Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
School news
Drake University
Ryan Meyer of Bentonville and RaShelle Buchanan of Evansville have been named to the fall 2017 dean’s list at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, with grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher.
Southern University
The theater department at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, earlier this month performed William Shakespear’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Several local students were involved in the production, including Mikayla McCoy of Rogers, production staff and hair and makeup designer; Timothy Starr of Van Buren, production staff and assistant stage manager; Darby Taylor of Barling, production staff and the dramaturg and rave consultant; Simon Tursky of Van Buren, part of the cast as philostrate and puck.
First Tech robotics
Several Springdale teams were winners in the Oklahoma Regional State Championship for First Tech Challenge Robotics held Feb. 16-17 at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.
Local winning teams included Tech Hogs Robotics from Springdale, winning alliance; Diva Force from Springdale, finalist alliance; Diva Force, think award; Root Negative One from Springdale, design award; and Tech Hogs, control award.
About 50 teams of students designed, built and programmed robots to meet the challenges of this year’s game. The robots picked up and placed cubes in a specific pattern, balanced on a moving platform and placed relics outside the field within a specific area.
Jazz All-Stars Youth Ensemble
The Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville has chosen 17 local student musicians as par of the Northwest Arkansas Jazz All-Stars Youth Ensemble. They include, Lisa Coyle (trumpet) and Carter McKenzie (drums), Prairie Grove High School; Aidan Dunn (tenor saxophone) and Dylon Schraub (trombone), Rogers High School; Liam O’Dell (bass) and Connor Hayes (trumpet), Bentonville High School; Caleb Foshe (trombone) and Derek Salonen (alto saxophone), Farmington High School; Aaron Estep (piano), School of Innovation in Springdale; Tyler Henderson (trumpet), Bentonville West High School; Grace Martin (trumpet), Fayetteville High School; Allison Miller (trombone bass), Heritage High School in Rogers; Andrew Sweet (alto saxophone), Arkansas Arts Academy in Rogers; Jon Williams (trombone), Huntsville High School; and Ryan Yumang (alto saxophone), Central Junior High School in Springdale.
The group performs at major regional venues and will make a professional recording to document their accomplishments. The program culminates with a concert performance on International Jazz Day, April 30, at the Starr Theater of the Walton Arts Center. The ensemble is part of arts center’s jazz studies program. Ensemble members meet weekly for instructional rehearsals over a three-month period, during which they will receive one-on-one training from professional jazz musicians and instruction on how to play and improvise in a jazz big band.