The cast and crews of “Lost,” “24” and “Desperate Housewives” may have been absent, but students being honored at Ohio University Southern’s EMMIE Awards were stars in their own right.

The EMMIE (Electronic Media Moving Image Excellence) is an annual award given for achievements in

OUS registered 230 students for the event in 2005, a number that doubled this year. Unfortunately, the original date for the event had to be moved after schools were snowed out, making it impossible for some schools to attend. Regardless, there were still 25 different schools from all over the Tri-State, with some traveling as far as 2 and a half hours to be involved.

Don Moore, director of the school’s electronic media program, said that bigger numbers of students always meant an increased talent pool.

“The quality of entries, each year they seem to pick up,” Moore said. “Technology’s changing, so the schools are able to get more equipment, and with the creativity, it’s hard to believe this is coming out of students. And some of the newscasts we’re seeing could compete with the big guys on the market.”

Ron Ross, an Ironton High School instructor who had brought 15 students with him, said that he was a little concerned about the competition in the event.

“We switched labs and there’s kind of a learning curve, we’re here, we’ve got great equipment now, we’re here, but it took a while to get up and running,” Ross said. “And I lost some of my stars, but they’re great students, and we’re going to get there.”

Ross said that the experience was good motivation to his students, not just so they could flaunt their stuff, but so they could see their competition in the area.

“It’s not just awards, they show all those clips, and they show what you’re up against, what the best of the best is,” Ross said. “I think it’s very important.”

In the end, the Tigers came away with a second place award, edged out barely by the students of Fairland High School, and their look at the Alpha Portland Cement Plant.

One of that school’s students, senior Matt Mach, said that he was less concerned with the competition throughout the year than whatever project he happened to be working on.

“The thing that’s on my mind most of the time when I’m in video class is that I plan to grow up to be a film director,” Mach said. “So I think about how the stuff I learn in my video class is going to help me with that.”