BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

Music department fundraiser next Friday

The award-winning Laguna Beach High School Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Roger Shew, will play at the annual “Dining and Dancing Under the Stars” fundraiser and silent auction at 7 p.m. May 16 at Tivoli Terrace. The event benefits the LBHS Music Department.

The performance will include a variety of music, and will showcase individual students as well as groups.

There also will be dancing and a silent auction.

Tickets are $45 per person. Orders must be placed by Sunday.

For more information, call Julie Stevens at (949) 497-5857.

Middle schoolers go on Tech Trek

The American Assn. of University Women, Laguna Beach Branch, has selected seven Thurston Middle School seventh-grade girls as the recipients of its 2008 scholarships for Tech Trek, the association’s science program that encourages girls entering eighth grade to pursue careers in technology.

The students “” Michelle Brown, Ava Burnes, Lindsey LoJacono, Rickie Scott, Susana Villabos and Danielle Winson “” will attend a weeklong residential science program on the campus of UC San Diego this summer.

The Tech Trek experience exposes the campers to math and science with hands-on activities and projects led by experienced, paid teachers who make math and science fun along with being educational.

The girls also have the opportunity to interact with women role models who work in science, mathematics, computers and other technical professions.

The girls were chosen on the basis of their written essay on “What does science mean to you in your life today,” a completed application and personal interview.

Their outside interests include volunteer and church activities, sports and the arts. Four plan to become teachers, one a marine biologist and one a medical doctor.

Scholarships were also donated by the Laguna Beach branch of Morgan Stanley and the School of Biological Sciences, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, and Susan V. Bryant, the vice chancellor for Research at UCI.

Scholarship contributions were also received from the Nicholas Family Trust and association members Bana Hilal and Hani Feller.

For more information, visit www.aauw-lagunabeach.org.

College artists appear in statewide showcase

Laguna College of Art & Design has several college-affiliated artists who are participating in the California Art Club’s 97th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition.

The exhibition, renowned as a showcase of the best in contemporary and traditional fine arts from the country’s premiere representational artists, brings a level of prestige and professional acclaim to the students, faculty and mentors represented this year.

The exhibition continues through May 18 at the Pasadena Museum of Art.

Taylor Montague, currently in his first year in the master of fine arts program and a Laguna College bachelor’s recipient, was juried into the show as well as being accepted as a member of the Young Artist Mentor Program.

While studying at the college, Montague received the Plotkin Award for Excellence in Fine Arts. He has exhibited throughout Orange County.

As well as being a practicing artist, Montague teaches traditional drawing and painting in both private and classroom settings.

Fellow alumnus Julio Reyes and wife, Candice Bohannon-Reyes, are also members of the Young Artist Mentor Program.

Fine Arts faculty members Sergio Sanchez and Jason Dowd and masters program mentor Jeremy Lipking are also showing in the exhibition.

The California Art Club, established in 1909 by early plein air painters, is recognized as one of the oldest, largest and most effective professional art organizations in the world.

Laguna boy takes top honors in ping pong

The Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach hosted the fourth annual “Unity Day” with 10 other regional clubs April 19.

More than 120 participants competed in ping pong, pool, foosball, bumper pool and three-on-three basketball tournaments.

Longtime club member Thomas Fenner, a seventh-grader at Thurston Middle School, took first place in the ping pong tournament.

After a grueling double-elimination, best-of-three tournament, Thomas was able to edge past the participant from Fountain Valley to take the first place medal.

For more information, call (949) 494-2535 or visit www.bgclaguna.org.