Kaneland well-represented at all-state music conference
Kaneland High School senior Samantha Eichelberger recently performed in an all-state chorus in Peoria, but her greater singing challenge will come next month.
Samantha has snagged the part of the lovely Belle in "Beauty and the Beast." The musical is scheduled for Friday, March 2; Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 at the performance center at Kaneland High School, Meredith and Keslinger roads in Maple Park.
Samantha is the daughter of Sugar Grove Village Administrator Brent Eichelberger.
"I'm very excited," Samantha said. "'Beauty and the Beast' is my all-time favorite musical and movie. I didn't expect to be Belle at all."
Samantha has just returned from her second straight year appearing in the all-state chorus at the Illinois Music Educators Association 2009 conference. Kaneland High School junior Kevin Krasinski was also in the chorus. Auditions for district and all-state choruses were held in October.
The all-state chorus performed light classical works, folk songs and an African-American spiritual at the conference.
"It was fun," Samantha said. "Our director kept everyone together, about 300 people were in the chorus."
The director was Tim Fredstrom, assistant professor of music at Illinois State University.
Kaneland students Emily Kenkel and Jessica Arnold participated in conference sessions as future music educators. Samantha, Kevin and Emily are members of Kaneland's concert choir and Madrigal Singers. Jessica is a drum major and plays in several Kaneland bands.
Despite her talent and love for music, Samantha doesn't intend to become a music major. She plans to study history. And wherever she goes to college, she would like to sing in the chorus.
New campus for Aurora: Waubonsee Community College recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking of its new 132,000-square-foot downtown Aurora Campus. The event featured speeches by Waubonsee officials and Aurora Mayor Thomas Weisner.
The new campus, which represents a $50 million investment in the city's downtown, will be located at 18 S. River Street, on a site bounded by Galena Boulevard to the north, River Street to the west, Downer Place to the south and the Fox River to the east.
Highlights of the campus include one-stop student services, a library, bookstore, cafe, child care center with playground, and the construction of an upper River Walk.
Waubonsee has offered classes at various sites in Aurora since the college's founding more than 40 years ago. In 1986, the current 80,000-square-foot downtown Aurora campus opened on Stolp Island. The new Aurora campus will replace this current campus, allowing the college to offer more classes and academic programs, form more community partnerships, and provide additional student services.
Construction may begin as early as next month.