BEARFACTS Ursuline Academy

341 South Sappington Rd

St. Louis, MO 63122

12.14.11

Volume 7

Issue 4

Giving in December and Not January? During this Christmas season we all have

one thing on our minds, giving, right? We

are expecting to receive, give and donate

gifts. But what happens when the season is

over and everyone forgets? Shouldn’t we

remember to give all year round? Though we

are not required to serve, we should still

continue to give even in “off seasons.” When

Mrs. Weston was asked why she thought

people gave in December and not so much in

January, she replied, “There is a greater

awareness of need. Everyone is receiving and

giving during the holidays.” So when people

are out shopping for their loved ones, and

they see a drive for someone who won’t get a

gift, they will be more willing to buy one for

someone else. Senior Alexis Eilers said,

“People are more willing to help other peo-

ple and not worry about themselves; it is

more of a joyous time of year.” She’s right;

Christmas is about sharing the birth of Jesus

with those we love and even those who are

strangers to us.

As young adults, we are not yet

burdened with filing taxes, so Mrs. Weston

brought up that at the start of the new year a

selection of taxes will be due. This means

that people are looking for charitable contri-

butions to claim on taxes, which might in-

cline them to be a little more giving. That

explains December giving, but what about

January? Mrs. Weston said, “January is a

new year, one that is focused on you and

your resolutions.”

What is Ursuline doing in January?

Few have noticed, but there isn’t a canned

food drive in January. There is, however,

Splash Week, which includes several small

service opportunities; last year money was

earned for a scholarship so an Ursuline stu-

dent could attend Ursuline Academy. One

thing that Mrs. Weston stated adamantly

was that all Ursuline girls have a clear un-

derstanding of philanthropy and commu-

nity. Philanthropy is defined as just donating

money or goods to an organization that does

all the hands-on work for you. This is what

TRUE service and giving is NOT about.

Community service is hands-on service.

Hands-on service is making a collection and

then going to drop off the item to the people.

This is what true service should be about,

giving to the community. So give this Christ-

mas season, but do not forget to give in all

the other 11 months as well. Merry Christ-

mas and Happy New Year!

Olivia Passafiume

Bear Facts Staff Writer

Tis the season—December is

a busy time for giving, but by

January people focus on their

New Year’s resolutions. Art by

Olivia Passafiume.

M any people understand

that Toys for Tots is an

organization that donates

unused toys to children

who do not receive many – if any – pre-

sents during the Christmas season. How

did it get started? Well in 1947, Major

Bill Hendricks along with a group of ma-

rines in the reserve collected over 5000

toys for children in Los Angeles, the Ma-

rine Toys for Tots Foundation reports.

According to the Foundation’s website,

www.toysfortots.com, Bill’s wife Diane

made a doll and told Bill to give it to a

charity who would give it to needy chil-

dren. When Bill found that there was no

such agency, he started one. In 1948 the

Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots.

Up until the 1980s, the Marine

Corps Reserves collected and distributed

new and used toys. However, since then,

only new toys have been distributed. “In

the 1970’s there was no time to refurbish

used toys to make them respectable gifts

for needy children,” said Toys for Tots.

The second factor was that health and

sanitary issues surfaced. The last reason

this changed was that the Marines did

not want to send messages to the needy

children when “hand me downs” were

d i s t r i b u t e d . Charlie Cummins, a Marine in the re-

serves, reported his experience. Since he

joined the Marine Corps in 2009, Toys

for Tots has been a big part of his Christ-

mas Holiday. “We run toy drives and buy

toys at toy stores like Toys R Us with the

donations that people give.” One of Cum-

mins’ experiences was that he “got to be

with the children, handing out individual

toys to the little ones.” He felt great to

know that the children he gave these toys

to would have a present this Christmas.

He went on to say, “Once I joined the

Marine Corps, Toys for Tots immediately

became a big part of my life.” So far, the Marine Corps Reserves

have donated over 400 million toys to

needy children nationwide. If you would

like to help, you can go to

www.toysfortots.org to find location

drop-offs, or you can seek out a drop- off

location yourself. Every little bit helps!

Ann Wolf

Bear Facts Art Editor

Trains, Tops and Trucks

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Toys for tots has brought joy to kids for over 70 years

3

For Mom: Everyone loves her mom and knows that she deserves the best.

However, not everyone can afford to spend much on their Christmas shopping.

Most girls will visit stores like Bath and Body Works to buy candles or lotion.

These are nice, but perhaps overused gifts. Get creative this Christmas! Any

mom would love a knitted scarf from Fiber Arts class. Get personal with scrap-

books or framed photos. One student suggested buying a gift card to a pottery

place. This creates prime mother-daughter bonding time.

For Dad: It is easy to buy for dads. Maybe the best most girls can do is a new

tie. While that is a respectable present, here a few more ideas to keep in mind

when buying for dad. Feed him! Bake cookies or prepare his favorite breakfast.

Books and movies are also popular dad items. As a last resort, golf balls are a

good idea, but only if he plays golf!

For Sister: Many sisters know each other well enough to get each other per-

sonalized items, like movies or novels. Making a care package with multiple

small items like nail polish and mix CDs would keep the cost low, but it makes

a fabulous present.

For Brother: Brothers might be the hardest people to buy for. Most sisters

are stuck getting them cheap video games or gift cards. Again, boys like to eat.

Bake him brownies or maybe just a gift card to his favorite restaurant.

Betsy Kennedy

Bear Facts Staff Writer

Presents for the Family Each year when Christmas sneaks up on busy students, there is

a mad rush for buying last minute presents. Everyone wants to

get presents for her family, but there usually isn’t the time or the

energy to be creative. UA girls were asked what their go-to pre-

sents are for the different members of the family and for new

present ideas.

For the Whole Family

Some people like to get all their Christmas shopping

done with one big present. Colleen McGovern said,

“Get them a puppy! Then everyone wins!” Another

student is making “Food of the Month” subscrip-

tions for her family members. These are a nice solu-

tions for getting the Christmas shopping done in

one stop (consult parents before purchasing any live

creatures).

I t’s the season of giving. Every year

Ursuline incorporates the motto

of “Serviam” into the Christmas

season. We are all blessed with

many things, and being able to spread

joy to others is possibly the greatest gift

of all; Ursuline’s stocking project

does just this, bringing happiness to

children and senior citizens.

For about 14 years Ursuline

has been collecting stockings for people

in the community. Mrs. Weston ex-

plained, “This will be the only gift some

of the children and senior citizens re-

ceive for Christmas. This is why we

place such an emphasis for the stu-

UA Christmas Stockings

Spreading Holiday Cheer

dents on following through with their commit-

ment to this cause.” Students certainly followed

through, collecting 775 stockings this year for

Metro-Vision Ministries, the charity that sponsors

this event.

Mrs. Lehnert’s advisement was able to

put together a total of 80 stockings. When asked

about their strategy, Sarah Basler, junior, said,

“We all just bring in a bunch of stuff,

then fill them later on. We get really

into it and have a lot of fun doing it.”

This enthusiasm has made the stocking

project such a success.

Ursuline students and co-

workers are welcome to help Pastor

Tom and his wife hand out the stock-

ings on Sunday, 12/18, at 5:30 p.m. at

Living Water Church and again on

Monday, 12/19, at 10:30 a.m. at Big

Bend Woods Nursing home. The little

present you give these children and

senior citizens will mean more to

them than many realize.

Maggie Eggleston

Bear Facts Staff Writer

Awkward Family Photo—Ryan, Betsy,

Matt and Mary Kennedy gather together for a

family photo, creating Christmas memories

that will last forever. Photo by Tony Kennedy.

Stock Up—Students from the class of 2011 load

the truck up with stockings. UA girls collected

775 stockings this year. Photo from Mrs. Weston.

Music Lover’s Top Picks

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From pop to jazz to alternative rock, we have got the hottest tracks from every music type. Do

you usually listen to rap? Try our alternative pick. Leave your musical comfort zone and ex-

plore new genres, and you may even discover a new favorite song.

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

SOFT

HOLIDAY

POP

HOLIDAY

JAZZ

Track: Last Christmas

Artist: Jimmy Eat

World

Track: Magic of Christmas

Day

Artist: Celine Dion

Track: Carol of the Bells

Artist: Trans Siberian Or-

chestra

Track: Mistletoe

Artist: Justin Bieber

Track: Santa Claus is Com-

ing to Town

Artist: Bruce Springsteen

Track: I’ll Be Home for

Christmas

Artist: Michael Buble

Best, Best Month EVER– Celebrity Giving

dECEMBER Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are having the BEST

MONTH EVER. Jolie travels around the world to

do charity. She supports many international

charities and wants people to be aware of how

some people live in third world countries. Jolie

and Pitt started the Jolie–Pitt Foundation in

2006 which helps eradicate extreme rural pov-

erty. Pitt supports The Make It Right Foundation

which helps finance and construct 150 new houses

in New Orleans. www.looktothestars.com. Mel Gibson is having the BEST MONTH EVER.

Gibson gave $10 million to reimburse hospitals

that cared for seriously ill children who could not

get treatment due to the lack of resources or

money. Gibson supports the Cedars-Sinai Medi-

cal Center, Declare Yourself, FARES, Healing the

Children and Kidz Horizon Appeal. www. look-

tothestars.org

Matt Damon is having the BEST MONTH EVER.

Damon is the founder of H2O Africa, Not On Our

Watch and in 2009 created Water.org. He sup-

ports many charities that help children and inter-

national charities in third world countries.

www.looktothestars.com

Taylor Swift is having the BEST MONTH

EVER. Swift campaigns to protect children

from online predators and supports charities

that help children such as Children in Need,

Shriners Hospitals for Children and Wish Upon

A Hero Foundation. She does a lot of philan-

thropic work in her home state, Tennessee.

www.looktothestars.com

Sarah Haenchen

Bear Facts Online Editor Art by Ann Wolf.