Wharton Center Ovation Awards applaud Broadway hopefuls High school students in Michigan who dream of solo performances winning an Oscar or Tony Award don't have to that will culminate wait to be recognized for best performance. MSU's in the selection of Wharton Center invites high school students Best Performance statewide to participate in the Ovation Awards—a by an Actor and Best performing arts competition that offers two winning Performance by an students a true Broadway experience. Actress. "We want to celebrate the work of talented high The two Ovation school students," says Dana Brazil, associate director Awards winners will of the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts each receive a $1,000 and Creativity at the Wharton Center. The Wharton Center is one of 30 venues nationwide—and the only one in Michigan— partnering with the National High School Musical Theater Awards' Ovation Awards competition. Wharton Center's Ovation Awards competition is open to all high school students in Michigan. Teachers may nominate one student from their school who has played a lead role in a high school musical performance. The 2012 deadline for cash prize and a scholarship to the Wharton Center's Take It from the Top summer Broadway intensive workshop. They'll also receive an all-expense-paid, six- Michigan high school students belt out a musical number during the Wharton Center's Take It from the Top program, a series of workshops taught by Broadway professionals. day trip to New York City where they'll participate in a performance enrichment program nominations is April 20. and represent Michigan in the National High School A panel of three judges with Broadway experience Broadway in June. will review applications and select 50 high school students-25 young women and 25 young men—to come to campus May 19 for a series of ensemble and Musical Theater Awards at the Minskoff Theatre on "These students are our future entertainers and future audience members," says Brazil. "It's a great experience to perform for Broadway people. Getting feedback from people who are doing what they want to be doing is really invaluable." For more information on the Ovation Awards, visit whartoncenter.com/education/ovationawards . aspx. 0 Jewish Studies Pr ram initiative helps community discover, share family stories A yearlong initiative by MSU's Jewish Studies individuals how to search genealogy resources and Program that includes programming on campus a series of events that began last fall and continues and across the state is exploring the intersections through spring featuring genealogists and between personal family stories and academic professors from around the country. research on families. Kirsten Fermaglich, associate professor of history The Telling Family Stories: Jews, Genealogy, and and Jewish studies at MSU, wrote the grant proposal History initiative encourages Michigan residents to and is leading the storytelling project. share their family stories on its website and to explore their heritage through educational opportunities. Opportunities include teaching The exhibit "Telling Family Stories: Jews, Genealogy, and History" will be featured at the MSU Main Library February through April. "This entire project is a partnership between MSU and the community," says Fermaglich. "We hope people share their own histories and find connections between the stories being told in their families and academic history." In 2011, the MSU Jewish Studies/Hadassah brunch and a presentation on "Jewish Genealogy: Where Do We Go from Here? Possibilities and Problems" both featured Sallyann Sack, a leading Jewish genealogist in the United States. In March, the Library of Michigan in Lansing will host a hands-on seminar about exploring family history. In addition to special events throughout the year, the exhibit "Telling Family Stories: Jews, Genealogy, and History" will be Annette Serling, left, poses for a photograph with a fellow Girl Scout leader on the MSU campus in 1951. featured at MSU's Main Library from February through April. "We hope to have a dialogue with the community and help them tell the Jewish American story, which is one of immigration, of building new communities, and of becoming successful," says Kenneth Waltzer, director of MSU's Jewish Studies Program. The storytelling project was made possible through a grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies. MSU is one of four universities in the country to receive the $22,000 competitive grant to engage the community through public programming. For more information about the project and to learn about upcoming events, visit tellingfamilystories. wordpress.com .