MEET OUR WINNER
Jehanzeb Dar, from Penn State Abington, has won the "2008 College Competition." His thirty-second anti-tobacco commercial entitled: "Empty Seat," received 51% of the votes tabulated with our online poll.
When asked why he decided to enter the competition, Dar told us that friends from college referred him to the competition because they knew he had an interest in filmmaking. He remembers his first video creation, made in high school, in which lightsabers featured prominently. Priorities and interests have changed since then, but Dar still considers himself a storyteller, and he wants to continue to tell stories through film.
His father thanked him for making the film and appreciated the message. He would like to quit smoking and is making an effort to do so. He wants to quit smoking so that he can be there for his family and enjoy life's rewarding occasions, such as weddings like the one depicted in his son's winning clip.
The actor in "Empty Seat" is the father of Dar's friend, and coincidentally had successfully quit smoking many years ago having been motivated to do so by his son.
Jehanzeb's willingness to add more work to an already full academic schedule was worth the effort, and now he will enter his senior year at Penn State, with thousands of MTV viewers seeing his message on television. His major, Social Psychology, will allow him a professional career working closely with people. His talent as a filmmaker takes a supporting role to his education at this point, however, it is clear to our community that this student producer has the heart of an artist. He's linked compassion with art in a clear message to remind those who smoke to quit now so that they can be there for their loved ones.
