BEARFACTS

Time

For

School!

In This Issue: UA’s graduation “bucket list”

The reasons why we procrastinate

All about Ursuline’s pro-concert-goers

Volume 7 Issue 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6 Meet the Bear Facts Team

8 Driving Pet Peeves 9

Fall Into UA’s Fall Festival

10 UA Voyages to France

11 The Psychology of Procrastination

12 30

Things: Senior Bucket

List 14 The Next Harry

Potter?

3 East Coast Earthquake Shakes Nerves

4 Teen Voting Drops

15 Being a Concert

Junkie

East Coast Earthquake

3

It started out as a normal summer evening on the East Coast, but all activity stopped suddenly when the ground and buildings unexpectedly started to shake vio-lently. On August 23 the entire East Coast paused in shock and panic as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake ripped through Virginia and sprawled out along the East. The earthquake was centered northwest of

Mineral, Virginia, which is northwest of Richmond. Jillian Lim, a com-

puter programmer who lives in Secaucus, New Jer-sey, was working at his home

office, when the earth-quake hit New Jersey. At first, Jillian was uncertain

what exactly was occurring because earthquakes of this

magnitude are extremely rare where he lives. He

stated that he couldn’t recall the last time they had had a natural disaster such as this with such a strong effect.

When Lim realized that it was an earthquake, he was

suddenly scared. “The first thing I thought was that the

house was going to fall down. The walls and the

light fixtures were shaking.” Meanwhile at Lim’s office building, the entire structure was trembling due to the tremors. “Our vice president of operations was the only one that understood what was going on because he was from LA. When it

happened, while everyone else was panicking, he was calm,” said Lim. The former California resident explained to the stressed New Jersey residents that it was just a mi-nor earthquake and that they happen all the time on the West Coast. Although there wasn’t much damage in New Jer-sey, other places were hit hard by the earthquake. In Washington, D.C., the White House was evacuated. Presi-

dent Obama and his family were vacationing and weren’t ever in harm’s way due to the natural disaster. The Wash-ington Monument was cracked on the west side founda-

tion due to the violence of the earthquake, leaving a four-foot long split near the top of the 555 foot struc-ture. The National Cathedral was closed due to esti-mated millions of dollars in damages. Some say that it will take years to repair all of the damages the building en-dured. Three spires broke off from the top of the cathe-

dral and plummeted to the ground. Luckily, no one was injured by the falling stone. The cathedral had other mi-nor damages and had to be cleared as structurally sound before employees could retrieve personal belongings. Most of Washington, D.C., buildings were evacu-ated, including the Penta-gon. All flights were put on hold by the authorities, claimed the Washington Post’s website. The earthquake’s epi-center was located in a recog-nized seismic zone, known as the “Central Virginia Seismic Zone.” This area has pro-duced small, uneventful earthquakes since the 18th century. According to the New York Times website, there was an earthquake in 1875 that was estimated to have a mag-nitude around 4.5, but that

appears to be the only other earthquake with such a strong magnitude with an epicenter in the Central Vir-ginia Seismic Zone. The tremors of the most recent earthquake were felt as far away as New York City and Rhode Island. Nerves were certainly derailed that August evening, especially with the tenth anniversary of 9/11 so close by. Many East Coast residents had feared something far more sinister than a natural disaster when the ground began to shake. Luckily, no one was badly injured, and damages weren’t extensive.

Abby Blaes

Bear Facts Staff Writer

Shakes Nerves

4

Teen Voting

O ver the years after the 1960s, voting turnout of young people has dropped while voting turnout by elderly people (65

years +) has increased and stayed fairly constant through-out the years. What is happen-ing that is causing young voters not to cast their ballots? Teenagers and young adults complain that the government is not doing much to re-

lieve these tough times, but they are not help-ing the cause when they do not vote to get their voice heard. Why are 18-25 year olds not

voting? Ms. Nondorf, social stud-ies teacher, said, “The 18-25 year olds are nonvoters because they are disinterested or they think their vote will not make a difference in

their life. Many people from this age group are away at college, but they can vote absentee.”

Whose Voice Is Being Heard?

“Politicians should discuss is-sues and policies that young

people care about.” Ms. Nondorf

Party Battle– These websites contain information about each party (Republicans on left and Democrats on right) that concerns voters. Photo by Sarah Haenchen.

Drops

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

FE

AT

UR

ES

NE

WS

5

It is hard to get young people to vote, especially teenagers, because “a lot of us don’t pay taxes so we don’t think it is important,” said Collen Lutman, president of the History Club. What can cure this disinterest or fix the way teen-agers and young people think about the government? Ms. Nondorf said, “Politicians should discuss issues and poli-cies that young people care about, but it is hard because they are fickle. When President Obama ran, he talked to

younger people with issues about the environment and education. Politicians should go on television networks like MTV or use the social media like Facebook to do chats.” It is important for teenagers to vote because, ac-

“Laws are going to affect us before anyone else. The government is de-ciding our fate without our voice.” –

Colleen Lutman

cording to Lutman, “Laws are going to affect us before anyone else. The government is deciding our fate without our voice. Debt and Social Security are a big problem, and our generation is going to have to pay it off.” Abby Stewart, a senior taking AP government, said, “If you don’t vote, you’re not being heard. Half the time you are complaining about government not doing what you want so voting is important.” If young people want to see a difference in gov-ernment, it is vital that everyone actively participate whether it is through voting, discussing a political view-point by writing to a representative or protesting. Young people hold the key to their futures, so there should be no excuse for not getting involved in politics. If voters don’t vote, politicians won’t consider issues that are important to young Americans.

Sarah Haenchen

Bear Facts Online Editor

Voice your vote– Teenage voting rates have dropped since the 1960s. Teenagers who don’t vote are not getting their voice heard. It is important for teenagers to vote because many issues going on today will affect them later. Art by Ann Wolf

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

F

EA

TU

RE

S

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

N

EW

S

6

Meet the Bear Facts Staff

Abby Blaes Emily Price

Sarah Haenchen Ann Wolf

Brooke Messmer

Welcome to the Bear Facts Newsroom! Here are the all the inter-

esting Ursuline girls who supply you with the news YOU want to

know!

Editor-in-Chief Senior

Favorite quote: “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” -Anais Nin Favorite movie: Hands down – “Legally Blonde.” Random Fact: I run cross country. I like to read. I blog.

Bear Facts Writer Junior

Favorite quote: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” --Ghandi Favorite movie: “A Cinderella Story” Favorite Musical Artist: Kenny Chesney.

Art Editor Junior

Favorite quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to take a look around, you could miss it.” --“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” Random Fact: I am a movie freak. I could tell you about any movie and who was in it.

Bear Facts Writer Freshman

Loves being on the Bear Facts staff because…. I just generally love writing. Favorite quote: “If you believe in it, you can achieve it.” Random fact: I have an extra bone in each foot.

Online Editor Senior

Loves being on the Bear Facts staff because… I like to write. I think it is a fun class. I like hearing stories about people and the things going on in our world today. Favorite Ursuline memory: Getting accepted into the Na-tional Honor Society. Random fact: I like tigers.

7

Betsy Kennedy Meg Haenchen Ann Slesinski

Olivia Passafiume Maggie Eggleston Meg Vatterott

Bear Facts Writer Senior

Favorite quote: Draco dormiens nunquam titillan-dus (never tickle a sleeping dragon). Favorite movie: “Pride and Prejudice.” Random Fact: I am obsessed with peanut butter.

Bear Facts Writer Senior

Favorite quote: “God, Karen, you’re so stupid.” --“Mean Girls” Favorite movie: “Inception” Random Fact: I am 4’11”.

Bear Facts Writer Junior

Favorite quote: That one long one by Aubrey Hepburn. Favorite movie: “She’s the Man.” Favorite thing about Ursu-line: late starts.

Print Editor Junior

Favorite quote: “Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” — Dr. Seuss Favorite movie: “A Walk to Remember.”

Bear Facts Writer Freshman

Loves being on the Bear Facts staff because… I like reporting on real life situations. Favorite movie: “The Note-book” Random fact: I like to bake.

Copy Editor Senior

Loves being on the Bear Facts staff because… On top of lov-ing writing in general, I love talking with other creative people in different grades. Favorite quote: “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.” --“The Breakfast Club” Random fact: I knit stuff in Slytherin colors for fun.

Meg Vatterott

Bear Facts Print Editor

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

F

EA

TU

RE

S

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

N

EW

S

8

Everyone has those little things that really annoy him/her on the road. Whether it is the cyclists who seem to hog the road while biking or the grandma who is going twenty miles-per-hour on the highway, all people have them. Kelsey Ed-wards, junior, said, “Tailgating! Driving on my bumper just makes me want to go slower to make the person mad.” Jamie Varghese, Julia Althage and Sarah Basler agreed, “When peo-ple don’t use their blinkers.” Many other pet peeves can be an annoyance to all the drivers on the road. “My biggest driving pet peeve is when you’re driving like five over already, and there's someone on your tail, and then they speed up and pass you! Or when someone slows down when that is not necessary,” junior Ra-chel Mosqueda said. Most people feel very strongly about their pet peeves on the road; some have many of them. Most peo-ple’s pet peeves are about driving on just a normal road while others are about driving on the highway. Lexi Absolon, junior, said that her biggest driving pet peeve would be “motorcycles on the highway in traffic.”

Emily Price

Bear Facts Staff Writer

Driving Pet Peeves

Kelsey

Rachel Mosqueda

Lexi Absolon

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15—20-year-olds.

16-year-olds

have higher crash rates than any other age.

16-year-olds are 3 times more likely

to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.

81%

of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2008 were passen-ger vehicle occupants.

The number of drivers

ages 15-20 involved in fatal crashes totaled 5,864 in 2008,

down 16% from 6,982 in 2007 and down 26% from 7,987 in 1998.

Statistics show that 16 and 17-year-old

driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.

In states with GDL programs that include

at least five of the most important elements, there was a 20% reduction in fatal crashes

involving 16-year-old drivers.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, in 2008:

Hand-held cell phone use was highest among 16 - 24-year-olds (8% in 2008, down from 9% in 2007).

55% of the 3,678 occupants

of passenger vehicles ages 16-20 who were killed in crashes were not buckled up.

Jamie

Varghese

Julia

Sarah Basler

http://ww

w.rm

iia.org/auto/teens/Teen_Driving_S

tatistics.asp

Teen Driving Statistics

9

UA Fall into

Fall Fest

The Spirit Princesses in Perspective U rsuline is off of

school! Well, not yet, but there are plenty of other fun events to look forward to. This year, Ursuline has a new events coor-dinator, Jennie Picha. She has new activities lined up for Ursuline’s Fall Fes-tival this year, including co-ed kickball, hamster-ball racing and a 4-D movie experi-ence. Senior Katie Wittie said, “I did that at the zoo. It’s the best thing ever. It feels like you’re actually there.” But others look for-ward to trying something dif-ferent like junior Maura Kelly. She said, “ I have never been in a hamster ball, but I am going to try it.” Mrs. Picha said, “It will be a great day for UA and all our fami-lies.” She really got Ursuline excited when she dressed up in the “hoedown” theme at the pep rally! To get even more into theme, Ms. Albus coordinated a flash mob for all UA girls to participate in, dancing to “Cotton Eyed Joe.” Junior Anne Rauschenbach was relieved when she heard the flash mob dance was not part of the fall production and said, “I was glad because it was really hard.” Then she said, “I think it’s funny, and people are going to have fun with it.” A lot of girls practiced in their dance classes, but those who do not

take dance, practice was available during academic advisement. With all these dance practices for the flash mob, UA girls will be ready to hit the dance floor at Homecoming on Sep-tember 30.

Meg Haenchen

Bear Facts Staff

Writer

“I’m a cow- girl at heart.” She is ready to “have lots of fun and make lots of bank.”

“to get my class pumped for spirit week.”

“ I am going to put in 120%.”

Colleen McGovern Campaign Manager: Clair Burkemper

Heather Pesigan

Campaign Manager: Lexi Absolon

“ I have always had spirit.”

Marge Godfrey Campaign Manager: Erin McManus

Clair Mulligan Campaign Manager: Samantha Ross

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

F

EA

TU

RE

S

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

N

EW

S

10

UA Voyages to France meet her, along with all of her friends who were so nice and welcoming.” Desits said that there were hardly any stop signs on the road, and she never knew what to do; her host really helped her out. Ruggeri said, “My favorite part was the time we spent in Nantes with our host families because we got actually actually hang out with people our age and we weren’t on a strict schedule; after school ended, we were free to go with our correspondent anywhere. I mostly went shopping.” Both Desits and Ruggeri said that the one thing they remember most was the Eiffel Tower, lit up at night. Both Desits and Ruggeri said their French really improved while there; Ruggeri still talks to her French friends today. Overall they had a great time and said that they would never forget their trip to France. The dress was very different; everyone there dressed so formally

compared to the casual way we dress, said Desits. “The water was so blue that it didn’t seem real,” Desits said about Cassis. They both went to the Louvre and saw its beautiful art. Ruggeri said, “France was just amazing; it was almost surreal being there. Everywhere we went, we would say, ‘I’m shopping...in France.’” Desits also went to Notre Dame, which translates to “Our Lady,” and is a Gothic cathedral church. Desits also went to Sacre Coeur in Paris, and it is a sacred basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ruggeri said, “One thing that I really enjoyed was learning how to play rugby; I had never played before, and I love it now!” Maybe someday they will go back to France and remember all the great times they had in high school.

Olivia Passafiume

Bear Facts Staff Writer

O ver the summer several of our Ursuline Academy students had the opportunity to travel abroad. They got a chance to be independent and see the world in their own perspective. Altogether there were ten girls; the trip was planned for about a year before they actually went, and Ms. Gilligan and Sister Janet went on the trip as guides. Elizabeth Desits and Josephine Ruggeri both attended the trip to France. Both said that they wouldn’t have gone anywhere else; they loved France. Elizabeth Desists actually stayed an extra three weeks with a family friend. Ruggeri stayed for eighteen days with Constance Barbeau and said, “Constance was my correspondent and hosted me for the nine days in Nantes; we became friends instantly and had a great time together. I could not have asked for a better person to stay with and am so glad I was given the chance to

“If we can learn to be procrastinators, then we can unlearn the very behavior,” said psy-chologist B.F. Skinner. Why do people pro-crastinate? The definition, according to Mr. Kathriner, is as follows, “Procrastination is essentially putting things off (like homework or housework or chores) because we don’t want to do them. Perhaps we have too many things on our plate, too many other things to do.” Procrastination doesn’t affect all people, but teenagers are more subject to procrasti-nate. With technology, friends and jobs, teens have more rea-son to procrastinate. What is the psychology b e h in d p r o c r a s t i n a t i on ? “According to psychologists, there are many factors that may cause people to procrastinate. For ex-ample, [psychologist] Sigmund Freud might say that if we are under too much pressure (with work, jobs, family) our unconscious mind might deny that these priorities exist,” Mr. Kathriner said. “[However] B.F. Skinner might suggest that people learn to procrasti-nate because they have been allowed to do so, therefore reinforcing procrastinating behav-ior.” Most students may procrastinate be-cause they have more to procrastinate over. Senior Alicen Moser said, “[Procrastination]

most certainly keeps me from getting things in on time. . . and getting to class on time. . . and from doing just about anything in a timely manner.” Life as a senior has really started to kick in as Moser stated, “Somehow the idea got into my head that life should be fun 24/7, so if I’m faced with something not fun, like

homework, I’ll put it off and say that I deserve to play instead of work.” She then went on to say, “All you ever hear about senior year is that it is nonstop fun and parties all the time,

and then after twelve years of school, you think, ‘I’ve paid my dues! I shouldn’t have to do this!’ … so you don’t.” How do students and

o t h e r s stop procrastinating? Mr Kathriner agrees with B.F. Skinner’s idea that “We can learn to be procrastinators, then we can unlearn the very behavior.” So with enough study skills and practice, one can re-verse his or her procrastinating ways.

Ann Wolf

Bear Facts Art Editor

The Psychology of Procrastination

“If we can learn to be procrastinators,

then we can unlearn the very

behavior.” ~ B.F. Skinner

Some Things to Think About . . .

How long do you stay connected? Three to four hours a day? Maybe more? Do you procrastinate? How so? Does it effect your work? Do you ever ponder about ways to stop procrastinating? Answering these question could help on the quest to stop procrastinating.

Many people do it, but why? Facebook, texting, family, friends and television are all culprits of distraction, but what is the reasoning behind it?

11

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

F

EA

TU

RE

S

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

N

EW

S

12

Things seniors want to do before graduation...

Dear Class of 2012,

This is it, our senior year. The Class of 2012 has waited for this moment for three long years. Our class has studied hard, learned new things and experienced the great days of high school. So what’s next? How do we make our senior year memorable? Go beyond the ordinary to accomplish all that you have wanted before senior year ends. Have fun and remember to always be true to yourself!

Love, your Editor-in-Chief,

Brooke Messmer

1 Abby Wertenberger: “Make memories with all the girls in the senior class before we head our separate ways.”

2 Madeline Davis: “I would like to have a last hour or two with our whole class eating dinner or watching a slide show of the past four years.”

3 Katie Tichacek: “I want to make my mark on the school. I don’t want to feel like it was all for noth-ing.”

4 Tara Rice: “I want to make memories, have a great time.”

5 Olivia Cunio: “Slip n’ slide on the breezeway.”

Seniors Abby Wertenberger ,Tara Rice and Madeline Davis , are excited for senior year.

Photos by: Brooke Messmer

6 Shelby Marsh: “Make a differ-ence!!!”

7 Natalie Williams: “School-wise: to get all As.”

8 Morgan Baer: “Fall into the pond on front campus.”

9 Lauren VonOehsen: “I want to do an amazing senior prank that no one will forget.”

10 Tara Langan: “I would like to have at least one big party at my newly finished house before graduation.”

EN

TE

RT

AIN

ME

NT

F

EA

TU

RE

S

ST

UD

EN

T L

IFE

NE

WS

14

H arry Potter has been a part of many stu-

dents’ lives almost since they learned to read. The engaging plotline got children the world over interested in read-ing. “Twilight,” much like Justin Beiber, is one of those love-it or hate-it things, but there is no de-nying that it, too, became a w o r l d w i d e p h e n o m e -non. Whatever shall high school students read, now that these two well-loved series are end-ing? Read on, and find some books (that are coming to the sil-ver screen soon!) to get your Boy-Who-Lived and sparkly vampire fix. 1. “The Hunger Games” Every year, one boy and one girl must fight to the death in a tele-vised event, brought to you by the Capitol, the evil government in charge of the land of Panem (formerly known as North Amer-ica). Potter Factor (Well, really Twilight factor): Romance blooms as these young adults fight for their lives. Sound famil-iar? 2. “Artemis Fowl” Eion Colfer’s novel follows the rich, bored, 12-year-old Artemis Fowl as he interacts with various magical creatures, such as a feisty elf, a centaur and a kleptomaniac dwarf. Potter Factor: Magical creature, young boy who goes on adventure and characters with Potter-sounding names like Mi-nerva Paradiso and Aloysius

Maguire give this a high Potter rating. 3. “Percy Jackson” This one is fairly well known as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, the son of the water god Poseidon, fights various mythological beasts and interacts with other Greek gods. Potter Factor: Young boy, super-natural adventure, famous-because-of-parents, yup, this one’s a shoo-in. 4. “The Hobbit” While not technically a new book, “The Hobbit” was written as a prequel for the J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series. The novel follows Bilbo Baggins (Frodo’s uncle) as he first discov-ers the ring and meets some char-acters who become familiar friends. Potter Factor: Not as high as others, but the classical appeal of this book, coupled with the elements of the supernatural, still gives Potter fans an engaging read. 5. “Skulduggery Pleasant” Irish playwright Derek Landry’s five-book series follows undead wizard detective Skulduggery Pleasant and his partner Stepha-nie Edgely as they try to prevent an evil sorcerer from unleashing a weapon of mass destruction on the world. Potter Factor: High, because, c’mon, a battle between good and evil? That is the stuff of t h e w i z a r d i n g w o r l d . Inspiration from www.metro.us and www.totalfilm.com.

Ann Slesinski

Bear Facts Copy Editor

The Next Harry Potter? Interested? Here are some quotes! “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games.”

-Peeta Mellark, “The Hunger Games”

“If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose then I'm mad. That's the way his-tory is written."

-Artemis Fowl, “Artemis Fowl” “Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment was stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' under-wear?”

-Percy Jackson, “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”

“I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”

-Bilbo Baggins, “The Fellowship of the Rings”

Valkyrie risked a look up at Skul-duggery. “What is it?” she whispered. “It’s a box,” he whispered back. “ W h a t k i n d o f b o x ? ” “A wooden one.” She gave him a look. “OK, I’ll try this. Why are we hiding from a box?” “We’re not. We’re hiding from what’s inside the box.”

-Stephanie (Valkyrie), Skuldug-gery Pleasant, “”Death Bringer”

The Search is On!

13

11 Krista Schaeffer: “I want to party as much as I can before gradua-tion, get more involved in school activities and make a ‘Senior Bucket list.’”

12 Kaitie Witte: “Hang out as much as possible with Ursuline girls.”

13 Claire Burkemper: “Have a dance party in the cafe-teria.”

14 Erin Dorsey: “Skip lunch and go out to eat with Vern instead.”

15

Cassy Herrin: “I would like to participate in ALL of the school activities I am pas-sionate about.”

16 Ali Moser: “Learn every-one’s full name.”

17 Christina Cejas: “Fish in the pond.”

18 Annie Dohle: “I would want to play

hide and seek at school!”

19 Maddy Intagliata: “Get Vern to Bernie!”

20 Lexi Eilers: “Before graduation I would like to bond with people in our class and make new and lasting friendships which I know sounds cliché, but now is the time we build friendships that we will have for the rest of our lives.”

21 Kara Trittler: “Do something fun as a class!”

22 Lexi Paslawski: “Skydiving!”

23 E l l e n Z u f a l l : “Learn everyone in t h e s c h o o l ’ s name, and I will do it.”

Casey Chalupny: “I would like to try to get to know more girls in my class.”

24

25 Shannon Strawhun: “I’d like to have a wild night out with my friends.”

26

Colleen McGovern: “I would like to dance so badly that the cops have to breathalyze me because they think I’m crazy drunk. Really, I’m just a bad dancer.”

27 Caroline Brockhaus: “I would like to jerk (the dance) in the middle of a circle at a dance…never could gather the guts to do it because of my crazy jerking skills.”

28 Maddie Friedmann: “WIN STATE!!!!”

29 Caitlin Dempsey: “I want to travel outside the country.”

30 Molly Rathert: “I want to get to know every sin-gle person in my class very well. I want to swim in the pond. Hide the mannequin Sybel. Have an all-nighter sleepover with every single UA sen-ior. Have the best senior follies of ALL TIME.”

T he lights go out, and the cheering crescendos into a deafening roar. The band comes on, and ecstasy ensues. Frequent concert goers will

tell you that there is a distinct difference be-tween the studio version of songs and hearing the band live. Perhaps the disparity has noth-ing to do with the differences in sound, but rather the experience of a life changing con-cert. Claire Boxdorfer and Mr. Kathriner shared vital information about this scintillat-ing topic: concerts. Yearning to tap into the music scene here at St. Louis? Talk to Claire Boxdorfer. She has the scoop when it comes to being a world-class concert junkie. It seems like a fulltime job. Boxdorfer is part of an Inbox on Facebook solely dedicated to discuss upcoming concerts. She routinely checks the web-sites of venues and touring bands. “I go to a concert about once every two weeks.” Be-cause this is an expensive habit, there must be a reason she keeps going back. Concerts allow fans to get personal with their favorite bands. For Boxdorfer, some of her greatest memories are from her first Warped Tour. From the start, Boxdorfer said she felt right at home with the festival’s unique slogan, “Misfit Circus,” indicating the rowdy, funky crowd. Playing there was the band Never Shout Never. This band’s show started Boxdorfer’s love affair with concerts. The live music she was able not only to listen to but also experience, lit a fire that hasn’t stopped burning. Boxdorfer continues to jam out and dance like a maniac at every concert

Being a Concert Junkie

possible. It is no secret that Mr. Kathriner is in a band himself: Colonel Ford. “I don’t know why I’m not rich and famous,” Mr. Kathriner joked. He admitted that he deeply enjoys the music he creates. He added insight to the full understanding of live music with his perspec-tive as both a musician and music lover. Growing up, Mr. Kathriner’s and his friends’ favorite pastime was going to concerts. They went to any show they could, regardless as to whether they liked the band or not. Before he and his wife had kids, they also went to many shows together. Mr. Kathriner’s favorite band he has seen live is the Rolling Stones

(1960-1978). While see-ing the Rolling Stones at a small venue was the most exciting concert he has been to, it was not the most spiritually mov-ing. Seeing Gillian Welch, a different kind of artist, connected with him on an emotional level. There are the concerts that

make one want to dance, and there are con-certs that make one want to cry. Sometimes they do both. Seeing a band live is living the band’s music, the ultimate surround sound. The feeling of the words and reverberating noise fill you up. The audience becomes a part of everyone else at the show and the music it-self. Concerts bring people together and al-low them to lose and find themselves at the same time. Now is the time to start booking tickets to the next concert!

Betsy Kennedy

Bear Facts Staff Writer

“I don’t know why I’m not rich

and famous.” -Mr. Kathriner

UA Loves Concerts

Emily Markarian, Josie Ruggeri, Abbey Manley, Becca James at the Mike Posner Concert!

Emily Markarian and Kayla Drury rockin’ out at a concert!

Claire Boxdorfer crowd surfing to We the Kings' “We'll be a Dream” - stl warped tour 2010

Brooke Elsner, Taylor Nichol-son, Natalie Mene, Jenna Bradenberg and Erin Cicotte pose at a concert!

John Gomez and Claire Boxdorfer at the Chicago Warped Tour 2010

Gabby Bernier and Claire Boxdorfer at Warped Tour 2011; notice the VIP brace-lets.

Eve Maret and Betsy Kennedy with Andrew Vanwyngar-den of MGMT.