Lisa and Jeff Cooper, Leawood, announce the birth of their daughter, Katherine Lynn Cooper, born March 16, 2002, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

Jeff is an 1981 graduate of Lawrence High School and 1985 Kansas University graduate. He is the son of Meredithe McCormick.

Tiffany and Michael Medina, Olathe, announce the birth of their son, Jackson T. Medina, born Feb. 25, 2002, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He has a brother Grayson, 8.

Grandparents are Debbie Alexander and Larry E. Elson, both of Lawrence, and Dina and Gonzalo Medina, Olathe.

Eric Nelson and Sarah Hill-Nelson, Lawrence, announce the birth of their son, Henry Dean Nelson, born March 13, 2002, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Grandparents are Marcia and Stephen Hill, Lawrence, and Elroy “Butch” Nelson and Diana Nelson, both of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Several Lawrence elementary school students participated in the Calvary Lutheran chess tournament on March 23. Benjamin Harms placed second and Roy Wedge placed fourth in the K-5 Division of the tournament. They represented Wakarusa Valley Elementary School. Ricky Bellinger of Broken Arrow School finished 10th. Hyrum Richardson, also from Wakarusa Valley, captured fifth place in the K-2 Division.

Joanna Beard and Nathan Beard, both of Lawrence, will participate Tuesday through April 7 in the Sterling College Concert Choir Tour. They are the children of Phil and Eileen Beard. The 42-member choir will be traveling through Oklahoma and Texas.

Christopher Metzler, Lawrence, has been selected to receive a scholarship as part of the Syracuse University’s Senior Scholarship Program for the 2001-2002 academic year. To be eligible for a Senior Scholarship, students must consistently attain Dean’s List status during their first three years at Syracuse.

Jena Maxwell and Fenglin Shi, both of Lawrence, were honored March 9 during Wichita State University’s Honors Convocation.

Lisa Smelser, McLouth, has been chosen by the Durfee Foundation and Earthwatch Institute as a recipient of the 2002 Student Challenge Award. As part of this award, Lisa will spend two weeks this summer in New Mexico at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of a team of researchers. Lisa’s team will be studying Transient Phenomena in Astrophysics.

Sarah Andyshak, Lawrence, a sophomore at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., is among 51 students exhibiting in the first juried student art exhibit. Andyshak is showing two oils, “Portal,” and “Imagination’s Flight.”

Justin Riley, a senior at Lawrence High School, was among 19 students nationally who participated in a recent weekend chemistry workshop at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis. He was selected for the workshop because of his strong interest and performance in high school chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science and other natural sciences. He is the son of Steve and Marcia Riley, Lawrence.

Jamie McGovern, a Pony Club member from Prairie Wind Pony Club, Lawrence, has qualified as an alternate D-Senior team to the National Quiz Rally in Lexington, Va. Jamie is the daughter of Jodi Anderson and John McGovern. Quiz rally is the unmounted equine quiz bowl competition.