Centennial High School - Eyrie Yearbook (Ellicott City, MD)

Page 32 text:

Three and a half hours a day six days a week freshman Polly Winde assiduously perfected her swimming techniques. In April Polly traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the A.A.U. Senior Na- tional Short Course Swimming Championships where she finished third in the 200 yard breastroke event breaking the national age- group record. Because of this out- standing performance Polly was selected to return to Los Angeles where she competed in a swim meet against the West Germans-only ten girls were chosen to compete in this special meet. Pollys strength en- durance and devotion to her unique talent made it possible for her to succeed in reaching her goals. 26 Community Life Choosing to attend college after high school was but the first step surrounding such an all-important giant step in his adult life plagued and puzzled the student as he at- tempted to wade through an innun- dation of college booklets pam- phlets applications and financial aid forms. His life seemed to con- sist of naught but counselor appoint- ments and college board examina- tions. Abbreviations such P.S.A.T. S.A.T. and A.C.T. added to the vocabulary of the college- bound students. A perspiring shak- ing youth was no longer diagnosed as ill-he was assumed to have an interview that day at his first- choice college. Any student lacking typing skills soon either gained them or regressed to his printing days as he painstakingly completed application after application. Yet for most applying proved to be the easiest part of the process. Winter slowly turned into spring while the student awaited acceptance. The continuously empty mailbox suffer- ed a daily search an anticipation wore on the student. All the time and effort became insignificant, however, on that day when the a- waited letter of acceptance arrived. , , 7 , 7 , , for many students. The decisions .. ,, , 5 5 as , , , 49 Reach Out! if NWC . i l K t xhxki

Page 31 text:

Practice Politics . . . r 2 ,udp Centennial students enjoyed a sneak- preview of what their futures would bring as they stepped behind the voting curtain and cast their ballots. The voting process culminated two months of researching, campaigning, and organizing by Contem- porary Issues students whose assign- ments were to produce a mock election. Heated debates were held as those seek- ing office sought to influence and im- press their constituents. Students adopted the roles of candidates in an effort to rep- resent more accurately a true election. Harry Hughes and J. Glenn Beall found representatives in Andy Middleton and Chris Liggett. Tom DeSantis and Steve Shaffer became candidates for county executive by representing Hugh Nichols and James Ansell. After speeches had been given and the campaigning had come to a close students faced the most difficult task be- fore them. They had heard the candidates stands on issues been versed in the work- ings of the political system and been in- structed on how to register. Finally they voiced their opinion by voting. The results of the mock election concurred with that of the real election. Having been pre- pared for future voting students awaited the time when their votes would truly count. ABOVE An anxious crowd voters attentively tens while Mr Peterson ex plains the voting procedure and the fundamentals of using the voting booth LEFT ln in effort to make the stu dents aware of issues and pos sible solutions, Mr. James Ansell and Mr. Hugh Nichols visit the school. The students had an opportunity to ask questions and talk to the can- didates face-to-face. Mock Election 25

Page 33 text:

With the 1980 elections a year and a half away 137 Centennial students prepared to exercise their constitutional right and responsibility to vote. I April 1979 the Social vided the opportunity for students seventeen years of age or older to register to vote as Jim Ramsey illustrates. As Independent Democratic or Republican voters these Centennial students would have their first voice in government in the upcoming presidential election. n Studies Department pro- Fmancial troubles plagued the Wingspan staff all year limiting the small but enthusiastic group to just four issues of their newspaper To remedy the shortage of practical Jour nalistic experience for her journalism class advisor Sharon Kohl and Media Specialist Tom Valeri col laborated on a broadcast news show Incorporating the camera skills of 12 stu dent photographers and the writing and reporting skills Tom DeSantis Betsy Straehle and Matt Bever ungen a pilot for a regular ly scheduled student news show was taped April 27 It played to rave reviews on all three lunch shifts There was a possibility that Centennial on the Air would become a reality on Cable TV in the fall of 1979 But even if it didnt it was an experience in a new dimension of journa llsm 9 7 of 15 journalists, including 9 , - , - GC ' ' 97 . . . , ' 9 Community Life 27