Sand Script

November, 2009 John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School Volume LXXIV
Inside
Back-to-School Dance Page 2: Pulaski Day Parade, Cheeseteak Wars, and more
■ Las Vegas comes to Hallahan Page 3: Book and movie reviews
———————–———————————
By: Tiffany Cautilli ‗12
Page 4: Senior soccer players highlighted

Decks of cards, slot-
machine posters, and hanging
dice adorned the gym on Octo-
ber 3, 2009. These decorations
set the perfect mood for the
―Las Vegas-themed‖ Back-to-
School Dance. Many people got
into the Las Vegas spirit and
came dressed in flashy-colored
clothes and jewelry. Some girls
even wore earrings with cards
of aces dangling from them.
The night kicked off at
7:30 with many popular songs
such as ―Circus‖ by Britney
Spears, ―I Gotta Feeling‖ by
Black Eyed Peas, ―Single La-
dies‖ by Beyoncé Knowles and
of course, ―Hey Mickey‖ by
Toni Basil. The memorable
night ended with the senior
class song, ―Remember Me
This Way‖ by Jordan Hill.
When asked their opin-
ions on the dance, senior Gina
Cautilli said: ―It was a really
nice final back-to-school dance
for me. I had a fun time.‖ ―I had
a lot of fun with my friends at
the dance. I also thought that
the DJ was good because he
kept everyone up and dancing. I
had a really good time,‖ said
freshman, Stephanie DiCicco.
―The dance was so much fun. It
was really nice hanging out
with my friends. It was also a back into the school year. It
great way to meet new people. I proved to be an enjoyable ex-
really liked when the DJ played perience for all.
―Party in the USA‖ by Miley
Cyrus because everyone got
together to dance with each
other. It was my first dance at
Hallahan and I really enjoyed
it,‖ said freshman Veronica
Duca.
The dance was an ex-
citing way for students to get

Hallahan Day
■ Students enjoy beloved tradition
———————–———————————
By: Angela Robb ‗10
Friday, October 23, was a day
that Hallahan students were waiting for all
year: Hallahan Day. Hallahan Day means
many things to different people. For some
it means seeing or performing in the Hal-
lahan Day Show. It also means giving and
receiving presents
with their big/little
sisters, getting a
break from classes,
or hanging out with
friends. No matter
what you think when
you hear the words
"Hallahan Day", this
day has a special
meaning for every-
one.
The sched-
ule this year was a
little different. In
previous years the
Ready, Set, Stay Healthy!
■ Hallahan Health Fair is a hit
———————–———————————
By: Lena Ma ‗10
On October 21, 2009 silence
filled the gymnasium. The sounds of crick-
ets were heard from miles away. Chatters
of human voices were nonexistent at that
moment.
Suddenly, the bell rang. Fourth
period lunch was about to begin. The
sound of footprints going thump, thump,
thump, rapidly increased as hundreds of
girls charged down the steps for their pe-
riod of relaxation: a period of nourishment,
and a period of leisure and knowledge.
After devouring their lunches, the
girls piled into the gym to explore the
wonders of the different aspects of health,
from ways to maintaining a healthy system
to the tragic results of breast cancer if not
treated properly. Not only did they receive
the chance to enhance their minds, they
were also able to have their faces painted!
Representatives from CCP were also there
to provide Hallahan with health informa-
tion on aspects such as blood pressure.
juniors and freshmen had
their breakfast and ex-
changed gifts while the
sophomores saw the Hallahan Day show.
The sophomores then went home and the
freshmen and juniors saw the show.
This year the seniors and sopho-
mores quickly exchanged presents and
then went to the auditorium to watch the
seniors perform the
Hallahan Day
Show. The sopho-
mores had a dance
party in the gym
during this time.
After the first per-
formance, the jun-
iors and freshmen
had their breakfast
and exchanged
gifts while the
sophomores saw
the second show.
The
theme of this year's
Hallahan Day Show was
―The Breakfast Club‖ and
This day was a blast and everyone enjoyed
the fair as if it were a circus, especially the
free candy and prizes that were offered!
Always remember: Staying healthy puts a
smile on your face!
followed a day in detention for five stu-
dents: an NHS girl (Stephanie Osawaru),
a Student Council member (Stephanie
DiMuzio), a cheerleader (Loren Mallon),
a basketball player (Chrissy Hodges), and
a rebel (Chrissy DiStefano).
Throughout the show they
flashback to how each student received a
detention from beloved teachers such as
Mrs. O'Grady (Liz McPeak), Ms. Ehritz
(Ashley Harley), Mrs. Sawick (Sara Tim-
per), Ms. Fleming (Alex Karpin), Mrs.
Lafty (Kerri McLaughlin), Mrs. Betham
(Jessica Plaza), and more. Each teacher
performed a song such as ―Love Story‖
and ―You Belong With Me‖ by Taylor
Swift, ―Halo‖ and ―Single Ladies‖ by
Beyoncé, ―Good Girls Go Bad‖ by Cobra
Starship, and more.
By the end of the day it was clear
to see that each student had a great time
and enjoyed this year‘s Hallahan Day. Student Council Installation
No matter which aspect of the day they ■ Pledging to serve the Hallahan Community
liked most, this year's Hallahan Day was ————————————————-
a memorable one for all. By: Shelley Leung ‗12
As every blue ribbon girl walked down
the aisle of the Cathedral, some were carrying
flags and others carried candles which represented
"the light of Christ." This exciting moment for our
new student leaders marked the beginning of a
new and exciting school year. A special welcome
to the Hallahan family was extended to the Class
of 2013.
Congratulations to Audrey Melli, our
2009-2010 student council president, and to all of
the other student council members. Our student
leaders made a pledge to serve our school commu-
nity which was highlighted by the passing down
of the class flags.

Pulaski Day Parade
■ Polish Club represents Hallahan in annual parade
———————–———————————
By: Dominique Brennan ‗11
The Polish community of and families to observe the parade from
Philadelphia showed their pride on Sun- Logan Square. People enjoyed an an-
day, October 4th in the 76th Anniver- nual display of Polish history and cul-
sary of the Pulaski Day Parade. ture.
The theme of this year‘s parade
was the 230th anniversary of the death
of General Casmir Pulaski and also to
commemorate the 70th Anniversary of
the Invasion of Poland and the Outbreak
of World War II.
Beginning on 20th St. and the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway and ending
at 22nd Street, the parade was covered
live by WPVI TV. There was free seat-
H1N1 Pandemic
■ Vital information about the ―swine flu‖
———————–———————— that very few people have any natural
By: Hannah Mira ‗13
If you reminisce all the way back
to last April, you will remember when
everyone panicked over the word ‖swine
flu‖, thinking that it literally came from a
pig. Just so we are all clear about this,
swine flu, also known as H1N1 influenza,
is a human disease, not from pigs. The
reason for the nickname is because the
virus that causes the disease came to hu-
mans from pigs. In addition, the virus
contains genes from swine, bird, and hu-
man flu viruses, and even scientists today
are still arguing whether ―swine flu‖ is
the correct name to call this disease, how-
ever, most people know it as H1N1 swine
flu virus.
■ Examining two sides of the issue
———————–———————————–———————————————————————————————————————————
By: Tiffany Cautilli ‗12
Football player Michael Vick
was at the top of his game until officials
arrested him for operating a dog fighting
ring. Vick, who was only sentenced to 18
months in prison, was considered by some
to be a ―heavyweight dogfighter‖ due to
how much money he bet on these brutal
dog fights which he thought of as a
―sport‖ of some kind. Vick wasted be-
tween $30,000 and $40,000 on these mali-
cious death arenas in which innocent dogs
were put into a pit and expected to fight
each other to their death.
This wicked man was responsible
for the death of over 60 dogs, mainly Pit
Bulls. Sadly, Pit Bulls and American Pit
Bull Terriers are the main dog breeds used
in dog fights. For some reason, people
assume that these dogs are vicious and
evil from birth, and are ―bred to fight.‖
Being the owner of a Bull Terrier, I can
say from experience that these dogs are
not vicious from birth. My dog is ex-
tremely affectionate and caring and would
never want to fight another dog. People
assume because they are considered ―bully
breed‖ dogs that they are evil. I think that
it all depends on how a dog is raised. If a
Chihuahua or Chow is raised to be a vi-
The Community
“Cheesesteak Wars”
■ Attempting to settle a decades-old dispute
———————–———————————
By: Kathryn Murray ‗12
ing for viewers steakhouses. I must say, it‘s a
Dieters and vegetarians, please skip to very difficult decision to make. Both steaks are
the next side of the page immediately! It‘s time very good, and are sure to whet the appetites of
to shed some light on Philadelphia‘s any person visiting the city.
―Cheesesteak Wars‖. For those who are just So, the only conclusion I can make is
hearing about this legendary war, the main con- that the ―Cheesesteak Wars‖ will last for a very,
flict of it lies in the decades-long question peo- very long time.
ple are still trying to answer: Which is better,
Pat‘s or Geno‘s Steaks?
Located in the heart of South Philadel-
phia, these two cheesesteak powerhouses have
been at it for years and are so famous that they
have even made their way onto ―The Dr. Phil
Show‖. But there are some of you who still want
to know, what‘s the big deal? A Sandscript
reporter (yours truly) was able to go to South
Philly to try one cheesesteak from each of the
Courtesy of Mrs. Sheetz
Courtesy of Flickr.com
What frightens people the most is problems, neurological disorders, and enza-like illness and severe pneumonia.‖
elderly people are at higher risk of severe The U.S. has purchased 251 mil-
immunity to the H1N1 swine flu and the flu disease. People in these groups should lion doses of the vaccine against this dis-
result is that the normal seasonal flu shot seek medical care as soon as they get the ease and has promised 10% of the vaccine
offers no protection against this new vi- swine flu. to developing nations. Moreover, this vac-
rus. You‘re probably wondering what the Let me give you a cine is especially beneficial for students.
symptoms of this virus are. Just like any few healthy tips, if you should ever get Schools across the nation are urging every
other flu symptoms, it includes fever, the swine flu: STAY HOME, and when student to get the vaccine in order to pre-
cough, sore throat, runny nose, body you cough or sneeze, please cover your vent as many people as possible from
aches and fatigue. Also, numerous people mouth and nose with tissue. Most impor- catching the swine flu, including John W.
who have had swine flu have experienced tantly, ALWAYS carry a hand sanitizer! Hallahan!
diarrhea and vomiting. Almost everyone This will not only benefit you, but also the So what are YOU waiting for?
with the flu has at least two of these people around you, Get your flu shots now!
symptoms. Also, Dr. Margaret Chan, direc-
Here‘s something you probably did not tor-general of the World Health Organiza-
know: pregnant women are six times more tion emphasizes the danger of the swine
likely to have severe flu diseases than by saying, ―All countries should immedi-
women who are not pregnant. Also, young ately now activate their pandemic prepar-
children, especially those under 2 years of edness plans. Countries should remain on
age, people with asthma, liver or kidney high alert for unusual outbreaks of influ-
Courtesy of cbc.ca
Opinion Editorials
The Michael Vick Debate
By: Kathryn Murray ‗12 tify Vick‘s actions? Absolutely not. (I‘ll say it
cious, it‘s going to be an evil dog despite When we thought of Michael Vick again: Absolutely not.) What he did was atro-
its breed. The actions of a dog all before 2007, we probably used the term ―pro cious, and always will be. But I want people
depend on the care of its owner. There- to stop and put their pitchforks down and
-football player‖ to describe him. But nowa-
fore, I feel that Michael Vick should be think about a situation before they start to act
days we think of him using one term: ―dog
imprisoned for the rest of his life. He is a on it. I hope you have enjoyed reading this
killer‖. For some, the mere thought of his
murderer and if he would have murdered article, and have tried to see it from my per-
name boils our blood (for good reason), or
spective. Thank you for your attention.
makes us shake our heads in disgust. Some of
us can‘t even stand the fact that he is now
playing on our beloved football team, the
Eagles. But I have a question for all the peo-
ple reading this article and many others: How
long are we going to do this? How many
more years must we condemn and criticize
Vick before we can actually forgive him?
(Yes, I said it: forgive him.)
I believe that as Christians, we are
supposed to eventually forgive those who
Source: Zimbio.com
have hurt us in some way, no matter how
heinous the crime may be. Also, Vick‘s crime
another living thing, he would have been was a very grave one, which required serving
imprisoned for more than a mere 18 time in federal prison. (Now I know that
months. I think that it is a disgrace that he some of you feel that he should have served
was only sentenced to 18 months in jail more than 2 years, but consider this: How
for what he did. I also feel that it is an many people in this country who deserve to
even bigger disgrace to the city of Phila- be put away behind bars actually are, espe-
Vick‘s Philadelphia Eagles jersey
delphia that he is now a member of the cially a famous NFL star who earns millions Source: Jerseycloset.com
Eagles. Even if he is the best football every year?)
player in the entire country, he still killed Now I don‘t want any of you to re-
over 60 dogs and doesn‘t deserve to go spond to my questions with angry notes or
back to playing football again. dirty looks in the hallway or cafeteria when
the teacher‘s not looking. Do my points jus-
 Arts and Entertainment
TV Book and Movie Reviews
Tony Award-Winning “Spring Awaken- “9” Movie Re- ply…the number 9. De-
Halloween Costume Poll
spite its dark theme and
ing” in Philadelphia view inevitable food for ——————————————
■ An unforgettable performance ■“Not your little brother‘s thought, this is a very Polled by Tiffany Cautilli ‗09
———————————————————–————— animated movie!‖ inventive and entertaining “What are you going to be for
By: Angela Robb ‗10 _____________________ film. You should take a Halloween?”
By: Kathryn Murray ‗12 trip to the theater and see
During the week of Kyle Riabko (Melchior), Perry Lights, camera, ―A Roman boy‖ -Kim Dutil, ‗10
June 23-28, 2009 the eight-time Sherman (Ensamble), Matt it before it‘s gone for
action: It‘s another Halla- good. (Just don‘t take
Tony winning musical Shingledecker (Georg), Henry han Movie Review! This ―A pirate‖ -Leanna Ashcom, ‗11
your little brother with
(including one award for best Stram (Adult Man), and Lucas time, we‘re giving the
you, no matter how an-
musical in 2007) ―Spring Wells (Ensamble). scoop on a movie called ―Little Red Riding Hood‖ -Taylor
noying he might be.)
Awakening‖ came to perform What made the Phila- ―9‖. Even though it is an
for audiences in Philadelphia at delphia stop special was the last animated film, the tagline Starring: Elijah
The Academy of Music for its day of the run was Kyle Ri- Wood (―Happy Feet‖ and Divirgilio ‗12
says it all: ―This is not ―Lord of the Rings), Jen-
first national tour. abko's final performance as your little brother‘s ani- nifer Connelly (last year‘s
In the months leading Melchior. The two days leading mated movie!‖ ―A witch‖ -Laura Fabey, ‗13
―The Day the Earth Stood
up to the show, the street team, up to his final performance was It is an unknown Still‖), and many other Printactivities.com
―The Guilty Ones‖ advertised his replacement (Jake Epstein)'s time in the future, after
the show, handed out flyers, first two preview performances. the annihilation of human- somewhat unknown ac-
and tried to earn prizes and Jake Epstein is best known for ity. A group of tiny, rag- tors.
tickets to sit on stage. his role as Craig on 'Degrassi: gedy-doll creatures are the
The cast of the show The Next Generation" only remaining living
included Krystina Alabado ―Spring Awakening‖ things, and their leader
(Ensamble), Christy Altomare is one of my favorite shows and has a moniker of sim-
(Wendla), Blake Bashoff I would recommend it to any-
(Moritz), Julie Benko one. While the show will not be
(Ensamble), Steffi D (Ilse), coming back to Philadelphia “Glee” contains excellent covers of popular songs, many of
■ Explaining the television phenomenon which reached iTunes top 100, ―Don't Stop Believing‖
Chase Davidson (Ensamble), during the second leg of the from the pilot episode even reached #1! 'Glee' is an audi-
Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Ki- tour, I will definitely be at the —————————————————————--
By: Angela Robb ‗10 ence favorite and is definitely a show I would recom-
miko Glenn (Thea), Sarah Hunt next closest stop to see the mend to others.
(Martha), Anthony Lee Medina show again. If you want to see a By its very definition ―glee‖' means ―opening
(Otto), Andy Mientus piece of art that is different and yourself up to joy‖. Joy is certainly what you are in for if
(Hanschen), Ben Moss (Ernst), unlike anything you have ever you tune into ―Glee‖, the new smash comedy by Nip/
Krista Pioppi (Ensamble), An- seen before ―Spring Awaken- Tuck's Ryan Murphy every Wednesday at 9:00 on FOX.
gela Reed (Adult Women), ing‖ is a show you should defi- The show is about high school Spanish teacher
Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) who relives his high
school days when he takes over the school glee club de-
pite the club being bottom of the school social latter and
football and cheerleading being all the matter. His new
“Gleek Tour” hits K.O.P. Mall 'gleeks' include football quarterback, Finn (Cory Mon-
teith), determined diva, Rachel (Lea Michele), diva-in-
■Hundreds of fans show their support
training, Mercades (Amber Riley), guitar playing nerd,
———————————————————–— Artie (Kevin McHale), fashionable soprano, Kurt (Chris
By: Angela Robb ‗10 Colfer), and stuttering punk-rocker, Tina (Jenna Ushko-
witz). Meanwhile Will's wife, Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig),
On August 19, 2009, tion song for 'Glee'?", "Are you tries to fake a pregnancy and school guidance councelor,
eight of the lead cast members anything like your character?" Emma (Jayma Mays) tries to hide a soft spot for Will.
of the new hit FOX show and of course, hundreds of re- Also Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), the coach of the
―Glee‖ came to visit the Hot quests to sing. In Chris Colfer's school's cheerleading squad, the Cheerios, tries to use her
Topic at the King of Prussia case, he was asked to dance to cheer captain, Finn's girlfriend, Quinn (Dianna Agron),
Mall as the third stop on their ―Single Ladies‖, to which he and Finn's best friend, Puck (Mark Salling) to take the
club down from the inside. Courtesy of Fox.com
Gleek Tour. Fans of the show, replied "I made that mistake
or ―Gleeks‖ purchased their yesterday and dislocated my This show is very funny and witty, much more
―I'm a Gleek‖ shirt the week dignity" and suggested that humorous than many shows on TV today. The show also
before the event which was sold everyone to look it up on You-
with a free wristband that guar- tube.
anteed them a spot to meet the Lea Michele was the “This is It”
cast of the show. only cast member to grant the ■New
movie honors late ―King of Pop‖
The event was similar audience a song. She sang —————————————————————————
to last year's Twilight tour ―Blue Wind‖ from the musical By: Sarah Mira ‗13
(though less crazy!). Despite ―Spring Awakening‖ (of which
only one episode of ―Glee‖ she was an original cast mem-
Although the ―King of Pop‖ If you think that this movie
having aired (three months be- ber) Lea's impromptu perform- died on June 25, 2009, he still seems is Jackson‘s final goodbye, relax fans:
fore the time of this event), ance can be seen on Youtube as to outdo himself. Michael Jackson‘s he‘s not going anywhere anytime
about 350 ―Gleeks‖ came to the well.
Movie, ―This Is It‖ will be showed soon. If you think that Columbia Pic-
meet-and-greet and even more At the end of the day
worldwide on October 28, 2009. On tures will just end things after the film,
showed up at the Q+A session. many new people found out
September 27th tickets for his concert you‘re dead wrong. You, my friends,
Cast members Cory about ―Glee‖ and some current
film sold out immediately in media are in for a treat! There is a DVD to be
Monteith (Finn), Lea Michele fans were energized for the new markets such as our own City of released. There is the director‘s cut;
(Rachel), Jenna Ushkowitz season. After filming the re-
Brotherly Love, Philadelphia as well director‘s cut deluxe edition, deluxe
(Tina), Chris Colfer (Kurt), mainder of season one what
as Los Angeles. So folks don‘t waste edition with a zipper jacket and so
Amber Riley (Mercades), could be on the plate for the
time any longer! Want to know what much more. Watch out world, this is
Kevin McHale (Artie), Dianna cast? Rumor has it that this
to expect of the King of Pop‘s movie? just the beginning!
Agron (Quinn), and Mark Sal- summer there will be a concert
His concert film will contain
ling (Puck) came to Philadel- tour. Stay tuned for details. the last three weeks of him practicing
phia to meet Gleeks, sign auto-
his dance moves such as his famous
graphs, and give a question and
moonwalk, back stage footage at the
answer session for Fox‘s ―Good
Staples Stadium in Los Angeles, Cali-
Day Philadelphia‖.
fornia, and much more. Additionally, Courtesy of Miami Herald
Soon it was time for
the film chronicles his plans for his 50
the Q+A where the cast an- -night stay at the 02 Arena in London
swered questions from fans
that was cancelled after his death.
such as "What was your audi-
That‘s all I‘m going to spill since you
should see this phenomenal film for
―Glee‖ star Corey Monteith signs Courtesy of Nationalpost.com
yourself.
autographs at the KOP mall

Soccer
■ Celebrating our senior soccer stars
————————————-———
By: Dominique Brennan ‗11
As they head into the playoffs
this year, Hallahan‘s soccer team is hav-
ing a good season with a respectable re-
cord of 6-5 under the guidance of coach
Pat Cain. Led by captains Chelsea Liller,
Connie LaRussa, Sara Myers and Leanna
Ashcom, they have been successful due to
the hard work and effort of the entire
team.
The entire soccer team will take
time to honor seniors Chelsea Liller and
Nya Mercer at their game against St.
Hubert‘s on Tuesday, October
Participate in a Sport
■ You don‘t have to be athletic to reap the benefits
———————–———————————
By: Ariana Jones ‗12
Hallahan girls: it is time to
get active now! Do you play a sport
for Hallahan or another organization?
If not its time to start getting active!
There are so many benefits to playing
sports. Any kind of physical activity
(i.e. ice-skating, soccer, basketball,
baseball, hockey, football, or danc-
ing) can help to keep you fit. Many
athletes enjoy participating in sports
so much that they often forget that it
is also keeping them in shape.
Participating in a sport cer-
tainly has other advantages as well.
Most jobs require teamwork so what
better way to learn than to participate
in a sport. Working with a team can
help to develop important life skills.
Athletics can also improve mathe-
matics skills, leadership abilities, and
Hallahan Day
■ More highlights from the excitement
————————————————————————————
By: Morgan Calvert ‗11
―Who is your little sister?‖ ―Who is
your big sister?‖ These were the
questions on everyone‘s mind on
October 15. No one knew who their
sister would be but this was the day
of the Big Sister/Little Sister meet
and greet.
The pairing off of a junior
with a freshman is a Hallahan tradi-
tion that has been around for a long
time. The juniors help their little
sister feel like she is a part of the
Hallahan family. Junior Katie Wal-
ters said ―I liked being a big sister
and sharing my experiences here at
Hallahan with my little sister.‖ Katie
hopes that she helped her little sister,
Shante Baker, feel welcome at Halla-
han and hopes that they she can be-
come one of her new friends.
Hallahan Day is a day that
all students enjoy. On this day, Hal-
lahan girls celebrate their school
spirit and enjoy food, music and
dancing in the gym. Big and little
sisters also exchange their colorful
sister gifts. T
The highlight of the day is
always the Hallahan Day Show. This
year‘s performance of ―The Deten-
Hallahan Fall Highlights
27th. Liller and Mercer have played an
important part in the team‘s success. Mid- Nya! The team will miss you.
fielder Liller has played on the team all
four years at Hallahan while Mercer has
played defense since her sophomore
year.
Junior defensive player Sabrina
Spei looks forward to honoring the senior
players. ―I think they should be honored
for their hard work and leave with good
memories of their time on the team,‖ she
said. As they play their last game the
team will thank the seniors for their dedi-
cation and wish them well as their soccer
career at Hallahan comes to an end.
self-esteem.
Most statistics say that chil-
dren who are involved in an athletic
Leanna Ashcom displays her skills on the field
Courtesy of Ms. Houlihan
ac-
tivity are less likely to develop drug
and alcohol problems. Imagine that!
If more kids got involved in a team
activity, we could potentially deter
many students from using drugs in
the future. So girls get out there and
choose a sport that‘s right for you!
tion Club‖ showed just how well the
seniors know our faculty mem-
bers. The senior actresses portrayed
Mrs. Bethem dancing with Louis
XVI, Mrs. O‘Grady making ―bad
girls go good,‖ and Ms. Ehritz being
a ninja. They didn‘t miss one funny
aspect about our teachers and staff.
Hallahan Day 2009 was a
lot of fun for everyone. I am sure
next year will be just as much fun.
Good luck Chelsea and
Feeling Lethargic?
■ Trick yourself into a boost of energy
———————–——————————–————————————
By: Stephanie Crossley ‗12
We have all experienced the fatigue that comes
with weekday mornings, the dread of the up-
coming work that teachers seem to use as a
form of torture. We have all had those days
where we are simply exhausted by the repeti-
tion of our daily lives and the typical boredom
of school. On the other hand,
there are days (usually a weekend) when you
feel filled with energy from the moment you
wake up. On those days the first thing that pops
into your head is something exiting that you'll
be doing that day or something you've been
waiting to see.
An example of an energizing day is
Christmas. As a child it was difficult to sleep
with the anticipation of Christmas morning.
You probably dreamed of what you would see
under the tree and then woke up bright and
early, full of energy, and ready to run full speed
to your presents. Afterwards, your older sib-
lings (and now some of you) would go back to
bed once the gifts were revealed and there was
nothing left but hugs and kisses from aunts you
weren't aware you had.
The beginning of the school year is
similar. On the first day of school you're ex-
cited, or sometimes anxious, but you are full of
energy. As you get into the habit of things,
however, you become tired again. For fresh-
men, who are new to the high school experi-
ence, their energy tends to last longer. The
The Sandscript Staff
Editor-in-chief
Student Life Editor
Entertainment editor
Sports editor
Reporter
Photographer
Staff
Moderator
Hallahan Soccer Team
Courtesy of Ms. Houlihan
newer the experience, the more energy you
have. Now the
question really is, how can we use this spurt of
energy to our advantage? It is widely known
that a positive outlook can influence the out-
come of an event, and also improve a person‘s
mood. If you can focus on something exciting
that you are going to do later on, while retain-
ing enough focus to do your work, then you can
have energy throughout the day. Even if you do
get the right amount of sleep, your dislike of
school can overpower it.
Of course self manipulation isn't the
only way to obtain energy. Sometimes people
don't get enough sleep, and being deliriously
happy about a date shouldn't be the only thing
keeping you upright. A messy environment can
bring you down so clean that room! Junk foods
shouldn't be breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many
people find exercise rejuvenating, and being
around happy, energetic people can rub off on
you. There is something that you can do about
constant fatigue, if you‘re not too tired to try.
Lena Ma ‘10
Angela Robb ‘10
sarah mira ‘13
Hannah mira ‘13
tiffany cautilli ‘12
Dominique brennan ‘11
morgan calvert ‘11
Stephanie Crossley ‘12
shelley leung ‘12
Kathryn Murray ‘12
Ms. Rodolico