Union Catholic Freshmen Are Ecstatic About New Lenovo Twists

Union Catholic has elicited feelings of excitement and relief from its freshmen this September as they become accustomed to their brand new laptops, Lenovo Twists. The Twist is a combination laptop and tablet, making it easy for students to transition between activities. It also comes equipped with a touchscreen, Windows 8, and Microsoft Office Suite 13. Associate Principal and Director of Technology Karen Piasecki ’88 notes that with the dual laptop/tablet feature, students can choose to take notes in their own handwriting or with a keyboard, thus eliminating the need for notebooks or folders, which can be lost. “[The Lenovo Twist] is the best of both worlds,” Karen states. “Whether it be used in a traditional computing mode or in the tablet mode, students can collaborate and become even more engaged in their learning.”

Alexa Doria ’17 of Linden feels that having the new Lenovo Twist is a lot easier than having to lug around books. A member of Union Catholic’s Accelerated Scholars program, Alexa loves that most of her textbooks are online, including World History, Spanish, Biology, Algebra, and Religion. “I like the tablet feature,” notes Alexa. “I use that feature when I am doing research or reading, and then switch to using the keyboard feature when I have to write.” Chloe Ramirez of Rahway agrees with Alexa’s sentiments. She takes classes at the Regular level at UC and loves the organization that her laptop provides her with. “Everything that you could possibly need is on there,” she states. “I take my notes on OneNote; it is just so much faster and easier [than writing in a notebook].” Nicholas Sepe of Mountainside, who is a part of UC’s Freshman Foundations program, particularly appreciates the fact that his new laptop has a touchscreen. “Track pads can be difficult to use,” he adds. He also loves that all of his folders are organized and in one place. Bennett Labrador of Linden, who takes classes at the Honors level at UC, adds that he feels like his whole “school” is in his laptop, since all it has eliminated the need for a backpack, notebooks and folders. When he is going to and from school, all he has to remember is his laptop. Bennett also points out that his computer skills were limited before having his own laptop. “I used to just use Microsoft Word for projects [before this year]; now I know how to use the computer for so much more. It is unbelievable.”

For 50 years, Union Catholic High School has earned its reputation as one of New Jersey's foremost Catholic secondary schools. For information, visit unioncatholic.org.