Briefs: Golden Apple winners cited
Several Northwest suburban high school students who aspire to careers in teaching have been named Golden Apple scholars. The program helps prepare tomorrow's teachers by providing financial support for four years of college in Illinois, summer teaching internships and mentoring by Golden Apple Award-winning teachers. In exchange, the scholars agree to teach for five years in an Illinois school that serves low-income students or has low test scores. The Golden Apple scholars will be formally inducted on April 12 at DePaul University. Honorees from the area include Ellen Krcik, Nicole Lascelles and Hanna Schmitz of Maine West High in Des Plaines; Daniel Baker of Elk Grove High; Lisa Parente of Conant High School in Hoffman Estates; Jennifer Damhauser and Heather Knobloch of Hoffman Estates High; Colleen Fitzpatrick, Rachel Grgin, Sarah Long and Jillian Postma of Palatine High; and Jillian Ramirez of Maine South High in Park Ridge.
Funniest college students
Two area students who attend Illinois State University are in the running for the title of Country's Funniest College Student. Jeff Papendorf, 21, a senior geology major from Lombard, and Adam Bauer, 22, an English major from Bartlett, were among eight winners last week in ISU's round of the Rooftop Comedy's National College Comedy Competition. They next compete Monday in a regional semifinal against the University of Illinois. The regional semifinal winners move onto an online contest where voters can choose the best four in standup and short film categories. It all culminates May 30 and 31 with a live Webcast to select the final titleholders. For details, see RooftopComedy.com/college.
Pinball wizard makes top 8
Zach Sharpe's run in the International Flipper Pinball Association's world championship in Las Vegas ended last weekend in the quarterfinals. The 26-year-old Arlington Heights man and tournament runner-up Neil Shatz won three games apiece before Shatz won both Countdown and Jokerz in sudden death. Sharpe's brother Josh, 28, of Palatine, and Jason Werdrick of Park Ridge advanced to the top 16 out of a field of 64 players from 12 countries. Lyman Sheats, of Hoffman Estates, made the top 32 cut. Massachusetts native Bowen Kerins, ranked No. 2 in the world, was crowned the first pinball world champion in 14 years.
Top honors to violinist, 13
Buffalo Grove violinist Susie Koh, 13, was one of three to win top honors in the 2008 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions for Strings. Koh was awarded second alternate for her performance of Maurice Ravel's "Tzigane." She came in behind cellist Gabriel Cabezas, 15, of Winnetka, and violist Matthew Lipman, 16, of University Park. Susie began studying violin at age 3½ with Sara Arnold in Jerusalem and had her debut as a soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at age 7. She has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and appeared on Israeli national television. Violinist Laura Park of Palatine and violinist Crystal Qi of Barrington were among the seven Illinois finalists out of 42 people in the competition. All five are students at Music Institute of Chicago.