WT Students Score Statewide Honor for Video Produced for City of Canyon

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A West Texas A&M University student-produced video recently won statewide honors for helping make sense out of dollars and cents.

Students from the WT Advanced Video Production group were honored by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers at its June 8-10 convention in Houston, winning an award of honor for a public-service advertisement educational video for cities with a population of less than 75,000.

The video—which can be seen at youtube.com/watch?v=zJDWB0Cd1oY&t=4s— explained the City of Canyon’s budgeting process in laypeople’s terms.

“The Department of Communication emphasizes to our students the importance of giving back to our communities. I’m proud of the work my students did on this project,” said Randy Ray, associate lecturer of media communication and director of broadcast engineering. “This award—for which the students competed with professional videographers—is another example of how helping our communities is a win for everyone involved.”

WT students recognized with the award were Jordan Conde, a junior digital communication and media major from Dumas; Christian Guerrero, a senior digital communication and media major from Hereford; and Jacob Toon, a junior digital communication and media major from Flower Mound.

TAMIO was organized in 1974 to advance and promote the active cooperation and exchange of information and ideas among Texas cities and to provide professional development for public information and communications managers in municipal government.

“The students from the Advanced Video class were professional and creative with their work. I was thankful for the students’ willingness to dig into an education-focused video that laid out important information taxpayers need to know about their City’s budget,” said Megan Nelson, director of communications and community engagement for the City of Canyon. “We are extremely lucky to have a program at WT that grows the video skills of students that could one day enter the workforce right here in Canyon.”

The budget video previously won a grand prize from the National Electronic Media Association and a Gold ADDY Award from American Advertising Federation–Amarillo.

Promoting quality, both in education and student work, is a key cornerstone of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

Photo: Megan Nelson, director of communications and community engagement for the City of Canyon and a West Texas A&M University alumna, congratulates WT students Christian Guerrero, left; Jordan Conde, second from right; and Jacob Toon, right; on their recent award from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.