BULLDOG BULLETIN: FALL 2015
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The Light
New Edition of SUA's Student Newspaper
SUA Magazine
Saint Ursula Magazine - Fall 2014 

Thanks to the support of close to 1,500 donors, we exceeded our 2014-2015 Saint Ursula Fund goal of $450,000. We are so grateful for our continued alumnae support! With our new fiscal year under way, we hope we can count on your support again. Gifts can made safely and securely online HERE. Your gifts enhance the experience of every student, every day!
ALUMNAE NEWS
Reunion Weekend 2015 Recap

Thanks to everyone who made Reunion Weekend 2015 such a success! Activities kicked off at noon on Friday when we welcomed the Golden Anniversary Class of 1965 back to campus for their 50th Reunion Luncheon. What a lively bunch they are! Thirty members of the class were in attendance.



The fun continued that night at the 5th annual Girls' Night Out Bulldog Boutique! This is really turning into a can't-miss event! Over 200 guests enjoyed the vocal stylings of Gracie Willett '16 and Young Heirlooms and were treated to the aptly named "delish dishes" of Mavis Linnemann-Clark '02 and her team from The Delish Dish in Covington. Alumnae and current parents organized group outings and many were there until the last call! Thanks to everyone who came!

Saturday was a whirlwind of events beginning with an interactive campus tour featuring student tour guides, student department representatives, and alumnae faculty introducing proposed renovations for the future of Saint Ursula Academy. Following the tour, guests were invited up to the Ursuline Archives to spend time reminiscing and fact-checking with our very own beloved archivists. Later that afternoon, the weather took a turn, but we still managed to squeeze in a fun tailgate and our Bulldogs prevailed with a 6-1 win over Taylor High School.

We rounded the evening and the weekend off with Mass in the Chapel, class photos, a champagne reception in the Parlors, and individual class parties off campus. Hats off to you 0s and 5s! Save-the-date: Reunion Weekend 2016 will celebrate 1s and 6s on September 16-17.


Class of 1985's 30th Reunion

Saint Ursula Academy is excited to announce the 40 Friends Scholarship Program. We are seeking 39 people who are passionate about the value of Catholic education and who want to help a student who would otherwise not be able to afford a Saint Ursula Academy education due to financial limitations.

The group of 40 women and men and the student's family would:
* Give $40/month for 9 months over a 4-year period
* Thereby cover the student's tuition for all 4 years

The young woman (and her family) would be the 40th person contributing to her education for all four years.

We request your support of this worthy scholarship program. Should you have any questions, please contact, Tori Vogelgesang, SUA Alumnae Relations Director at (513) 961-3410, ext: 176 or tvogelgesang(@saintursula.org.
SCHOOL NEWSSchoolNews
Lasting Benefits of High School Sports
By Emilie Kilfoil '17

One of SUA's unique features is its ability to match the values of playing team sports with the importance of maintaining academic excellence. With the seemingly overwhelming amount of homework and other responsibilities that high school students face, adding daily sports practices into the mix might seem impossible. However, SUA students and alumnae, as well as new scientific studies, say that rather than distracting students from their schoolwork, playing sports may help them achieve higher grades and serve a multitude of other purposes.  

Maggie Prokop '10 says that in addition to " instilling  an invaluable confidence in her," playing golf for SUA helped her to focus more on school and improve her time management skills. After playing D1 golf for the University of Dayton, she was a first-year assistant coach for SUA's 2014 varsity golf team.
 
Science agrees with Prokop. Recent studies have shown that even small amounts of physical activity can increase students' ability to concentrate in a classroom environment, and for longer periods of time. According to a study commissioned by the Los Angeles Unified School District,
student-athletes  attend an average of 21 more days of school per year than those students who don't play sports. In addition, their GPAs are between 0.55 and 0.74 points higher than non-athletes.

Caitlin Kelly '15 has learned "how to be responsible and well-organized, as well as the value of working efficiently and effectively," skills which she will be able to use in college and beyond. Furthermore, she sees the relationships developed with upperclassmen as an opportunity to seek out help and advice, which makes for "a positive atmosphere of support and encouragement."

In addition to strengthening time management skills, physical activity in the form of sports prevents obesity and other chronic diseases and allows young athletes to get in the habit of exercising regularly. Moreover, it provides students with the desire and ability to continue physical activity into adulthood.

Ann Gartner '77, the current head swimming coach who played volleyball, basketball, softball, and track and field at SUA, comments that only 2 women were in charge of coaching all the sports while she was in high school and "their goals were to teach the athletes about life." The direct results of her time spent as an athlete at SUA are Gartner's ability to keep a fitness level and take on competitive, athletic endeavors, which have been an integral part of her life since high school.  95% of high school principals believe that participation in after-school activities such as sports teaches valuable life lessons that cannot be learned in a regular class, and 99% believe that playing sports promotes good citizenship.  Perhaps the benefit that most directly correlates to life beyond high school is developing a strong work ethic early on. 

Marie Foy '08, Assistant Reserve Coach of lacrosse at SUA, has learned that the first step to accomplishing any task is to be able to train for it and have faith in your ability to get it done. She further notes that concentrating on the little things can lead to big changes. At SUA, she focused on the basics daily at practice: catching and throwing. Without these skills, the more complex plays are impossible. "Like a lot of things in life, you have to build a solid foundation and master the fundamentals in order to continue to the next level." 

In conjunction with a solid work ethic, the set of teamwork and leadership skills that can be obtained by playing a sport is something that appeals to colleges and prospective employers alike.
 
Foy learned a lot from "working on teams with people who have different personalities and adapting to the team's strengths and weaknesses", which carries over into the working world, as "success is dependent on how well a team can work together."  Finally, Foy says that she learned how to "overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and rise above them.  Life throws you curveballs when you least expect it and playing high school sports gave her the strength to face these obstacles head-on and turn them into positive experiences."
 
Most SUA students are athletes, and over the years we have brought home a multitude of state championships and can count among our alumnae an Olympic athlete. Most importantly, however, our students share in the benefits of sportsmanship, leadership, good health, and teamwork.
UPCOMING EVENTSUpcomingEvents
It's time to register for the Warrior Run!
Saturday, October 10, 5:30 pm

Join us in supporting an SUA family! To register for the Saint Ursula Academy team, please click HERE and follow the instructions outlined below to ensure you get our team discount (see below!) on the race, t-shirt, and after-party package. Family and friends more than welcome!