Butler Catholic School students presented their research Feb. 26 at the 54th annual Region IX Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science meeting at Slippery Rock University.

All 10 presenters will go to Penn State from May 15 to 17 for the state meet.

Nine qualified as presenters with their first place awards. First place winners and projects include

Sarah Dodd, grade seven, “The Power of Music”;

Lily Murray, grade seven, “Is Color Everything?”;

Claire Preston, grade seven, “Smile, It goes With Your Outfit”;

Anna Swartwout, grade eight, “Brain Tease”;

Mallory Truax, grade eight, “Can You Hear Me?”;

Nick Grenci, grade eight, “Rust Race”;

Brock Grenci, grade seven, “Bacteria Battle”;

Julie Kasunic, grade seven, “Splish Splash”; and

Nathaniel Morgus, grade eight, “BB Ballistics.”

Allie Hartle, grade seven, received a second award for “Plug It In” and will represent Butler Catholic at the state level as a technician.———

Richard Ciora of Butler and his teammates were awarded first place in the 2010-2011 Pennsylvania Real World Design Competition and will compete in April in the national competition. Ciora, a ninth grader, was part of a team of six Commonwealth Connections Academy (CCA) high school students challenged to create an aerodynamic and energy efficient flexible aircraft wing design.———

Aaron Eisenreich was one of six Westminster College English majors to receive travel/presentation grants from Westminster’s Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning to present papers at the Susquehanna University Literature and Creative Writing Conference Feb. 20 and 21.Eisenreich presented “A Journey to Absurdity: An Existentialist Reading of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road,” using Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus as his philosophical base.Eisenreich is the son of Joan Eisenreich of Cranberry Township and Frank Eisenreich of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of Seneca Valley High School.———The Butler County Symphony Association honored the following Butler County fourth through sixth graders March 12 as “Young Musicians of Note”:Butler:

Abigail Albright, Aaron Baum, Danae Bergbigler, Lexi Blum, Abby Brady, Katie Dreyer, Jefferson Ford, Stephanie Heusey, Jessica Huselton, Meghan Hyatt, Taylor Jackson, Jesteen Jardin, Jackson Kennedy, Christian Konar, Lauren Kroner, Elizabeth Kuhn, Molly Lewis, Sarah Lindell, Geremiah Newman, Savannah Neyman, Chad Pakozdi, Logan Ryan, Samantha Schiebel, Brittany Scott, Emily Sespico, Kassandra Smith, Taylor Stein, Joan Sumney, William Terwilliger, Keira Vensel, C. Scott ZangasMoniteau:

Alex Conn, Faith McElravy, Hunter RomitoSouth Butler:

Sean Burke, Christine Ciganik, Emily Ciganik, Jesse Fesele, Jacob Goldinger, Madison Holben, Celia Knappenberger, Brad Kriley, Jack Ibinson, Cabel Robb, Cailin Shank, Rebecca Stockert, Lydia WallsMars:

Aditi Edlabadkar, Shane Fox, Steven Steward, Ashley ZwigartPortersville Christian:

Jayme SantoroKarns City:

Edward Cheesman, Richard LeGrand, Courtney Sutton, Morgan VlassichSeneca Valley:

Emma Choban, Joshua Faber, Lucianne Ferraro, Lillean Gorog, Kyler Lin, Jennifer Listwak, Erin McCarthy, Kimberly McGinnis, Madeline Newell, Alexander Reba, Jenna Reisdorf, Calynn Rosenbaum, Natalie Royal, Kyle Shank, Madison Sinan, Veridy Treu, Stephen Vandrak, Makayla Washington, Allison WolterSt. Luke Lutheran:

Carter Hoerth