Glimpse into the life of Charity Smith
BY SYDNI DINGLE & MARI PRESSLEY, Freshmen
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| Charity Smith Video Feature |
BLYTHEWOOD-- Charity Smith is an exceptional student who is involved with different activities. One day she will be practicing her clarinet in front of the Blue Legion mural in the art hallway and the next training on the track for this track season. She also takes the more difficult courses offered at Blythewood High School.
Band
She started band in 5th grade but did not like it initially, over time she began to enjoy and excel at it.
“My dad signed me up for it in 5th grade, and I didn’t really like it at first, and when we came into 6th grade and middle school started I didn’t like it but I kinda ended up liking it a little bit,” Smith said.
Smith kicked off her freshman year marching clarinet in the Blythewood High School Blue Legion Marching Band. During marching band season she took on a leadership role by encouraging the other band members and carrying equipment out to the field before rehearsals.
After marching band season she focuses on playing in the elite Blythewood High School wind symphony. The wind symphony performs rigorous music and has many extended rehearsals after school and sometimes on the weekends.
She agrees that being in the top band is tough and believes there is always room for improvement.
“I like that I can’t always say I’m the best but I can get better,” according to Smith.
The expectations of wind symphony are much greater than those playing in the concert band.
Being a freshman in wind symphony takes its toll on Smith. She says she struggles with the challenges of not being as experienced as some of the other musicians in the class.
She performed with Wind Symphony at the South Carolina Music Educators’ Association on Feb. 3 and at the Koger Center on Feb. 9.
Her most memorable moment throughout her band career was performing in the show Abducted in Indianapolis.
“Marching in Abducted was my most memorable moment during my marching season. I felt really proud after we did our last performance,” Smith said.
Track
Smith not only plays in the top band at Blythewood, but will also compete on the track team in the spring.
“I knew I was fast always, but I didn’t know I was fast until I actually went up against some of the competition,” Smith said.
Winning for Blythewood is what she looks forward to the most during the track season.
Being in these programs and honor classes can be difficult, but Smith takes it in full stride.
“School always comes first. I always have to make sure my grades are on point and steady. I then have to put in effort into my extracurriculars, but school always comes first,” according to Smith.
Her Honors English teacher Erin Zehner agrees that Charity is a great student to have in class.
“I think Charity has an excellent performance in class. She’s always eager and excited to learn and ask questions, great interaction with her peers and overall she always does very well in everything she does and submits. I think Charity’s eagerness to learn, her willingness to correct mistakes and learn from them, her inquisitiveness, I think these are the qualities that are going to take her far in her academic career. There are several qualities that make her a nice classmate to have.” Zehner said.
The feeling is definitely mutual from this hardworking student.
“I love Mrs. Zehner. She’s like my spirit animal. She gets me really ‘hyped’ in the morning because she drinks so much coffee,” said Smith.
Charity’s best friend, Jada Still, offered insight of who Charity Smith really is.
“She tells me everything, if she has a problem with relationships and stuff then she will always come and tell me, for advice,” according to Still.
Still and Smith are definitely joined at the hip when it comes to their friendship.
“We were in the same P.E class, and our teacher told us to get partners for football, and I wanted to be her partner because it was like her first few days and she didn’t really know anybody like that so yeah,” Smith said.
Just by knowing how Still and Smith became friends shows how great of a classmate Smith truly is to have.
Overall Smith is an extraordinary student that excels in her extracurricular activities as well as in her studies. Blythewood High can’t wait to see what she brings to the school next.
