ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
Strong performances this year by juniors and underclassmen as well as seniors should help provide a carryover of talent in Centre High School activities.
Forensics team leaders who have lettered to date include juniors Alisa Fernandes in improvised duet acting and Cecilia Rziha in prose interpretation and improvised duet acting as well as senior Maria Jirak in humorous solo.
Jirak and Fernandes also specialize in improvised duet acting and humorous solo respectively.
Jennifer Montgomery, forensics advisor, said the team receives strong support from Grant Garrard, senior in improvised duet acting and poetry interpretation, Danielle Engler, junior in prose interpretation and poetry interpretation, Amanda Kleiber, sophomore in humorous solo, improvised duet acting and extemporaneous speaking, Justin Garrard, freshman in improvised duet acting, and Andrea Kleiber, freshman in poetry interpretation, humorous solo and improvised duet acting.
Montgomery said team members enjoy working together-coaching, watching and critiquing, and putting acts together.
She said the students spend a lot of time in selecting, interpreting and memorizing materials as well as learning to hone performance and speaking skills. They also enjoy watching other schools’ teams perform at meets.
Kenny Roe, Centre’s band director, said the band is unique among bands because it includes 21 high school students and 31 junior high students who practice separately from each other but perform together.
“It can make scheduling a nightmare,” he said.
But the band still manages to live up to expectations as a pep group for athletic events and also for winter and spring concerts.
The band also manages to play for events such as the State Fair in Hutchinson, Burdick Labor Day and Lincolnville Octoberfest.
The band is led in part by musicians who can claim Is at state if they want to, said Roe, such as sophomore Amanda Kleiber on flute, sophomore Andrea Carlson on clarinet, and junior Derek Belton on trumpet.
Chad Tischhauser, team adviser, reported Centre’s Scholars Bowl team with 14 kids out took first in the Eisenhower League behind the leadership of Jackie Gage, Rebecca Davis, Cecelia Rziha and Jenna Tajchman.
Lynley Ramy, vocal music teacher, said Centre managed a successful vocal music season with two ensembles composed of 13 students, only two of which were boys and the rest girls.
The groups performed in the league concert as well as presenting a music and drama variety show with commercials between acts in November.
Ramy said seniors provided strong leadership including soprano Ashley Donahue who continues to study voice, Ashton Kerbs who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella at home games, Nicole Nordstrom, alto, and Natasha Irwin who helped spearhead leadership in choir.
Centre FFA received many awards at national, state and district levels.
Nationally Eric Carlson received the American Degree.
Cecelia Rziha had the top test in the National Agriculture Sales Career Development Event while Centre had the eighth-place team out of 38 states participating.
In the National Superior Chapter Award, Jenna Tajchman and Natalie Carlson placed in the gold division while Maria Jirak and Cecilia Rziha placed in the silver division.
In district awards, Shaina Makovec placed ninth in the information test, seventh in creed speaking and was freshman master-ritual team president.
Dana Beltz was second in the information test.
The Centre parliamentary-procedure team and the freshman parliamentary-procedure team each took first.
In public speaking among juniors, Derek Belton took second, Cecilia Rziha took third and Kristin Mueller took fourth.
Among sophomores, Laura Klenda took second.
Among freshmen, Shaina Makovec took third.
In the young-farmers contest, Maria Jirak received a first in speeches, and Laura Klenda received sixth.
The ag business-management team received first place with individual awards to the following members: first to Jenna Tajchman, fourth to Natalie Carlson, third to Cecilia Rziha, and eighth to Maria Jirak.
At the Barton County Community College Invitational, the ag business-management team received first.
The district ag-sales team received third place with Brent Carlson’s second individual for job application.
In the invitational ag-sales team Shaina Makovec received first individual for job application.
Maria Jirak was district president and Jenna Tajchman was district secretary for the South Central District FFA.
The Centre officers included Jirak as student advisor, Tajchman as president, Derek Belton as vice president, Chris Will as vice president, Cecilia Rziha as treasurer, Kristin Mueller as reporter, Laura Klenda as sentinal, Raschelle Jirak as historian, Andrea Carlson as student council representative and Natalie Carlson as secretary.
Derek Belton and Kristin Mueller received alumni scholarships for the Washington Leadership Conference.
Cary Granzow, advisor for the Centre FFA, was president of the Kansas Association of Agriculture Education.
Tyler Diepenbrock received awards for district star in placement and district proficiency in beef placement.
State degrees were awarded Tyler Diepenbrock, Jenna Tajchman and Dustin Suffield.
Andrea Carlson and Dustin Suffield served on the state FFA Board.
Derek Belton will serve as South Central District secretary elect.
Events still coming up include state career-development events, state parliamentary procedure and the scrapbook contest.
Highlights of the year included many local events as well as hosting the District FFA banquet and going to the Denver Livestock Show.
