An Interview with Kalon Creators (Part 1): Celine C.

By: Carly Compesi, Staff Writer

Carly: What inspired you to do this event?

Celine: Primarily to represent the diversity and showcase the diversity of students that we have here at Regis. I feel like it’s not brought to light as much as I want or other students want. I think it’s important to showcase and take pride in where you come from whether that be your own roots or your family’s roots or your parent’s roots because I think it’s something very beautiful to put out there. It definitely makes up a large portion of who a person is, so just to showcase that in a magazine or everybody to see is very important, especially in the times we’re living in now.

Carly: What is your goal for this project?

Celine: My goal for this project is to introduce a diverse range of students who are representing many countries from across the world. And to (hopefully!) take this magazine and convert it into a tradition where other students can hop onto the project and add their ideas to it. My hope is, by next year, we’ll have the magazine and, by the Fall of my junior year, we’ll have issue number 2. Hopefully, we either pick a theme to go with or allow more students to participate—I  feel like this time is kind of a trial run. Turns out, by the looks of it, the turn out today was pretty good. So those are my hopes. Just keep it going.

Carly: I heard the name [of this magazine] took a long time to pick out. Tell me about the name.

Celine: So the name--we were debating between so many names, but we definitely wanted to keep it kind of broad, just because a lot of countries are being represented, a lot of students are going to be represented. And we were not looking only looking to represent culture [and] heritage. We are definitely trying to represent students through religion or sexual orientation or any symbol that represents them. So the name “Kalon” in Latin means “beauty that is beyond skin deep” and we decided on that name because we wanted a formal name that we could use for every magazine—and then put a subtitle on it and change the issue number—just to keep the tradition going and kind of keep it sacred.

Carly: What would you tell someone who was interested in participating—especially if they feel like their culture is harder to see or present outwardly?

Celine: I would normally tell students who are interested but struggling to find pinpoints that are culture-related—because I feel like a lot of students thought that this was only culture and heritage-related—come and just find a symbol or anything that represents them. It doesn’t have to be culture, you know? We’re all unique. We’re all beautiful in different ways. I’ve just told them to show up [and] have fun with the photoshoot because it’s honestly just them showcasing who they are. A person is much more than a skin color. They are much more than their ethnic background or their social economic background.

Carly: When do you think people will get another opportunity to join and/or when can people access Kalon?

Celine: Hopefully, by early February, [we’re holding] another photoshoot to allow more students to participate—like a second round of photoshoots—before we go forward with formulating the magazine. My hope is by mid-March, the magazine will be done because, over the winter break, we’ll see the templates and layouts of how to design the magazine. 

Carly: Alright. Is there anything you want to add? Is there anyone you want to thank?

Celine: I would like to thank all of the affinity groups—SOMOS, ASA, BSA, QSA, the Sustainability Club. And honestly, everybody that’s been working—all the professors and the advisors who have come to show support. I think it’s pretty nice to have all of us united, so thanks to them for making it happen. Also, shout-out to the photographers. It was kind of hard to find a photographer, but the Highlander is helping us a lot.

Take Yourself Out on a Date

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor-in-Chief

Ever thought about taking yourself out on a date? In a society where it is so common to put others before yourself, or to wait on other people to invite you to do things, Risa Davis encourages others to take some time for themselves.

Risa started her self-date by putting on a cute outfit and taking a walk around campus to look at the fall colors. Then she took herself to an art gallery, then bought a handmade bracelet for herself because “if I was out with a friend we would probably buy bracelets, or with a guy… they usually get you something, so why can’t I do that for myself?” said Risa Davis. Afterwards, she went to a coffee shop, treated herself by getting her favorite drinks and snacks, then came back to campus and hung out. 

Risa continued to point out how she has a boyfriend as well as friends, but she realized that she finds herself often waiting on them to ask her to do things, and it dawned on her that she shouldn’t have to wait for someone to have fun with. 

“I think it is a lot easier to support others and want to hang out with them, I think it is harder to find that in yourself… it has been hard for me to find that in myself. It is really easy to make someone else the center of your world… I am so guilty of that, but I don’t want to do that anymore, I want people to be a part of my world, but not be what I am dependent on,” said Risa.

After realizing that she wants to prioritize herself more, Risa expressed reasons why she thinks it is important to be alone with yourself sometimes.

“At the end of the day we are our own people… I think it is great to share your life with other people, but I think we need to focus on our self-relationships more. Especially if you are religious, like you focus on your relationship with God, you focus on your relationship with friends… with family… with your significant other, literally everything and everyone but yourself,” said Risa. 

When it comes to how often she is going to take herself on a date, she said that she is going to try to match the pace at which she hands out with others. So, since she and her boyfriend do weekly dates, she is going to try to have weekly self-dates. 

“I think it is worthwhile because it is a challenge. Our instinct is to not to go have fun by yourself or treat yourself that way you would treat a friend, we hardly ever share that same level of compassion with ourselves, so I think it is something to try because it is a challenge and it shows that we can grow. I want to mature and I am going into my twenties, who do I want to be, how do I want to be, and I think at the end of the day I want to be someone who is comfortable with myself and I want to be who I am. And I don’t think I can find that by constantly hanging out with others or a boyfriend or something. I need to spend time alone, as challenging as that is. That is what I would tell others, that it is good growth and it is a good challenge, it’s hard, which means it is worthwhile I think,” said Risa. 

Self-dates can be a great way to “self-bond” and take some time to be comfortable with who you are when you aren’t around other people. It can also be very individual, and anyone can do it in their own way. Risa went to an art museum because she is an art major, and loves art, but anyone can tailor their own date to what they like. 

“If you are a history major, go to a history museum, or if you are a movie person stay in bed and watch shows and have your own popcorn and treats. I think it is such an individual thing that we could all be going on our fun dates and we could share the ideas with each other too, like ‘oh wow you painted your own nails and did this or that, I'll do that too.’ I think it would be cool if a lot of people did it, to then think about how we can all have fun,” said Risa.

KRCX Now Streaming

After an eternity of chaos and waiting, Regis University’s own KRCX Radio is finally back on the air! As many students know, Regis experienced a multitude of viruses last year, from cyber attackers to COVID-19. Although they set KRCX back much longer than expected, its DJ hosts are back and better than ever! Equipped with an abundance of individual shows and diversified music, KRCX is more than ready to bring back the positive energy that Regis University has been waiting for. Listeners can tune in to the live stream at krcx.org or follow the radio station’s antics @krcx on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook

Regis Woman in STEM - Julia Masciarelli

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

Not only is she a varsity athlete, maintaining good grades, taking masters classes, and working two jobs, but she is also leading the way for women in STEM. Meet Julia Masciarelli, the president of CyComp – Regis’ cyber security club. 

Her interest in computers was first sparked when she was young, around 4 or 5 years old when her dad, an aerospace engineer, first showed her a computer. He would show her his code and she wanted to know how he did it. 

“I played video games and just did stuff on the computer, but my first computer programming class was my junior year of high school. I just wanted to take it because I was interested, and I loved it. So, then I took it again senior year because it was the only class they had at my school, and I just went into it for college,” said Julia Masciarelli. 

She got involved with CyComp her second or third week of her freshman year when her RCC professor suggested she check it out and has been a part of it ever since. Soon enough she was competing and getting more involved. Come her sophomore year, she was elected as ambassador. 

“I knew I wanted to get more involved in the leadership position. I wouldn’t say I am the most technical person in the club, but I think I have a lot of good organizational skills and I wanted to use those for the club because it was pretty small and unorganized when I first started. Then I was elected [president] by everyone else in the club junior year and then reelected again this year,” said Masciarelli. 

According to one of Masciarelli’s peers, her work in the club as president has made it what it is today. 

“She has done a lot of work to make the club really fun and awesome. Ever since she became president the amount of people that come to meetings has gone way up… She has made a really fun, cool atmosphere, and she puts in a ton of work and time,” said Ian Priest. 

While she has implemented several improvements to the club, her most notable impacts have been with helping the members of the club, both experienced and new to the world of cyber security. 

“When I started, being such a beginner, I was really lost, and I didn’t want other beginners to not come back to the club because they felt like they couldn’t keep up,” said Masciarelli. 

In addition to making beginners feel welcome, she also has tried to encourage more girls to join the club. During her freshman and sophomore year, Masciarelli was the only girl in the club, so she tried to target more girls through her outreach. However, this was not an uncommon situation for Masciarelli, since her work and interest in computer science has often resulted in her being the only girl in the room. 

“It is definitely male dominated… so I have definitely gotten used to being the only girl in the room. At my internship all the other people in the office were guys and I was the only girl and I was the intern so that was super intimidating, and some of my classes are like that too. I just try to not let it bother me. I know that I am just as valuable as all my other colleagues and peers… and I don’t want to let my gender stop me from that. My mom is also an aerospace engineer, so I have never been turned away from women in STEM. I have lots of powerful women in STEM in my life so it never felt like something I couldn’t do,” said Masciarelli. 

In addition to embracing that her gender can’t hold her back in this field, Masciarelli also feels that it is “a huge loss for everyone,” if half the population isn’t considering this field that is experiencing a lack of jobs that are being filled. 

“Women shouldn’t be turned away from something because they feel like there is a gap or that they are going to be the only girl in the room, or feel like ‘oh if I am a woman in STEM then I can’t be girly’ or ‘I can’t do this,” so I try to set an example by that. I play soccer and I am in STEM; I love fashion and I’m really girly… I think you can do all of it,” said Masciarelli. 

Her impact as a woman in STEM has already begun. She is helping other CyComp members by bringing in more professionalism to the club and showing them things they can do after graduation, and she is being recognized by her peers. 

“I felt that she deserved recognition for all the work she has done, but it is also inspiring too that she is able to do all of this stuff. It is hard for her, because she talks about [how] half of her classes [as a com science major] where she is the only girl in the class. For most of the time she was in CyComp she was the only girl in the entire club, and everyone else respected her and believed in her enough that they made her the president,” said Priest, who nominated Masciarelli to have a story written about her. 

It is a lot to handle, but Masciarelli described that she pushes herself to do better, “Sometimes I feel like there is a lot of pressure on me to maintain everything, and I am definitely a perfectionist and I am really competitive with myself and [I] keep myself with really high standards… It is just a little stressful at times to make sure I get everything done, but just stay organized, trust the process, know I am doing it all for my future,” said Masciarelli. 

And what a bright future indeed. Some of Masciarelli’s aspirations include building software to help everyone and make people feel more comfortable going online, using artificial intelligence to make cyber security software, and move higher up in the ranks to be president or CEO of a company of her own or T an existing company. 

“I think that computers and technology is a great tool and I want everyone to be able to use that so they can feel safe while they are doing it… then just inspire other women that they can do cyber security and do STEM and have a great time doing it,” said Masciarelli. 

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Interested in being a part of CyComp? They meet Mondays at 5pm via Zoom, and if anyone wants to join email CyComp@gmail.com 

They are also looking for 2 new team members for competition season, no experience necessary to join! 

Check out their Instagram: @ru_cycomp

Having Political Discussions

By: Alaina Valdespino

We all know that this election has been as chaotic and anxiety provoking as this COVID-stricken year. We understand that there is a lot riding on this election: our values, our beliefs, and the potential of life-altering change. With all of these important issues on the line, it isn’t a surprise that this subject is in fact a sticky one, especially when talking to someone who has differing views from yourself. For that reason, I feel the need to share an important message with you all. 

First and foremost, this election is a big one; it affects everyone. Even if you’re not the type of person that likes to discuss your political views, this election isn’t giving you the chance to slide under the radar. America’s political scene is too polarizing and too deeply divided to allow for that. And yes, political discussions can be scary. They cause conflict, they can get argumentative, and they are something that many people choose to avoid all together. But avoidance isn’t the answer to solving this issue and it’s not the answer that’s going to cut it this year. In fact, avoiding these discussions leads to further conflict and doesn’t allow you to learn and understand your views as they relate to other people. This logic of avoidance is extremely ineffective and doesn’t get us anywhere. That’s why we need to understand the proactive stances we can take in order to have political discussions in a way that is beneficial to both parties and gives both people a chance to not just express their views, but to learn from the other person and allow for growth.

When approaching a political discussion, it is important to first understand whether or not the other person in the conversation has views similar to or different from you. Once you understand the stance of that person, it is important that you next decide whether or not the moment is right to have that discussion. If the moment isn’t right, simply extend an invitation to have that conversation another time, that way you don’t bombard this person with a conversation they may not wish to have. Clearly this is easier said than done, but by presenting the subject in a way that gives the other person a chance to decide to or not to talk about politics, it allows for a sense of reassurance that makes the subject a lot lighter and less stressful for all those involved. 

That being said, when the time comes and the conversation arises, there are a few common rules to follow in order to avoid this conversation turning into an unproductive and problem invoking debate. 

First and foremost, create a sense of trust and assurance. Let the person know that this conversation isn’t going to lead to a “friendship break-up” and that you can have differing views and still be friends. Once that is out in the air, make sure to avoid attacking their beliefs should they not be the same as yours because that is what makes these conversations so polarizing. It isn’t easy to do this, but by allowing the other person to express their views entirely before you express yours allows for both people to get their messages across in a way that feels inviting and productive. 

More than anything, just make sure that you do your absolute best to not insult or offend the other party's views. Our political views are deeply rooted in our beliefs and our core values and therefore are directly tied to our emotions. 

All in all, everyone has difficulty when it comes to having discussions with people that may not agree or that may not understand where you’re coming from. Everyone understands that politics are polarizing, that they are confusing and can cause a lot of conflict. That’s why, especially this election season, we have to rise above the anxiety and the fear of political discussions because they are going to be inevitable. This election is one for the books and the results of it will go down in history. The president of one of the most unprecedented times in American history is going to be elected and regardless of who wins, their policies will go on to affect everyone. For this reason, I believe that we should all take notice of our own views and do what we can to help educate our neighbors and to do our part in having these difficult  conversations in order to understand our own views and learn to understand others as well.