THE BEAR Vol. 42, Issue 3, January 2021
FACTS
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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Snowball: Recapping the Senior Tradition By EMMA KENCHEL ‘22
The class of 2022 has finally marked off the beloved tradition “Snowball” from their checklist. Marking the end of the first semester, Snowball is traditionally the most popular Ursuline dance because it is
created just for the Senior class and their date. Senior Savannah Johnson said, “This has been my favorite Ursuline dance because there were no underclassmen, which made it easier to bond and hang out with my friends. Snowball allowed the senior class to just have fun together even in the midst of all the college stress we have been under.” Because Snowball is such a special tradition, the seniors usually begin discussing dresses, dates and tables as soon as homecoming ends. But the biggest conversation of all is about the queen and court. The tradition of the walnut started in 1950 when each senior was given a cupcake that was either empty or filled with a walnut or pecan. There was only one walnut whose choice would declare a queen, and three pecans which would declare members of court. This year’s Snowball queen was Cecilia Stanford. The girls in court were Natalie Marina, Callie Lavalle and Maddy Wilbert. “When I went up there, I decided to get chocolate because I thought it would taste the best, but as soon as I picked it up, I realized it felt sort of heavy,” Natalie Marina ’22 said. “Then it was time to open it, and I squeezed it and felt a pecan, but I was shocked and confused because I couldn’t tell the difference between
the pecan and walnut. Everyone was telling me it was the walnut until Cecilia held the walnut up and that’s when I knew it was actually just a pecan. I was so happy for Cecilia because I knew she would come up with a way better dance than I ever would.” Two and half weeks later Snowball was here, and while the rest of the school had “Christmas fun day,” the senior class had the day off. Seniors had the day off to prepare for the big night by getting their hair, nails and makeup done. There was a plethora of different dresses ranging from Stephanie Untermeyer’s beautiful ballgown dress, to Nicole Gossage’s silky chic dress. On top of all the dresses, there were many different types of shoes worn with the elegant dresses such as Air Jordans, stilettos and even cowboy boots. Addie O’Connor ’22 said, “I was embracing my Texas heritage as a true Texan woman. Plus, I am always down for a bootscootin’ boogie. I love a good dancing shoe, and I knew that cowboy boots would give me that.” Upon arrival to the dance which was held at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Dallas, the seniors and their dates took the elevator up to the third floor, where they were greeted by Dr. Shirley, Mrs. Kane and Mr. Lepley. They shook their hands and introduced their dates to the adults. Emily Askew ’22 described the greeting as welcoming. She said, “I mean, I really was not all that nervous, but my date Ryan was sweating. He kept asking me their names over and over again, and I would tell him to relax, but that just made him more nervous.” After the greeting, the se-
niors had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Biggs and Mr. Gregory as they conducted a red-carpet interview for the senior and her date. “Mr. Biggs made up personal questions based on who he was interviewing. He talked about the dresses and gave the boys a curveball by asking what their favorite trait was about us. It was so funny because it took my date completely by surprise, so he gave the most random answer,” said Savannah Johnson. After checking in and doing the optional interview, the girls and their dates were given time to hang out with each other and take pictures at the photobooth. Addie O’Connor ’22 said, “The photobooth pictures were so much fun and turned out so well because of the ring light. Even
though it was an iPad taking the photos, they looked really professional, and we were able to fit a bunch of people into one picture.” After the girls had time to mingle, dinner was served. There was a nice house salad served as a starter along with a variety of different types of bread rolls. Next, for the entrée, a gluten free pecan crusted chicken was served alongside mashed potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Lastly for dessert, a slice of red velvet cake appeared. Senior Isabella Kruse said, “The food was good, but the cake was easily the best part. The cake was moist, and the frosting
was so creamy. It was some of the best cake I have ever had.” After dinner, student body president Emma Louviere alongside Lia Padian started the dancing by running up on the dance floor when the “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper came on. Everyone else began filing onto the dance floor and within minutes there was an instant mosh pit with people even crowd surfing. Nicole Gossage’s date Landon Usry was the ultimate dance star when he started crowd surfing. “It happened very fast. I was dancing and all of a sudden I was floating above all my classmates,” Usry said. “I guess if there was a word to describe the experience it’s something between frightening and electric.” An hour or so into the dancing, the floor was cleared for the best part of the night: the crowning of Snowball Queen and Court. Mr. Gregory announced each girl along with a short bio about her and her favorite memories of Ursuline. Next, it was Cecilia’s time to shine in her duet with her date Cristian Cavazos. “I wasn’t really nervous at all because we saw each other almost every other day during the week leading up to Snowball,” Cecilia said. “He is also one of my best friends, so it was comfortable and manageable. But right before we went on, we were both really excited especially because everyone was sharing their excitement with us. My heart was beating so fast, though, but I had a lot of fun, and it was so worth it.” Although there was no snow, the class of 2022 had a ball at their dance and are now looking forward to their final semester at Ursuline!
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Inside
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The Bear Facts
Happy New Year from the Bear Facts Staff
THE BEAR FACTS STAFF FRONT Emma Louviere ‘22
CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Emma Louviere ‘22, Katharine Bales ‘22
ENTERTAINMENT Olivia Gray ‘22
INSIDE Katharine Bales ‘22
ADVISER Melinda Smith
TRENDING Avery Zulick ‘22 Elle de la Garza ‘22
SCHOOL NEWS Ava Mychel Rodriguez ‘24 Hannah Singer ‘23 SPORTS Emma Kenchel ‘22 Grace Lamont ‘22
ONLINE EDITOR Natalie Ro ‘22 Editorial Policy Editorials reflect the staff’s opinion and are not bylined. Opinion pieces are bylined and are the opinion of the author.
INSIGHTS Piper Rutherford ‘22 OPINIONS Lillian Ashmore ‘22
Letter Policy BACK Readers are encouraged to submit letters to be considered for PROFILES Emma Sweeney ‘22 publication. They may respond to an article, provide feedback Tess Bowers ‘22 on the whole paper, or address a topic not addressed in the paBUSINESS MANAGERS per. In order to be published, these letters cannot be anonymous. Ava Mychel Rodriguez ‘24 FEATURES Articles, story ideas, or pictures submitted by the Ursuline comIsabelle Bruty ‘22 Emma Sweeney ‘22 munity will be received and considered for publication. SubmisSofia Velesiotis ‘24 sions for should be e-mailed to 22elouviere@ursulinedallas.org or SOCIAL MEDIA & 22kbales@ursulinedallas.org. GLOBAL PUBLIC RELATIONS Montse Spencer ‘22 Lillian Ashmore ‘22 4900 Walnut Hill Lane Avery Zulick ’22 Dallas, Texas 75229 SPREAD uabfstaff@gmail.com Carlisle Myers‘22 NEWSLETTER ASSOCIATE Instagram: Website: Carlisle Myers ‘22 @theuabearfacts https://theuabearfacts.com/
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School News
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The History and Future of UA Live By AVA MYCHEL RODRIGUEZ ‘24
Founded around six years ago, UA Live is not only a club, but an unexpected way for students to begin their morning. Announcements are broadcast to the school community along with tweets and fun segments like “Spotlight Spin.” Mr. Gregory, UA Live’s club moderator and a faculty member at Ursuline for the past 10 years, was present at UA Live’s beginning. “I had already been talking about getting a broadcast program together when Ms. Kane stopped me in the hall, and said she wanted to start streaming intramurals. So that was the catalyst. Then Ms. Bauer and I did some research and started putting pieces together,” he said. Mr. Zamora, Assistant Director of Research and Educational Innovation and math faculty member, combined these ideas with a student starting a broadcasting club, and UA Live was born. UA Live was first streamed in the attendance office at Ursuline, in Ms. Clark and Ms. Bailey’s space, which was originally Mr. Zamora’s office. “He (Mr. Zamora) was instrumental in the development of UA Live,” Mr. Gregory said. “I would love to give him a special nod. Back then it was UA Fridays Live: we only had a Friday morning show. We would rearrange his office and put it back right after. It was called Studio Z.” For a while, UA Live was almost
nomadic, having a mobile broadcast from a different classroom every Friday. Briefly, UA Live moved to the Journalism room, but due to limited space, the club began broadcasting from Ursuline’s rotunda. “That really helped boost our visibility. When I heard UA Live get a mention in the valedictorian’s speech that year, I knew we had become a real fixture. We got some merch, stickers, started branding and we really took off,” Mr. Gregory said. Then, a change hit when Ursuline
switched to virtual learning. While most would think this would be an obstacle for the morning show to overcome, UA Live used this as a beneficial time to boost their streaming to everyday. Viewership skyrocketed as many people, even outside of current
Ursuline students, became avid UA Live fans. Now, UA Live has its temporary home in the FFC with co-hosts Kat Weber ’23 and Ava Mychel Rodriguez ‘24, sports broadcaster Ryan Bomersbach ‘24, producer Jillian Spears ’23 and program manager May Atwell ‘24. Sometimes even a live audience joins
the cast and crew! More excitement awaits as the future of UA Live is still growing. With its new broadcast studio, which will be located off the lobby area in Ursuline’s new auditorium. UA Live is ready to receive the upgrade, they have worked for. “We desperately needed broadcast programs,” Mr. Gregory said. “Also, we are growing beyond club status and need a home. We can’t really get industry level experience or work on studio techniques or station management without a home.”
When it came to designing the studio, Mr. Gregory was also an essential contributor to this process. “There is so much to be excited for! I can’t wait for all the opportunities we will have for program scheduling along with the level of professionalism that we can present. There will be so many opportunities for students to be involved. It is a completely different world than how we have been working. This is something that students can really make their own and produce content they are proud of,” Mr. Gregory said. As for his subsequent plans for the show, Mr. Gregory has many ideas. “I also have a goal to make UA Live not just the announcements. I want to expand to include entertainment too. We have a Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV channel, so Ursuline content is available in everyone’s homes along with Netflix…I would love a partnership with the film making class. I want it to be a vehicle for students to have a creative digital method of expression that is sanctioned by the school and is widely accessible, a school alternative to YouTube and TikTok. We need to add more sports coverage, student vlogs and film making projects,” he said. The studio will be ready sometime in the near future, but as for now, tune into UA Live every morning at 8:40 a.m. at ursulinedallaslive.org.
Giving Blood at Ursuline Academy By MONTSE SPENCER ‘22
“Student donors make up for about 25% of the blood supply and my grandpa always let it be known that his female students were the bravest,” said Molly Feighny ’22, “I have always known about the importance of giving blood growing up and I realized I had this amazing untapped resource here at Ursuline.” November 15th of 2021, the Biomedical Club organized a Carter BloodCare Drive which was able to raise 65 units of blood from Ursuline’s staff and students. “I was truly touched by the student body, many of whom have been first time donors,” said Fieghny As president of the Biomedical Club and organizer for the blood drive, Molly Feighny was ecstatic for all the donations received this year. So much, that the Biomedical Club has now officially decided to organize a second drive in the spring. “I will actually not be the
lead blood drive coordinator next semester, it will be Giann Ruiz,” said Feighny, “It is important to me that the UA blood drive lasts beyond my time in highschool.” The expected goal for next semester is 75 units. “The onset of the pandemic, there were no school drives because school wasn’t in session so I was super happy that our school could contribute to helping replenish the blood drive.” The increased demand for blood and the low supply of it, is yet another consequence of the COVID-19. According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, blood donations also tend to drop each summer as people travel, and this year’s numbers are expected to drop even lower as people are eager to travel after being quarantined for the past year. As well as a tragic increase in gun violence, drug overdoses, and other trauma during the pandemic has led to a severe depleted inventory. “Last year, I was really scared that
we wouldn’t have a good turnout. There was a lot we had to figure out last minute but omg we had an amazing turn out of students, teachers, and parents. We surpassed our goal by 10 units,” said Fieghny. Olivia Gray ‘22, who donated last year, said donating blood ‘made her feel good about herself because it felt like she was doing good in the world.’ This year, according to World Blood Donor Association, the national Blood Drive slogan will be “Give blood and keep the world beating”. The message highlights the essential contribution blood donors make to keeping the world pulsating by saving lives and improving others’ health. “With a motto of Serviam, I knew that UA would support this initiative,” said Feighny. As Ursuline preps for their upcoming blood drive, many students express their excitement to participate again. “I was scared at
first, but now I think I can handle another round,” said Caroline McDaniel’ 22. Ursuline students will join in order to help make up the loss of blood donations, and be able to rise medical resources. “My goal for the Biomedical Sciences Club is to bring in resources for the girls at UA interested in the medical field,” said Feighny, “So far, we have had speakers like Dr. Kane talk about what it is like to work as a clinical doctor- and an Ursuline alumna who just defended her dissertation in Molecular Biology at Princeton- to talk about the research side of medicine.” The Biomedical Club and Ursuline as a whole, is ready to educate their peers in order to keep everyone informed on the blood crisis occurring. With Molly, Gianna and Ursuline’s support, promoting health organizations at the Academy has never been easier. Hopefully this semester’s drive will be able to reach its goal and more.
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Fingers Crossed for 2022 By MONTSE SPENCER ‘22
“I just know this is the year. I can feel it.” Year of the Tiger. MMXXII. Post-Pandemic Year. It is 2022, and as New Year’s Resolutions begin to form so do the expectations for the year. Varying from hopeful to pessimistic, various predictions contain subjects ranging from intramurals, covid, and friendship. Ursuline staff and students all tightly cross their fingers in hopes for an amazing year. Take Natalie Ro ’22, who predicts that COVID will at last be defeated, as an example of an optimistic student. “By the time we graduate, I just know that everywhere will be ready to leave the virus in the past,” she says. Ro hopes to be able to attend a college where she’ll at last be able to live a permanently mask-less life. “It’s going to be a blast,” she said. Like Natalie, Ursuline’s Global Affairs Council hopes to finally finish with COVID and re-begin travel among sister schools. While there’s longs ways to go before anything can truly be expected, students and staff begin to see a tiny chance at traveling again. “I just want
to be able to meet my other sister schools while I have the chance,” Gracie Hood ’24, GAC member said, “Plus I have high hopes for travel since many of my friend’s left town for Thanksgiving break. Maybe this foreshadows something for other countries and their COVID status.” While some predictions focus on life without COVID, others focus on the importance of friendship and their time to come at Ursuline. Eva Harris ’23 predicts that she’ll grow alongside her friends to create a lifelong sisterhood bond. “I just know this is the year. I can feel it” she said. “This will be the year with the greatest memories; I’ll finish junior year, begin my senior year and share adventures with my friends along the way. I, for one, am so excited.” Additionally, many spirited students like Breanne Tehan ’22 excitedly predict the scores for this year’s Ursuline Intramurals. “My fingers are crossed for this year’s intramurals. All I want is a senior sweep. I know my grade will work
2022
lege departure of their older siblings. “Although my brother and I fought
for it.” she said. Though many can be excited for their remaining activities at Ursuline, some students begin to realize what 2022 truly holds for them. On the other side of predictions for this year, lies fears of leaving the Ursuline Community and starting a new life. In college. “2022 snuck up on me, and now that it is here, I’m scared to leave the sisterhood and start all over at a new school. I know I’ll be fine, but at some point, I’ll miss my plaid skirt,” said Caroline McDaniel ’22. Even athletes begin to prepare for sporty life without their senior siblings. “I can’t wait to see my improvement on the Ursuline Swim team and meet all the new freshman teammates! The only thing I’m not so thrilled about is having to drive up to practice all by myself since my sister will be away at college,” said Nadia Shaff ‘23 And Shaff is not alone, various students like her prepare for the col-
sometimes, I am going to miss having someone to talk to around the house.” said Amulya Vajja ’24. “I’m excited to be the only child in my house, but I’m going to miss having a fun ride to school every day. I’m sure I’ll miss my sister even more,” Cecilia Spencer ‘25 said. In between this crazy year’s events – it is safe to say 2021 has been a wild ride. But the Ursuline Girls are ready to begin a fresh new chapter in their lives. Ready to take on their last semester, begin travel, make new friendships, and compete in intramurals; Ursuline’s halls buzz with excitement as the students prepare for another exciing year at the Academy.
Will My Life Begin.” The video ended with the entire grade dancing in the gym. It was a great way to encompass class participation and overall Ursuline spirit. The Juniors involved a basketball game hinting on the theme High School Musical. Many students thought that High School Musical was their theme leading up to the reveal. In the next scene the Juniors are all in a conference room shouting out other themes and arguing about them. The Incredibles and Cars were mentioned in the middle of the argument, but the conversation was interrupted by the introduction of their true theme. Livie McGuire ‘23 said, “Our theme is original and a great incorporation of our graduating year.” The next scene showed clips of the juniors dribbling the basketball and a sports reporter in the background talking about the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. The Juniors theme is Junior Bulls. The team ties Jordan’s number, 23 and the red of the bulls in to create a perfect theme for their class. Alexandra Parades ‘23 said, “I love our theme and the athleticism and creativity in our video.”
The Senior video starts with an audition for the intramural themes for the seniors. While Breanne Tehan ‘22 dressed as P.T. Barnum from The Greatest Showman is singing, Kate Lynch’22 interrupts Tehan’s scene and asks the next contestant to step up. Lia Padian ‘22 dances onto the stage in a sparkly disco outfit to represent Mama Mia, but it is cut since that is the theme of the Seniors Fashion Show in April. Addie O’Conner ‘22 and Nicole Gossage ‘22 represent the theme Star Wars but once again it is denied since it was the Class of 2021’s powderpuff theme. All themes seem to be already taken and it was a difficult decision to single out one. Lily Moayedi’22 said, “Our theme is a great way to incorporate all of the memories our class has made together in high school.” The final two scenes showed Mimi Simmons ‘22 as Marty McFly running late to school and finally our closing scene has text revealing, “Back to the Future Senior Edition,” Every grade did a wonderful job with their theme reveal video and should be proud of their work. Students and faculty are awaiting March so they can see the other amazing work each class has in store.
“I just know this is the year. I can feel it.” -Eva Harris
Intramural Theme Reveals By GRACE LAMONT ‘22
Last year, Ursuline moved the tradition of Fall Intramurals to the Spring. In doing so they implemented the kickoff of intramural season to be the last day of school before the Christmas break.
Reveal Video Results: 1st Place: Seniors 2nd Place: Juniors 3rd Place: Sophomores 4th Place: Freshmen 2021-2022 Themes : Seniors Back to the Future Senior Edition Juniors Junior Bulls Sophomores Tangled Freshmen Frosh Hollow
This kick off included a theme reveal – a one minute and 15 second video revealing each class’s theme to the school. The tradition continued in the 2021-2022 school year. In the freshman theme reveal video, three freshmen disguised as sophomore, junior and senior secret agents tried to fool the rest of the school about what their theme was. One of the first clips of the video included a large Grinch head, although that was not their theme. The next clip showed Yoda, but still this was not their theme. The freshmen also showed a giant Shrek cutout walking in the background of the video although everyone got a small glimpse of Tinker Bell on the hub. The secret agents finally revealed their theme was Freshman Hollow starring Tinker Bell! The rest of their video showed the hints that were missed such as pixie dust and TinkerTaylor! Overall, their video was creative and to the point. The school expects great things from the Class of 2025 on their first go at intramurals. The Sophomore class wasted no time introducing their intramural theme and showed Rapunzel running through the halls to her song “When
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Sports and Wellness
The Bear Facts
It’s Time to Take a Break By HANNAH SINGER ‘23
Taking a break can be hard. When we spend so much of our time on
to work around guilt has to do with changing the way that your frame your environment, the way that you reset your expectations, the way that you restructure your life.” By working to live a healthier, more balanced life, the guilt is less likely to show up in the first place, and when it does, you will be able to recognize its presence, turn your back on it, and keep going.
Productivity guilt is the constant feeling of not creating, achieving or working hard enough
homework, projects and extracurriculars, we get in the habit of always working. And sometimes, our work consumes us, and we start to feel the constant pull to go back to our desk, even when we’re trying to watch a movie, read a book, or hang out with friends. That nagging feeling has a name: productivity guilt. Productivity guilt is the constant feeling of not creating, achieving or working hard enough, and can also appear as a sense of shame when trying to relax. If you are feeling guilty about your lack of productivity, then you are not being truly productive at all… Productivity guilt is “often the result of the unrealistic expectations” we create for ourselves, according to the Harvard Business Review. Maybe you expect to write an entire paper, complete a week’s worth of math assignments, read half of your English
will most likely not work for you too, and that is okay. Find what works for you and stick with it. Next, recognize the difference between being “busy” and being “productive.” Business is “having tasks piled on top of you and running around frantically trying to balance them all,” according to Isaac Lowton from Lifehack.org. “But productivity is a state of doing what we truly need to do to reach our goals.” Another way to combat productivity guilt is to reach for 70% productivity and think of rest as productive. When we constantly reach for 100% productivity, we often fall into a cycle of constantly trying to get everything done, usually at the expense of our sleep and wellbeing. By reaching for 70% productivity, we cut ourselves some slack and have more time for rest, socializing and self-care. Rest is important and will give us the physical and mental en-
the small things does not make for a fun, enjoyable (or productive!) life. Your imperfections are not holding you back from reaching ultimate productivity. Nobody is the same as you – value your effort and growth, and congratulate yourself when you accomplish something, rather than crossing off a task and mindlessly moving on to the next one. Now all of this is not to say that productivity is bad and that you should not challenge yourself. Productivity is not a bad thing; in fact, productivity is often healthy and beneficial. Challenging yourself and taking up leadership roles in your community are both great ways to grow and develop in numerous positive ways.
“So, the way to work around guilt has to do with changing the way that your frame your environment, the way that you reset your expectations, the way that you restructure your life.” - NPR
So how do you combat productivity guilt? First and most importantly, stop comparing yourself to others. Whether you are comparing yourself to someone who has it all together on Instagram or the girls you sit next to in class, everyone is different, and what works for them,
ergy to be more productive when it’s time to buckle down and get to work. Finally, recognize and love your imperfections and congratulate yourself when you accomplish something. The harsh reality is that it is impossible to be perfect.
Combatting Productivy Guilt: Step 1: Stop comparing yourself to others book and film a Flipgrid all in one night (good luck!). Or maybe you expect to live out the perfect, idealized life you envision for yourself, which is almost always easier said than done. No matter how extensive your daily to-do list, when dinnertime rolls around and you have not accomplished as much as you hoped to, the guilt sets in. This guilt “is a signal that things are not going the way we think they should,” according to NPR. “So, the way
Everyone makes mistakes, everyone falls short of their crazy to-do list and very few can actually live the perfect life we so often see on social media. Constantly beating yourself up for
Productivity guilt is “often the result of the unrealistic expectations” we create for ourselves
Step 2: Recognize the difference between being “busy” and being “productive” Step 3: Reach for 70% productvity instead of 100% Step 4: Reward yourself for completing tasks and understand nothing is ever perfect
So yes, taking breaks can be hard, but breaks are important to our overall wellbeing. There is a time and place for both productivity and relaxation. The trick is finding that balance.
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Sports and Wellness
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Demaryius Thomas Leaves Mark on NFL By GRACE LAMONT ‘22 One of the best receivers in history for the Denver Broncos was found dead in his suburban home in Roswell, Georgia at age 33. On Thursday, Dec. 9, Demaryius Thomas’ driver found him lying on the floor of his shower unconscious. Demaryius Thomas, a wide receiver, played 10 seasons in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Houston Texans, and recently announced his retirement from the New York Jets in June 2018. Thomas had 23 catches and two touchdowns in seven games with the Houston Texans and won the AFC South, but he sadly lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the first opening round of the playoffs. Thomas was not at the first playoff game because of his torn Achilles after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in week 15. Thomas went to high school at West Lauren’s School in Florida, where he played football and ran track. He received football offers from Duke, University of Georgia at Athens and Georgia Tech. Thomas committed to Georgia Tech and had a record of 2,135 receiving yards in three collegiate seasons, ranking sixth in Georgia Tech football history. Thomas became only the 12th firstround draft pick from Georgia Tech
history when the Denver Broncos selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 draft. The police of Roswell announced that his death was based on a medical condition but were unclear of the specific cause of death, although Thomas’ family believes Thomas died from a seizure, according to LaTonya Bonseigneur, a first cousin who grew up with him and was so close they considered themselves siblings. On Friday morning, Bonseigneur said, “He had been suffering from seizures for over a year, and we believe he had a seizure when he was showering.” The Broncos and entire NFL program issued statements saying the following: “We are devastated and
completely heartbroken.” “The NFL family mourns the tragic loss of Demaryius Thomas, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.” Georgia Tech posted an Instagram video of Thomas playing in the Georgia Tech jersey, captioning the post, “We mourn the sudden loss of Demaryius Thomas, who brought joy to his fans, family, teammates and coaches.” Peyton Manning, Hall of Fame Quarterback who played four seasons with Thomas, said, “the wide receiver was a better person than he was a player.” Thomas was the first wide receiver taken in the 2010 NFL Draft, choosing No. 22 in the first round to the Broncos after a great NCAA career at
Georgia Tech. Thomas won two AFC Championships and Super Bowl 50—all wins with the Broncos. A four-time pro bowl selection and holding second most receiving yards in all Broncos history, Thomas was a memorable player. According to the Denver Broncos official website, Thomas’ mother and grandmother were arrested together for drug distribution and cocaine trafficking. President Obama commuted both of their sentences in 2015. Thomas thanked Obama during the Super Bowl 50 Broncos celebration for the commute of his mother, grandmother and other family friends. Thomas told The Denver Post, “I heard 200-plus people get to have a second chance, and for my grandmother to be one of them, it’s a blessing.” In the 2021 season, the Denver Broncos have won six games and lost six with a total of 26 touchdowns and 28 sacks. The Broncos next game is at 3:05p.m. on Dec. 12 against the Detroit Lions at the Bronco Stadium. The Broncos are expected to win since the Lions have a 1-10 record. Thomas was loved by many, and his death has affected everyone who knew him, as many looked up to him as a star athlete and person.
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Profiles
The Bear Facts
Colin Powell’s Life Legacy By PIPER RUTHERFORD ‘22 On April 5, 1937, in Harlem, New York, Colin Powell, a future public figure and steadfast leader, was born.
ing the home of the brave, Powell decided to end his military career in 1993, with the rank of a four-star gen-
Son of Jamaican immigrants, Luther and Maud Powell, Colin was raised in the South Bronx, learning from a young age to always do his best and that kindness works. Thus, by the time this young man was 18, he knew that it was his life’s purpose to serve his country. “I felt somewhat distinctive wearing a uniform. I hadn’t been distinctive in much else,” Powell said. After attending the City College of New York, where he participated in ROTC, Powell was promoted to the highly esteemed, Cadet Colonel position. Once graduating in 1958, Colin followed his innate urge to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he served in combat for the extent of two tours in South Vietnam amongst the age of the flower power. However, after 35 years of defend-
eral and was granted the prestigious accolades of the Bronze Star and Two Purple Hearts awards. Powell’s heart of gold continued further when he initiated the U.S. Humanitarian intervention in Somalia, just days before the catastrophic Battle of Mogadishu. His courageous and decisive efforts during the war earned him the Congressional Gold Medal in March of 1991 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom shortly after. To say that this trailblazer shattered barriers in his lifetime is an understatement. In Powell’s decorated career he was named the First Black National Security Adviser under the Reagan Administration in 1987 and the First Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the George H.W. Bush Administration in 1989. Winning the hearts of American people, while remaining nonpartisan,
was a feat that Powell held true to the end. When many probed this political force to be reckoned with to run as the First Black President of the United States of America following his successful U.S. led coalition during the Gulf War in the 1990s, his answer was definitive and simple. “Such a life requires a calling that I do not yet hear, and for me to pretend otherwise would not be honest to myself, it would not be honest to the American people,” Colin said. As an Adviser of National Security and Diplomacy to presidents of both parties including
Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the outpour of love could be felt by all when news broke of his untimely passing. Former President Bill Clinton’s heart ached for the passing of someone who he called a friend. “His deep compassion for every one of the thousands of men and women under his command will always be remembered,” Clinton said. Additionally, President Joe Biden had nothing but good things to say about Mr. Powell in a recent statement. “Colin embodied the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat. He was committed to our nation’s strength and security above all. Time and again, he put country before self, before party, before all else -- in
uniform and out -- and it earned him the universal respect of the American people,” Biden said. However, Powell’s own heart bled while he lived as he was responsible for the international support for the War on Terror in the wake of September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It is no secret that Colin’s biggest regret was his U.N. Iraq speech, addressing the invasion of U.S. troops in Iraq on the basis of incorrect intelligence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Powell goes as far as to declare it a “blot” on his record. “I am mostly made at myself for not having smelled the problem. My instincts failed me. One of my rules is, when you’ve made a mistake or something has gone wrong, you study it, you learn from it, you internalize it, you ask yourself what you should have done differently, and then you roll the error up and you throw it over your shoulder because life goes on and you’ve got to go on,” Powell said. Nonetheless, Powell was also a family man as much as he was a soldier and a prominent leader in Washington who never ceases to count his blessings. “I’m a child of immigrants. My parents came here from the island of Jamaica in 1920 and 1924. They came here in banana boats — not well-educated people. They came here not just because they needed economic opportunity — they had to leave the country they loved, Jamaica — but they came here also to become citizens of the United States of America,” Powell said. On October 18, 2021, Colin Powell died of COVID-19 complications at the age of 84, while battling blood cancer multiple myeloma and Parkinson’s disease. Colin is survived by his loving wife, Alma Powell, who knew Colin as a devoted husband. Fortunately, in 2012, Powell published his #1 National Bestseller, “It Worked for Me” where he discusses his 13 rules, life and leadership.
“Everyone has life lessons and stories. These are mine. All I can say is that they worked for me.”
The Bear Facts
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Profiles
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January
UA Behind the Scenes: Security Edition
By KATHARINE BALES ‘22
Anyone who goes to Ursuline probably knows of Kevin Carmen, the security guard who circles the school on his bike and waves to students every morning. We all should know that he works in security, but the knowledge often stops there. Kevin and his new co-officer Sean Stewart share their life journeys leading up to their current jobs of keeping Ursuline safe. Kevin grew up primarily in El Paso, Texas, then graduated Bel Air Health Magnet High School. He proceeded to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he joined the Air Force Reserves and worked as a police officer during summers. “I graduated with a dual degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science,” Kevin said. “I subsequently left the military due to an injury and contin-
Kevin’s Day: - Morning briefings with various departments - Set up for AM carpool - Walkthrough inside and outside of school for safety concerns - Monitor the front gate - Monitor Cameras - Meet with faculty/parents - Patrol - Monitor PM carpool
ued to work for the federal government as Law Enforcement back in El Paso, where I worked on my Graduates at UTEP.” Once a few years had passed, he moved to Dallas to work for a congressional campaign, after which he worked for many years as Global Security Director for Halliburton Energy. Kevin came to Ursuline in April 2016. “While at Halliburton, a friend of mine that worked with Auggie asked if I could help with
security for a private school,” he said. “I fell in love with Ursuline and the community and ultimately decided this was the place for me.” On a day-to-day basis, Kevin does much more than patrol campus on his bike. “I have morning briefings with
to love Ursuline. In terms of Sean’s life background, he was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and moved to Americus, Georgia, where he stayed until he graduated from Americus Sumter High School. He was recruited to play football
“What makes this job special to me is I am able to help the future female leaders of the world in my own way.” - Kevin Carmen
various departments and construction,” he said. “Then I set up and get ready for AM carpool. When school starts, I perform a walkthrough of the outside and inside of the school for safety concerns.” His day doesn’t stop there. Kevin continues to perform security measures and complete other related tasks as needed. “Throughout the day, I monitor and service cameras, monitor the front gate, patrol and take meetings with parents, faculty and students,” Kevin said. “At the end of my day,” he said, “I wrap up with setting up and monitoring PM carpool.” “What makes this job special to me is I am able to help the future female leaders of the world in my own way,” Kevin said. While he stays known for riding his trusty bike, he is now accompanied by another officer who assists him in protecting the school. Ursuline’s newest security officer Sean Stewart, often seen patrolling school grounds with Kevin, joined the UA community in November 2021. After just a few months on the job, he has already grown
nights. I get debriefed on any daily events happening on campus. Throughout the shift I monitor the main gate, the cameras, and patrol the campus grounds. I also assist with afternoon carpool, [as well as] the safety team member representation at home sportat Bacone College in Oklahoma and ing events,” he said. majored in Criminal Justice there. As the only two security officers on Then he began work in the security campus, Sean and Kevin highly regard field. their positions as “I began special to the enworking tire community. for differ“What makes “What makes the job special to ent security the job special to me is I am responsible for the companies me is I am rein DFW beprotection of the students to have sponsible for the fore starting a safe environment to learn, and protection of the my sevenstudents to have a the teachers and staff to have a year career safe environment safe place to work.” as a Public to learn, and the - Sean Stewart Safety Ofteachers and staff ficer at the to have a safe University place to work,” of Texas at Sean said. Arlington.” After less than While working at UTA, Sean heard a semester, his new position has even about an Ursuline job opportunity made him want to send his daughters to through his wife. UA for high school. “My wife is a coach at the school, “My favorite part of working at so I was introduced to and intrigued Ursuline is the fact that I have felt a by the Ursuline community and what part of the family and community since it represents,” he said. “When I had the moment I stepped onto the campus,” the opportunity to make the change Sean said. “I like knowing that this is a to Ursuline I quickly took it knowing place I look forward to my daughters how it would provide a better work/ attending in the future.” life balance for my family and me.” It’s safe to say that, with the help of Sean takes on a similar role as Kevin, Sean has assimilated well since Kevin in his daily work schedule. taking the job. “I have the midday shift to He added, “Thank you to everyone in the Ursuline community for welcoming me in, and Go Bears!”
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January
The Bear Facts
Winter’s Lasting Tale
By ISABELLE BRUTY ‘22
As a native Floridian from Tampa, Florida, visiting the Clearwater Marine Aquarium was one of my most cherished childhood memories. Though home to a number of marine creatures and rescued wildlife, thousands across the globe travel to meet a certain bottlenose dolphin more popular than others: the world-famous Winter the Dolphin. On Dec. 10, 2005, at just two months old, infant Winter was found caught in a crab trap, cutting off circulation and causing severe damage to her little tail. She was rescued by the CMA rehabilitation team and brought back to the aquarium, where she would have to battle to adapt to her new lifestyle without a tail. Despite all odds, Winter was able to make a full recovery with a prosthetic tail, all while keeping her energetic, sweet personality. She starred in two heartwarming films, “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2,” which debrief her life at the aquarium and recount her fight for survival without a tail, something other dolphins would be unable to accomplish. Sadly, Winter’s inspirational jour-
ney came to an end on Thursday, Nov. 11. CMA staff said she had been suffering from a gastrointestinal infection, which eventually worsened over the days leading up to her death. Dolphin experts and marine veterinarians from across the nation stressed making their utmost efforts to nurse Winter back to health, signifying just how important this animal was to so many. Above all, her life fostered the value of companionship and introduced an avenue that brought others closer together. “Winter taught us that family is forever and today, our family is mourning her loss,” CMA said in an Instagram post following her memorial service Friday, Nov. 12. And, in a bittersweet video message to her fans, costar in “Dolphin Tale” Cozi Zuehlsdorff said that working with Winter was “the greatest honor of [her] life” and that Winter’s ultimate purpose was to “swim up next to you and show you the strength that you already had.” Winter specifically touches the lives of those who are paraplegics or burdened with physical handicaps
and other disabilities. “In the year of 2019, freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis,” an anonymous user said on rememberingwinter. com, a site created to send condolences to Winter and the CMA family. “I had three different severe curvatures in my spine… I suffered from a lot of nerve damage. I was constantly getting made fun of for my back being shaped weird and having to wear a big, bulky back brace… A few months after being diagnosed, I had a friend send me some-
thing about Winter struggling from scoliosis due to her tail amputation. And that was the first time in a while I didn’t feel completely alone.” Additionally, fisherman Jim Savage,
who helped rescue Winter, had a personal connection to her. His grandniece Grace Savage suffers from velocardiofacial syndrome, which causes heart defects and a weakened immune system. “[Winter] gives us inspiration and to never give up,” she said in an interview with FOX 13. Another anonymous source added, “[Winter] has been a beacon of hope and inspiration that we can look to. She has been a connection to one another. She has taught children it is ok to be different. Different is good. Different is not being different at all; it is being unique.” Although Winter may not be physically swimming around her tank, making her lighthearted chirping noises, and interacting with visitors, fans, and the beloved CMA staff, her impact is still visible through the countless voices that have expressed their devotion and love to what Winter represents. Her journey symbolizes hope, light and love, and it encourages people to persist through adversity. Her spirit ultimately lives on through us.
Battle of the Billionares: Elon Musk v. Jeff Bezos By EMMA SWEENEY ‘22 Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and owner of SpaceX, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of Blue Origin, are at odds as they compete in the “Billionaire Space Race.” Bezos started his company Blue Origin in 2000, and Musk started SpaceX in 2002. Even though there is tension between the two founders, both companies share the goal of making space travel accessible to all. Bezos and Musk’s rivalry dates back 15 years. In 2004, they went to dinner together to discuss their space travel plans, which ended badly. “I actually did my best to give good advice, which he largely ignored,” Musk said after the meeting, according to Business Insider. Over the years, the two continued to undermine one another’s space ambitions. For example, SpaceX desired to use a NASA launchpad in 2013, but Blue Origin asked the government to deny SpaceX access to the pad. However, SpaceX won in the end. Moreover, Bezos and Musk even started competing on Twitter. On Nov. 24, 2015, Blue Origin (Bezos) successfully launched the New Shepard space vehicle, which reached an altitude of 329,839 feet. “The rarest of beasts—a used rocket. Controlled landing not easy,
but done right, can look easy,” Bezos tweeted in response to the launch of the New Shepard. Musk responded to Bezos’ tweet saying, “Not quite ‘rarest.’ SpaceX Grasshopper rocket did six suborbital flights three years ago and is still around.” Bezos and Musk continue to go back and forth. “Musk wants to colonize Mars, but Bezos has ridiculed him for it. Bezos wants Amazon to launch internetbeaming satellites into space, which caused Musk to call him a ‘copycat,’” The Guardian stated. Furthermore, on May 1, 2020, NASA gave Blue Origin (Bezos) and SpaceX (Musk) 10 months to formulate designs for a lunar lander that would effectively land humans on the moon. In April 2021, NASA granted SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to create lunar landers. Consequently, Bezos backfired by submitting a lawsuit against NASA. On Nov. 4, 2021, Bezos lost the
lawsuit and SpaceX received the grant from NASA. Bezos is not letting NASA stop him by continuing to be innovative in this never-ending space contest. Although both SpaceX and Blue Origin are successful, Musk seems to be in the lead for the space race. According to CNN, “[Space X] has built rockets capable of shuttling satellites and other cargo into Earth’s orbit, a trip that requires speeds topping 17,000 miles per hour, and built a 1,500-piece constellation of internetbeaming satellites; it’s figured out how to land and reuse much of its hardware after flight; and it’s won massive NASA and US military contracts.” However, Bezos is making impressive feats as well. On July 20, 2021, Bezos made space travel history. “For 10 minutes and 10 seconds on Tuesday, Jeff Bezos wasn’t the richest man on Earth. [SpaceX’s] first crewed New Shepard rocket blasted off from the Texas desert for the brief flight,
also carrying his brother and the oldest and youngest people to ever have flown in space,” according to Michael Sheetz from NBC. The capsule reached 107 kilometers, which went past the edge of space, and returned safely back to Earth. Blue Origin’s accomplishments show the future of private space flight. Despite their achievements, all the lawsuits, undermining and insults question the integrity of Bezos and Musk’s intentions. Fears persist that these billionaires’ egos control their ability to successfully make the right decisions. Rather than spending their time arguing, in our opinion Bezos and Musk should spend their valuable time and money helping others. Two men worth billions of dollars should focus their efforts on solving world hunger, diminishing climate change or decreasing poverty instead of tripping over their egos fighting for space. Although the possibility traveling to space in the future is intriguing and exciting, the men behind it all should not focus on proving their superiority. Billionaires’ feuds do not lead to solutions—only conflict. Bezos and Musk need to learn how to collaborate to discover new possibilities that will make the maximum positive impact.
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Features
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January
Beating Cancer Is in Our Blood: LLS’s Life-Saving Mission By AVERY ZULICK ‘22 With endless opportunities to be involved in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, anyone and everyone can make an impact in the fight to cure cancer. The cure for cancer begins with you! A community fundraising event, specifically for high school students, is the Students of the Year Campaign. Students of the Year is a philanthropic leadership development program during which students foster professional skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management in order to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The title Student(s) of the Year is awarded to the candidate or co-candidates in each community who raises the most funds during the competition. Team member Chloe Flabiano said, “By fundraising for this campaign, I know that I am helping thousands of families across the world by using my ability to communicate with people to provide families with affordable treatment.” Since 2017, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has helped advance over 85% of FDA-approved blood cancer treatments. Now as the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting blood cancer in the world, LLS continues to live through their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS has been on a mission to save and improve cancer patients’ lives for over 70 years. “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was born out of a family’s grief following the death of their teenage son.” In 1944, sixteen-year-old Robert “Robbie” Roesler de Villiers passed away from leukemia. Five years later, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers founded a fundraising and education organization in their son’s name because of their frustration for the lack of effective treatments for what they considered at the time, a hopeless disease. The Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation started off with only a few volunteers and a tiny budget in a small Wall Street Office. Even with the Villiers’ advancements, the disease still remained a stubborn challenge. By the
mid-1950s, most leukemia patients, especially children, died within three months. The Foundation reported in its 1955 annual report: “As of this date, Leukemia is 100% fatal. This is almost a unique situation among the many diseases to which man is susceptible.” However, with the Villiers’ strong belief that leukemia and other blood cancers were indeed curable, the foundation grew rapidly and expanded across the New York City area. The organization was then renamed The Leukemia Society of America in the 1960s to communicate a broad, national reach. Today, the organization is known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has invested nearly $1.3
help achieve an end to cancer, but in the meantime, they help patients before, during and after their diagnosis and treatment. As the third pillar of LLS’s mission, LLS and their nationwide grassroots network of more than 100,000 volunteers advocate for policies at the state and federal level in commitment to remove barriers to care for cancer patients. From their Policy and Advocacy efforts, LLS has helped increase research funds, speed the review and approval process of new therapies, and ensure patients are able to access lifesaving treatments. Many of the policies that LLS advocates for, at the state
billion in groundbreaking research since 1949. In a fight to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families, LLS follows three pillars of their mission: research, access, and advocacy. At the forefront of the fight to cure cancer, LLS is the largest funder of research to advance cures. Through advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine, this research saves lives. LLS’s discoveries of treatments for blood cancers are also being tested in clinical trials for other cancers. Along with cutting-edge research, LLS provides patients with free blood cancer information, education, and support for patients, survivors, families and healthcare professionals. LLS ensures patients access to quality, affordable and coordinated care, while allowing patients to navigate their cancer treatment. They believe research will
and federal levels, are universally beneficial for all cancer patients. An Executive Team, Board of Directors, Research Oversight Committee, and Clinical Advisors make up LLS’s leadership team to ensure a continuous growth in the organization’s advancements. Anyone can be faced with cancer, both children and adults. LLS’s leadership team strives to help every patient across the nation. Although LLS has helped fund treatments, research, and patient care, they wanted to take one step further though their Children’s Initiative. With the LLS Children’s Initiative, LLS is advancing pediatric research globally, bringing together doctors, pharma, researchers, and scientists to find safer, less toxic, more effective treatments. “We’re reimagining blood cancer care for children in every aspect of our mission. Next-level pediatric blood cancer cures and care are closer than you think,”
LLS states. However, the organization needs more voices to spread awareness and support. This is where millions of people across the world can make an impact through Students of the Year and several other fundraising events. By participating in community events, athletic events, or DIY events, anyone can help fundraise for LLS. Light the Night is one of LLS’s main fundraising community events. “I have volunteered for the Light the Night Walk through National Charity League since freshman year. It is so inspiring to be able to see and meet all the survivors and fighters of leukemia and lymphoma while participating in the walk. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to support LLS and their mission,” Isabelle Bruty ’22 said. “When you or someone you love hears the words ‘you have cancer’… It is one of the darkest moments in your life,” an informational LLS brochure states, “Light the Night’s motto ‘Bring light to the darkness of cancer’ reveals the light and warmth LLS and all who participate generate to deliver hope in a time of despair.” Make your impact by supporting fellow Ursuline students’ LLS Students of the Year team, We Will, co-led by Avery Zulick ’22 and Breanne Tehan ’22.
Email 22azulick@ursulinedal las.org 22btehan@ursulinedal las.org
with any questions or inquiries on how to help! Courtesy of Google Images
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SNL: Satire ‘N Laughs By LILLIAN ASHMORE ‘22
Producing stars and overnight sensational skits, “Saturday Night Live” was created by Lorne Michaels in 1975 where it premiered on NBC “live in New York.” Debuting as “NBC’s Saturday Night,” the show has maintained its humorous charm and exclusiveness as it provides a quick laugh and an evening of smiles for all who watch from home. SNL draws a certain type of audience to enjoy their material. Most of their viewers appreciate the show’s modern satire, especially when considering the performance is created for comedic pleasure and each script is meant to be a harmless joke. Saturday Night Live hit its peak audience approval in the 1979-80 season when it received a 13.5 household rating. But when the actors from this cast left in the 80s, SNL’s ratings dropped hard with a steady decline in the following years. The ratings went back up in the “Golden Years” of the early-to-mid ‘90s. Saturday Night Live was averaging 12.7 million viewers and a 9.2 household rating in the 1992-1993 season. This period
contained many, now, famous actors: Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade and Will Farrell. These comedians eventually broke out of the SNL light and were able to pursue successful careers in Hollywood. The ratings continued to go down until Saturday Night Live figured out the comedic genius of making fun of politics. Americans are known to stress about their political beliefs, but SNL chooses to focus on the oddities of each political candidate to create skits surrounding their unfortunate moments on television. The rating went back up in the 2016-2017 season when returning celebrity guest Alec Baldwin and SNL cast’s Kate McKinnon acted as Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, respectively, during the 2020 election. This was the first innovative take on the tension in political parties. These particular skits made each party’s supporters laugh from its truth to their candidate’s absurdities. But once again, ratings began to plunder after the initial uprise. When SNL tried to continue their political success in 2020 to obtain a higher view-
ership, they were met with backlash and many watchers became tired of the repetitiveness and unfunny plots. The political climate was simply too intense to make careless jokes without offending someone. Instead of being humorous, people became upset about the unnecessary, biased bashing of their favorite candidates. With new cast members moving in and out of the SNL spotlight, many supporters found it hard to continue watching the show when new members were inducted into the program. It seems to take a few years for viewers to adjust to the new dynamics and character relationships, but once they do, ratings tend to improve. Most people began losing interest in SNL after their glory days in the 90s and early 2000s with now mainstream actresses and screenwriters Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The newer generations began to think of Saturday Night Live as a “parent” TV show and one not with the times.
Weekend Update Hosts Through the Years
1975-1976 Chevy Chase
1985-1991 Dennis Miller
1994-1997 Norm Macdonald
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LIVE FROM NEW YORK LIVE FROM NEW YORK Pete Davidson joined SNL in 2013 and only found huge stardom in 2018 when he began dating pop star Ariana Grande. People of all ages loved his “Chad” skits and they have helped him develop a loyal fan base and score advertisement deals along with constant headlines on most drama related news sites. His romances have sparked a new generation’s interest in Saturday Night Live. Staying updated with Davidson’s life and his relations with people in the public eye, has established a high rating report for SNL from the friends he brings to the show. Collaborating with heartthrobs like Timothée Chalamet, Kim Kardashian, Machine Gun Kelly and exSNL member John Mulaney on the show, Davidson’s dry, dark humor and boyish charisma engages a fandom of women and men alike. Currently on its 47th season, comedians Kenan Thompson, Cecily Strong, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Colin Jost and Michael Che are currently ruling SNL’s 2021-2022 term. With hosts from Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd to Kim Kardashian and host/musical
guest Billie Eilish for the 2021 half of the term, the celebrity guests have become a huge part in audience viewership. Kim Kardashian’s hosting of the second episode of the season outdid the season’s premiere for the first time in many years for SNL. It drew 5.27 million people to watch the live episode compared to the 4.94 million from the 47th opening with Owen Wilson. Kardashian’s first-time appearance and powerful roasts targeting her loved ones created an internet frenzy regarding her newfound comedic talent after her recent divorce. Through making an effort to liven up the cast with younger, relevant cast members and guests, SNL has enabled a generation of growth for their team support. Despite constant view and rating fluctuation on the show, Saturday Night Live has continued to conquer the media over the decades and has no means of slowing down. And in the words of SNL news anchor Dennis Miller for seasons 11-16, “Guess what, folks? That’s the news, and I am outta here!”
13 Most Recognizable Retired Cast Members by Gen Z
1. Will Farrell 2. Adam Sandler 3. Jimmy Fallon 4. Tina Fey 5. Chris Rock 6. Amy Poehler 7. Bill Hader 8. Seth Meyers 9. Jason Sudeikis 10. Maya Rudolph 11. Kristen Wiig 12. Andy Samberg 13. David Spade Opinion of the UA Bear Facts Staff
Think we forgot someone? Let us know by commenting on our Instagram @theuabearfacts
IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT 2000-2004 Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey
2006-2008 Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers
2014-Present Colin Jost and Michael Che
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Global
The Bear Facts
Biden Hosts Mexican and Canadian Leaders By SOFIA VELESIOTIS‘22 On Nov. 19, 2021, President Joe Biden hosted Mexican and Canadian leaders in the White House with the hopes of creating connections and fixing strife. There was an abundance of optimism in the face of the issues of immigration and trade. Mexico’s representatives remarked after the conversation, “There is an ideological, political affinity. . .good chemistry between the three. . .mean(s) a new stage in the relationship” – Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. The main conflict the U.S. has with Mexico is immigration. Previously, Mexico found themselves in good spirits with former President Donald Trump, but rumors seem to mention this might have been on account of the President himself as opposed to the situation. Mexico promised to slow the steady flow of migrants in the U.S. whilst President Trump disregarded any hiccup within the two countries’ relations. Now that President Biden is in control, the same implementations are not as evident. Whilst seemingly amicable in the face of news reporters and cameras, it is possible this might very well be a façade; according to POLITICO, there are certain whispers amongst those who are observing this is solely a public interaction as opposed
to a private one. They openly discussed the unfortunate flow of drugs through the border in addition to the issue of immigration itself; to further explain, their conversation focused on the larger reasonings as to why immigration to the U.S. is so
evident. Mexican President Andres Man-
uel Lopez Obrador remarked he appreciated the maturity and effort either side is putting in to better soothe the countries’ relations, seeing as it had been rather rocky in retrospect as time regressed. To switch gears, the other aspect of this meeting was between U.S. and Canada, by representatives of course. President Biden remarked this relation seemed to be his most “easy going” so far dur-
ing his presidency, according to the Democrat Gazelle. Their major top-
ics included climate change as well as electric vehicle tax incentives. These three countries are bonded together by USMCA, which stands for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. It is a new and improved version of the previous binding, that being NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Not only does it build upon NAFTA’s concepts, but also adds even more leniency and compromise for these countries. An example of this includes better working conditions over North America. It is the largest Free Trade Agreement in the world, according to Canada’s Government. It is an economic tie which most nearly urges the three countries to function accordingly with respect to one another. It is vital they make peace with each other and their topics, they announce the wonderful progressive state of their society, that being democracy. It is a positive note that President Biden welcomed these two leaders into the White House, for it foreshadows the hopeful idea floating in the air which yearns to make and keep the peace in North America. Amidst differences and borders, concrete and tangible, the willingness of each country to better progress and work together to tackle grandiose issues is admirable.
Another Year, Another Zodiac: A Recap of Chinese New Year By ISABELLE BRUTY ‘22 Times Square. Midnight. Fireworks. Music. Cheers. Friends. Resolutions. Each of these things embodies the true essence of a traditional American New Year. While most of us are familiar with celebrating the entrance into a new year on Dec. 31 of every year, other cultures follow their own customs. Arguably one of the most important and longest celebrations in China, Chinese New Year is the pinnacle of richness of Chinese society. The festival itself is dependent on the customary lunisolar Chinese calendar, composed from the movement of the moon and the sun, and is usually between January and February. On the calendar, there are 12 different zodiacs that assign an animal and its corresponding attributes to each year in a 12-year cycle, similar to that of Greek astrology. The animals are a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The celebration lasts 15 days and ends with the Lantern Festival, a beautiful celebration with hundreds of colorful lantern displays. 2021 was the Year of the Ox, which is a symbol of diligence, strength, honesty, persistence and wealth. 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger, representing power in Chinese culture, and celebrated starting Tuesday, Feb. 1. Those born next year are
said to be “vigorous and ambitious, daring and courageous, enthusiastic and generous, self-confident with a sense of justice and a commitment to help others for the greater good,” according to chinesenewyear.net. The celebration of Chinese New Year is truly symbolic in that it is not simply a means to commemorate the previous year and mark the coming of a new one; it epitomizes the necessity of kinship and companionship in people’s lives. Jingyao Guo ’22 said, “It’s a time for families to reunite and for distant relative to connect. We gather together the night before New Year’s Day and eat family dinner, as well as watch this one television show that
is made for families to watch.” Even the foods they eat and clothing they wear have special meanings. “Tang Yuan is a dessert, and it represents family reunion. Also, fish is ‘Yu’ in Chinese, and ‘Yu’ can also mean ‘leftovers’ or ‘having something left,’ so for you to have fish every year, it also means that you always have enough,” Guo said. Additionally, in order to set an optimistic tone for the rest of the year, many will wear red, which is the Chinese color of good fortune, and is believed to scare away spirits of bad luck. The breadth of Chinese New Year is further fostered by Ursuline students and staff and integrated into the language department’s curriculum. Lucy Tran ’22, President of Ursuline’s National Chinese Honor Society
(NCHS), said, “Last year, with Covid-19 restrictions at school, NCHS celebrated by putting together little goodie bags filled with Chinese candy to give out to the student body during school hours, and also sent in related trivia questions and riddles to UA Live the entire week. It’s a really exciting time of year for us!” She also explained how Mandarin teacher Mei Shen typically gifts her students little red envelopes with Chinese candy inside, a tradition in many Asian countries like Vietnam and China. Mary Stone ’23, a student in Ursuline’s Mandarin Chinese class, recounts her work on the annual Chinese New Year projects Mandarin students are assigned. “We basically have to find the different traditions the culture maintains, and the foods people eat,” she said. “The project has ultimately given me an appreciation for the Chinese culture and the special festivities they have.” Although you may celebrate New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 every year, take the time to recognize a new holiday in early 2022 to gain an appreciation for the culture and traditions encompassed in Chinese New Year. You won’t regret it!
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Teenager’s Small Carbon Footprint Making a Big Change By PIPER RUTHERFORD ‘22 “Many are starting to ask themselves, what will it take for the people in power to wake up? But let’s be clear: they are already wake. They know exactly what they are doing.” These are the inspiring words of 18-year-old, Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, from the 2021 United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow, United Kingdom on November 5. It is no surprise that this conference was led not only by world leaders but by the youth, much like Thunberg, who will inhabit earth long after these representatives are gone and are adamant in having a healthy planet to occupy for generations to come. Rallying for change is nothing new for this young teenager, who was responsible for founding “Fridays for Future” in 2018, a rigorous climate change campaign orchestrated on her own initiative by skipping school every Friday to hold a weekly vigil outside of the Swedish Parliament. In addition to her carbon footprint conscious lifestyle, Greta has also been recognized for her efforts in combating the dangers of climate change. Thunberg was named Time Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year and was nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize based on her commendable eco-friendly accomplishments. More recently, in September, the environmental activist was in attendance at the Youth 4 Climate summit in Milan, Italy, to boldly voice her opinions about those in power with abusive political agendas at the expense of the environment. “Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. Net zero. Blah, blah, blah. Climate neutral. Blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have led to no action,” Greta said. Once given the microphone in the Scottish city at the Kelvingrove Part City Center just two months later, Thunberg continued decimating the Glasgow Climate Pact on the fifth day of the summit called “Youth and Public Empowerment” in front of 25,000 fellow protestors. “History will judge them poorly. The leaders are doing nothing. Change is not going to come from inside there, that is not leadership. This is what leadership looks like,” Thunberg said. Amongst the youth in the crowd included 15-year-old, Safiya, from Chad.
“I’ve been screaming and shouting for the past two weeks. No one is listening. How many more of these should they hold until they realize that their inactions are destroying the planet?” Safiya said. That
said, the 2015 Paris Agreement will be taken into consideration when examining the temperature objective of limiting global heating by 1.5 degrees Celsius at the end of the 2022 calendar year. This dates back to the COP21 pact where 196 parties in attendance on November 4, 2016, implemented the plan. Consequently, this legally binding international treaty was not adhered to by all nations in the past five years as nothing has changed. “Rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero around mid-century is what was promised and must be fulfilled,” Thunberg demanded. However, the clock is rapidly ticking as the mere prospect of achieving a desired climate neutral world by 2050 is evolving into a daunting task as nations like Australia continue to decline their prerogatives when combating climate change. Prime Minister Scott Morrison came to Glasgow with the same, recycled reducing emissions goal of 28%, the same aim that
was presented on behalf of Australia back in 2015 at the Paris conference. On the other hand, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, seeks to unite the United Nations. “This is bigger than any one country and it is time for nations to put aside differences and come together for our planet and our people. We need to pull out all the stops if we’re going to keep 1.5 Celsius within our grasp,” Johnson said. Closer to home, American actor and UN Ambassador for International Fund for Agricultural Development, Idris Elba, discussed food shortages during the pandemic due to supply chain issues. “Focusing on small scale farmers [who] deliver 80 percent of the food that we eat. Every year when they put their crops in, the crops are lower, because the rain is different, the soil is different. And one day we’re gonna go to [grocers] and the food’s not going to be there,” Elba
said. Another key speaker representing the red, white and blue was President Joe Biden who addressed the U.S. $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill allocated for improvements regarding zero and low-emission modes of transportation, rebuilding the electric grid for nationwide clean drinking water and replenishing toxic waste management sites. Although commitments towards deforestation and halting investments in fossil fuel projects seem promising in the hands of government officials, Greta Thunberg has started a tidal wave whose ripples will be felt by the billions of kids around the world who want a better tomorrow. This includes chants from that November day in Glasgow. “We Are Unstoppable Another World is Possible.” While one protestor held a sign that spoke louder than any noise in the crowd. “Our parents will die from old age. Our children will die from climate change.”
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Formula One Racing: How F1 Hooked Americans By EMMA LOUVIERE ‘22
In March of 2019, Netflix aired a documentary series “Drive to Survive”. This show followed the 2018 Formula 1 season, and since that time two more seasons have been aired. Over 50 million people have watched the series in 2021 alone. The aftermath of this sudden success is two American races being added to the F1 circuit in 2022. NASCAR is the easiest example utilized to explain F1 to Americans. NASCAR and F1 are similar in nature but differ in technicalities. A NASCAR driver is enclosed in the car and the overall car weighs around 3,250 pounds. F1 cars are open and weigh around 1,500 pounds. F1 cars are built to optimize air resistance and focus on aerodynamic designs. The shapes of the tracks are also different. NASCAR races are held in oval tracks meaning the driver never does anything but turn left. F1 tracks “can be any kind of shape as long as they eventually form a loop” according to F1 Chronicle. NASCAR races include 330 laps around the track whereas Formula 1 races only consist of 78 laps. NASCAR cars make more pit stops and are allowed to refuel. Formula 1 cars make around two pit stops and refueling during a race isn’t allowed. 40 cars participate in each NASCAR race, where only 20 cars participate in F1. The true difference between the two sports is the fans. NASCAR is a primarily U.S sport. F1 is an international sport with Grand Prix’s held all over the world. In an oversimplified example, if you curved NASCAR’s tracks, made the car more aerodynamic, and put the tracks all over the world with international fans you would essentially have F1. F1 was formed after World War II. In 1947 the Federation Internationale de L ’Automobile or the FIA was founded. This group created races around the world called Grand Prix’s. The highest level was named Formula A, known today as Formula 1. When the FIA formed the only rule to participate in the races was that the engines couldn’t be bigger than 2.5 litters and had to be naturally aspirated. Since that time there have been countless regulations added to make racing fairer to smaller teams and safer overall. The first official American F1 race that counted toward championship points was the Indy 500. Technically this is where America’s relationship with F1 started but most constructors didn’t travel to this race. Therefore, American drivers and constructors nearly always won.
Differences between NASCAR and F1
Differences between NASCAR and F1 1) 40 cars vs. 20 cars 2) U.S. vs. international 3) 330 vs. 78 laps 4) Closed cars vs. open cars 5) F1 cars are lighter in weight (1,500 lbs. vs. 3,250 lbs.)
get behind a German guy, a Spanish guy, a British or French guy, they want to cheer for an American,” Rossi said. The most recent American to win Grand Prix was Mario Andretti. Andretti was born in Italy and became an American citizen in 1964. He won the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix. “I think F1’s fanbase in America is somewhat understated, but it needs to be perked up – and the only thing it’s really missing is an American driver,” Andretti told Autosport. “We’d need the American driver with a top team, not in the back with no chance. If you could get an American driver in F1, producing results, you’d have America going crazy for F1.” In 2017 Liberty Media an American Company bought
6) NASCAR tracks are always oval-shaped
For this reason, there are technically over 200 American F1 drivers but most only ever drove in the Indy 500. There are only two American’s who have won the Worlds Drivers Championship in F1 history. The World’s Drivers Championship is awarded to the driver with the most points at the end of the season. Mario Andretti and Phil Hill are the only Americans to earn the title. In the last three decades, there have been nearly no American F1 drivers. “The reason why this is is because it’s very difficult to convince parents to move their lives while their kid is 12-15 years old, drop out of school, for the most part, be homeschooled and go live and race in Europe,” Alex Rossi, current Indy Car driver, told the Motormouth podcast. In America, there are many paths for kids who want to take sports seriously. Most sports can guarantee a child a full ride to a university if taken seriously enough. F1 would force a young kid to drop out of school and move to Europe to even pursue that passion, when they could have played basketball, soccer, hockey, golf, or even raced in IndyCar or NASCAR instead. Most F1 drivers start “karting” locally when
they are 5. They compete with karts that their parents help construct and, if they win races, they move up the “F1 ladder”. Young drivers are hopeful to get signed as a junior driver to a team like RedBull or Mercedes where they move up the ranks from F4 to eventually having a seat at F1. Backing your home countries driver is a huge part of the sport. The 2022 World Champion Driver, Max Verstappen’s, home race was a flood of orange in support of his home country the Netherlands. For American’s to truly be sold into F1 an American driver will need to rise to success. “Americans are very patriotic people, and it’s hard to
F1 for 4.4 billion dollars. When they bought the league, they immediately changed the logo, had a producer compose a new fanfare, and increased their social media presence. The group also initiated the Netflix series “Drive to Survive”. All these changes were made to lure consumers to the platform. The company said when buying the platform their goal was to draw American fans. F1 consists of 20 of the most advanced cars in the world driving 78 laps on the most challenging tracks in the world. It is one of the most expensive and intense sports and yet, American’s have let it slip through their fingers. As Liberty Media adjusts the league and American drivers are given a chance to join the sport, there is hope fans will grow in the United States.
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‘Virgil was Here’: The Life and Legacy of Virgil Abloh By OLIVIA GRAY ‘22
“Fashion is one of the greatest vehicles to merge music, art, architecture, design, typography—it’s a wide enough canvas, or a big enough sandbox, to touch all the different things that I’m into.” This is one of the important truths that Virgil Abloh lived by. Abloh, founder of Off-White and creative director for men at Louis Vuitton, passed away November 28, 2022 at the age of 41 after privately fighting a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Abloh’s fashion career started in 2006 after completing his master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He claims that studying at Illinois Tech “piqued his interest and opened his gateway into fashion.” In 2009, Abloh and friend Kanye West interned for the fashion power house Fendi in Rome. They designed for several fashion shows including, Paris Fashion Week. Fashion goers were amazed by how Abloh and West brought a modern and futuristic vibe to the runway. After their internship ended, West brought on Abloh to assume the role of creative director for his company Donda. He started off by designing JAY-Z and West’s album “Watch the Throne,” later granting him a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Recording
Package. In addition to designing all of West’s tour merchandise and “Watch the Throne”, Abloh designed several of West’s album art like “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “Yeezus” and later designed “LONG. LIVE.A$AP” by ASAP Rocky, “Luv is Rage 2” by Lil Uzi Vert, “WZRD” by Kid Cudi, “Spaceman” by Octavian, “Pray for Paris” by Westside Gunn and “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” by Pop Smoke. After working for West, Abloh decided to create his first fashion label, Pyrex Vision. Based out of New York, Abloh collected discontinued Ralph Lauren Flannels and screen printed the word “Pyrex” and the number 23 on the back. The number 23 held a special place in his heart because his childhood hero was Michael Jordan. The genius behind this brand wasn’t just the uniqueness of the design, but the profit he made from it. Abloh bought the flannels for roughly $40 each and sold them for $550. He was able to generate such high
demand on these products all through social media campaigning. Because of his distinctive way of designing for Pyrex Vision, he was able to rebrand and turn Pyrex into his signature brand, Off-White. Vogue Magazine describes the fashion house as “the ideas of streetwear, luxury, art, music, and travel defining the brand simply as the gray area between black and white as the color Off-White.” In his time of being CEO for Off-White, Abloh managed to make huge strides in the fashion world with his signature, the hovering quotation marks. He started off by opening his first concept store in Tokyo, the streetwear fashion capital in Japan, and created a furniture collection in 2016, and he only grew in 2017. Abloh received the British Fashion Award for Urban Luxe Brand and participated in a collaborative exhibition with Takashi Murakami who is known for adapting traditional Japanese art into popular culture. Abloh also collaborated with several brands like Jimmy Choo, Warbly Parker, Jacob the Jeweler and IKEA. But the collaboration that people will never forget was his sneaker partnership with Nike.
The Ten collaboration was to have Abloh re-create 10 of Nike’s iconic sneakers and add his “Off-White” touch with items like a safety tag on the laces and words in quotations on lining. This collaboration started a frenzy in the hype beast, sneaker collector world. The limited released sneakers attracted buyers of all age groups, ultimately taking Abloh’s name and reputation to new heights. Shortly after his sneaker collab, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear. Abloh ushered in a whole new era for the 167-year-old brand making it more fashion forward with a streetstyle approach. Unlike other designers in the past, Abloh put men in dresses and styled them with eccentric accessories. He brought vibrant colors to the designs making his collections eclectic yet attractive. Louis Vuitton continued to show the spring 2022 men’s collection despite Abloh’s passing just days before. Attendees like Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, Venus Williams and longtime friend Kanye West all gathered together to celebrate Virgil incredible feat one last time. Virgil was undoubtedly the first designer to merge streetware and designer together. Abloh inspired the fashion world by being the most prolific black designer of this generation. He will never be forgotten.
Marvel’s Release of New Movies Overwhelms Fans By NATALIE RO ‘22
With the new phase four of marvel movies commencing, new and old marvel fans mark their calendars for the upcoming releases in the year 2022. “Eternals” was released on November 6, 2021. The reviews were mixed but overall, the new characters and plot line added a great addition to the Marvel family. It also brought a sense of normalcy as it was released in theatres before it was available on streaming services. The movie brought new people to cinemas and back to the old times where they would go to the movie theaters and split a bag of popcorn. According to “Variety Magazine”, “For all the faults, the critical reviews and infrequent missteps, the hurricane that hit many fans in the wake of Infinity War and Endgame- which are respectively the only times I have heard people leave a cinema in devasted silence and then in tears- proves that no matter what the opinions of
some people are, Marvel can bring a powerful, immersive story to life when they need to, and box office results tell the true tale of how willing audiences are to accept what is put on screen.” “Eternals” brought a starstudded cast including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, and a cameo appearance by Harry Styles in the post credit scene. Many wonder about the future dynamics of these actors and how their chemistry will play on screen. The next big movie brings many people’s favorite male actor back to the screen, Tom Holland, in “SpiderMan: No Way Home.” This movie might be one of the most highly anticipated movies with the release of the teaser tailer hitting almost 80 million views and the official trailer reaching 3 million views within the first couple of days. The anticipation to see Doctor Strange and Tom Holland battle old villains from previous Spider-Man movies is through the roof. There is some speculation that
previous Spider-Mans’s Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire might make an appearance, but neither Marvel or Sony studios has neither confirmed nor denied this theory. In an interview, Tom Holland comments, “[Spider-Man 3] would be my last one [under contract] so I’ve always said to them if they want me back, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I’ve loved every minute of being a part of this amazing world. It’s changed my life for the better, I’m so lucky to be here. If they want me back, I’ll be there, if they don’t, I will walk off into the sunset a very, very happy person because it’s been an amazing journey.” With the final movie of the Spider-Man trilogy coming out soon, we may not see our favorite Spider-Man on the big screen again. However, we will see the multiverse that was teased in WandaVision and Loki unfold in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Madness. Benedict Cumberbatch along with Elizabeth Olsen will star as Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch in which the plot will follow the WandaVision events. But, not to fear because there are old favorites coming back on screen
such as Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder with his co star Natalie Portman as Jane. After Avengers: Endgame, it looked like there would be no more of the original six avengers, but Marvel will squeeze every ounce out of the characters with prequels, sequels, and TV shows. It has been confirmed that Taika Waititi will direct and write the new “Thor” movie as well as star as Korg who was introduced to the franchise in “Thor: Ragnarok.” Also, the heroes of “Guardians of the Galaxy” may have a small supporting role, so there will be more to see from the iconic duo Groot and Rocket. There is little to know about the plot and the rest of the cast, but there is still time until July 8, 2022, the set release date for the movie. With all the movies coming up, there is a lot to look forward to this upcoming year, and hopefully unlike last year, there will be no delay with the releases.
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Traveling with Elle By ELLE DE LA GARZA ‘22
Ready to make your quarantine travel daydreams become reality? What seemed like a distant daydream during Covid’s peak is now at the forefront of the new year. For obvious reasons, travel rates took a sharp decline in 2020. This happened not only for fear of Covid-19 exposure, but also because many countries imposed global restrictions to prevent their citizens from travelling. An analysis by Tourism Economics stated, “Since the beginning of March and through the end of 2020, the pandemic has resulted in 49 billion cumulative losses for the U.S travel economy, equating to a daily loss of approximately 1.6 billion for the past 10 months.” But let’s fast-forward to 2022… Covid left everyone pondering what the perfect escape might be once things finally reopened. Tourism Economics explains that “half of American travelers indicated they are excited about travel in the near term and 55% of American travelers are in a ready to travel state of mine.” Luckily for us, the world is starting to open again, which means it’s time to start making a bucket list. For example, where should you travel in 2022? From chilly weather in Switzerland to clear, crystal water in the Maldives, I have composed the best travel list for 2022. Newport Beach, California:
Newport Beach in California is an idyllic seaside destination. Known for its expensive yachts and prime surfing conditions, Newport Beach stretches along the Orange County coast for 10 miles. It is not only known for its beaches, but Newport also has many restaurants, shops and even an amusement park on the pier. Avery Zulick ’22 stays in Pelican Hill Resort at Newport Beach and said that Pelican Hill “has it all.” It is “located in the heart of Newport Coast, with stunning views, restaurants, pools and a spa.” Barcelona, Spain: Barcelona is the prime bucket list travel destination. This is a vibrant, lively city that is culturally rich and diverse. Can’t decide if you want to travel to a beach or the mountains? Barcelona has both, which means— yes—you can go to the beach and ski in the same day. La Barceloneta is one of the most famous beaches in Spain due to its beautiful sand and calm water. Barcelona is also home to inspiring
architecture and delicious food. If you are a big soccer fan, you can go to an FC Barcelona game at the Camp Nou Stadium, the largest stadium in Europe. Senior math teacher Mr. Lancaster travelled to Barcelona and explains that the Barcelona Cathedral is a “must-see.” He enjoyed “walking through the village where the Olympics [were held].” Turks and Caicos: Turks and Caicos is a hotspot for having the most pristine beaches in the world. Gray Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos has won Trip Advisor’s Best Beach Destination multiple years in a row. Making it a perfect destination for water activities such as snorkeling and diving, Turks and Caicos has the thirdlargest barrier reef in the world. With pleasant weather all year round, great dining with locally caught seafood and dreamy beaches, Turks and Caicos is an ideal beach travel idea for 2022. Sardinia, Italy: The Italian Island of Sardinia is sought out for its pristine beaches and
village life. A family destination that is enjoyed all year round, Sardinia has miles of beaches with smooth granite boulder and crystal-blue water. Sardinia also has its own Grand Canyon with many hiking trails such as the Wild Blue Trail. You can even visit a castle here! Doria Castle is a medieval fortress that overlooks the seaside village of Portovenere. Maldives: Commonly referenced as “heaven on ea_th,” the Maldives is a truly luxurious vacation spot. The Maldives is comprised of over 1000 island in the middle of the Indian ocean. The crystal-clear water stretches for miles, and the many islands make for a perfect island-hopping experience. The lush ocean villas are something straight out of a movie. Switzerland: Switzerland is the perfect bucket list item for someone who loves to hit the slopes and enjoys colder weather. Home to some of the world’s most famous ski resorts, Switzerland is the ideal place to ski and snowboard. But this destination isn’t only for snow sports lovers—it is also for people who love adventure and nature. As well, Switzerland is home to some of Europe’s most beautiful lakes and the highest and biggest waterfalls in the country. If you are more into the food element of a vacation, this is a great place to sample Swiss cuisine and chocolate.
Adele Returns to the Stage with Newest Album, ‘30’ By EMMA SWEENEY ‘22 “It’s about divorce babe, divorce,” Adele responded to a fan on her Instagram live regarding the subject of her new album. Adele released her fourth studio album, “30”, on Nov. 19. Anticipation and excitement for the release of “30” remained high as it is her first album in over six years. Interestingly, Adele follows the theme of her past album titles (“19”, “21”, “25”) by titling the name of her new album with the age she was when she wrote the songs. Since its release, “30” has become the most successful album in 2021 in the US and the UK. “Selling more than 660,000 equivalent album units—which includes audio and video streaming and individual track sales—‘30’ has already triumphed over the other major releases of 2021,” Jeevan Ravindran from CNN said. Like Adele’s previous albums, “30” deals with heartbreak. The album discusses the divorce with her ex-husband Simon Konecki and the resulting affects it had on her nine-year-old son Angelo. Adele uses “30” as a letter to her son explaining the reasons behind her actions. “I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he’s in his twenties or
thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness. It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that’s a real wound for me that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to heal,” Adele told British Vogue. Throughout the album, Adele feels conflicted with her choices. By experimenting with a mixture of genres such as pop, folk, jazz, reggae and more, she expresses her anxieties and uncertainties about her relationships, especially the one she has with herself. The first track off the album, “Strangers by Nature,” is hauntingly beautiful and cinematic. Adele’s voice is complimented by a symphony. Supposedly, “Strangers by Nature” pays homage to Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, since Garland was divorced multiple times. The song could illustrate Dorothy walking down the yellow brick road since the sound is mystical and magical. In the first song, Adele apologizes for the role she played in the demise of her relationships and wonders if she can forgive herself. At the end of the song, Adele welcomes a new chapter in her life by stating with
confidence, “All right and I’m ready.” The second track, “Easy on Me,” is the first single off the record. The ballad is raw and emotional as she asks her son for forgiveness for separating from his father. The third track, “My Little Love,” is another sad and sweet sentiment to her son. The song contains short audio clips of conversations between the two of them. In the beginning of the song, her son says, “I feel like you don’t love me.” Adele consoles him by responding with, “Mommy doesn’t like anyone else like I like you, right?” Her son listens to her as she expresses her fears and confusion for her life. Furthermore, the tracks after “My Little Love” like “Cry Your Heart Out,” “Oh My God,” and “Can I Get It” are more upbeat but follow the same heartbreaking tune. Adele showcases her powerful vocal range from singing with a deeper, lower register on “Woman Like Me” to using her famous high notes on “To Be Loved.” With 12 songs, Adele beautifully depicts the self-discovery that succeeds the failure of a difficult relationship. Moreover, in the past, Adele’s songs such as “Rolling in the Deep”
and “When We Were Young” became popular online and on the radio. However, “30” is not meant for mainstream media. “If everyone’s making music for the TikTok, who’s making the music for my generation? Who’s making the music for my peers? I will do that job gladly. I’d rather cater to people that are on my level in terms of the amount of time we’ve spent on Earth and all the things we’ve been through,” Adele said in an interview with Apple Music. Adele does not want to follow with Tik Tok trends; instead, she stays true to herself by making the music that she loves. Ultimately, with “30,” Adele gives her audience a work of art—one they have been anticipating for years—that conveys her range of emotions and hopeful self-reflection.
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Influencers in Boxing By LILLIAN ASHMORE ‘22
The internet has been through many cycles of social media stardom. From Myspace to Instagram and from Vine to YouTube to TikTok, the individuals who place their lives online are obligated to create elaborate videos to keep their fans entertained and themselves in the news. With TikTok becoming one of the biggest forms of social media and growing immensely since its growth in 2019, the teens and young adults who have found fame on the app have started new lives creating multimillion dollar brands and developing high amounts of wealth. TikTok made “hype houses” involving the newest, youngest stars who had moved to Los Angeles to pursue their social media careers. There were two main houses that competed for the ultimate title of fame in hopes of creating a loyal fan base. Through living in “The Hype House” and “The Sway House,” the kids living there were able to grow their followings and popularity across not only the internet but the world. With millions of international and local viewers and supporters, these teenagers casually receive millions of views on every 15-to-60-second video
they make. Thousands of followers are not impressive anymore; if you are above two million, you are then of importance within the community. Lately, audiences have grown tired of repeated TikTok drama and the endless cycle of competitiveness between the different house members. As the houses’ “hype” diminished and the original personalities left, the theatrics of their TikToks and YouTube pages have not been the same. While the drama on TikTok lessened, TikToker and YouTuber tension began to rise. Each platform needed a revamp to get watchers re-interested in their material. The influencers in the spotlight have felt a dry patch in views and relevancy, so in order to stay on top, it seems they have taken it upon themselves to create “beef” or drama with other stars in the industry. Boxing has become a common practice for YouTubers who have fallen off the platform. YouTube stars Jake and Logan Paul began this trend and have sparred professional fighters like Floyd Mayweather relatively successfully.
While these two celebs began boxing for pure enjoyment, after their peers saw their earnings from the fights, they had figured out their way to make even more. By incorporating fake conflict between a “colleague” and milking out their tweets, challenging their opponent to a fight does not seem farfetched. Encouraging false drama has enabled both sides to make millions—yes, millions—off a boxing match. In the event of the year, the most problematic men in social media are starring in the “Battle of the Platforms.” The two headlining the event are Bryce Hall, an ex-member of Sway House known as a delinquent and an intense partier, and Austin McBroom, a family
vlogger who is known for having many controversies concerning his loyalty towards his family.
LiveXLive Media hosted the occasion on June 12, 2021, advertised as a “one of a kind, unprecedented live PPV entertainment mega event.” Hall, 22, signed a contract setting him to earn $5 million, in addition to four percent of the Pay-Per-View sales and a milliondollar compensation for a knockout from McBroom directly. McBroom, 29, agreed to making less than Hall just to fight, with another arrangement that Hall would pay him $1 million if he were to get a knockout. While these boxers were lied to and not paid for their fights, the money promised is something that cannot be ignored. The other influencers on the lineup are newly made celebrities and the only plausible reason for these non-boxers to be competing would be to receive more fame and extremely high payments. Being new and completely immersed into the world of L.A. in an extremely short time span, from a young age, these teens simply cannot pass up receiving multigenerational wealth from one event.
12, Starbucks announced its collabora- the week following November 12th. tion in a tweet saying, “Watch it all Swifties all over the world begin again…with a Grande Caramel are excited for this collab. Nonfat Latte (Taylor’s Version).” User flowerfigueroah on Senior Savannah Johnson, an twitter tweeted, “this avid lover of both Starbucks and whole Taylor Swift x Taylor Swift, said, “I am disapStarbucks collab is such pointed that there is nothing a genius move. [RED really special about the drink. tv] playing all day at the I thought it was going to biggest cafe in the world? be more of like a secret and them tweeting about menu drink that is it on a Wednesday because for a limited time we’ll watch it begin again in only. Don’t get me their cafes?” wrong though, Johnson also thinks the drink is that this is the best collab amazing, but for PR this year. “Both I feel as if Starbucks and Taylor they could Swift have such a big have done platform with millions better.” of fans, so partnering The drink together just makes that they sense.” collaborated Not only is Staron is a spin off bucks putting out a colof Swift’s favorite. laborative drink and playing A grande caramel nonfat Swift’s music, but they are latte. You can order taking the marketing and the drink by asking for publicity of this collab to “Taylor’s Latte” or “Taythe next level. lor’s version”. Starbucks They released a special also vowed to only limited edition gift card play Taylor Swift for with the quote “autumn Courtesy of Google Images
leaves falling down” from the song All Too Well written on the card. The card also has leaves in different shades of red, and you can get the card on the Starbucks website or app. Unfortunately, a fake promotion rose during the initial one. Swifites took to twitter to trick other fans on a Starbucks hack. The hack being that if you say you hate Jake Gyllenhal when ordering, you can get a dollar off your order. This fake promotion is rooted in the fan theory that All Too Well is a song about Swift’s and Gyllenhal’s relationship. Senior Isabelle Bruty ’22 says, “When I saw that flyer, I thought it was iconic. It reminds me of that video from the Tonight Show where they asked people on the street to scream a celebrity they hate for a dollar, and the guy yells Jake Gyllenhal.” Even though the promotion is over everyone is hoping Starbucks and Swift “Stay Stay Stay” together in the future for future album releases.
Starbucks Latte (Taylor’s Version) By EMMA KENCHEL ‘22 Hitting stores November 12, Taylor Swift’s new Starbucks drink, “Taylor’s Latte” or “Taylor’s Version,” commemorates Starbuck’s annual red cup season and the re-release of her 2012 album “Red. In October of 2012, Taylor Swift released the album “Red,” which holds her trending song, “All Too Well.” These re-recording’s come from when Swift was 15. When Swift began her career, she signed a record deal with Big Machine Records which declared they owned the first six albums she created. Swift strongly believes that artists should own their own work, so now that the contract has ended, she is rerecording and releasing each album along with songs from the Vault. The Vault holds songs that Swift wrote but decided not to release. This process provides fans with re-recorded old favorites and songs they have never heard before. Given the albums name “Red,” Starbucks decided there would not be a better person to celebrate red cup season with. But the release was much more hidden that that. Both Starbucks and Taylor were dropping easter eggs in the week leading up to November 12. On November 8, Starbucks tweeted “It’s Red Season.” And on November
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January
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85 Minutes: First Female with Presidential Power
By AVA RODRIGUEZ ‘24
Another glass ceiling has shattered. On Friday, November 19th, Vice President Kamala Harris was transferred presidential power for a monumental 85 minutes as President Joe Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy and physical at Walter Reed Hospital. As the nation’s first South Asian, Black and female Vice President, Harris has already broken barriers for women, especially women of color in the political field. Before becoming the Vice President, Harris notably served as District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California and as California Senator. Originally, Harris ran as a presidential candidate for the 2020 election before resigning due to insufficient funding, she later endorsed Biden and was chosen as his Vice-Presidential running mate. To allow Harris to serve as acting president while Biden was under anesthesia, Biden wrote a letter which was sent to the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Protempore of the Senate, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. The letter Biden wrote, published in an article on CNN.com, said, “Today I will undergo a routine medical procedure requiring sedation. In view of present circumstances, I have determined to transfer temporarily the powers and duties of the office of President of the United States to the Vice President during the brief period of the
procedure and recovery.” During her time as acting president, Harris worked in her office in the West Wing of the White House. Once President Biden’s procedure finished, Press Secretary Jen Psaki released an update on twitter. “@POTUS spoke with @VP and @ WHCOS at approximately 11:35 a.m. this morning. @POTUS was in good spirits and at that time resumed his duties. He will remain at Walter Reed as he completes the rest of his routine physical,” Psaki wrote. After the procedure and physical, Biden appeared to be in “an exultant mood,” according to The New York Post.
For Biden to officially receive all presidential power back, he was required to write an additional letter to Pelosi and Leahy. “In accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, I hereby transmit to you my written declaration that I am able to discharge the powers and duties of the Office of the President of the United States and that I am resuming those powers and duties,” the letter reads. Temporary presidential transfers of power occur frequently as many presidents have needed their Vice President to cover for them in vari-
ous medical situations, they are almost considered to be a routine action. In section three of the 25th amendment, which Biden mentioned in his letter, it is written that “whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.” This constitutional change of power occurred because of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas in 1963. The first acting president was Vice President George H.W. Bush, on July 13, 1985, when he received temporary presidential power from President Ronald Reagan. A report reviewing the 25th amendment was published by The University of Virginia’s Miller Center in 1988, after forming a ten-member commission. According to CNN.com, a part of the report read, ‘“In short, let the president wave from his window to show he is up and around but convalescing while the vice president, as acting president under Section 3, takes care of the day-to-day business.”’ This is exactly what President Biden and Vice President Harris did on November 19th.
still early days,” he was quoted at the November conference. “Hospitalizations often come several days after a rise in confirmed cases.” And they did. Over just one week in November, South Africa reported 29,273 cases along with 219 deaths due to this new Covid strain. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been nearly three million cases and around 90,000 deaths in South Africa. Unlike previous variants Alpha and Delta, which tend to spread in 15 minutes in unmasked conditions, Omicron can infect another person in as little time as two minutes. As for the incubation period, it appears that people with Omicron tend to get sick, or show a positive test result, faster than with other variants. Another attribute that distinguishes Omicron are the symptoms. According to NBC News, the most prominent symptoms are cough, fatigue and nasal congestion or runny nose. Loss of
taste and smell, one of the most telling symptoms for Alpha and Delta, is not common. Unfortunately this means that Omicron can resemble the common cold even more closely. Some Ursuline students’ holiday vacation plans were modified or even cancelled because of Omicron. Senior Olivia Gray was supposed to travel to London over the holidays with her family, but their trip was cancelled due to fresh Covid concerns. Christmas and New Year’s celebrations resulted in more positive tests for people nationwide. Increased travel and social gatherings among friends and family allowed the highly transmissible variant to spread like wildfire, bringing the U.S. to a 20% positivity rate in December and early January. Given the spike in Omicron cases, you should not hesitate to stay home and get tested should you develop any Covid symptoms. This variant is just another warning to the world that Covid has definitely not gone away, and people everywhere should take the necessary precautions, including wearing masks in public settings and getting all three vaccine doses, to help put a stop to Omicron.
Courtesy of Google Images
How Omicron Started vs. Now By TESS BOWERS ‘22, KATHARINE BALES ‘22
Alpha, Delta and Omicron—the Greek alphabet continues as Covid-19 remains a global health crisis in its different forms. In a highly populated South African province called Botswana, the most recent Covid variant was first discovered in November, and the number of hospitalizations quickly rose due to its high transmissibility. Cases soon followed in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Belgium. Within just weeks it had reached most countries globally. Scientists began to research the new strain diligently, and people everywhere predicted that it would end up spreading globally. The new variant was given the temporary name B.1.1.529 until the World Health Organization (WHO) granted it with the name “Omicron.” Omicron has an unusual number of mutations and is proven to be extremely contagious, even more so than other variants. A CNBC article on the variant reads, “‘South African scientists have detected more than 30 mutations to the spike protein, the part of the virus that binds to cells in the body,’ South African scientist Tulio de Oliveira said in a media briefing hosted by the South Africa Department
of Health on Thursday.” The hospitalization rates in South Africa increased by 63% in just four weeks and continued to rise through the holidays. Out of its 60 million citizens, only 28% of South Africa has been vaccinated (16.5 million people), and the African population as a whole only has 10% of people vaccinated; in comparison, the North American population is 64% vaccinated. Doctor Unben Pillay, who works in the province of Gauteng, held a press conference in mid-November speaking about the Omicron variant. He noted that the new strain had been passed around mostly to those in their twenties and thirties, and most cases so far were mild with flu-like symptoms. “Vaccinated people tend to do much better. We have not seen a vast increase in hospitalizations, but this is
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The Bear Facts
Insights
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21
January
What Really Is QAnon?
By CARLISLE MYERS ‘22
It began as a fringe movement on a site known for its debauchery. Now, QAnon has emerged from the shadows as a far-right conspiracy theory that, to the FBI, poses a growing domestic terrorism threat. The set of theories started on 4chan, an online forum linked to a range of disturbing content including several white supremacist mass shooters’ manifestoes, in October 2017. A user, known only as “Q”, posted a message claiming to be a “high-ranking government official” with access to classified information. Q contends that America is run by a “deep state” of Satanic pedophiles who also run a global child sextrafficking operation, and that former President Trump is the only person who can stop them. Q claims that the military, in their attempts to overthrow the “deep state,” recruited Donald Trump to run for president. But members of the pedophile ring, which also controls the media, tried to suppress Trump’s attempts through “fake news” and allegations of conspiracy with Russia. Q goes on to say that they will release sanctioned leaks to the public to prepare them for the “Storm,” an event when the deep state’s leaders are arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay. They have even leaked certain dates that the mass arrests that are part of “The Storm” will happen,
but as these dates pass to no avail, they reassure their believers that the arrests are simply delayed and that Trump has the situation under control. QAnon believers have called this process “The Great Awakening.” Q’s posts tend to be cryptic, which
ments. The movement seems radical to most people. So why are so many attracted to it? Game designer Adrian Hon compares QAnon to a multiplayer game. “People like solving mysteries and they
leaves a lot of the QAnon debacle open to interpretation. But loyal followers, known as “bakers” to decipher the posts known as “breadcrumbs,” number in the thousands, some well-known names among them. Celebrities like Roseanne Barr and members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene have been linked to the movement through Tweets and state-
like feeling privy to secret knowledge,” he said. “QAnon gamifies those sensations at massive scale.” Just like many popular games both online and off, QAnon believers follow a trail of clues to solve mysteries or just discover more clues to chase. “It opens a fascinating fantasworld of secret wars and cabals and Hillary Clinton controlling things, and it offers convenient explanations for things that
feel inexplicable or wrong about the world,” Hon told The New York Times. Tech giants like Facebook and Twitter have cracked down on QAnon in recent months, removing en masse accounts promoting the theories. But the movement perseveres, popping up on Reddit, Discord and its home 4chan in increasing numbers. Although it continues to grow, Trump’s 2020 election loss rattled the community. As a result of his being chosen to “save America from the deep state,” believers of QAnon rallied behind him during the election, expecting him to win by a landslide and save America. When he lost to President Joe Biden, these same believers quickly reasoned that the election was stolen from him. Many expected that on Inauguration Day, Mr. Trump would not actually leave office as scheduled but would declare martial law, announce mass arrests of Democrats and stop Biden from taking office. Although Q’s statements and posts are disproven time and time again, the anonymous user that QAnon believers follow continues to post just as frequently. Whether it is simply their faith in Q or Hon’s theory that the multiplayer element has sucked them in, QAnon’s threat remains deep in the corners of the Internet.
Latest on Oxford High School By KATHARINE BALES ‘22 Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 17—four students who died unexpectedly on a regular day at school, all because of one classmate’s actions. On Nov. 30, 2021, the shooting occurred at Oxford High School in Township, Michigan. According to The New York Times, 15-year-old sophomore Ethan Crumbley shot 11 people within five minutes, killing four and critically injuring the remaining seven, including a teacher. In court the next day, Crumbley was charged as an adult with one count of terrorism causing death, as well as four counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors also charged the parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, who had claimed the handgun to be their son’s early Christmas present
Courtesy of Google Images.
prior to the shooting. They were both charged with involuntary manslaughter. Buildup to the incident started when one of Crumbley’s teachers caught him browsing the internet for ammunition, watching violent videos of past shootings and drawing disturbing images on a test review page in class. She sent him to administration, who then returned Crumbley to class because his parents refused to take him home. Police now argue that Crumbley’s backpack, which was never searched, contained the handgun used in the attack that happened the next day. “All they had to do was tell the school that that they had recently purchased a gun for their son, and asked him where the gun was, open his backpack or just take it home,” Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a court filing. Authorities report that after Ms. Crumbley heard this concerning news from the principal, she texted her son a chilling message: “LOL, I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.” While a convicted minor’s parents do not usually receive criminal
consequences, McDonald believed that these parents were too involved not to be charged themselves. They seemed to encourage his dangerous behavior with weapons. “I want to be really clear that these charges are intended to hold the individuals who contributed to this tragedy accountable, and also send the message that gun owners have a responsibility,” McDonald said at a press conference according to Insider. “When they fail to uphold that responsibility, there are serious and criminal consequences.” On Thursday, Dec. 23, the prosecutor disclosed that the parents “knew that their son was depressed and heading down a dangerous and violent path” as stated in a Detroit Free Press article. The prosecution wrote in a court filing, “Instead of paying attention to their son and getting him help, they bought him a gun.” Crumbley was both mentally ill and fascinated with guns—a deadly and terrifying combination, especially when handled improperly. Ethan, James and Jennifer Crumbley are currently being housed separately at the Oakland County Jail, and the parents’ bond hearing is scheduled for
Jan. 7. Insider reports that students in the Michigan school district are now required to wear clear backpacks to school upon their return from the holiday break. The same protocol has been implemented in response to past school shootings. For instance, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida mandated seethrough backpacks in 2018 after the Parkland mass shooting took 17 lives. Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne announced that therapy dogs, counselors, trauma specialists and private security will be present in all buildings. He added that all employees received traumaresponse training “to be as prepared as possible to help our students.” The trend seen in countless schools across the U.S. reached Oakland County on that dark day in November. An unexpected tragedy, yet it is simultaneous dreaded by every school district. On Friday, Dec. 3 at 7p.m., the Oxford High community held a candlelight vigil for those who died by the hands of yet another irresponsible American gunowner.
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Opinions
January
The Bear Facts
Kyle Rittenhouse: The Far-Right’s Newest Hero
By CARLISLE MYERS ‘22
Last year I covered the Kenosha unrest shooting, which featured 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse and his shooting of three men, killing two and wounding the third, during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It only seems fitting that I also cover the aftermath. Rittenhouse’s verdict surfaced in November— not guilty on all five counts, which included first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted firstdegree intentional homicide. Benny Johnson tweeted soon afterward: a suit-clad Rittenhouse and former president Donald Trump giving big thumbs-up at his estate in Mar-a-Lago with a picture of Trump shaking hands with Kim Jong-Un in the background. The tweet served, to some, as the first steppingstone to Rittenhouse’s future stardom in rightwing media, who, in their crusade against liberalism, have venerated him as a “modernday hero.” Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a bill to award Rittenhouse a congressional gold medal for “protecting the community of Kenosha.” Not to be outdone, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida tipped as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, wrote on Twitter, “Kyle Rittenhouse did what we should want citizens to do in such a situation: step forward to defend the community against mob violence.” Conservative members of Congress have wasted no time idolizing a 17-yearold kid illegally possessing an AR-15 style rifle, but the true danger lies in what putting Rittenhouse on a pedestal means in the future. Kurt Bardella, an adviser to the Democratic National Committee, told The Guardian, “It’s very clear that they’re trying to make him their mascot. Any time that your mascot is someone
who thought that it was an acceptable form of protest to show up at a political event with an AR-15, that is
glorifying violence. And that’s a very dangerous
“Kyle Rittenhouse did what we should want citizens to do in such a situation: step forward to defend the community against mob violence.”
thing to prop up and promote.” Rittenhouse’s evolution from a small-town case to a right-wing icon is for certain a product of the highly politicized circumstances of his case. Does Rittenhouse even know this is happening? Did he mean for any of this to happen? He appeared in his first national television interview on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight after his acquittal. Carlson did his utmost to paint
Rittenhouse as a victim, setting the boy up to take jabs at President Joe Biden and blame the “mob mentality” for his shootings. But Rittenhouse added that he supported Black Lives Matter and that those committing violence during the demonstrations following Jacob Blake’s shooting by
Prosecutors noted earlier this year that Rittenhouse had been photographed with white supremacy group Proud Boys and flashing a hand sign known as a symbol for “white power” at a bar, refuting his anti-racist statements from Carlson’s interview and previous. But it’s hard for people to remember, whether they’re far-left, farright, or anything in between, that Rittenhouse is freshly 18; he’s still a kid. He most likely didn’t expect the fame, praise and even internship opportunities from the right. But he still carried an AR15 into what had been a nonviolent
“It’s very clear that they’re trying to make him their mascot.”
Kenosha police were “opportunist” and “taking advantage of the BLM movement.” Rittenhouse’s words caught me off guard. Did he mention that to signify his allyship, or merely to seek cover from charges of racism? Rittenhouse also spoke gravely of what he wondered would happen to a person of color. “I believe there needs to be change,” he told Carlson. “I believe there’s a lot of prosecutorial misconduct—not just in my case, but in other cases. And it’s just amazing to see how much a prosecutor can take advantage of somebody. If they did this to me, imagine what they could have done to a person of color who doesn’t maybe have the resources I do or isn’t widely publicized, like my case.”
protest, and through all of his self-defense and anti-racist claims, has still failed to acknowledge that it was this rifle that instigated Joseph Rosenbaum’s lunge toward him and, notably, Gaige Grosskreutz following him with a Glock. Kyle Rittenhouse is no vigilante, and certainly no hero. He is a child. A child who thought bringing an assault rifle was the best course of action to defend a city from destruction of property. Courtesy of Google Images
The Bear Facts
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Opinions
The Twelve Days of Arboretum
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23
January
By GRACE LAMONT ‘22 To celebrate the beginning of Christmas, my family and I went to the Arboretum Botanical Garden for its famous ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ exhibit. This year we had to buy tickets a week in advance because of the attraction’s immense popularity. The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ attraction displays each day in a 12-foot glass case of days one through 12. Since the weather gets cooler at night, the park sells hot chocolate and popcorn to enjoy while sightseeing. “The first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree!” In the first part of the exhibit a beautiful partridge is sits perched on a pear tree. The display is covered with gold details, and there is festive music playing around the attraction. At the next display, two turtle doves are cuddled up next to each other, and a golden heart with red jewels is overlooking the
“love birds.” Christmas love songs play outside the display so that visitors can feel the romantic atmosphere. Next, three false French hens sit on yellow straw nests with gold strings hanging on the sides. The French hen’s tail fills a large amount of the display with a luxurious and sharp red color. A number of red-and-green feathers are seen exploding from the tail. The ‘four calling birds’ have blue and green vibrant feathers. I loved the different ombre colors merged together in this display. The ‘five golden rings’ attraction presented four white seals posing with golden rings balanced on their noses. But what caught my eye in the middle of the attraction was the black seal holding the largest golden ring. Each white seal had a red and gold collar around its neck. Imagine a winter wonderland captured in a 12-foot glass jar. The sixth day of Christmas displayed six geese laying their eggs in a white straw nest surrounded by a small,
circular river. The song “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” played in the background and exuded the best ‘white Christmas’ aura. Seven fake swans swam in what looked like a river similar to the previous scene’s. There were six white swans and one bold black swan that captured everyone’s attention. Each swan wore a mini tiara to show elegance and a graceful, swan-like nature. Walking along the arboretum, they also had Christmas lights covering all the trees and lit-up reindeer. The next attraction was the ‘eight maids-a-milking,’ which showed just that. This was the funniest attraction because from the outside you could see the cow’s bottoms and their tails were wagging back and forth. The maids were dressed up in old clothing. The ninth day of Christmas was my favorite day because of the elegant dresses the ‘nine ladies dancing’ wore. They shuffled around the mini ballroom with classical music playing while they gazed at the shiny chandelier. The ‘10 lords a-leaping’ slid around a small foun-
Bear Facts
Mini Crossword Check how well you read the paper! Clues: Down 1. Adele’s newest album (trending) 2. Most F1 drivers start out ___ when they are kids. (sports and wellness) 3. 2022 is the year of the ___. (global) 6. Who is one of the Ursuline leaders for the LLS foundation? (features) 9. Who is the new security guard on campus? (profile) Across 4. To keep your New Year’s resolution, you should set ___ goals. (sports and wellness). 5. Who ran the blood drive? (school news) 7. Who was the Snowball queen? (front) 8. To combat productivity guilt, recognize the difference between being ___ and productive. (sports and wellness) 10. Who found huge stardom in 2018? (spread)
tain in the center of a miniature ice rink. The men sported dark cloaks and colorful red-and-green ties, adorned with tall top hats and gloves, wearing sophisticated, wise looks across their plastic faces. Walking to the eleventh attraction I could hear loud drums beating to the steps that my feet took. The 11 drummers were dressed in bright red cloaks with 10 gold buttons, long white pants, red top hats with white fluffy feathers sticking out and of course, a drum with a strap resting around each drummer’s neck. Finally, after walking about a mile and a half, the ‘12 pipers piping’ were the last day of Christmas to see. The twelfth attraction was the biggest of all the glass cases and had twelve men holding bagpipes and dressed in checkered red-and-black clothing. Bagpipe music played in the background. I highly recommend visiting the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum to see the beautiful detail and elegance of the days of Christmas. It makes for great quality time with family and friends, and it is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit this holiday season!
New Year’s Resolutions Guide By OLIVIA GRAY ‘22
Here are 10 ways to keep on track for your 2022 New Year Resolutions so these habits will carry on throughout the whole year!
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Set manageable goals: Be realistic. Instead of giving up five different things, and start three new hobbies, set at two achievable goals for yourself so you can give all of your effort to them.
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Avoid the same resolution that failed in past years: This is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a new year! Set NEW goals for yourself.
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Physically write it down: It is scientifically proven that when you write something down with a pen on paper you are more likely to remember it and go back to it. So, grab a note book or even your planner, and write down those resolutions.
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Outline your goals: In that same notebook that you are going to write down your resolutions, plan out how you are going to achieve them. You can also use your planner or calendar and fill in each day with your idea.
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Start Small: Instead of diving right in to cutting coffee or TikTok from your life for example, start by only using it twice a week, and then once a week, and then never. By doing this you won’t burn out and give up on your goals. Remember resolutions are a marathon, not a sprint.
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Track your progress: Tracking your progress not only holds yourself accountable, but also shows your success. There are plenty of apps that can send you daily notifications to “keep up the good work.”
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Give yourself a break: Don’t beat yourself up if you break your goal. Its 100 percent ok if you have a “cheat day” or skip out on the gym.
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Make goals with your friends: Setting goals with your friends can be entertaining and rewarding. Friends can be competitive and hold eachother accountable.
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Have fun: Don’t take it too seriously. There is no reason to beat yourself up about missing a day. Making new year resolutions is all about starting 2022 off strong and becoming a better version of you.
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Reward yourself: Give yourself credit where its due. Resolutions are hard to follow through with, so by the end of January treat yourself to something special like frozen yogurt with your friends or an extra hour of TV; however, remember to continue your goal into the next month!
Courtesy of Canva