Somerville entries finish strong in PSA contest

The winning public service announcement chosen by 1,500 high school students in Middlesex County, "I Respect Myself (Don't Sext)," came from Lexington High's Samantha Gray, Carly Gravallese and Matt Gravalles.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Two entrants from Somerville High School in a countywide public service announcement contest lost out in a round of voting to a video from three Lexington High School students that shows a female student refusing to send X-rated text messages of herself.

The third-annual contest, run by Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr., gives teens a chance to creatively highlight safety issues in a constructive way. 

More than 200 students worked on 25 videos submitted for consideration, Leone's office said in a statement. The two entries from Somerville students both focused on peer pressure, and were among five finalists announced in May.

More than 1,500 high school students in Middlesex County voted for the winning 60-second spot, "I Respect Myself (Don't Sext)." Sexting is the practice of sending racy or x-rated photos and text messages through mobile devices, which has alarmed school administrators around the country.

"The students who submitted the winning PSA did a great job communicating a key theme of the contest – the importance of making healthy choices in relationships,” Leone said in a statement.  “The winning video is creative and compelling, depicting the concerning phenomenon of ‘Sexting.’"

The contest asked students to create 30- to -60-second spots highlighting the issues of creating healthy, substance free relationships, peer pressure, appreciating self worth, and demonstrating judgment and personal responsibility.

The PSAs submitted by Somerville students that were selected as finalists in a contest run by the Middlesex County District Attorney's office.