Journalism winners

ORONO – The 12th annual student journalism conference organized by the Maine Center for Student Journalism was held May 11 at the University of Maine. The theme of the conference was International Journalism at Home. Journalist David Lamb delivered the keynote address. More than 120 student journalists and advisers gathered at UMaine for the event.

The conference included 11 workshop sessions conducted by journalism professionals and the announcement of the winners of the newspaper contest for Maine high school students. The categories were news writing, editorial and opinion, feature writing, layout and design, photography, sports writing, writing for the arts, editorial cartoon, general excellence and a new category for newspapers entering the first time. Eleven schools participated in the conference and nine schools participated in the newspaper contest.

Area award winners include:

General excellence, first place, Casey Dunn and Kaitlin Walmsley of The Rampage, Bangor High School.

New entrant, first place, The Rampage, Bangor High School.

Photography, third place tie, Andrew Major of Inside, Orono High School, and Tristan Taber of The Rampage, Bangor High School.

Writing for the Arts, third place, Adam Davis of Inside, Orono High School.

Sports writing, third, Casey Dunn of The Rampage, Bangor High School.

Editorial cartoon, first, Pat Harpin of Inside, Orono High School.

Feature Writing, honorable mention, Kaitlin Walmsley of The Rampage, Bangor High School.

Layout and design, second, Daniel Murray and Ryan Cota of Inside, Orono High School.

Old Town High School

OLD TOWN – May 6 was an exceptionally successful “Step-up Day” for future Old Town High School students. Some 175 eighth-graders from Union 90 towns as well as Leonard Middle School in Old Town paired up with upperclassmen and toured Old Town High for the afternoon.

Several “ice-breaking events” were held, including the serving of ice cream and a formal retreat ceremony with bugle calls to end the day. More than 30 JROTC cadets were involved in all of the activities, including setting up tables in the gym with information on such clubs and organizations as Key Club and JROTC, mentoring and an armed honor platoon.

Students receiving acceptances to college are Micah Stevens and Meghan Spinney, University of Maine.

Scholarship winners

The Maine Elks Association announced the winners of the Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship for 2005. Seven high school seniors from across the state were awarded four-year scholarships of $1,000 each, made possible through the Elks Foundation. Those students also qualified to compete at the national level, with the potential to receive a four-year scholarship of $60,000.

Receiving $1,000 scholarships were:

. Benjamin Weissman, Bangor Elks Lodge 244.

. Michelle Martin, Houlton Elks Lodge 835.

. Racquel Skold, Brunswick Elks Lodge 2043.

. Chelsae Laweryson, Skowhegan-Madison Elks Lodge 2531.

. Bianca Cloutier, Lewiston Elks Lodge 371.

. Samuel Dyar, Farmington Elks Lodge 2430.

. John Chisholm, Brunswick Elks Lodge 2043.

Summer art camp

BANGOR – The University of Museum of Art has announced the seventh annual Summer Art Camp for students entering grades one through eight. Sessions take place throughout the summer, June 20-Aug. 12, and are divided by grade levels. Each camp session meets from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday-Friday and is taught by a certified art educator. Sessions are limited to nine children.

Mornings will be spent creating art in the museum classroom as well as viewing and learning about the exhibited art in the galleries. The last day of each session will include an “Exhibit Opening” of the children’s masterpieces.

Tuition is $115 and includes all materials. Members of the Museum of Art at the family level and above will receive a discount.

Call 561-3350 or visit www.umma.umaine.edu for more information.

North Star Christian School

HERMON – This is the second year that North Star Christian School, located on Route 2, has planted vegetables, herbs and flowers from seed from its greenhouse.

The pupils do all the planting and transplanting, as well as maintaining the plants. They have more than 25 varieties of plants.

Now that the plants are ready, it is time to open the greenhouse to the public. The greenhouse will be open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday through Friday, beginning May 22. For information, call 848-2331.

The school serves grades one through eight and is taking applications for the fall.

Wassokeag School

BANGOR – In effort to help beautify Bangor, the Wassookeag School has been working with Tony Sohns of the Maine Discovery Museum to plant a garden in Pickering Square. Pupils are learning about soil, fertilizer and requirements for growing healthy plants. They have planted both annuals and perennials that will blossom throughout the summer.

The Wassookeag school community also will participate in the Relay for Life, an annual event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The school chose its theme, “Doing our Bit for The Cure,” in memory of Lynn Rydell, a parent and horse enthusiast who recently lost her battle with cancer. Call Kim at 945-4900 for information.

Colleges

Bates College

LEWISTON – Anna M. Sleeper of Brewer and Eben P. Sypitkowski of Bangor recently participated in the third annual Mount David Summit, a campus-wide exposition of student academic work at Bates College.

Sleeper presented a poster titled, “A Study to Determine Patterns of Diurnal Eyelid Swelling.” A senior dean’s list student, Sleeper is a biological chemistry major. She is the daughter of Richard and Sharon Sleeper, and a 2001 graduate of John Bapst Memorial High School. She was a junior adviser at Bates in 2003-2004. She has been a member of the women’s rowing team since 2001 and is captain in 2005. She is the co-chairman of the Senior Gift campaign and an admissions tour guide.

Sypitkowski presented a poster titled, “Bloodworm Digging and Sediment Disturbance.” A senior environmental studies major, he is the son of Robert and Heidi Sypitkowski and a 2001 graduate of Bangor High School. He was a member of the Bates men’s ice hockey club in 2001-2002 and has been a member of the men’s soccer team since 2002. He received the Stanton Environmental Award, and studied in Botswana in 2004.

Dalhousie University

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Wesley Colbath has been named to the dean’s list for the winter term at Dalhousie University. He also was recognized at a banquet recently for having one of his poems published in Fathom, the university’s undergraduate English journal.

Colbath is the son of Donna and Stuart Colbath of Orono.

New England School of Communications

BANGOR – Meredith Weed Manning of Hollis, a 1995 graduate of the New England School of Communications, received the school’s 2005 Alumni Award for professional achievement at commencement ceremonies May 14 on the Husson College campus.

Now the morning host on radio station Q97.9 in Portland, Manning started her career at radio 99.9 Kiss-FM and the former 103.7 Peak-FM in North Conway, N.H. She has received several Maine Association of Broadcasters awards.

University of Maine

ORONO – Angela Washburn graduated cum laude from the University of Maine May 7 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, International Society of Nursing. She has accepted a position at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, and is the daughter of Lewis and Leita Washburn of Glenburn.

University of Maine at Farmington

FARMINGTON – Some 375 students graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington on May 14. Delivering the keynote address was Dr. Carolyn Reed, cardio-thoracic surgeon and director of clinical affairs at Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, S.C. She and Professor Emeritus Archie “Bill” Berry received honorary doctorates in humane letters.

Area graduates included:

Bangor: Matthew Evan Cassidy, Kari-Anne Friedenberg, Renee Gravelle, Elizabeth Spencer, Thomas James Mowrey.

Bucksport: Karenelise White.

Corinth: Carrie Lynn Libby.

Exeter: Jennifer Marie Fogler.

Hampden: Jennifer Lynne Tripp.

Newburgh: Gregory Daniel Ballard.

Old Town: Albert Glossian Jr., Sharon Lisa Haley, William Zachary Anchors.

Orono: Katherine Elizabeth Erb, Hadley See.

Orrington: Sarah Jeannine Winslow.

Winterport: Sara Elizabeth Weaver.

Eastern Maine Community College

BANGOR – Eastern Maine Community College held two graduation ceremonies on May 14 for 300 graduates. Dr. John Fitzsimmons delivered the commencement address at the morning ceremony, and Gov. John Baldacci was the speaker in the afternoon.