Their device, called Xenex, is a small machine on wheels about three feet tall. A bar inside the machine rises and uses xenon UV light to sterilize and kill bacteria. It focuses on high touch surfaces while releasing its pulses around a room. It takes about five to ten minutes to clean one room. Because of the risks of UV light, no one should be in the room during the process, but it is safe to stand on the other side of the door. Rooms can be manually cleaned as best as possible before bringing in the Xenex to do the rest. Each hospital would need two of the machines to clean all of their rooms. Xenex is quick and can be used routinely in any hospital room.

Xenex is currently in use in twenty-four hospitals around the United States. The company behind Xenex has goals of being in 240 hospitals by the end of the year and expanding to Europe and Asia. One hospital reported that its infections caused by a common hospital bacteria when down 67% and even saved five lives.

The only potential downside of this device is that it costs $80,000, but the benefit of reducing the amount of money spent on hospital acquired infections has proven to outweigh this negative aspect.

The company believes that it can be used in places outside of hospitals, wherever bacteria is a potential threat. Xenex is a revolutionary device that will profoundly decrease the amount of hospital acquired infections.

Anita Pezzimenti, Director of Studies (Humanities) and Anna Robertson of the Dean of Students’ office, helped initiate the sale of Lifestraws.  Lifestraws are portable water filters which, when used to sip water, will cleanse that water, making safe drinking water available to the people of South Africa.  Each costs only $7 (including shipping). Those interested in making a donation, should contact Ms. Pezzimenti at apezzimenti@ursulinedallas.org. Group members have also begun selling blue bracelets with the Zulu phrase Amanzi aka Africa, meaning Water for Africa, written on them in white. Proceeds from these $5 bracelets, available for purchase at both lunches will also go toward purchasing Lifestraws.

Additionally, science teacher Christine Miller’s freshman biology class is completing a project that will reveal the various substances found in dirty water. The class plans to post its findings around the school to draw community attention to the negative effects of ingesting polluted water. Members of the South African Water project hope to work with Ms. Miller’s class to raise awareness of the dangers of dirty water, eventually bringing help to those exposed to disease because of the unclean water which they must drink every day.

Rachel and Anna also reported that on April 24^th, six girls from the Water Project participated in a video conference through the Center for Global Education’s Alberta Virtual Classroom with environmental engineer Muhammad el Daly. He gave a presentation about the water situation in his homeland of Cairo, Egypt, as well as in North East Africa, regarding the distribution of water from the Nile River. He provided students with a new perspective of the need for and use of water around the globe, and the girls were able to discuss the topics he’d introduced with students from two Canadian high schools while also comparing our own local water issues, Rachel said. 

“We participated in a debate about whether or not water was a basic human right for all humans, and if its distribution should be mandated by the government. All three schools eventually came to the consensus that while clean water is a basic human right, sharing the resource should involve not necessarily the exchange of money, but a system of trading goods to fairly provide accessible water for all people on earth,” she said.

In summary, the group, who has already accomplished a great deal, will continue to sell bracelets for the purchase of Lifestraws.  They also hope to continue video conferences on the water topic, especially involving students from the two Canadian schools with whom they recently talked.

“We’ll also be putting up the freshmen’s posters while continuing our own campaign,” Anna said, instructing students to keep an eye out for them around the school.

                Maria Naita is a Ugandan Master artist. She creates beautiful paintings that reflect the spirit of the Ugandan people. Her paintings usually involve women and children. As well, Naita has a passion for sculpting which has gotten her several nationally commissioned city sculptures.

                Her paintings seek  to bring to life the “eyes” of African women,  which include mothers, wives and children. Naita believes that art is the best way to portray one’s ideas. She works with acrylics, oil paints, and bark cloth to create her works of art.

                While visiting in the art classes, such as Figure Drawing or AP art, Naita gave a presentation about her work and her experiences in Uganda .  She also led the class in experimenting with the new material, bark cloth. She truly spent her  time to help art students get a feel for her art work.

                Maria Naita also talked to the classes about the different perception and challenges that she and other artists face in Uganda. She opened up about the various obstacles that are faced when becoming an artist as well as the benefits of getting to do what she loves.

                Naita was in Dallas to promote a children’s book that she has illustrated. All the proceeds of the book will go to “Empower African Children” which is an organization that helps provide learning experiences for children in Africa.

                Having Maria Naita at Ursuline was “a brief visit [but] it was definitely memorable.” Her time was special because the students and teachers got to see her talent and beautiful masterpieces, students all agreed.

                Averey E. ’15, a student who participated in one of her classes,  said,“Maria Natia is a great artist who introduced me to a new material for painting and opened my eyes to the different kinds of art that can be found all over the world.”

The pace at which the fault pushes is only about an inch every 40 years, so “don’t expect to straddle the fault line and have your legs ripped out from under you” remarks journalist Nick Carbone. Even though the fault line stretchmark does not have an effect on the daily life of Americans, it affects the surrounding terrain with a radius of at least hundreds of miles.

Anne Sheehan, a geophysicist from University of Colorado who studies the Rio Grande Rift alongside six other scientists from Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado, told the Albuquerque Journal that they didn’t expect the canyon to be pulled so far apart. The land directly surrounding the fault line has not absorbed the movement of the Rio Grande Rift, but a widespread stretch of hundreds of miles is pushing Texas and Arizona apart. The research team referred to the endless stretching as “a piece of taffy,” which gives a new meaning to the word endless—taffy cannot stretch forever.

Continuing to monitor the movement or pace of the region, scientists have not solved the mystery of the movement on a continental drift. Luckily, this change is occurring so slowly that scientists will have more than enough time to crack the code for controlling the deformation.

Girl power hits the Ursuline High School, Wimbledon

By Caroline O’Loughlin Ursuline High School Correspondent

This March on International Women’s Day, many Wimbledon Ursuline girls came together and celebrated in style. We were fortunate to be joined by a number of fantastic guest speakers who took the experience to a whole other level. Naomi Williams, Plan UK’s Campaign Manager, Becky Anderson, one of CNN’s highest profile Anchors and Correspondents, Charlotte Moore, Deputy Editor of Marie Claire magazine and Krsna Harilela, Senior Editorial Producer, Reporter and Planning Supervisor for CNN International all came along to inspire younger students. Also invited to join the debate were female students from every school in Merton and some beyond the local area to celebrate this important day.

The main aim of the International Women’s Day Conference at the Ursuline High School, Wimbledon was to make young women in the UK aware of the situation of many other women in other parts of the world; often living in poverty, many forced into marriage, lacking access to healthcare or denied an education. Students heard about the work the charity Plan UK is doing to tackle these problems. Students at the conference were struck by a number of challenging videos about arranged marriages, slavery and many other problems girls in other countries face on a day to day basis. These videos explained the work of the “Because I am a girl” Campaign being run by Plan UK and seeing these films made all the girls in the room want to help.

After hearing what the guest speakers had to say, the girls were keen to get on with their action plans, identifying how they could make a difference to other girls lives. Many came up with fun and adventurous activities to take part in the campaign and others suggested simple ideas, but they were all trying their best to make a difference. It was very clear that they all knew that one person really can actually make a difference despite what other people may say.

The message from the speakers was through determination and passion we can succeed and help other women with less opportunity than ourselves.

Natasha McSwiggan, one of the Sixth Formers who led the event, explained to me passionately “seeing that there are girls out there who go through absolutely appalling things, sometimes on a daily basis, was really upsetting. However, I’m really glad I was lucky enough to go to this conference. Now that I have seen those videos and heard some of the things other girls go through, it has encouraged me to do everything I can to help those girls who are just like me, but have such different lives. It really makes me realise how good I’ve got it and I think the next time I think about complaining to my Mum about not having this and not having that, I will think twice….”

And another correspondent’s story further explaining this special day……

‘Bcause I am a girl’ says it all for Urusline Wimbledon students

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated across the world on the 8th of March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. This year, Ursuline High School became part of more than 400 events taking place across the UK, and hosted a conference on the theme ‘Connecting Girls; Inspiring Futures’. The conferencewas attended by Ursuline student leaders from across all years, as well as girls from eight local schools: Bishopsford Arts College, Harris Academy, Langley Park, Raynes Park, Ricard’s Lodge Sacred Heart, St Mark’s Academy and St Philomena’s. The aim was for students to reflect on how they can support women, both globally and in their ownschools.

Four speakers, all of them successful women in their fields , addressed the conference. The first speaker, Krsna Harilela, Senior Editorial Producer at CNN International, talked about how she participated in a project to build a school in Mali, which gave the opportunity for 300 girls to attend school. For Krsna, this was a life changing experience, which inspired her to devote herself, in her capacity as a CNN producer, and in her personal life, to campaign and raise awareness of the rights of children, especially girls. Krsna urged the students to ‘Have no fear ingoing after what you want – both in your own life and to help others.’

Krsna is involved in the ‘Because I am a girl’ campaign, run by Plan UK, which supports girls to have more choices in their future. The next speaker was Naomi Williams, Plan UK’s Campaigns Manager who is also personally committed to raising awareness of the issue of child marriage. She talked about how early marriage in countries such as Bangladesh, usually leads to an end to a girl’s education and also leaves them more vulnerable to violence and abuse. Naomi encouraged the students to sign up to a petition to end early and forced marriage. Her message was that fundamentally all girls share the same dreams and aspirations, but for some, their choices are limited.

Charlotte Moore, Deputy Editor of Marie Claire, magazine talked about her passion for her job, and particularly howshe loved to have the opportunity to feature stories of women around the world. Most recently, she has set up Marie Claire’s ‘Inspire and Mentor’ programme, finding successful high profile professionals to mentor Marie Claire readers.Her advice to the girls at the conference was to ‘find your passion’ and then ‘focus on success.’

The last speaker, Becky Anderson, is a British journalist and one of CNN’s highest profile news presenters and correspondents. She talked about her experiences covering news stories in volatile and often dangerous situations and about how she felt very privileged to do her job. Asked by a student if she ever got emotionally involved with the people whose lives she was covering, Becky explained that it was important to stay objective in presenting a news story. However, she admitted that when she was reporting the story of the Pakistan earthquake she had been highly affected by the scale and extent of the devastation and had insisted on covering the story for a longer period to ensure sufficient exposure for fundraising.

Inspired by the passion and commitment of the speakers, the students got together in groups to discuss various themes and come up with their own action plans. Their suggestions for supporting women and girls across the world included each year group or house sponsoring a girl, setting up a pen pal network with schools from other parts ofthe world, providing grants to women to enable them set up their own small business, creating student exchangeprogrammes, and fundraising to provide money for development programmes. They also felt it was important to sustain support in the cause by reporting back with progress on the changes in girls’ lives as a result of the help provided. Students also discussed ideas for supporting girls in their own schools and finally reflected on what steps each one of them could take to achieve their own potential, and work towards success.

It was a thought provoking morning, which left everyone motivated and ready to make a difference! Reflecting on the day, Rebecca Mouchi-Thompson from St Mark’s Academy said, ‘It opened my eyes to how hard it is for girls around the world.’ Ursuline student Jessica Grayston said, ‘Listening to the speakers really inspired me to do my best because I have many opportunities and should embrace them.’

All the proposals put forward by the students will be considered by the Ursuline student council in forthcoming meetings, and circulated to participating schools.

      With all parts of the Academy except for the cafeteria and library barred from student use, it’s nigh impossible to find a silent place for effective study. The cafeteria is a high traffic area, as students snack all day long, and the library isn’t as quiet as it could be—let’s face, it’s all girl school—the talking never ends.

     As for why we have been confined to the library and the cafeteria, well, apparently, students have been littering the lounges with silverware. Two questions come to mind. First, who actually does that, and second, what are people doing bringing silverware out of the cafeteria? Silverware implies a tasty, heavy meal, not a little snack. Science labs aren’t conducive to the ideal gastronomical experience and neither are math classrooms, or the lounges around them. I don’t know about you, but when I eat lunch I want to be around friends, not chemicals and inspirational posters.

     Even worse, nobody actually knows whether we have our lounge privileges back or not. I’m not about to turn this into a plea, but I’d like to know how long until I can waste time during free periods lounging on a comfy couch.

     Each of us has lived this one before: you check Backpack and see that a grade has suddenly plunged due to a poor test grade. Panic settles and worries flood our minds—what will my parents think? I bet I got the worst grade. Did everyone else fail? Normal thoughts, of course, but not necessarily the right thoughts. MyBackpack only displays grades, which are but numbers, representations of how much we knew the material. A number viewed on a computer screen doesn’t tell the student which questions we got wrong, nor does it encourage us to pursue the right answer for our own sake. MyBackpack, convenient as it is for teachers, parents, and students has taken away from the romantic, idealistic aspects of the teaching and learning cycle and process.

     Even worse, we spend so much time worrying about numbers. Certainly, grades are one of the many factors that can secure acceptance to a particular college, but it seems like we miss out other important parts of high school, like friendships, when we worry so much about grades with no explanations for the numbers. High school is a time for personal growth, not a time to develop obsessive preoccupation with grades. 

     Because MyBackpack is so convenient, it would counterproductive to get rid of it completely. Instead, teachers should return tests to us so we can see what we got wrong and ask questions before posting the grade on MyBackpack. That way, we’ll see the material we learn not as an obstacle but as a valuable tool we can put to good use in college and beyond.

     Let’s make our education mean more than a report card.

Q:   When did you begin playing softball?

A:   I began playing in second grade.

Q:   Why did you start pitching?

A:   When you are little, you move around in positions a lot. Pitching was a position that I was good at, so I just stayed there.

Q:   What types of pitches can you throw and which is your favorite?

A:   I have seven: fast, drop, screw, rise, change-up, curve, and drop-curve. My favorite is my drop-curve because I strike out a lot of batters.

Q:   What kind of relationship does a pitcher need to have with her catcher?

A:   A pitcher needs to have a trusting relationship with her catcher because she is catching the ball and calling the signs. The pitcher and catcher are working together as a team to do their jobs correctly.

Q:   What is the most challenging aspect of softball?

A:   The hardest part of softball for me is batting.

Q:   What do you like most about softball?

A:   My favorite part of softball is when you play an intense game and you do not know what is going to happen because both teams are playing their hardest. It is exciting and a lot of fun.

Q:   How often do you practice?

A:   I have to pitch every day. For school, I practice two hours every day, and on Sundays I pitch for about thirty minutes. My select team practices last three hours.

Q:   How do you predict this year will go for the softball team?

A:   I predict the year will go great because so far we have come up close with Nolan and tied with Bishop Lynch and those are our biggest competitors. We will go very far this season.

Q:   What do you think is the biggest misconception of softball?

A:   Softball is sometimes seen as really slow-paced, but when there is an intense game, it goes by fast. Also, people do not realize how much skill there is to the game. You wouldn’t think that there are plays in softball, but there are some.

Q:   Who are your biggest influences?

A:   My parents and my coaches definitely have the biggest influence on my softball career.

Q:   Do you plan on continuing playing in college?

A:   I’m not sure at the moment. I am considering the possibility, but as of yet I have not made a decision.

Q:   Do you have any advice for aspiring athletes?

A:   For aspiring athletes, I would recommend having a good attitude and continuing to practice. As my dad told me, “Practice does not make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.”

Shout out to Hannah C. ’12, Kara S. ’12 and Marcie P. ’12 for helping me answer these questions.

     Elisa is not the only Ursuline student taking classes through OSG; this year another student is also taking AP Government, and last year, the first year that Ursuline girls took OSG classes, two girls pioneered the program. These girls who participate in an OSG course take their course with other girls all over the country, from Connecticut to Hawaii. “I feel like I’m connected to a more diverse group of people,” said Elisa.

     Why would girls take classes online when they could just take them at school? There are at least two possible reasons: she has scheduling conflicts or she wants to take a class Ursuline does not offer. OSG offers six Advanced Placement courses (Computer Science, Economics, Music Theory, Psychology, Statistics, and Government), but also some different, interesting courses such as Japanese, Genetics, Women’s History in America, Differential Equations, and Page to Stage: Wicked. Last semester, Jennifer C. ’12 took a course in Global Issues.

     The courses are taught by teachers from the participating schools who assign the students homework every week. For her Government class, Elisa reads one chapter a week, watches lectures uploaded by her teacher, and posts her responses to discussion questions for her teacher and fellow students to read. Her teacher posts the week’s assignments on Haiku, which is similar to Blackboard. Each week’s homework is due by midnight on Sunday. After every unit, Elisa takes a timed test online. These tests are multiple choice, free response essays, or data-based question essays (DBQs), all intended to prepare Elisa for the AP test at the end of the course.

     Most assignments and projects for the web-based course are also web-based. Before beginning the class, the students sign up for several social media tools. The girls use Vimeo, which is similar to YouTube, to upload videos; Skype to discuss current events with their fellow students, like the State of the Union address this past January; Voicethread to upload pictures and PowerPoint presentations and comment on them; and a Google account to use Google documents that allow them to work on papers with other students.

     “Had I not taken this class, I do not think I would be as technologically adept as I am,” Elisa commented.

     Online courses are growing more popular; when the online school started in 2009, only four schools worked with OSG; now approximately 65 schools are involved. In the Government class this year, the girls’ first assignment was to post on their blog about their experience with the class. Their posts have been commented on by both educators and graduate students. A professor from St. Joseph’s College in Connecticut recently asked Elisa if she would Skype the professor’s graduate students about the online course.

     “To be able to handle online courses and to know the ins and outs will be a valuable asset for these girls,” said Ms. Bauer.

     Next year, Ursuline will offer online courses to any girl who has applied. The courses are limited to one credit per year, which will be covered by tuition. Girls may also take online courses over the summer, which they will have to pay for separately. The on-line classes available during the year are Computer Programming, AP Computer Science, Multivariable Calculus Honors, Differential Equations Honors, AP Statistics, AP Music Theory, Genetics, AP Psychology, Women’s History in America, AP US Government and Politics and Comparative Government and Politics, Global Issues, Art and Design: Spiderman, Digital Design and Imagery, Japanese I, and Latin I. Summer classes offered include Reviewing Algebra I and College Essay Writing.

     If you are interested in learning more about on-line classes, contact your Personal Counselor or Ms. Bauer. This program presents a great opportunity for girls to become more tech savvy and responsible for their own education.

     “I really hope that Ursuline’s involvement with OSG changes a lot of people’s assumptions about people who choose to take online courses and people who get their degree online. Taking an online class, specifically through OSG, requires active engagement. It’s a lot of work, but also a great experience,” said Elisa.

     Sister Margaret Ann has been a part of the Ursuline family for many years. Not only did she attend Ursuline herself, but her mother, aunts, sisters, cousins, and nieces have as well. Her mother, who is now 98 years old, is the oldest living alum today.

     After attending Ursuline, Sister was away for 31 years before she became the school president, ministering in Galveston, New Orleans, Spring Field, and St. Louis. Throughout her time at Ursuline, she has organized countless strategic plans.

     From the incorporation of laptops to the creation of the exchange between Ursuline and the Huaxia Academy in Beijing, much progress has been made as a result of her work. Yet in her genuine humility, Sister has refused to take complete credit for the great work completed throughout her time at Ursuline.

     “It’s never me; it’s really not me. It’s me working with the extremely gifted people who have come forward to help. I don’t look at any of our work at Ursuline as something I have done individually. Everyone has loved the mission of this school, and they have helped us to move forward.”

     We can all learn from her humble ways. Moreover, we can learn from her selflessness. Sister exudes the spirit of Serviam in every move she makes and every word she speaks. She has humbly and selflessly realized that the purpose of her work is to give us students what we need to succeed.

     “It’s always about the girls. Everything we do is about the girls. We have to always ask ourselves, ‘What can we do to provide the students what they need?’ The President’s goal is to work with the community but more than that it’s about providing what the girls need in a college preparatory environment and to prepare them for their bright futures.”

     Every moment Sister Margaret Ann has spent in service to Ursuline has been for our benefit as students. She has devoted a great part of her life to giving us what we need to make this world a better place. To her, we are forever grateful.

     However, Sister has acknowledged time and time again that she is never working alone. She is surrounded by extremely generous and bright people who never hesitate to help Ursuline in whatever way they can.

     “There is not a single moment that stands out throughout my time at Ursuline. It’s really more of a collection of moments that I have spent with the people who work with me. I will never forget the richness of the individuals I have met and the fun we’ve had. I will always remember that. I will go to my grave remembering these wonderful people.”

     In the same way, we will all go to our graves remembering the influence Sister Margaret Ann has had on our lives.

     “Sister is the most giving and compassionate person,” said Lisa McGee, Executive Assistant to the President. “She empowers everyone around her to be the best they can be. She’s like a magnet. People are attracted to her compassion, and they want to help her and do what is best for Ursuline.”

     Sister has always been and will always be a community-builder. She inspires us to contribute to whichever communities to which we belong, and to always help other people feel like they belong as well.

     And to the community she has helped build at Ursuline, she leaves the following words: “Continue to use the gifts God gave you. Realize that those gifts were given not for yourself alone, but so that you can share them and give back. Jesus said, ‘I come not to be served, but to serve.’ Your gifts were given to you for others. And I assure you, Serviam will beat in your hearts till the day you die.”