It’s not a day off; it’s a day on!

Classes at Ursinus College are cancelled on the 23^rd of April due to an annual student event. The third annual Celebration Of Student Achievement (COSA) will be taking place. Individual students who either volunteer to present or are selected by their professors give presentations and performances throughout the day. The presentations will range from performances by the a capella choirs B-Naturals and Bearitones to presentations of scientific research.

Junior Biology major Laura Ng spent the fall 2007 semester abroad with the UC in Florence program. She wants to share all her adventures with the campus as an extension of her Italian language independent study with Professor Giovanna Steyaert. The main focus of her presentation will be on cultural differences between America and Italy. Two main differences are transportation and eating habits. For example, when it came to transportation, she said that it was very easy to get around. In Florence, there was an elaborate bus system, and that plane travel around Europe was very cheap, unlike here. “I also want to practice my Italian.” Her entire presentation will be given in Italian.

What would you get out of a French short story class here at Ursinus College? Student Matt Whitman is getting a lot out of this class as he relates his presentation to areas of interest in his own life. His COSA topic is in regards to a French novel called Jonas Ou L’artiste qui travaille which translates in English to Jonas or artist at work. He will be presenting the themes, characters, and plots of the story at 1:00 PM. The story is about an unknown French painter who becomes successful and loses his passion for the art. Whitman connects the artist to small time bands he enjoys listening to. Such bands display much originality when they are unknown but tend to lose it when they become famous and conform to ideasa the media presents. Whitman has good reasons for taking this task of presenting on. He says, “It’s a way for me to practice giving presentations. I’m not a great public speaker and this can only help.”

Feminist research reflects the earlier intentions of feminism to raise consciousness for the purpose of understanding and making change possible. Ursinus College student, Danielle Langdon feels that through her COSA piece, Dance Feminism, she can make way and open the door for a world Ursinus never seen before. “I have been studying feminism all through college so I had a lot to say. Katie Fritz and I choreographed and cut and edited a video clip. We both have been a part of Escape Velocity here at Ursinus all 4 years so we just wanted to do a senior project. We combined forces to make a stronger piece together.” said Danielle Langdon. The methodology of feminism is to examine critically the social and cultural forces and discourses of power and construct our (women) being in the world. Langdon does not consider herself to be a feminist but fights for feministic issues because she is a woman. “The woman’s body has been objectified for years. I don’t see myself as an object. I believe and intend to be a dancer so that’s what I am. I have created a piece that is avant garde and risqué- to shock the audience and open the door here for others at Ursinus College,” Danielle concluded.

These COSA presentations seem promising and appealing to students because of their original and interesting topics. These are only three of the many presentations that will go on throughout the day. It’s not a day off; it’s a day on.

Good things Come in Fours for Ursinus College Sports

Fourth place was the popular finish for Ursinus sports. The gymnastics team finished their season this past weekend in Cortland New York with a fourth place finish at the NCGA Championships, falling short to the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. The basketball team also took

fourth place at the Final Four National Championships in Salem Virginia on March 21 and 22,after being defeated in their two games.

The gymnastics team won the Eastern Conference Championships on March 15 qualifying them into Nationals. With a

great showing, and one of their top scores of the season, they achieved fourth place of six teams. Their score of 188.05 was only about a point away from the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse who won the competition. The scores were close and the competition was tight.

The six teams competing in the competition were the best three from the East and from the west. On the east side were Ursinus College, the State University of Brockport taking 2^nd place, and the State University of Cortland taking 3^rd place. From the west were the champs from the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse, the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, and the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.

The basketball team traveled further into their season then ever before; the bears haven’t made it to the final four since 1981. They played their first game against Amherst College on Friday the 21^st and fell short. On Saturday the 22^nd, they met top-ranked Hope College on the court losing 86-100.

Both the Gymnastics team and the Basketball team had excellent showings for Ursinus College. Individually, they both excelled as well.

For the lady Bears, Sophomore Olivia Oller holds the Cinderella story. She is now the individual NCGA National Champion, with a score of

38.3. This season was the first where she competed as an all around gymnast, doing all four of the events, vault,

bars, beam, and floor. Olivia says, “For me gymnastics is not just a sport but something I love to do... I guess what helpe

d me win was the love I have for the sport and the amount of fun I had with the team. For me winning was amazing, completely unexpected, and just the icing on the cake to an amazing season with the team!”

Senior Briana Morriss

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and Sophomore Kira Oldham-Curtis also placed in the top individual spot light. Kira taking 2^nd place just below Olivia with a 38.25, and Briana taking 4^th place with a 38.1. Individually, the Bears were on top.

On the court, the bears unfortunately had to take senior and all-time leading scorer Nick Shattuck out of the game right in the beginning. He has been playing on two bad ankles for the past two weekends and was forced to end his career with 1973 points.

Junior Guard John Noonan earned top points scoring 24, the team high and Sophomore Matt Howel with 13 points. Scoring 10 points each were sophomore Remy Cousart, senior Sean Butkus, and junior Eric Burnette.

Both excellent showings in 2008 for Ursinus College, the Gymnastics team and the Basketball team look forward to even more accomplishments in 2009.

Beware of the Bears: Ursinus Gymnastics on a Mission

The Ursinus gymnastics team is headed full speed into the 2008 Division III ECAC Championships with top competitor Bree Morrissey, determined to receive a spot to nationals. On March 15, the bears will be aiming for a top 3 finish from these championships at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

The girls have high hopes for what’s next. Kira Oldham-Curtis, a sophomore on the team, says “We’re a crazy group of girls, but we work hard.”

This season has been hectic for the bears as the regular season meets are coming to a close, and the crucial ECAC Championships approach that will include all Division III gymnastics teams on the East Coast; Ursinus, Springfield, Brockport, Wilson, MIT, Ithaca, Cortland, and Rhode Island College.

The highlight of their season so far came at the University of Pennsylvania on February 9. The bears scored their highest for the season, a 187.95, as well as took first place of four teams. A score like this one would secure a place to nationals at the ECAC’s championships.

The Ursinus Gymnastics team has had four of their teammates named ECAC Gymnast of the Week so far this season already. Kira Oldham-Curtis, Olivia Oller, freshman Erin Slaunwhite, and the most recently named was Briana Morrissey, a senior who is highly talented and an asset to the team.

Described by her teammate Olivia Oller, “Bree’s an amazing gymnast who through thick and thin can do whatever she puts her mind to.” Always putting up high scores and impressing the crowd, she’s the Kerri Strug of the team; nothing’s going to stop her and she’ll always pull through rough times. Kerri Strug secured Olympic Gold for the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team in 1996 after injuring her ankle on her first vault and miraculously sticking her second one cold. Briana was the National Champion on floor exercise last year, competing with a broken hand. It’ll be exciting to see what Bree can do this season at ECAC’s and the NCGA Championships to finish out her collegiate gymnastics career.

Last year, the team took a disappointing second place finish to the University of Wisconsin oshkosh at the NCGA Championships. They had a great day of competition and new they were close to a win. They fell short just by a tenth of a point and proudly took second. Hoping for a different outcome this year, the bears are working hard to reach a goal.

The Ursinus Gymnastics team has potential to do something great this year and must show it at the ECAC Championships. Only three teams, as well as individual high scorers, will get to travel to Nationals. When asked the potential of the team for the end of the season, Gianna Paone, a sophomore member of the team says, “we were only a tenth out of first place last year and we plan on doing whatever it takes to claim it this year. I think we have a definite shot at it.”

Wearing their team t-shirts, with their phrase of the year on the back stating “every .01 counts,” the bears will strive for their spot to Nationals on March 15.

Americans Love Burgers: But Be Careful!

Americans love to eat hamburgers. A barbecue in the nice weather with family and friends is something I’m sure we all love. A nice juicy burger to bite into stacked with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and any other fixings of your choice. Homemade hamburgers are a treat but more commonly we depend on others for our burger supply. A quick stop at the fast food joint of your choice to grab a quick burger couldn’t be any easier. There’s so many to choose from, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Burger King, and soon.

There’s nothing like a fast food burger. Americans order them on a daily basis with out thinking twice. Recently, an article for msnbc was written about the scares of E. Coli in restaurants. Written by Tom Groneberg, he claims that “just .05 percent of U.S. beef is tested for deadly bacteria. That fact alone proves we should all think twice before gorging on an appealing burger.

Groneberg and his friend entered a Café in Missoula, Montana in search of a bite to eat. His friend tried to order a burger but was shut down when he learned they were unable to supply them due to the mad cow disease scare. E. coli or Escherichia coliform is the bacteria behind the recalls. They were classified as the most dangerous thing to order on the menu.

Something must be terribly wrong when an American has to think twice about eating a burger. From June to September of 2007, the scare prevailed when contaminated beef sickened fifty-five people. This certainly shook up the USDA.

But do average Americans really question their burgers before taking a first bite. On the campus of Ursinus College, the main burger supplier is the Grill 155 of the Zack’s Food Court. They sell chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, cheese steaks, and the infamous burger. They say their burgers are “grilled to perfection,” but do students trust this theory?

When talking to a couple of close friends, and observing the amount of burgers being made in Zack’s, it has become evident that the students on this campus don’t think twice before they order a burger. It’s simply a treat to have a
burger for dinner similar to a fast food style burger. During an average week, one student says she orders one about twice, and they’re usually delicious.

Students are unsure of the details about the burgers and the grade level of them. Many ask for their burgers to be well done. Sometimes, they aren’t cooked thoroughly and this does create worry for some students on campus. But simply over cooking the burgers cannot be seen as a solution or prevention to this problem.

Americans should think twice about eating burgers, or any kind of beef. It may not be easy to turn down ordering a burger but E. Coli is present and could potentially sicken anyone. Whether it’s homemade, from a fast food restaurant, or even from a college campus, we really aren’t sure just what we’re biting into.

Lip Gloss in your Diet

We thought it was just Americans, but the whole world is concerned with weight. They want the fastest way to drop those pounds and the fastest way for a skinny toned body. Fuze lip-gloss is here to save the day. A new product that can help drop those unwanted pounds for girls everywhere!

There are models all over the world displaying bodies that may even be too skinny. Girls admire these models and want to be just like them. A product like Fuze lip-gloss can make a girl feel good and productive at the same time. They have shiny lips, and their bodies can be in the verge of a major break through too.

The weight loss ideas keep get crazier and crazier. Lip Gloss in your diet is a little out there, but could make sense to young girls. Many are willing to try anything, especially if sounds appealing and will improve your look even more. Experts are questioning it’s ability to drop the pounds and are convinced its not quite right. Let’s leave it to the girls of the world to decide whether it trims up their bodies.

Lip Gloss in your Diet: Weird Weight Loss Ideas

It’s no longer just dieting and exercising. We all want those perfectly toned bodies for a day at the beach. A simple diet and a workout a few times a week used to be enough. In the world we live in today with models and celebrities setting such high standards, it’s hard for people not to have the same desire. But not everyone has money like celebrities for personal trainers and things of that nature, so people are turning to other crazy weight loss ideas to get on the fast track to a skinny toned body.

One of the wackiest ideas yet, Fuze lip gloss in your diet with nutritional value to burn calories. Americans all over the country are striving to find those quick-fix diet ideas that will help them lose weight, and fast! For some time now, Americans have been struggling with weight loss and quick calorie burning ideas like lip gloss are appealing. All you have to do is put on lip gloss to lose weight, seems pretty simple. Unfortunately, experts say it’s bogus. The idea that enough of this lip gloss is ingested to successfully burn calories is ridiculous.

The wacky ideas to lose weight get even wackier then lip gloss. You can now even wash yourself to a trimmed body with a special weight loss soap claiming to make the body slender. It’s supposed to make you feel good and relaxed.

Now we can tan and lose weight at the same time too. Ever feel lazy and unproductive when lying on the beach getting a tan? Don’t feel lazy you’re losing weight at the same time. A tanning spray is now out there that ultimately tans you and trims you as you lay in the sun. Getting up and playing some beach volleyball would be out of the question I’m sure.

The ideas get crazier and crazier. Caffeine filled tights to be worn as a source of weight loss. This idea seems a little less drastic as the others but also even more hard to believe. Tights with caffeine in them can make you lose weight? Not only do they hide your nasty cellulite, but they burn fat too.

It seems crazy all these paths people will take just to get slim hips. It can even be scary how far and how willing people are to go to get there. Not only are people using these wacky ideas that seem rather harmless, teens may be taking another turn. Cigarettes have become a source of weight loss. Teenage girls who are concerned with weight loss are more likely to smoke cigarettes then the girls with fewer concerns. Ideas for weight loss can get dangerous when teens feel the pressure to be trim.

There’s harmful ways out there to lose weight as well as crazy ones that most likely don’t work. Unfortunately people, especially young girls, are willing to try anything. What happened to good old fashioned healthy eating and regular exercising?

Greek Life: Does the good outweigh the bad?

Greek life on college campuses are causing more problems then not. Hazing has always been a major issue like in the recent Clemson University case. Three frat brothers were charged with misdemeanors due to the recent death of Benjamin Garison Sprague. At an off-campus party at the Walhalla, South Carolina school, the 18-year-old died on December 9 from an alcohol overdose. He had an astonishing blood alcohol level of .038.

Recently all pledging for Greek life at Ursinus College was put on hold by authority figures. The fraternities and sororities had to decide whether to let pledges in after just one week. Unfortunately, hazing isn’t the only problem that comes along with Greek life. There are other negative aspects as well as some positive ones.

The time commitment factor is a large issue; most full time college students don’t have that much free time to begin with. Entering into the Greek life takes a lot of time, especially in the beginning with rushing and pledging. Once in, there are social events, meetings, and activities to keep up with.

College students are always scrounging for money and Greek life often requires money here and there. Initiation fees, formal attire, social events, and others. College students are no where near rich and ready to pay money.

Image problems, willpower, insularity, and academics are other concerns of Greek life. Greek affiliation can cause problems with those not involved in it; other friends perhaps. Temptations and pressure for drugs, alcohol, and sex are present and strong willpower is needed to keep student son the right track. Grades also vary through Greek life; so are sure to keep their members grades up, others not so much.

Right now, Greek life is looking pretty bad, but there are some advantages to joining an organization. Greek life is a great way to meet people and be socially active. Close bonds are formed like a brotherhood/sisterhood based on individualism and mutual cooperation. This new found family participates in all kinds of social events to interact with more people; often the opposite sex.

Academics and future career networking is up there too. Members are encouraged to achieve high grades; they have peer tutoring, study hours, and upperclassman counseling. They also have the networking capabilities of finding a good job after college. Using the alumni and resources, you could find your big break.

Every member will learn leadership and organization skills when they are in charge of an activity; could be an event or a committee. Many famous people were involved in Greek life; Courtney Cox, Katie Couric, Elvis Presley, Terry Bradshaw.

Fraternities and sororities do a great deal of community service. They work together to help the surrounding public. They also participate in numerous intramural sports and tournaments.

So the disadvantages and advantages are out in the open, and surprisingly there is a great deal of good. There are the bad aspects as well, and the fact that Greek life isn’t just for anybody. Be smart, weight the pros and cons before joining and make sure it’s for you.

Economic Benefits to keep the Amazon alive




















Imagine that medicine you take on a daily basis disapears with the rainforest. Authorities are doing everything they can to stop the deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. It took a turn for the worst in the ending months of 2007, and was a poor way to begin the New Year. Farmers would like to use this land to produce soy, raise cattle, and the beef export industry is in a recent bloom. Authorities are taking immediate precaution by monitoring the area. Many people are unaware of the many benefits of the rainforest, and should become aware. This could lead to less deforestation and more benefits for Brazil as well as other countries. The rainforest at this point is more valuable alive then not. The Amazon has benefits through plants, drugs coming from these plants, and a variety of herbs.


Exotic Plant Life

If you think you now your plants, I’m sure you don’t know the thousands upon thousands that live in the Amazon. It is true that a very small percentage of these have been tested for medical usages, and still the benefits overrule. Twenty-five percent of all medicines are linked back to the Amazon, and who’s to say there aren’t many more. High concentrations of energy and nutrients exist in the rainforest more then anywhere else. Some examples of these plants are una de gato, boldo, and suma. These are beneficial to common symptoms of ours such as inflammation, digestive disorders, and chronic fatigue. Many benefits lay with in these plants just waiting to be discovered.



















Bixa orellana

Useful Herbs

Herbs are heavily abundan in the Amazon as well. These herbs are rich with vitamins and minerals that are very good to our bodies. They can be used to fight common problems to the human body we deal with everyday. Some of these are issues with the menstrual cycle, benefits of the nervous system, increases in mental clarity and energy, benefits to the digestive system, muscle soothing, blood flow stimulation, immune system benefits, fatigue, and many more.

Common Drugs

The herbal qualities of these plants are high and have been being used for hundreds of years now. The quality is so high and so strong that if taken the wrong way, they can be deadly. These drugs are used in common situations we are aware of on a daily basis. They are often used in child birth, and birth control, Malaria, irregular heartbeats, many pain killers, skin irritations, relieve constipation, etcetera. Some of these drugs derived from plants may even be ones you have heard of such as the opium poppy, the foxglove, or the coca. These drugs are extremely useful, but if used in too high a dosage can be harmful to the body. All of these benefits to the world and we could lose them if sometihng isn’t done about it. The Amazon is known as the world’s greatest natural resource as well as a diverse natural phenomenon of our planet. The land has so much economic value, it is more beneficial to save the rainforest then allow this deforestation to move forward.



















The Opium Poppy

Check this out: Saving the Amazon Video