Tag: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Announcements

Empire Mock Trial Prepares for International Conference in Atlanta, Georgia

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

On Wednesday, September 12, Centennial’s Empire Mock Trial team presented their trial court case before a mass of parents and teachers. After several months of hard work, memorization, and dedication even during the summer, Mock Trial has a full length court case to be presented at the international mock trial competition in Atlanta, Georgia.

The team consists of senior captain Mary Slattery and co-captain Anjali Gajendiran. Junior captains are sophomore Adam Goldstein and junior Judy Zhou. The team also consists of seniors Kieran Newell and Abby Zoller-gritz, juniors Meenakshi Adiyodi, Sruthi Ranesh, Emily Kim, and Christina Cha, and sophomores Carter Matties, Philip Wong, Adam Goldstein, and Emmeline Murphy.

Students performed the trial seamlessly, presenting months worth of preparation and memorization before a crowd of proud parents. Members of the team have practiced hundreds of hours in total to insure their case is fully committed to memory and presented in a believable manner.

All students play a role in the trial, acting as either lawyers, character witnesses, or expert witnesses. Nearly a hundred pages of mock evidence are used in the trial, all mock mugshots, photographs, and even prints of fake news sourcing regarding the made-up case. The case the team presents is not real, yet has all of the elements of many court cases seen today. The case discusses racial tensions and assault.

“It’s real up to the point that the events did not happen,” says senior Abby Zoller-gritz.

The international conference consists of high school teams from around the globe showcasing their hypothetical cases, each tying into current events and issues. The teams are judged by a panel of lawyers and legal experts. The Mock Trial team leaves for Atlanta on Wednesday, September 19, and returns on September 24. Students are missing three days of school to attend the conference on September 22, 23, and 24.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports

Centennial Varsity Field Hockey Starts the Season with a Triumph Over Long Reach

Words and Photos: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Centennial’s Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team took the field today in their first game of the season against Long Reach High School.

The Eagles started off strong as senior forward Abby Doff scored the first goal within the first two minutes of the game. There was a steady back and forth during the first half as Long Reach worked hard to keep up with the pace.

Due to excessive heat, there were mandatory water breaks every 10 minutes. Despite the exhausting high temperatures, the girls worked tirelessly with a 2-0 lead. Junior Lauren Karasack, playing forward, scored a goal for the Eagles, followed by another successful shot from senior Marta Pochop, playing wing. Long Reach scored their first goal close to the half, making the score 3-1.

In the second half, the Eagles continued to take the lead with Karasack scoring once again. Long Reach failed to keep up as the Eagles continually possessed the ball. The score increased to 7-1 as sophomore defensive player Jane Hudson scored in addition to a second goal from Doff.

The Eagles won with a final score of 7-1.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports

Girls Varsity Soccer Defeats Mount de Sales in First Game of the Season

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photos: Delanie Tucker

Centennial Girl’s Varsity Soccer team took on Mount de Sales Academy for their first game of the season.

The ball traveled up and down the field as the Eagles played a back and forth game of offense and defense. Several minutes before the half, Junior Leah Alkire scored the first goal of the game.

After a break at the half, players returned to the field hopeful and prepared to win. Eagle’s defensive players consistently pushed the ball towards the offense, allowing several players to take their shot on goal.

The game came to an end with a final score of 1-0.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Sports

Centennial Girls Varsity Lacrosse Takes on Marriotts Ridge for Senior Night

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin / Photos: Eliza Andrew

On Friday, May 4, the Centennial girls varsity lacrosse team fell to Marriotts Ridge after celebrating their senior night. A total of nine seniors played in their last home game of their high school career: Julia Grable, Claudia Pilcher, Mary Grace Lambert, Sydney Back, Meghan Moore, Gaby Chausse, Ashley Florenzo, Camden Blevins, and Julia Yates.

The Mustangs came out strong, scoring the first goal of the game within the first 13 seconds. The Eagles struggled to keep up until senior attacker Julia Yates scored a stealthy first goal, bringing the score to 5-1. Ten minutes into the game, Eagles called for a time out after losing steam and falling farther behind. Feeling tired yet more determined than ever, the Eagles re-entered the game hopeful to make a comeback.

Junior Marissa Lagea scored her 100th career goal, making the score 10-2 with five minutes remaining. In the final minutes before the half, the clock continued running during each goal transition with Mustangs in the far lead.

At the end of the half, the Mustangs lead the Eagles at 16-2. Head coach Bethany Cunha inspired the team to keep their heads up as they sat in a circle and cooled down.

At the beginning of the second half, senior midfielder Claudia Pilcher scored the third goal for the Eagles. Pilcher later scored the fourth and final goal for the Eagles, bringing the game to a close at 19-4.

Despite the hard fall to the Mustangs, the Eagles played an intense game and enjoyed their final farewell to seniors.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

A&E, News

Centennial’s Wind Ensemble Makes History: First HCPSS School to be Accepted to Midwest Clinic

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

On April 4, 2018, Centennial’s band director, David Matchim, announced to Centennial’s Wind Ensemble members that they made it into The Midwest Clinic. The Midwest Clinic is an annual conference taking place from December 19 to 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. It is a highly selective and prestigious music conference in which only five high schools from across the nation are selected to compete. Centennial is the first Howard County school to have ever made it into the clinic, as well as the fourth school in Maryland since 1973.

“The Midwest Clinic is the largest instrumental music education conference of its kind and we will be performing for an audience of the best musicians and educators in the world,” said Matchim. “It’s a sign that a lot of things are going right.”

At the December conference, Wind Ensemble will be performing a piece titled “Harrison’s Dream” by Peter Graham, which they having been practicing since the beginning of the school year and played at their adjudication in March. The piece won the band a series of ones from the judges, the highest score a band can achieve, meaning “exemplary.” Harrison’s dream is a dramatic, 15 minute long musical depiction of the sea, both at a calming and rigid state.

“It’s incredibly challenging both technically and artistically,” detailed Matchim. “It’s definitely the most challenging piece that we have ever performed.”

When the news of the band’s acceptance was announced to Matchim’s third period class, the room erupted into screaming, tears, and laughter. Matchim videotaped the reactions and posted the video to Twitter, describing the feeling as overwhelming pride and gratitude. The students will be practicing for the next several months in preparation for their performance at the conference, their acceptance made possible by the hard-working students, supportive community members, and director David Matchim.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.

Podcasts

EXCLUSIVE: Wingspan Interviews 2018 Teacher of the Year John Sharbaugh [Podcast]

Interview: Caroline Chu and Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photo: Eliza Andrew

John Sharbaugh, who teaches English, was recently selected as Centennial’s 2017-2018 senior Teacher of the Year. The prestigious title is awarded to the teacher that they most appreciated throughout their high school years. In this podcast, Sharbaugh shares classroom stories and personal memories that both inspired and changed his teaching career.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.