V-Day

Photo Source// Emily Lovell

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls. Regis University celebrated its 5th annual V-Day event on February 28, 2019 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. in the St. John Francis Regis Chapel. Admittance was only $2 and all proceeds were donated to The Empowerment Program, an organization that “provides education, employment assistance, health, housing referrals, and support services for women who are in disadvantaged positions due to incarceration, poverty, homelessness, HIV/AIDS infection, and/or involvement in the criminal justice system.”

All attendees were invited to bring toiletry items which would be donated to The Gathering Place, “Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women, children, and transgender individuals who are experiencing poverty or homelessness.” The items were also used to vote on art created by Regis students for the event. Desserts were served during a short intermission in which the winner of the art contest was announced.

Chris Pramuk, the Chair in Ignatian Thought, gave the opening remarks about how spirituality and sexuality are often placed in separate spheres but argued that sexuality is intertwined with spirituality. Therefore, he found it fitting that the event was taking place in the chapel (In previous years, it has been in the Mountain View Room).

Then, several Regis students performed powerful pieces of poetry, creative writing, and music. Some of the works were original, and others were written by the likes of Eve Ensler, whose poems “My Angry Vagina,” “Fur is Back,” and “My Revolution Begins in the Body” were featured. In fact, Ensler created V-Day in 1998 and is most well-known for her play The Vagina Monologues.

Alison McCarthy, the Assistant Director Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, concluded the event by thanking everyone who participated and reminded students of the resources available to them. Overall, it was a powerful evening full of thought-provoking art.

The Musical Journey of Jewish Music by Sémplice

By: Kamil Wojciak, Staff Writer

Sémplice, a group of musicians, performed six centuries worth of music (that ranges from the Renaissance to contemporary times) by Jewish composers. This performance was on February 27th, started at 7:30 PM, and was located at the Claver Recital Hall.

The main aspect of this performance was to show the audience the history of the Jewish music that we have today. After the round of introductions of the group members, they started with songs from the Renaissance era. The musical pieces played for the Renaissance era were composed between the 1400s and the 1600s. One famous composer from this period whose pieces were played was Thomas Lupo (“The Elder”), a violinist and musician for the King of England from 1603 to 1627. Thomas Lupo is important because he highly contributed to the growth of fantasias (musical compositions that rely on improvisation) and gave more recognition to the viol (a bow stringed instrument similar to the cello). The main instruments Sémplice played for the Renaissance era were the recorder, violin, lute, and cello.

After playing pieces from the Renaissance era, they immediately transitioned to the Baroque era; the era that is chronologically after the Renaissance era which began around  the 1600s and lasted until the mid 1700s. The first song played by Sémplice for the Baroque era was by Abraham Caceres (Casseres), a Jewish Dutch composer known for most of his works found in the early 1700s. During this era, the music of Jewish culture greatly expanded and evolved with the implementation of trio sonatas and the newer technology that accompanied music. For the trio sonatas played by Sémplice, the recorder and violin played the contrasting melodies, and the lute and cello played the bassline and harmonies for the pieces. Additionally, the harpsichord, an instrument that is part of the keyboard family, was used for part of the Baroque era songs.

One great example of music through which Sémplice showed the evolution and growth of Jewish music up until the Baroque era was their performance of George Frideric Handel’s trio sonatas. Handel, basically one of the pioneers of the trio sonata genre and the implementation of the harpsichord into trio sonatas, is the pure embodiment and representation of the Baroque era.

With all the pieces from the Renaissance and Baroque eras completed, the performance took a brief intermission for the final part: the Klezmer genre. For the final part of the performance, Sémplice members changed their outfits and instruments to accompany the contemporary pieces coming up. Personally, this was my favorite part of the whole performance, with its more modern roots (being from the 1900s) and the upbeat tone that differs from the Renaissance and Baroque eras of music. Instead of the common violin-based pieces the Renaissance and Baroque eras focused on, the Klezmer genre deviates from the common instruments by adding in the clarinet, tuba, and even the accordion. With its new instruments and unique musical tone, Klezmer received a rise and resurgence in the 1970s.

Finishing off the performance with a fun Klezmer song that included the audience’s participation, Sémplice caused the audience members to leave the concert hall with happy faces and great knowledge of the history of Jewish music. Sémplice provided a performance that highly exceeded expectations; one that was both entertaining and educational.

Drinking on campus? Cheers to that.

By: Emily Summers, Staff Writer

As many know, Regis University’s Student Center has recently undergone major renovations and is on its way to becoming the epicenter of student activity on campus. Adopting a sleek, modern look, the updated building has gone from “drab” to “fab" in a matter of months. Despite the project’s set completion date of 2020, many areas of the Student Center are already up and running, including the new Walker’s Pub.

Walker’s Pub, named after John Brisben Walker, the man who donated the initial 40 acres of farmland that Regis sits on today, was established in 2010. Over the last eight years, Walker’s Pub has been known as a hangout spot for students on campus and the home of RUSGA’s Thursday Thrills.

Formerly located just inside of the Student Center’s main entrance, Walker’s Pub has now moved to the furthermost south end of the building. Equipped with a new bar, fireplace, and pizza oven, this area has become a fan favorite among Regis students. Offering a wide variety of food and beverages, the newly renovated pub has become a campus hotspot for those looking to grab a beer or a quick bite to eat.

The food menu focuses on a selection of pizzas and calzones, made to order in the new fire oven. Also available are various sides, such as salads, breadsticks, and sandwiches. With new specials each week, the menu is ever-evolving and is sure to offer something that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds. In addition to dine-in services, students are able to call ahead and order entire pizzas.

There are a variety of beverages sold, including Novo coffee and local brews. With currently six beers on tap and three wines offered, the bar has similarly increased in popularity. It’s a great place to cheers the end of the week.

With a variety of food and beverages, along with frequent entertainment, Walker’s Pub has something for everyone. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. during weekdays and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends, Walker’s Pub holds opportunity for the Regis community to better connect. Grab beer with your friends, or meet with your professor over coffee. The new pub is incredibly versatile and provides the perfect meeting spot on campus.

As for the future of Walker’s Pub, Regis currently has no plans to expand it, but we can bet this isn’t the last of improvements. With the growing student population, additional improvements and renovations are sure to come.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting the new and improved Walker’s Pub: You’re missing out.

Cupid’s Carnival at the Ranger Dome

By: Kamil Wojciak, Staff Writer

On February 16th, an event called “Cupid’s Carnival” took place in the Ranger Dome from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM to celebrate the weekend of Valentine’s. This carnival had challenging games, roller skating, free caricatures, and more, with no cost whatsoever!

Starting at 6:30 PM, all of the carnival attractions of the were already prepared and ready! Starting off with the carnival games, some games at the carnival were the rifle range, skeeball, and the ball-in-tub toss. The rifle range at the carnival was one of the more popular attractions, because of its simple and fun game mechanic of shooting down domino-shaped blocks with a NERF (N-Strike Elite Mega Magnus) blaster. The skeeball and the ball-in-tub toss were also popular attractions, catching the authenticity of a real carnival by being one of the most challenging and frustrating games I ever played.

In addition to the carnival games, people had the possibility to earn tickets, depending on their performance on a game. With these tickets, people could obtain prizes, such as cute animal stickers.

Other than the carnival games, roller skating was an important aspect for “Cupid’s Carnival”. The most popular and biggest attraction, the roller skating rink, was filled with fun, loud music and Regis students. The roller skating rink was highly accessible to the public, with individuals easily obtaining roller skates from a counter with no constraints, and the roller skating rink itself was open with no physical boundaries (other than the walls of the Ranger Dome).

“Cupid’s Carnival” was a great way to end the Valentine’s week by having fun attractions, such as the carnival games and the roller skating, allowing the partakers of the event to relieve the tension they acquired from the week.

Oscar Contenders 2019

By Patrick O’Neill, Staff Writer

From Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody to Olivia Colman in The Favorite; from Black Panther to A Star is Born, the Oscars this year spotlight many great new films and many films that were less than great but still have their merits. So, before the Academy Awards this coming weekend lets take a look at some of the hottest films this year.

1)      Bohemian Rhapsody: The story of Freddie Mercury and Queen, bringing together the outstanding performance skills of Rami Malek (who definitely deserved his Golden Globe and BAFTA wins for best actor) and classic rock together creating what is effectively a dramatic masterpiece with austere colors and an iconic sound track. Bohemian Rhapsody is a cinematic experience that is magical in theatres and still magical anywhere else—the story of Freddie Mercury may not be wholly accurate according to some claims, but still has a gut-wrenching effect on the audience. I, personally, am rooting for Rami Malek for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Oscars this year.

2)      The Favorite: A personal favorite film of mine. Director, Yorgos Lanthimos brings together his dark style and humor into the world of period dramatics to produce a film that brings comedy and passion to the story of Queen Anne of England. Lanthimos uses blunt humor and dark tones to set the stage of the English palace which forms the scenes of The Favorite. This movie is a definite dark comic classic and I am definitely rooting for Olivia Colman for Best Actress in a Leading Role and her fellow actresses Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. The Favorite was also nominated for Best Picture and with its unique aesthetic values I believe it could be a win, but we’ll see. Fingers crossed.

3)      At Eternity’s Gate: Willem Dafoe stars in this biopic about Vincent van Gogh during his time living in parts of France. I haven’t seen this film yet, but it is evidently available on Amazon Prime. It has excellent reviews and Willem Dafoe was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role as well. I always appreciated Dafoe’s alluring presence in many of Wes Anderson’s films, but he surely blew the Academy out of the water with his depiction of van Gogh’s suffering.

4)      Mary Queen of Scots: Aside from the excellent costuming for which this film was nominated for an Academy Award, Mary Queen of Scots did not live up to the initial hype. Although I appreciate Saoirse Ronan’s portrayal of Queen Mary and Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Elizabeth I, I think the problem was in the script. The film seemed unnecessarily choppy in its dialogue and the development of the plot which is why I understand how the film got only about 6.4/10 stars on IMDB. By all means, see the film but know that I didn’t think it was all that and more as the previews suggested.

Many other films had nominations in the various categories such as Vice, Green Book, Isle of Dogs, Black Panther, Mary Poppins, Incredibles 2, and BlacKkKlansman. Many of these films deserve awards for their great performances, excellent style, and original scores. The Oscars occurs this coming Sunday February 24. I’ll be letting you know what I thought about the winners, after they’ve won this weekend. Stay tuned!