Office of Environment Takes Action

Words: Delanie Tucker

In early November of 2018, Centennial High School’s water was tested for lead. The tests revealed that 10 of 58 samples taken held levels above the Action Level of 20 parts per billion (ppb).

After a second look at each impacted fixture, the Howard County School Board Office of Environment determined what will be done to bring the lead levels below 20 ppb.

For 8 of the 10 water sources, the Board determined that the fixtures themselves will be replaced, as the pipes are not the source of the lead.

For the other two fixtures, a sink and a water fountain, the Office of Environment has decided to get rid of them, rather than replace them.

The water fountain, which is in the World Language planning room, is too small for most Centennial faculty to use, due to the room previously being used for Child Care and Development.

The sink is in the science and math planning room, which has another sink, so a second one is not needed.

None of the affected fixtures will be turned back on until the Office of Environment assures the water is safe.

“The fixtures are scheduled to be replaced and then retested,” Centennial Principal, Cynthia Dillon, commented. “Then we’ll know where we stand.”

 

For more information on the original tests, visit https://chswingspan.com/2019/01/22/office-of-environment-finds-unsafe-lead-levels-in-centennial-high-schools-water/.

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

Office of Environment Finds Unsafe Lead Levels in Centennial High School’s Water

Words: Delanie Tucker

Photos: Zach Grable

In the past two months at Centennial High School, students and faculty have been very cautious with their water consumption due to lead reports released in early November by the Howard County School Board.

The reports, which consisted of the results of the lead tests from several Howard County schools, show that 10 of 58 samples taken at Centennial on November 3, 2018 came back positive for levels of lead above the Action Level of 20 parts per billion (ppb).

Tests were taken from all spigots that provide water for consumption; these spigots include water fountains and kitchen sinks.

Other sources of water, such as showers or bathroom sinks, were not tested, as they are not intended to provide drinking water.

Although these lead levels are dangerous when consumed, it is not a current issue, as all affected pipes were shut off within 24 hours of testing, according to a Centennial High School Notice released by Centennial principal, Cynthia Dillon, on November 12.

“The ten impacted water outlets have been shut off, so they cannot be accessed,” Dillon said in the notice. “Currently, no harm is being done because people are not drinking from those outlets.”

Of the original samples taken, 11 came back positive, one of which was voided due to the sampled faucet not being a drinking source.

Of the other ten, four contained under 25 ppb, one between 25 and 30 ppb, two between 30 and 35 ppb, and three above 35 ppb.

The three above 35 ppb were from a sink in the indoor concession stand, a sink in the Family and Consumer Science classroom, and a planning area sink for teachers.

Several steps need to be taken before the county even considers turning the water back on in these areas. They include evaluating the cause of the lead build up, replacing specific fixtures as necessary, or bypassing sources of lead in the plumbing.

If nothing works, the impacted fixture will be permanently shut down.

“The pipes won’t be turned back on until these things are done,” Dillon stated. “They’re going to evaluate whether or not it’s the fixture or something else that’s causing lead in the water. There may be some that they determine they can’t fix and they may permanently turn it off.”

The Howard County School Board Office of the Environment is working to the best of its abilities to fix the problem.

“It’s a big problem and we need to ensure the central office remediates the issues because we want our school to be safe.”

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

Centennial Indoor Track Competes in Howard County Indoor Track Championship

Words: Joey Sedlacko

On Tuesday, January 15, the Centennial Indoor Track team competed in the Howard County Indoor Track Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. The boys’ team placed sixth with 43.5 points, and the girls’ team placed fifth with 64 points. Numerous athletes finished in the top five in their event.

In the running events for the boys’ team, junior Zack Garwacki placed fourth in the 55 meter hurdles. Also, senior Justin Ziegler finished fifth in the 1600 meter run. Centennial’s 4×400 meter relay team consisting of Marco Ayhon, Thomas Altman, Tyler Dan, and Jake Muma placed third. For the field events, junior Chris Wagner took home fourth place in the high jump. Junior Jack Ragonese performed well in the shot jump and also earned himself a fourth place finish. Junior Anthony Matthews was the county runner-up in the triple jump.

The girls’ team continued their success in the long distance running events. In the 1600 meter run, senior Alison Betler was the county champion and senior Cora Blount was the county runner-up. However, in the 3200 meter run, Blount was the one to win the the county championship, while Betler placed fourth in the race. Betler’s success did not end there though, as she secured second place in the 800 meters as well. The Eagles’ 4×800 meter relay team, made up of Katie Pistner, Caroline Shimeall, Marisa Thomas, and Joyce Zhang, placed fourth in their event. In the field events, senior Moroti Adewole finished third in the shot put.

The Centennial Indoor Track team will continue to improve knowing the regional meet will take place on February 5.

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

A Night of Jazz on Centennial’s Center Stage

Words & Photos: Thomas Hitt

On Wednesday, January 16, Centennial High School hosted a Jazz Feeder Concert featuring performances from Northfield and Centennial Lane Elementary schools, Burleigh Manor Middle School and Centennial High School.

The Jazz Feeder Concert has taken place every year for the past four years with the same schools being in attendance each year.

Centennial Lane’s jazz band took the stage first. They ended their performance with a familiar groovy tune that everyone enjoyed, Louie, Louie.

Northfield Elementary school’s jazz band, under the direction of Timothy Beall, played second. They played a program of songs, one of which was The Funky Monkey.

Burleigh Manor Middle School had two jazz bands that were showcased at this event.

Burleigh’s first jazz band performed three songs in total, Cute, a soft gentle piece, Topsy, a swing song, and lastly, She Loves You by The Beatles. Burleigh’s second jazz band played more advanced pieces, including Autumn Leaves.

Centennial High School’s jazz band concluded the night by playing three songs. They played Magic Flea, A Time of Love, featuring a delicate trombone solo, and Caravan, a loud and energetic selection. By the end of the performance, everyone was on their feet clapping.

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

Centennial Boys’ Basketball Falls Short Against River Hill

Words: Shawn Kruhm

Photos: Jenna Torres

On Wednesday, January 16, the Centennial Boys’ basketball team was defeated by River Hill, 50-35.

Centennial kept the score close throughout the entire game. It was not until the fourth quarter that River Hill took a lead that the Eagles were unable to recover from.

Although River Hill held an 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, Centennial dominated at the start of the game. Throughout the entire first half, the Eagles played strong defense. Due to immense pressure, they caused several turnovers.

Despite countless offensive possessions, Centennial was unable to convert on many instances.

Assisted by the defense, they held River Hill to just 18 first half-points, and entered halftime trailing 18-15.

As play resumed, Centennial’s offensive struggles only worsened and their defense began to fall apart. They turned over the ball on numerous occasions, resulting in fast break opportunities for River Hill.

Lead scorer junior Joey Sedlacko said, “We struggled with taking care of the ball. We could have attacked the basket more instead of settling for jump shots.”

Centennial trailed by eight points at the end of the third quarter.

The Eagles did not move the ball well in the final quarter. River Hill went on a 13-0 run after taking advantage of several consecutive turnovers. Centennial allowed 19 points in the fourth quarter and lost by a final score of 50-35.

“In the fourth quarter we turned the ball over too many times,” said Sedlacko.  “[Turnovers] led to transition points for River Hill, which widened their lead.”

The loss to River Hill was Centennial’s second in-county loss this season. They look to improve their 7-5 record this Friday as they travel to take on Oakland Mills at 7:00pm.

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

Centennial Boys’ Victorious over Glenelg in 57-56 Thriller

Words: Caleb McClatchey

Photos: Noorie Kazmi

The Centennial Varsity Boys’ basketball team defeated Glenelg 57-56 on the Eagles’ home court Friday night.

The Eagles and Gladiators fought back and forth all night, with neither team able to take control of the game and pull away from the other.

Glenelg’s early foul trouble helped Centennial jump out to a seven point lead midway through the first quarter, the largest by either team during the game. However, Glenelg battled back and tied the game at 23 with 4:40 left in the second quarter. At the end of the half, the Eagles trailed 31-30.

The second half began much like the first, with Centennial jumping out to a 41-36 lead. Glenelg answered with a 10-0 run of their own, and led 46-41 midway through the fourth quarter. This time, Centennial closed the deficit and cut Glenelg’s lead to one point, setting up a nail-biting final two minutes.

With two minutes to go, a three-point shot by Centennial’s Ryan Hollwedel gave the Eagles a 52-50 lead. After both teams scored two points, a three-point shot by Glenelg put the Gladiators back in front 55-54 with just over a minute left. Following a Glenelg free throw which extended their lead to two points, Centennial’s Stafford Smith made a layup on a fast break to tie the game at 56.

Shortly after, a foul by Glenelg sent Centennial’s Brandon Bonner to the line. Bonner sunk his first shot but missed his second, giving the Eagles a one point lead and Glenelg one last possession. The Gladiators ran the clock down as they passed the ball around, trying to find an open look for a game-winning shot.

With only three seconds left in the game, Glenelg’s shot clanked off the rim- securing a 57-56 Eagles win and sending the Centennial crowd into a frenzy.

Centennial was kept relatively quiet from beyond the arc for most of the night, making only three three-pointers over the first three quarters. However, the Eagles’ deep shot came in clutch in the fourth quarter. Two three-pointers by Stafford Smith and one by Ryan Hollwedel helped propel Centennial to victory in the dramatic final eight minutes.

Both teams had trouble scoring in the paint all night thanks to solid defensive performances by both squads.

Stafford Smith led the Eagles in scoring with 17 points, followed by Brandon Bonner and Cameron Berkeley with 11. Carson Dick finished with a team-high 21 points for Glenelg.

Centennial improved to 7-4 overall and 6-1 in county with their win over Glenelg. The Eagles will look for their fourth straight win on Wednesday at home versus River Hill.

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

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.

Centennial Girls’ Varsity Basketball Faces Devastating Loss Against Marriotts Ridge

Words: Sasha Allen

Photos: Adithi Soogoor

On Wednesday, January 9, the girls’ Varsity basketball team played a tense game against Marriotts Ridge, losing by a final score of 48-36.

The first quarter started out slow, with both teams keeping up strong defense. With just over five minutes left in the quarter senior, Jordan Dossett scored the Eagles their first basket of the game. However, in less than thirty seconds, the Mustangs came back to score a basket, leaving them with a slight edge against the Eagles for the first quarter.

In a stressful second quarter, Marriotts Ridge barely held their lead in the game due to Centennial’s strong defensive play. The quarter ended with a score of 22-17, giving Marriotts Ridge a five-point lead.

The Eagles desperately tried to make up the points that they had lost, but by the middle of the third quarter, the Mustangs had a six-point lead and were not backing down. The Eagles tried to bring the score up ending the quarter at 34-29, slightly in favor of the Mustangs.

In a last attempt to bring back the game after ending the third quarter, the Eagles pushed to stay on the offense. With only five minutes left and a score of 38-30, the Eagles called a last-minute timeout in a tense moment to motivate the team. After the timeout, both teams surged with a last burst of energy, and with just over a minute left in the game the Eagles scored their last point.

The Mustangs’ offense was no match for the Eagles as they went on to score four more points, winning 48-36.

The Eagles play their next game on Friday, January 11 against Glenelg.]

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

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.

 

The Wolves of Howard County

Words: Sasha Allen

Photos: Adithi Soogoor

With the winter sports season here, many of Centennial’s students have tried out for or are on a winter sports team. One of the biggest winter sports, however, is ice hockey, and, to the surprise of many students, Centennial actually has an ice hockey team.

This club has been around for a while, and was originally one of the first Maryland Scholastic Hockey League teams, founded for the 1988-1989 season. However, the team merged with Long Reach in the 2016-17 season. This year, the Long Reach and Centennial team has combined with Wilde Lake, Hammond, and Oakland Mills because of the lack of players. This merged, co-ed team is called the Wolves. There are actually only 2 students on the team from Centennial, Julia Reynolds and Kyle Duff.

Throughout the winter, the team, which is made up of 24 students, plays against Howard County schools over the course of nine games. Along with the nine games, the team has around ten practices for about 2 hours each.  

Summer Shen, a junior at Centennial, participated in the team her freshman and sophomore years, but is injured and cannot play this season. She had been playing hockey since eighth grade, so she was devastated that she was not able to participate this year. Originally a gymnast, Shen had decided to try out a new sport and was influenced by her younger brother to take on ice hockey. Shen says, “I decided to pick up the sport and immediately loved it.”  

Most of the 24 players participate on a club team as well as their school team, but there are a couple of players who had little to no experience before playing for the Wolves.

At a recent game on January 4, the Wolves played the Hebron Vikings. The first goal was scored by the Wolves, but they ended up losing the game 7-1. Less than half of the team was present at the Friday night game, so most of the players played the majority of the game. At the beginning of the game, both teams came together to award the senior players on each team, announcing their name and achievements.

This was the team’s second to last game of the season. The last game will be played on Monday, January 28th against River Hill.

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