UC Forensics in Princeton

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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 :]

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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!

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....

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

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

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

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

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

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 !!!

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.