San Diego State School of Education lecturer Kathleen Holowach, an avid C-SPAN watcher, recently got the chance to participate in her favorite television series.
Holowach won an essay contest on "Washington Journal," a C-SPAN show she watches every morning and was chosen to recite her poem on the air.
"It was sort of a lark," Holowach said. "I was pleasantly surprised when they called me."
She wrote her own lyrics to the tune of the Backstreet Boys' song "I Want It That Way" and related them to C-SPAN and how she views the show. She said she got the idea from Al Yankovic's remake of the same song about eBay.
"I'm a long-addicted C-SPAN junky," Holowach said.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, "Washington Journal" chose 25 finalists in the essay contest to read their essay on the 25-hour marathon, which aired at 7 p.m. on Friday.
"I think C-SPAN provides up-to-date information that fuels (Holowach's) passions to educate for awareness and integrity in our society," said Kathleen Mikitka-Gomez, professor of teacher education and the credential program team leader at San Diego State. "I am really pleased that C-SPAN has recognized her accomplishments in making planet Earth a better place through education with high-quality media."
C-SPAN offers programs on a variety of topics - from American literature to fiction authors to governmental issues. "Washington Journal," for example, features discussions about Congress and the political issues revolving around it.
"Watching C-SPAN is just one way my mother tries to quench her constant thirst for knowledge, understanding and interacting with other thoughtful minds," Lindsay Holowach, the eldest daughter of Kathleen Holowach, said.
Lindsay said she helped her mother by recording part of the song to be shared during the interview on the show.
Holowach, who has taught teacher education at SDSU since 1986, said she encourages college students to watch C-SPAN and use it in their education.
"She is known for sharing current events with our academic circles including her students, university associates and teachers in professional networks that support SDSU's teaching credential programs," Mikitka-Gomez said.
Holowach said the grand prize, a trip to Washington D.C. and the chance to sit in on the call-in show, inspired her to enter the contest. Even though she didn't win the grand prize, she said she was still excited to read her lyrics on C-SPAN.
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