•Dr. Ronald A. Hemmel, associate professor of music theory and composition and artistic director of the Music Computing Center at Westminster, attended the premiere performance of his composition, "St. Cecilia's Song" in May. This twenty-minute work for chorus and organ was performed by the Westminster Community Chorus under the direction of Devin Mariman and accompanied by Eric Plutz. Based on John Dryden's "A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day, 1687," the composition was commissioned by the chorus in celebration of their ten-year anniversary. Dr. Hemmel also successfully completed the examinations to become a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, its highest-level certification, and one held by fewer than one percent of guild members world wide. He is the only member of the Westminster faculty to achieve this status since George Markey in 1957. The two-day test includes performance at the organ of prepared repertoire, sight-reading, transposition, transcription, improvisation and four-clef open score reading. The written portions include composition, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration and notation of both four-part choral and two-part contrapuntal dictation.
• Tatiana Leon, a junior biochemistry major, was named Miss Ecuador Trenton for 2006. The Ecuadorian Civic Association of Mercer County selected Leon for the title on July 23 at Arbeiter Hall in the East Ward of Trenton. More than 300 Ecuadorian Americans attended the pageant which featured five candidates competing for the crown and status as queen. The competition consisted of four categories, including talent, gala wear, folklore dressing and a final question.