This is a new feature of the Centereach Cross Currents Newspaper! It is our hope that each month we will publish a book review. Every novel will have been read and discussed by our writers, and recommended for all audiences. We hope to inspire readers to explore a wide variety of literature with this segment.…
Megan Blount On Saturday, March 7th, Centereach High School’s DECA and National Technical Honor Society set out to make a difference. The group was organized by Ms. Bradley who along with over twenty students journeyed to an unfinished home in Brentwood in order to lend their hands. The group teamed up with Habitat for…
The annual PTSA Fashion Show was held at Centereach High School on Thursday, March 5th, to raise money for graduating seniors. This year in addition to six staff members, there was also over 15 junior models, and almost sixty senior models.
Anthony Scarpelli The mission of SADD or Students Against Destructive Decisions is to empower young people to successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them throughout their daily lives. The Newspaper Club recently sat down to talk with Mr. Moreno, the Advisor of the Centereach High School’s SADD Club. The interview was conducted after…
Chris Powell, a four-year varsity wrestling starter and 2x captain at Centereach High School, was 6th in the NYS Wrestling Championships on the last weekend of February. He entered the tournament placing 3rd in the section 11 wrestling championships and receiving a wild card bid. Chris had a 29-3 record when he was entered in the state tournament in Albany. He lost his first match 1-0 to the returning 3rd in the state wrestler. In his next match, he pinned his opponent in 1:38. Later that same day, he defeated his next opponent 2-1 in an exciting match that solidified himself…
This past Saturday, February 29th, the Centereach National Honor Society held its annual European Handball Tournament. The tournament raised money that was donated to the DezyStrong foundation, a fund set up in honor of local educator Matthew “Dezy” DiStefano’s battle with cancer. The tournament was fast-paced, rowdy, and exciting. The winning team consisted of Seniors…
The Senior Perspective by Gabriella George In 9th grade, going to “Class Comp” was just a chance to hang out with friends and watch our classmates perform in the skits. With each passing year, Class Competition became the event we looked forward to the most because “Class Comp” is an event where everyone…
Organized by Ms. Lanning, the teachers of Centereach High School had been meeting and practicing for months to surprise the students at the recent Class Competition Event. Their hard work and hours of preparation paid off as the student onlookers were shocked at their teachers’ performance. When asked about what he liked most about the…
By: Anthony Scarpelli When most people think of February 14th, images of red hearts, flowers, and chocolates usually come to mind. This year, it was the color purple that dominated the halls of Centereach High School as students and teachers participated in P.S. I Love You Day. Despite its tragic beginnings, in February 2011, Brooke…
“Hear You, Hear Me: A Showcase of African American Excellence” was the theme for this year’s Black History Month Celebration held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. The poignant theme set the tone as this year marks the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. This year’s guest speakers…
Annika Bumb On Monday, February 10th, 2020, the Centereach High School Music Department held their 39th annual POPS Concert. This concert is particularly special to performers and audience members alike: instead of selecting classical pieces like the music teachers do during the winter and spring concerts, they rehearse well-known pop music and popular radio hits to play on the night of the concert. Additionally, all the music groups join together to perform certain pieces. To begin, Mr.Shaarschmidt’s Jazz Ensemble performed “Brick House” and “Getaway” arranged by Murtha, and “In The Stone,” arranged by Lopez. Next up, Mr. Shaarschmidt and Mr.…
Submitted by Ms. Ackerler and Skills Participants On January 30th, 2020, the Junior & Senior Skills USA Cosmetology students competed in an in-school hair styling competition. Students created various hairstyles and practiced these styles for about 3 weeks. During the competition, the hairstyles were to be completed in 35 minutes and the styles are rated…
Megan Blount Most Centereach students know that DECA’s cookies are delicious and sell out almost everyday in the cafeteria. However, what many people don’t know is what the club is actually about. DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America and it is an international club that provides students with business opportunities as well as…
By Thomas Gambra (President of the Senior Class) Tyler Sharma (Treasurer of the Senior Class) On January 3rd, 2020, the greatest Senior Variety Show (from our point of view) premiered. Of course, we are biased, but thanks to months of preparation and laborious expeditions, Senior Night Live was a hit. Our theme was based off the critically acclaimed “Saturday Night Live” and began with a Saturday Night Live-esque opening. After about twenty acts of musical brilliance, hilarious comedy, and a glorious lip sync battles, the Senior Variety Show concluded. Around sixty seniors participated in this special event, although some underclassmen…
Madison Lloyd How does one get into the holiday spirit? Well Centereach High School can answer that question by filling their halls with holiday decorations. Each year, students from each class participate to decorate their school right before the holiday break, putting the students and the staff in the holiday mood. According to the…
By Laylah Ametewee On Wednesday, December 4th, Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir, and Select Vocal fulfilled their yearly tradition of caroling for the patients of St. Charles Hospital. Not only that, but they also performed during the annual tree lighting ceremony on the same day. The director of these programs, Mr.Hough, loaded over 60 choir kids onto two buses to sing for the patients. St. Charles Hospital was filled with smiles! The sound of the students’ sweet voices singing timeless holiday classics truly brought light to a place that can be so dark. After leaving the hospital, they were off to…
Annika Bumb This past Wednesday, November 30 2019, the National Spanish Honor Society at Centereach High School made a trip to the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York. At around 10:30, students arrived at the UN and were taken on an edifying tour of the buildings. Students learned about the various branches of the…
Madison Lloyd As we all know, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, whatever is at your dinner table, can’t wait to be eaten. But unfortunately, not all families have the pleasure of knowing they’re celebrating this delicious holiday this year. Luckily, Centereach High School hosts their annual Food Drives to give back to the families in need. G.O. Adviser Ms. Losito was in charge of the food drive and fortunately, she was able to give us some background information on the fruitful event. What many people may not know is that the Food Drive initially…
Megan Blount Most students would agree that DECA cookies are undoubtedly delicious and sell out almost everyday. However, many people don’t know what this club is truly all about. DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America and is an international club that allows students business opportunities as well as the chance to build up their skills in topics such as marketing and finance. The club builds leaders and allows students to get a first look at the way a business should be run. This is a club perfect for anyone looking to enter into a business field as it…
Celeste Portigiani The Centereach Varsity Cheerleading team, coached by Stephani Catalano, is in for an exciting upcoming season. After placing 16th in the nation last year and second in the nation the year before that, we are determined to win Gold this year. Over the summer, we have been working hard to ensure that we…
Alexa Cordingley The Centereach Cougars kicked off the season with a 28-6 win over Bellport. The Cougars played a great game defensively and offensively, making the big game changer plays on defense. In the first 1 minute and 80 seconds of the game, Liam Webber had an interception. After Bellport regained possession, Jack Ackerler pushed…
Ebube Uwechia Freshman orientation was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers who helped our new students transition to the building. When students first arrived, they received their schedules and were greeted by staff members from their suites. This was an opportunity for the Freshmen to meet their guidance counselors and learn more information about…
Heather Buscarino, Bella Snyder – Art Show Article On May 4th, Centereach High School presented an astonishing art show, displaying the work of over 3,000 students from around the district! Many people were coming in and gathering on Saturday for the exciting event! People even gathered their families and friends, gathering a large amount of people of all ages! The whole school displayed a variety of art, from photography, to computer graphics, to crafts, sculptures and ceramics, drawing and painting, and more. Some students also showed off their talents – we witnessed many students playing instruments, such as live drumming and piano, showing those attending what the musical…
By Annika Bumb Once again the Centereach Theatre Arts Department rivaled the Broadway stage as they performed another great show. The Arts Department put on four showings of the classic musical Grease, from Thursday March 29th to Saturday 30th, including one show for the annual Senior Tea, when the theater was opened up to the…
By Annika Bumb The Long Island String Festival Association, or LISFA, is an exclusive chamber music program that organizes concerts annually. Talented, hardworking students currently in grades 8-12 from Suffolk County are invited to attend a three day long event and audition for the chance to perform in one of two orchestras, which are separated…
By Brooke Sandora As Vice President of the senior class, I had the pleasure of helping to organize the Senior Variety Show. The show consisted of skits, songs, dances and incredible talent that was enjoyed by all of its viewers. Putting the show together was not easy as it involved multiple days of practices and…
By Ebube Uwechia On August 29 of 2018, the class of 2022 arrived to Centereach High School for their Freshmen Orientation. The new students were eager to learn about their new lockers and meet their new counselors and administrators, as well as search around their new school. Students first came to their assigned rooms to…
By Patrick Waryold Spirit Week was an exciting event for Centereach High School. This year’s Spirit Week took place on September 17th through September 21st. The thrilling week of festivities hyped up school spirit and kicked off the sports season with many students anticipating Friday’s Pep Rally. On Monday, students slipped on their patriotic gear and prepared for a day celebrating the American Dream and what the United States is all about: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On Tuesday, students glowed with happiness as they went to school in their pajamas for Pajama Day; a student favorite, as…
By Nymeesh Sreedharala and Kumpu Ide Robotics: Mr. Parrinello Crosscurrents: How long have you been an adviser of the Robotics Club? Parrinello: “Back in 2003-2005, I was an adviser for [our district’s team for] the FIRST Robotics Competition, which is a worldwide competition. We were the 566th team, but now there is over 5000 teams worldwide. That was a large scale robotics competition, where robots could be as large as 36 inches square and up to 120 pounds. Today, we’re involved in the VEX Robotics Competition, which is a smaller robotics competition, and I’ve been adviser of that for 3 years.”…
By Tyler Sharma At the end of the regular season, the girl’s varsity soccer team had an outstanding record of 12-1-2 after 15 games. The team had an amazing season in which they had scored 34 goals and only conceded 10 throughout the whole campaign. Nicole Fabris contributed 13 goals and 5 assists to the…
By Thomas Polochak This year, the Centereach Boys Varsity Soccer Team had a rough season, as they failed to make playoffs and only had three wins. Even though their record has improved from last year, it shows that the hard work, time, and effort that they put in paid off. There were a few major…
By Elaina Rosen and Ashley Barrera In the prestigious National Art Honor Society, student members are encouraged to attain their highest potential in all forms of art. To apply for the well-known club, are asked to contribute an entry fee, and are required to create a portfolio filled with ten pieces of original artwork or…
By Sumaiya Chaudhry and Sadie Sharma “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” This can be proven true for almost all teenagers, as the turnout for the new club in Centereach High School was tremendous. Introducing Culinary and Fashion Club- a club that allows students to bake what their heart…
By Nymeesh Sreedharala and Kumpu Ide Interview with Jeff Coffin – Saxophonist Crosscurrents: How long have you been playing music for? “I’ve been playing music since fifth grade. Fifth grade was the best three years of my life, by the way (no, I’m just kidding about that, I didn’t spend three years in fifth grade).…
By Annika Bumb Bravo! Brava! Encore! The MCCSD Music Faculty Recital this October 23rd warranted a standing ovation from its audience of Newfield and Centereach High School students, parents, and teachers. Centereach Music instructors; Mrs. Wesnofske, Ms. Meichner, Mr. Schaarschmidt, and Mr. Sevian, to name a few, put their talents on display in a dazzling…
By Staff Writer “Trick or treat, trick or treat. Give me something good to eat. Apples, peaches, tangerines, happy happy Halloween!” But what is Halloween without the annual Trick or Treat Street event at Centereach High School? This year, Tri-M members dressed up as everyone’s favorite superhero family: The Incredibles. Edna Mode, Dash, Frozone, Elastigirl; can…
By Anthony Scarpelli Trick or Treat Street is an annual Centereach High School event in which all of the school’s clubs each design a theme and give children candy on Halloween. The event lasted from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. The theme this year for Newspaper Club was Harry Potter. The students were located across…
On September 21st, Centereach High School held its annual Pep Rally. CHS sport teams were featured on the football field to introduce themselves to the students. As players were introduced, they greeted the fans enthusiastically. Centereach’s mascot, the Cougar, was also in attendance to inspire the crowd and pose for pictures. The ending event of…
By Thomas Rodgers I must admit, that was one of the most intense high school football games I have ever seen in my life. This year’s Cougars had a great start with an early lead in the Second Quarter. Shortly after the touchdown, Centereach scored a field goal which made the score 10-0 at the…
Pics by Liz-Beth, Ea-Man, Mr. N
Hot Pink Team Cooks the Competition!
by Chris Backer It is no question that the Centereach Music Department represents some of the best talent the school has to offer. This is proven time and time again with events such as the annual Acapella Night. Schools from all over along Island as far as Wading River travel to perform fantastically arranged songs…
By Jackson Scott Many people like to spend the day after Class Competition relaxing after working hard for weeks on end. For students in the Centereach H.S. Literary Magazine however, it was spent experiencing the feelings and listening to the work of their peers. The Literary Magazine held a Poetry Slam on March 2…
Close Collaboration Achieves Senior Victory!
By: Alexandria Ortiz As per tradition, Centereach High School celebrated Black History Month on the concluding day of February, reminding us that Black History should be celebrated every day, and not only through the month of February. Tommie Turner read an amazing original poem, “Power.” Her poem also reminds us that as a society…
By Emily Dwyer There are no words that can properly capture the sinking feeling in my stomach; the agony and hopelessness accumulating in my heart. We have been through this so many times. Each time we cycle through the same mourning period where people shout that it is “too soon” to discuss gun control.…
By Jeremy Schkoda As the high school winter sports season draws closer to its inevitable end, the fencing season follows suit. As with any team, the Centereach fencing team responds in kind, in this case, making further preparations for the county finals, which will take place on the last day of the season. Excluding…
by Elizabeth Perez and Ashley Gomez Our Centereach Varsity Wrestling Team versed Smith-Town East at their senior game on Friday January 12! Our seniors Nelson Velasquez, Leo Bosch, Xavier Nicholas, and Matt Ciaverelli celebrated a great match on this emotional day as it was one of their last wrestling matches at Centereach High School. While…
By Megan Rutigliano On December 21, Centereach had its final winter concert of the year. It was a great concert with performances from advanced chorus, select choir, wind ensemble, and philharmonic orchestra. The teachers and students of these groups have been working hard these last couple of months in preparation. This concert also included the special…
By Megan Rutigliano Each year, Centereach celebrates the holiday season through Deck the Halls. Our classes have been frantically preparing for the past two weeks to make their hallway the best it can be. But the process isnt easy, it requires a lot of hard work and dedication to make the hallway look good…
By Thomas Polochak, Tyler Sharma, Cristina Costantino This year, the varsity football team performed the best it every has in years, ending the regular season with a 7-1 record. In the first round of the playoffs Centereach faced off against Bay Shore and won 37-14. Centereach’s second round matchup was against the first place…
By: Shula Adelman and Kayla Gomez Tennis is an interesting sport because you cannot cheer out loud for your team but you can still support them, and even when you do not win you have the satisfaction of hitting a few good shots. After many wins and few losses this year, the Middle Country…
By Emily Bassett Dear future actors and actresses, Blocking. Set Construction. Line work. Lighting. Music and sound. All these processes are those which the the audience is aware of while watching and after seeing a production. What’s nearly impossible to see from the audience, however, is the bond formed between everyone involved in the…
By Mehek Ahmed On Wednesday November 15, 2017, Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism hosted its outstanding My Life As Speaker Series: A Conversation with Ted Koppel. This took place in the Staller Center For the Arts with a high viewer turnout. Ted Koppel is a prominent figure of worldwide, British and American journalism while…
By Tyler Sharma, Cristina Costantino, and Thomas Polochak The Centereach Cougars football team have done it again! The players showed lots of heart as we came back from a 6-7 deficit against Bay Shore from the middle of the 2nd quarter to a 21-14 scoreline by the end of the 1st half. However, it…
By Josephine Shea This field hockey season at Centereach has been a dynamic two months. This season the varsity and junior varsity teams not only had to adjust to new coaches, (Coaches Sandra Christen, Shawn Pleickhart, and Janine Bright), but were also moved up a division. Centereach played teams it has never played before and…
By Megan Rutigliano This Halloween, Centereach High School hosted its annual Trick or Treat Street event. Over 800 kids attended the event to trick or treat around the school. Each club decided on a theme to decorate their room with. In each room, there were fun activities for the kids to participate in…
By Frank DiCanio The day out on the grass with the Best Buddies club is one of sentiment and will not be forgotten. The small yet meaningful time allotted, truly allowed the bonding between the new members of Best Buddies and the buddies themselves. Everyone felt the wind in their hair and a soccer ball…
By Rachel Lichtenstein, Sophie Painter, Amanda Harrop, and Alexa Taverna After an exhilarating season ending in 7 wins and 5 losses, the varsity girls’ volleyball team made playoffs for the seventh time in the last eight years. On October 30, the team played in their own gym against Sachem North. At 5:00pm, the…
By: Alexandria Ortiz The Hispanic Heritage Celebration had the greatest turnout yet, uniting the entire community. The night commenced with a flag ceremony, showcasing all the Spanish-speaking countries. The night featured incredible dance performances from the high school students as well as one dance from the middle school students. The annual essay contest winners were…
By Briana Maldonado Centereach High School had a one of a kind event on October 26, 2017 called Race to the Rescue. The event, hosted by English teacher Ms. Fitterman in the planetarium and was mainly focused around a full-time female racer in Riverhead Racewayj, Alyssa Paprocky. Alyssa Paprocky has always been interested in…
by Thomas Polochak Cristina Costantino Tyler Sharma This year, our varsity football team is on their hottest start in years. Led by one of the best running backs in the state, Alec Kiernan, they are completely stomping over the competition. On average they are scoring an outstanding 36.2 points per game, and are on…
As students entered Centereach High School in 2017-2018 school year they were pleasantly surprised with brand-new gym lockers! While sophomore Jonathan Stopanio expressed that the lockers are “much bigger and can hold a lot more,” sophomore, Kheerana Sharma exclaimed that, “the whole locker room smells new!” As these students have shown, the excitement for these…
On October 31st, Centereach High School will be hosting its annual trick or treat street event. On this day, all the clubs and organizations of our school are given a task to come up with a theme and corresponding activities to entertain the kids. The clubs are assigned a certain classroom (including the cafeteria and…
A brand new course was released by the College Board in 2016 called “Computer Science Principles”. This course teaches students the concept of computation, programming, analyzing problems, and communication. Stony Brook University, Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and many other top schools released the Computer Science course in their Engineering and Applied…
By Caitlyn Pietrzak and Megan Rutigliano This past week students, and even some teachers, participated in Centereach High School’s Spirit Week in preparation for the school’s annual Pep Rally and Homecoming celebration. Students showed their school spirit by dressing up according to each day’s theme. Monday was Morning Monday where students wore their…
Ryan Barry The Robotics Team’s season is well underway, and the team is hoping to qualify for the world championship, just like they did last year. They have scored in the top three of thirty-six teams in the four completions that have happened this season, and the team has qualified for the state championship. The theme this year is “Tower Takeover” where teams must build a robot to stack 5×5 cubes into goals located on the playing field. The Centereach High School robot can currently stack up to nine cubes at one time. Students on the building team are in…