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Mitchell Scholars

ORONO – Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell hosted a brunch on Sunday for the 2006 class of Mitchell Scholars at the Black Bear Inn in Orono.

Mitchell was the keynote speaker for the event. Also in attendance were members of the Mitchell Institute board of directors, university and college leaders, and other supporters.

Since 1995, the Mitchell Institute has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships to 1,250 Maine high school graduates.

Each year, 130 graduating seniors are chosen to receive Mitchell Scholarships. Annual scholarships averaging $5,000 each are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service and financial need.

Recipients must be residents of Maine entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university.

Nearly 40 percent of the Mitchell Scholars selected in 2006 are first-generation college students and almost two-thirds are from noncollege tradition families.

“The annual brunch with the Mitchell Scholars is one of the highlights of my summer,” said Mitchell. “I always look forward to the opportunity to meet these commendable young men and women, and to congratulate them and express my pride in their achievements.”

In addition to scholarships, the institute has developed a variety of support programs that create opportunities for summer employment in professional settings, encourage community service and offer leadership training and professional development.

The work of the Mitchell Institute also includes an ongoing research component. A long-term study of the Mitchell Scholars began in 2000 to gauge the effectiveness of the scholarship and support programs and to learn more about the scholars’ college and career experiences. Additional information about the Mitchell Institute is available at www.mitchellinstitute.org

Area Mitchell Scholars are:

. Michelle Pelletier, Bucksport High School.

. Ingrid Alquist, Bangor High School.

. Abby Arena, Central High School.

. Christopher Avery, Old Town High School.

. Brennan Cammack, Brewer High School.

. Sabrina Cote, Dexter Regional High School.

. Michael Dubois, Stearns High School.

. Victoria Fortin, Mattanawcook Academy.

. Taylor Greenlaw, John Bapst Memorial High School, Bangor.

. Corey Harding, Nokomis High School.

. Dustin Jalbert, Hermon High School.

. Roch LaChance Jr., Penobscot Valley High School.

. Carrie Mallett, Lee Academy.

. Cortney McLaughlin, Schenck High School.

. Jenna Shue, Hampden Academy.

. Patrick Willett, Katahdin High School.

. Lauren Young, Orono High School.

Bangor Area Children’s Choir and Youth Chorale

BANGOR – The Bangor Area Children’s Choir will conduct individual auditions 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 540 Essex St.

The Bangor Area Children’s Choir is a nonprofit, nonsectarian community organization, organized as a single treble choir in 1992 and not affiliated with any church or public school. Last year its members represented 12 towns and 17 schools from the Greater Bangor Area. In spring 2000, BACC reorganized into a two-choir program, the Choir and the Youth Chorale.

The goal of BACC is to provide enriching choral experiences and a commitment to challenging choral repertoire for talented young people who meet audition requirements.

BACC accepts into its membership qualified candidates regardless of race, creed, national origin or religious persuasion and its repertoire often reflects that cultural diversity.

The choir, directed by Michele Hall, is made up of treble voices – unchanged voices. It follows the organizational guidelines of most established children’s choirs: A singer will be no younger than 9 years old as of Dec. 1, and no older than 16 as of Oct. 1; and he or she will sing in the treble voice range to audition for the choir.

Rehearsal attendance is mandatory 4-5:15 p.m. Tuesdays, except during regularly scheduled school vacations, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 540 Essex St., Bangor. However, BACC holds Tuesday rehearsals during public school K-8 parent-teacher conference weeks.

Concert attendance for the entire season is mandatory. A tentative schedule for the 2006-07 season will be available at choir auditions. In October, the BACC Treble Choir and Youth Chorale Handbook is issued with a concert season schedule.

Yearly tuition of $200 ($100 per semester) is paid by each singer. In an effort to provide all children the opportunity to participate in BACC, financial assistance may be available through BACC scholarship funds. A scholarship application may be obtained from the choir director.

Information about concert dress will be available at September auditions.

Auditions for new members are a two-day process. Singers who pass an initial individual audition must return the next day for a group choral audition. Those who are auditioning are asked not to prepare any music. Each singer does the same audition to evaluate listening skills, rhythmic ability, pitch and voice quality. Those called back will be contacted 7:30-9 p.m. that evening.

Singers contacted for the callback will attend a group audition 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 540 Essex St.

The group audition will evaluate each singer’s ability to sing in a group, blend, hold a pitch and focus on the conductor. Each singer will be called no later than 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, with the results of the final audition. Children who successfully complete the call-back audition will join the returning singers for the 2005-06 season.

The advanced Youth Chorale rehearses 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesdays at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Singers must be 12 years of age or older and pass a private audition with Michele Hall, BACC artistic director, to be eligible for the ensemble.

Call Michele Hall at 947-2023 for further information or e-mail bacccmajor@verizon.net.

Colleges

Providence College

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Amber Rankin was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, an honor society for those majoring in political science. Rankin, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Rankin of Holden, has completed a summer internship in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and will be a senior at Providence College this fall.

Southern New Hampshire

University

MANCHESTER, N.H. – These area students were named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Southern New Hampshire University:

. Emily Whalen of Exeter, who is studying psychology.

. Stephanie Deprey of Winterport, who is studying communication.

United States Military

Academy

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Nicholas Goupee was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at the United States Military Academy. Goupee, a 2005 graduate of Bangor High School, is the son of John and Laurie Goupee of Orrington.

Mitchell Peace Scholars

ORONO – Heather Martin, a senior from the University of Maine, and Benjamin Bachelder, a junior from the University of Maine at Farmington, will study in Ireland this fall as the 2006-07 George J. Mitchell Peace Scholars. They were honored recently in Farmington by Theodora J. Kalikow, UMF president; Robert Lively, UMF dean of the college of arts and sciences; and Ace Barrera, representing the UM Office of International Programs.

The prestigious award was created in 1998 in tribute to former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell for his work in helping to facilitate a peace accord between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and his lifelong commitment to public service.

The students were selected for the scholarship based on their strong academic ability, commitment to community service and exceptional leadership skills.

Bachelder and Martin will attend University College, Cork, Ireland, for one semester where academic fees will be waived and they will receive free tuition, room and board, and a $1,000 travel stipend.

Martin, from North Amity, majors in history with a minor in political science at UM. She is actively involved in the Maine Outing Club, the UMaine Yoga Club and her residence hall governing board. She volunteers as a mentor to students on middle-school sports teams, and has recently volunteered for the Good Shepard Food Bank raising funds to benefit Maine’s hungry. After graduation, Martin plans to pursue a master’s degree in education and eventually teach history on the secondary level.