Zachary Dorsch of Mars was part of a team of five students from Mercyhurst University that was among the semifinalists at the 9th annual Master the Mainframe Contest hosted by IBM.

The team completed two of the three tiers of the online competition. Nearly 6,000 students from the U.S. and Canada competed in the event. Students completed several tasks, including varying degrees of programming.

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Abbie Minard of Valencia and Emily Winterhalter of Cranberry Township recently participated in the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) District 2 Tournament as members of the Shady Side Academy Senior School Speech and Debate Team.

Abbie took first place in poetry and qualified for the PHSSL State Tournament. She is a sophomore.

Emilytook fourth place in parliamentary debate. She is a freshman.

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The 29-member student team from Holy Sepulcher Catholic School received 24 first-place awards at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) Region IX meeting at Slippery Rock University. The first-place winners will present their science investigations at the PJAS state meeting in May.

Seventh-grader John Ellenberger of Mars earned a perfect score and won the Junior High Physics Award for the best project.

Each student conducted a scientific investigation, organized their results and findings and gave an oral presentation about their findings before a panel of judges.

The first-place recipients were Sarah Benkart, Gianna Collins, Ryan Connolly, Isaac Davanzati, Tony DiGiacobbe, John Ellenberger, Leah Grady, Isabelle Kratz, Patrick Kriley, Victoria Monroe, Veronica Muth, Abby Pospisil, Ethan Revitsky, Oliva Schnur, Greg Schratz, Mary Kate Schratz, Sam Shadle, Veronica Shaffer, Ethan Skinner, Patrick Smith, Sydney Stoeckle, Mary Bernardine Torrez, Victoria Wilson and Nick Zyble.

Second-place honors went to Nora Donnelly, Josh Hagaman, Brianna Magee, Brigid Smith and Mitchell Zock.

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EDINBORO — Connor White of Evans City was honored at the 18th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Luncheon at Edinboro University for taking first place in the university’s Expressions of Remembrance Contest.

White’s win for his charcoal drawing titled “MLK, Jr.” earned the senior-year Fine Arts-Drawing major a Presidential Certificate of Congratulations and a $200 gift certificate to the campus bookstore.

The Expressions of Remembrance Contest honored creative works representing the spirit and message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Elexa White of Cranberry Township, a seventh grader at Seneca Valley Middle School, received a bronze medallion to honor her as a distinguished finalist for Pennsylvania in the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Elexa helped raise $100,000 to benefit the American Heart Association by serving as spokesman for its Open Your Heart Campaign in 2013.

The criteria for selection included personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States’ largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service.

THE FOCUS DEPARTMENT publishes student news, honors and scholarships. Submitted information to the Focus Department, 114 W. Diamond St., P. O. Box 271 Butler 16001, or focus@butlereagle.com.