Closure of Ursuline High School

The closing of Ursuline High School, a local academic institution that many perceived as unshakable, came as a sobering surprise to the Ursuline and Cardinal Newman High School communities. Cardinal Newman’s subsequent announcement to accept female students garnered mixed emotions among the Newman students and did little to calm the anxiety of many Ursuline students. The hastily made decision to accept students left many questions in the minds of Cardinal Newman students concerning logistics as well as the overall identity of the school. The campus of Cardinal Newman has little room to accommodate more that its current four hundred students and the addition of three hundred more would undoubtedly require a major addition to the campus. There are other concerns as well including the addition of girl’s locker rooms and the fate of the Ursuline campus and faculty, but these concerns seem to be trumped by the anxiety of both students over what could be a potential loss of school identity.

When conversing with Newman and Ursuline students alike, the topic of school pride will almost certainly come up and this potential loss of pride and identity has become an issue of distress for many students. Being a Cardinal Newman student, I can only accurately attest to the collective feelings on the Cardinal Newman campus which are ones of great apprehension. Understandably the young male population on campus looks forward to the addition of females, but there are still melancholic feelings towards the ending of such a prolific all male institution. We as Cardinal Newman students truly embraced our masculinity and the testosterone driven environment that helps foster a spirit of friendly competition and achievement. Many students fear that the addition of females will serve as the ultimate end to this unique dynamic. The Ursuline students share a similar concern over school identity as evidenced in the student organized protests held in front of the administration buildings. There is also anxiety about the legacy of both schools and the integration of traditions unique to each school including mascots and the preservation of the Ursuline name.

In the upcoming months some of the most important decisions concerning this merger will be made. It is of immense importance that students make themselves heard and push to have their concerns addressed and ideas incorporated. It is important we remember the model of the education of the whole person that both these schools were founded on. I believe this ideal is still present in the administrations of both these schools and it is imperative that we trust that the best interests of the students will always be in the forefront of their minds. Although I still have mixed feelings about the integration of Ursuline with the school I love so dearly, I am proud my school is willing to help its neighbor when it has fallen. I feel it is a perfect exhibition of the altruistic spirit that is so greatly encouraged in the Catholic school curriculum. In the coming months there will be sweeping changes around the Newman and Ursuline campuses, but I trust in the resilience of students from both schools and know that they will face the upcoming challenges with great vigor, passion, and in a manner that will make us all very proud.

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THE CLOSING OF URSULINE BY RYAN PARRY

The closing of Ursuline High School, a local academic institution that many perceived as unshakable, came as a sobering surprise to the Ursuline and Cardinal Newman High School communities. Cardinal Newman’s subsequent announcement to accept female students garnered mixed emotions among the Newman students and did little to calm the anxiety of many Ursuline students. The hastily made decision to accept students left many questions in the minds of Cardinal Newman students concerning logistics as well as the overall identity of the school. The campus of Cardinal Newman has little room to accommodate more that its current four hundred students and the addition of three hundred more would undoubtedly require a major addition to the campus. There are other concerns as well including the addition of girl’s locker rooms and the fate of the Ursuline campus and faculty, but these concerns seem to be trumped by the anxiety of both students over what could be a potential loss of school identity. When conversing with Newman and Ursuline students alike, the topic of school pride will almost certainly come up and this potential loss of pride and identity has become an issue of distress for many students. Being a Cardinal Newman student, I can only accurately attest to the collective feelings on the Cardinal Newman campus which are ones of great apprehension. Understandably the young male population on campus looks forward to the addition of females, but there are still melancholic feelings towards the ending of such a prolific all male institution. We as Cardinal Newman students truly embraced our masculinity and the testosterone driven environment that helps foster a spirit of friendly competition and achievement. Many students fear that the addition of females will serve as the ultimate end to this unique dynamic. The Ursuline students share a similar concern over school identity as evidenced in the student organized protests held in front of the administration buildings. There is also anxiety about the legacy of both schools and the integration of traditions unique to each school including mascots and the preservation of the Ursuline name. In the upcoming months some of the most important decisions concerning this merger will be made. It is of immense importance that students make themselves heard and push to have their concerns addressed and ideas incorporated. It is important we remember the model of the education of the whole person that both these schools were founded on. I believe this ideal is still present in the administrations of both these schools and it is imperative that we trust that the best interests of the students will always be in the forefront of their minds. Although I still have mixed feelings about the integration of Ursuline with the school I love so dearly, I am proud my school is willing to help its neighbor when it has fallen. I feel it is a perfect exhibition of the altruistic spirit that is so greatly encouraged in the Catholic school curriculum. In the coming months there will be sweeping changes around the Newman and Ursuline campuses, but I trust in the resilience of students from both schools and know that they will face the upcoming challenges with great vigor, passion, and in a manner that will make us all very proud.