Playing  sports in college is something that many people always dream about. Something they don’t always think about though is the process that comes along with it. Most people don’t know much about the recruiting process and it can be very long and complicated. The process depends on the sport, they aren’t all the same. To be on track with the volleyball recruiting process you have to start early.

                You can get letters for volleyball as early as your freshman year in high school. These letters are from colleges and are simply letters of interest. These letters usually include questionares that you fill out to show that you are interested in the school. The letters are pretty generic  and they can’t send personal letters until September first of your junior year. If college coaches are really interested in you then they can email your school or club coach and you can communicate through them. You can email college coaches directly, but again they can’t answer until september of your junior year. Same thing with phone calls, you can call them but they can’t call back. However if you call and they answer you can talk.

                Just like any other sport, there is a difference between the divisions of schools. The major differences that recruits pay attention to are the amount of scholarships they have. At a division one school the coaches are allowed twelve scholarships to hand out to players. However at a division two school they only have a total of eight scholarships to hand out. Some division two schools will just receive a certain amount of money and they can split it up to the players however they like. With the athletic money a D2 school has given a player, they are also allowed to combine it with academic money based on grades and ACT scores. In D1 the scholarships are completely athletic they can’t mix academic scholarships in too. Ivy League schools are the complete oppisite, they have athletics but they can’t hand out any athletic scholarships, only academic.

                The other major difference between divisions is the level of play. A big division one school like Illinois is very time consuming as they play some of the best teams in the nation. Some of the smaller D1 schools still play a few of the bigger D1 schools, however, they also play many D2 schools. When choosing schools, size can be a big part. If you are all about athletics in college then go big! If you don’t want athletics to take over your life, then think about a smaller school.

                People say that college is the best time of your life. Athletics can help add to that great time, but only if you take the time to do recruiting the right way. If you take the time to do it, you will find a school that you really enjoy and fits you. So start the process now and contact the places you are interested in before it is too late!

     Hardworking, determined, kind, friendly, goal-oriented, and sometimes even silly are great characteristics to describe February’s “Student of the Month”, junior Vivian Bui. Bui not only challenges herself in the classroom, but she is also involved in Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Creative Writing Club, Speech Team, Thespians, French Honor Society, and the Social Action Committee all here at Centennial. With the little free time she has, Bui enjoys volunteering at Provena, baking, and spending time with her one-year old niece, Laura. In addition, Vivian Bui manages a job at Justice.

     For someone who is so involved, she is pretty good at managing her time. However, she admits that at times she finds it difficult to use her time wisely, but her motivation towards success keeps her going.  Bui’s main motivation is her desire to one day have the ability to provide for her parents, “My parents are amazing and I would like to provide for them for a change.” Vivian Bui looks up to her two best friends, Nick Bates and Rebecca Ferrer, because they are the nicest and hardest working people in her life. She also admires the very funny Tina Fey, “She is so talented and inspiring!” Bui’s favorite subject is Anatomy because she is interested in how the body functions. Her least favorite subject is Trigonometry/Pre-calculus because understanding math is not her strong suit, but she is never discouraged.  After high school, she plans on attending college and majoring in nursing and public health. In the future, she would like to become a registered nurse. Vivian Bui not only deserves “Student of The Month” but has a bright future ahead of her.

     Vivian Bui’s best friend and role model, Rebecca Ferrer, said Bui was unique  because she does not care what other people think and that she is kind to everyone she encounters. Ferrer commits on Bui’s motivation, saying “She knows how to prioritize and communicate to manage junior year and all her responsibilities.” Bui works hard in school, at work, in clubs and activities, and still has time for family and friends. Something special about Vivian is that she is always there for others. She is considerate of others around her and is very accepting of many different people. Rebecca says, “Vivian is intelligent, compassionate, and dedicated.”

Finally, winter is over and the sun is starting to shine again. What spring means to most people is the sign that school is coming to an end. But before it is over, the year always ends with a big bang from our theater department. This year Centennial will be putting on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. This show was put on a few years back and the bar was set pretty high. Director Sue Aldridge has very high hopes to not only meet, but also exceed the last performance.

     As far as cast goes, our beloved David Kessler takes the lead role as Joseph. The Narrators are Marie Jefferson, Michelle Caneva and Sarah Zola. Practices just started Mid-February and the director and dance choreographer hope to have the show polished and ready to present by April 12^th. I got a chance to sit down with Kessler and ask a few questions. When I asked what will make this show better than the any of the other shows in the past, he said “This is my senior year, and after all of the productions I have done over the past four years, I really want to go out strong and do a show that people will always remember here. I think that everybody feels the same way I do even if they aren’t seniors, so with all of the dedication that is being put into the show, there is no way that it couldn’t be one of Centennial’s best.”

     I asked Mrs. Aldridge what to expect from the show and what the cast should expect in the next two months of work, and she said “Expect to make some memories.” There will be six chances to catch the show and the tickets will be around five dollars. This will not be one to miss!

On February 7^th 2012, the African American Culture Club presided by Seniors Meriah Porter and Montego Dubose in association with Mrs. Helms, Mr. Carlson and many more organized the 2012 Centennial Annual Black Writers Read In. The Read in was a chance for Centennial Students from all over to get involved and celebrate Black History Month by immersing themselves in African American culture as they read and learn about poetry by influential Black Writers such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Annie Ruth.

Not only was the Read-In a good way to learn about black literature, it also was a great oppurtunity for people to really show who they are and express themselves. “My Poem is called Don’t Quit.” remarks Clorisa Mainor. “It’s encouragement. Many people need it. I don’t know who needs the encouragement, but as far as I am concerned everyone in high school can get something out of this poem. Everyone is going through something different. But people just need to stick it out.”

Also the event was not just limited to poetry reading. During the event readers read excerpts from books, plays, rap lyrics and even songs to really show what it means to be an African American. Carmon Jackson decided to sing the Black national anthem as opposed to reading poetry because “I love to sing, and I feel like I can express myself better through singing.”

Mrs. Helms, one of school’s librarians, who has helped organized the event for almost 20 years, commented on the event saying that “This has been one of the best Black Writers read-ins ever, and I have been doing it for 20 years. Overall, a lot of people participated, the students picked pieces that really related to them, their voices were heard, even though that they were originally the voices of other writers.”

National Honor Society has been a part of Centennial for many years. NHS is a student-lead group made up of high school juniors and seniors who have a 3.5 or higher grade point average and work to improve their community. Members in the club focus on scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship. NHS is evolving and recently added a newspaper, photography, elections, public relations and web committees. The club also had its first induction ceremony this fall to welcome its new members into the club. The new members had to have the aforementioned minimum 3.5 GPA, two recommendation letters and a personal essay.

National Honor Society has participated in many volunteer opportunities: gift wrapping at Market Place Mall for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring at St. Johns, and bell ringing for the Salvation Army. Currently, they are trying to raise money for Ryan Shaffer, who was injured in the car crash that occurred a few weeks ago. The club is getting their money by having students walk around with cups to be filled with loose change because it will all add up. On top of that, all of the classes are competing to see which class can raise the most.

NHS is one of the largest clubs at Centennial, and this is largely because it is one of the best clubs to be in.  It gives juniors and seniors a chance to volunteer in the community and get to know other people that they go to school with.  Juniors Audrey Rodawig and Arielle Zimmerman both love the club because it allows them to “serve the community” and
“be involved in Champaign and Urbana.” 

If one would like to learn more about the club, please visit the bulletin board in the history hallway.

Archie Williams is a senior on the Charger Wrestling Team. On February 11^th Archie Williams gave himself the best birthday present he could have asked for and that was qualifying for state for the second consecutive year with a record of 37-2. February 18^th Archie made history by getting 3^rd and placing higher than anyone else in Centennial history. He also broke the record for most wins and most pins in a season and ended his senior year with a record of 42 -3.  Archie has not picked a college yet but he definitely plans on continuing his wrestling career after high school.

-Who is your Favorite Athlete?

                “Stacia Simmons”

-What is your best memory of your high school wrestling career?

                “Getting my Hundredth and breaking the school record for pins, single season and career.”

-What is your favorite color?

                “Charger Blue!”

-What is one word that describes your performance?

                “Dominating”

-What is your favorite food?

                “My favorite food is caviar.”

-What is the perfect way to end your senior season?

                “I want to bring home a state championship.”

-Besides wrestling how do you spend your free time?

                “I prefer to write poetry when I’m not wrestling.”

-What made you want to wrestle?

                “I was tired of being bullied.”

-What’s your favorite subject in school?

                “P.E.”

-Who is your favorite teacher?

                “Ms. Wilson”

The Patriots had a chance to prove that the 2007 Super bowl was a fluke, and they did not succeed. The Giants were able to defeat Tom Brady and the Patriots once again with a score of 21-17. Going into this game many people, including Bill Belichick and his team, believed that the Patriots would win. When asked about his mindset going into the game Zach McCoy, a senior at Centennial, said “This game was really just a competition between an elite quarterback and Payton Manning’s little brother”. The Patriots ended their regular season with a record of 13-3 and the Giants with a record of 9-7, clearly the Giants were the underdogs in this game.

Super Bowl XLVI began with the Patriots giving up the first score of the game by giving the Giants a safety but that did not keep them down for long. The Patriots entered the fourth quarter leading by two with a score of 17-15 but the Giants’ focus and drive to win would not run out. Eli Manning was able to keep his team in the game by not turning over the football which helped them scrap their way back to win it in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. With a critical catch by Mario Manningham in the last 3 minutes the Giants were able to march their way down the field and score. This Giants win was a shocker to most but to some Giants fans this is just what they expected.

“I never doubted my Giants. I knew that if the Giants could beat the Packers in the NFC championship then they could definitely beat the Patriots and so this Super Bowl win was exactly what I expected.” said Justin Webb, a junior here at Centennial.

This year’s halftime show was just as exciting as the game itself. It starred Madonna and featured Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and Cee Lo Green. It was energetic and involved great back-up dancers. When asked about his opinion of the Super Bowl halftime show Eddie Rodzen, a senior here at Centennial High School, had this to say “I appreciated the excitement of the show but the actual songs were not that good and that’s just what I expected.” M.I.A.’s little obscene hand gesture might have shocked a couple families but besides that this year’s halftime show was exactly what we all expected from the performers.

Overall, Super Bowl XLVI was one of the most exciting Super Bowls in NFL history. It had everyone on the edge of their seats and lasted all the way until the last second. Many people entered the Super Bowl with questions about just how good Eli Manning and the Giants really were and after this game one thing’s for sure and that is that the New York Giants are the 2012 Super Bowl Champs.

On Friday, January 27th, while many people in the community were enjoying the basketball game between cross town rivals Centennial and Urbana, three teenagers in the area were in a horrible car accident.  The driver was 16-year old Austin Dyson, who went to Mahomet- Seymour High School, and the two passengers were 15-year old Ryan Shaffer who attends Centennial High School and 16-year old Terrance Washington, also of Mahomet- Seymour High School.  On Golf Road, a little bit before nine o’clock p.m. the van sped around a sharp curve then veered off the road, hit a tree and caught on fire. Dyson died on scene. Shaffer and Washington were able to make it out of the van before it caught completely on fire.

Shaffer, who was in the front seat of the crash, is in critical condition due to burns he got before getting out of the van and is also suffering from numerous fractures on the left side of his body. He is at the Springfield Burn Center with burns and looks at several weeks of hospitalization and months of recovery. Washington was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital where he has been released.

The community is grieving over the loss of Austin Dyson and is concerned about the condition of Ryan Shaffer. Here at Centennial, a Ryan Shaffer Fund or “penny-war” was started to help donate money for Shaffer’s medical bills. Centennial students raised  $740.  Anyone who would like to donate directly can take money to Busey Bank for the Ryan Shaffer Fund.  Counselors are also available for students who need help with the grieving process.

Many here at Centennial have fond memories of  Austin Dyson.   “Austin was a great kid,” Centennial junior, Drake Peratt, recalls about his friend. The two boys met at Franklin Middle School and remained good friends over a period of six years. Peratt says Austin was a great friend and never let him down. Peratt’s favorite memory of Austin, who could always put a smile on his face and make him laugh, was when he gave Austin five dollars to run around the snowy parking lot with only boxers on.

Peratt and Dyson had planned a trip to six flags in July for Dyson’s birthday and Peratt still wants to go in remembrance of his friend who would have wanted him to have a good time. Lastly, Peratt says “He was a 16- year old who had a whole life ahead of him, I wish he wasn’t gone.”

By: Abrar Al-Heeti

       It is that time of year again: student teachers are beginning to take over at Centennial. Undergraduate college students who plan on becoming future educators have come here to expand their knowledge of teaching in the best way possible: by experiencing it first-hand. As History student teacher Joe Martinez says, “There’s nothing like being in the classroom.” Ryan Tripicchio, who was a History student teacher last semester, says that he gained, “A much better understanding of how school works,” from the experience, and that it was a, “good time to really understand the perspective of being a teacher.”

            Tripicchio attended Illinois State University for undergraduate school, where he took general education classes for two years before deciding between the end of his sophomore year and the beginning of his junior year to join the college of education. He became a History major and began taking upper-level History classes. He student taught at a lab school before joining the Centennial teaching force in the beginning of this school year, where he worked under teachers Mark Sikora and Jeff Hasenstab, and even coached cross country with Greg Walters.

            Martinez attended the University of Illinois and enrolled in the education program. He knew he wanted to be either a History or an English teacher, and eventually decided upon History. He currently student teaches for Andy Woods.

            When asked if he was ever treated badly as a student teacher or was not taken seriously at any point, Tripicchio answered, “You’re gonna be disrespected,” adding, “It’s a part of the growing process.” Still, the positives outweighed the negatives, and he had a pleased perspective on the experience of student teaching, highlighting the privilege he had in having the, “chance to try different things” because of his position. The ability for him to step out of the traditional sense of learning in the classroom and to apply his skills and knowledge in the role of a teacher is something he and Martinez have come to greatly appreciate.

            English teacher Joanne Nielsen says the student teaching experience helps students, “gain practical knowledge of their profession, since so much to education is theoretical.” It also gets them to ask themselves, “Do they actually like this? Do they like kids?”

            Regarding plans for the future, Martinez has hopes of being a Social Studies teacher in the suburbs of Chicago, where he is from, while Tripicchio wishes to get his masters degree in History at some point. His goal is to grow and develop as a coach and teacher. With all their hard work and dedication, the futures look bright for these young teachers and others like them as they begin a new and important phase of their lives.

By: Megan Wolter

There have been a lot of rumors surrounding the building and release of the much anticipated iPad 3, but what is the truth and what is just rumor?

The first generation iPad was an amazing leap in technology, and when the iPad 2 came out, it didn’t disappoint.  So will the iPad 3 live up to the hype?  The answer is maybe.  On paper, the iPad 3 can look great—it is rumored to be faster, have a better design, longer battery life, and better cameras.  The true test will be when it is released and the consumers can start using it and see what they do and don’t like about it. 

A few of the current rumors going around are that there will be an improved microphone for the tablet, a better camera, a smaller, sleeker design, better resolution, and being overall faster.  The main issue with this is that Apple often keeps quiet about the goings on of their products, and often, many of the rumors that come out are false and to throw customers off. Hopefully, more information will be released soon so we can update our readers on the next major Apple tablet release.

The only rumor that has been somewhat confirmed is that Apple is going to release information about the iPad 3 sometime in late February and early March.  There have also been rumors of iPad 3 eBooks going on sale on March 29, which means the tablet could be coming out sooner than the expected late spring. 

Do Want

Longer battery life

Better cameras

Smaller & slimmer design

Same Keypad

Better resolution

A stand built into the iPad

Some kind of 4G

Better port support (USB drives)

Siri

Don’t Want

Can’t crop pictures on Facebook

Can’t synchronize iPod

Have to download flash

No word documents

Just a big iPod touch—pointless

Overpriced

Apple Sucks!

No real keyboard—instead one has to go and pay more money to buy one

It’s just black & white