Tag: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Announcements

Annual National Honors Society Inductions

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photos: Zach Grable

On Thursday, January 11, Centennial’s National Honor Society (NHS) inducted it’s 66 new members. The junior inductees listened to advice from the senior members of the chapter. An emphasis was placed on the four pillars of the society: leadership, character, scholarship, and service.

Special guest speaker Steven Peth, a former Army pilot who fought during the Vietnam War and current Red Cross Volunteer, spoke on the importance of service. Steven shared his personal war story in which he was shot during battle, inspiring his urge to serve the community. After each new member was individually inducted, the group pledged their allegiance to the society.

As the ceremony came to an end, the NHS members and their families joined for cake and refreshments in the cafeteria.

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

Sports

Centennial Indoor Track Performs Exceptionally at the 25th Hispanic Games and the Howard County/Anne Arundel County Meet

Words: Joey Sedlacko & Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photos: Eliza Andrew

On Friday, January 4, and Saturday, January 5, the Centennial Indoor Track team competed in the 25th Hispanic Games. Over the weekend, the team travelled to New York City to participate in the annual indoor track meet.

Multiple runners finished in the top ten of their respective events. In the girls’ triple jump for the Freshman/Sophomore division, sophomore Cherakie Pierre placed sixth with a jump of 30-10.50 meters; breaking Centennial’s long jump record. In the Novice division, junior Tyler Dan finished first in the boys 55 meter dash with a time of 6.71. Also in the novice division, junior Zack Garwacki ran a 8.71 in the boys’ 55 meter hurdles to place ninth.

In terms of Varsity, Centennial shined in the field events and long distance events. Junior Anthony Matthews finished ninth in the boys’ triple jump after jumping 42-03.05 meters. Another junior, Jack Ragonese placed tenth in the boys’ shot put. Senior Alison Betler represented Centennial well in the girls’ 1500 meter race and one mile race. In both events, Betler placed tenth.

The indoor track team’s following meet, the Howard County/Anne Arundel County Challenge, took place at the PG Sportsplex on Monday, January 6. Both boys’ and girls’ Varsity teams competed against 11 other schools in the region.

Numerous Centennial runners from both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams placed in the top five of their individual events. In regards to the boys’ Varsity team, junior Zachary Garwacki placed second in the 55 hurdles.  Sophomore Adrian Nwakalor took fifth in the boys’ triple jump.

The girls’ team excelled throughout the meet, as junior Leah Alkire placed fourth in both the girls 500 meter as well as the girls’ 500 dash. The Varsity girls took fourth out of all eleven teams in the 4×400 relay. Senior Christina Stavlas dominated her respective events, landing an impressive third place in both the girls’ 3200 meters and girls’ 300 meters.

Centennial’s indoor track team will next meet on Tuesday, January 15, for the Howard County Championships.

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

 

A&E

Centennial Showcases Talent in Annual Dancing With the Staff

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photos: Eliza Andrew

On October 25, 2018, Centennial’s Senior Dance Company teamed up with a few lucky teachers to perform their annual Dancing With the Staff show.

There were four groups of dancer-teacher performances. In between each group was a video slideshow displaying the partners practicing their moves, most often with the teachers struggling to follow along, but nonetheless having a good time. Dancers interviewed their teachers of choice, asking questions along the lines of their previous dance experience and dance style of choice.

Tensions ran high as the judges debated results and audience members cast their vote. After fifteen minutes of intense discussion and audience voting, the dancers gathered on stage for results. The judges’ choice was Ms. Rebecca Vanover and Divya Proper, and Mr. David Riddler and Jen Solan received Honorable Mention. In fourth was Mr. Kevin Mccoy and Alison Betler, followed by Ms. Tori Hammers and Arya Bhargav. In second was Mr. Edward Fowler and Katie Pistner. Mrs. Erin Parisi and Eshna Ghosh received first for the night.

From rap to Irish dance, to throwback song choices such as “Call Me Maybe,” Dancing with the Staff was a success.

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

Announcements

Centennial Wind Ensemble Opens The Year With A Fall Concert

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

Photos: Eliza Andrew

On the night of October 8, the Centennial band program performed an hour long concert showcasing their fall music selections. The jazz band opened the concert with a seasonally appropriate piece, a jazz rendition of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s September. The bands then played in order of advancement, with Symphonic Band first, followed by Symphonics Winds, and finally Wind Ensemble.

Wind Ensemble had the longest program, playing three pieces ranging from a militant march to a faster paced work. Compositions included Fanfare for Justice, Speedway, and Pas Redoublé. The audience gave a standing ovation succeeding Wind Ensemble’s performance. Despite only four weeks of rehearsal, the band program put on a fantastic show.

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

Announcements

Centennial Students’ Homecoming Rituals

Words: Natalie Knight-Griffin

As homecoming nears, Centennial students prepare for the exciting night in various ways. In the days approaching homecoming, students showcase their school pride with a range of spirit days including pajama day, tropical day, USA day, decades day, and color day.
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Outside of school traditions, students prepare for the dance with their own traditions. Many who plan on attending the dance spend the day getting ready, ordering pizza, listening to music, and even practicing dance moves.
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“I typically go and get my nails done a few days beforehand,” says junior Sara Ferrara. “My friends and I also love doing facemasks the night before for our skin.”

Preparing for homecoming can be a long and extensive process. Everyone has special routines to ensure the night is a success. But really, homecoming is what you make of it.
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“I look forward to getting ready with a group of friends,” says freshman Ella Boodin. “It’ll be fun to listen to music and pump each other up!”
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From freshmen to seniors, students preparing for homecoming spend hours, and for some, even days to make sure they look their best. With the perfect dress or suit, hair and nails, or whatever you please, homecoming brings a feeling of confidence and excitement to students.

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

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.