Tag: Madison Baltimore

Announcements

BSAP Honors Their Seniors

Words: Madison Baltimore

On Friday, May 17, seniors of African American heritage were celebrated for their achievements. The evening started with welcoming announcements from Walter Pearson, president of the Parent Council for Black Students (PCBS), Sydney Butler, Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) liaison, and Centennial’s very own principal, Cynthia Dillon.

A potluck dinner began the night, consisting of a variety of finger-foods, drinks and desserts. As families were finishing up their meals, Hadeel Hamoud, Centennial Alum from the class of 2018, spoke to the attending seniors about her first year at college and how it was very different from what she had initially expected.

Butler proceeded Hamoud with a slideshow presentation of all the graduating seniors, including a senior portrait, what clubs or groups they were involved in and their plans for after graduation. Each senior was then invited to the front to receive their BSAP stole and students in Delta Scholars received their chords.

Mark Kabue, vice president of PCBS, presented the winners of the annual Book Scholarship Award. This year, two students tied for the scholarship money, Olumoroti Adewole and Nicole Attram.

Centennial guidance counselors Jennifer McKechnie and JaeHi Hebler also made an appearance at the event to congratulate the graduating seniors for their achievements and accomplishments.

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Announcements

Cruising Through Senior Year!

Words and Photos: Madison Baltimore

On Sunday, May 19, the annual Senior Cruise took place on the Spirit of Inner Harbor. It was a night of board games, windy hair, and Instagram photoshoots; truly an event the class of 2019 will not forget.

After leaving Centennial, the senior class arrived in Baltimore and boarded the Spirit of Inner Harbor. The group came together for dinner early on and tables were called individually to help themselves to the buffet that had been prepared. After dinner, the seniors were invited to the top deck to enjoy games and warm weather.

The evening concluded with line dancing, dessert, and a half hour bus ride home to Centennial.

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Feature

Centennial Celebrates Black Achievement at Long Reach High

Words: Madison Baltimore

On April 24, 2019, seniors of African or African American heritage were honored for academic achievement and maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher throughout their high school careers at the annual Celebration of Excellence.

This event took place at Long Reach High School, sponsored by the Council of Elders of the Black Community in Howard County in partnership with the Howard County Public School System.

The evening started with The Council of Elders walking in and being introduced, followed by the graduating seniors walking into the auditorium and taking their seats. The Elders then led the audience and participating students in singing the first verse of the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Acknowledgements and other opening remarks were then conducted before the students lined up for the presentation of awards.

The principal and Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) liaison from each school introduced the seniors, as well as where they plan to go for college, what they plan to major in, and any clubs they participated in. The night ended with congratulation speeches and closing remarks.

Aside from seniors being honored for their academic success, one male and one female senior from each high school, as well as Homewood and Cedar Lane, were nominated for either the Gloria Washington Wallace Award and the Sankofa Award, totaling in four seniors from each school. Centennial students Jordyn Blanken and Anong Teke were nominated for the Gloria Washington Wallace Award and Nicole Attram and Christopher Agnew were nominated for the Sankofa Award.

The Gloria Washington Wallace Award highlights seniors with the greatest academic improvement over the course of their high school careers while the Sankofa Award is awarded to the students who have shown high academic success as well as elements of leadership, citizenship, and service within their community.

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Announcements

Centennial Celebrates Culture

Words: Madison Baltimore

Photos: Eliza Andrew & Natalie Knight-Griffin

On April 11, 2019, Centennial’s annual WorldFEST took place; a celebration of the many cultures that make up Centennial’s student body.

The event started with food served from 5 to 7 pm, followed by rotations of activities, including a trivia game put on by It’s Academic. After the rotations of activities, a talent show, fashion show and taekwondo demonstration concluded the evening in the auditorium from 8 to 9 pm.

Junior Daria Cara expressed how much she enjoys the fashion show aspect of WorldFEST and its impact on the school and the community.

“I absolutely adored the fashion show! It was absolutely wonderful seeing so many different cultures, and seeing everyone so confident and having so much fun on stage,” stated Cara.

Different clubs each served food at WorldFEST, ranging from sushi, to pizza, to funnel cake. The different activities that took place from 7:10 to 7:55 pm were Hair Braiding, Anti-Human Trafficking, Diversity in the Media, Latin Dancing, Taekwondo, Irish Dancing and It’s Academic Trivia.

Students from National Honor Society and the National Dance Honor Society, Delta Eta Pi, participated in the fashion and talent show, as well as students not in either honor society.

WorldFEST continues to celebrate Centennial’s unique diversity.

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Announcements

Centennial Travels to Wilde Lake for Delta Scholars Conference

Words: Madison Baltimore

On Friday, April 5, Delta Scholars from all 12 Howard County public high schools traveled to Wilde Lake for their annual Leadership Conference. The conference started with a sign-in of schools and opening announcements from Delta Sigma Theta Inc chapter members within the community.

The Delta Scholars then broke out into groups and went to different workshops they had signed up for in advance. The workshops ranged in topics, from how to budget money to self-care and self-empowerment.

Finally, the conference concluded with motivational speaker and founding principal of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions, Shavon Arline-Bradley, discussing and encouraging the Delta Scholars to use their “gifts and talents” to fuel their college and career decisions.

R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions is an executive leadership firm made to widen the capacity of leaders in a corporate and non-profit environment. Arline-Bradley presented at the Leadership Conference before in 2018.

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Announcements

Bingo Night at Centennial

Words and Photos: Madison Baltimore

On February 22, Centennial’s music department held their annual Bingo Night from 7 to 9:30pm. It was a night filled with excitement, different colored bingo dabbers and musical performances. Students and their families played bingo for a good cause.

“It has been a music department tradition long since my arrival at CHS,” David Matchim, band director at Centennial said. “It’s growing every year as we add musical performances. It’s a great opportunity to raise money and show community groups our great ensembles.”

In between bingo rounds, students from orchestra and Centennial’s Jazz Band played a variety of songs to showcase their talent.

“I think Bingo Night has continued to provide a tremendous opportunity for fundraising the music program and uniting our community and school by providing the opportunity to see some of our school’s ensembles perform,” expressed Jackson Rowles, a senior at Centennial and Lead Drummer in Jazz Band. “Bingo night also allows members of our community and school to gather together and share our appreciation of Centennial music through the always exhilarating game of bingo.”

“Music parents and students make donations to themed gift baskets and several business sponsor baskets, as well,” said Matchim, regarding the prize baskets bingo winners receive.

Bingo Night, which is hosted by Centennial’s Friends of Music, raises roughly $2,000 to $3,000 per year.

Students and their families come back every year to enjoy a fun game of bingo for a chance to win a themed basket.

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Announcements

Delta Scholars Celebrates Black History Month

Words: Madison Baltimore

Photos: Wabii Doti

On February 15, Delta Scholars, an honor society for young girls, hosted their annual event in celebration of Black History Month. Food for the Soul, Words for the Heart is a night filled with soul food, music, poetry, and more. This year’s theme was “Unity: Loving Yourself and Others & Celebrating our Uniqueness.”

“The event was an idea that the Delta Scholars came up with five years ago,” said Shalonda Holt, Delta Scholars advisor and biology teacher at Centennial. “[They] are in charge of running it.”

Students from the honor society performed, featuring poems from Olumoroti Adewole, Nicole Attram, Kash Awosika, Cora Blount, Noni Grimes, Renee Ofori, Anita Osoh, and Savannah Pearson, as well as art from Shahd Alhadari and Victoria Pearson and music from Dalaysia Hammond and Madison O’Donoghue-Walcott.

“I love the event and have looked forward to it every year. It’s such an inviting environment and the food is so good,” said Attram, one of the three student co-presidents of Delta Scholars. “[The event also] gives girls of color a place of acceptance.”

 

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