BEARFACTS
Ursuline Academy 341 South Sappington Rd St. Louis, MO 63122
11.25.13 Volume 8 Issue2
UA Bears Strut Their Stuff! Check out Pages 16 and 18 for UA’s Styles!
TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES
4 6
Is Homework More Important Than Netflix? True or False: Homework Controls My Life
NEWS
8 10
Does History Repeat Itself?
P. 4
LGBT in Our Community
E N T E R TA I N -
12 14 16 18
Book-To-Movie Adaptations Get The Fall Look for Less Style Guide
P. 18
Holdiay Crafts
For other fun articles, pictures and more, visit
www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts Bear Facts: November Issue
Bear Facts Editorial Policy Bear Facts is both an online news website and a news magazine published four times a year by the Journalism class of Ursuline Academy at 341 S. Sappington Rd., St. Louis, MO 63122. Bear Facts is distributed to the students, faculty and staff of Ursuline Academy. As a student written and edited high school news magazine, Bear Facts will strive to perform three functions. 1. To inform readers thoroughly and accurately of events and issues found to be relative and interesting to the students, staff, and community. 2. To provide a public forum for students’ opinions through its editorials and letters to the editor. 3. To entertain readers with focus and features items. Student staff members will decide the content of each issue and will write and edit all printed and online material. Editorials with by lines will reflect the views of the individual student writer. Editorials without by lines will reflect views of the student staff as a whole. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual students, the newspaper adviser, school administration, and faculty members. Bear Facts encourages readers to share comments, suggestions, or complaints by submitting letters to the editor. In order to be considered for publication, letters to the editor must include the author’s signature. Names can be withheld only at the request of the author and with the approval of the editorial board. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarification, or for space limitation. Libelous or profane letters will not be published. The Newspaper staff urges all Ursuline Academy students and coworkers to use the “Letters to the Editor” as a public forum in the spirit of freedom of speech and press.
Bear Facts Online: www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts
4 Feature
H
Most days, it feels like, “Eh, probably not.” But whether we realize it or not, there is an actual reason for that annoying piece of schoolwork that eats up our free time. The teachers of UA share why.
omework— the story of
my life. Like a lot of Ursuline girls, I struggle with hours of homework and school-run extracurricular activities. And most of my homework feels like it’s unnecessary, leading to several thought provoking questions: Why am I making cell diagrams? What’s so special about Rome anyways—didn’t it fall? And, most importantly, why do I need to write a proof for the Pythagorean Theorem? I wanted to know why I was copying ten pages about guys who had been dead for four hundred years and finding the circumcenters of triangles. After surveying all the teachers at Ursuline, every one said she or he expected students to do less than an hour of homework in their class. In fact, only Mr. Bratkowski said that he expected a full hour of homework.
Sophomore Ashley Bresnahan contemplates the meaning of homework. Ashley said, “This is the story of my life.” Ashley is in one honors class and currently has a full schedule with eight credits.
Bear Facts: November Issue
as a way to review what was says and research papers,” she learned in class and to preview said. for the next. Sadly, not every stuWell, then. Can’t there be dent sees prep and review as imdays set aside for essays and reportant factors of learning. Mr. search papers, and do away with Bratkowski recalled an excuse homework all together? That way, from a former student. “I had there would be more time for the two birthday parties to go to this important stuff like Netflix and weekend and didn’t have time to parties. . Unfortunately, it doesn’t finish my homework.” This work like that. “prioritizing” excuse is reflective According to Mrs. Bagley, of the divide between teachers’ homework is necessary for stuand students’ perceptions of dents. Otherwise, they wouldn’t homework. do anything. “Look at the examExcuses ple of pre-reading “It makes class like that portray and taking notes. the way students I’ve done that withboring if no one feel about homeout notes, and the took the notes work. According students do nothand knows what to Mr. Brating. If I don’t assign is happening.” kowski, a freshthe reading and man and sophonotes, they won't do more English teacher, without the notes.” Also, Mrs. Jones homework, teaching would be stated, “It makes class boring if extremely difficult. “Well, I think no one takes the notes or knows it would be tough to effectively do what is happening. In order to the job in the classroom. I know, learn a language, you need conparticularly with English, a lot of stant practice. It helps students the homework is reading, and learn it. The more you see it, the when we do the reading in class, more you learn it.” there’s not enough time to finish When asked about cheata significant amount, so I think ing, the teachers had the same from that standpoint it would be response: it’s easy to tell when a hard.” Mrs. Bagley, one of Ursustudent turns something in that’s line’s six history teachers, also not her own. According to Mrs. has an opinion on that. “I think Jones, “It’s more frustrating than homework is for finishing things anything else because the student you can't finish in school, like eshurts herself. She could ruin her
academic career and how other students see her. It goes on record. You want to ask her, why are you doing this?” Teachers agreed that an assignment not completed by the student whose name is on it does not deserve full credit. “I think she shouldn’t get any credit for it, “ said Mrs. Bagley. In addition, according to Mr. Bratkowski, students tend to have their own particular and unique writing style, and it’s easy to tell when parts of an essay are copied from somewhere else. Finally, according to Duke University, there is a positive correlation between homework and higher grades—as long as there’s not too much homework. So next time you are struggling with homework, break it down into smaller chunks and be sure to take breaks. And if you are getting homework lag, go for a treat with protein like pretzels and peanut butter or chocolate pudding for a quick pick-meup. Remember, homework is supposed to help you, not hurt you.
Bear Facts Staff Writer Michelle Slesinski
So you know how everyone has that one teacher whose tests are ridiculously hard? Well, the teachers have some tips to ace them. Try these out next time...before you panic. MRS. BAGLEY: The best way to study is to rewrite your notes in some way, either on notecards or typing . One year I had a class do that as an assignment, and the grades really went up. MR. BRATKOWSKI: I find a good way is to go over the homework assignments, the study guide questions and to take notes on the books.
Bear Facts Online: www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts
6 Feature
Bear Facts Staff Writer Taryn Vogan
H
omework: the life of every high school. For students, life seems to revolve around
school. Students sit in class for seven
hours, then go home and do more work. Is homework really taking up that much of high schoolers’ time? Or is the real problem students’ partaking in other activities, leaving less time for their homework? A common complaint heard in the halls of any school is “I have so much homework,” but what is homework? Megan Rechtien said, “Homework is a tedious task given to us by our teachers in order to reinstate the lessons taught to us that day. However, some teachers assign it to us to such an extent that it keeps us from being able to participate in extracurricular activities offered to us by our school.” According to a poll taken of 305 Ursuline students, UA students complete three hours of homework a night on average. If students only do three hours of homework a night, why do they still feel they have no time for
anything else? The pie chart of ‘‘How the Average UA Girl Spends Her Day” shows how the other 21 are spent. Seven of those hours are spent in a classroom. This still leaves 14 hours in the day. According to Nationwide Children’s Study of Sleep in Adolescents, the average teen gets seven hours of sleep, leaving another seven hours. Another hour is spent on commuting back and forth between school, leaving six hours. Four more hours are spent on extracurricular activities whether that may be play practice or a sport’s game. This leaves two hours of free time. Freshman Mary Leritz said, “I feel I get too much homework. I feel overwhelmed since I am involved in so many different things like madrigals.” Eighty-nine percent of students at Ursuline are involved with extracurricular activities. The average students spend more time on extracurricular activities than on homework. To add to the work and stress load, 57 percent of Ursuline students who completed the survey take an average of three AP or honors classes. In the hallways, students walk around half awake. When asked about what cuts into her sleep, Makala Jones commented, “I feel like homework eats into my sleep.” Homework isn’t the only thing that takes up Makala’s time. She is also involved in the UA plays, diversity team, racket ball and a college bound program. Three hours of homework a night is nowhere near a small amount, but the work-
Bear Facts: November Issue
load isn’t what causes students to become sleep deprived. According to Public Health Services, students get an average of seven hours of sleep--three less than the needed amount of ten hours. Is this really because of homework or being over involved? If homework isn’t the real problem, then why is it taking the blame? Homework, studying, writing papers or trying to finish the big project due tomorrow aren’t what many students would call fun. Senior Kiera Drury commented, “I don’t think homework should make you cry.” Homework may seem overwhelming, but maybe the real reason is over involvement in extracurricular activities.
Above is an Ursuline planner with three days of homework where recorded by sophomore Danielle Nahm. The time spent on each assignment was also recorded. The total time she spent on Monday’s homework was 175 minutes. She spent 145 minutes on Tuesday’s homework and 175 on Wednesday. For the three days she spent a grand total of 495 minutes or 8 hours and 15 minutes on homework.
Above is a chart showing what class Ursuline students received the most homework in.
Bear Facts Online: www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts
8 NEWS
Many students have read “First They Killed my Father” by Loung Ung. This story of survival throughout the genocide in Cambodia during the 1970s is back in the news.
D
oes history repeat itself? In 1945, World War II occurred; approximately six million Jews were killed. In 1979, Cambodia faced a massive genocide where two million people died. In the early 1990s Rwanda had a genocide in which 800,000 Tutsi were brutally killed. Thirty-nine years after the Khmer Rouge leaders took over Cambodia, Kaing Guek Eav, who served as a Khmer rouge leader, was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 16,000 people, according to USAToday news. In 2010, he was found guilty of war crimes: crimes against humanity, torture and murder. The court sentenced him to 35 years in prison. Kaing Guek Eav’s case was reopened this year due to technicalities. After hearing of his proven war crimes, Eav pressed his palms together and pulled them to his chest in a sign of respect to the judge. The case had no legitimate appeal and 69-year-old Eav was taken back to prison. Now there are three other leaders on trial for genocide killings in the 1970s. Nuon Chea, 85-years-old, 80-year-old Khieu Samphan and 86-year-old Ieng Sary were all sentenced for the remainder of their lives to prison. The difference between these men and Eav is that they plead not guilty. These men challenged
that there was no wrongdoing. The idea that they had in April 17, 1975, was to alter society. The Khmer Rouge were, in general, poor people who wanted equality in society. They forced everyone to dress alike and work in an agricultural society with little technology. The premise was that if everyone was equal, there would be no issues. It is difficult to create a society based on equality, there will always be someone in command. For Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge was above everyone else. If anyone was wealthy before the Khmer Rouge takeover, he or she would be killed. As illustrated in Loung Ung’s book, people had to lie about their former life and live a life of poverty and back-breaking work. For several hours a day, women, children and men had to work fields on a mountain side, hoping for a plentiful harvest. Under the Khmer Rouge rule, many children faced starvation for the first time ever. Malnutrition was now a norm. A person could eat rice but often lack fish, the only source of protein for many. Many people painfully starved under the Khmer Rouge’s regime. A genocide is massive killings against one group of people, whether they are a Jew, Tutsi, or the upper class. In addition to the genocide in Cambodian, there are two others that people
Bear Facts: November Issue
How are these atrocities carried out, and how do others sit by idly? "Once the hatred and the battle against the Jews have been really stirred up, their resistance will necessarily crumble in the shortest possible time. They are totally defenseless, and no one will stand up to protect them." - Adolf Hitler
“That the Clinton administration decided against intervention at any level was not for lack of knowledge of what was happening in Rwanda." - National Security Archive
strongly remember today: Rwandan and WW2. After Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America is well known for saying, “You have awakened a sleeping giant.” Like Syria, the U.S. was not involved in WW2 until long after it started. The U.S. had done nothing about the Holocaust until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor without warning at 7:55 A.M.; by 9:45, it was over. Over 2,400 soldiers died that day. When President Roosevelt received word of Pearl Harbor, he stated that America would go to war on Japan. A day later Germany, Italy and Japan declared war on America. If the U.S. would not have been attacked, would they have done anything about the Holocaust? According to the Jewish Virtual Library, 5,933,900 or 67% of Jews were killed. Hitler, the leader of the killing of primarily Jews, influenced a nation to believe that this certain group of people could not be trusted and had to be killed. The Holocaust is one example of genocide. World War 2 is a massive example of the effects and death toll of genocide. It destroys lives and creates war. Anne Frank said, “If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will be held up as an example.”
"Better to kill an inno-
cent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake." "Hunger is the most effective disease." -Pol Pot (Khmer Rouge Leader)
Only 20 years ago, Rwanda suffered genocide as well. There are two big population groups in Rwanda, the Tutsi and the Hutu. Hutus believed the Tutsis needed to be eliminated. One difference between Hutu and Tutsi are that the Tutsi tend to be lighter skinned and taller than the Hutu. Whether they had lighter or darker skin, or were tall or short could be the deciding factor between life and death. Neighbors who knew each other for years and helped watch each others kids killed each other's families. Approximately 800,000 men, women and children died during the Rwandan genocide. Not only was the death toll great, the brutality was majestic. Women were brutally raped and purposefully given sexually transmitted disease. The Hutu with diseases would rape women and pass it on. Machetes were used more often because gun supply and bullets were expensive. If a Hutu attempted to kill someone, it usually took more than one blow. Best friends killed each other with machetes. Survivors waited with no connection to the outside world. Little help came Bear Facts Staff Writer Claudia Wingbermuehle
Bear Facts Online: www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts
10 NEWS
Changing Views of the LGBT Community
The states allowing LBGT Marriage
A
s many Americans know, gay marriage has caused a big fight in the U.S. Currently, there are 16 states that allow gay marriage for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender ) couples. Based on a poll conducted by Selzer and Company, over 50% of people feel that everyone should be equal in the rights of marriage. Over half of the 154 UA girls who responded to the survey think that gays and lesbians should have the right to get married. A senior said, “As a Catholic I believe that marriage is a sacred sacrament. It is meant to be fruitful. Even in our wedding vows, it says to be open to the gift of children. Although adopting is great, gay couples can physically not reproduce. Now, even though my faith tells me that gay marriage is wrong, I also think that
the law does not have the right to regulate who can and cannot get married." According to an article in the Huffington Post, it is not stated in the Constitution itself that the government has the right to dictate who marries. Who is to decide whether same-sex couples marry or not is the question for many Americans. A sophomore said, “I think that you should love who you love, and no matter what any closeminded jerks in congress have to say, you should get to marry the person you love, no matter what gender they are. Also, religious people don't have the right to prevent people from marrying whom they love. Just because it is against our religion to allow gay people to marry does not mean that we have the right to make it illegal. DIVORCE IS STILL LEGAL, BUT IT’S NOT OK IN OUR
RELIGION. We have no right to keep all people of all genders from marrying whomever they want, just because the Church doesn't think they should.” Religion can have a major impact on how a person views a situation. In a country where every religion is accepted, some Americans have religious roots that go deep. Some people cite the bible reference Leviticus 18: 22, which states “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” This is where many gain the religious stigma that LBGT people are a pariah to society. As such, LBGT people are forever labeled. An UA student said, “Some people at my church have told me they are not going to heaven, but I don't believe that. My mom says they are people just like everyone else, so they deserve the same respect as everyone
Bear Facts: November Issue
else.” Christian and Jewish religions rely heavily on the bible to guide their steps towards heaven, so it is no surprise that some would reject LBGT marriage. The Administrative Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote, “What are called 'homosexual unions,' because they do not express full human complementarity and because they are inherently nonprocreative… cannot be given the status of marriage.” The Administrative Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is trying to explain that because a LBGT couple cannot procreate like a heterosexual couple, the marriage cannot be seen as valid in the eyes of the Church. A sophomore said, “I don't think it's a natural thing; I don't agree with it at all.” These views are reflected in 18% of the responses of UA students. The Southern Baptist Community’s thoughts on LBGT couples from their website is that “Homosexuality is not a ‘valid alternative lifestyle.’ The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however,
an unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ.” These ideas are from the same people who condemned some Boy Scouts leaders for being gay. At the same time, these views conflict with over half of UA students’ morals. A junior said, “Everyone should have the opportunity to have a life-long spouse if he or she is in love.” Another UA student said, “I'm not religious, and I'm not going to be against it just because people tell me to be.” Another UA student felt similarly. She said, “Everyone should be happy and should be able to love whom they want to love. The only thing I disagree with is that the bible and the church say that marriage is between a man and a woman. If two gays want to get married, I feel that they should be able to, just not in a church.” The conflict is also fed by peoples’ misperceptions about LBGT people. In the survey sent out, it asked respondents what they have heard about the LBGT
community. Responses varied. One student said she heard, “They are weird and you should never talk to them again.” Another said she heard, “very derogatory things; the statements I've heard simply make my skin crawl.” One junior responded that she had, “heard a lot, but none was worth repeating.” Ninety-nine UA students responded that if they were LBGT they believe their families would except them. Is this growing acceptance of the LBGT community and marriage because of the differences in the generations, or is it something else? According to a graph in the Gallup poll that was conducted by Princeton, the acceptance of LBGT relations from 2001-2012 has significantly increased. This acceptance of the LGBT community is definitely generational. The charts below show the difference over the last ten years.
Bear Facts Staff Writer Nalo Sims
The evolving opinions of the morality and legality of gay and lesbian relations
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12
ENTERTAINMENT
Book-toMovie Adaptations! Featuring “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
The Book Thief 20 votes: Release Date: November 8, 2013
Maze Runner 15 votes Release Date: September 19, 2014
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 168 Votes Release Date: November 22, 2013
UA’s Most Anticipated Movies:
B
ook-to-movie adaptation is a topic that someone may not think intriguing or an opinion-evoking subject. But UA’s response to Bear Facts’s inquiry on the subject demonstrated the opposite. On average, more people see the movie than read the books. Just because they see the movies, however, doesn’t mean they like them! Numerous people voiced their opinions on book-tomovie adaptations and whether or not they liked them. Many people were conflicted on the subject. Amber Becker, 2016, said that she sometimes enjoyed the adaptations. “It depends on the details from the book that are left out of the movie. It also depends on how well the movie makes the book come alive,” she elaborated. Many people had similar responses. Forty-two percent of students surveyed had a similar response to Becker’s. The most common complaint was that a movie did not actually follow
the plot of the book well. However, the majority of people liked book-to-movie adaptations. Rachel Essmeyer, 2014, argued this best when she commented, “It gives the readers a visual version of the story. It also appeals to people who do not like to read, and this way it allows the story to be told to more people in another way.” Only about 17% of people felt that book-to-movie adaptations usually don’t live up to the vision they’ve created in their heads. Katie Donley, 2015, commented that she thought the books always seemed to be better than the movies. Jessica Isaak, 2014, stated, “They always leave stuff out!” as she defended the superiority of books over the movie. But Clare Fults, 2017, stated that just because changes are made, it doesn’t mean the movie will be bad! “I like to compare how the actors/actresses portray the scenes I have imag-
Bear Facts: November Issue
The Fault In Our Stars 40 Votes Release Date: June 6, 2014
ined in my head.” Chlor Simmons, 2015, stated that it’s fun to see the changes that are made even if they’re considered bad. “Even when they fail, it’s still fun to go see and even complain about them!” The most popular book-to -movie adaptation for UA students was Harry Potter, which was no surprise. The runner-up was The Hunger Games, and the most-anticipated book-to-movie adaptation coming up was “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” the sequel to “The Hunger Games.” Nearly every girl surveyed enjoyed The Hunger Games books and movie and are eagerly anticipating the next movie, premiering on November 22. When asked why they thought The Hunger Games was the most popular book series at UA currently, the girls had a lot to say. “The series is so unique, and there's nothing really like it, and they aren't boring books; there is always something happening,” Ashley Bresnahan, 2016, com-
mented. Danielle Nahm, 2016, stated that because the first movie was so great, people are going to want to see the sequel to see if it lives up to the expectations set by the first Hunger Games. Katie Donley commented again, saying that she loved the books and liked the first movie but wasn’t sure what exactly made The Hunger Games so appealing. Bear Facts is going to try to find that out! Most students at UA said that they liked the cast for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” The cast is the essence of the movie in a way. The cast can either make or break a movie, depending on their portrayal of the character and how true they stay to the book. Lauren Bray, 2017, stated that the thing that really makes a movie good or bad is the screenplay. “If they translate the book well (keep important scenes, character looks, etc.) without adding too many stupid details, then they're okay. But if too many irrelevant things and events that
Divergent 28 Votes Release Date: March 21, 2014
didn't even happen are added, then it's terrible, and you just want to hold the book(s) to your chest and sob. Just saying.” The final component for a book-to -movie adaptation to be a box office hit? The involvement of the author. It’s no secret J.K. Rowling was incredibly involved in the production of the Harry Potter movies, and that’s partially why the movies were such a huge success! The involvement of the author allows the cast to get a deeper understanding of the characters, for the script writers to know what is important and for set and costume design to be able to help the audience visualize what is in the author’s mind. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” has all of these components; Bear Facts predicts it will be a major success!
Bear Facts Staff Editor Abby Blaes Photographs Blaes
taken
Bear Facts Online: www.ursulinestl.org/bearfacts
by
Abby
14 ENTERTAINMENT
I
Get The Fall Look for Less
n the world today, our appearances can speak volumes about the personality we carry. Our materialistic society has pushed that the more expensive the better, but that is not the case. The “in� clothing can be exceptionally overpriced, so it is important to be a smart and thrifty shopper. To be a resourceful shopper, the first thing to do is find what you like. Do not let expensive clothes get in the way of staying in style. After you find the style you are looking for, start looking for it somewhere else to find the item for a better price. There are several clothing stores where you can find outfits that look just like the name brand for much less. Love the way you dress for less.
Getting Active
LuLulemo Photo from
Lulu Lemon cropped legging $88 Lulu Lemon forme jacket- black $118
n.com
The Lulu Lemon outfit comes out to a total of $206. The outfit from a few different places looks very similar for only $59.99, and the outfits are equally adorable. Sometimes you even find that the less expensive materials can be cuter. You may not find the exact product or product color, but stores want to produce what is in demand. They will stock their stores with items similar to what the name brand stores are producing. Keep your eyes peeled for good deals and look-alikes.
TJMaxx cropped leggingsstriped neon $19.99 Target by Champion form fitting jacket $40.00
Bear Facts: November Issue
Going Out Photos from Jcrew.com
The J. Crew outfit comes out to $198. Both outfits are extremely cute, but when it comes down to it, you could buy two outfits for the price of the more expensive one. When you shop for a few pieces at several different stores, it would cost about $87.99. Name brands do not make your outfit any cuter; they just make them look more expensive. St. Louis has recently put in two outlet shopping malls. Outlet stores usually have adorable clothes for much cheaper. You can often find the perfect piece your outfit has been missing.
J. Crew Excursion Vestblack $120 J. Crew Crinkle Stripe Shirt $78
Gap Outlet Puffer Vest $39.90 American Eagle Pink and Gray printed scarf $12.99 Polo Ralph Lauren Outlet Seersucker button down oxford $35
Dressing Up
Target Mossimo Knit Black Maxi Dress $17.98 Target Black and white striped cardigan $25 American Eagle printed Infinity scarf $15
Nordstrom Black Maxi Dress $50 American Eagle jean Jacket $50
It does not matter where it is from, but pairing a black maxi dress with a simple jacket and a scarf would allow you to win “best dressed.� Adding a scarf to any outfit can instantly make it more unique. Simple clothing is easier to find at so many stores because there is an abundance of look-alikes. A black maxi could probably be purchased anywhere which means save your money and go for the less expensive one. By not pairing your black maxi with a jean jacket, but with a different cardigan, you are staying trendy in your own way. Bear Facts Staff Writer Lindsey Pyatt
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16
ENTERTAINMENT
Style Guide Need some help figuring out what to wear to that holiday party, or want to look cute while being casual this Friday night? Bear Facts came up with some pretty good ideas to get you inspired no matter what your personal style may be! Bear Facts Staff Writer Abigail Krafft
Spo
rty
Sporty: Champs Sports , Hat $29.99. Forever21.com, Varsity Team Jacket $15.00; Dazzle 'Em Bib Necklace $16.80; Grunge Life Spiked Skinny Jeans $14.90; Zippered High-Low Top $11.80; Rock'n'Roll High-Tops $36.80 Preppy: Forever21.com, Studded Collar Blouse $11.99; Sleek DoubleBreasted Trench Coat $52.80; Forget Me Not Skater Skirt $15.80; Modernist D'Orsay Flats $22.80; Retro Faux Pearl Studs $3.80; Iconic Faux Leather Crossbody $27.80;
y p p e Pr
Bear Facts: November Issue
Trend Alert! Here’s what’s trending on the runway this season!!
Left: A perfect example from Dior of the 1950’s chic trend that hit many runways in NYC! Right: Carolina Herrera’s example of fun and fabulous prints that were a big splash in NYC for this winter!
Edg
y
Edgy: Forever21.com Rock N' Roller Muscle Tee $17.80; Chic Quilted Bomber Jacket $39.80; Wild Tuxedo Striped Leggings $10.80; StreetChic Combat Boots $39.80; Modernist Geo Pendant Necklace $8.80; Faux Gemstone Geo Bracelet $8.80; Holiday: Forever21.com Festive Glitter Tube Dress $29.80; Faux
y a d i ol
H
Gemstone Cocktail Ring $5.80; Femme Bracelet Set $12.80; Soiree Platform Pumps $32.80; Luxe Faux Fur Vest $17.80.
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18
ENTERTAINMENT
Holiday Crafts With Christmas coming in a couple of weeks, it might be hard to think of presents to give to friends and family. Some of the best presents people can give to family or friends are homemade. Whether it is a craft that they keep or food that they eat, homemade gifts can be an easy and a less expensive gift. It can also be a more special present because it is homemade, and somebody took the time to make them something.
Design your own Mug What you will need White plain mug Sharpie (darker colors work better) Tape (optional)
What to do: Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Get a plain white mug. To design the mug, you can draw anything you want for example, polka dots, chevrons, or monogram it. When the design is done, put the mug on a cookie sheet and then into the oven for 30 minutes. Be careful because the mug will be very hot! It is best to hand wash the mug.
If you are going to monogram it then it is helpful to use a stencil. You can make your own stencil for free by using Microsoft Word or Google documents. For monograms, it is traditional to use the first initial followed by the second and last initial, then pick what font you want. Make sure to make the middle letter larger than the other two. Next, print it out and cut it. Tape it to the cup and color it in. If you babysit, this a great activity to do because it is not expensive, and children of any age can do this.
Bear Facts: November Issue
Pumpkin Cookies You will need
Here are the ingredients needed for the pumpkin cookies.
2 cups butter, softened 2 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
This is the batter when the butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg are mixed together.
4 cups all-purpose flour For the Icing 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (add until desired consistency) cinnamon (optional)
To make the Cookies Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl ,mix the butter for 30 seconds. Then add sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, Cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. Then put in the 2 eggs and vanilla and stir again. Next add the pumpkin and then beat
The batter is ready to be rolled up and go into the oven.
in the flour. Shape the dough into little balls that are around 1 inch and put them on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Put the cookies in the oven for 10 to 13 minutes. In a pan put in butter and brown sugar and cook it until it is smooth. Put it into a new bowl and then mix in the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. After the cookies are done baking, let them cool, and when they are cool, spread on the frosting. You can add cinnamon on top.
You can bring the pumpkin cookies to any Thanksgiving or Christmas party or give them to friends or family.
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A Bonding Brunch (left to
Bonding Time at UA
right) Sophomores Laura Vogt, Brigid Chura, Lauren Schaeffer, Madi Arteaga and Nicole Bianchino bond with their mothers over brunch. “My mom is really important to me; with sports and homework it is hard for me to hang out with her all the time. The Mother Daughter Brunch lets me to do that,” said sophomore Maddi Kreher.
Bear Facts Staff Writer Ashley Bresnahan
M
Mother Daughter photos: Kendyl Cuddihee
o t h e r / Daughter Mass and Brunch has been a tradition that has been upheld by Ursuline Academy since the 1960s. It is a way to make time for UA students and their moms to have bonding time. Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ day is a tradition
Chocolate, A Girl’s Best Friend One of the best parts of the Mother/Daughter Brunch is the chocolate fountain. There are marshmallows and cherries dipped in the forever flowing fountain. “It got a little messy, but it was worth it,” said sophomore Mariah Conrey.
Ursuline has had for six years. Having time to spend with your grandparents is hard for a lot of girls. Sometimes girls just don’t have enough time on their plate.
Special Time
The greatest part of Grandparents’ Day is spending time with them. “It was great spending time with my Nana and my Papa. With school and sports it is hard to see them. It was so fun to see them and and to show them around my school,” said sophomore Nicole Bianchino.
The Special Friend Sophomore
Flippin’
Fun After the prayer service, grandparents and their granddaughters enjoyed pancakes and other various breakfast foods from Chris’ Pancakes. The pancakes were thrown through the air as the anxious grandparents and granddaughters tried to catch them. A lot of the pancakes missed their plates, but it was fun and funny to watch.
Kendyl Cuddihee greets her uncle, who is like a grandfather to her, as he arrives seconds before the prayer service. “I have five grandparents, and it’s hard to see them all at once; grandparents day allows for me to do that,” she said.