Sandscript
Inside This Issue:
“A Night in Paris” Junior Prom
 Allison Solarski ‘14
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On April 19, 2013, the junior class shared a
special night with their sisters and dates at the
Junior Prom. The junior class had off that day
so they were able to take the time to get their
hair done, nails painted, and to dress like
they’ve never dressed before. The prom was
held at the Sonesta Hotel at 18th and Market
Streets. Limos were booked, flowers were
exchanged, pictures were taken, and the sun
was shining. Even the rain held off until later
that evening. The girls looked absolutely stunning while strutting their stuff. Everyone’s
dress was different, yet unique. Some wore
(L-R) Isabella Schnoering,
strapless gowns, while others wore off-theshoulder dresses in a wide range of lengths.
Andrea Campanella, Allison Solarski
Their dates were dressed handsomely with
suits and ties.
was evident that evening. Everyone danced
the night away making memories that will last
Upon arriving, they introduced their dates to forever. “Here’s to the nights that turn into
the faculty and had their professional pictures mornings and the friends that turn into famtaken by the photographer. They will treasure ily.” Looking forward to what Senior Year
these pictures forever, showing their children has ahead for us!
and grandchildren for years to come. My personal favorite was the photo booth. It was fun
to take pictures making funny faces with our
friends and dates and sharing them with others.
We ate and then
danced the night
away in true Hallahan style. The
DJ played a variety of songs
which
helped
make the night
complete.
The Hallahan
sisterhood bond
Juniors and their dates pose for pictures before the prom
Spring 2013
Page 2: Junior Class Ring Liturgy
Page 3: Hallahan Fashion Show
Page 4: Terror at the Boston Marathon
Hallahan Girls before the prom
(L-R): Mary Dever, Elena
Hrushanyk, Ana DeJesus
(L-R): Nana Yip, Sidney Tran, Kali
Brady, Toni Lerrro
Senior Prom
 Sarah Mira ‘13
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! On Friday, April 26th, the
senior girls of John W. Hallahan were all dolled up for one of
the most memorable and exciting events of their lives:
PROM! The 2013 Senior Prom took place at the Camden
Aquarium, overlooking the beautiful scenic sites of the Ben
Franklin Bridge and the twinkling lights of the Philadelphia
skyline.
Upon arriving at the aquarium, the first thing that the attendees saw was a huge shark tank, up close and personal! The
girls eagerly greeted each other and took an endless amount of
pictures. The whole room was filled with laughter and sparkles, lots and lots of SPARKLES!
(L-R) MJ Winterbottom, Tina Tollinger, Fr.
Steve, Ashley Weinberger
(L-R): Brianna Varano, Wendy Serrano, Maria Malizia, Megan Sweeney, and Mollie McCloskey
Danielle Napoli & Anna
Bishop pose with Mr. Kwon
By 8 o'clock, the appetizers and main courses were being
served, while in the hall there was a bar for soda, iced tea, and juice. Throughout the
night, the girls and their dates took turns taking pictures with the professional photographer but the best part was the photo-booth. Everyone took a turn or two getting impromptu pictures with their friends and dates in the booth.
As the long and fun night progressed, everyone danced like there was no tomorrow. There was lots of laughter and fun memories with friends; including line dancing,
the Harlem Shake, and Oppa Gangnam Style! The Senior Prom for the Class of 2013
will surely be a night to remember until we go to college, graduate, become mothers,
and even grandmothers! Nevertheless, a Hallahan Girl will always and forever be
classy!
Seniors and their dates pose for a photo on the water-front
Sandscript
Page 2
Junior Class Ring Liturgy
 Nicole Fantom ‘14
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Hallahan juniors gathered at the Cathedral
Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Thursday,
March 21, 2013 to receive their class rings. Father Paolino presided over the Mass and gave a
homily about the meaning of class rings. He said
that class rings keep us bound to each other as a
class. When Mass ended, it was finally time for
the distribution of the rings. It was a moment the
juniors had been waiting for since they received
their Josten’s booklets. This moment signified
that the juniors will be graduating soon and starting a new chapter of their lives.
Hallahan’s ring has an aquamarine stone and
the seal on the side. You can choose the metal of
the band, the design on the other side, and if you
want your name engraved on the inside. Everyone was so excited to see what the rings looked
like. It was a very special night for the class of Left to right: Felise Silva, Gayeon
2014 and one that will not be forgotten.
Lee, Nicole Fantom
Lacrosse Interview
Some of the Junior class showing off their new bling!
Hallahan Softball
 Leah Comby ‘15
 Brigid Stermel ‘16
———————————————————————–———–————————–———— ———————————————————————–———–————————–——–———————————————-——–————-—Hallahan recently added a new spring sport
to its program, lacrosse. Sandscript’s Leah
Comby sat down with two members of the
team.
Leah Comby: Tell us a little bit about lacrosse since it is a new sport at Hallahan and
also a new sport for most of the players.
You might find that you like things you didn’t think you would.
Rebecca Valentine (‘15) “Lacrosse is a new
experience for me. I never played until this
year and I like it a lot. The coaches are understanding that no one knows how to play
and they taught us all the basics. I will definitely join next year.”
Bridget Golden (‘15): “Lacrosse is new, fun
and great to learn. We’re getting better day
by day, and the coaches are very helpful and
patient. Practice is at Lemon Hill, which is
pretty. It’s near Boat House Row. Sometimes
we run to practice. Interested members
should join next year. Everyone is welcome.”
The Lacrosse team poses in front of the Rocky statue
This year Hallahan’s softball team
picked up the pieces from previous
years’ struggles. This year, Hallahan was
looked at as a threat. Our softball program has taken a big step in the Catholic
League. Our seniors have also shown
that we do not give up. They have led
the team through the season over bumpy
hills and rocky mountains without losing
sight of our goals. Softball is the sport
that these girls love and they are willing
to keep their heads up and keep their
legs moving. Mr. Rich Casey, the head
coach, has made a goal this year to keep
the team moving in the right direction
and he certainly has reached that goal.
the bottom and have made significant
strides.
The team’s hunger and thirst
for success is evident by their hard work
and effort. Every player from freshman
to senior has put in time and dedication
to improve in every way in softball for
their love of the game.
From the past year’s program, our girls
have only gotten better and louder especially before and after every game with
the help of senior Justine “Bean” Gonzalez screaming out our school’s name
in pride. Next year our team will have a
big piece missing from the team without
our seniors but the rest of the team will
always be inspired by those seven talHallahan’s softball team started from ented girls.
Where will you be after Hallahan?
 Hannah Mira ‘13
————————————————————————————————————————————–——————————————————————————————–—-—-
Kristina Hunter
Brionna Merritt
Karina Matos
Alexis Patillo
Paige Trush
Soo Hallahan!!
Page 3
Science Club (Earth Day)
Hallahan Fashion Show
 Samatha Wong ‘15
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On April 22, 2013, Hallahan’s Science Club
hosted another Earth Day Fair. There were
many fun games, face painting, and numerous
prizes that involved some background knowledge about the environment. One of the main
goals of the fair was to raise awareness on
how to properly treat our surroundings because it can affect us. There were many people involved to make this day happen. Not
only were there volunteers from Science Club
but many other students were also eager to
volunteer. Through these fairs, I feel that everyone learns so much about science but in a
very fun way.
 Sidney Tran ‘14
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Earth Day Fun facts:

There are two Earth Days! –April 22 and
March 20, which is the first day of spring

The “Karman Line” has an altitude of
about 100 km and is defined as the official point at which space begins.

One single tree can detoxify the air up to
60 pounds of pollutants.

20 million people participated on the first
Earth Day.

Half the world’s tropical and temperate
forests are now gone.
"The beauty of a woman is not in the
clothes she wears, the figure that she
carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman is seen in her
eyes, because that is the doorway to her
heart, the place where love resides.
True beauty in a woman is reflected in
her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows
& the beauty of a woman only grows
with passing years." — Audrey Hepburn
On April 11th 2013, seniors
hosted a fashion show in the auditorium. The fashion show consisted of
outfits put together by the seniors. The
outfits ranged from professional ward-
robe, to casual, to dressy. However, the
purpose of each outfit reflected what a
Catholic girl should wear. The fashion
show inspired Hallahan girls to learn to
respect their body as a gift from God.
In addition, seniors also made a skit of
how Hallahan girls should act in public
for example on the bus, in line, and
basically anywhere.
Catching up with Father Steve

Nicole Fantom ’14 and Allison Solarski ‘14
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As juniors, we have a special kinship with Father Steve. class and I had it 8th period every day.
He began his journey at Hallahan along with us as Freshmen. We thought it would be interesting to sit and chat Q: How do you enjoy teaching at Hallahan?
with him and asked him the following questions.
A: I really enjoy teaching at Hallahan because it gets me
to be creative. It has challenged me to be creative with
technology especially in my classes which has been fun
Q: How do you enjoy going on Kairos?
A: The thing I enjoy most about Kairos is being with the for me.
students on an informal level. So often I’m spending time
with students during class, school liturgies, or on a day to Q: Do you come from a big family? How many sibday basis. I simply enjoy being on a very casual level lings?
with them and getting to know them better.
A: I do not come from a big family. I have two younger
brothers. Growing up it was me and my two younger
brothers with my parents so it was 5 of us which is an
Q: What were your aspirations as a kid?
A: I always wanted to become an actor which is probably average size family.
no surprise to anyone!
Q: What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?
A: The best thing that ever happened to me was to see and
Q: What are your plans for the summer?
A:I’m going to Disneyland in California in July for a get to hear from Pope John Paul II in Toronto, Canada for
week which is cool. It’s my second trip to Disneyland and World Youth Day. I got to be at the Mass which was
I’m looking forward to that.
incredible so I got to hear his words, his voice and his
homily which was very powerful.
Q: What was your favorite subject in school?
A: My favorite subject in school was Band. I was in Q: What is some advice you would give to the seniors
Band for 4 years and I really enjoyed that. That was a as they graduate from Hallahan
Cherry Blossom Festival 2013
 Leah Comby ‘15
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The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of
Greater Philadelphia was held this year
from April 1st through April 26th, with a lot
of different events occurring weekly. The
festival is in celebration of the cherry blossom trees in Fairmount Park, given to us by
Japan. The heart of the festival is Sakura
Sunday Celebration. The day began with the
annual Cherry Blossom 5K in which participants could run or walk a route that began at
the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park.
Bridget Golden, Samantha Wong, and I
participated in this. We came in almost last,
at under an hour. The winner was Ryan
Wiley, coming in at just over 16 minutes.
You go Ryan!
Sakura Sunday offered food of all kinds,
live music and dance performances, martialarts demonstrations, and crafts and activities
such as calligraphy and origami. Fairmount
Park’s beloved Shofuso Japanese House and
Garden was also open for tours throughout
the day and for Kamishibai Story time. If
you missed it this year, you should definitely make a point to attend next year.
A: I would give them two pieces of advice. The first
would be never to stop learning and to always be flexible
in life and be willing to adapt to life.
Q: What is your favorite song/artist?
A: My favorite artist of all time has to be U2 and my favorite song from them is “Where the Streets have no
Name”.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
A: A favorite thing for me to do in my free time is to
spend time with other priests and go to dinner. Usually
there is a meal involved.
Q: Where is the furthest you have traveled?
A: The furthest I have traveled is to Disneyland in California. I’ve also traveled to the City of Puebla in Mexico
which is pretty far. I lived in Mexico for a summer studying Spanish.
We enjoyed interviewing Father Steve and finding out
new information about him.
Staff Writers for this issue:
Editor-In-Chief:
Moderator:
Allison Solarski
‘14
Hannah Mira
‘13
Sarah Mira
’13
Nicole Fantom
‘14
Sidney Tran
‘14
Leah Comby
‘15
Hope Smalley
‘15
Samantha Wong
‘15
Isabella Perri
‘16
Brigid Stermel
‘16
Ms. Rodolico
The Fault in Our Stars Review

Shocking Fertilizer Plant Explosion in Texas

Hope Smalley ‘15
Hannah Mira ‘13
———————————–—————————————————— ———————————–—————————————John Green's latest novel,
The Fault in Our Stars has
recently taken the literary
world by storm. Now the
novel that was voted the best
novel of 2012 will take the
silver screen by storm.
On Wednesday, April 17, around 8
p.m., an immense explosion occurred at
West Fertilizer Company in the 2,800person town of West, Texas, killing 14
people, injuring 200, and destroying the
Other Adaptations that You
homes of many nearby residents. The
Might Enjoy: A Walk to Reexplosion sent flames shooting high into
member
the sky, leaving the factory in a fiery
ruin and causing great damage to its
buildings, neighborhoods, and other surroundings.
has recently been cast as Hazel.
John Green is also one of the
screenwriters for the film.
The Fault in Our Stars tells
the tale of sixteen year old
Hazel Grace Lancaster, who
was diagnosed with stage
four thyroid cancer at the age
of thirteen. After being forced
to attend a Cancer Kids Support Group, she meets the
metaphor loving Augustus
Waters, who fought his own battle with the
disease. Together, the two teens explore the
ins and outs of love, adventure and heartbreak, in a way that only the brilliance that
John Green can achieve.
Many claimed that the explosion was
so loud that it could have been heard up
to 45 miles north of West, Texas. Donald Adair, the owner of the plant’s parent company, Adair Grain, Inc., made
his first public statement after the blast,
stating that his and the hearts of all employees of the company go out to everyone who was affected and traumatized
by this unexpected event. Regretfully,
Adair also noted that one of his employ-
While the release date of the film has not
been announced, “The Secret Life of the
American Teenager” star Shailene Woodley

Isabella Perri ‘16
————————————————————————————————————–——–————————————————————————————————-————
Habemus
P a p e m !
Translation:
“We Have a
Pope!” For
just a couple
of days, the
vast Catholic
co mmu nit y
was intensely anticipating the
moment to discover the
newly chosen pope. At
around 3:00pm, on Wednesday, March 13th, in Vatican
City, the white smoke
emerged. Finally, our new
pope was selected.
Approximately 3:30pm, 76year-old Jorge Mario Bergogolio from Buenos Aires,
Argentina exited the crying
room and revealed himself to
the world. Bergogolio decided to take the name Pope
Francis I. He gave a memora-
the current pope, he chooses
to wear inexpensive attire
and no red shoes. Though it
is still early, Catholics are
absolutely certain Pope Francis will be a prosperous and
excellent pope.
ble speech using various languages such as Italian and
Latin. He also said prayers
and gave a blessing. Before
he blessed the crowd, he
asked the crowd to bless him
first.
Pope Francis has already set
a great reputation for himself.
He touches people’s hearts
with his exceptional humbleness and refuses to live an
expensive lifestyle. When he
was Archbishop in Argentina, he would cook his own
meals and ride the bus. As
President Obama also thanked the
“tight-knit” community of West, Texas
for continuing to monitor further developments regarding the extent of this explosion, stating, "I want to thank the first
responders who worked tirelessly
through the night to contain the situation
and treat the wounded." Obama added,
"My Administration, through FEMA and
other agencies, is in close contact with
our state and local partners on the
ground to make sure there are no unmet
needs as search and rescue and response
operations continue." As of now, the
town is secure, and the American Red
Cross team rushed to the scene and they
are working together to find a safe shelter for residents who have lost their
homes due to the blast.
“The Great Gatsby” Review
The Pope of Firsts

ees died in the blast as a volunteer firefighter.
Why is Pope Francis called
“The Pope of Firsts”? Pope
Francis has already done several things that a pope has
never done before. He is the
first pope ever from one of
the Americas. Believe it or
not, he is the first Jesuit pope.
Also, he is the first to take
the name Francis, which is in
honor of Saint Francis of
Assisi. Pope Francis made
history already and probably
will continue to do so in the
near future.
Hope Smalley ‘15
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While several adaptations of this 1925 novel
have been produced over
the years, the latest 2013
version has received a lot
of buzz recently. Baz
Luhrmann will be directing the film based on F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.
“The Great Gatsby” is
set during the Roaring
Twenties of the United
States and describes the
life of the narrator Nick Carraway and
his encounters with mysterious and very
rich Jay Gatsby.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire,
and Carey Mulligan are stars of the film
which will come to theatres on May
10th.
Other Similar Adaptations that You
Might Enjoy: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Terror at the Boston Marathon
 Nicole Fantom ‘14
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On Monday, April 15, 2013 at 2:50 p.m. two bombs
went off at the Boston Marathon. The marathon is an
annual event and one where many runners, with their
loved ones, attend. It is normally a very exciting day.
Two brothers from Russia were the “masterminds” of
this bombing. The other brother was killed in a gun battle with the police. In this horrible act, three have died
and over one hundred have been injured. Many of those
who were hurt were standing on the sidelines. An eight
year old boy, a nineteen year old girl, and a twenty nine
year old girl as well as a MIT police officer were killed. Many EMT’s
and medics were on the scene to aid the victims very quickly. Boston
plans to come back strong after this terrible event happened to their
city. A day that should have been triumphant turned into a day of devastation and sadness.