Achievements

• St. Charles East cast members for the recent play, “Arsenic and Old Lace” included Nick Ametangelo, Kevin Berls, Anne Church, Caitlin Ewald, Esther-Farler Westphal, Luke Fitzgerald, Greyson Havens-Morris, Katherine Henning, Kory Horstman, Will Kazda, Greg Marchuk, Trevor Marchuk, Stephanie Nordlund, Ryan Otto, Josh Rasmussen, Amanda Rogowski, Kat Tactikos, Ty Warden, Mollly Wagner and Mac Willaert. Performance dates were Oct. 19, 20 and 21.

• Kathryn Bass of Batavia was honored during the Legacy of the Lamp ceremony hosted by the Millikin School of Nursing Oct. 5. The Legacy of the Lamp ceremony honors junior nursing students as they enter the clinical education phase of their program. Each student received a replica of the Florence Nightingale lamp with the Millikin School of Nursing logo on it.

• Fifteen Marmion Academy senior students were commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during an All-School Mass in September. The following students will serve as Eucharistic ministers at daily Mass in the Student Chapel and at each All-School Mass throughout the 2007-08 school year: Thomas Biles of Sugar Grove, Douglas Conroy of Geneva, Nicholas Daly of Winfield, Timothy Handell of Aurora, Keith Harris of Aurora, Daniel Housh of Aurora, Mark Malkowski of Batavia, Jonathan Medernach of Aurora, Joseph Minardi of Yorkville, Joseph Phelan of Geneva, Joshua Stein of Aurora, Peter Studlo of Batavia, Alexander Vlakancic of Batavia, Mark Waitkus of North Aurora and Taylor Weis of Batavia.

• Batavia High School has announced the winners of the school’s Bulldog Pride Awards. Teachers nominate special students and award medallions to the recipients with parents, other teachers and students in attendance. A student can be nominated for demonstrating significant academic improvement, demonstrating exemplary attitude and behavior, or demonstrating outstanding participation or effort in an individual, group or class activity. Recent honorees include Ashley Souba, Marc Pucciarelli, Jonathan Schmidt, Marty Gniech, Caitlin Jelm, Austin Forte and Carrie Jenkins-Johnson.

• The Gordon Flesch Co. recently awarded $12,000 in post-secondary scholarships to three Geneva area youth. The scholarship recipients are children of Gordon Flesch Co. employees who plan to attend an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school during the 2007-08 school year. Geneva 2007 Gordon J. Flesch Scholarship winners include: Chris Caparelli, Marquette University; Tracy Reynolds, Northern Illinois University; and Jennette Ziemba, Aurora University.

• Kristin Davis, of St. Charles, is a member of the 2007-08 Central College A Cappella Choir. Under the direction of Mark Babcock, professor of music, the A Cappella Choir is a select 60-person ensemble. Davis is a graduate of St. Charles East High School. Central College is a private, four-year, residential liberal arts college in Pella, Iowa.

• Erin Carroll of St. Charles has been selected as a member of Millikin University’s OneVoice for the 2007-08 season. OneVoice is an award winning vocal jazz ensemble that performs a variety of jazz and contemporary music suitable for voices with and without a rhythm section. Carroll is a music education-vocal major and a graduate of St. Charles East High School.

• St. Charles East High School is proud to announce the music students who have been selected by competitive audition to participate in the Illinois Music Educators Association District IX Honors jazz groups and concert ensembles. On Oct. 2, more than 1,000 students from 45 area high schools met at Addison Trail High School to compete for chairs in IMEA District IX’s Honor jazz groups and concert ensembles. Every student auditioned/competed separately by playing and/or singing designated excerpts, études, tonal skills and scales.

The following students qualified for the District IX jazz ensembles. They will participate in an all day workshop/rehearsal and concert at St. Charles East High School led by guest conductors/specialists. Students participating in jazz band are Kirk Nelson, trumpet; Alex Putz, drum set; Austin Radous, bass; Kimber Schmidt, trumpet; Ben Studer, trumpet; and Danny Weilandt, trombone. Students participating in vocal jazz ensembles are Brittany Anderson, soprano; Monica Bertand, soprano; Anna Brekke, alto; Erik Gullen, bass voice; Will Kazda, tenor; and Mac Willaert, bass voice.
The following students qualified for the IMEA District IX concert ensembles. They will participate in an all day festival with a guest conductor Nov. 17. Students qualifying for the District IX orchestra are Lily Cobo, violin II; Lauren Keblusek, cello; Meera Oak, violin II; and band students Courtney Balk, French horn; Mary Kuhn, French horn; Danny Weilandt, trombone. Also in instrumental music are students Ben Studer, trumpet and orchestra student Clark Bearrick, string bass who qualified for the District IX band. Students qualifying for the District IX chorus are Nick Amatangelo, bass I; Monica Bertrand, soprano I; Anna Brekke, alto I; Danny Brooks, tenor I; Michelle Cook, soprano II; Caitlin Ewald, alto II; Erik Gullen, tenor II; David Hepfer, bass I; Will Kazda, tenor I; Rachel Larsen, alto II; Brian Mengler, tenor I; Julianna Michelotti, soprano II; Brad Morrison, bass II; Alyse Thompson, soprano I; Matt Vicencio, bass II; and Mac Willaert, bass I.

• Fifteen Batavia High School Music students were selected for the Illinois Music Educator’s Association District nine performing ensembles. To be selected for this honor, students prepare an audition and compete against hundreds of students from surrounding high schools. Selected for band are Alyssa Rick and Adam Nicholson, and for jazz band, Eric Decaro. Selected for the Concert Choir are Ashley Coussens, Matt Dealy, Kevin King, Peter Kuhn, Autumn McGarr, Alyssa Rick and David Sands. For Jazz Choir, Matt Dealy, Peter Kuhn, Kevin King, Alyssa Rick and Denzel Tsopnang.

Those selected for orchestra include Natalie Broadhurst, Josh Broadhurst, Laura Pantley, Andrew Pedersen, Rebecca Rudy, and David Sands. These students will rehearse and perform with other top high school musicians from the area in the district music festivals held in November. The top students from this district festival will go on to the IMEA State festival in Peoria in January.

• Crystal Skipworth of Geneva has been selected for the 2007-08 Millikin University Women’s Choir. The Millikin Women’s Choir is one of more than 30 different performing groups in the School of Music. Skipworth is a theater major and a graduate of Geneva Community High School.