1 June 2021 Volume 44 Issue 1 The Wingspan Enters a New Era with Advidor Lauren Mancini After forty-three years as a easier than it would have been dependent on the students, them- publication, the Centennial Wing- otherwise, both for her and the selves. span welcomed its tenth advisor at students involved. While the first “I like anything where I feel like the the beginning of the 2020-21 school few weeks were somewhat of a students are empowered to be creative year. English teacher Lauren Mancini learning period, Mancini and the and do things they are passionate stepped up to fill the role after former team eventually learned how one about,” stated Mancini. “[I wanted to advisor Rus VanWestervelt decided another worked and fell into an give] them more opportunities to do to step away after nine years with the easy routine. t h at .” Wingspan. The fluidity was due, in part, to Letting the staff have freedom has Mancini has been a teacher for Mancini already having a vision of always been vital in how the Wing- thirteen years, and has been at Cen- what the Wingspan could become span operated, and Mancini was able tennial for six of them, but this is her when she stepped in as advisor. to build on that tradition while still first time teaching a class other than being a strong figure for the students English at CHS. to lean on and learn from. After being with the publication for “I trust [this team] to take care of so long, VanWestervelt was confident stuff, and that might not be true every that Mancini was the right person to year. We might not always have a staff take over. where I feel that way; where I might “I was so excited about Ms. Manci- need to be a little more hands-on,” ni coming in because she is much explained Mancini. “I think what has younger than I am,” he expressed. worked well is that [they] do what “She has a better pulse on the technol- [they] need to do and trust each other ogy; on how news is distributed and to get it done. And that way I am truly shared in this twenty-first century. I just an advisor and [they] are running thought she was a brilliant choice.” the paper.” Even prior to being offered the po- With the adversity faced due to sition as advisor, Mancini avidly fol- the COVID-19 pandemic, having lowed the Wingspan. “I thought it was someone to look to was important well-run and the students involved in navigating what being a journal- with it cared a lot about it, which I ist meant in a time when hands-on think is important ,” she stated. investigation was difficult. In a regular Though it was her first year ad- Photo contributed by: Lauren Mancini environment, Journalism is a very vising for Journalism, Mancini does interactive class, but it is hard to truly depend on each other through have experience in the field. “I have The first piece of that vision was a computer screen. With Mancini’s done publication advising for a good brought to life when, in just the leadership, the Wingspan staff was chunk of my career, at least ten years, first few weeks, she changed the able to overcome that obstacle and but usually for literary magazines,” online platform used to upload work together despite the physical Mancini explained. “I attended the articles. Rather than using Word- separation. Columbia Scholastic Press Associa- press, the staff adapted to using According to Mancini, class ac- tion’s annual High School Publication Sno. Sno’s layout is more suitable tivities would have been much more Conference a number of times, [go- for a publication and is easier for dependent on that interactivity had ing] to various sessions about doing viewers to navigate, as everything she taught a full year in an actual the newspaper or yearbook.” is categorized by writer and article classroom. “We would be doing more This interest in journalism and genre. team building, we would be in the other publications has made stepping Other plans were put into action room together, we would be talking into VanWestervelt’s role much as well, most of which were more things out, we would be going and sp- 2 eaking to sources more directly,” be done to get the story. she said. “Those are things that we “I want [my students] as just haven’t been able to do.” reporters to be a little bit the Despite the hardships faced, braver and go out on some Mancini gives credit to her team, limbs. We don’t rock the and the effort they put in all year. boat much, and we probably Wingspan “I think [Delanie has] done a great should be rocking the boat job just being a leader in a hard more just because part of time,” she stated. Although there journalism is making sure Delanie Tucker, Editor-In-Chief were limited events to cover, ar- we are helping to question ticles were written and published things,” Mancini expressed. Sasha Allen, Managing Editor frequently, and photographers “Be brave. Look at those Alexandra Valerio, Online Editor worked to take photos where they things that people might Adithi Soogoor, Photo Editor could. find controversial and that Mancini is not the only one are tough subjects and dig Emily Hollwedel, Copy Editor with good things to say about the through some of those.” Jeramy Stavlas, Sports Editor Wingspan’s work this past year. For future journalists at “I think [the Wingspan has] Centennial, Mancini has a Maggie Ju, Staff Writer has done a tremendous job. I bit of advice: “Remember L. Mancini, Advisor am seeing a lot more presence that you are really never on social media, announcing alone in Journalism. It really the articles that are being pub- only works if you work as a lished,” Vanwestervelt praised. “I collective.” Cover Photo: think [Mancini] is handling this Nour Eloseily at the senior pandemic incredibly, and she is shepherding [the rest of the team] carnival. along in the process, so I could Taken By: Adithi Soogoor not be more happy with the future of Journalism at Centennial under Ms. Mancini.” - Delanie Tucker Her team had similar things to say. “I think teaching such an Centennial High School interactive class in a virtual setting 4300 Centennial Lane is a really difficult hurdle, and yet Ellicott City, MD 21042 Mrs. Mancini was able to step into the role as if she had been teach- 410-313-2856 ing [Journalism] for years,” said www.chs.hcpss.org Jeramy Stavlas, the Wingspan’s Follow us on Twitter: Sports Editor. “The way she was able to help us overcome certain @CHSwingspan challenges was extremely impres- s i v e .” Looking forward, Mancini hopes to implement any changes that she was unable to this year because of the pandemic. These changes include “getting out more All opinions expressed within the issues, playing with things like Wingspan are those of the individual format, [and] bringing in more writers and do not necessarily re- digital media.” Furthermore, she hopes to flect the views of the staff and its teach her students a thing or two entirety , its advisor, or the school. about pushing to do what needs to 3 Meet the Delanie Tucker Editor-In-Chief Sasha Allen Managing Editor "I really don't think I could have asked for a better four years, or for a better team to end things with. "It's hard to pick just one favorite "I have been working on the Wing- The best part about journalism is thing from Wingspan, but if I had span for the past three years, and I the people. Everyone always gets to, I would say the environment and love the community we have built along really well, which is why space created there. We are so free to together. It's so rewarding to see our it's easy to collaborate and work share our ideas and personalities and team grow and work together, and I've together on different things." I think that's really awesome." had such a great experience writing for our school and community!" Emily Hollwedel Copy Editor 4 Wingspan! "My favorite part about the Wing- span is the inclusivity among the members and how coherent the publication flows." Jeramy Stavlas Sports Editor "My favorite part of the Wingspan was wearing clay masks and pore strips in class." Adithi Soogoor Photo Editor "My favorite part about the Wingspan is that I have made long lasting friend- ships and I was able to learn from skilled journalists." Alexandra Valerio Online Editor "My favorite thing about the Wing- span is how collaborative it is! The writers, editors, and photographers work together to produce the best journalism possible." Maggie Ju Staff Writer 5 Kevin McCoy. "[He] just said to run it like a workout and that was the day I Seniors Soaring to New managed to get under twelve.” Weaver happily shared her plans Heights to take her athletics to the next level. Centennial’s Class of 2021 faced “I’m planning on running track next a huge hurdle this year: tackling the year at Mount St. Mary’s, so I’m look- pandemic while also attending school ing forward to that.” and deciding their futures. However, In addition to athletics and music, despite the unprecedented challenges, seniors have thrived in academics. three Seniors, Jordan Waters, Mi- One such student is Philip Wang, a chelle Weaver and Philip Wang, went Photo contributed by: Jordan dedicated student with interdisci- above and beyond in their interests in Waters plinary interests who worked hard to music, sports and STEM during their Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus.