Girl Talk

Summer Update

2011-07-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Hope you all have been enjoying your summer vacation :) I know I certainly have. This summer has certainly been a busy, but extremely enjoyable one. A few days after my last final exam my family started the summer off right with a vacation to California! It was an amazing trip. We visited San Francisco, Big Sur and plenty of other beach towns like Huntington Beach. We ended the trip in Disneyland in Anaheim for a few days! My entire family LOVES Disney and we have been to Disney World several times but Disneyland was a new experience and so much fun! We really lucked out with weather because every day of our vacation was gorgeous. I don't think we ever saw a single rain drop or cloud! I had so much fun in California and loved spending the trip with my family.

Another highlight of my summer is the upcoming Taylor Swift concert I will be attending! I am SO excited for it. I will be going with my 3 best friends who I've known forever. We have been looking forward to this concert for months. We have been listening to her songs nonstop ever since the beginning of the spring. We're also making t-shirts and posters later today. I can't wait to see her in concert!

In between all of the activity, I'm working on my summer reading and all of my summer assignments so I can get them done early. I'm also prepping for the college application process by narrowing down my list of schools to apply to and preparing for the 4 AP courses I will be taking this year. Well, that's all for now. Hope you guys are enjoying your time off and all of the beautiful weather we've been having. I'll update you guys again soon! :)

Hello Summer! :)

2011-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Hope you guys have been having fun while finishing up your school year. I know I have! Over Memorial Day weekend, I went to Washington, D.C. along with 3 other students to represent UC at the Grand National Forensics Tournament. Competition was tough, but the four of us enjoyed each other's company and also got some sightseeing in! Going to the tournament really showed how all of my hard work during the year paid off. I had so much fun and bonded with my fellow teammates and coaches. I also made new friends, as I met people from all over the country, from states like Colorado, California, Iowa and Florida! It was a weekend I will never forget :)

This past Saturday was the graduation of the Class of 2011. They had beautiful weather for it. Their commencement speaker was John Del Giorno, an ABC news reporter and UC alumni. I hear that he did a great job and the ceremony couldn't have gone better. Congratulations to the Class of 2011!

On Monday, the juniors took part in the Junior Rite of Passage. Now that the seniors had graduated, we took part in a prayer service and officially became seniors :). After the prayer service, we had breakfast and enjoyed our first perk as seniors: the courtyard. For those of you that don't know, the courtyard is a senior privilege. We are allowed to eat lunch outside in the courtyard and cut through it to get to class. I must say, I'm really enjoying this already! Especially since the past few days have been bright and sunny! It's so weird going out there though. My friends and I have been wishing to go into the courtyard for three years, but now it's ours! I can't believe that we are already seniors. It feels like it was just a few weeks ago that I was graduating from 8th grade!

Tomorrow, I have my APUS final exam and then I am officially done with the school year! I'm so excited to start my summer, but I'll be sure to update you all on what's going on even when I'm not in school! For all of the eighth graders that are graduating, congratulations! And I look forward to seeing you all next year as fellow UC Vikings! Enjoy your summer! B)

Amazing May!

2011-05-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! The past 2 weeks have been full of activities here at UC, and it's been tons of fun. Just a little while ago was my Junior Prom. I had such a great time. The juniors had the day off to prepare for prom. After doing my hair, nails, makeup and putting on my dress, I went over to my friend's house to take pictures. There were 6 couples, including me and my date, that took pictures together. Then we went to the prom. The venue was beautiful and we all had a great time as we danced, ate dinner and just had fun. It was a great night and I can't wait for Senior Prom next year!

The following Wednesday, I took my AP english exam. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think that my teacher did a great job preparing us for the test as I felt very ready when I went into the test. Now just to wait until I get my scores!

And on Friday, I went to Six Flags Great Adventure for my Physics Final. Great Adventure hosts Math and Science days where students can go to the park and put their knowledge to the test in real-life applications. We worked in groups and had to complete a packet about the physics of certain rides. It was so cool using an acceleration meter to measure the G-forces of Rolling Thunder while on the ride! It was such a great day and was actually fun, especially for a final exam.

The year is drawing to a close as we all work on our final projects and preparing for our final exams. I'll keep you updated!

Vikings Forever

2011-05-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So it is still a shock to me to say that my days here as a Union Catholic student are numbered, with only seven school days left until my final exam projects and senior assessments begin. I will be presenting a Spanish project, writing my own foreign policy, and going to Six Flags this Friday with the physics kids for our final! I really cannot wait to study physics on actual roller coasters. The senior leaders have our Senior Leadership Day next Monday, and the senior class has our academic awards this Thursday. Prom is also about a week away, which means that graduation is not far behind!

I think more and more about it every day and even though I’m excited for my next step in life, I am also afraid. Because of this fear, I have done a great deal of reflecting back on my four years at Union Catholic and to say that I loved and adored all aspects of Union Catholic would be a gross understatement. I will admit, coming into my freshmen year I had some expectations and small hopes for what was to come of my high school career, but I never would have guessed that it would have turned into what I experienced and look back on today.

During my reflecting, I really thought about what Union Catholic as a whole does for the person and what it has done for me. Union Catholic truly became my home away from home. I, in all honestly, would not be the person I am today without Union Catholic. If it wasn’t for UC, I would not have such a strong faith as I do now, and I wouldn’t be a Eucharistic Minister for almost three years at my parish of St. Helen’s in Westfield. Also, I wouldn’t be continuing my schooling at a religious affiliated school for college. If it wasn’t for Union Catholic’s great core classes and wide range of electives, I wouldn’t feel nearly as intellectually well-rounded and I wouldn’t be dreaming of going on to medical school. If it wasn’t for Union Catholic forensics, I wouldn’t have a level of self-confidence that I never thought existed. Union Catholic has truly taught me how to live my life in a healthy and beneficial way. I feel so lucky and honored to have been given the opportunity to take part in the activities that I have, such as being a Student Ambassador and reaching out to others, taking part in clubs such as REACH and helping a sick child almost every month, being a student blogger for four years and give you readers a piece of my experiences, and taking part in sports and rising to be a leader. Union Catholic has taught me how to be a leader, a team player, and to never quit. For example, this year I was really struggling with one of my courses but my teachers and fellow students never gave up on me or let me give up on myself and I, in turn, never gave up on myself. I have developed such deep relationships with students, trusted relationships with teachers and even some of the administration on some level. Union Catholic taught me how to open up to new things and accept change, because change can be a great thing. Union Catholic strengthened everything about me: my drive to learn, my push to succeed, and my need to grow. I never stopped working because no teacher ever stopped pushing. My hard work felt so good when I was inducted into the National Honors Society and the World Language Honors Society my junior year. I felt that I made my school proud.

Union Catholic is a family in so many ways. We look after each other; we grow together; we learn together. Most importantly, we encourage each other. It is truly a great feeling when your vice principal congratulates you individually for a win at a recent forensics meet. Looking back on it all now, I know I will forever remember Mrs. Leegan doing a cartwheel in front of her World Studies class of freshmen, starting and counting in most golf matches as a freshman, being in the senior courtyard for the first time. I know I will never be able to thank Union Catholic enough for what it has done for me. Leaving this school will be a very sad day, knowing I am leaving so much of who I am behind; but I know I am prepared for the future. I can walk onto the Loyola University Maryland campus with a head held high, knowing I will always have a family at Union Catholic to come home to. I am a Viking, and I will bleed blue forever.

AP exams

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a nice, relaxing Easter break with your families! I know I did. But now it's back to school to make it through the last few weeks of the year. Over the next two weeks, students will be taking AP exams. For those of you that do not know, AP (or Advanced Placement) are courses that give students the opportunity to earn college credits before even graduating high school. The tests are about 3 hours long and test your knowledge in the particular subject. This year, I am taking the AP English Language and Composition exam. I hope to do well enough to earn college credit so that perhaps I can fulfill some required English courses or electives necessary in college. It will definitely make my class load easier in my first years. Wish me luck and I will tell how it went next week! :)

Spring Musical

2011-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! Hope everyone enjoyed the nice weather yesterday! I couldn't believe that I was wearing flip-flops already! I can't believe how close we are to the end of the year. But with the end of the year comes a lot of events at UC. This past weekend was the Spring Musical. PAC put on The Drowsy Chaperone. I always look forward to the plays; PAC does a great job with all of their productions. And as always, I was not disappointed. I laughed hysterically throughout the whole play! It was a great night out to see the play and to hang out with my friends. If you didn't have a chance to see it, you should definitely come see it this Friday or Saturday at 7 PM. You won't regret it. :)

Spring Break starts next Thursday :). I'm so excited to have some time off to relax, especially since right after we come back, AP exams start. And I'm also taking my Physics final at Six Flags Great Adventure! But I'll tell you more about that next time! Enjoy your break!

Spring is Here!

2011-03-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It's Annie again. Spring is finally here, even though the weather still isn't exactly Spring-like. But soon enough, the weather will be beautiful :). With spring brings a lot of exciting things happening at UC.

Just a little while ago, we had our final Forensics meet of the year. It was a great meet, because UC actually hosted it. It was also a little sad, because for many seniors, it was the last time they would be competing with us. So knowing this, we all went out and did our best to end the year on a great note. And we did just that. Three of our duos made it to finals and placed 6th, 4th and 3rd. I placed 4th in my category, and Katie placed 1st in Declamation! At the end of the meet, the results for Nationals were announced. For nationals, all of your placings for the year are given points and the top 6 people in each category qualify for the National Tournament, being held in Washington, D.C. this year. I qualified in my category! So did Katie, for declamation, and Jonathan and Brandon for Duo. All of our work throughout the year paid off, and now we will have a great weekend over Memorial Day.

Just yesterday was another exciting day at UC. During the day, we had the Pep Rally for spring sports. It was full of lots of games and activities. After school was SMAC's annual Quarters for Cancer dinner. How it works is that for each quarter you pay, you get a scoop of food. I helped serve food yesterday. It's a great fundraiser with all of the money going to the Relay for Life later in the year. It was a huge success last night with a great turnout and an amazing time.

Right after the dinner was the annual Mr. UC pageant. Basically, it's like a beauty pagaent for the senior boys. There's a group dance, formal wear, trivia and talents. Every year, the talents get better and better. This year's highlights included someone dancing in a tutu and an original poem about UC. It's a lot of fun and is also a fundraiser for the school. If you are an incoming freshman, this is definitely something to look forward too! I've been looking forward to it since the beginning of the year! And Congratulations to Danny, this year's Mr. UC!

Well, that's all for now. I'll talk to you later!

Locked-In!

2011-03-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! So the lock-in for the Class of 2015 was on Friday, and it was a ton of fun! The incoming freshman arrived starting at 7 o'clock and the activities started as soon as they got there. There were lots of games and activities, like Bingo, Kickball, and UC trivia. Even the current students learned a few new things from the trivia! The incoming freshman had a lot of fun and we saw a lot of people smiling and laughing during the night. It was a great night.

The next day, I took my SATs. They weren't as bad as everyone says they were. Everyone expected it to be much worse. So cross your fingers that all went well! :)

Hola!

2011-03-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! So much has been happening in UC lately that it's hard to keep up! Last Wednesday was the World Language Honor Society Induction. The three languages offered at UC, French, Italian and Spanish, all had students that were nominated to be inducted into their respective Honor Society. Each language made a presentation during the ceremony. French sang a song from "Les Miserables" and Italian sang a popular song from Italy. My class, Spanish, sang "Rie y Llora" by Celia Cruz. My class had so much fun with the song. We practiced and memorized the lyrics for weeks before the ceremony. We even came up with a dance to go along with it! We were all nervous to get up in front of our teachers, families and friends, especially since we were singing in another language! But when the time came, we all had fun with it and did an amazing job. All of the languages had impressive displays of their skills (even though I am biased towards Spanish :) ). It was a fun night and it made me excited to continue my study of Spanish next year.

Well that's all for now! Friday is the Lock-in. I think I'm getting just as excited as the incoming freshmen! It's a great night full of fun and meeting new people. I'll tell you about it next week!

Looking to the Future

2011-03-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! It's Annie again. This past weekend, the forensics team had another meet, this time a local one. One of our duos, Brandon and Jonathan, placed 3rd! A junior, Tim, placed 5th in Oral Interpretation. My fellow blogger, Megan, and her partner Sean placed 5th in Public Forum. And two of our Lincoln-Douglas debators placed! It was a good meet for UC.

Yesterday, I began my college search when I had a meeting with my parents and my guidance counselor. We sat down together and had a long talk about what I wanted to major in, what schools I was interested in, and SAT scores. He also gave me a list of colleges that I might want to look into. The meeting made me realize that college isn't all that far away. Senior year will be here before I know it. I'm scared to begin my college search, but I know that I have a great support system, both inside and outside of UC.

Senior Year Ending Already?!

2011-02-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! So the last time we talked, it was the middle of the summer. So much has changed since then! Currently, I am beginning the end of senior year and it is truly scary how fast time has flown. Already, March 5^th starts the beginning of the spring sports season and I am so excited for golf! I’m a captain this year, it being my fourth year. Also, prom is right around the corner.

At this point in the year, not only have I applied to college, but I have received responses as well. I applied to eight schools, and have been accepted into four so far: Quinnipiac in Connecticut, Loyola in Maryland, St. Joe’s in Philadelphia, and TCNJ in New Jersey. On March 1^st, I’m actually going to visit TCNJ. I never would have thought I’d still be visiting schools this late in the year! Within the next month, I’m expecting to hear from Sacred Heart, the College of the Holy Cross, Muhlenberg College, and Villanova. I really would like to be accepted into Villanova and Holy Cross; fingers crossed!

Throughout the year, I have been debating on the forensics team for my second year and am debate team captain. This year, my partner and I have been pretty successful. Two weeks ago, the forensics team attended a weekend-long competition at University of Pennsylvania. And just this past Saturday, we attended the monthly meet. At this meet, my partner Sean and I placed 5^th out of 24, receiving points towards the National competition. We were so excited because we beat two of the best teams in the league, losing only once to the number one team in the nation. Our next and last meet ever is in three weeks, and we plan to go out with a bang!

I have been thinking lately how much I am truly going to miss Union Catholic and the family that I have made here. In my college search, I have looked for characteristics in colleges that I found here at UC. I’m sad for leaving, but am excited to take my next step into the world. The next few months are going to come and go so fast, but I know we will all be ready for what is to come.

Busy Busy Busy

2011-02-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hi I hope everyone is doing well. Sorry about not blogging, I have been so busy. Senior year by far has been the toughest and busiest year. I am finally done with all college applications. I have gotten into five out of six schools that I applied to; I am just waiting to hear from Northeastern. It's so nice to be able to sit back and relax after an intense four years of high school. My number one choice is still Emerson and I am still planning on playing softball there. A month ago I went to the accepted students' event and I fell in love with the school all over again. I have to commit soon, so hopefully I end up at my number one choice!

So much has been going on:

The other day we had a Senior Breakfast. Less than 111 days until graduation, I can't believe it!

Our Student Council president was accepted into the Naval Academy, which only accepts 14% of their applicants.

A senior on the boys' basketball team scored his 1000th point the other night. He is the first one to accomplish this achievement since 1993!

Mr. UC practice has started early this year because of Easter being so late. The senior boys are busy practicing their talents for this big night.

I had my last honor roll breakfast a couple of weeks ago; I'm going to miss UC's donuts.

Sophomore day of Recollection was yesterday and I gave a speech on change.

The Senior Retreat is this weekend; seniors have their suitcases all packed.

Spring sports season is just around the corner.

The Prophet, UC's newspaper that I write for has come out with their February issue.

And lastly, the Lock-In is coming up; UC hopes to see you all there!

UC has been so busy and our schedule is only getting busier with graduation less than 3 months away!

New Blogger :)

2011-02-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! My name is Annie and I'm the newest blogger to join Girl Talk :). I'm a junior here at UC and am a Student Ambassador, Big Sister, part of the Academic Team, Forensics Team, National Honor Society, and R.E.A.C.H. (Raising Educated Awareness for the Causes of HIV/AIDS). I am also in the Distinguished Scholars Program, taking Accelerated and AP classes this year. I'm really excited to be blogging and to let you all get a look at my life here at UC.

This past weekend, I went with the Forensics team to a tournament at UPENN. For those of you that do not know, Forensics is public speaking. It's made up of several catergories, including both speech and debate events. We left Friday right after school. Saturday was an early morning for our team and we started to compete at 9 AM. We finished around 7 that night. After going back to the hotel, I found out that I had made it to the semi-final round! I was surprised, since it was a national tournament. I met people from schools as far away as Orlando and Colorado!

I compete in Original Oratory, which is an event where you write and memorize your own speech. We returned to campus Sunday morning, where I competed in my semi-final round. It was a really hard round, so I was even more shocked when I found out that I made it to the final round (the top 6). In the end, I placed 3rd! It was a great experience for me and it was nice to see all of my work pay off. I know that the entire team enjoyed their weekend and enjoyed the experience. I enjoyed the long the weekend, but now it's time to go back to school! Talk to you all next week!

2011-02-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the chance to fall in love with Emerson College. I went for my official visit Thursday to Friday and did not want to come home! Thursday morning I woke up and went for a four hour car ride to Boston. Once there I met with the coach and went to one of the softball players dorm. After talking to the girls I got to sit in on a college class. I was not ready for an hour and 45 minute class! It's so different from high school. After class I got to eat dinner in the cafeteria with the team. The food was so good! After dinner I had to go watch the team lift weights for 2 hours! From 9pm to 11pm. I was with other recruits for next years class, so we attempted to discover Boston on our own instead of waiting for 2 hours. Boston is such a beautiful but big city. After lifting weights, I went to one of the softball players room and got to meet other people at Emerson. Everyone was so enthusiastic and I really got a great feel for the school. The next day I met with admissions and talked about the application process then finished my day with lunch with the upperclassmen. The whole atmosphere was amazing and I really liked college for a day (:

But back in High School a lot is going on with Union Catholic. Last week we had our 8th grade day of Recollection. The 8th graders really enjoyed the day as they heard stories from our upperclassmen. The day started with name tags being filled out including an adjective that best describes the 8th grader. My favorite activity for the 8th graders is for people who put that they are "crazy" as their adjective. These kids have to peel open a banana and eat it after it is passed up and down a row full of their peers. Other activities include People who are loud had to scream into a microphone and people who are athletic had to shoot a basketball. This was a great day for the 8th graders and they got to bond with their class.

Up next is the Senior Day of Recollection and Welcome Back Dance. Union Catholic is so busy!

Accomplishing your dreams

2010-09-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to school! I hope your summer went well.

This summer was life-changing for me. As I've talked about plenty of times before I play softball more than I sleep and my dream in life was to make the high school varsity team my freshman year - I worked hard and accomplished that dream. So freshman year I decided that my new dream would be to play in college and I accomplished that dream this summer! My top school choices have been number one Boston College and number two Emerson College. This summer I contacted both coaches and my number one school invited me for a camp. Unfortunately I was unable to attend because I would be on vacation.

So Emerson was now my number one choice. I continued to talk to the coach all summer and my tournament in New York, he told me he would be there to watch. I didn't know what game and I'm really glad I didn't know. Playing under pressure is difficult because you're trying so hard not to mess up. I played right field that game the coach came to watch me play. Some coach was standing on the right field fence the whole entire game, literally 20 feet away from me. I paid little attention and continued to just play my game. At the very end of the game I looked at his shirt and it said Emerson!

The next thing I knew, my mom and I were on our way to the heart of Boston! I took a tour of Emerson and fell in love! I want to major in Broadcast Journalism and Emerson is one of the top 5 schools for my major in the country! After the visit, I went to the coaches office where he told me I was recruited. It was such an amazing feeling to have all my hard work finally pay off!! I go for my official visit during the end of this month, I am so excited.

Always try your best and NEVER give up on your dreams. If you work your hardest and have your mind set, you WILL accomplish your dreams.

Sister Pat's Kids Camp

2010-08-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a safe and relaxing summer. Only about three weeks left, but it’s not over yet!

So, this summer, I went to my first sleep-away camp. The only thing is, this was not a normal sleep-away camp. The camp was called Sister Pat’s Kids Camp, meant for kids with cancer or various blood disorders. I applied over a year prior, and was accepted as a counselor for the camp’s 25th year running. In June, all of the counselors attended an orientation that explained camp and where we would find and make our place in it. All of the first year counselors, except lifeguards, were not only counselors of specific groups, but were on kitchen crew as well. At orientation, we were given basic training and explanations of the kids we would be dealing with: basically, between the ages of 6 and 14, with some type of cancer or blood disorder, most commonly sickle cell anemia, and which campers would be receiving treatment while at camp. I honestly didn’t know to expect going into the camp, but I can say that it was the greatest week of my life. I was assigned to a group of 14 girls between the ages of 10 and 12, and they were the most amazing group of kids I have ever met. Along with my regular group, I was a part of the kitchen crew, meaning that we would set up, serve and clean up all meals, spending an average of 8 hours together each day. After being in the kitchen, I would have to run and find my group to play with them during their activities. Although they were sick, they didn’t show it while making the most out of the week they had. At our orientation, the woman in charge continued to tell her fellow counselors that this week was all about the kids, which was proved to be completely true. Each day was divided up into 6 periods spent on a variety of activities with a special night activity. The day activities included biking, swimming, fishing and boating, weaving, arts and crafts, gym activities, music, tie die, and cooking, and the night activities included a carnival, roller skating, a campfire, a Disney theme night, and a dance. The kids loved every minute of every day, and it is proved when some campers return as counselors at the appropriate age. Not only did camp change their lives, but the kids and this camp changed the lives of every single counselor. The kids are such an inspiration, and the other counselors and I all agree that we cannot wait until camp next year!

Seniors’11 and Summer

2010-08-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Me and three of my best friends on our Rite of Passage day in the courtyard

Hey everyone! Welcome to summer! :] A few weeks ago, during the last week of school, the juniors had their Rite of Passage Ceremony. At this time, the juniors are inducted officially as seniors of Union Catholic. We had a prayer service, were given breakfast, and got to go out into the courtyard for the first time. For those of you who don’t know about our courtyard, there is a big grassy area enclosed by the school walls. Only seniors and teachers are allowed to be in it and walk through it during the school day. There are benches for the seniors to eat on during lunch and some play football or just relax in the sun. When my friends and I went into the courtyard, it really hit us that we are officially seniors! As shocked as we all are to be seniors when freshmen year doesn’t feel too far in the past, we are all so excited.

Now that it’s summer, everyone is going to the beach and relaxing. A lot of my friends have left to go on vacation already, and I leave tomorrow to go down the shore with my family for a week. My two best friends, Jenna and Brian, are anxiously waiting to go to Spain for three weeks, and all the other fun things summer has for us. I know some other people are lifeguarding at pools for a summer job. This summer, I’m going to be working as a camp counselor at Hyatt Hills Golf course for the kid’s camp every day, which I’m very excited for.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer! :]

End of the Spring Season and Sen10rs

2010-08-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! The past few weeks of school have been busy, even with school winding down. Two weeks ago, we had the spring sports banquet, the upper classmen academic awards, and the senior prom. The spring sports banquet was held at the Westwood in Garwood as usual, but there was something different to this year than any other. At the spring athlete’s breakfast earlier that day, the athletic director told us that our season was special because we were the first to ever have a full season on our new turf field. As a result, there were very few cancelled games and practices. Everyone was very excited about this. Since I’m on the golf team, I didn’t get a chance to play on the turf but I know everyone from the lacrosse teams and baseball teams loves it. The banquet marks the end of another successful sports season. For our golf team, this was the best season we have had in a while and I’m sad to see it come to an end. We have two seniors leaving, and I know it will be hard to fill their shoes!

This Tuesday is the annual trip to Six Flags that the school takes. Normally, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors go on one day, and the seniors go on another, but this year everyone is going together. I’m really excited about this because our seniors have already had their last day of school last Thursday, and they graduate this Saturday. This was a great senior class, and I know they will be missed. I personally am very good friends with some of the seniors ,one being one of my best friend, and it’s going to be strange not having them walking the halls next year, just as they have been for three years.

Good luck to all the seniors! You will be missed! :]

Students really can make a difference.

2010-08-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

On May 18th, I was selected to represent Union Catholic at the Youth Leadership and Government Day held at town hall in Woodbridge. What a great opportunity this day turned out to be. When I first arrived to town hall, I was joined by eleven other high school Juniors focused on improving their town. The first couple of hours, I watched a council meeting take place, and then went to sit in on a court, there were a lot of speeding cases. (If you get a ticket for speeding, it is so much money!) Next it was our turn to become the council members and all 12 of us Juniors got to voice our opinions on what we think is important. My main issue was recreation sports, especially since in Woodbridge the freshman sports are being cut. The recreation director thought that I had a great idea and offered to send out e-mails and post more links so that teenagers can get involved in recreational sports. I was so excited when he took up my idea, I felt that I could really make a difference. Aside from my idea, the other eleven Juniors had such great ideas, my favorite was making student more aware of what drugs and violence can do to you. I had such a great day, but the best part had to be when I took a chance and talked to the council member who was in charge of communications. I told him that I was very interested in majoring in communications, right there he offered me an internship at Woodbridge's local television station. I was so excited, this day really turned out to be great.

I haven't updated about softball lately. First off, our athletic banquet was on May 18Th and it was great to get together with the team outside from the turf field. We shared lots of memories watched a video of our sports teams, and got called up to get our awards. The digital film class did an amazing job with the videos. I got my small plaque this year for being a 3rd year varsity winner, I'm so excited for my 4th year plaque. But really, Senior year is next year? wow. Junior year has been great for softball. We are 15-6. We made it to quarter finals of Counties and in our first state game, I hit my first home run!!! I was so excited. Our next state game is Tuesday, I hope we advance to the semi-finals!!!

So busy!

2010-05-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hi guys. Fourth marking period has been so busy with softball, prom, college preparation, and school work.

Prom was so much fun! Friday April 30th, was very busy. I woke up at 9am and started my day. It turned out to be a beautiful day so I got to tan a little before prom. I had to go to the nail salon, get some finishing touches on my dress, and get my hair done. At 6pm I was all ready and went to my friends house to take pictures. Prom was decorated so nicely and the pictures turned out perfect. If Junior Prom was this much fun, I can't wait to see what Senior prom will be like.

This season, by far, is the best Union Catholic Softball has experienced since I've been here. We are 11-5, and we've qualified for STATES!! This is the first time since I've been at UC that we've qualified for States. It's a huge accomplishment because to be able to be in the state tournament you must have a .500 record! We have well over a .500 record. Saturday we had our first county game against Westfield. They are ranked 10th and us, 7th. Last year we played Westfield in the first round of counties and lost 9-0. This year.......we WON on our turf! 4-3! It was such a nerve racking game. We were up by 2 going into the top of the 7th and that is when Westfield scored another run, making the score 4-3. Now there were 2 outs and a girl on second and third. It was so important for us to get that last out and our pitcher struck the girl out. Our next game is Friday night against Governor Livingston, number 2 seeded. GL has been a tough game for us both times this season. I know our whole team is ready to show GL how Union Catholic plays softball.

College preparation has started and I'm starting to get a taste of what Senior year will be like. I've been trying to contact softball coaches so I can meet them and find out what they like in their athletes. My dream school is Boston College, so I'm really interested in talking to the softball coach. I've handed in my college recommendations to my teachers, so that's a check off my college-to-do list! I need to do my activity sheet, brag sheet, and so much more I need to get on top of.

So much to do but so much to be excited for. Have a great week (:

2010-05-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been busy for Union Catholic. In the past few weeks, we have had our Spring Open House, Mr. UC, Earth Day, Junior Prom, and the beginning of AP testing. Our Spring Open House was a great success. This open house is directed more towards the 6^th and 7^th graders and their families. A lot of families came and it was great to see everyone enjoying the school through tours and presentations by various teachers. For Earth Day, the school held an assembly to honor the day. All the students in science classes during 2^nd period came outside to participate. In honor of the day, there were two trees planted by the front doors. The first sisters and brothers who created Union Catholic came as well. The night before Earth Day was our annual Mr. UC contest, which is basically a male beauty pagent. The contestants, all seniors, compete in various rounds, such as the casual wear, talent, formal wear, and trivia. I have gone for three years, and it still remains my favorite thing that Union Catholic does. The talents were hilarious, and the guys all did a fantastic job.

Just last Friday was our Junior Prom. I had a great time. The music was great, and it was a lot of fun hanging out with all my friends. We booked a limo for 20 of us, and a few went to the beach the next day, taking advantage of the gorgeous weather! In a few weeks is Senior Prom, and I know all the seniors are excited!

This week has started the beginning of AP testing. All year, juniors, seniors, and some sophomores have worked very hard taking Advanced Placement classes in courses such as Biology, Government and Politics, US History, English, Spanish, and many others. Most juniors and I took our first AP test on Monday, which was the AP Government and Politics exam. Throughout this week and next, the tests will continue. It is just another sign that school is ending soon and the seniors are spending their last days at Union Catholic before going to college!

Spring fever

2010-04-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, I don't know about you but spring fever sure has hit the halls of Union Catholic. Today has so much going on! I have a softball game and then right after that is Quarters for Cancer, where you get a scoop of food for 25 cents. - SMAC members run this event. Being a SMAC member I will be serving food tonight. After that will be Mr. UC! I am SO excited to attend this event. A few of my guy friends will be running for this special title so it makes the event even more funny. The contestants are Senior guys who have to go through various pageant events to win the title of Mr. UC 10'. The best part will be the talent section. I am so curious to see what all this guys have thought of. Good luck to all contestants!

Softball has been going great! We are 4-2. We lost 2 games to two great teams who will probably be ranked top in the county. We lost 3-1 to GL. We lost 7-0 to Cranford. Here is the crazy part though, GL beat Cranford 7-2. On paper it says we should have been creamed by GL, but we played our game and did great. Also we had a game Saturday and ended up winning 4-0! In the paper our freshman Pitcher and I made headlines! First time that has ever happened to me and I was so excited to see my name in bold print. I hope the season continues to go great!

College Visits

2010-04-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of everyone who went to the Walk from UC. :] The girl on the left in the brown sweatshirt is a co-leader of the club, a very popular one here at UC.

Hey everyone! This is our first week back from Easter vacation. Over break, a lot of my friends went to visit colleges with their parents. I saw five schools: Quinnipiac in Connecticut, Muhlenberg in PA, Lehigh in PA, Villanova in PA, and we drove through St. Joes in PA. At each college, minus St. Joes, I went on a tour and attended an information session. For me, I am looking for a college not in the city, a college with an actual campus, and a college that really feels like home. What I'm looking for most is to find a school that really makes me feel like I belong, just as Union Catholic has done for me for high school. Each of the campuses was beautiful in its own way. Villanova, Lehigh, and St. Joes had really pretty stone buildings. Since I’m planning to go into premed, I looked a lot into the pre-medicine programs. So far, I think Quinnipiac was my ultimate favorite, followed by Muhlenberg. Quinnipiac was the first school I visited and was absolutely stunned. Their technology is so state-of-the-art. In their medical training facilities, they have mock-doctors’ offices, hands on training with real-size Sims, and such pretty dorms. The campus had a main quad, surrounded by the academic buildings, with about 7,600 undergrad and graduate students. For the Pre-med program, you need to apply separately. It’s a hard program, rated number 14 in the country. Muhlenberg was smaller, only about 2,000 undergrads, but I loved it nonetheless. It was on top of a hill overlooking the town by a big park. Their facilities were really nice, and it had a lot of the same qualities that we see here at UC. All the doors were painted red as a Jesuit sign of welcome. I still have five schools to see, and I have a feeling I will find it difficult to pick my favorite when it comes time to register.

Also, last Sunday, our REACH (Raising Educated Awareness for the Cause of HIV/Aids) club gathered a bunch of students to walk in Union called Walk for Children to help children suffereing from HIV and Aids. We all walked 3 miles, and others ran 5 miles. We had fun and it was for a really good cause.

36 days

2010-03-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

36 days, until Junior Prom!!!! I am so excited, words cannot even describe my excitement. This is, for most of the Juniors, the first prom of our lives. With only 36 days, the girls are making their hair appointments and find a Tailor for fixing their dresses. I really think that the girls have much more to do than the guys. The guys have tuxedos and that's about it. Girls have to get their nails done, hair, find the perfect dress, and do their make-up. I'm not complaining though, I love getting all dolled up! What girl doesn't?

My dress is hot pink and long; thankfully I talked myself out of getting a short dress. Softball has already messed up my legs! A girl slid head first into my thigh and her helmet left a nice big purple bruise and a few cuts. After I got hurt and the inning ended my team ran up to me and all said, "it's okay, you have a long dress!" haha.

Right now everyone is trying to figure out where to sit for dinner at prom. My best friend and I will not be going to the same pre-prom party but have promised each other we'd sit together for dinner. So we have eight people at our table right now. It's very complicated finding a table to sit at. Everything will go great, I can not wait for prom!

SATs and Les Miserables

2010-03-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

As all juniors get ready for college, one of the major steps is taking the SATs. I took them for the first time two weeks ago. The test took about five hours, including multiple choice and an essay. To prepare for the test, I’m taking the prep course at school. It’s helping a lot, practicing questions and working on test-taking techniques. The next times for the rest of the year for us to take the test are in May and June, giving us more time to prepare. When I met with my guidance counselor, she told me what scores the colleges are looking for, giving me a goal.

This Saturday was the last forensics meet of the year. My regular partner was sick, so I debated with someone who might be my partner next year. Everyone did really well at this meet, and we were told who would be competing at Nationals in Omaha. This year, we have seven people competing. Good luck to everyone!

In case you readers haven’t heard, the Union Catholic Performing Arts Company is performing Les Miserables as their spring musical. I saw the show on Friday night, and it was fantastic! The actors have done a great job; it is clear how much practice was put into the show. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you should! It’s playing next weekend on Friday at 7pm and closing night on Saturday at 7pm. You will be very impressed!

Freshman Year, a Year for Memories.

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

When I logged onto the blogger website to make another post today, I saw that this would be our 100 post. I can't believe that we have gotten to 100 posts, I remember making my first post freshman year.

With that being said I got to interact a little more with the freshman this Wednesday at our annual Big Brother/ Big Sister breakfast. All the freshman were in high spirits when they sat down with their homerooms. First the Peer Coordinators (UC students who run the Big Brother/ Big Sister program) passed out a survey asking the freshman a little bit about their Big Brother or Big Sister. Next, breakfast was served and that is when the upperclassmen sat down with their homeroom and asked the freshman about how their year has been going and if they had any questions. To finish the morning off, we played human bingo. It's a bingo board but instead of numbers there are questions such as "Who couldn't open their locker on the first day of school." Or "Who has made honor roll the last two marking periods." With these questions the freshman would find someone in their grade and put down that persons name. My freshman year we played this and I actually won! I got a long sleeve UC shirt that I still wear to this day. It's a great memory that I will never forget.

That's what is so great with freshman year, it's all a memory that will never leave your mind.

Spring'10 and National Language Honors Society

2010-03-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It is becoming clearer that spring is almost here. If I checked correctly the other day, it was 50 degrees outside. With this spring weather upon us comes the spring sports season. Baseball, softball, track and lacrosse all have their tryouts and first practices this weekend. Sadly, golf cannot begin until all of the snow is gone. I was talking to my coach the other morning in homeroom and there are a bunch of new kids trying out for the team – he says we are expecting something good! Good luck to everyone and their tryouts. :]

Also, last night was a great achievement for some of the juniors. Last night about 40 or so juniors were inducted into the National Language Honors Society. Earlier in the year, the upperclassmen were inducted into the National Honors Society, and now there is a language one as well. To be inducted, you need to have met specific standards throughout 5 semesters. Almost every student in my Spanish class was inducted, which was a great achievement. During the ceremony, two seniors from that specific language class introduced the students. The students then demonstrated, in some form, their language abilities. The French students recited a very famous French poem; the Italian students sang a famous Italian song; the Spanish students sang a song made famous by Celia Cruz called Rie y Llora. My class had a lot of fun memorizing the lyrics, practicing the song, and performing it for our parents and friends. Congratulations to all who were inducted.

UCTV

2010-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hi guys. One of my favorite classes here at UC, would be my UCTV class. It really isn't the class itself, but the homeroom. Each morning I report the morning announcements. I get in front of the camera and when the camera is turned on, every television in UC can see me reporting the announcements. We have a green screen behind the desk where I sit, and sometimes the background will be changed and I could end up sitting in front of the Eiffel tower. But this isn't as easy as it may look. Sometimes I still, to this day, get nervous ~ I hate messing up! The more I report the announcements the more I really love what I am doing. I took this class to see if reporting was really what I wanted to do in life; I think it is. In college, I look forward to majoring in public relations, communications, or broadcast Journalism. This summer I am trying to find time to take a college class for communications. It's great to get a head start. I hope to be on ABC news one day (:

Class Scheduling

2010-02-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

You have to love the snow, but now it is back to school...for a day. In English class we're starting debates which I am excited for. I will be debating health care with my friend (and fellow blogger) Sean. English is more than just reading books and writing essays this year, which I like a lot.

We had to pick our schedules this week, senior schedules I can't believe it. Most people like to take Senior year easy but my philosophy is why take a year easy then the next year be extremely stressed out, when I could make my senior year challenging and then be ready for college. I will be taking AP English, AP environmental Studies, AP European History, AC Pre Calculus, Journalism, and Current events/communications. My hardest class will definitely be pre calculus, but since I have to take calculus in college why not get a head start. I want to finish this year before even thinking about next year, it really only is February.

This year has been going great, I'm excited for next year but we still have 4 months.

UPenn and Spain

2010-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was our last away forensics meet of the year. We spent the weekend at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the former forensics members came back to judge and be with the team. We have one more meet this month, one of the last opportunities to qualify for nationals. Because the Senior Retreat is that same weekend, my partner will not be able to debate with me. My friend Sean will take his place, in hopes that he and I will partner for next year’s debates.

Just as a side note, two of my best friends, Jenna and Brian, will be traveling to Spain this summer for three weeks to study and travel the country. In our Spanish 3 Accelerated program, we are given the opportunity to go to Spain for the summer before our senior year. They are incredibly excited and nervous at the same time. It is going to be a great experience for them, possibly coming back completely fluent in Spanish! Since we are have a Spain project this year and are learning the culture, history, and geography of Spain, they will be prepared to travel the country. After they come back in the end of July, I’ll tell everyone about their experience.

College Introductions

2010-02-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last week was Catholic Schools Week. On one of the days during our religion classes, there were priests, sisters, and brothers visiting the classes talking about vocation. In my class, I had two sisters, one brother and one priest, coming from all different backgrounds talking about their vocation. I really liked their visit. Although I never really thought about becoming a nun or a sister, I have a very strong religious background and really liked listening to them bringing God into their lives. Not only did they talk about us hearing and following our calling from God, but our calling for the rest of our lives.

Also, last Thursday was one of two College Nights at UC for the junior students and their parents. Although it was only a small step, it started the exciting and scary process of college. Personally, I have planned out what I have an interest in becoming at college, which is helpful because I can search for colleges based on having my specific degree of interest. The meeting was really informative and helped my parents a lot because, since I am the oldest child, are very new to this whole process. The juniors and their parents are scheduling meetings with the guidance counselors to discuss colleges.

Welcome Class of 2014!

2010-02-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Last Saturday was the Accepted Students Dance for the Class of 2014. Mostly all of the ambassadors, some Peer Coordinators, freshman, and sophomores were there to make the night a great success for the 8^th graders. This was the last chance for them to be in the school and have a great time before they choose what high school they will be attending in the fall, and we planned to go all out for them. We had a DJ playing in the gym and there was a Wii in the cafeteria. I loved interacting with the 8^th graders, talking, dancing, and having a great time. Being with the younger kids and parents is one of my favorite things about being an ambassador, showing them everything great about Union Catholic. Overall, I think the night was a great success. The kids left with T-shirts and we hope to see many of them back on their registration day. :]

We have now entered the second semester of the year, even though it doesn't feel like it. This year is going by so quickly! Next week, the students have a meeting with the guidance department about making our course selections for next year, and junior prom feels like it's around the corner!

Junior Prom

2010-02-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Although our prom isn't until April 30th, prom fever has already hit the junior class. I've been excited for junior prom since the end of sophomore year. My friends and I have been looking at dresses since September, it's so hard to find the right dress, and of course you don't want to have a dress someone else might have. I want a short dress that way I can look forward to a longer dress for Senior prom. My best friend and I have decided to have a pre "pre" prom party. We're going to shop for our dresses, get our hair and nails done, and get ready together before going to our friends house for pictures. Prom should be a great time with the junior class.

UC Spirit

2010-01-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I attended the Varsity Boys Basketball game. I only saw parts because I worked the snack bar with my friend. Though the parts I saw, the guys did real well. They played Dunellen High School and drove up the score to a victory. I'm excited to go see more games, especially those close games that end with a "buzzer basket" (a player made a basket just as the end buzzer rang). As of now the team has 5 wins and 4 loses. The basketball team for the past years has done well, so don't be surprised if you read about Union Catholic in the papers more often.

Speaking of sports, today I went around to Freshman homerooms asking if anyone was interested in trying out for softball ~ we got 18 girls! That's perfect, I just know the team is going to do great this season.

Time to study! Wish me luck on midterms. (:

Upcoming Golf Season

2010-01-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It is a new year, and a new semester is about to begin. Midterms are about to start, and there is a lot of studying to do. Even though it is still winter, I have found out some new information regarding the 2010 golf season this year. I think this will be the first time we are going to have winter training. I am so excited to start getting ready for a successful season and hanging out with the team again.

The forensics team has a meet coming up next Saturday, and a tournament in February at the University of Pennsylvania. Wish us luck!

Once a UC Student Always a UC Student

2010-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, life was so hectic before winter break so let me catch you up on what happened before break. In English alone my class and I had two tests, a quiz, group project with 4 parts, and a 4 page research paper worth two test grades. I understood the true meaning of AP after that week.

On the last day of school before Christmas break was the alumni mass. Mainly the class of 09 shows up, it was great to see my old softball teammates. I made them promise me they would come to our first home game (which can i remind you, is on our turf field!!!!!!!!!). The upstairs of our gym was packed with our alumni, you never leave Union Catholic. Once a UC student, always a UC student.

So now that we are back in school, midterms are right around the corner. The toughest year of high school is half way done! I am mostly scared for my AP Government and Politics (gopo) midterm, 11 chapters to study. But what calms my nerves down is knowing right after that midterm I am going on the Union Catholic Ski trip with my best friend as well as 18 other kids in the school, so excited about that. I think scheduling the ski trip right after the last midterm is a great thing to do, sometimes it's just nice to get away.

Midterm countdown: 9 days

Ski Trip countdown: 15 days
Softball Countdown: About 59 days (:

There's always so much going on in UC.

UC Forensics in Princeton

2009-12-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, the UC forensics team attended a tournament in Princeton. Many of us went, either going up after school or after semi. On Friday night, my partner and I had two rounds for our debate. As we were talking with the kids we were going to be debating against, we learned that kids came from all over the country to be in this tournament. We debated against kids from Mississippi, Washington, Florida, and Idaho. My partner and I ended up with a record of 2-4, which was better than we expected for this being only our second time debating. This weekend, all the kids and coaches got to spend a lot of time together, going over speeches and getting to know each other a little better. While my partner, Conor, and I were debating, I was always so nervous. After 4 rounds, my coach told me that I was getting the same speaker points (points given depending on how you speak, read, and make your points clear) as my friend John who has been debating for two years. It helped my confidence, and we won the two rounds afterwards, a fantastic surprise. Only one team of ours broke (meaning went on to semi finals). One of our duo teams, Arielle and Justine who acted out The Little Mermaid. The whole team went to watch them, and they did so well! The whole trip was such a great experience, seeing a great college and spending time with a bunch of UC kids. I can’t wait until the next one. Our regular monthly meet continues on the 19^th, and more away meets are to come, continuing the tradition of success.

UC Forensics

2009-12-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! In my last blog, I talked about how I was going to see a Cobra Starship and Boys Like Girls concert with some friends from school. It was such a good concert. We had to wait outside for an hour and a half, but it was totally worth it. The entire place was packed! We started out in the very back, then by the time Cobra Starship came on the stage, we were about 7 rows away from the stage, and were even closer when Boys Like Girls came on. Both bands played some new and old stuff, and everyone was full of energy.

The first picture is of the lead singer, Gabe, of Cobra starship and the second picture is of the lead singer and guitarist from Boys Like Girls.

This year, I joined UC forensics for the first time. There are many categories to choose from, depending if you want to debate, memorize a speech, do a scene from a book or movie, or verbal reading. I do the Public Forum debate, fighting the pros and cons present day issues. My first meet was in November, and both my partner and I did well for our first time debating. This weekend, we are all going to Princeton for a tournament. Everyone is very excited. I have never been to an away meet such as this, but it’s a lot of fun from what I have been told. We are going down today after school, and the debaters have two debates tonight. Everyone competes on Saturday; and, I have four debates. We come home Sunday afternoon after the finals are done. Wish us luck!

Performing Arts Company goes off off Broadway!

2009-11-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, soccer is finally over and the Christmas spirit is starting to hit Union Catholic. This Friday is the winter semi formal, everyone is so excited. The theme is a winter snow ball; imagine if it snowed! That would be so perfect. The next dance will be Junior Prom!!!

If you've passed by the school lately you'll notice on our sign it says congratulations to the Performing Arts Company. In the summer a teacher a former student wrote and directed a play known as love awkwardly. It was so good that it made it to off-off Broadway. A huge accomplishment! I was unfortunately not able to see it but they are performing it again in January at UC. I have a feeling our auditorium is going to be packed. The spring play is Les Miserables; they have already started to have long hours of practices. It is guaranteed to be a good show.

I've been so busy with softball lately believe it or not. Summer going into senior year is so important if I want to play in college so I have to work even harder in the winter. It feels like I'm already applying to colleges! Wish me luck.

Junior Rings and Concerts

2009-11-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. A few weeks ago, we, as juniors, received our Junior Rings, one of the biggest things of junior year. We have been waiting for our rings since we ordered them last year, but the worth was totally worth it. I don’t normally wear rings, but I wear this one a lot. I have gotten 83 people to turn it so far, and I’m aiming to get 111. My best friend was the first one to turn it, and i have not yet decided who will be the last. Everyone had to get a blue stone, but we could pick what we wanted to put on it. A lot of people put their name, the sports they play, or the drama symbols. On my ring, I put my name, a basketball symbol, and a golf symbol. I can’t wait to get my 111 turn.

This Friday, the accelerated Spanish 2 and 3 classes are going on a trip! We are going to Union City to see a Spanish dancing play and then going to a restaurant for lunch. My class went on this trip last year, and it was a lot of fun. I’m sure it will be fun this year as well.

Then, on Friday night, a bunch of my friends and I are going to the Cobra Starship and Boys Like Girls concert at Starland Ballroom. I am so excited! I haven’t been to a concert like this before, where we will be so close to the band. I wanted to se e how each band performed life, so I searched them on YouTube. They are really good live as far as I could tell. I have been listening to both band’s songs like crazy, learning all the words so I can sing along. :]

Junior Days

2009-11-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday was the Junior Ring Ceremony. We've been waiting for our rings since we ordered them last May; the wait was worth it! The ceremony was in the church across from school. After communion Sister Percylee spoke about the importance of this event...this is our right of passage. Well the time had finally arrived and we were presented with our rings! I didn't want the typical class ring because my hands are small and to see what was actually on the ring, I would have had to take it off. I chose a fashion ring; it has 2011 on the side and my name engraved on the inside. The rings have a required blue stone, which I like because it is our school color. Around the stone says Union Catholic HS and I have crystals on the side going down...I really like it! After the ceremony we went back to school for a reception hosted by the parents of the sophomore class. At the reception we did the "famous" turning of the rings - they say your friends should turn your ring towards your heart...but we weren't sure?.

The next day was the Junior Day of Recollection. We started the day by playing "musical people" ~ which had us moving and sitting by people we had never met before! The day was designed to help make new friends and help us bond as a class. By the end of the day I had made friends with a new transfer and got to know people I had never talked to before. The Day of Recollection is one of may favorite days of the year.

Our soccer season is over after a sad loss in the first round of states ~ but at least we made it to states! We are a young team with only 2 seniors. And we have bragging rights - we were the first UC team EVER to win on the new Turf Field!!

softball!

2009-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

The new school year is definitely in progress; sorry I haven’t updated in a while I have been so busy. I just came back from Florida where I played in a College Showcase for softball. I recently joined a travel team and Florida was our big showcase where almost every college is out recruiting players for their season next year. I had a few schools looking at me, and this summer is the most important time for any softball player interested in playing softball in college.

Speaking of Florida something new is happening at Union Catholic. Our girls Varsity softball team will be going to Florida this coming Spring break. We will be going to Disney for spring training. I for one am so excited because I never thought this would ever happen. We have decided to fundraise all the money needed for this trip, so that means lots of bake sales, canning, and any other fundraising ideas we can think of. Time is not on our side so we have to start this weekend already! Spring training is supposed to help your softball team become better physically and mentally. But this isn’t all about softball we also have to become involved in community service in between games. I think this will be a great thing for girl’s softball and hopefully give us a winning season!

Jr/Sr Trip’09 to Washington DC

2009-10-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! This past weekend was the annual junior/senior trip. There were about 200 of us, including students and teachers, traveling to Washington DC for 4 days. We left school at 1:15 on Thursday in four buses and drove down to Dave and Busters in Maryland for dinner and gaming that night, then proceeded to the hotel for the rest of the night. I was rooming with two of my friends, Jenna and Jenna. Our curfew was at 11, but until then, we all hung out in our friends’ rooms. Friday morning, we woke up to pouring rain and cold weather. Nonetheless, we went to Mount Vernon and remained there until after lunch, walking through Washington’s house and along the grounds. We then went to the White House and took pictures in front of it. Returning back to the hotel that afternoon at 4:30, everyone had an hour to get ready for the Dinner/Dance cruise that night. The cruise was a lot of fun. Everyone was dancing as we sailed up and down the Potomac River. Saturday was a very busy day for us. We woke up at 6:30 and took the bus ride up to Arlington National Cemetery. We went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and had the chance to witness the Changing of the Guards. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because even in the pouring rain, those men are standing out there guarding the tomb of their fellow soldiers who never came home. People train extremely hard for 2 years and only a few are selected for this honor. Everyone was completely silent and respectful while the Changing of the Guards was occurring, and the rain just added to the moment. We also stopped at the Kennedy familys’ graves. After getting back on the bus completely soaked, we went to the Capital building for a tour. The rooms were really pretty looking. In one room, my group stood on the spot where Thomas Jefferson’s desk was positioned. Our tour guide went to the opposite side of the room and started speaking and we could hear him perfectly clear; as he moved towards us, we heard him less and less. He said the sound waves did that due to the shape of the room being like a Greek amphitheater. There were statues and everywhere and it was great to get out of the rain for a while. We then went to the Hard Rock Café for dinner followed by Madam Tussauds Wax Museum and a night tour of the monuments. We went to the WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials. I really liked seeing them at night, the lights and the rain giving them a really beautiful effect. Finally, Sunday morning we went to 10:30 mass at a beautiful church called the Basilica of the Natural Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It was the most gorgeous church I have ever been to. Despite the rain and the cold, it was an overall great trip and I think everyone really had a good time. People are already talking about next year’s trip!

Fall Open House

2009-10-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

Hey readers. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and our SMAC (Student Movement Against Cancer) club had a special pink and white tag day on Tuesday, and all the proceeds went to an organization SMAC works with. Almost everyone had on pink or white in support of this cause.

Tonight is our Fall Open House, beginning at 7 pm and everyone is buzzing with excitement. I encourage anyone who is interested in looking at the school to come and check it out! Tours by our student ambassadors begin at 6. Teachers, faculty and students will be around to give you a chance to be a part of the Union Catholic Community for one night! :]

Junior Year

2009-10-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Welcome back to school. The school year just started and there is already so much going on. Last week, we had our back to school dance. It was great to see how many freshmen came out and are beginning to get involved. This year, being my junior year, is by far the most important year of high school so far. This year is packed with SATs, beginning to look at colleges, and the first experience taking AP (Advanced Placement) classes. This year, I’m taking 3 – Biology, English and Government and Politics. It has been a huge amount of work so far and will continue to be, but I know working hard will bring good results. At the end of the year, all the AP students will take the AP test to try to get college credits.

We have a Philippino club here at Union Catholic and this week they are having a bake sale to raise money for the victims who were affected by the floods in Manila in the Philippines. This is a great example of the UC community reaching out to people in need.

My friend Sean is a new blogger for the Upper Classmen, so make sure to check out his blog!

2009-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

School is back in session; junior year I am still in shock. I hope everyone had a great summer, I know I did. I went to Florida and on a cruise to Canada with one of my closest friends from my old school. Who goes on a cruise to Canada? Oh I know, but it actually wasn’t too bad. The cruise was more than just going on a trip, it was proof that I am in my junior year of high school and can still maintain a close relationship with a girl who I only see on occasion, something I was so scared of coming into my freshman year.

Maintaining this friendship gave me an experience that I can pass on to my “little sister” who is a freshman now at UC who came all by herself (just like me). I passed on all my tips and I always see her with a new friend in the halls. At first she told me that she was shy and nervous but now I see her in the halls with new people every time, obviously shyness is not her thing anymore. Freshman orientation was a lot of fun. 2013 is the golden class because they will graduate when union catholic turns 50. We even had golden donuts!

Classes are in progress and quizzes and tests are already being announced. I am moving up in Algebra which has conflicted with my Government and politics class, which conflicted with my Spanish class, which conflicted with my journalism class. So I am sad to say that I will have to drop journalism. I was so looking forward to that class but seeing as my new college dream is Boston College moving up in my classes is a little more important. I don’t know what class to put in journalisms place though. As of right now my favorite class is English. My teacher is hilarious and he really knows how to make a hard class less stressing. I am excited for the year to progress and oh can I say Junior Prom?!!!!! =)

Half Way Through Summer

2009-07-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It is just about mid-summer, and I hope everyone is enjoying themselves! In the past month, there has been a lot going on: new movies, camps, vacations, day trips to the beach and much more. The second week of July I was in a golf camp for 9 hours a day for a week. It was much harder than it sounds; the weather was gorgeous almost every day, and extremely hot. I really feel like I got a lot out of it and can’t wait to play some more. That same week on Wednesday was my 16th birthday. I didn’t go to camp that day, but instead went down to Sea Isle for the day because my best friend’s family has a house there. I had such a great day, spending it on the beach with some of my closest friends.

Everyone knows summer means no more school, but it doesn’t mean no more sports. Throughout July, there have been basketball open gyms every Tuesday night and the usual summer league for varsity players. A few weeks ago, soccer stuff started. I don’t know where they have been playing because our turf field is still under construction.

Earlier this summer I went on vacation to Ocean City, New Jersey with my family. It was a fun week, but the weather was not what we were all hoping for. This Friday night, my mom is driving me down to LBI where I will spend the next week with one of my best friends and her family. We both are extremely excited. She goes down there every year, and has a million things planned for us to do. The house we have rented is so pretty, and has its own little beach in the back right on the bay. I know it’s going to be a great week.

Enjoy the rest of summer! Peace out :]

Hello Summer'09 :]

2009-06-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Finals are finally over, and everyone has jumped full speed ahead into summer. Our finals were very hard this year, but we all pulled through and everyone was drained by the time Wednesday, our last final, came around. On Friday, my friend Allison and her mom picked me up and we went to The Fray concert, my birthday gift from Allison. We left around 2 and planned on tailgating the rest of the afternoon, but when we arrived at the entrance of PNC Bank Arts Center, we were informed that no one was allowed in until 5. We decided to drive back down the parkway and we pulled into a rest stop and stayed there for 45 minutes or so. It was really funny because this one guy was walking around to cars that were getting ready to leave; we didn't know what he was doing but it was pretty funny to watch. We drove back to PNC a second time, and they still wouldn't let us in. Finally, the third time at exactly 5, we drove into the parking lot and started unpacking our stuff for tailgating. About 20 minutes later, we were walking into PNC and upgraded our tickets for $10 from lawn seats to actual seats. Thank God, because the lawn was really muddy. The opening band was fairly new, and Richard Swift was the lead singer, followed by Jack's Mannequin. He was great and the crowd loved him. The Fray played 14 songs, and I knew almost every single one. Everyone was going crazy for them. It was one of the greatest concerts I have ever been to.

The next day I drove down to Ocean City where I am now for a week with my whole family on my mom's side. We did this last year and everyone had a great time that we decided to do it again. It has been cool and rainy the past 2 days, but today it was nice enough to go to the beach for a few hours. I hadn't realized how much I missed coming here. The beginning of the summer has been great, and I can't wait to see how the rest of it turns out.

16 days until my birthday! :D

so busy.

2009-06-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

3 days left. This is crunch time considering all that is going on. I became a peer coordinator, which I am so excited about! Peer Coordinators deal with the big brother/ big sister program. We make sure that everyone is up to date on their mailing, phone calls, and we hold various events that include the class of 2013 BBQ and survival of high school night. It looks like a busy year with all that will be going on. Next week is a phone-a-thon but we will be calling the class of 2013 students asking if they would like to come to the BBQ. It is going to be a lot of fun and I hope a lot of students can attend. I regret that I didn’t go my freshman year, I didn’t go because I didn’t know anyone. But I do not want incoming freshman to do that, I think this is a great time to meet everyone.
Finals are next week, and I should be exempt from two of my finals, I am still waiting on English. I like exemptions from finals because it makes all your hard work pay off. Friday I won’t have to come to school till 10. Monday if I get exempt from English I won’t have to come in at all. And then I take a final Tuesday and I am off Wednesday and summer begins! I can’t believe it, junior year.
Speaking of junior year, I get my ring! I was indecisive on getting a ring but then I decided that it is a good memory. I have little hands so I got a fashion ring that has my name inscribed inside and 2011 is found on the side. We get our rings in the fall; it is an event everyone is looking forward to.

Review of the Week

2009-06-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

This past Monday was the funeral for one of our freshmen guidance counselors, Sister Eloise. The funeral was held at Mount Saint Mary’s, and a lot of UC students were there. It was a really nice mass, and I know she would have liked it. We all miss her, and she will forever be remembered. On Tuesday, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors went to Six Flags for the day. It was a lot of fun, and it didn’t rain one bit like it was suppose to. I went on a lot more rides than last year, and got pretty sunburn haha. Finals are almost upon us, as well. Our first final is next Friday! Not too excited for those. My best friend Brian and I will be together for the next week cramming for the exams. Good luck to everyone taking them!

Yesterday, the juniors were officialls made seniors. So technically, myself and the rest of the sophomores are now juniors, heading into the hardest year of high school. I think I'm ready.

The Fray!

2009-05-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was the academic awards for the freshmen and sophomores. Everyone looked so nice, and it was a great night. All of the sophomores were surprised to find out we have three people tied for valedictorian: Colleen Cassidy, who was our valedictorian last year, Sean Siburn, and Brian Hartnett, who was our salutatorian last year. Tomorrow is our class elections, and there are a lot of people running for next year’s president and vice president.

Pretty much everything is coming to an end for the school year, and there are only 2 weeks left until finals, and 21 days until summer vacation! This past weekend was my sweet 16 with my best friend Jenna, and one of my gifts from my friend Allison were tickets to go see The Fray in concert at PNC Bank on June 19th! I am so excited and it is going to be a great start to my summer.

Sweet 16!

2009-05-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys; a lot has happened in two weeks. It’s almost June, I cannot believe it. Memorial Day weekend was exhausting with two sweet sixteen’s, but that just makes me even more excited for mine. I don’t think I have mentioned this yet but my sweet 16 is June 6th and is on the beach! I went shopping for favors yesterday and got beach mats and volleyballs; I hope the guest loves them. I have limbo, volleyball, and of course the water; but it will be too cold to swim. I wanted to do something different because by the end of the year you get kind of sick of hall parties. The beach is private and just for my party. Oh, and my cake is a sand castle! Now a special thing about sweet 16s is the candles. I don’t think I am going to do candles because I really can’t decide who should get my 16th – aka the most important candle. I have a tie between two friends and I don’t want them to be mad at me, candles are so stressful! My real concern is the weather; I really hope it doesn’t rain! That would be such my luck; and if it does I have a rain date, but then I would need another cake. I have so much to do with such little time, I still need an outfit. Schools ending and summers beginning and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are all busy

Oh we had our academic awards the other night and I just wanted to say congratulations to Colleen, Sean, and Brian – the three students who have tied for first place of our class!!!!!

Everything Coming to a Close

2009-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

So this week is super crazy. Last night was one of the phone-a-thons, which I attended with 8 other sophomores. I had never done it before, and some of us were uncomfortable at first, but it got much better. Today I have my first day at work, and I’m super excited. Tonight is the freshmen and sophomore Academic awards starting at 7. I’m interested to see who the valedictorians are for both classes. The spring sports are winding down, and the teams are getting close to their last games and matches. I have my last golf match tomorrow vs. GL. I know I am going to miss the team, as most players will. Then, tomorrow night is the Spring Athletic Banquet at the Westwood, the last one for all senior athletes. Some people will be getting their varsity letters for the first time, but mostly others will be returning varsity athletes.

Also, coming up soon is the freshmen, sophomore and junior trip to Six Flags, which we are all excited for. :]

Sophomore olympics!

2009-05-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hi so I forgot to tell you all about Sophomore Olympics. Woo 221! These Olympics are obviously just for the sophomores and we go through various challenges to be able to take the champion plaque and put in your homeroom. So first my homeroom got separated into two groups and then we made our way down to the cafeteria. Our first event was a hula hoop challenge, we won! Then we made our way to the gym to play waffle ball and volleyball twice; well we lost those three. After four events we had snacks and then went to the auditorium for the academic challenge. You picked three people to represent your homeroom, I was one chosen. Going into the academic challenge we had 3 wins total (a combination of my whole homeroom) out of 8, it wasn’t looking so good. When the academic challenge began my homeroom had answered every single question right and made it to the third round! It was homeroom 221 against 223. 223 had won 6 out of 8 events and had beaten us in the third round of the academic challenge. We all went back to our seats and waited for the announcement of the winner! In third place….226! In second place…..223. Everyone stood there shocked! And in first place….221! My homeroom looked at each other, clapped, and then realized that this was us!!!!!! We definitely thought we had come in last. Last year we won spirit award. I really love my homeroom. 221<3>

Golf Season '09

2009-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. A lot is going on this week for me, between golf matches, Mr. UC, and the open house on Wednesday.

This golf season is going well, better than last year. Our record is 2-2 at the moment, and last year we only won 1 match, sadly enough. We have a match today against New Providence High School and tomorrow against Cranford. Last Thursday, our number 2 player shut the trunk of his car on his right thumb, and was urged to go to the doctor. Luckily, he didn’t break it which means he can keep playing if he feels up to it. We are doing pretty well this year, and I’m excited to see how the season continues to play out ~ I'll keep you posted.

spring break stitches

2009-04-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, I hope your spring break was great, mine was pretty good. So a lot has happened in three weeks. I didn’t get ambassador but it is okay, because I think it’s important to believe in when one door closes another one opens. Hopefully it does. Spring break started out really tough, I was at softball practice and a ball was thrown high in the air. It looked like it was going over the backstop so my coach and I both looked up, well it didn’t. It hit the top of the backstop and came spiraling down and hit me in the mouth. My tooth caught onto my cheek/lip and I had a huge cut. I had to get three stitches, and it wasn’t fun. That same day a good friend of mine was playing softball as well and she got hit in the mouth with the ball and ended up getting braces and her sweet sixteen is in less than a week, I feel really bad. But on a happier note we are 2-1; the rain is not on our side. But we have a game today against ALJ, so we can see how that goes. Counties are soon, so we need a good ranking. I’ve been in the newspaper a few times, so I’ve been trying hard to make an all state team that the star ledger puts together. Let see how everything goes.

Ambassador!

2009-04-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So spring break is over, and it’s time to put in our last efforts for the 4th marking period. The Thursday before spring break, 16 other sophomores and I were called down to the lobby to be told that we were accepted into the ambassador program! I was so beyond excited. I have wanted to be an ambassador since freshmen year, and it happened. A bunch of my friends got it too, so I have a feeling it is going to be a lot of fun. The letters for peer ministry went out over break, and I know a lot of people who were accepted into that as well. I didn’t get into peer ministry because I was accepted into ambassador, and you can’t do both as much as you might want to. Haha. Both programs are very involved and I know the kids really enjoy what they do. Ambassadors are very involved with the school and are trying to bring 8th graders to UC. Peer ministry works with all the days of recollection and the masses at school. Either way, you cannot lose when choosing ambassador or peer ministry.

Spanish comes in handy.

2009-03-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was in a PetSmart and an employee approached me and asked if I take Spanish in school, I nodded my head and he had asked me to translate for a man. I walked over to the man, looked at him and knew he had must have been speaking Spanish for his whole life. I had only been speaking it for pproximately two years, but I gave it my best shot. I didn’t understand everything he was saying but I knew some words and pieced it all together. He wanted a blue collar for his small puppy. I was so proud of myself and the next day I went right to my Spanish teacher and told her of my adventure. The Spanish man must have thought I would never be able to translate for him; I am an Irish girl, not an ounce of Spanish in me, but I did it. I give a lot of credit to my Spanish teach she had defiantly drilled Spanish into my head; I think I will be ready for Spanish 3 next year. Being able to translate for that man gave me reassurance in class and made me want to learn more. The employee after offered me a job translating for all his Spanish customers – no I’m only kidding but I would have loved that. I think in a sense I can represent any person learning a new language, I was unsure of myself at first but after this I learned that anything is possible.

Poetry

2009-03-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today, the 3 and 4 AP English classes, along with 2AC, went to the library during second period to listen to a poet read some of his poetry. When Mrs. Dellanno, my English teacher, told my class this last week, I did not know what to expect. From what I have seen and heard about poetry readings, they are not exceptionally good, and everyone naps between the poems. This was not the case. I absolutely loved it. The poet that came to read to us, BJ Ward, read some of his poems from the 4 books he has written. He read with such emotion and emphasis, and was very funny. The tone and moods of the poems he read differed, some funny and silly, others upsetting. He used some comparisons that you wouldn’t normally expect to hear. I like poetry because it makes me think. It has a lot of meaning, and can sometimes make you feel very strongly if you can relate to the message. My class and I worked a lot with poetry when I was a freshmen, and we are working on some this year, different types of sonnets and themes. BJ Ward said that a lot of famous poets come from New Jersey, which was pretty cool to hear.

Golf and Spring Play

2009-03-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So I made the golf team. We had 3 tryouts over the past two weeks, and 10 of us made the team. By the end of the week, we will have our ranking. I think I am either 4th or 5th, so I need to keep up my A game when we play tomorrow. Last year was a lot of fun, so I can’t wait for this season.

This Friday is the spring musical, Into the Woods. A lot of my friends are in the show and tech crew. Everyone has been working extremely hard over the past couple of months, learning lines and dance moves, singing lessons, and building the set. Into the Woods is suppose to be a funny musical, telling a story that conjoins a lot of fairytales that everyone is familiar with, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. On Wednesday, there is a showing for grammar schools in the area, and Thursday is an assembly for UC. Hope the play is a great success for everyone involved! Break a leg, guys. :]

Everything

2009-03-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

The third marking period is almost over, and it is so close summer! I am, along with a lot of my other classmates, are feeling the year become harder. Normally, you wouldn’t expect the year to be getting harder this far long, but it is. My chemistry class is becoming impossible. Normally we can figure out what our teacher is talking about, but not with this chapter. It’s insane.

Thankfully, spring break is coming up in 22 days, and everyone could use the rest, ha ha. I am going to LBI with my friend Allison for a few days to look at this house we are renting for a week in the summer and both could not be more excited. During spring break, I am making my Confirmation as well. I am pretty excited. My group and I have been preparing for this for almost 2 years, going to CCD classes and special masses at our church in recognition of the sacrament. It is a good feeling to know it is finally almost here.

Great news!

2009-03-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, great news. I got into UCTV, so I will be on the morning announcements next week. That was so important to me since this is what I want to major in. I was so excited considering UCTV only takes three upcoming juniors. But the bad news is I cannot apply for peer minister. So I hope I get into the ambassador program, a lot of people are applying.

Oh more good news softball tryouts are finally over! Tryouts were tough and I am so sore. All my friends made the team so that’s a positive thing. It doesn’t say if we are on varsity or JV so this week is so important. My best friend Kayla has a really good chance of being on Varsity ~ we are all so excited. It was hard to see the kids who got cut, but hey there is always next year! School has been going pretty well, I hope softball tryouts continue to go great, I will keep you updated on everything!

Apply for Peer Ministry or Ambassador?

2009-03-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, there was so much going on this week. It is world language week and also I have been preparing myself for softball. Tryouts are tomorrow and I cannot tell you how nervous I am.

Applications are flying for next year ambassador and/or peer ministry leaders and everyone is stressing. Ambassadors work the open houses, and almost every school functions so if you come here for open house the ambassadors are the one who bring you around the school and can answer any question you may have. Peer Ministry is the club of students who set up the school masses and run the recollections for each class. They help spread the faith of God within the school.

After reviewing each application I decided that I would try and apply for ambassador. Though I go to church every week something just tells me that ambassador is more right for me. I love having conversations with people I have just met or speaking to a large group. Plus I heard that peer ministry has their meetings right after school and with softball and soccer it may be hard to fit all that in. Ambassadors have their events at night, so it would be much easier to make. I also don't really think I have a choice in peer ministry since I am hopefully going to be on UCTV next year. If I am selected for UCTV I cannot be a peer ministry leader since both require that you be in their homeroom. I will still apply, in case I don't get into UCTV.

My fellow blogger is applying for both peer ministry and ambassador. A lot of people are applying for either club. I guess we will see how everything goes!

We dressed as the Irish Flag for World Language Tag Day! (:

Spring, Looking Ahead and Sad News

2009-03-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

Even though there is snow on the ground and it is bitterly cold outside, we can all feel that spring is coming. All of UC is getting themselves ready for the spring sports, filling out the right paperwork and getting it in before the deadline. This year, I know a lot of people are going to try new sports; my friend Jesse is playing Tennis for the first time this year, and my friend Colleen is switching over from playing softball last year to golf this year. Golf is my spring sport, and I am beyond excited. Our team is normally smaller than other spring sports teams, but I love playing with them. Over the winter I bought this amazing driver and I hope to do really well with it. :]

Last week, the sophomore class got mail about the Junior/Senior trip next year in October. Almost everyone I talked to is planning on going, so I would expect it is going to be fun. We are going to Washington D.C.; I hope we visit Georgetown because I hear it’s a beautiful school.

Last night, students and staff were informed that the wife of one of the teachers at UC passed away, Mrs. Kathleen Gresco, wife of John Gresco. I don't know the details, but today is a very sad day for Union Catholic. Mr. Gresco is a very loved teacher here. I, as many others, was shocked and crushed. We are all keeping Mr. Gresco, his 4 children, and his family in our prayers and our hearts. <3

10 more days!

2009-02-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe it, 10 more days till softball tryouts. The school year is going so fast. We recently just finished picking schedules. My two electives I hope to be taking are UCTV and journalism. Since I want to be a broadcaster UCTV is so important to me, it is the morning announcements at our school and also a class. I am very excited for next year but I still can’t believe were going to be juniors! So back to softball, 10 more days and the nerves are already building up. I don’t know if you remember but I played right field for varsity last year. But this year I have been training for catcher. We had a senior catcher so obviously she is gone now, and believe me we will miss her. But I have been working since September and I hope I am ready. I have to go against five other possible varsity catchers, I am scared! This year I am going to work so hard because next year is when they hand out the softball scholarship. Playing softball in college is a dream/ goal I have. Sports can be one of the most amazing experiences you will ever go through.

Hi this is Erin calling from Union Catholic High School....

2009-02-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

For the past two Wednesdays I have been participating in the phone-a-thon at UC. A bunch of people get together and we call alumni and ask them to give a gift to the 2008-2009 annul fund. I really enjoy working school functions; I use to be at every single one in middle school. The best phone calls are when you call an alum and they donate for the first time! I had one older man on the phone for 20 minutes and we just talked about baseball and how softballs starting soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He ended up giving me a 125 dollar donation ~ I was so excited! The donations given by our alumni help our sports, clubs, academics, technology, and just UC in general. It’s a great cause and a great way to get in school spirit!

14 days till softball tryouts!!!

There is a First Time for Everything

2009-02-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been quite interesting. For the first time in 15 years, I was sick for five days; that has never happened to me before and it was not a fun time. Then, on Wednesday night, I broke my nose, the first bone I have ever broken. It happened at the basketball game versus Westfield and thankfully we were at our home gym. My nose collided with another girl’s shoulder and the rest is quite obvious. It was scary at first, and everyone pretty much knew it was broken. It is kind of funny when I say out loud “I broke my nose”; to me, it’s just not something you would hear regularly. Today I am going back to the doctor to see if I need surgery to fix it if the bone is out of place. Since it was my first break, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it would hurt, but not how much. I quickly learned that it will hurt badly, but not continuously. I just hope it isn’t out of place, because I want it to heal quickly.

Goals

2009-02-03T06:04:00.001-08:00

Goals, it is a word that everyone has their own definition of. I personally have many goals in life, like making the high school softball team, playing softball in college, getting straight A’s, scoring well on my SATs, to be successful. Some of my goals I have been able to check off and others I haven’t. The other day though when I received my report card I was able to check off a huge goal of mine. Since freshman year I have been working so hard to obtain a GPA of 4.0. I’ve come close with 3.9, 3.8 but never my goal. But this marking period I had finally reached my goal, now all I have to do is keep my grades exactly that same, doing a little bit better in Spanish. I think everyone has goals. It doesn’t matter if your goals are small, like getting an A on a Chemistry quiz, or talking to the person you may have a crush on. Goals start out very small and then eventually climb the ladder to an even bigger goal. It is just like business, sometimes you have to start as the security guard and work your way up to become the president of the company. My biggest goal I would say is I want to be a broadcaster. I want to go to college majoring in communications. I don’t know if I will ever succeed at this but if I never try how will I know? Never give up on a goal because you never know how long it may take. It could take years and years for a huge goal but maybe a few days for a smaller one. Always go for what you believe in and climb your own ladder of goals.

Accepted Dance and UC S.T.A.N.D. Club

2009-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the Accepted Dance for the 8th graders for the class of 2013. It was probably the last chance for prospective students to come and see UC. The students who were helping at the dance were divided up to do different jobs, such as freshmen and sophomores were to bring the 8th graders down to coat check, then into the gym. The DJ was great and really got the kids involved. Last year, there were a bunch of 8th graders sitting on the bleachers, either because they didn’t know anyone or just didn’t like to dance. This year, it did not take long before everyone was up and dancing.

Tomorrow night, there is a S.T.A.N.D. movie night. S.T.A.N.D. is one of the clubs at UC, dealing with the issue in Darfur. Darfur is a very bad area at the moment, being in the middle of a civil war and this club does a lot to try to help. Tonight, dinner is going to be catered and provided between 6 and 7, and there will be a movie about Darfur, which is supposed to be a very good documentary. There is a 5 dollar entrance fee, and the proceeds go to helping Darfur. I hope it is a great success for everyone involved, because I know there has been a lot of work put into this.

Ski trip 09<3

2009-01-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. Sorry it has been way to long. Life is just so busy, we had midterms last week, phew was I wiped out. I had to study for chemistry and US history the same night, talk about being unlucky. But what I did have something to brighten up my week, knowing that I would be going to Vermont on the Union Catholic annual ski trip. This was my first time skiing and I was so excited. The bus ride was seven hours long, the ride was long but when we finally got there it was worth it. There was so much snow and it was still snowing! We first went and unpacked in our room, it was a three bedroom condo; I shared a room with two of my friends. Then we went and had pizza and were later let free to do whatever we wanted. The place had two teen centers, an ice-skating rink, a pool, and a kiddie center. I opted not to swim, considering it was 10 degrees out. The next day was the actual skiing part. We skied from 9-4, I’m getting better at skiing. I left the place having 12 bruises! On Saturday it was way to cold to do any skiing so we sat in the pizzeria enjoying the warmth. I had such a fun time and I think I may go next year. I had such a fun time skiing that I think I’ll be going in a couple a week’s once again with my family. I love the snow.

Second Semester

2009-01-26T07:03:00.000-08:00

Midterms are finally over, and the second semester has started. Congrats to the freshmen for getting through their first set of midterms; if your brain hurt by the end of the week, you are not alone, haha. For some reason, this semester feels different that the last.

Not only are we one step closer to the end of the year, but the work material and work load changes. In some cases, the material changes in difficulty and topic. Starting now, you really have to buckle down and aim to be exempted from your final, which is possible in some classes. To get exempted, you need to average an A all year. Trust me when I say this, you will want to get exempted from as much as you can. This year, because of my classes, I could only get exempted from two classes: church and chem. Even though they are just two, it would be a huge help.

Christmas Break and 2009 !!!

2009-01-05T07:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas break came at the perfect time for me this year. Everyone needs a long rest like that at some point, and I think everyone took advantage of that time. I had a great Christmas, as I am sure a lot of people did. My big gift was the itouch, which I was completely thrilled about.

Also, over break, we rang in the New Year. It is now 2009, and is still hard for me to fully comprehend. It doesn’t feel like 2009 yet. On New Year’s Eve, I went to a party at my friend Marissa’s house, with a large group of our friends. At the party, there were kids from UC and, to my surprise, some girls who go to Mount Saint Mary’s. I knew them, because we went to the same grammar school. One of my best friends Jenna was there; I didn’t see her all break, so it was great to spend some time with her. At one point during the night, we were all sitting around and talking. As I looked at everyone in the circle, it was cool to see my old friends hanging out with my new friends. That is one of my favorite parts of my social life in high school. Although we have moved on to a different point in our lives, we still maintain friendships with the people that knew us was we grew up, and played a huge part in creating the people we are today.

Fear

2008-12-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

In English, we are reading the book Lord of the Flies. In our class discussion today, we were talking about what happens to people when they are afraid. Fear changes a person. It makes them revert to a more primitive mindset, and make them act differently than they normally do. They are more aware of things, and get very jumpy. Sometimes, people change their priorities because of their fear.

People can be scared of different things, such as sharks, the dark, or the first day in a new school. Some kids think fear is just insecurity, but I do not agree. Being afraid is not something to be ashamed of. You should not feel inferior because you are afraid of something. I am very scared of thunderstorms, spiders, scary movies and the dark. I used to care about what people thought of me being frightened, but I don’t anymore. You should overcome your fears at your own pace, if you choose to at all. One thing you should definitely not do is let your fears take control of you.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Semi ‘08

2008-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

This past Friday was the Winter Semi Formal. I think everyone had a great time. Before the dance, a lot of people sometimes go to friends’ houses for pictures for a pre-semi party, then go over to the dance together. I had a bunch of my friends over before semi, for pictures and just to hang out. Everyone looked great and it was fun to see the whole school together. The gym was transformed and decorated to fit the theme. The DJ was awesome and kept the energy up. I think everyone who was dancing had sore legs the next day. It was also my best friend Jenna’s 16th birthday. My friends and I all tried to make it as special as we could for her.

Semi Formal.

2008-12-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

This Friday is the annual Christmas Semi Formal and we are all very excited! I have a black dress that I decided to wear and I hope to get my hair curled for the dance. I didn’t go last year so I am anxious to go to see what it is like. The committee spends hours decorating our school gym and I heard last year that the gym looked pretty amazing. I can’t dance but thanks to the numerous amounts of sweet 16s I have been too I think I am ready to dance the night away. Speaking of sweet 16’s I have to go to one the next day after semi. This is going to be a busy weekend. I love the month of December. Out of all the months in the year, December is definitely my favorite. I think it just has a very warm feeling and it makes me eager for Christmas. I love ice skating and drinking hot chocolate, and doing all this in December is just a different feeling. I don’t think I can describe it. Wish me luck with dancing, talk to you later.

Basketball Season Begins :]

2008-12-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Basketball season of 2008-2009 has begun! Over the weekend, basketball tryouts were held for the boys’ team and the girls’ team. Friday and Saturday was for everyone who was interested in playing this season, and Sunday was for callbacks for Varsity. On Friday, I was surprised at how many freshmen were there. They came out and tried their hardest. 3 of them were called back on Sunday to try and make varsity. There were a lot less returning players this year, as opposed to last year. I made JV this year, and am looking forward to it, as I think everyone is, to sharpen their skills and play the game we all love. This is my all-time favorite part of the year, and I plan on trying my hardest to get a starting spot. I think if you love the game, then you should go out for the team. It’s a great chance to spend a lot of time playing the game competitively, and becoming friends with a different group of people.

Honor Roll Breakfast

2008-11-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

Last week was the honor roll breakfast. Tuesday was for last names A-K and Wednesday L-Z. We came down to the cafeteria during homeroom and then sat down and waited for the function to begin. We started it off with a prayer and then the guidance counselors announced the names, freshman first honors all the way to seniors’ second honors. When my name was called, of course, the chair makes this big noise and everyone stares at me. I was a little embarrassed but decided to just smile and look for the next person standing. After all the names were called we got to hit a breakfast consisting of crumb cake, donuts, bagels, and lots of juices, oh and hot chocolate (my favorite)!!!

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

A life changing experience

2008-11-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of CCD? Well it is religion class for Catholics who go to public school. This year for my service hours I thought I would volunteer as a teacher there. What I started became a life changing experience. On my first day the principle assigned me to a teacher who had the worst class, I was her assistant. I ended up knowing some of the kids in the class and got them to calm down a little. I honestly have to say this has to be the best experience of my life. The teacher and I became close; she called me an “angel from heaven” lol. She needed help so badly she was about to quit. I make tests and quizzes and I really connect with each of the students. On Monday though I received news that the women I work with (the teacher) was diagnosed with cancer. I don’t think I can describe how I feel. I came into this as a perky assistant teacher who never thought she would make such a connection with anyone, not even the teacher. I was about to cry when she told me this, she feels like a family member to me. But it’s not the end of the world, she was optimistic and said that she will make it through and we are going to teach together forever. CCD – I only did this for service hours but now I actually look forward to going. The teacher will not be there as much so I will become head teacher. I am a little excited but I wish she would be there with me. I can’t believe all that has happened; this was just for service hours. This was just for an A on a test grade. But I can say that even when I’m finished with my service hours, I will do this for a very long time.
This has changed my life.

Class Changes

2008-11-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

This year, I made the transition to mostly accelerated classes from mostly honors classes. Some of the freshmen may be doing this next year, and some of the incoming freshmen could be doing this during the year. Kids from all grades change their class level during the year, and it is a big transition in most cases. This year, I am in all accelerated classes and one honors class. In the beginning of the year, I thought some of the classes were easy. It is around this time that they are really kicking into gear and becoming hard. I like this to a certain extent because I enjoy a challenge.

Making the change into accelerated this year was really big for me. My friends were different, and my schedule conflicted with the schedule of my friends from last year. I was worried about this at first and how I would be able to handle all the work that came with an accelerated class, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep up with them. Some of you may be thinking the same thing, but you should give yourself more credit. If you are put into the accelerated and honors program, you deserve to be there; this is a concept that I could not grasp until a few weeks ago. Some people are born naturally very smart and do not have to try too hard in school to succeed. On the other hand, some people have to work hard to do well in school. If you are one of those people, do not be discouraged. Classes are different for everyone, and you need to find what is the best level for you.

Report Cards

2008-11-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

The time most students are so nervous for, report card day! We received our report cards Friday; a lot of kids like to beat their parents to the mailbox. I was nervous though because I've taken harder classes this year with so much more work such as accelerated U.S. History, honor chemistry and English but I keep it simple with regular geometry and Spanish. You can also put in gym and church. I ended up with three B+’s and the rest A’s. I was so happy, hard work really does pay off. It’s funny when I was in elementary school; I could careless about my grades. I did bad on tests (because I blank out) but for some reason it never hit me as being that terrible. But when I reached middle school something hit me, you have to do well in school; I guess it's a maturity thing. Doing well in high school especially, is so crucial. That’s the thing I like about Union Catholic is that being smart and doing your best helps you fit in with everyone. We all fight for valedictorian! A close friend of mine, Colleen is actually our class valedictorian. When I heard her name I was ready to stand up and start clapping, it must be the greatest feeling knowing your number one, but it was an even greater feeling to have a friend be number one. School is important so try hard and you’ll succeed at anything you do.

Union Catholic Volleyball State finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Vikings!

Science and Plays

2008-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday morning, I went into New York City with my mom and sister to go to a science exhibit. It was called Bodies and was in the South Street Seaport. I love biology, and this was such a great experience for me. This exhibit was so successful due to by a bunch of Asian men who donated their bodies to science after they died. The parts of each body were preserved, and how some of them were set up was unbelievable. There was a room for each of the systems of the body, along with the muscles, bones, and certain diseases that could happen to someone. It really was very interesting and anyone who likes bio should definitely go.

This past weekend was filled with drama productions. On Friday night, I went to the fall play, Incorruptible, here at UC. It was a really good performance and the cast did a great job. It was funny and I could tell the audience really enjoyed it.

Then on Saturday, I went into New York City again with my friend Brian to see Young Frankenstein. It was by far the funniest show I have ever seen. The actors were completely hilarious, and had the audience laughing almost every minute. There were times that Brian and I were laughing so hard that we were unable breathe. The music was great, and the energy throughout the room was outstanding. My favorite characters were Igor and Foullooker. I strongly insist that anyone who likes to laugh very hard and enjoys musicals should most definitely go see this show.

Espanol!

2008-11-03T09:35:00.001-08:00

No comprende espanol! I have a love/hate relationship with Spanish. My teacher is the best Spanish teacher I have ever had, but I don’t think Spanish and I understand each other. When I leave Union Catholic I hope to get into broadcasting so I’ll have to major in communication; which means I will be taking 4 years of Spanish. I love going to Spanish class but my accent is horrible, I can’t even roll my tongue! The one thing I love about Spanish class is being able to go to a Spanish speaking place and understand some of what the people are saying. Usually if I can get some words, it is common sense for the rest of the sentence. The other night I went for dinner and I had a conversation with the Spanish busboy! I thought it was the funniest thing. A language is so important for later in life, you never know when it may come in handy. So, yo comprendo espanol un copo. =) ( I understand Spanish a little)

Leadership

2008-11-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! There is so much going on at UC lately. Last week, our varsity volleyball team won their conference championship and their counties championship. I was at the county game, and it was so intense. They are now hoping to win states.
Last week at Ramapo College in Mahwah was the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Conference. 20 students were picked by lottery, five from each grade, to attend this conference. I was one of the students chosen from my grade, and I decided to go. After an hour and a half drive, we sat in the gym at the college eating breakfast and watching all the other students coming from their schools. Before we separated and went to our different classes, there were multiple people who spoke to us, including Secretary of State Wells. We were all given name tags, which had our name and the two lectures we would be attending. All of the UC kids were separated, and the point was to meet new people. The lecture topics were of a great variety, but all surrounded around the idea of leadership. My first lecture was about how to become a leader and what makes a good leader; my second lecture was about respect, and how to gain respect for yourself as a leader. I really liked both of these one hour lectures. They were informative and very interactive, between both students and students and students and instructor. It was a really good experience for all involved.
Going to this conference really made me think about being a leader. In the first lecture, the teacher asked who could be a leader and what made them one. I thought someone’s surroundings made them a leader, but also a born ability. Being a leader is very important, and if you are a leader, you know it by now. Certain people are followers, and others are leaders. If you are a leader, you have to be open to other people’s opinions. If you are a leader, don’t take advantage of it. Some leaders know they have the power, and use it in the wrong way. If you have a chance to step up and be a leader, do it. Don’t hesitate. There is always an opportunity for you to be a leader; it is just whether you choose stand up and take it is the hard part.

Elections!

2008-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

I agree with Megan when she says her table at the party was the best, we had such a fun time. Anyway, I don’t know about any of you but I’m pretty excited for the elections! This is real history in the making here, a 71 year old man or an African American man.

This Tuesday we had our own little voting polls and the final results were very close. 51% of the UC community voted Obama making 49% vote for McCain. This just shows how close the elections are going to be. The debating has gotten to be ridiculous. On my face book I put my status as McCain 08 and everyone started debating saying who they wanted to win and reasons why, I must have about 50 comments. No one can tell you who to vote for and I hope no one does. All I know is that Tuesday night is going to be a super nerve racking night.

It was easy getting into the political spirit because in US history we had to do a project on each candidate. Did you know McCain has 7 kids?!?! Or that Obama grew up dirt poor? I’ve definitely benefited from this project! It is nice feeling informed about the candidates! Who will be our next president???

If you could vote, who would you vote for?

Sweet 16's and HSM3!

2008-10-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

This year is the year for sweet 16s. It is the party for a girl coming of age, a night when she wears a beautiful dress, dances with her family and friends, and gives out her candles to the most important people in her life. It is a huge night for her.
This past weekend, I attended my first sweet 16 party for my friend Colleen. Everyone looked amazing, especially Colleen. We were assigned seats and my table was the best. She did her candles and we danced all night. She looked so happy, and everyone had a great time. After that night, I was so in the mood for another one. I talked to my mom and decided to have a sweet 16 myself. Although many months in advanced, I started thinking and planning.

Also, this weekend High School Musical 3 came out. I love the series, so I was so ecstatic when this one came out. I went opening night with my friend Michelle, and we knew almost every song. Sitting in a theater filled with kids and parents, we awaited excitedly for the movie to start. We sang loudly, said “aww” at the appropriate times, and cheered when it was over. There are a ton of other kids my own age who like High School Musical to my surprise, so don’t feel like it is too young for you, because it totally isn’t!

We won against woodbridge! And more =)

2008-10-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Oh I forgot to tell you guys, we won against Woodbridge! I was so happy and I scored that game too.

So anyway this Friday my friends and I are going to a corn maze. This maze is huge! It’s supposed to take two to three hours and we are doing it in the dark. If you don’t know what a corn maze is, it is a maze that is made out of corn, they are only found in the fall. I can’t wait! I am so excited, two more days! Sophomore year has proven to be a lot of work and today was a horrible day! Have you ever blanked out during a test? That’s what I did = (. I studied two hours for my accelerated US history test I was so ready and then when I started taking it, I drew a blank. I’ve done that in the past and I am so scared it is going to start happen more often, I hope not. Other than that everything has been going great! Report cards are coming soon and I am not that scared. I hope you all are doing well

Work and Eastern State Penitentiary

2008-10-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, I had my first day at my new job. I was nervous, but did a pretty well. I now work at Jersey Mike’s Subs and I love it. Having a job is a big responsibility. Along with maintaining the job at this age, you need to keep your grades up and should not get too stressed out.
After my shift at Jersey Mike’s, I went to the Eastern State Penitentiary – Terror Behind the Walls in Philadelphia with my boyfriend and his family at night. It is the number 1 scariest haunted house in the country, and number 7 in the world. I do not handle scary easily, so knowing it was top 10 just made me completely petrified before we even got there.
The drive was 2 hours and there were about 17 of us. We got there around 7:30, and went inside around 8:00. To start off, the outside was huge. There were castle walls surrounding the entire property, which was very intimidating. Walking and creeping around outside were the best actors. They were all dressed up, and would sneak up behind people and scare them. The anticipation was the biggest part of all of it. I screamed 3 times before we even went in.
The Penitentiary is actually haunted, and holds Al Copone’s cell in one of the wings.
Once we went in, I was clinging to my boyfriend and his cousin, as we walked through the whole thing. People jumped out at you and followed those who scream. It took you through the key parts of the jail, and the actors were going insane, as if from a psycho ward. There were 5 different sections, each getting scarier by the next. My favorite part was called the Experiment. The whole thing was 3D, and you couldn’t see the people against the walls until their limbs came at you. During the last part, called night watch, the only light through it was your flash light. Without it, there would be no way that you would be able to get through it. After it was over, I realized I was not as scared as I thought I would be. It was a lot of fun and I really think you should go and experience it for yourself.

2008-10-17T09:34:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, sorry it’s been a while but I’ve been so busy with school and sweet 16’s I hardly have time to breath anymore!

For this week’s blog I thought I would focus more on death and how it affects our lives. This week was a very upsetting week at UC, a former sister, a member of our cafeteria staff, and also an 05 graduate had passed away. It’s so sad how your life can be taken away from you just like that. It seems like yesterday the cafeteria staff member was giving me a friendly hello. I remember when my grandfather passed away, I was in 6th grade. It really affected me and I haven’t been the same since. When I was in 6th grade I didn’t think dying was real and I definitely didn’t think it could happen to me, but when I saw it did, I matured big time. Everyone moves on, I have moved on. I still think about him, I always will.
The UC community is crushed by these loses have to move on, no matter how hard it is. And remember you always have friends you can go to, that is what I did.

Workouts

2008-10-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in tryout out for basketball, there are some ways to get ready for it. Every Sunday until tryouts I think, which are days following Thanksgiving, there are open gyms run by the seniors to start to get everyone into shape and back to playing the game we all miss. We will soon be going to the workout room a few times a week to lift. If you want to start training on your own, there are some exercises that you can do on your own that will help greatly. If you time yourself, for 15 minutes you can do a core workout, consisting of crunches, sit-ups, prone holds, flutter kicks and scissors for 30 seconds each. After that, you can do push-ups for 30 seconds with a minute rest time in between each for a whole of 15 minutes. Then, for a half hour work on dribbling skills, and lastly, shoot around for another half hour. On the weekends, you should run 2 miles to keep up your speed. This may sound hard, but it will definitely help you before tryouts and the season starts. This daily workout will help with a lot of other sports you play, or if you have a lot of time after school.

Old friends...new friends

2008-10-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

After school today I have a game against Woodbridge High school and I am so excited. WHS is the public high school that I would have gone to if I didn’t come to UC. I had gone to public school my whole life and left everyone behind to come here. I was thinking about it last night and to be completely honest I started tearing up a little; just thinking back to 8th grade and everything that happened. When I said left everyone behind I meant every single person, I came here not knowing one person. At first it was hard considering a lot of people came together and everyone was friends, it was hard fitting in but by December I knew everyone and I made friends that I know will last me forever. And as time went on I realized I went to preschool with one of the girls (she was my best friend) and another girl was my enemy back in 3rd grade (we are really good friends now and actually lab partners’ haha). It’s so funny how times change. So today when I go to WHS I am going to see at least 50 people I know and play against those girls who have been in fights with me, called me a best friend, made me laugh, bought me a gift, attended my birthday party, and went to the mall with. After the game of course we are all going to have to catch up and talk about the latest gossip (we haven’t talked in 2 years!!!!). When I came to UC I thought all my friends at WHS would be there for me and we would hang out all the time. I had about 15 true friends; I talk to 3 of them now. But really I wouldn’t go back in time and turn down UC because the people I met here I love the so much! I have only known them for a year and a half but I know that they can be considered friends, and today when I see all my old friends we will have fun and laugh about everything but I don’t think I could ever forget about all the amazing friends I made here at UC and the many more I am going to make.

Conflicts and Such

2008-10-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, the open house was held at the school and was a huge success. Throughout the night, there were countless times when people would come up to Erin and I at our stand and ask “what is a blogger? Is it like a club or something?” and this was somewhat a hard question to answer, because they looked at us as if they were lost. On the other hand, people came up to us and told us they read our blogs every week, which was really cool to hear.
So in all the blogs that we write, we talk about everything happening at UC and all the good stuff about our lives at the time. But just because we talk about all this great stuff doesn’t mean that we are like, invincible and nothing bad happens. You have the normal stuff going on like you do everywhere, drama with friends, stress over a huge amount of homework or a big test coming up, arguments with your significant other, school conflicts, or any type of pressure. This past weekend, I got into a pretty big fight with one of my best friends, and we are slowly trying to move past this. Even when something happens that we don’t plan or hope for, not only in school but in our everyday lives, we have to think the positive and try to move past the conflict. You stress yourself out worrying so much about it, and that isn’t good for you at all. Not everything can always go peachy, but there is always a way to make it better. Something you will learn in high school is a way to move past all the bad stuff, and move onto the good stuff.

Welcome Back Dance

2008-09-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the ever so popular welcome back dance! There were so many people and everyone had an amazing time. The dance is fun because it is a mix with the whole school, you go with friends, and you dress casual. Now I'm excited for semi!

I can't believe September is almost over! It feels like school just started, time really does fly by. I'm very excited for Thursday evening when 6th, 7th, and 8th, graders get to meet our bloggers! You guys have read all about us, I think it is time you actually get to meet us.

Yesterday I had a soccer game and we won! I took about 50 shots on net and missed every single one of them. But a game like that was just a lot of fun and almost every girl on the team scored. But now it's time to get serious, our next game is Thursday against Governor Livingston. Wish us luck.

Well that's all that has been going on this week, I will see you all Thursday =)

Welcome Back Dance & Open House

2008-09-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the Welcome Back Dance for all UC students. There were a lot of kids there and it was a lot of fun. The music was loud, and everyone was dancing. I think this year’s freshmen class was more outgoing and danced more than my own grade. I love how everyone is so comfortable with all the other students and how your age nor grade doesn’t influence who you are friends with or who you hang out with.
This Tuesday is the Open House at UC. In the gym, there will be many different stations for parents or kids to come and see what is happening in the school. This year, my fellow sophomore blogger Erin and I will be at a blogger stand. We are making a poster and are very excited. If you are coming to the open house, come say hello! :D

Chemistry

2008-09-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

The most fearful class of all sophomores has to be chemistry. I think we all are more easy going about geometry than this horrifying subject. But after being in this class for two weeks, I am really starting to like chemistry. I think the best part is the labs. The other day we got to use fire and watch paper burn. Fire is not my favorite thing; I am actually sort of scared of it. But I lit a match! Experiments not only teach you about chemicals and such but how to work together. My lab partner and I disagree at times but in the end were not going to blow something up in each other’s faces. I am learning so much in chemistry, it’s a hard class but as long as I pay attention and stay interested, hopefully I’ll have no problem.

The other day Megan and I were talking to Mrs. Thornton with an idea about a blogging station at the open house. She liked the idea, so we are going to be their October 2nd at 7:00! I actually have a soccer game that day so I’ll probably go right from soccer to the open house.

Speaking of soccer we lost yesterday = (. I believe we are 2-2. The season just started, our next game is Friday against GL, wish us luck.

Week 3 Begins

2008-09-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, the freshmen received their laptops and attended the laptop training. I think its official: school has most definitely started and is in full swing. It doesn’t seem that the freshmen are scared anymore, which is a very good sign. I hope you all feel the comfort and great atmosphere of the school that I felt a year ago, and that I still feel today.
So I know that it is still early in the year, but sophomore year is not as hard as I expected. I really like my classes and I have some great teachers. I know that if I ever need any help this year, they will be able to help me. I have certain goals set for myself this year that I am striving to achieve, which I hope will be achieved. Setting a goal for each marking period is a good way to keep yourself dedicated and focused.

My Soccer Team

2008-09-22T06:11:00.001-07:00

About a month ago the cuts were made and all of the UC soccer girls settled into their teams. The first week we all looked at each other and tried to get to know one another. My soccer team turned into my family. We practice every day after school and spend enough time together. We fight like sisters, screaming and yelling at each other to do better. And when one gets hurt in the game, we all get hurt in the game. When one person scores we all score! When one person gets mad we all try our best to cheer them up. So I may not be on varsity and I may not be the most amazing soccer player, but being on JV is a life changing experience. We all joke around in the hallway and help each other “tuck in” our shirts. We have tons of inside jokes together. But we know once it comes to game time, we get serious. We are always cheering each other on and we always remember we win as a team, we lose as a team and no matter what we will always be a team.

Our record is 2-1. =).

'08-'09 Begins

2008-09-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Well, school is back and by the looks of it, we are all trying to get back into the swing of things, waking up at 6:00 AM and running to catch the bus. The homework is light, and the freshmen are probably doing activities in class to get to know each other.
So I was thinking the other day about how the sophomores always get the reputation that they think they are so cool because they are not freshmen anymore. I said to myself that I was not going to be like that. So talking to my mom the other day, she said I definaiely had that attitude, and I shouldn't because only 4 months ago, I was a freshman. I thought it was funny, but it is true; just 4 months ago, we were freshmen and it seems like so long ago. A lot has changed, and we are all moving on. This is a new year, a fresh page in our high school careers, open to new things, new possibilities. I have a feeling that this is going to be a good school year.
To all the new freshman, I hope you aren't scared anymore, if you were scared at all. They say some of the best years of your life occur in high school; so make friends, get involved, work hard, and feel free to say hi to me in the hallways. :]

John Mayer Taking Over Summer!

2008-07-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope you're all having an amazing summer, as I am.

Okay so as some of you might not have known, John Mayer was in the tristate area, doing some concerts for his summer tour. My friend Catie won tickets through Z100 to go see him, upclose and personal, at Spotlight Live (or the ZLounge) in New York City last Tuesday and asked me if I wanted to go. Of course I said yes, just because I love him, and it was my birthday. :D I came prepared, with a birthday crown on my head and a sign in my hand. So after 6 hours of waiting, John finally came out on stage. It was one of the greatest moments of my life; my favorite singer, 5 feet away from me. As the show went on, some of the audience, along with my friend Catie, got to ask him questions. He sang 4 songs: Say, Belief, (my favorite song by him :]), Free Fallin', and Waiting on the World to Change. In between songs, he sang "happy bithday" to me, and at the end of his show, reached over the girls in front of me, and gave me his guitar pic; I nearly died. Definately the best birthday present ever. Hahaha.

Then, this week on Tuesday, I went to his concert with 4 of my friends at PNC Bank Art Center for the second time. It was such a great concert. I knew almost every one of his songs and sang them loud and clear. It was such an amazing night. I hope some of you freshman are huge John Mayer fans like I am!! :]

SUMMER & UC SOCCER

2008-07-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I hope your summer is going well. Summer has been so busy for me. I'm anxious about the upcoming soccer try outs in august. Tryouts are always nerve racking and really put you on the edge of your seat. I heard a lot of freshman are coming and ready to start playing. I'm starting to run and get in the game again. Every Thursday at 6:30 the varsity team has captain practices and invites everyone to join them. Its a great way to start meeting the rest of the team. As an incoming freshman last year I was very scared to meet the other girls, so I never went. But now you have a friend ~ so come. I'm amazed at how quick summers going! Sophomore year here
I come! Freshman year was one of the best years of my life, I know your all going to love it, and I'm excited to see you all in September, or at soccer practice.

July

2008-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Hope you are all enjoying your summer! So far, the weather over all has been great and hot; perfect for the beach!

So just last week, open gyms started for incoming freshman and current students of Union Catholic who plan to try out and play basketball in the winter season. It is a great opportunity to work on your skills and just start to get to know the other players. The next open gym is on July 10th from 6:00-8:00. Future dates will be posted, or you can find them on Coach Matthew's school notes page. (click on parents at top of page; go to academics and click on school notes; go to educator and click on school notes; click on Kathy Matthews)

I hope you all are not being too busy, because there is enough time during the school year for busy. Lay back and relax; there is still much more summer to go!