Newcastle senior wins video award
KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
Newcastle High School has been known for producing successful students, and one such student, senior Alaina Steveson, recently won an award for the Wyoming Radon Program’s 2020-21 Radon Video Contest for the most-
viewed video, receiving a $100 monetary prize.
Organized and judged by the Wyoming Department of Health, the contest’s purpose is to raise awareness about radon poisoning in Wyoming.
January is National Radon Action Month. Students submitted their projects in September, and results were announced in November, according to Steveson. High schoolers submitted videos, and younger students submitted posters.
Steveson said she was first introduced to the contest when she was learning about radon poisoning in James Stith’s anatomy class at NHS. Students in the class were given an assignment to make a video, and they were then encouraged to enter those videos into
the contest.
“I had no idea there was this high amount of radon (in Wyoming),” Steveson said, noting that she learned a great deal in class about the importance of raising awareness about radon poisoning, which can cause lung cancer.
Steveson’s video took a somewhat entertaining approach, she said, because she felt that would attract more people, and it also consisted of written visuals with important messages. With the help of a couple of friends, Steveson produced a video that put forward a message of the necessity of getting radon tests before purchasing a home.
According to the Department of Health, radon is an odorless, tasteless radioactive gas. In addition, an estimated 1 out of 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels.
“Radon seeps up from the earth into the air we breathe, and comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in almost all soil,” according to the WDH website.
Stith said that he feels like radon poisoning is an important thing to cover in class and is also relevant to Wyoming and the local area.
“People might not realize it, but there is a significant amount of radioactive material (such as thorium) in our soil that decays into radon gas,” Stith said. “This gas has the potential to seep into cracks in the foundation of a home and cause health problems.”
Steveson said that she was excited for this opportunity to both win a prize and raise awareness about radon poisoning in Wyoming. Stith said that he was also excited for Steveson.
“I was extremely excited,” Steveson said.