Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: Features

Best Photographer

Krystle Coniglio, senior photography major

A number of Coniglio's photos were recently selected by The Lens Committee, and were featured in this year's senior show. She didn't start out as a photography major though. Coniglio was originally a child development major, and it wasn't until her junior year that she changed her major to photography, hoping to learn more about something she had always had an interest in. She said she is very happy with the decision she made. Coniglio has also been a Resident's Assistant in Desmond Hall for the past two years, and recently won the Team Player award from the ResLife staff. She is graduating this year and hopes to work for a television studio in Los Angels as a production assistant. Coniglio is currently a photographer for The State Hornet.

Wilson Lin, senior photography major

Lin has won several awards for his photography. He received third place in the Raymond and Joyce Witt 2008 Student Show. Lin won the Artistic Achievement Award on Feb. 20. He received both first and third place for his self-portrait at the Purchase Show on April 9 in the Galleria. Wilson said he is applying for his master's in photography with a focus on fine art. His plans for the future include teaching photography while continuing to work with photography. Lin said some of his work will be presented on June 6 at the Crocker Art Auction, which is being held at Cal Expo.

Best Thespian

Stephanie Zito, senior theater major

In the 2008-09 theater season at Sacramento State, Zito held a lead role in both the fall drama and spring musical. In the fall, Zito starred in "Picnic" by William Inge. She played the role of Madge Owens. In the spring, Zito starred in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" as Rosemary. For her outstanding performance in "Picnic," Zito was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Award. In February, Zito went to CSU Fullerton to compete against hundreds of other Irene Ryan Nominees. Zito ended up making it into the finals of the competition and winning the Classical Acting Award. She is also the recent winner of the 2009 Classical Acting Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Dexter Galang, senior theater major

In the 2008-09 theater season at Sac State, Galang played the lead role in the fall production of "The Good Woman of Setzuan," playing the part of Wong the water seller. For his performance in this play, Galang was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Award. Galang attended the Irene Ryan competition at CSU Fullerton in February and beat out hundreds of other actors and made it into the semifinals with 32 other semifinalists. Galang also appeared in the spring drama, "In The Blood," playing the featured role of Chilli/Jabber.

Best Dancer

Inertia DeWitt, senior dance major

Over the last year, DeWitt has performed in the Dance Sites' "Metamorphous." She is part of the Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theater, and performed in their spring show in March. She is also active in the Sacramento State Dance Alliance. DeWitt hopes to go to graduate school at the University of California, San Diego, after finishing her classes next fall, then moving on to perform professionally in a dance company. Her dream is to one day open up a non-profit art conservatory for youth and teens. She wants those who are lucky enough to have the talent to be a dancer, to have a place to practice their art.

Lean Damasco, junior dance major

Last summer, Damasco was chosen to fly to Utah to meet New York dance performer Nicholas Lecher. He was taught a dance choreographed by Lecher that he later performed at the Dance Sites show last winter.
Besides being active in the Sacramento State Dance Alliance, he is also a part of the Core Dance Collective - a dance company in Sacramento - and the Dangerous Lorannes Dance Theater - a modern dance company directed by professors Lorelei Bayne and Melissa Wynn. Damasco said the reason he joined so many different dance companies is because of his vast love for the art. Damasco will finish school next year and hopes to one day work for a professional dance company.

Best Musician

Katie Yarbrough, senior music education major

Yarbrough, a Sacramento native, has played the saxophone for 12 years. She was named outstanding senior this year in the music department at Sacramento State. Yarbrough feels that music gives you a chance to escape the real world and indulge in something beautiful. Through the saxophone she said she can express emotions that she wouldn't be able to express in person. Aside from her exceptional saxophone talent, she has made it a point of standing out in other areas. With a grade point average of 3.97, she has the highest average in the music department's graduating class. Yarbrough feels you can't limit yourself; you have to be well-rounded and not only be good at one thing.

Rudi Hoehn, senior music performance major

Rudi Hoehn, senior music performance major, has played the trombone since he was a freshman in high school, when he joined the school band. He won the Rotary International Ambassadorial scholarship for the 2006-07 school year. This scholarship paid him to go to school in Germany where he served as an ambassador of goodwill to the people of Germany. He also won the concerto competition for 2009. In addition, he received the Sacramento Saturday scholarship, which is a scholarship for promising young musicians awarded by the club to students of Sacramento State. Hoehn plans to apply for to a master's program back east after graduation.

Best Artist

Jessica Lindeman, senior art studio major

Lindeman first started working with jewelry design, but later became interested in working on installation pieces. Lindeman creates sculptures or three-dimensional pieces. This year, she won first place and a Certificate Award for her piece called "Loops," constructed of mixed-media and audio pieces. The audio parts were made from audio loops and the objects were made in the forms of loops. Lindeman enjoys being able to merge her love of music with her artwork. She also had some of her pieces shown in the Witt Gallery at Sacramento State.

Jeremy Jordan, senior art studio and art history major

Jordan creates mixed-media pieces constructed mainly of wood, ceramic, metal and rope or string. This year, he won second place in the Student Awards Show for his wall hanging sculpture called "Biomorph I." He also won the second place award for the Raymond W. and Joyce Witt Scholarship in art studio for the same piece. Jordan has won The Witt Art History award for his essay "Salvador Dali: The Founder of the 'Fake,'" which he will present at the Art Ball. He has collaborative pieces permanently installed in corporate and public locations, including a mixed-media piece in the Cameron Park Library and a wall-hanging sculpture in the Call Center at Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo.

Best Film Student

Nicole Hendrix, senior film major

Hendrix said once she saw what a person could do with film, she was absolutely hooked. She saw the product of being a film major when she rushed her freshman year for a sorority. She saw a recruiting video for Alpha Phi and was impressed by it. She said once she saw that, she got in contact with the creator. Hendrix said she has been a film major ever since. Hendrix has done over 100 short advertisements as well as 40 films. She has also participated in a 45-hour film festival where she had to create a script, shoot and edit a short film. Hendrix said the challenge is what she loves about film. She feels like it is always pushing her to do a little bit more and experiment with new ideas.

Ivan Harder, senior film major

Harder deals with both directing and producing, however he is more involved in the producing aspect of film. He said he was so captured by the famous work of Alfred Hitchcock and he loves the art that goes into film.Harder has done about 15 to 20 movies and hopes to get his masters in film. He aspires to attend Berkeley or San Francisco State according to what he wants to emphasize his film experience on.Harder said he is very motivated when it comes to film and that it gives him a chance to be creative with whatever he works with.

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