Watkins Awarded Scholarship
(Oneida, NY- May 2015) The Oneida Area Civic Chorale has awarded its 2015 Senior Scholarship to Kaleigh Watkins of 893 Earlville Road, Earlville. Watkins, a senior student at Hamilton Central School, will receive $500 toward her future study of music. The Chorale offers the scholarships to area high school seniors who have displayed musical talent in school and community performances and plan to engage in musical study beyond high school, either as music majors or in extracurricular areas.
Watkins has taken full advantage of music opportunities while a student at Hamilton. She has sung soprano in the High School Chorus, the A Capella Group and Select Choir for four years, and has played saxophone in the High School Band and Jazz Band as well. She has been a member of the Area All-State Women’s Chorus/Mixed Chorus for four years, and this year sang in the Conference All-State Women’s Chorus. Watkins has also participated in the NYSSMA solo program for five years, consistently earning “Outstanding” scores, including a 99 on a level 6 All-State solo in her junior year.
Watkins has also been active in the Masquers organization at HCS, playing roles in various productions throughout her high school years, including “Mrs. Potts” in Beauty and the Beast: The Musical as a junior and the lead role of “Dolly Levi” in Hello, Dolly! as a senior.
At HCS, Watkins’s musical activities were under the direction of Anna Taube, Chorus Teacher and Musical Vocal Director. Since 2012, she has also studied privately with Meena Conant at Meena’s Voice and Piano Studio in Norwich, NY.
In the fall, Watkins will attend SUNY Binghamton and major in Vocal Performance and Opera.
She will receive her scholarship and perform a solo at the Oneida Area Civic Chorale’s upcoming “Give Me Music!” concert. She will sing “Sure on This Shining Night” by Samuel Barber Sunday May 17 at 4 p.m. at Oneida High School, Seneca Street, Oneida.
Tickets for the concert are $10 and are available at the door, from Chorale members, at W.J. Hinman Jewelers, 115 Main Street, Oneida, or by calling 697-3377.
Mascato Honored at Buffalo State Honors Convocation
Christopher Mascato of Kirkville was among a select group of Buffalo State students whose academic achievements were recognized at the college’s annual Honors Convocation held on April 16. Mascato is majoring in English. Each student received an honors pin.
Local Residents Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
Anthony Palmer of Sherburne (13460) initiated at State University of New York at Cortland
Andrea Roy of Canastota (13032) initiated at State University of New York at Oswego
Student Selected for National Academic Greek Honor Society
The following student has been inducted into Gamma Sigma Alpha, the national academic Greek honor society, at St. Lawrence University:
Zachary L. Bonavita of Cazenovia. Bonavita is a member of the Class of 2016 and is majoring in biology. He graduated from Pomfret School.
To be a member in Gamma Sigma Alpha, students must be a member of a St. Lawrence fraternity or sorority, be a current junior or senior and have either a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher or have a achieved a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher during their junior or senior year.
Dorsey named RIT Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar
Lucas Dorsey of Cazenovia, son of Janet Dorsey and Charles Dorsey, was named a 2014-2015 Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Dorsey is a third-year student in the Economics – BS program in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts.
The scholars were recognized at a ceremony on April 16 at RIT.
Outstanding Undergraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to students who have achieved the distinction of maintaining a minimum university grade-point average of 3.85 out of a possible 4.0 and completed at least 83 credit hours of study, more than two-thirds of the credit hours required for a baccalaureate degree. Selection is also based on other factors complementing academic achievement, such as creative work, service on student committees, civic activities, employment and independent research.
Students Participate in Research and Creative Activity Dayent
More than 150 SUNY Oneonta students presented original research and creative projects at the college’s annual Student Research and Creative Activity Day on April 16.
Created to recognize and promote undergraduate scholarship and creative activity, Student Research & Creative Activity Day has become the premier on-campus event for scholarly student exhibition. A total of 163 students, supported by 71 sponsors from academic and administrative departments, participated in this year’s event, which featured presentations on a wide variety of topics across academic disciplines. More than 175 scholarly works were displayed at the college’s Hunt Union during the daylong showcase, which also featured a keynote lecture titled “SUNY Oneonta a lot closer to Broadway than you think” by theatrical producer Hal Luftig, a 1979 SUNY Oneonta graduate and four-time Tony Award winner.
The following area students were among the presenters:
Laura Adams, a senior from Kirkville. Adams worked with Dr. Tracy Allen of the Geography department on a project titled “Reducing ammonia levels naturally in aquaponic systems.”
Laura Adams, a senior from Kirkville. Adams worked with Dr. Tracy Allen of the Geography department on a project titled “Sustainable greenhouse producing crops year round for the Oneonta community.”
Kaitlyn Alongi, a junior from Chittenango. Alongi worked with Dr. Kirsten Hilpert of the Dietetics department on a project titled “Effect of Dairy Foods on HDL, LDL and Total Cholesterol.”