2012-10-19 - Union Catholic Regional High School

The ProphetISSUE 01 October 20122011-2012 Underclassmen SuperlativesFreshmen:Most School Spirited : Brian Sagendorf Virginia NovakMost Outgoing: Conor Frank Samantha SotoMost Outrageous: Darren Fields Kirsten BurrMost Artistic: Dahn Nguyen Bridget McAllisterMost Likely to Become Famous: Richard Ryngel Georgie VolturoMost Likely to Succeed: Cory Barnell Katie SheldonFavorite Teacher: Mr. Sagendorf Ms. TobinSophomores:Most School Spirited: Tim Nugent Catherine CoughlanIn this issue:New Teacher Profile P.2UC Welcomes 2016 P.360 Years of Blessing P.3‘13 Recollection P.4UC App P.4Fall Film Frenzy P.5Sam’s Story Suggestion P.5Vikings Go Pink P. 6Tech Corner P. 6NHL Lockout P. 7Jets Fest P.7Senior Timeline P. 8Student Survey P. 8UC Fall Sports P. 9Out of the Box Night P. 10Pasta Dinner P. 10Peer Ministry Training P. 11Back to School Dance P. 11Fall TV Shows P. 12Fall Fashion P. 12Olympics P. 13Most Outgoing: Tom Fitzpatrick Bridget PepeMost Outrageous: Tom Fitzpatrick Victoria ZamorskiMost artistic : Andre Restrepo Jenna DespotovichMost Likely to Become Famous: Mike Neuman Emily DziobaMost Likely to Succeed: Dennis Reilly Hetal PetalFavorite Teacher: Mr. Thornton Mrs. DohertyJuniors:Most School Spirited: Tom Wang Katie BrownMost Outgoing: Michael Curly Kamera MartinMost Outrageous: Alex Dunbar Victoria CrincoliMost artistic: Trevor Miranda Sally BeriontMost Likely to Become Famous: Tom Wang Sally BeriontMost Likely to Succeed: Tom Wang Rosa CuppariFavorite Teacher: Mr. Becht Mrs. DohertyUnderclassmen Most School Spirited winners fromleft to right- Tim Nugent ’14, Virginia Nowak ’15,Katie Brown ’13, Tom Wang ’13, Catherine Coughlan’14, and Brian Sagendorf ’15.

UC Welcomes the Class of 2016By Christine HahnOn September 6, the Class of 2016 entered the halls of Union Catholicfor its Orientation day. As they students walked into the building,they were ushered up into the freshmen wing where they wouldmeet up with their friends and go to homeroom. In homeroom, thefreshmen received their lockers and locks as well as their schedules.After the bell rang, it was time for the freshmen to have their firstclass meeting. They were escorted down to the auditorium wherethey were welcomed by Dr. Reagan and Sister Percylee Hart R.S.M.The meeting concerned the importance of the next four years oftheir lives. After the assembly, it was finally time for the freshmento meet their Big Brothers or Sisters.As the freshmen paraded into the cafeteria, they lookedfor their names on the posters that the Juniors and Seniors held up.After meeting their Big Sister or Brother, it was time for Orientationbreakfast, in which they were able to choose from a variety ofdoughnuts and beverages. As breakfast came to a close, it was timefor the school day to start as the freshmen were escorted to theirfirst period class by their Big Brother or Sister.The Class of 2016 moved from periods one to three, witheach class being fifteen minutes long. After third period, they wentback down to the cafeteria60 Years of BlessingsOn September 24, 2012, Principal Sister PercyleeHart, R.S.M. celebrated her 60th anniversaryas a Sister of Mercy. Sister Percyleewas called to become a sister at a very youngage. She says that she was once told she was“born a nun,” and she truly believes it. SisterPercylee was growing up at the time that Hitlerwas taking reign, and she witnessed a lot ofevil. That evil gave her thedesire to spread goodnessin the world. To become asister is a very strong commitment,and to have thatstrength and love inside ofyou to do such a thing istruly an amazing gift to theworld. When Sister Percyleewas asked what shethought her greatestachievement as a sisterwas, she said her fidelity tothe call. When she was becominga Sister of Mercy,the church was goingthrough lot of transition.Women were also beinggiven a lot more opportunities in the world,but she stayed loyal to her call and did whatshe truly felt her heart wanted to do.Sister speaking at her 60th anniversarycelebration.As most people know, there are various differ-and bought their first lunches at UC. They sat with their Big Brothers andSisters as they did during breakfast. After lunch, they continued their daygoing to the rest of their classes along with Tuesday fifth period. At theend of the day, the freshmen were gathered into the gym for another meetingabout busing.As the freshmen get settled into UC, there is a list of pointers thatcould help them as they get into the swing of high school. First, do not beafraid to ask the upperclassmen about the school. We were all freshmen,too, so we know what it is like to get lost on your way to third period. Ifyou are struggling in a class, do not hesitate to talk to your teacher aboutstaying after school for extra help or signing up for tutoring. It is better toask for help then to come home to angry parents when progress reportscome out. Last but not least, have fun this year. Join as many clubs as youlike and try out for a sports team. These are supposed to be the best yearsof your lives, so work hard and have a great time.As another school year begins at UC, a new class begins theirjourney through high school. There will be tough times, fun times, andstudy times. The Prophet wishes the Class of 2016 good luck as they venturethrough the halls of UC throughout the next four years.By Kristen Ramos & Jane Lestarchickent communities of sisters in the world. Why the Sisters ofMercy? Sister Percylee’s first thought was to become a sisterof the Syracuse Franciscan community. She had goneto elementary school with these sisters guiding her and forsome time she believed that was the community she wasgoing to become a part of. Her high school choice was aschool of the Sisters of Mercy. In this high school, she saidshe saw sisters “pushing the edge” in theworld. They were taking advantage of theopportunities given to women and were reallyevolving. She loved that and decided shewanted to become part of that communityright after high school. According to SisterPercylee, “her heart was with the SyracuseFranciscan sisters, but her mind was withthe Sisters of Mercy.”Sister Percylee adds that “if anyyoung women would like to become a sister,they should explore into it.” Through life,she has felt that every path she has takenhas been a call from God, and she has alwayspursued it. She has loved having thechance to be head of administration, tospread the message of how we all live as disciplesof Jesus, and to encourage others to tofollow that message and spread it. After 60 years of servingas a Sister of Mercy, Sister Percylee said that it is hardto believe it has been 60 years! In the words of Sister Percylee,“Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s been agreat journey!” Congratulations Sister!

Class of ‘13 RecollectionBy: Kristen RamosFor members of a class to be able to take time and recollect with each other is really something to cherish. OnSeptember 26, 2012 the Union Catholic class of 2013 had its last day of recollection together. They were able to reminisceon memories in UC, open up to their faith, branch out of their regular friend groups, and play like children again.At a time when life is getting serious and filled with college applications, interviews, job hunting, and budgeting it is anice chance to just have somefun and truly connect withyour peers and with yourself.Senior day of Recollection allowedstudents to really thinkabout their futures and tothink about their faith.At Senior Recollection, the cho- sen speaker was Scienceteacher Mr. Gresco., who gavea very moving, inspirationaltalk that really got the seniorsto open up to their faith andtrust in God. Many of the sen-iors stated that he gave a greatspeech, especially because hediscussed his own life lessonsand blessings. Mr. Gresco shared the message that sometimesthe bad things Godthrows our way turn intowonderful blessings.After receiving someinput from seniors who attendedthe recollection, mosthad the same opinion aboutthe day and the speech. A cou-ple seniors said that their favoritepart of the day was play-ing the games that were givenand having down-time to ex- The Golden Class signing the 50 year poster at the Senior Day plore the area. “The best partof the day was the cooperative of Recollection.activity we had to do; it wasfun yelling at my friends to dostuff and laughing at our mistakes,”said Matthew Davis’13.Other seniors said that theirfavorite part was hearing the speech given by Mr. Gresco because it was so moving and inspirational.Jesse Shafer’13, Jasmine Tucker’13 and Natasha Andre’13 all said that they could easily relate to Mr. Gresco’s story.Each of them have been put in situations where they have had to move past difficult challenges and to look at their situationsfrom different perspectives. All three seniors said that hearing Mr. Gresco’s speech really helped them realizethat every person goes through losses and rough times, but sometimes blessings result that can overshadow the hardshipsthat were experienced. The prophet staff hopes each member of the class of 2013 had a heartwarming experienceat his or her last UC day of recollection.UC Goes MobileBy: Kyle DebelakUnion Catholic has always been innovative when it comes to technology being implementedinto the classroom., but on August 20, UC took a different approach and releaseda smartphone app for Android phones and iPhones. “Many people in the springcame to us with the idea,” explained Dr. Reagan. “Our purpose of the app was to givethe UC community an online presence, one that would benefit the community as awhole.”Courtesy of play.google.comThe app has some of the features of the UC website built into it, and more.There is a calendar that shows all upcoming school events and when they take place.A news feed is also implemented into the app, so people can keep up-to-date aboutwhat is going on around UC. The emails of faculty and staff are listed in the app incase they need to be contacted. One of the more useful items in the app is that the bellschedules can be accessed from the app, including the club, a.m., p.m., and early dismissalschedules. Another notable feature that the app offers is a Google Maps viewof UC. Finally, there is an “About Union Catholic” page that showcases the school’sMission Statement and Five Core Values. In addition, the app has many other usefulfeatures and is very user friendly.

Fall Film FrenzyBy: Bridget NoceraFinding Nemo 3D can be describedlike this: a favoriteflavor ice cream that youhave always loved, but nowcovered in sprinkles. Sure,sprinkles are delicious, butare they really needed? Isextra topping always worthit, especially if it costs more?These are questionst you shouldask yourself before seeingFinding Nemo, re-released intheaters with the addition of3D, out now. After his son iscaptured by a diver, a fearfulclownfish sets off the find hisson with a dimwitted, butoptimistic, regal tang fish andthe odd friends he meetsalong the way. It is the samemovie from when it wasoriginally released in 2003,and the same movie you haveprobably seen numeroustimes over the years.This does not mean to say thatPixar’s fifth movie is not fantasticallyenjoyable, which itis. With its fast paced plotand ingenious story, Nemo isan animation classic. The bestpart is still the inventivecharacters and charmingvoice performances, especiallyfor the worried fatherMarlin, voiced by AlbertBrooks, and the naive Dory,voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.The 3D is not terrible; it does adda beautiful brightness to theocean scene and colors. Theonly complaint is that it is notreally needed. The visuals ofthe original movie are greatas is, and the 3D’s only purposeis enhancing it a bit.Overall, Finding Nemo is anamazing movie that shouldnever be missed, but the 3Dis nothing special and notworth the extra money. Thebest advice would only be tocatch this movie at home,without all the added toppings.Rating: So-SoBy: Sydney DickDisney’s remake of the fantasticfish tale Finding Nemo has capturedmy heart all over again. Itwas heartwarming seeing theold Disney characters come backto life onscreen. The movie wasjust as enjoyable the second timearound. The new 3-D effectsmake this movie look more crispand marine-like. The 3-D effectswere actually worth it. You cansee the improvement on thisfilm.Finding Nemo is about a little clownfishnamed Nemo who is takenaway from his father, Marlin,and is forced to stay in a fishtank in Sydney, Australia. It’sMarlin’s mission to go and findhis son. On his journey he meetsa new friend named Dory thathas short term memory loss. Together,they adventure throughthe sea to find his missing son.I’m not a big fan of 3-D movies, butthis one impressed me. The colorsand effects have really improved.I felt like it was a brandnew movie. The reaction fromthe audience was positive. Notonly was the audience filled withyoung children, there were alsoteenagers and young adultsthere enjoying the movie just asmuch. I can definitely say thatthis movie was a good blast fromthe past.Courtesy of www.imdb.comSam’s Story SuggestionsBy: Samantha PiazzaHITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THEGALAXYIf you are looking for a book full ofhumor and excitement, then this isthe story for you. The HitchhikersGuide to the Galaxy is a science fictionnovel written by Douglas Adamspublished in 1979, about a maleearthling named Arthur Dent. ArthurDent is just your average Joe who dueto an extreme turn of events, life ischanged forever. He lived alone in anold run down house on Earth, whenhis friend who goes by the name ofFord Prefect, stops by and tells himthe worldwill endsoon. Arthurdidn’t believehimdue to thefact thatFord wasalways sayingthat hewas an alienwhen helooked perfectlyhuman. But the world did endin fact it was destroyed completely byaliens called the Vogons. Arthur wassaved by Ford and they hitched a rideoff one of the Vogons space ships.This is where the story really begins.The pair travels from planet to planetmeeting new people and getting inloads of trouble. As they go abouttheir travels, Ford carries around abook called The Hitchhikers Guide tothe Galaxy, which he writes facts inas they go.The whole story is centered on thatbook and what is written in it thathelps them when they need it. Thebest thing about this book is that inthe end it does not end. Arthurdoesn’t miraculously save the Earthand go home, he stays with Ford andcontinues to travel. But this is not allthe book is about and to really understandit you have to read it. Sometimesrandom confusion is whatmakes a great book, and this book is agreat one.

Vikings Go PinkBy: Melissa TitoloIn the year 2011, nearly forty thousand women in the United States alone were expected to die fromBreast Cancer. Compared to the population of the U.S., which is roughly 311,800,000, that may not seem likemuch, but when compared to the popu-lation of Scotch Plains, which is roughly23,000, it is astronomical. The purposeof Breast Cancer Awareness Month isto raise awareness of the disease, educateboth men and women about the specificsof the disease, and provide greateraccess to treatment. Although Octoberis the dedicated month to accomplishthese tasks, the American Cancer Societybelieves it is important to keep inmind the effects of this disease andmany like it all year round.Many events are taking place inthe Scotch Plains area during themonth of October in honor of NationBreast Cancer Awareness Month. TheMaking Strides Against Breast Cancerwalk, run by the American Cancer Society,is scattered in many locationsacross the country. On Sunday, October21, the walk will be at Military Park in Newark and on the following Sunday, the walk will be at the NewJersey Convention & Expo Center at Raritan Center in Edison.Union Catholic raised awareness with a pink and white tag day which was held on October 2.The IPhone 5 vs. the Galaxy S IIIBy: Nylson CampbellEach company has a new phone that is the hottest technology in the phone business.Everyone on the social networking sites are raving about them so let’s seewhat all the commotion is about!IPhone 5The IPhone 5 is the next generation phone for Apple. Some things have changeda lot, while some have not. For starters, the IPhone 5 comes out to be four inches;this is larger than the older version, the 4s, which have 3.5 screens. The 5Image from gadgetreview.comallows more space to browse, e-mail, and even text, and it is thinner as well aslighter. Apple says it is the world smallest phone but it is actually the world’s thinnest LTE smartphone. The batterylife is also quite amazing. It has eight hours of LTE browsing, eight hours of browsing on Wi-Fi, and 225hour on standby alone. The back camera has an eight megapixel sensor like the 4s. It also comes equipped witha noise reduction component, so that when taking videos, it can tell what parts need less noise or which need tobe left alone. The front camera comes with 720p, which should be amazing for face timing with family andfriends. The audio on the IPhone5 comes with new and better speakers, and the ear buds will be called “earpods” because of the new design. The IPhone also has three microphones, which will increase the quality ofone’s voice when on the phone and of course that comes with noise canceling, too. Apple says the person’s voiceon the other side will be much clearer to hear because of the noise cancelling.Galaxy S IIIThe Galaxy S III is one of the newest and top selling android phones of this year. The phone standstall with a 4.8 super inch AMOLED screen with scratch resistant glass. This not only allows more space for theuser’s fingers, but it also gives a wider screen to see pictures and movies. Its camera is an eight Megapixel thatallows taking amazing colorful pictures. The battery life on standby lasts for 800 hours, and when on talk times,it last for twenty-two hours. The resolution on the phone is 1,280 x 720 pixels, so when looking at pictures andmovies on the phone it will come out very clear. The Galaxy S III has sixteen Gigabytes of storage and goes up tosixty-four gigabytes for removable storage. One cool, neat feature is that if someone calls you and you do notfeel like being bothered, you can turn the phone over, and it will automatically ignore the call. Actually, thisphone has more features on it that may probably not even be used. In fact, new owners may take a while to reallyrealize the use of all of the features that exist.

NHL Locks Out Players, Jeopardizes SeasonBy: Kyle DebelakAfter months of failed negotiations, the National Hockey League locked out its players on September 15because a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) could not be decided on. This means that the entirety ofthe upcoming season is in jeopardy and could be cancelled.One of the main issues being discussed between the Nation Hockey League Players’ Association(NHLPA) and the league’s owners is how hockey related revenue is shared between the two parties. Under thejust-expired CBA, the players were guaranteed to have a 57% share of revenue, but the owners want this numberto be drastically decreased. In their initial proposal, the owners wanted the players to get 46% of hockeyrelated revenue, which wouldbe further reduced to 43% underother modifications in the orig-inal proposal.Pittsburgh Pen- guins forward Matt Cooke saidthat he was disappointed in theleague’s last proposal before thelockout officially began, men-tioning how the league is trying tomake the players responsiblefor the success of the league.Many players have said that they believe therewill not be a season at all. Cal-gary Flames Captain Jerome Iginlasaid to reporters in Manhattanthat he would rather not sit outanother season but is willing todo so if means a fair deal done.Other players, such as reigningleague MVP Evgeni Malkin, haveCourtesy of fansedgeblog.comsigned contracts to play in Eu-rope. Malkin signed to play withRussian team Magnitogorsk during the lockout. Forty year old Jaromir Jagr, who signed a one year deal with theDallas Stars back in July, also went to Europe and signed to play in his native Czech Republic.The 12-team Swedish Elitserien could be another possible destination for NHL players to play induring the lockout. After all, Sweden has developed some of the modern game’s best players, such as OttawaSenators defenseman Erik Karlsson, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and Vancouver Canuckstwin forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin. A Swedish tabloid is reporting that St Louis Blues forward Alex Steen,who is also Swedish, could be one of the first locked out players to sign in the Elitserien with team Modo Hockey.One possible upside of the lockout is that NHL fans can turn their attention to collegiate and juniorhockey. The NCAA season starts in mid-October, while the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) season is alreadyunderway. While both are nowhere near the competitiveness of the NHL, fans will be extremely temptedto watch either league to satisfy their hunger for hockey.Jets FestBy: Nylson CampbellOn Friday August 24th, Union Catholic started its first 50th anniversarywith Jets Fest. The event began by Alumni tailgating in the parking lot of the Jets training center. Bob and AnneWischusen co-hosted the event and offered many alumni snacks and water bottles including a Union Catholic goodiebag, which contained Union Catholic merchandise. At the start of the tailgate, alumni were able to meet BobWischusen Jr. ’89, the radio voice of the Jets and also the brother of Mrs. Mccoid. Over a hundred alums, family andfriends went to the UC tailgate before walking into the Jets Fest event.Jets Fest included rides for the kids, inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and games.There were also football skill challenges. Attendees were able watch to the practicesthe Jets were doing. UC is more than proud to say that Jets Fest was a huge successand is looking forward to connecting with more alumni at future events.Pictured are the Union Catholic 50th Anniversary Committee Chairs, MarionBadala Berger '76, Anne Wischusen, and Nancy Foulks '76.

Senior TimelineBy Jillian GonzalesThe beginning of senior year means the beginning of college applications, which seem to be theonly thing students, parents, and teachers talk about, besides trying to stay clean of senioritis. Everysenior has the same problem in September: where to start and how? To become a little more organized,Guidance has made a monthly timeline:September- Register for the SATs, SATs Subject Tests, and/or ACT. There are only a few more testingopportunities for seniors in order for colleges to receive these scores before determining yourfate; visit the college table in the cafeteria during lunch if interested in that college. This way studentscan gain more information without leaving school or looking online; seniors should starttheir applications and meet with guidance counselors.October- Students should submit Early Decision, Early Action and Rolling Admissions applications.November- Students should continue visiting colleges, going to interviews, and researching.December/January- Students should complete and submit financial aid forms.February/March/April- Students will begin to receive decisionsfrom colleges, students should revisit their top college, once thefinal decision is made, inform other schools that accepted you.May - May 1st is the final date by which you must notify thecollege that you are going to attend.June- Graduation!What Do You Think, UC ?By: Melissa TitoloFor this installment of “What Do You Think, UC?” weasked the juniors and seniors of Union Catholic abouttheir predictions and preferences for Halloween 2012.Here’s what they said:

UC Fall SportsBy: Kyle DebelakAnother year of school meansanother year of sports. The sportsthat will be going on during the Fallsports season are cross country, boys’and girls’ soccer, girls’ tennis, anvolleyball. This year, Union Catholicis participating in the Union CountyConference for all sports.“The cross country teamthis year is very deep,” said Mr.Thornton, “We hope to be contendingfor the state championship and atleast finish in the top 3.”Mr. Thornton expects theUC cross country team tobe challenging for theconference and countytitles. Last year, UC’scross country teamqualified for the Meet ofChampions at HolmdelPark in Holmdel, NewJersey for the first time inschool history, and is certainlyhoping to repeat the feat. -“We are in a rebuildingyear,” said boys’ soccer coach Mr.Cerimele, “We had a few key playersfrom last year leave the team. Weeven have four freshmen that arestarting for this season.” The boys’soccer team is competing in the ValleyDivision for the first time, meaningthat the team doesn’t have anyknowledge about the other teamsthey are competing against – otherthan that the oppositions are tough.“We are expecting to challenge forthe conference championship, andadvance as far as possible in thecounty tournament,” Mr. Cerimeleadded, “But because this is a rebuildingyear and that we don’tknow much about our opponents, ourplan for this season is to approach ourmatches one at a time.”Meanwhile, the girls’ soccerteam is also hoping for a good season.“I personally hope that the teamimproves on their preseason condition,”explained Mr. Ryan. The countytournament starts in late October, andthe team is expecting to face toughopponents, such as Rahway, Linden,and Cranford.The girls’ tennis team isalready enjoying somesuccess this season, withthree wins and two losses.This year the team isall underclasswomen,with eight players in total.“We have a brightfuture,” said AssistantCoach Mr. McDevit, “Wehope that this year’steam can lay the foundationfor the future.” As with othersports, the tennis team is hoping to dowell in the Union County tournament,as well as the state tournament.The volleyball team hasalso lost some players this year, but isstill hopeful of doing well this year.“Our main rivals are Roselle Catholicand Immaculate Heart Academy,” saidMadison Simon ’14, “IHA is verygood, and we want to beat them thisyear.”This year is looking verybright for UC sports, and The Prophetwishes all of them good luck. conflictingclassifications of his sanity, psychiatricissues are sure to become a centerpiecein the proceedings.

Out of Box Night 2012By Bridget NoceraThe class of 2016 received their laptops at this year’s Out of the BoxNight. The event took place on Thursday, September 21 from 6-8pm. Whenthe night began, students and parents filled the junior wing and its classrooms,picking up their laptops. With looks of excitement and nervousness,eager students flooded the cafeteria in anticipation of opening up their newpossessions.The class of 2016 and their new laptops.While the hours went by quickly, they were not uneventful. Therewere a few cases of misplaced laptops, which involved a lot of running backand forth through the junior wing, but all were found. A late bus from a soccergame almost delayed the final cafeteria meeting, but there was no big discrepancy.Thanks to Ms. Piasecki, Ms. Jacques, Dr. Reagan, all the teachers,Service Club and more, the night was successful, and every student left with asmile.UC’s Annual Pasta DinnerBy: Cassie MojicaOn Friday, September 21, UC’s Parents’ Athletic Club sponsored the Annual Pasta Dinner. All the funds raisedsupport all UC athletics. Held in the UC cafeteria, the event ran from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Many of the UC athletes, facultymembers, coaches, and parents came out to support.With so much food, it was hard to tell which dish was the best dish out of all. “Everything; each tray went,” Mr.Thornton ‘04 said. Among the food selection included lasagna, meatballs, salads, and sausages. Parents of the student athletes,both past and present, volunteer to provide the delicious food. Dominic De Vito, parent of former students JefferyDe Vito ‘93 and Scott De Vito ‘95, still continues to return every year to the Pasta Dinner and provides a special pastasauce. The dinner overall was a great turnout of about one hundred sixty people. The Pasta Dinner has been running forabout eight years now, and while fairly consistent, this year was definitely one of the better ones, according to those interviewed.The dinner effectively raised over $800. The Parents’ Athletic Club and UC Athletics are very happy with the outcomeand are looking forward to more dinners in future years.Along with the excitement that came from the Pasta Dinner itself, an unexpected celebration took place in the UC cafeteriathat night. Nick Rhein ‘14 celebrated his birthday at the Pasta Dinner. Nick, a soccer athlete, said, “It was great to havemy parents and friends there to enjoy my birthdaywith me.” There were cake and balloons, and ofcourse, pasta! The birthday celebration was a funsurprise, but it sure was a great addition to the PastaDinner.Kaitlyn Njoroge ‘14, also a UC soccer athlete, attendedthe dinner as well. At the dinner, she and manyothers were able to “bond with some teammates overa great meal.” The Pasta Dinner really did work tobring together current and future season athletes forsome food and fundraising. With pasta being themain focus of the night, many people did not forgetto try the desserts. Kaitlyn said she “especially likedthe desserts—the vanilla cupcakes were so good!”The UC Pasta Dinner was a successful mix of everythinggreat—delicious entrees and tasty desserts!As a whole, organizers reported the PastaDinner to be a sure success. Fantastic food, deliciousdesserts, and a great turnout made the Pasta Dinnercome together. On behalf of UC Athletes and the Parents’Athletic Club, all involved want to give a bigthanks to everyone who came out to support and volunteer!UC student volunteers: Michael D'Antico, III ‘13, Ryan Kahn‘14, Joseph Bonaccorso ‘14, Thomas Fitzpatrick ‘14

Peer Ministry Training DayStudents walked across the catwalk and heardthe screams of encouragement from their peers below.Strapped on by a harness, each peer minister slowlyclimbed up a post the size of a telephone pole and facedhis or her fears while gaping downat the view, stepping backwardsand landing safely on the ground.The Peer Ministry Training Daywas on September 19th, and thejuniors and seniors of Peer Ministrywent to Kearny for a day of teambuilding activities.Once the Peer Ministersarrived in Kearny, the morningstarted with trust activities andlearning about the importance ofspotters. The first main activity wasto have the group of fifteen balancedon an uneven board and staybalanced for a few minutes. Afterthat was achieved, the group had tofigure out how to get everyone offthe board while keeping it balanced.Both involved a few keyleaders and cooperation from theentire group. Students had to listen to each other andstrategize how this could be done.The next activity involved a net lifted about tenfeet in the air. Each member had to get into the net oneby one. The easiest way to accomplish this was to havetall people lift everyone in. The more challenging partUC Dances All Night LongBy: Madison SimonHazel Lee ‘14 walks across the catwalk.By: Jillian Gonzalesof this was for the last few people because they had to climb inon their own. Then, each person had to get out, which involveda lot of trust from the person falling out of the net and beingcaught by his or her peers. "The netactivity was great team bonding!" ArnoldMajano '13.Later, the group did small obstaclesthat were two inches off theground. These involved teamwork becausewhile one person went, two peoplehad to guide him along the way.The Peer Ministers helped each otheralong the way and encouraged eachother to go quickly.During the afternoon, theharder challenges began. There wasrock climbing, which involved a lot ofupper body strength and determinationto get to the top. The other activitywas the catwalk, where many PeerMinisters faced their fear of heights."The obstacles pushed us to our limitsand made us stronger as a group," saidAndrew Ghizzone '14. At fifty feet in the air, each personwalked across a beam while the group below cheered and gaveshouts of encouragement. This was not an easy task for manybecause of the great distance off the ground!The day ended with a brief meeting and a half hour busride home. Overall, the peer ministers learned about each other'sstrengths and weaknesses along with their own.Union Catholic’s Back-to-School dance was a hit. Students of all ages raided the dance floor. This was the first time thatfreshmen had a chance to participate in a UC event as students ofthe school. Accordingto those interviewed, a great time was had by all. DJ-Pros had themusic up as eagerstudents entered the building. “It was loud and [looked like itwas] going to be agood time,” said Dana Couto ’15. The lights and music drew eve-rybody in.There are few times in high school where the upperclassmen so-cialize with the underclassmen,but as the night went on students of all ages had theopportunity to mingle.“We want our school to bond,” explained Mrs. Leegan. Thedance was open toUC students only, and because of that, the school really got to-gether. At any givenmoment students of all ages were dancing together. At a particu-larly fun portion ofthe dance, a circle broke out at the center of the dance floor. One UC students dancing to the Cupid of our own UC studentsbegan to breakdance. The whole crowd was wild. Saul Lo- Shuffleran ’16 was able toperform backflips right in the center of the dance. “I had somuch fun at thedance,” said Saul later. “I was with friends, got to express my talents, and it all went well.” Every student at the dance wascheering for him. It was an amazing example of how the students of Union Catholic practice the core value of communityeven after school hours.Beverages were on sale in the gym foyer for the students as the dance went on. This kept everyone well hydrated in thehot gym. It was estimated that about 200 students attended the dance. The Back-to-School dance kicked off a number ofstudent council events planned for the year. Coming up soon, student council will be running the Halloween Parade.

Finally Fall Premieres!By: Christine HahnAs autumn arrives, the new seasons of our favorite television shows are beginning to premiere once again.Dramas such as Glee, Castle, and Supernatural all return in September. Gossip Girl, and Vampire Diaries will airtheir premieres this October. The drama of reality television returns with the season premieres of The X Factor,The Voice, Cheer, and Dancing with the Stars in September. The final season of Jersey Shore returns in early Octoberalong with America’sFunniest Home Videos, Giulianaand Bill, and Celebrity CrimeFiles, to name a few. Katie Couricdebuts in her new talk show“Katie” this September along withLive! with Kelly and Michael.These season and series debutshave promised much dramaand laughs for audiences all acrossthe high school spectrum.T h e s e r i e s premiere of Katie Couric’s talkshow “Katie” came out onSeptember 11, at 3:00 pm. It waswatched in 2.8 million house-holds and tied with “Rachel Ray”in 2006. In the premiere, sheinterviewed Jessica Simpson andSheryl Crow, who sings the talk show’s theme. She has promised to mix up her show with a variety of celebritiesand common people. The talk show is scheduled on Tuesday afternoons, on channel four.On September 4, “Live! With Kelly and Michael” premiered for its new season featuring Michael Strahanas a replacement for Regis Philbin. A number of celebrities auditioned to take Kelly Ripa’s infamous co-host’splace, but Michael Strahan won the privilege. “Live!” viewers across the country were not told who would replacePhilbin until the season premiere. Strahan will continue his “NFL Sunday” post along with his new position.These new talk shows are only a small part of new shows debuting this fall. New dramas include Beautyand the Beast, Nashville, Elementary, and Made in Jersey. New comedies such as The Mindy Project, Ben andKate, and The Neighbor will also premiere. A bunch of fresh reality television shows, such as My Shopping Addictionand The Houstons are also in store for the fall. Tune in to watch these and more if you would like to expandyour collection of television favorites.As you fall back into the swing of school, make sure take some time out of your busy schedule towatch the season premieres of your favorite shows. Try switching it up a bit and watch an hour of “Katie” or anepisode of the new “Live! with Kelly and Michael”.What Will You Be Wearing Next Tag Day?By: Madison SimonCozy sweaters, statement collars, bright colors and peacoats are all in style this fall season. Next tagday, be sure to be up on all the hottest trends. Cozy knit sweaters are always in style during the fall. Sweatersare a simple way to stay warm and still look cute. This fall, sweaters in natural colors are supposed to lookgreat. The natural colors make them easy to mix and match with yourfavorite pair or leggings or jeans.What is a statement collar? It is simply a bedazzled or shiny collarwhich makes any outfit look polished and refined. This season, detachablecollars are even being sold. This style has been on and off the runwayand continues to be extremely trendy. And why save bright colorsfor the spring? Brighten up a dreary day with a bright scarf or pump.Pairing this bright pop of color with a neutral sweater or black pantscan make any outfit a fashion statement.A classic fall style is the Peacoat. A navy Peacoat goes with any outfitand is just as functional. The double row of buttons down the front canmake any body type look flattering. The Peacoat is one item for fall thatwill never go out of style. You can wear this right into the winter.

The OlympicsBy: Nylson CampbellThis year’s summer Olympics, which took place in London, were astonishing. The opening ceremonies includedmany athletes from different countries who came to participate in their specialized sports. Many previouschampions from prior Olympic games returned to prove once again that they were still on top. UsainBolt, a Jamaican athlete who has the fastest time in the 200 meter dash returned and proved dominant overthe other participants in his league. Swimmer Michael Phelps returned and won the gold medal in the400x100 medley relay. To date, he has earned 18 gold medals and 22 medals in total. Athletes like thesemake history for future generations to look up to and give motivation.In woman’s volleyball, Brazil took the gold this turn around while the United States came second, and Japanthird. Brazil played very well and dominated in the finals when they played U.S.A. which was amazing. Brazilgave the USA a barrage of dives and spikes, while the USA putup its best defense. The scores were 11-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17; it was an amazing victory for Brazil. Gymnastics was alsoanother big event this summer with the athlete GabbyDouglas, who stole the gold in Gymnastics. After she won,there was much speculation that she had cheated and evenaccusations that her hair was improperly styled. All of the accusationswere false and disproved by the judges/officials. Afinal issue at this summer’s Olympic Games focused on taxingthe winnings of the gold, silver, and bronze medalists. Whenall of the medalists from the United States came back, theywere welcomed by a hefty tax on the money that they hadworked so hard to earn. The Weekly Standard, a conservative news magazine, ran the number and said thatthe tax bill on the gold is $8,986; silver is 5,385; and the bronze is $3,500. At the end of the day, it is prettycrazy that an athlete gets taxed for winning a medal for our country in the world’s biggest event!The ProphetThe Official Online Newspaper of Union CatholicHigh SchoolThe 2011– 2012 StaffEditor-in-Chief: Jillian GonzalesAssistant Editors: Jane Lestarchick & Madison SimonEntertainment Editors: Sydney Dick & Bridget NoceraSports Editor: Kyle DebelakReporters: Nylson Campbell, Christine Hahn, Andrea Mojica, SamanthaPiazza, Kristen Ramos, and Melissa Titolo