Two short animated films that a local woman’s grandson worked on are up for Academy Awards.
Grandma Aileen Bolton called to report that Tyler Kupferer was part of the team that created “Feast” and “Big Hero 6.”
“Feast” tells the story of the relationship between a young man and the stray puppy he takes in. It’s been nominated for Best Short Animated Film.
“Big Hero 6” is up for Best Animated Film. It’s about a plus-sized inflatable robot joining a band of high-tech heroes.
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Kupferer studied at Purdue University and did graduate work in animation in Savannah, Georgia. He moved to Los Angeles and landed the dream job, as one of 4,000 applicants, of working for Disney animation, Bolton said.
He also worked on the blockbuster “Frozen.”
Kupferer, a graduate of Columbus North High School, said he’ll be watching the Feb. 22 awards ceremony at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California, with a few hundred of his co-workers.
Maria Sanderson
A local young musician played against some of the best black and Latino young adult classical musicians in the country and placed third in her division.
Maria Sanderson, 15, was a 2015 semifinalist in the junior division of the 18th annual Sphinx Competition in Detroit from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1. She plays the violin.
Out of hundreds of applicants for the competition, only 18 were picked. Eleven of them were in the senior division, said her father, Jerome Sanderson.
Last year, Maria did not place. “We’re very happy,” he said of his daughter’s top-three finish.
Maria received a $3,000 cash prize and was able to perform with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. The first-place winner in the junior division received $10,000, while first place in the senior division received $50,000.
“It’s to encourage minorities to be in classical music and orchestras, because very few have made it into orchestras and things like that,” Jerome said about the contest.
USI dean’s list
EVANSVILLE — The dean’s list for the 2014 fall semester at the University of Southern Indiana includes the following undergraduate students: Trent A. Bond, McKayla M. Carr, Christian S. Ely, Amy E. Hatchett, Cameron J. Nevins and Hannah Patterson, all of Nashville; Conner Waldkoette of Nineveh; Adrienne N. Bay of Morgantown; and Alexander J. Benedict, Kylie N. Lockhart and Jessica A. Steenbergen, all of Trafalgar.
Students must achieve a 3.5 or better grade-point average to be named to the dean’s list.
Anna Rhoads
EVANSVILLE — Anna Rhoads of Nashville, a theater major, made the University of Evansville dean’s list for the fall 2014 semester.
To make the list, a student must earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
Levi Young
BLOOMINGTON — Levi Young, nephew of Sandie Jones and Cathy Wingard of Nashville, was placed on Indiana University’s College of Arts and Sciences executive dean’s list for the fall 2014 semester.
In his senior year at IU, his major is audiology. He also works weekends at Out of the Ordinary restaurant in Nashville as a server to help pay for school.
For the third semester in a row he has earned executive dean’s list recognition, Jones reported. The list is for students who earn at least a 3.7 grade-point average.
Hanover dean’s list
HANOVER — The following graduates of Brown County High School earned dean’s list honors for the fall 2014 semester at Hanover College: Emily Miller and Molly Miller, sophomore undeclared majors, daughters of Michael and Mari Miller of Nashville; and Sarah Love, a senior history major, daughter of Michael and Diana Love of Nashville.
To qualify for the dean’s list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or better.
