2002-11-25 - Union Catholic Regional High School

1 

T 

PROPHET 

November 25, 2002 

H 

E 

UNION CATHOLIC REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 

November 25, 

2002 

In This Issue: 

Dress code: 

changes needed? 3 

Honor roll 

announced 4–5 

Alumni teachers 5 

Junior ring 

ceremony 6 

Halloween report 7 

Prophet quiz 8 

Prophet poll 9 

Arts report 11–13 

Sports report 14–15 

Calendar 

November 25 

Thanksgiving liturgy, 

8:30 AM 

November 26 

Early dismissal, 

11:35 AM 

Parent–Teacher 

conferences 

November 27 

School closed: UC 

Championship 

Holiday 

(continued on page 15) 

Thanksgiving Comes to UC 

Kristine Mintel, Lori Sobers, Amanda Ballate, Christina Iafe 

WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD 

“Thanksgiving,” the majority of 

people tend to think of the hearty 

feast, the endless meal, the mashed 

potatoes, the corn, the 

pumpkin pie and, of 

course, the turkey. 

Especially after the 

trauma of September 11, 

it is even more important 

to reflect on the true meaning 

of Thanksgiving. The most 

important idea is to remain close to 

your family and be thankful and 

appreciative of all the blessings we 

are given. 

Foreign Language Honor 

Societies Induct 61 New 

Members 

Sean Prawdzik 

SIXTY-ONE NEW MEMBERS OF THE 

Foreign Language Honor Societies 

were inducted in a ceremonial 

service on November 14. French, 

Italian, and Spanish students were 

involved in the induction. 

After an invocation by Principal 

Sister Percylee Hart, RSM, and 

opening remarks by Foreign Language 

Department Chairperson 

Mrs. McHugh, students presented 

themselves by reciting poems or 

The Pilgrims who came to 

America did not have easy lives. 

During the winter of 1620–1621, half 

of the colonists died. The following 

year, the bountiful harvest of 1621 

gave the Pilgrims reason to 

celebrate and give thanks to 

God. With each succeeding 

year, the crops 

grew more abundant. 

The Thanksgiving 

we know today did not have the 

same meaning to the Pilgrims. 

Thanksgiving was a traditional 

English harvest festival. Not until 

(continued on page 2) 

sharing stories in their learned 

language. As Spanish Honor Society 

inductee junior Kristine Manalo 

noted, “I am glad I made it here and 

happy about my accomplishments 

learning the Spanish language.” 

Madame Brennan, Señor Zenhle, 

and Signore Cerimele were all very 

proud of the students’ efforts and 

time spent to excel in a foreign 

language. “It’s was an honor to be 

(continued on page 7)

The Prophet 2 

A UC Thanksgiving 

(continued from page 1) 

the 19th century did this event become identified 

with the traditional American Thanksgiving 

feast. 

Many people thoroughly enjoy Thanksgiving. 

“This year I find myself full of emotion and truly 

thankful for all that I have,” said Mrs. Addison. 

“I am very lucky to have a loving, supportive 

husband and we have been blessed with a 

wonderful child. I am very excited to begin 

creating new holiday traditions with my new 

family.” Mrs. McCoid cherishes her family’s 

traditions. “On Thanksgiving, my family gets a 

loaf of bread blessed at church. Before we eat our 

meal, we pass the blessed bread around the 

table, and everyone tears off a piece and says 

what they are thankful for. Then we all eat our 

pieces of the blessed bread. When I was growing 

up, my Aunt Peggie always made sweet potato 

casserole with marshmallows for Thanksgiving. 

My aunt passed away before Thanksgiving two 

years ago, but someone still makes Aunt Peggie’s 

casserole and we reminisce about her when it’s 

served.” 

Junior Allison Gigantelli reflected, “Thanksgiving 

is a great way to get closer with your 

family and a good way to really reflect on what 

is important in your life.” To junior Darnell 

Moise, “For Thanksgiving, I have over family 

and friends, but the friends are like family.” 

Embracing the idea of family and friends is a 

main focus of Thanksgiving at UC, as well as 

remembering to be thankful for everything God 

gives us every day. 

Chock Full o’Nuts 

Kay Manalo 

THIS YEAR’S ACORN DRIVE COLLECTED OVER 500 

pounds of acorns for the New Jersey Forest 

Service. Led by Executive Board members juniors 

Daniel Sandiford, Matthew Lubin, Steve 

Perlas, and sophomore Elyssa DiGiovanni, the 

Environmental Club sponsored the drive and 

awarded a top prize, a free 

breakfast, to the homeroom 

that collected the 

most acorns. Freshman 

homeroom 202, with 

encouragement by Mrs. 

O’Donnell, won the contest 

by collecting a whopping 

150 pounds of acorns. 

The acorns will be taken to nurseries throughout 

New Jersey, in hopes of growing young seedlings, 

essential in repopulating the state forests. 

The Environmental Club’s September recruitment 

campaign resulted in the addition of 100 

new members. Sister Mary Raymond, moderator 

of the club, is continually encouraged by the 

enthusiasm of club members. 

The Prophet is a publication of Union Catholic Regional High School, Scotch Plains, New Jersey. 

Letters to the Editor 

Want to share your opinions in The Prophet? 

The Prophet accepts letters from all members 

of the Union Catholic community. Letters to 

The Prophet must be signed. However, we will 

withhold your name upon request. The Prophet 

reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and 

length. Letters may be placed in The Prophet 

mailbox in the main office or given to any 

editor-in-chief. 

Contributions (articles, photographs, cartoons, 

etc.) are also accepted. Please see Mr. 

Leib in Room 206 or an editor for details. 

Editors-in-chief Christina Iafe, Kristine Mintel, 

Lori Sobers, Amanda Ballate 

Staff 

David Ault 

Rebecca Babicz 

Jessica Bourné 

Rosavida Cruz 

Christopher Etzold 

Thomas Fortunato 

Gabriel Grisalez 

Jennifer Hano 

Lynn Hemenway 

Suzanne Hennessy 

Jasmine Holliday 

Christian Lapa 

Cara Latham 

Kristine Manalo 

Rachel Martel 

Lauren Moore 

Laura Mortkowitz 

Kathleen Murray 

Joseph Palinsky 

Sean Prawdzik 

Angela Wiggs

3 November 25, 2002 

Opinion: 

Comfortable Student=Good Student 


One of the biggest disadvantages to going to a Catholic school has always been the uniform. As a 

youngster, I’d argue with my friends who went to public school about who had it better. No matter 

how many points I would make—we get out earlier, we have juice time, whatever—it would always 

come back to, “You wear uniforms.” 

So now I’m seventeen, far beyond these childish arguments, and still in Catholic school with the 

same problem. Uniforms. Really, I don’t mind them all that much; it’s easier to pick out an outfit in 

the morning and I have a lot more closet space. But I still find myself jealous of my public school 

counterparts. Why? The sole reason is comfort. These uniforms are anything but that. My collar 

itches, my belt’s tight, my shoes hurt, and my Flynn’s are far too snug around the ankles. 

I understand the reason we wear uniforms. Although some may say that they oppress each 

person’s individuality, uniforms put everyone on equal ground—at least as far as attire goes. And 

that’s fine. I don’t mind being on equal ground. However, school’s hard enough without having to 

be bothered about what I wear. Comfort is very important to me. I function better when I am comfortable; 

most people do. And I feel that for anyone to reach his full potential, he should be comfortable. 

(The girls, too.) 

I understand that the school likes to have an image. And that’s OK, too. I have some very nice 

pairs of sweatpants at home that I could wear. But then again, that would go against the whole 

equality thing, since everyone doesn’t come from the same background. So here is what I propose. 

If it is that important, I say keep the traditional look of khakis and shirts, or skirts and blouses. 

But add some items to that list. If the school wants everyone to be the same, just give them all the 

opportunity to look the same. If they choose to look different, that is their own choice. They had the 

opportunity. I propose that Union Catholic offer official Union Catholic sweatpants. Not the ones 

we wear for gym but the fleecy ones. You know, the good stuff. Truly, that is all I ask for. 

But I’m sure other students have their own preferences. I think a change in uniform is fine, and 

wouldn’t stray from our school’s current ideals. Everyone would be on equal ground. We could just 

choose what we’d like to wear from our Union Catholic uniform catalogue. I’ll wear what the school 

offers me; I just want a choice. 

All I really want is sweatpants—maybe shorts for the summer—but other than that, I’m pretty 

good. The only other thing that bothers me is the shoes. It’s not really a shoe issue because my shoes 

are fine. It’s an issue of wearing them for six hours. With my new uniform plan, I’d probably be 

wearing the official Union Catholic sandals, sneakers if it’s cold. But sometimes you just want to be 

able to move your toes. 

As I said before, comfort is truly essential to learning. So I think Union Catholic should also have 

official uniform grip socks. I’d say regular socks, but then people might slip in the halls, and I’m not 

asking the school to put in rugs or anything, although it would be nice. But just adding grip socks to 

the catalogue would be very beneficial. I wouldn’t be tense, I’d be relaxed. It would be super. In a 

perfect world, the school would just add a cubby to each locker to put shoes in, and then students 

could be allowed to wander the school in my official blue and white uniform grip socks. 

Just a few minor additions to the uniform catalogue would really make a great impact. A comfortable 

student is a happy student. And a happy student is a focused student. And a focused student is 

a good student. We pay enough money for uniforms already. Why not just add a few more items? 

I’d rock my Flynn sweats all day.

The Prophet 4 

381 Make Honors Roll 


THE HONORS BREAKFAST WAS HELD ON NOVEMBER 21 FOR THOSE WHO MADE THE FIRST AND SECOND 

honor rolls in the first marking period. There were a total of 381 students present to be acknowledged 

for their efforts. One hundred sixty made first honor roll and 221 made second honor roll. 

The speaker for the breakfast was Mr. Wright, speaking about his recently published book. Many of 

the freshmen were delighted at being present at the breakfast as a good start to their years at UC. 

The complete honor rolls: 

First Honor Roll 

Seniors 

Sean Bennett 

Lauren Bowe 

Beau Brack 

Teofilo Caliolio 

Nuno Castainca 

Tiffany Cates 

Lauren Chapnick 

Alison Clark 

Elizabeth D’Antuono 

Maria DePaolo 

Anthony D’Errico 


Jillian-Aileen Flores 

Pietro Hanatzky 

Jennifer Hano 

Jaleah Hawkins 

Kaitlyn Kavalus 

Amanda Kelly 

Cara Latham 

Daniel Majcen 

Michael Manganiello 

Rachel Martel 

Stephanie Massaro 

Robert McGuire 

Lindsey Mills 

Lisa Mruk 

Deborah Oravez 

Vincent Passafiume 

Debora Reviriego 

Chad Riddick 

Edwin Ruiz 

Folusho Sodeke 

Michael Vogt 

Kathleen Walsh 

Caitlin Yergalonis 

Juniors 

Sabina Advani 

David Ault 

Christopher Boyar 

Robin Brumbaugh 

Stephanie Cabrera 

Kimberly Chervenyak 

Evianna Cruz 

Kevin DelMauro 

Rachel Diken 

Richard Esposito 

Jaclyn Esteves 

Alexandria Farawell 

Stephen Farawell 

Timothy Hague 

Jennifer Hand 

Nicole Hauck 

Christina Iafe 

Jennifer Kakaletris 

Sean Keane 

Tanya Martinez 

Gwen McGuire 

Kyle McPherson 

Christine Milazzo 

Brian Navoa 

Katherine Palitto 

Stephen Perlas 

Gabriela Portovedo 

Kristy Ries 

Daniel Sandiford 

Meghan Seamster 

Pamela Seiple 

Tiffany Sprague 

Julianne Tooker 

Joseph Torella 

Ashley Whittemore 

Sophomores 

Judy Ann Adan 

Denise Aliparo 

Joseph Cicchino 

Cristin Colucci 

Toni Anne Corsi 

Katherine Czado 

Brian De Oliveira 

Elyssa Di Giovanni 

Raquel Dominguez 

Melissa Ford 

Leana Gonsalves 

Monica Grabowski 

Darryl Jon Lasin 

Karina Linares 

Melissa Malapit 

Mark Manuel 

Lauren Maseda 

Sophia Rose 

Mavroudas 

Vincent Napolitano 

Patricia Niziolek 

Kelly Rapolas 

Cheryl Ritter 

Rachel Rota 

Alison Steinbach 

Ashley Styranec 

Grace Thomas 

Marybeth Tran 

Mark Vislocky 

Freshmen 

Tatiana Alcocer 

Dawn Aliparo 

Jacqueline Arce 

Julianne Berger 

Jasmine Bolton 

Mary Bricki 

Louis Caruso 

Evan Chaillet 

Alexander Cicchino 

Margaret Conlon 

Nicole Cousins 

David D’Apolito 

Jonathan DeOliveira 

Anthony DePaolo 

Gina DiCosmo 

Amy Dooley 

Gabriel Faria 

Kazimierz Filus 

Bradley Gelles 

Lauren Hahn 

Kelly Hanley 

Courtney Harris 

Lesley Hendricks 

Jackelyn Hernandez 

Daniel Hudak 

Jennifer Hudak 

Katherine Hudak 

Alexandra Johnson 

Nicole Jose 

Carla Kaminski 

Matthew Kolar 

Brian Kratky 

Paul Latham 

Jill Lee 

Carl Luongo 

Caitlin Mahler 

Katherine Martinez 

Stephanie Mateiro 

Marissa Mavroudas 

Katherine McGhee 

Ashley Meyn 

Michael Mirza 

Carolyn Moran 

Nicholas Morrisey 

Ashley Mujica 

Cara Murphy 

Michael Nowicki 

Danielle O’Brien 

Matthew Oliveto 

Nicole Palumbo 

Phillip Pleva 

Steven Reis 

Angela Richardson 

Michelle Simpson 

Victoria Spellman 

Meredith Spera 

Steven Tobia 

Christopher Varga 

Krystina Villuga 

Mark Vyzas 

Allyssa Walls 

Danielle Zoller 

Second Honor Roll 

Seniors 

Ja’naya Anderson 

Richard Arena 

Joseph Azydzik 


John Bialick 

Fatima Cardoso 

William Case 

Ernesto Cerimele 

Kathleen Cioffi 

Aleetha Clanton 

Alneesa Clanton 

Gabrielle Conforti 

Mario Cortes 

Ray Crego 

Rosavida Cruz 

Melissa Delatorre 

Linda Dolansky 

Daniel Douress 

Steven Esperon 

Matthew Esposito 

Paulisa Garcia 

Kevin Gates 

Pedro Gomes 

Nelson Goncalves 

Jacqline Gray 

Stephanie Green 

Wilson Guinto 


Jasmine Holliday 

Eugene Isidro 

Sheri Jones 

Bridget Koza 

Daniel Kruse 

Jessica Kurylak 

Patrick Lagera 

Bruno Lanfernini 

Hope Loeffler 

Darhel Mays 

Christopher Mazza 

Kevin McCarthy 

Kathryn Millard 

Matthew Montano 

Leslie Montferret 

Ashley Morgan 


Ashleigh Myers 

Zharina Opilac 

Shannan Osbahr 

Brandon Pitts 

David Ritter 

Thomas Ritter 

Kristen Rizzo 

Grace Rocca 

Adam Rusnock 

Rick Schwartz 

Katarzyna Sliwa 

Patrick Stahlberg 

Robert Tami 

May Tanudtanud 

Drew Terpenning 

Toni Tonge 

Bryan Toro 

Kristopher Velez 

Robert Whitaker 

Jade Williams 

Juniors 

Shade Ajetunmobi 

Precious Andrews 

Amanda Ballate 

Lauren Body 

Christine Bowman 

Stevens Bueno 

Nathalie Cortes 

Neil Dominique 

Kristin Dube 

Chavone Edwards 

Jamal Gaskins 

Merari Gaud 

Allison Gigantelli 

Shauna Greenwood 

Vanessa Guzman 

Stacey Hagenbush 

Thomas Hahn 

Jennifer Hanley 

Jennifer Hillyer 

Lauren Huber 

Nicole Jean 

Ashley Jefferson 

Jonathan Kalkus 

Elizabeth King 

Ryan Leonard 

Roberto Lleras 

Matthew Lubin 

Kristine Mintel 

Emily Moharter 

Elizabeth Morasso 

Katrina Musa 

Sunday Panzavecchia 

Christopher Rodriguez 

George Roselle 

Michael Rubel 

Kimberly Schurtz 

Katherine Seamon 

Anna Socha 

Leah Spearman 

Brittany Steiner 

Geraldine Tandoc 

Leonard Tate 

Christie Veloso 

Jessica Vogt 

Jerome Wallace 

Katherine Wuertz 

Sophomores 

Kenneth Abel 

April Bacunawa 

Kara Beaufort 

Amanda Bleka 

Beth Ann Bodek 

Colleen Brown 

Danielle Chapla 

Vanessa Cruz 

Mathew Cunha 

Robert Downer 

Kristine Eppinger 

Jessica Espinosa 

Lisa Marie Fedorochko 

Jennifer Feeley 

Elizabeth Gabriel 

Kristy Glavasich 

Stephanie Guterl 

Richard Hernandez 

Oliver Joszt 

Lindsay Keogh 

Natasha Larrinaga 

Elizabeth McGonigle 

Thomas Mintel 


Katelyn Murray 

Stephanie Pego 

Amanda Pitts 

Johnna Plunkett 

Merissa Rose 

Megan Stahlberg 

(continued on next page)


Kristi Tami 

Robert Tandoc 

Ann Jaclyn Te 

Andrew Timmes 

Regina Topping 

C.J. Urso 

Joseph Varvara 

Nichole Zoller 

Freshmen 

Megan Amorosa 

Amanda Arciero 

Andres Ballate 

Kristin Barko 

Angela Belotta 

Michael Bento 

Destiny Blair 

Christaphine Bobray 

Jonathan Cardadeiro 

Jessica Catananzi 

Courtney Cerreta 

Christopher Chaban 

Daniel Cowan 

Thomas Creanza 

Shannon Curry 

Zachary Davis 

Evan Davis-Weems 

Victoria Deresz 

Nicole Desiato 

David Di Lonardo 

Nikeisa Dollard 

Malarie Donohue 

Gregory Dorilus 

Julia Dougherty 

Christine Evans 

Caitlin Feeley 

Thenegard Fils-Aime 

Kervens Francois 

Cara Gennuso 

Matthew Giordanella 

Gabriella Gomes 

Kimberly Hannam 

Pam Heaney 

Angela Homs 

Kristina Hoover 

Steven Jacques 

Terrell James 

Norah Janson 

Melanie Kelliher 

Nicole King 

David Klimowicz 

Justin Klosek 

Melissa Lagera 

Alyssa Lewandowski 

Anthony Lisciotto 

Christina Lombardi 

Elizabeth Lombardi 

Heather Lonergan 

Bradley Lord 

Jennifer Loureiro 

Kevin Lubin 

Meredith Manly 

Pawel Markiewicz 

Joseph Massaro 

Jessica Moise 

Gerard Onacki 

Alejandra Otero 

Christopher 

Paszkowski 

Priya Patel 

Konrad Piatkiewicz 

Genna Pinto 

Benjamin Poon 

Jessica Pribush 

Katelyn Primich 

Alexia Regman 

Paige Rusnock 

Joanne Schurtz 

Alexandra Slomko 

Laura Veiksans 

Brian Villegas 

Dennis Walker 

Bobby Yarborough 

More Alumni Teachers 


FIFTEEN UNION CATHOLIC ALUMNI ARE CURrently 

faculty members here. This is the second 

article in a series focusing on returning faculty. 

When Mr. Cerimele arrived at UC as a freshman, 

it was two separate schools, an all boys and 

an all girls high school. 

Student council was run by 

the male students. They were 

in charge of hosting concerts 

every year where famous 

bands like Black Sabbath 

performed. In the cafeteria 

there was a juke box, while 

nuns stood in the middle to 

divide the girls and boys. 

Basketball and soccer games were well attended, 

in part because contests were held to see which 

homeroom had the most students attend the 

games. One of Mr. Cerimele’s favorite memories 

is of the 1972–1973 school year when “the brothers 

cancelled exam week and the girls school still 

had to take them.” 

Mrs. McCoid was a student at UC from 1987– 

1991. In the late ’80s, students had fewer options 

with their uniforms— 

everyone had to wear a 

light blue shirt and navy 

shorts for gym. No one 

wore knee socks high 

because the style then was 

slouchy socks. Mrs. McCoid 

remembers playing on the 

girls soccer team and having 

a lot of fun, although “we 

were not nearly as good as the girls team now.” 

The senior prom was held at Mayfair Farms and 

the girls wore puffy bright colored dresses. “One 

of my best classroom memories was standing on 

chairs singing the 1st John 1–9 song with Mr. 

Wright.” 

Mr. McManus is another 

member of the class of 1991. 

“Everything was the same 

except there were no 

laptops.” Mr. McManus took 

French all four years at UC 

and remembers having good 

times in Mrs. Brennan’s 

class. He also remembers 

playing tennis at UC. 

Mrs. Doherty attended UC between the years 

of 1988–1993. UC was as much a community 

then as it is now because 

of the close bond with 

friends. “We had a ton of 

fun; and I loved it,” said 

Mrs. Doherty. “We did 

everything together.” 

Trends included the girls 

wearing boxer shorts 

underneath their uniforms, 

as many students 

do today. Also popular 

was big hair. It seems that having spiked hair 

was not a dress code violation during the ’80s. 

How big was the hair? According to Mrs. 

Doherty, “Very big hair; mine was five inches off 

my head.”

The Prophet 6 

Junior Ring 

Ceremony 

Christian Lapa and Gabriel Grisalez 

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2004 HAVE RECEIVED 

their rings and have completed one of the many 

steps on the path of becoming a senior. The ring 

ceremony was led by former UC student Fr. Paul 

Sretenovic, the first time the event was presided 

over by an alumnus. “It’s great to be back at 

Union Catholic,” said Father Sretenovic. “I didn’t 

think I would be invited to be the priest at the 

ring ceremony but it was a great honor to share 

such a glorious experience with the class of 

2004.” 

The ceremony began with a Mass and readings 

from the Bible, followed by the distribution of 

the rings. Several members of the class of 2004 

shared feelings and reached out to fellow classmates. 

Many students felt this was a time that 

would change them. “Events like the ring ceremony 

bring us together as a class,” said Gwen 

McGuire. “It’s great to share something like this 

with other juniors.” 

The ring ceremony is one of the most memorable 

moments in the UC experience. It is a time 

where all the members of the class and faculty 

unite one last time before the final step of the UC 

experience is achieved. “Everyone’s personality 

is put into his or her ring, and the rings show off 

UC spirit,” said Sara Mason. She and many other 

students celebrate the receiving of their rings 

and will take this ceremony as a sign of becoming 

closer as a class. 

Food Drive for 

the Needy 

Rosavida Cruz and Sean Prawdzik 

STUDENTS OF UNION CATHOLIC HAVE BEEN DOnating 

food to homeless families of St Anne’s 

Shelter in Newark. Twenty-five needy families 

are involved, most of whom include single 

mothers who support families of three to thirteen 

people. Homerooms provide a Thanksgiving 

meal; each student is assigned to bring in one 

food item. Each family receives a basket of 

necessities that will include everything needed 

for their Thanksgiving meal. 

Sister Anne Sullivan arranged the drive, which 

is run by the Student Council. The school has 

conducted the food drive for the past thirty years 

and all students are encouraged to participate. 

Faculty and staff help as well. The school secretaries 

provide their own assortments of food in 

the baskets assigned to them. 

As Sister Ann put it, “To feed the hungry is a 

work of mercy. God’s mercy extends over us 

when we hear that call.” 

Mr. J’s New Gig 

Lori Sobers 

THIS SCHOOL YEAR, MR. JOHNSTON IS NOT ONLY 

teaching math but is also part of the technology 

side of Union Catholic. After graduating from 

UC in 1997 and Scranton University two years 

ago, Mr. Johnston re-entered the UC community 

last year as a math teacher. 

Now a part time 

teacher (two sections of 

algebra II honors and 

one section of geometry 

regulars), Mr. Johnston 

is aiding Miss Piasecki 

with the redevelopment 

of the school 

website and helping to 

bring the Cisco Academy 

Program, a college 

computer course, into 

the curriculum for the 

upcoming school year. The “CA” is a collegenetworking 

course that high schools such as 

Cranford and Rahway have implemented into 

their curriculum. 

Mr. Johnston has visited high schools that 

have the program in place to learn more about 

setting it up at UC. “This program will be good 

for serious students to take advantage of,” 

commented Mr. Johnston on the new program. 

Mr. Johnston “loves” his new job and looks 

forward to giving UC students a new advantage 

in the technology world.


UC Spooked Up 

For Halloween 

Jasmine Holliday and Sean Prawdzik 

The corridors of Union Catholic were once again 

decorated in the spirit of Halloween. From black 

and orange lights to makeshift spider webs, the 

school was transformed into a haunted house. 

The Student Council and several volunteers from 

each class came together to create memorable 

“Halloween” hallways. 

The freshman lockers were draped with 

Halloween-themed pictures; their names were 

written on tombstones. When asked about the 

magnitude of the fright in the hallway, freshman 

Evan Davis-Williams replied, “It’s not so scary, 

but I wouldn’t want to walk in here alone in the 

dark.” 

The junior wing was gruesomely decorated 

with skeletons and monster-like footprints. The 

skylights were covered with black and orange 

colored paper and the fluorescent bulbs were 

turned off for added effect. 

The senior wing was adorned with pumpkins 

and glittered with lights, and the infamous 

cardboard coffin stood in the distance. Seniors 

Aleetha and Alneesa Clanton and Beau Brack 

turned up 

the terror 

by hiding 

in the 

coffin and 

randomly 

jumping 

out to 

scare 

people. 

Students 

wore all 

kinds of 

strange, 

memorable, 

and 

funny 

costumes. 

From 

Steven 

Watkins as 

a chick magnet to Frank Hall as Afro Man, the 

students showed creativity and imagination. 

Students showed up as zombies, mad scientists, 

Hulk Hogan and SpongeBob Squarepants, 

having a great time dressed as people or monsters 

that they wish they were or loved imitating. 

Even several faculty members joined in. Mr. 

Leib, Mrs. Addison, Mrs. Carolan, Miss Webber, 

Mrs. Doherty and Mr. Addison dressed as UC 

students, each one out of dress code. “Halloween 

is my favorite holiday,” said senior Gabby 

Conforti, who was dressed as a fairy. “It gives 

people a chance to dress up and be something 

they’re not.” 

When the breakfast and parade were over, the 

students were allowed to attend their classes in 

their costumes and a Halloween contest was 

presented later in the day. Compared to most 

years, quite a large number of students had 

gotten dressed up for this year. It wasn’t surprising 

to see Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Lennon, 

and Jason Voorhees making appearances. The 

winners of the most original costume contest 

were Seniors Kristi Spirra and Zharina Opilac, 

who were dressed as cows from head to udder. 

“This Halloween in school is going to be one that 

I’ll remember for years after we graduate,” said 

Spirra.

The Prophet 8 

The Prophet Quiz 

Miss Webber, Mrs. Addison, Mr. Leib, Mrs. Carolan, and Mr. Addison capture the Halloween 

spirit by dressing up as typical students. How many dress code violations can you find? List 

all of the dress code violations on a piece of paper with your name and homeroom number 

and put the paper in The Prophet mailbox in the main office. All entries will be judged on 

completeness and accuracy by the experts (Mr. Marotti and Mrs. Carolan). 

All decisions of the judges are final. 

GRAND PRIZE: A free one-week supply of French fries at the cafeteria. 

Students in 

Action Club 


The Students in Action (SIA) Club, started by Joe 

Torrella and moderated by Mrs. Mascolino, has 

many goals this year, including helping with the 

Thanksgiving food drive with posters and 

donations and doing the same with the upcoming 

coat drive. Around Christmas time, they will 

sell lollipops to raise money for the poor. Every 

Wednesday they visit nursing homes. They want 

to start a St. Valentine’s Day dance with the 

proceeds going to charity, a walkathon in the 

spring at Tamaques Park, and a pet adoption day 

in March. They also are going to be putting up a 

website shortly to make it easier for students to 

know what is going on and when. 

The club has a membership of about 270 

students, almost a third of the student body. “I 

realized that if I could use my time a little more 

wisely I could really make something with it,” 

said Torrella. He came up with the idea from Mr. 

Donahue’s “Sophomores in Action” project last 

year, and made it a working club this year, 

“Students in Action.” 

Board members include Joe Torrella (President), 

Christina Iafe (Vice President), Marybeth 

Trann (Treasurer), and Tim Hague (Webmaster). 

New FLHS Members 


there,” said Spanish Honor Society member 

junior Amanda Ballate. “I feel so good about all I 

did to become a member here.” 

The inductees to the Sociedad Honoraria 

Hispanica were Sabina Advanti, Amanda 

Ballate, Robin Brumbaugh, Stevens Bueno, Mario 

Cortes, Nathalie Cortes, Alexandria Farawell, 

Ysabelle Flores, Angela Guiliano, Jennifer Hand,


Nicole Hauck, Roberto Lleras, Kristine Manalo, 

Tanya Martinez, Kristine Mintel, Gwen McGuire, 

Kyle Mcpherson, Brian Kelvin Navoa, Kimberly 

Scutieri, Pamela Seiple, Leonard Tate, and 

Brigette Villuga. They join current members 

Lauren Bowe, Alison Clark, Jonathan DaSilva, 

Melissa Delatorre, Anthony D’Errico, Jaleah 

Hawkins, Amanda Kelly, Bridget Koza, Cara 

Latham, Debora Revireiego, Kristen Rizzo, 

Folusho Sodeke, and Kate Walsh. 

The inductees to the Société Honoraire de 

Français were Evianna Cruz, Jennifer Kakaletris, 

Robert McGuire, Stephen Perlas, Grace Rocca, 

Meghan Seamster, and Nicole Tami, joining 

members Elizabeth D’Antuono, Mark Fernandez, 

Sheri Jones, Jessica Kurylak, Valarie Mitchell, 

Margaret Monroe, Lisa Mruk, Deborah Oravez, 

and Patrick Stahlberg. 

The inductees to La Societa Onoraria Italica 

were Lauren Chapnick, Allison Gigantelli, 

Christina Iafe, Katherine Palitto, and Ashley 

Whittemore. They join Ernesto Cerimele, Pietro 

Hanatzky, Bruno Lanfernini, Stephanie Massaro, 

and Vincent Passafiume. 

2003 Literary 

Magazine Starts 

Up 

Cara Latham 

THE EDITORS AND STAFF OF EXPRESSIONS, UNION 

Catholic’s literary magazine, aspire to make this 

year’s magazine special for the school’s 40th 

anniversary. Plans include a special cover with 

the 40th anniversary logo printed on the back, 

selections from previous issues and a theme 

tying in with the traditional philosophy of the 

school. The deadline for submissions to Expressions 

’03 is December 14 and the magazine will 

be published around June. 

“Since this is the 40th anniversary of Union 

Catholic, we’re planning a special edition of the 

magazine,” said Mrs. Dwyer, moderator of the 

magazine. “We hope to include published works 

from issues covering the past forty years. We’re 

also hoping to do something special for the 

cover.” Expressions ’01 received first place in an 

evaluation completed by the American Scholastic 

Press Association for the content and presentation 

of the magazine. 

The literary magazine accepts submissions, 

including poetry, essays, stories, and other 

literary works, from all UC students. Expressions 

also includes art and non-English works. Teachers 

and staff are also welcome to submit material. 

Members of the staff select, edit, and organize 

submissions. Expressions is then printed for 

the UC community and sent to scholastic companies 

that evaluate its content and production. 

The staff hopes for another great response from 

these companies. 

Senior Kristen Rizzo, co-editor of the literary 

magazine, wants to make this issue as exceptional 

as possible, and to “receive a lot of help 

from the student body with their submissions.” 

The staff expects a large response from the UC 

community. 

The Prophet Poll: 

Tag Day Money 

ACCORDING TO RUMOR, TAG DAY PRICES MAY RISE 

to $2 during the holiday season. No one will 

confirm or deny the report. Rumor also has it 

that the money is needed to pay for the Thanksgiving 

and Christmas food drives. 

The Prophet polled the student body to get its 

opinion on a Tag Day price increase. Of the 616 

students who responded to the poll, fewer than 

9% said they would pay $2 for the privilege of 

wearing what they choose on Tag Day, while 

88% said they would wear their uniforms rather 

than pay $2. Three percent said they wear their 

uniforms on Tag Day now. 

The breakdown by class: 

Pay $2 Won’t pay $2 Don’t care 

Freshmen 27 (13%) 173 (85%) 3 (2%) 

Sophomores 12 ( 9%) 118 (86%) 7 (5%) 

Juniors 8 ( 5%) 132 (90%) 6 (4%) 

Seniors 7 ( 5%) 120 (92%) 3 (2%) 

Total 54 ( 9%) 543 (88%) 19 (3%)

The Prophet 10 

A UC Halloween Album

11 November 25, 2002 

® THE ARTS ® 

PAC Picks Spring 

Musical 

Joe Palinsky 

UCPAC’S SPRING MUSICAL WILL BE A FUNNY 

Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Stephen 

Sondheim, Larry Gelbart and Bert Shevelove. 

The musical won 14 Tony Awards for its 

original production and two revivals, including 

best musical, book, and music and lyrics. 

The story, which is based on several comedies 

by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, tells 

the story of Pseudolous (Mike Vogt), slave to a 

young Roman, Hero (Eddie Hernandez). Pseudolous 

can win his 

freedom if he can 

arrange for Hero to 

marry Philia (Kate 

Walsh), a virgin 

currently living in 

the house of Lycus 

(Mario Cortes), a 

buyer and seller of 

courtesans. Unfortunately, Philia is promised to 

general Miles Gloriousus (Mike Konchalski). 

Mass confusion, mistaken identities, intense 

chases and catchy musical numbers ensue until 

everything is sorted out happily at the end. 

Also in the cast are Joe Torella and Katie 

Czado as Senex and Domina, Hero’s parents; 

Andrew Timmes as Hysterium, chief slave in 

Senex’s household; Joe Palinsky as Erronius, an 

old man; and Kay Manalo, Marybeth Tran, 

Nathalie Cortes, Lauren Body, Toni-Marie 

Battone and Martha Soos as courtesans. 

Good Charlotte at 

Birch Hill 


BIRCH HILL NITECLUB IN OLD BRIDGE WAS 

crowded and full of energy when Good Charlotte 

performed on November 9. Fans stood 

outside for hours to spot a glimpse of the band 

as they walked from their tour bus to the stage 

door and waited another hour inside to see the 

band play. 

An all-girl band called Halo Friendlies opened 

the show. They played a few songs and “pepped” 

up the crowd. Some people fell over in the 

pit and security guards had to pull a few kids 

out until the crowd calmed down. Homegrown, 

the second band, managed to get the fans crowd 

surfing as well, playing songs like, “Give It Up” 

and “Anti-Girl.” 

The crowd was 

“sharing sweat and 

blood,” said Joel 

Maddon, the lead 

singer of GC. Even 

though Joel was 

sick, he still gave 

all he could and 

when he couldn’t sing, his brother, guitarist 

Benji, took over vocals. The band played new 

songs like “Day That I Die,” and “Riot Girl” from 

their new album, as well as old favorites like 

“The Little Things” and “Waldorf Worldwide” 

from their first album. The band finished strong 

with their new release, “Lifestyles of the Rich 

and Famous.” 

The Country 

West of 

New Jersey 

Lauren Moore 

SOMETIMES, IT’S NECESSARY TO TAKE A BREAK 

from the norm. Spend a night out with friends or 

family, just having fun. At the Colorado Café on 

Bonnie Burn Road in Watchung, you can do just 

that. Not only are there different things going on 

every night, they also rent rooms for special 

events and parties. 

The Colorado Café is probably best known for 

its Sunday night country–western theme. All 

ages are welcome to eat, socialize, and show off


their line dancing skills on the spacious dance 

floor. If you don’t know how, there are dance 

instructors there who can teach you. Unleash the 

honky-tonk 

hayseed inside 

of you 

for only $7! 

Dance lessons 

are included 

with 

the admission. 

“It’s a 

night of fun and good times even if you don’t 

like country music,” says junior Dan Sandiford 

after spending an evening at the café. 

The doors open at 6PM. “Colorado,” as the 

regulars come to call it, features two live DJs, 

two cash bars, an even larger sports bar, a small 

restaurant, pool tables, a dance floor complete 

with square dance instructors, and yes, they even 

have a mechanical bull. For more information, 

visit www.coloradocafe.com. 

We Scare 

Because We Care 

Sean Prawdzik 

“Monsters, Inc.” is definitely worth renting or 

buying. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, it will 

capture the imagination as the world of monsters 

and humans alike collide. This family friendly 

film will make you smile and have a good time. 

The monsters in this film come alive and “Monsters 

Inc.” presents funny and entertaining 

situations. 

The movie is inspiring because unlike most 

movies that show a strange creature adapting in 

a human’s world, it’s the other way around. A 

little girl is in the monster’s world and only Mike 

and Sully can get her back where she came from 

without letting the other monsters know. 

The movie is fast paced because it immediately 

builds up as the characters’ “normal” lifestyles 

are portrayed. The movie uses many funny catch 

phrases and jokes that everyone can understand. 

From using “Stink” deodorant to attending a job 

place where the monsters get their power source 

from scaring kids through doorways in their 

bedrooms, “Monsters Inc.” uses creative and 

friendly humor that all ages can related to. The 

story does not drag on because the monsters are 

colorful and multi-faceted. And the story appeals 

to all age groups, showing that a family movie 

doesn’t have to be too kid-friendly to appeal to 

them. 

The main monsters, James P. Sullivan and 

Mike Wazowski, are a wonderful and memorable 

pair because they are constantly feuding 

with each other and getting into all sorts of 

trouble. The voices of Billy Crystal and John 

Goodman were perfect for the roles and putting 

a pair of funny men in a pair of funny monsters 

makes a good duo. 

Randall Boggs is the main villain and a fun 

one at that, so everyone can laugh 

at his witty remarks. Henry J. 

Waternoose is another unique 

character because the audience 

does not know whether 

or not he is the villain or 

ally of Sully or Mike. 

With all the mysterious 

events that occur, it’s 

anybody’s guess whether 

the viewer’s predictions 

were right or wrong until later in the movie. 

This movie gets a 9 out of 10 in my score. The 

DVD and VHS releases were a few months ago. 

If you haven’t watched the film, you’re missing 

out on a true classic. 

Movie Review: 

“The Debut” 

Rosavida Cruz 

If you’re tired of the cliché plots in movies or 

simply interested in learning about other cultures, 

“The Debut” is a movie you should definitely 

take time to see. The movie is about Ben, 

an aspiring Filipino artist whose dream is to go 

to art school and draw for a living. He is embarrassed 

by and ashamed of his culture and tries to 

completely shut out his own heritage. His sister 

is celebrating her “debut,” the traditional Fili-


pino eighteenth birthday equivalent to a Sweet 

Sixteen. While reacquainting himself with his 

culture, he meets Annabelle, who he sees as the 

perfect girl, and in one night his life is changed 

for the better. Danté Basco stars alongside Joy 

Bisco, Rawlins Apilado, and Dion Basco. West 

Coast singing group Premiere also makes a 

special appearance in the movie. 

“The Debut” exposes 

some common 

stereotypes that are 

associated with 

Filipinos, especially 

the classic classification 

of “Chink,” the 

barrel man, chocolate 

meat, and the oversized 

utensils that 

decorate the walls of 

a common Filipino household. It also depicts the 

struggle a typical teen has between dreams and 

reality. The film renders the general demands of 

living in a strict Filipino home, with parents who 

live their own goals vicariously through their 

children by pressuring them to go into professional 

fields such as medicine. 

Although “The Debut” is no longer in theaters, 

it will soon be out on DVD. I recommend this 

movie because it is a film to which a lot of teens, 

Filipino or not, can relate, a film about finding 

yourself and fighting to live your dreams. 

Movie Review: 

“Deep Blue Sea” 

David Ault 

“DEEP BLUE SEA” IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF 

the generic monster movie and does nothing to 

diverge from a trite Hollywood plot. Once again, 

as in other movies of this type, genetically altered 

things with sharp teeth hunt a group of 

characters (props for death scenes) in some sort 

of facility/complex. In this case, the genetically 

altered things with sharp teeth are giant sharks 

and the location is the Aquatica Research Facility. 

The film starts out as Saffron Burrows, playing 

the unreasonably beautiful scientist, is sent to 

work at the Aquatica Research Facility. The 

research, for some obscure reason, involves 

Alzheimer’s disease and great white sharks. 

Unfortunately, the experiments make the sharks 

really intelligent and able to kill humans more 

efficiently. After a brief introduction of the 

characters, director Renny Harlin spares no time 

in starting the carnage. 

The super-sharks start destroying the underwater 

base just to kill all the people in it. They 

ram into the sides of the base and water starts 

flooding the entire facility. The sharks then pick 

off all the insignificant characters one by one and 

go out of their way to eat their victims in exotic 

and over-elaborate ways. 

Lead actors Thomas Jane and Saffron Borrows 

are dull, shallow and untalented—in other 

words, perfect for this movie. I was surprised to 

see that the producers snagged Samuel L. Jackson 

to play the part of Russel Franklin. Jackson 

could have made this movie somewhat better, 

but director Harlin 

decided to trick his 

audience and kills 

off Jackson’s character 

first. Rapper 

LL Cool J, who 

played the part of 

Preacher, made his 

cinema debut in 

this film, and also 

contributed one of 

his rap songs, about 

sharks, for the 

closing credits. 

The acting is 

horrible, the direction 

is awful and the plot is utterly ridiculous. 

Like the entire horror genre, it is worn out and 

packed with familiar clichés. Movies like “Deep 

Blue Sea,” “Ghost Ship,” “Virus,” “Anaconda,” 

and “Lake Placid” all adhere to the same banal 

formula, varying only with location and types of 

monster plugged in. Even though I hated this 

film, there have been many worse and the 

special effects were a cut above the usual. So, in a 

magnanimous gesture, I give “Deep Blue Sea” 3 

stars out of 10.


SPORTS 

Girls Soccer 

Gives School a 

Kick 


THE GIRLS SOCCER TEAM HAD A GREAT SEASON 

this year with a record of 17-4-1, winning the 

Mountain Valley Conference and reaching the 

state sectional final, highlighted by their stunning 

upset of Pingry. 

After their final home game, a 4-0 defeat of 

Holy Angels, the girls prepared to play the 

state’s number one team, Pingry. “If we come 

out and play our best, then we have a shot,” said 

Coach Revel before the game. Led by goal 

scorers Jess Cardenas and Lara Kaminski, the 

girls beat Pingry 2-1, the biggest upset of the 

girls soccer season in New Jersey, to advance to 

the state semifinals. “We played our hearts out 

that game,” said senior Liz D’Antunuo. “It is one 

game I will always remember,” said senior Rebecca 

Babicz. “It’s the first time in school history 

that the girls soccer team knocked out the number 

one team in the state.” 

The semifinal against St. Dominic’s of Jersey 

City was a blowout. Rebecca Babicz scored 5 

goals while Amanda Pitts and Nicole Hauck 

added one each for a 7-0 victory. For the final 

against heavily favored Oak Knoll, played on 

Oak Knoll’s home field, three busloads of Union 

Catholic fans turned out to support the team. 

Despite a concerted effort, the girls lost 3-2. 

The team outperformed expectations throughout 

the season. The 2002 girls soccer team 

brought great credit to Union Catholic. 

Winter Pep Rally 

Preview 


New activities have been added to the winter 

pep rally to promote school spirit. As always, the 

sports teams will be introduced and the music 

will be blasting. But almost everything else had 

changed. Here’s a list of activities and information 

so that the student body can get involved 

and have a good time! 

Rock the Mic: a 30-second “freestyle” about 

Union Catholic. Must submit lyrics for approval. 

Winner determined by the student’s cheers. 

Pop-Locking Demonstration: Like the Harlem 

Shake demonstration, students pop and lock 

their body to the music. 

Class Cheerleading: Girls and guys get together 

for make a class cheer to promote class spirit. 

Dream Team 3 vs. 3: Set up your basketball 

dream team (minimum 1 girl per team). Spaces 

are limited. 

Foul Shooting Contest: See who’s the best freethrow 

shooter in the school. Students will have a 

certain amount of time to score as many baskets 

as possible. 

Half Court Shot: See who has the skills to make 

a half court shot. To enter, students prove to Mrs. 

O’Donnell that they can at least hit the net. 

Relay Race: Race against the other classes; an 

activity anyone can join. 

Poster Contest: The posters will have a Christmas 

theme. Homerooms will be supplied with 

paper. 

See Mrs. O’Donnell with questions and to sign 

up. 

Volleyball Team 

Wins County 

Championship 

Angela Wiggs 

The volleyball team won their third consecutive 

county championship, defeating Rahway 16-14, 

15-8, on November 2. Linda Dolansky had 5 kills, 

Katie Seamon and Megan Conheeny had 3 

blocks, and Maria DePaolo served for 9 points. 

“We played great and everyone wanted to 

win,” said Kristen Rizzo. “Beating Westfield [in


the semifinals] was a great accomplishment 

and defeating Rahway 

was even better.” “Winning the 

County Tournament was great and 

exciting, and now we have to concentrate 

on the states,” said Maria 

DePaolo. At press time, the volleyball 

team was ranked third in the 

state (first in Group 2) and had 

reached the state finals. 

Boys Soccer 

Wins 

Conference 


The boys soccer team ended the 

season with an outstanding 10-6-2 

record, co-champions of the Mountain 

Valley Conference Valley 

Division. For the first time in school 

history, the boys will be awarded a 

banner to be put in the Gym. “It’s a 

great honor to be part of the first 

boys soccer team to win something 

here at UC,” said senior Steve 

Esperon. “Winning the conference 

was one of our biggest goals for the 

season.” 

For many of the seniors, winning 

the conference will be one of many 

memories at Union Catholic. “It was 

a great season, and I am sad that it’s 

over,” remarked senior Chris Etzold. 

Winter 

Sports 

Preview 

Angela Wiggs 

Winter sports season begins in 

November. UC teams include girls 

basketball (coached by Ms. 

Matthews), boys basketball (coached 

by Mr. Reagan), bowling 

(coached by Mr. Butchko), 

swimming (coached by Mrs. 

Whitehead and Mrs. Koza), and 

winter track (coached by Ms. 

D’Amato). 

Last year, each of the sports 

team achieved great success. The 

swimming team made the state 

championship for the first time 

in 3 years. This season’s team is 

uncertain, according to Mrs. 

Whitehead, “because of the big 

turn out of freshman boys. We 

might have two teams this year. 

However, if we don’t change, the 

season should be promising.” 

The girls basketball team plans 

to build on last year’s success. 

The finished 17-7, second in their 

conference. “I am confident and 

think we can keep the winning 

tradition going,” said Coach 

Matthews. 

Calendar 


November 28 

Thanksgiving: School 

Closed (give 

thanks) 

November 29 

Day after 

Thanksgiving: 

School still closed 

(give more thanks) 

December 2 

World AIDS Day drive 

December 3 

Semi-formal tickets 

go on sale 

Tag Day 

December 4 

Senior tree trimming 

party, 6 PM 

December 5 

Club Day 

December 8 

Feast of the 

Immaculate 

Conception 

December 9 

School closed: 

Observance of the 

Feast of the 

Immaculate 

Conception

2002-11-25 - Union Catholic Regional High School

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