Campus Notes

Erin Zaruba of Newtown graduated with a bachelor’s degree in musical theater from Syracuse University last spring.

Rresident Amber Butler, the daughter of Laurel and Shawn Butler, received a $2,000 scholarship from DRS Power & Control Technologies of Danbury. The scholarship, based on merit, leadership and community service, was part of a program available to families of employees at DRS Technologies, where Amber’s father is employed.

Amber is a freshman at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Penn, and plans to study biology. Amber graduated from Newtown High School, where she graduated 13th out of 368 students. She was captain of the school’s varsity cheerleading squad and was a CHSCA Scholar-Athlete nominee.

The following students have been placed on the Dean’s List for the spring semester at the University of Connecticut:

Stephen Ambrogio, Christina Andrews, Sudeep Awasthi, Timothy Carlisle, James Dellasala, Vanessa Giusti, Steven Hubina, Jaime Huppenthal, Julie Iwanicki, Brendan Krueger, Robert Liu, Andrew Lysaght, Courtney Macrae, Daniel Maxwell, Kathleen Mayer, Robert Milot,  Christopher Nordstrom, Bethany Ober, Adam Pennarola, James Randall, Melissa Rushefski, Lee Sandberg, Jonathan Shugarts,  Erin Simonds, Mary Caitlin Sochacki, and Sarah Whalley.

Drum Corps International named the East Coast Jazz, a drum and bugle corps from Malden, Mass., as the Division Two World Champions in competition on August 13, and three  Newtown High grads figured prominently in the Jazz’s lineup. Brian Hunt, 2005 NHS grad and captain of the NHS Band brass section in 2004-05, is a two-year veteran of the Jazz. Alicia Rogers (NHS ‘05), a drum major of the Marching Nighthawks for two years, was named the Jazz’s Most Improved Musician, and Vince Venitelli (NHS ‘03) was a featured trumpet soloist in ECJ’s  competition routine.