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Graduation 2012
On May 22 the senior class of 2012 said goodbye to the yellow halls of Centennial High School and stepped into the beginning of the rest of their lives. Four of the graduates, Jill Taylor, Sarah Zola, Elliot Campos, and Daniel Lee, spoke to their fellow classmates about the memories of high school and gave advice about the upcoming years. Centennial’s choir, Expressions, performed at the beginning of the ceremony performing “We Are Young”. Right before the graduates were allowed to move their tassels David Kessler sang I’m Movin’ On by Rascal Flatts that brought tears to everyone’s eyes. “I’m sad but I know I’ll be performing a lot more in my life so it’s like the first step to more coming” said David Kessler about having his last performance as a part of Centennial High School. The ceremony was filled with laughter, smiles, and tears but all in all the seniors agree it was a bittersweet moment to graduate from high school.
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All photos by Kara Johnson & Allie Shannon
Athlete of the Month: Audrey White
By Chantal Meacham
Athlete of the Month
Audrey White – Track
Audrey White is a premier competitor in the area in both cross country and track. She mostly runs the 3200 meter, but she also runs the 1600 meter and the 4 x 800 meter. In cross country, her best time for the 3 mile is 18:59. In the 3200m her best time is 12:02 and 5:42 in the 1600m. She enjoys running cross country more because of all the different courses and the added difficulty that they provide. She also enjoys the fact that she doesn’t have to keep running in an oval for three miles. Audrey wants to walk-on to the team wherever she goes to college, but if she can’t then she will continue to run on her own.
When did you start running?
I started running in 6th grade, but I didn’t start competing until 7th grade because my 6th grade school in St. Louis didn’t have a track or cross country team.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in cross country?
In cross country it would have to be winning the Twin City race my sophomore year.
Who is your role model?
My dad because he is so successful in everything he does and he never gives up.
What’s your best memory of the season so far?
Our first indoor meet because it meant that track was officially started and I got to know some of my newer teammates a lot better. All of the track meets always have some great memories, though, and we always bond and grow closer as a team through those trips.
What’s the hardest thing about track?
For me, the hardest thing is doing longer and/or faster workouts than anyone else because I’m the only one who runs the 3200m so sometimes I have to do workouts on my own.
Who is the funniest on the team?
Christina Coleman. She makes fun of everyone, including herself, and has some really awesome rap battles at practice.
Who is your dream date?
Galen Rupp (He’s a runner.)
How do you prep physically and mentally for a meet?
We always have a really easy day right before a meet day to rest up and then before I race I warm up and listen to music to get pumped up and excited for my race.
Seniors Say Goodbye!
Centennial seniors finished finals today and left the halls of Centennial for the real world.
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Teachers Deserve Thanks
By Abrar Al-Heeti – Staff Writer
The classes and teachers one has in high school play a fundamental role in the success and happiness of the student. An enjoyable and beneficial class will influence the student to work hard and do his or her best, and a good teacher will be there to encourage the student to achieve the highest possible level of accomplishment. Most students can say they have had a fair share of both good and not-so-great courses and teachers, but a few Centennial students shared with The Centinal the classes and teachers they chose to be their favorite. Senior Esther Han says Mr. Hooper is her favorite teacher and AP Statistics is her favorite class, “because we get to apply statistics to daily life through activities such as ‘Frog Olympics’ and ‘Buttered Toast.’” She says of why she likes Mr. Hooper, “He is a good, nice teacher!”’ Junior Tara Ibrahim picks Mr. Sikora as her favorite teacher simply, “because he is awesome.” She adds, “He is also very quotable.” Senior Rachel Swanson says, “My favorite teacher is Mr. Bagniefski, by far! A lot of people would agree.” When asked to explain what she likes about him, she says, “He is so funny and makes learning so enjoyable. He is so detail oriented and makes math easy, especially for those of us who struggle in the subject.”
With such an array of wonderful teachers, it can be difficult to pick just one favorite. But, personally, a teacher who stands out to me is Mrs. Westfield. I see her as not only a great educator, but also a friend. Her warm smile and kind heart combined with her intelligence and wisdom make her an inspiration to me. I will always be thankful to her for her patience and guidance as I made my way through freshman year, and I am grateful for her continued support and kindness throughout my four years at Centennial. And to all of the teachers I have had here at Centennial, thank you for being such wonderful mentors and for teaching me not only the course material, but also valuable life lessons as well. I have learned so much, and I hope to carry the knowledge I have gained from you throughout the rest of my life as I continue to grow and learn. Most importantly, thank you for believing in me and encouraging me; I truly appreciate it.
Yearbook Shows Centennial’s True Colors
Centennial’s yearbook, The Centurian, was handed out to students on Friday after school. Students immediately began flipping through the books and finding photos of friends. Yearbooks are still available for purchace or pick up after school in Ms. Green’s room.
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Prom Is In The Air
By: Melanie Mesker and Trent Reeve
Over the last few months you may have seen Junior and Senior guys buying flowers and chocolate, painting their stomach, planning a scavenger hunt, or even wearing a gorilla suit. With prom around the corner students have been getting asked to prom left and right. Here is a slideshow of the most memorable ways of getting asked to prom.
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Centennial’s prom is Saturday, May 19th at 7pm at The Colonnades Club located within Memorial Stadium.
Senior Honors Day
On Thursday, May 10, seniors were honored for their academic achievements. Centennial students recognized the Class of 2012 as they received scholarships and academic awards.
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Fiction Addiction Field Trip
By Megan Wolter
Staff Writer
Centennial’s book club, Fiction Addiction, went on a field trip to the University of Illinois Library and The Center for Children’s Books with the Jefferson Middle School’s book club. It was a fun look at college life and how big of a deal the library is to learning and getting information for classes. It was also very interesting to look at the children’s publishing house and how all of the writers there work together to give the most accurate review of a book for librarians.
Most wouldn’t think that one of the world’s largest and best libraries would be in Champaign-Urbana, but it is and they are also well-known for their graduate program for those who want to major in Library Science.
Next time one is on the campus, stop in at the library and take a look at the stacks. It is a dark creepy place where one could easily get lost, but it is also full of information for students, professors or anyone else interested in reading.
Lacrosse Club Gaining Momentum
By: Hannah Ritchey
Everybody knows springtime can mean baseball, track & field, or soccer but a sport that doesn’t get a lot of attention is Lacrosse. Lacrosse has been a program at Centennial for over 5 years now but a lot of students still don’t even know it’s an option. “Until last year I didn’t even know we had a Lacrosse team”, says Ryan McCuskey. However, the Lacrosse boys aren’t to blame; part of the reason this sport has remained so low-key is because it’s not officially a sport at Centennial, it’s a club.
A club makes it sound as though it’s not legitimate, but Lacrosse at Centennial is on the rise. Junior, Ehsawn Feiz says, “The program has gotten more rigorous and intense. The coaches are really crackin’ down.” Head coach Daniel Dudley and assistant coach Matt Gruber currently coach the club. Dudley has been with the program for four years and Gruber two. Along with Centennial students, the team consists of students from both Central and Mahomet. This mix of athletes from various schools could create confusion about what to call themselves, but the Lacrosse boys still call themselves the Chargers.
The boys practice and play their games over on the freshman football field located behind the softball and baseball fields on the south side of the school. Unless it’s a regular practice or a rare home game the boys may be hard to run in to; that’s because they mostly play teams from the Chicago area. Lacrosse is more developed as a sport in northern Illinois so traveling up there allows for some good competition. The medley of schools that form the Charger Lacrosse team are among the first to start a program that could one day reach the levels of Chicago schools.
When asked about the future of Lacrosse at Centennial, Fez said “State Championships.” Sounds hopeful enough! The Lacrosse boys are probably some of the most laid back people around Centennial. The team seems to agree that, “It just has a really good atmosphere. The people are really nice, and it’s really chill.” So help this upcoming program out and stop by a few games or wish them luck the next time they head out of town!
Briscoe Hurdles His Way to College
By: Chelsea Cross Staff Writer
David Briscoe’s name may ring a bell, but if it doesn’t maybe you’d remember him hurdling over everything on Centennial High school’s track. David Briscoe is a well known athlete at Centennial, who’s known for running circles around people. This year he qualified for Illinois Prep Top Times in three events, 55mhh, 4×2 relay, and 200m dash. Briscoe also was a Twin-City champion in the 110mhh, 300m Intermediate Hurdles and the 4×1 relay. Overall, Briscoe has had an amazing high school career in track and will soon move on to William Penn University in Iowa this fall.
What’s your favorite part of the season?
“State!!!! State is the most exhilarating and heart-pumping meet of the year.”
Who inspired you to run Track?
“My oldest brother (Dorrell) and my cousin Davin. Dorrell ran at University of North Florida, and Davin currently runs at Western Illinois University.”
What made you sign with William Penn University?
“They’re a great school. It’s smaller but it’s close-knit and there track is becoming a dominant force in their conference.”
Have you played any other sports during your high school career?
“Yes, I played football for 3 years.”
Is there one thing you wish you could’ve accomplished, but didn’t?
“I wish I would have broken the meet record at the Indoor Big 12 Conference.”
Finish the sentence:
If I could go anywhere it would be…. “Niagara Falls”
My favorite color is… “Green”
My dream date…”Ashanti” (R&B artist)
If I could thank one person it would be… “My mom of course, she has been by my side all of my life, she nurtures, loves, and cares so much about me and she is hands down the best mommy in the world.”
