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!