On Monday morning, students weighed in with their thoughts concerning the evening’s winners and losers.  Many girls expressed surprise and disappointment that Glee, a musical-comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox on Tuesday nights and focuses on a high school show choir, did not win top awards.

     “I’m personally upset that Glee didn’t win best comedy,” said Dallas S. ’14. 

     Abby T. ’14 agreed, saying that she hasn’t watched the comedy category winner, Modern Family, but that she loves Glee and wishes that it would have won.

     Modern Family took the Emmy for Best Comedy Series while Mad Men, a retro-drama depicting life in the 60’s and life in an advertising agency struggling to get and to retain clients, took the top spot for Best  Drama Series.

    Hannah B. ’12 said, “Modern Family deserved to win.  It’s only been through one season, and is already the funniest show on cable.”  Modern Family follows the family of Jay Pritchett, his daughter Claire Dunphy and his son Mitchell Pritchett who live in Los Angeles.

     “Mad Men always wins.  I’m more of a Dexter fan.  I mean, really, how can you not love Michael C. Hall?” asked Shelby R. ’11.

     Of the shows that were nominated, Lost, the drama series about a group of plane crash survivors stranded on a deserted island, was also appealing to Ursuline students. “Lost definitely should’ve won, especially since it was its final season!” said Ana P. ’14.

     Top Chef, the reality show where chefs compete in culinary challenges, took the Emmy for Best Reality-Competition Series. The Amazing Race, a competition in which teams race around the world, has won the award for seven years straight. Amazing Race fans were disappointed because of the loss.

     Sunday was a night to be remembered for the 2010 Primetime Emmy winners. Whether students agree or disagree with the decisions, the night provided an  opportunity for new shows to leave their marks  on American viewers.

Alumna and mom Dr. Annie Khan Vaughn kicked off the day as the key note speaker discussing her life after high school and her change of majors; eventually leading up to her career as a pediatric anesthesiologist. “The key is to stick with what you are passionate about and the drive to work had will follow,” said Dr. Vaughn.

This past April, all 800 girls trotted off to one of the many guest speakers that visited Ursuline Academy on Career Day. From Periodontics to Public Relations at Neiman Marcus, the occupational speakers suited all likings.

One of the key points that she emphasized was that switching majors does not affect your progress in the subject. She herself went from Spanish to Medicine after she realized that job opportunities were limited.

Fortunately, the work methods that were gained from four years at UA allowed Dr. Vaughan to thrive in anesthesia, the field she currently works in today, she said.

Drive, however, does not seem to be a problem for most Ursuline girls; the problem is the inability to chose one job that they can see themselves doing. “I always thought I wanted to be a psychologist, but the interior design speaker really got me thinking,” said Kelsey B. ‘13.

The types of careers that were exhibited varied from cooking, film, teaching, to medicine. Students understood that school does not last forever and all of them one day would be working.

Being allowed to ask speakers questions after they spoke was a real bonus. “I liked being able to speak to someone who has been through the process and knowing was to expect was very helpful,” Morgan U. ’11 said.

“I do wish that there had been a Political Speaker though” said Julia F. ’12. Yet Career Day’s variety of speakers will surely grow in the future.

Certainly, a lot of jobs proved the growth and strength of females in certain fields such as security. In a speech about body guards and personal protection, girls learned that most body guards today have evolved from the big bulky man to a fit woman that is trained in martial arts, a much more suitable approach to protection.

Much was learned from listening to experienced working women in fields to which students aspire. Weather a participant heard that success is never immediate from the acting specialists or that one must practice deferred gratification when working hard through many years of medical school from the many doctors; the lessons learned on career day definitely gave Ursuline girls some insight on what to do when reaching success in a dream job.

-Pia F. ‘11

“It’s extremely difficult to pick the right college because it’s the place where you’re going to spend the next four years and grow the most. You don’t know which one is the best for you,” said Melanie S. ’10.

It’s probably hard to even begin to pick where a person should go to college. Maybe you’ve had the idea of the perfect place for you your entire life. Or maybe your parents want you to  go to their alma mater. Or maybe you honestly  do not have any idea  how to choose.

According to Melanie, she chose Texas Tech  University because it made her the happiest. So, what are the happiest colleges?

A list made by the Daily Beast Blog graded every school by determining how each student ranks her respective dorm, party options on campus and in town, the percentage of freshman that stay after their first year, the food quality, number of clubs and organizations, and the percentage of sunny days throughout the year.

Topping this list of the happiest colleges, where 73% of the days are sunny, is Claremont McKenna College, in Claremont, California. Claremont is about a 40 minute drive from Los Angeles and 50 from Long Beach, so although the nightlife isn’t as great as their  food on campus, a drive to the city isn’t that far away. According to Claremont’s mission statement, Claremont is a “highly selective, independent, coeducational, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college.”

Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California

Next on this  list of the happiest might surprise you: Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Located about 12 minutes from Boston, Cambridge is not far away from exciting city life. The campus is known for being gorgeous and nicely kept. Because of the city being so close, housing is easily found for every person’s taste. Many students have even said that they don’t even set out toward Boston because Cambridge is the ideal college town.

And if you don’t already know this, Harvard is one of the hardest schools to get into in the entire country. On average, about 19,000 students apply every year, and only 2,000 are accepted. But, once in, students couldn’t be happier.

Pomona College, also located in Claremont, California,  is third on this list. Just like CMC,  Pomona College is located about 40 minutes from Los Angeles. The climate draws in a huge amount of applicants because of how nice the weather usually is in Claremont. There are plenty of picturesque palm trees and “Spanish-style” architecture, too, that sets the Cali scene on campus.

So, they are the happiest. But, keep in mind: these students aren’t just happy because they go to these colleges. They are happy because they want to be. All these colleges on this list are excellent schools that require many things to get in; things that almost every Ursuline student has. Don’t go to these schools because  you’ll be the happiest there. Rather, pick the school that you feel you will be happiest attending. Wherever it is that you choose to begin the rest of your life, make sure it is the right place for you.

-Emilee T. ’12

“I’ve always taught 4 or 5 different classes each semester,” she said, “no two of the same.”

There were many reasons behind her decision to retire from teaching at Ursuline.

About two years ago, Mrs. McCall lost both of her parents. This tragedy made trudging on through challenges at her job and elsewhere difficult to bear.

“The wind was completely knocked out of my sails for a good while,” Mrs. McCall said, “I realized how fragile and temporary life is.”

Despite the increasing difficulty of continuing in her career after those life changing events, Linda McCall persevered. She knew that making a decision at that highly emotional time was unwise. She made the decision to keep teaching for a few more years, and see how she felt.

But now, things have changed.

“Now, I am not only a teacher but a practicing artist,” Mrs. McCall said.

Her responsibilities as an artist were added onto her preexisting responsibilities as a teacher. Linda McCall’s work is displayed in a gallery in Dallas, and she brings new work to the gallery every few months. On top of that, when opportunities for exhibition arise, she is required to create about 15 new works of art.

“My last show was very successful and sales continued to occur for me at the gallery; but so did the work load,” Mrs. McCall said.

Mrs. McCall was faced with the decision of pursuing a career in painting or continuing as a full-time teacher.

“It was becoming more difficult to do both,” she said, “I would teach all day and go home at night and paint until 10 p.m., get up at 5:30 a.m. and come back to school. I paint at night, on the weekends and holidays, summers, all my spare time.”

Mrs. McCall eventually made the decision to paint full-time. She sees this as a wonderful opportunity to spend more time painting and with her daughters and grandchildren.

This is not to say that she has not absolutely loved teaching at Ursuline. But at first, she admits, she was not too excited about working here.

“When I took the job 12 years ago I didn’t want the job here,” she said, “I was looking for a full-time position on the college level.”

She applied for the job anyway, even though she didn’t think she wanted a job on any level lower than college level. When Mrs. McCall got the job, she decided to take it until a position opened up on the college level.  But soon after starting, Mrs. McCall knew she had found her place.

“… in less than a month I was in love with Ursuline and the students and all that goes with Ursuline. I was where I was meant to be, and I knew it. God had placed me here.”

Part of her attachment to her teaching job at Ursuline stems from her ability to relate with the girls.  Linda McCall has not forgotten what it felt like to be a teenage girl, and because of those feelings and memories, she is able to experience a special connection with the students here.

“I feel what our girls are feeling, and I feel honored to have been here for some girls who have touched my life as they have gone through some difficult times,” she said.

One of her favorite parts of her job is that she has the ability to teach what she loves to the girls here and to, through art, introduce her students’ eyes to a world that they had never yet experienced. In her second year of teaching at Ursuline, one of her students told her how Mrs. McCall, and art, had changed her life. The student then went to the University of Texas to study advertising communication.

“To open a student’s eyes to a new world of opportunities they’ve never explored is one of the most exciting things for a teacher,” Mrs. McCall said.

Throughout her years of teaching at Ursuline, Mrs. McCall has seen a shift in the school’s atmosphere. She has noticed that the school has become more challenging, and that the course requirements have put more pressure on the students.

“… girls did not stress about getting into college the way they do now. That has made a big change in the overall atmosphere, I think. There doesn’t seem time to slow down, look around, and enjoy leisure time anymore,” she said.

Mrs. McCall also gives good advice for incoming and current students at Ursuline. She tells us not to overload and overstress ourselves.

“Try to enjoy the simple things and take time to relax,” she says, “The world is beautiful. Take time to look at it.”

After 12 years, Mrs. McCall’s teaching career at Ursuline Academy is coming to a close. At the same time, her painting career is truly launching. As she parts from us, she leaves us the following words of wisdom:

“‘The Three D’s,’” she says, “Desire, Determination, and Discipline. If you have that you can do anything. But it takes all three.”

-          Grace P. ‘12

If nothing else, I am now satisfied knowing that I have at least left tire treads.

As you may have noticed, Ursuline recently added a bike path on campus as a part of its LEED initiative.  You may have also noticed that no one has ever actually used this path.  I decided that it was time this changed.

On March 23rd, I decided to forgo the comfort of my ’99 Acura and ride my bike to school; it was time to accept my calling as a trailblazer.

However, there was one problem that I quickly encountered: my daily 17 minute drive requires that I cross several major intersections, including Central Expressway.  There is also a lack of sidewalks along a significant portion of the route.

At this point, most others would have simply accepted defeat.  But I was not quite so logical.

Though this probably defeated the purpose of being ‘environmentally friendly,’ I drove my bike (in my mom’s large SUV) to fellow senior Margaret W.’s house to begin from there.  She enthusiastically agreed to join me on the ground breaking quest.

And so, at approximately 8 a.m., no doubt a strange sight to see in our plaid skirts and bicycle helmets, we set off.     The first thing I noticed is that riding a bike in a skirt is perhaps more difficult and awkward than one might imagine.  The less than impeccable traction of saddle oxfords also was not ideal cycling attire.

The air was crisp as we set off, and it felt good zipping along the calm residential streets.  In fact, it was an altogether pleasant experience.

But due to the weight of my backpack, I was peddling at a noticeably slower pace than normal.  Admittedly, it’s not an altogether comfortable experience, because as you lean forward on a bike, gravity tends to pull your backpack straight down.

Though all in all, the arrival ride was quite delightful; our only potential concern was crossing Walnut Hill, but the kind traffic cop was very helpful in that area.  We pulled into school around 8:25, and because a heavy onset of cars had not yet begun, we had a lovely time as the first cyclists to ever use the bike path.

We even took a victory lap around the school before locking our bikes in the bike racks.

Having no other place to leave my helmet, I carried it around with me to my classes, occasionally getting a double take in the hall or a small quip.  Greatness isn’t always embraced.

Following the afternoon prayer, I hurried over to the bike racks, this time making the return trip alone, only to be horrified (and by ‘horrified’ I mean ‘vaguely disappointed’) by the sight before me.

The carpool line had shown no regard whatsoever for the bike lane, and parked cars completely occupied the small space.

Luckily for the many cyclists that afternoon (me), traffic was at a complete standstill, so weaving between the two lanes of cars was relatively easy.  I was, however, acutely aware of the surprised expressions, pointing fingers, and outright laughter at the sight of an Ursuline student riding a bike.  (Your windows are not that tinted.)

After a long day at school, I found the quiet ride home almost relaxing.  There’s a certain timeless quality that comes with riding a bike, and if I overlooked the fact that I looked ridiculous in my uniform and helmet, I could almost imagine myself cycling in an earlier, simpler era.

By the end of the ride, I had worked up a decent sweat, which could either be perceived as positive (exercise) or negative (physical exertion), depending on one’s perspective. But with the modern miracle of deodorant, why, it honestly wasn’t bad at all.

Perhaps more important than my body odor is what I accomplished that day.  I had taken the inaugural ride around the bike path; I had accomplished something that no one before me had ever done.  Sure, there may be grads who have stumbled on major scientific discoveries, who have broken athletic records, who have become influential leaders in the corporate world…

But as one of the first students to use the bike path, in my own small way, I think I have secured my place in Ursuline’s history.

      A superlative that nobody can pinpoint but everyone can recognize—once the winner is chosen, she always seems an obvious choice. The dictionary definition of ‘typical’ is “exhibiting the qualities, traits, or characteristics that identify a kind, class, group, or category.”

     By this definition, the Most Typical Ursuline Girl is the epitome of the Ursuline spirit—the one who best represents what it means to be an Ursuline girl. To most this would mean a smart, talented, professional girl who eats half of her body weight in ice cream every week and showers less often than that despite playing a sport and running a club and acting in the school play…A fearsome thing to behold, to be sure.

     So what does it really mean to be an Ursuline girl? The Bear Facts conducted a poll of Ursuline students, Jesuit and Cistercian boys and businesses in the area to find out what each group considered to be ‘typical’ of Ursuline girls.

Area Employees

      Have you ever wondered what the outside world thinks of Ursuline girls? Well, now we have some insight. The top five adjectives used to describe us by area employees are chatty, good customers, polite, nice, and preppy. “Maybe I’m biased because a lot of my customers are from Ursuline, but they are really nice and really polite. They’re some of my favorite customers,” remarked Dave S., manager of the Smoothie King on Forest Lane.

Jesuit Boys

     Tim N. sums up the Jesuit view of Ursuline best: “Through numerous encounters, the typical Ursuline girl has proved to be kind and considerate. She is generally open to lend a hand and prone to be outspoken and outgoing. She enjoys being with her friends, loves her free periods, and always complains about her homework load. Secretly, they all wish to be the only girl in attendance at Jesuit.” The top five adjectives from our brother school were nice, caring, social, stressed, and nonchalant.

Cistercian Boys

     Cistercian boys interviewed depicted Ursuline girls as nice, neurotic, classy, stressed and social. Senior Scott S. described ‘The Typical Ursuline Girl’ as “caring, compassionate and above reproach.” Different respondents compared Ursuline girls to everyone from the cast of ‘The Hills’ to Hockaday girls (Don’t worry, though. The general consensus is that Ursuline girls are at least classier and/or nicer than both).

Ursuline Girls

     The Ursuline community has spoken and the verdict is in. The top adjectives used to describe ourselves are stressed, hard-working, busy, smart, and hungry. In other words, we view ourselves as workaholics and derive a lot of pride and worth from our work and activities. Some notable adjectives also given were driven, vivacious, professional and tired. We also consider ourselves well-informed, green (skinned, from not showering) and global. Priya T. ‘10, had the perfect one-word description: “Atypical.”

7:32 a.m., my first customer approaches. Still groggy, she rubs her eyes as she scans my rows of snacks. Her eyes stop in front of E10, the Special K bar, an excellent choice for breakfast. She reaches for the buttons on my side. She places her finger on E, stops, eyeing the snacks again, and then decides on K09, peanut butter M&Ms; what a way to start the day.

For the rest of the morning girls pass me, stopping to scrutinize my insides and finding a morning treat to start off their day. A04 Nutri Grain Bars, G07 Pop Tarts, C01 Mini Donuts, along with a couple packages of C05 Skittles drop from the metal rings. First period begins and my customers become scarce. One girl comes looking to buy G07 strawberry Pop Tarts, but leaves in frustration when she realizes that she must first buy the brown sugar Pop Tart in front of it.

Finally first period ends and lunch begins. Groups of girls come and go, clutching dollars in their hands, talking about each snack, searching for one to satisfy their cravings. They pace in front of me, taking what seems like hours to make their decision.

The worst is when they stare me down, taking in each row, with their money ready, and then suddenly they decide that none of the treasures that I hold will satisfy them. They move to the machine next to me. Rejected.

Lunch draws to an end and some of my snacks are running a bit low. I hope the man who refills my treasures comes today. There is no sign of him as third period comes to an end. Finally, my shining hour arrives: advisory period. I try to straighten up and push myself forward, hoping to stand out among the other vending machines. Hoards of girls flock in front of us. They poke their heads around each other, trying to get a glimpse of what each machine holds and if it fits their mood.

The bubbly girls usually go for anything on row C, the Red Hots, Skittles, and the occasional Nerds Rope. The sullen looking girls usually coming from a math hallway choose things from Row E, hoping it will brighten their day.

Once fourth period begins, I relax a bit, trying to recover from the freshman who was banging on the front of me trying to get F02 Goldfish to come unstuck from the metal bars. My day is almost over, once the after school crowd comes and goes I will finally be able to release my inhibitions at the disco party the soda machine and I are planning for tonight.

We have been housed in three different buildings, witnessed more than a hundred classes graduate and seen essentially everything. I mean everything.

My friends and I were traumatized after the first time a mob of young ladies thundered down the hallway during Intramurals, screaming and shouting, wearing different colors and cheering for their respective classes. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that we are not covered up unceremoniously like the other classes from the 1900s. Those poor girls are relegated to hibernation for the entire week! We do communicate with and visit each other from time to time, but it is not as if we could fit all of them into our frames at once.

We enjoy being in the epicenter of the school. We see you as young freshmen, watch you grow and graduate. We particularly liked the renovations over the last two years—the opportunity to see all of you every day on your way to the pre-made portable classrooms, talking, shouting, laughing and crying. The rainy days were my personal favorite. Watching students being ambushed by teachers and administrators with ponchos was just about the most amusing thing I have ever witnessed.

We are usually the first and the last to greet visitors. Parents confused by the maps for conferences, delegations and nervous eighth-graders all stop by to see us before continuing on their visits. They are all rather impressed—we assume that it is because we are poised and fashionable.

Seeing the graduates lined up for their ceremony every summer is our favorite part of the year. I must admit that we are quite jealous of the (rather scandalous) “regulations” for the dresses. You have absolutely NO idea how hot and stuffy my graduation was—there was enough fabric in my ruffled collar to make hundreds of the “straps” that serve as sleeves to your gowns.

The ever-evolving hair styles have been a constant source of amusement (and confusion—we almost gave up trying to understand after the 80s…), and we do like the hats. On a few occasions, students have attempted to deviate from the “dress code” by wearing odd shoes or other accessories. The reactions from the faculty overseers were, in a word, priceless.

While we are on the topic of fashion, I would like to say that we do not appreciate your gawking or joking at our clothes. I will remind you that our dresses were the absolute height of fashion in our time, however long ago that was. We would also like to point out that regardless of the fact that our coiffeurs remind you of “poodles”, at least we brushed and styled our hair. On a regular basis. Every day.

An all-school Mass to celebrate the feast of St. Angela Merici on Wednesday kicked off the festivities. During the service, Sister Lois Castillon, standing principal of Ursuline Dallas, spoke, encouraging students to be “Pilgrims of Christ,” just as St. Angela was.

A fundraiser for St. Katherine’s school in Kenya, Penny Wars also began on the 27^th.

“As part of Catholic Schools Week, we wanted to do something for other schools,” said sophomore class president Maggie M. ’12.

By inciting friendly competition among the classes to see who could raise the most money by donating pennies, student council hoped to raise enough money to provide scholarships for girls to attend St. Katherine’s. Five hundred dollars is enough to support one student for one year; last year, Ursuline students raised a total of $800.

Thursday, January 28^th was Self-Affirmation Day. Sophomore student council members covered the bathroom mirrors and wrote on them positive slogans such as “love yourself!” and “appreciate your inner beauty.”

“The objective of Self-Affirmation day is to get students to appreciate who they are and not what they look like,” said Maggie.

Personal counselor Tanya Hamilton also offered yoga classes on Self-Affirmation day to encourage students to get in touch with their inner selves.

Designed to honor the teachers in Catholic schools, Teacher Appreciation Day was Friday, Jan. 29^th. In recognition of their hard work and dedication, the faculty received special baked treats and Kirstie C. ’10 and Brittany C. ’10 put together a Faculty Appreciation Video.

Student Council also sponsored a Teacher Trivia game, in which students had to match the correct teachers to their corresponding interesting fact.

“The most interesting teacher facts were some unexpected ones,” said Michelle M. ’10. “Mr. Bauroth’s one mile Canadian ice-pushing experience was awesome. As was Ms. Obranovich’s three marathons. And Mrs. Frasco’s 17 cats was absolutely hilarious,” she said.

Catholic Schools week concluded on Wednesday, Feb. 3^rd with a pep rally for all the Bear’s sports teams and a dodge ball tournament.

“The dodge ball teams were composed of teachers and students from all four classes to inspire school-wide unity,” said Natalie R. ’10.

With a week’s worth of community-building events, Ursuline celebrated its Catholic identity as part of a network of hundreds of other Catholic schools across the nation.

“To me, Catholic schools week is about coming together as a community to celebrate why are different from other schools: it’s not that we wear uniforms or take hard classes, it’s that we’re Catholic. And of that, we should be proud,” said Michelle.