Seniors Earn and Give Big

Seniors Earn and Give Big

By: Riley Simpson

Every year right before the seniors officially graduate they come back to Central for one last hoorah. The Honors Day assembly includes presentations of many awards and honors, monetary and religious. This year’s graduating class earned 2.6 million dollars in scholarship money, that is equivalent to what Normal Community West received, and they are quadruple the size. The Honors Day assembly also gives the school and senior class an opportunity to officially donate to their class charity.

The Honors Day Assembly commemorates academic excellence, leadership, and faith. This year over one hundred students, almost one third of Central, won the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. We also recognize leadership through a variety of extracurriculars such as the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Boys and Girls State, HOBY, Illinois Leadership Seminar and the Principal’s Leadership Award. Lastly we acknowledge and applaud those who demonstrate exemplary faith and service. The students who signify these Christian works receive honors such as the St. Maximilian Kolbe Award, St. Philip Neri Award, Chaplin Award, Pope St. John Paul II Award, Cardinal Newman Award, Saint of the Year and the Sedes Sapientiae Award.

On another note, at the Honors day assembly we find out as a school how much money we have raised for the senior class charity. This year the seniors chose St. Jude Hospital as their charity. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital provides medical care to children with cancer and other deadly diseases. This year Central Catholic raised over 10,000 dollars! This donation will be a huge help to the hospital.

For the underclassmen the Honors Day Assembly shows them how much their hard work will pay off in the future. Being a good student, being a leader, and demonstrating how to live as a good Catholic with be rewarding for you in the end. After the assembly I had a chance to ask Ben Hoscheidt what he thought of the assembly. He responded, “ It was encouraging to see how much money and scholarships were given to the seniors.”

Special Olympics

On May 8th this year during the seniors' final day at Central, they honor the Special Olympics. This year is the third year the seniors had held the Special Olympics at Central Catholic. The reason for holding the Special Olympics is just simply for a good cause.  The best moment for sure at the Special Olympics is when all the kids go around the school and are honored by the students, receiving high fives and applause. The seniors take the participants around to play certain games and most importantly have some fun. The seniors used to have the Special Olympics as their annual charity, but now it is just simply for a good cause. When asked about how the experience of Special Olympics Katie Clark said, “Special Olympics was such a great experience, and I am so glad that I got to spend my last day of senior year with all of those little kids.”

We always look forward to the end of year to see all these little kids get together and have fun. Special Olympics is a big part of the seniors' last day at Central; they get to contribute to the community one last time as CCHS Saints.

Vacation or Staycation? By Shannon Lewis

Spring break is the time where many people try to escape the cold, wintry days of Illinois. Whether you are traveling overseas or staying abroad, there are lots of great choices on where to visit. Nicole Taimoorazy said, “My family is traveling to Spain over break. I am so excited because it will be my first time ever going there!”

While many people travel to different places each year, there are many people who have their regular vacation spots that they go to every spring break. When asked where she will be going for spring break, Sydney Shanks said, “My family and I are going to Destin. This will be our 8th year going down there, and I look forward to going every year.”

While some people get away from the lousy weather, being stuck in Illinois over spring break seems terrible, but there are ways to make it a more enjoyable time. If you're looking to get out of BloNo, get a group of your friends or family to take a trip up to Chicago. If you enjoy hanging out at home, spring break gives you plenty of time to catch up on your Netflix shows or start a new series. You can also make the most of your staycation and get ahead on your service hours. If you are looking for upcoming service opportunities, ask your theology teachers or check the CCHS website.

Whether you're on vacation or staycation, there are always things to do to make your spring break a fun time!

Total Madness

By Nick Morris

One of the greatest months for all basketball fans is March, because that means March Madness! If you’re a basketball fan or not, the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament can be a fun experience.

Millions of Americans will be watching these games this month. Everyone who watches will most likely have one or two brackets filled out and will anxiously cheer for their favored teams. Sixty-eight teams will be determined to make the tournament on selection Sunday, March 15, and that is when the madness starts.

March Madness is truly madness especially when there are upsets that completely ruin your bracket. But don't get too mad, because the odds of having a perfect bracket are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808.

  When you have nothing to do during March, especially during spring break when the tournament gets serious, you should probably fill out a bracket, have some fun, and turn on the TV to watch some March Madness.

Spring Sports Sneak Peek

Spring: sure, it’s not summer, but it is the home stretch of the school year! Speaking of home stretch, it’s time for a preview of the spring sports to come, including baseball and softball, along with track and girls’ soccer.

For softball, this years seniors are Katie Clark, Kelli Highland, and Rook Paul. The team’s goal this year is to make history by advancing beyond the first round of regionals. The girls have tremendous faith in this year’s season and the success to come. When asked what their favorite part of the previous seasons has been, Katie Clark says, “Junior year was a blast. All of us are so close as a team and always have a great time.”  

As for baseball, the team is looking forward to returning to the regional championship and pulling out a win. The team has both the chemistry and determination to go far. They’re also looking forward to their annual spring break tournament at Vero Beach. Jon Walters, a four-year player on Central’s team, said, “We are so strong defensively and have such great pitching, I’m really confident in our ability to achieving our ultimate goal: a state title.”

Another highly anticipated spring sport is track and field team. This year’s roster of senior girls includes Katherine Brady, Faith Wieland, Annie Elias, Meghan Allen, Sarah Allen, and Addison Ely. As for the boys, the seniors are Eric Whalen, Derrion Hodges, Daniel Dionesotes, Andres Torres, Patrick Perring, and Joe Bevilacqua. This year the team hopes to advance multiple runners to state in May. They also are hoping to get into more indoor and outdoor meets they haven't done previously. It’s about to be a prosperous years for these overly enthusiastic runners!  

Girls’ soccer is also looking good this year. The seniors include Courtney Cox, Lauryn Oleson, Bailey Stevens, Riley Stevens, Amanda Einck, Lindsey Schopp, and Kyleigh Snavely. The team’s excited and looking toward to competing this season with confidence. They plan on going farther than the Lady Saints’ soccer team have gone in years: defending the regional title and beyond. Senior Courtney Cox, when asked what she’s looking forward to most this season, expresses, “I’m looking forward to being with all my teammates and seeing all of our hard work pay off.”

There’s a lot to look out for this year during the spring sport season! Don’t be afraid to come out and support our teams.

President's Day By: Katie Naour

President’s Day- more commonly known as the third Monday in February where we don’t have school. President’s Day was started by the federal government in honor of George Washington, at that time it was called “Washington’s Birthday”. Originally, President’s Day would fall on February 22nd, George Washington’s birthday, but after the 1971 Uniform Holiday Act, it was moved to always fall on a Monday in an attempt to give workers another 3-day weekend. The law was proposed by a senator, Robert McClory, from Illinois. Although the government still refers to this day as “Washington’s Birthday” most of the country now uses this day as a way to honor all of our presidents. So think about all of our great leaders next time you’re relaxing on your President’s Day off.

The Ultimate Test: Valentine’s Day Couple’s Trivia

By: Rachael Seidl

In the ultimate battle of romantic competition, over both the Bachelorette and the Dating Game, I asked Mr. Huberman questions about Mrs. Huberman, without allowing him to consult her on the answers. Let’s see how much he really knows!

Question: Favorite color?

Mr. Huberman's response: Green.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: Green.

Question: If she won the lottery, what is the first thing she would buy?

Mr. Huberman's response: A Starbucks.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: A trip somewhere.

Question: What was the name of her first pet?

Mr. Huberman's response: Tiger.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: Tiger.

Question: If she could be born in a different decade, which would she choose?

Mr. Huberman's response: 20’s.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: 50’s.

Question: What street did she grow up one?

Mr. Huberman's response: Mallard.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: Bryn Mawr.

Question: Has she ever had braces?

Mr. Huberman's response: No.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: No.

Question: What is her go-to phrase?

Mr. Huberman's response: Do you understand what I mean?

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: Everybody, everybody, everybody.

Question: What is her secret dream?

Mr. Huberman's response: To own a hundred cats.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: To live in Paris.

Question: What is the number one played song on her Ipod?

Mr. Huberman's response: “Someone Like You” by Adele.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: “Our Deliverance” by the Indigo Girls.

Question: What is her least favorite form of transportation?

Mr. Huberman's response: Airplane.

Mrs. Huberman’s answer: Bus.

The Mystery of TEC Revealed... Kind of

by Emily Swanson

TEC, which stands for Teens Encounter Christ, is a mystery to anyone who has never been through the weekend-long retreat. Those who have gone through the experience aren’t meant to share what goes on to those who haven’t been through it yet. However, there are a few things that can be shared.

TEC is a long weekend full of faith, friends, and of course, food! People ranging from ages sixteen through twenty-two spend three days locked inside CCHS. They pass the time by listening to talks by other teens who have experienced it before, making new friends from different schools in Bloomington-Normal, and eating their body weight in the mounds of delicious food. (We can thank God that there’s no food judgement at TEC!)

The boys’ next weekend is on June 27-29. The girls’ next weekend is February 14-16. You can find more information on TEC at their website: http://www.bntec.org/. Don’t anticipate, participate!

American History

By: Rachael Seidl

The following is an excerpt from Mike Wallace’s interview of Morgan Freeman on CBS’ 60 Minutes:

Wallace: Black History Month you find...

Freeman: Ridiculous.

Wallace: Why?

Freeman: You’re going to regulate my history to a month?

Wallace: Oh, come on.

Freeman: What do you do with yours? Which month is White History Month?

Wallace: Well, I’m Jewish.

Freeman: Okay. Which month is Jewish History Month?

Wallace: There isn’t one.

Freeman: Oh, oh. Why not? Do you want one?

Wallace: No.

Freeman: Right. I don’t either. I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.

However honorable our intentions are with Black History Month, Morgan Freeman brings up an interestingly negative opinion on their effect. Black History Month has always been a month for respect; it is dedicated to the remembrance of important people and events in the history of African Americans. Though the ultimate goal of Black History Month is to establish respect and honor, does it really only establish a boundary line? Tickle your brain with thought-- can honor be negative?

According to Freeman, yes. The history of African Americans should not be limited to one month. However you have to take into account our need, as human beings, to hold knowledge of our past, both right and wrong. George Santayana stated it most eloquently with the famous quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” He is absolutely right. We need to learn from our mistakes. Black History Month is a great way to spread awareness and to promote interest and knowledge of the hardships African American people have faced throughout history, especially in the United States.

Freeman still brings about a valid argument, but his wording is misleading. He places the negative side of Black History Month not on the goal, but the name. Finding Black History Month to be a misnomer, you cannot limit the history of a race to one month. However you can focus one month on the history of our country, and in that one month recognize our mistakes in order to better our future. Racism grows with obsession. Black history is American history.

The Winter Blues By: Shannon Lewis

With the many frozen and frigid days the winter season brings, the days can seem lengthy and boring. We all seem to have a lack of motivation and low energy, but having a little creativity can help you survive the cold winter days and get you through those “winter blues.” Here are a few ideas to help keep you and your friends motivated and entertained this winter season:

• go ice skating
• try out new holiday recipes
• learn to knit
• knit a scarf
• have a movie marathon
• go sledding
• make hot chocolate
• make snow cones out of real snow
• build a snowman
• get a group of friends together to play games
• stay fit and hit the gym
• get ahead on service hours

These are just some of the endless ideas for you to do this winter to keep you from getting the “winter blues.” Make this winter season a productive one and get out there to keep yourself motivated. Be sure to bring your friends along with you to make the activities even more fun!

What a crazy game!

One of the greatest Sunday of of all time in my opinion is the Super Bowl. On February 1st 2015 the Seattle Seahawks will play the New England Patriots.  According to Fox Sports The Super Bowl is one of the most watched event in the United States. 1 in 4 people watch the Super Bowl. Whether you are a football fan or not you will most likely be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday February 1st. When surveyed by people to see what they would do to go to the Super Bowl, 23% would skip a vacation, 21% would skip work, 20% to skip a wedding of a relative, 19% to skip a funeral, and 15% would miss the birth of a child. The big game is always fun to watch especially all of the commercials. In fact one 30 second commercial cost around $4,500,000 to be aired during the Super Bowl.

Weird things happen on Super Bowl Sunday, like 8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed. 14,500 tons of chips are eaten. 4.3 million pounds of pretzels will be served.  If you like chicken wings you are not alone because $1,250,000,000 are spent on chicken wings. The big day is the second highest day of food consumption after Thanksgiving. The average number at a Super Bowl party is 17 people.  The winner of the game obviously receives the Lombardi trophy, which weighs seven pounds and is twenty one inches tall, it is worth around $25,000 dollars.