Three students in UNLV's journalism and media studies program won third place in a national college video competition sponsored by the non profit organization The Christophers.

Dani Pasqualicchio, Dianna Ballash, and Joe Lybarger produced, wrote, and edited a five-minute documentary about Linda Lera Randel El, the executive director of Straight From the Streets, a non profit organization dedicated to helping Las Vegas ' local homeless population. The theme of the video contest was "One Person Can Make a Difference."

Entries were judged on content, their ability to capture a theme, and artistic and technical quality. In addition to earning cash awards, the winners will have their documentaries aired nationwide on " Christopher Closeup," a weekly syndicated television series produced by The Christophers since 1952. The students donated the $1,000 cash prize to the Straight From the Streets organization.

The students originally completed their documentary in the spring as an assignment for the Non-Linear Video Editing course taught by UNLV-TV Manager Laurel Fruth.

For more information, contact Fruth at 895-3876.

The Christophers is a non-profit organization founded in 1945 that uses print and electronic media to encourage all individuals to raise the standards of public life.