Waianae High School and 
its Searider Productions.

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