Two From SHS Accepted To Summer School of Orchestral Studies

Jemmin Chang and Alicia Wu from Somers High School in Somers, NY were accepted to the prestigious New York Summer School for the Arts, according to the June 2011 edition of the Trumpeter published by the Somers High School PTSA.  The two teens will be rehearse with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Center for the Performing Arts this summer.  “This is the first time a Somers student has been accepted for this honor, and this year we have two!” says the Trumpeter.  

The online Trumpeter is available here. 

The examiner.com for Albany, NY in a January 21, 2011 article described the program as follows: 

The New York State Summer School of Orchestral Studies is accepting 115 New York State High School students to study and rehearse with the Philadelphia Orchestra in residence at Saratoga Performing Arts Center under the artistic direction of Russell Stanger. Students will have the opportunity to work side by side with first-chair members with the chance to work for four weeks, coached in small groups and in sectional rehearsals, performing repertoire while attending elective classes in the history, literature and theory of music. The orchestra program is co-sponsored by the New York State School Music Association, The Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Auditions will be held at 10 different locations throughout the state, student must audition successfully in order to become a member or alternate. 

LINKS:

http://www.somersptacouncil.org/SHS/Newsletters/SHSJune11.pdf

http://www.examiner.com/arts-education-in-albany/new-york-state-summer-school-of-the-arts-education-funding-cuts

Somers Rotary Inspires High School Writers From Inner-City And Suburbia

A book launch party was held last week at Somers High School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Somers, NY.  The book -- On My Mind 2011 --  brings together the writings of suburban and inner-city high school students.  Somers and Kennedy Catholic High School students participate as well as a Rockland County suburban school.  This year the three inner-city high schools are from the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. The student writers celebrated together at the book launch.   
The New York Times raved about the writing and the concept in the project’s first year, saying: 

Still, when a busload of kids and parents from Brooklyn head for the green glades of northern Westchester tonight to celebrate a collection of writing by high school students from Brooklyn and Westchester, they'll also celebrate a great idea that goes far beyond words on a page. And even if their separate planets, 50 miles and many galaxies apart, fully align for only one night, that's one more than most of them would ever have experienced without it.
The collection, ''On My Mind: Student Writings from Somers and Brooklyn, New York,'' bears the unlikely imprint of the Rotary Club of Somers ... . The club wanted to do a project about literacy, and what began as a local effort with Somers High School and John F. Kennedy Catholic High School soon came to include [two schools] in Brooklyn ... .  And before long, a modest idea turned into a handsome book and quite a remarkable effort to bridge the void between poor and rich, urban and suburban, in a way that almost never occurs.
The book is available for purchase by mail for a suggested donation of $11 (postage included) by writing to:
The Somers Rotary Foundation
PO Box 561 
Somers, NY 10589
The web site for the Rotary Club in Somers is here.  See On My Mind 2011 book launch photos.   


Read the New York Times story, Our Towns; Worlds Apart, But Bound In Softcover.  A blog post by Barbara Nackman about the 2011 project and book launch party is at LoHud.com at Somers Rotary publishes student writings.


LINKS:
http://somersrotary.club.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03E7D71F3EF932A05756C0A9609C8B63
http://northernwestchester.lohudblogs.com/2011/06/01/somers-rotary-publishes-student-writings/

Trumpeting SHS Students

The Somers High School PTA recognized six students for their achievements in the April edition of its newsletter, the Trumpeter.

NMSC Scholars

Ariana Levi is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and Brandon Williams is a National Achievement Scholarship Finalist. Only one percent of high school students achieve finalist status in these academic competitions sponsored by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is the qualifying test for entry to both programs. Finalists compete for scholarships offered by NMSC, colleges and corporations.

League of Women Voters Conference

Erika Panzarino is one of the 50 high school students in New York State selected to attend a four day conference called Students Inside Albany, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New York. The LWV’s web site says the conference is “designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted and changed in the New York State.” In addition, “students are afforded the opportunity to observe Assembly and Senate sessions and to shadow both their Assembly members and Senators.”

Artists

Lori Lombardo placed second in the 7th Annual High School Photo Competition for 11th & 12th graders. The competition is run by the Professional Women Photographers with works displayed at Calumet Gallery in NYC. The Trumpeter reports that her work was selected from entries "spanning the entire metropolitan NYC schools, Southern NY counties, as well as downstate counties.”

Paul Friedman and Mikhail Klimentov, two SHS juniors, both earned Awards of Merit in Visual Arts at the State level in the National PTA Reflections Program. Their submissions will be exhibited at the National Reflections Convention. The program challenges students to create art inspired by a specific theme. The theme for this school year is “Together We Can”. See our February blog post about the Regional competition.

Read the April 2011 Trumpeter here or at at the SHS PTA web site.

LINKS:

http://www.somersptacouncil.org/SHS/Newsletters/SHSApr11pdf.pdf

http://nationalmerit.org/index.php

http://lwvny.org/youth.html

http://www.pwponline.org/

http://www.pta.org/2032.asp

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2011/02/shs-students-3-win-arts-regionals.html

http://www.somersptacouncil.org/SHS/HOME.htm

Somers Artist In Juried Exhibit

Tom Musante of Somers is among eight artists selected to have their work on display in the Attleboro Arts Museum in Massachusetts. The 8 Visions exhibit is a juried member exhibit that opened on August 20th and continues until October 1st.

Musante who has lived in Somers for 18 years is a fine art photographer. A hiker and kayaker, most of works are of the outdoors as he tries to capture “compelling images in both ordinary and extraordinary places”. His images include landscapes of the Croton Reservoir and macros of his wife’s, Julie, garden in Somers. Galleries of his work -- from Boston to Utah, from grave markers to door knockers -- are at his website, www.tommusante.com.

Artists selected for the 8 Visions exhibition pass through a two-phased jury process. Mim Fawcett, Executive Director of the Attleboro Arts Museum said, “The artists chosen for this year’s 8 Visions exhibition are all exceptional talents with clear creative voices." Along with Musante’s photographs, other mediums on display at the exhibit include stoneware, acrylics and oils. Read the news story about the exhibit in the Attleboro Sun Chronicle here.

A Gallery Talk with 8 Visions artists is planned for Saturday, Sept. 25, 2-4 p.m. Make reservations by Sept. 21. The museum is at 86 Park St. in Attleboro, MA. For more information or reservations, call 508-222-2644 or visit www.attleboroartsmuseum.org.