Date: Jan 18, 2011

Oscar Worthy

Two Hofstra Student Journalists Named Finalists in mtvU competition to Report from the 83rd Academy Awards

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - A group of two Hofstra University students has been named finalists in the mtvU "Oscars Correspondent Contest," competing with nine other student teams nationwide for a chance to cover the 83^rd Academy Awards.

The team of Luz Pena and Philip Robibero created a video to represent Hofstra in the online vote to win the opportunity to report from the Oscars.  Three winning teams will be flown to Los Angeles to cover Academy Awards pre-events, including the Animated Feature Symposium, Foreign Language Film Award press event, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium and the Governors Ball preview.  One grand prize winning team will be awarded a spot on the red carpet for the 83rd Academy Awards arrivals, as well as credentials for access to backstage press rooms.  The winning team's coverage will be aired on MTV News and mtvU.  The two finalist teams will receive bleacher seats along the red carpet and admission to an Oscar viewing party.

Luz is a senior broadcast journalism and political science double major.  The 20-year-old from Brooklyn is a resident assistant in the graduate residence hall at Hofstra.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Hofstra in this competition," she said.  "I would love to have the chance to take everything I have learned here and put it to use on the red carpet."

Philip is a senior film major and speech-communication minor from New Jersey.  He hopes to one day put this experience to use as a film director.

"I have never been to Hollywood, so it would be great to visit where I eventually want to end up," he said.  "This is the Mecca of the entertainment industry, and we want to be right in the middle of it."

The current round of voting ends on January 28^th, and will determine the three winners.  The final round of voting, which will determine the grand prize winning team, will take place from February 7^th to February 18^th.

To view the teams' videos and vote, click here.

About Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as a School of Law and the Hofstra-North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

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