Between Studying and Socializing: Time Management

By: Sarah Gomez, Staff Writer

College students are often described to either be party animals that go out every weekend, or students that are just trapped studying in their room. This then begs the question, could someone study and do well in school while also managing to make time for socializing? In addition to this, it may feel hard to get the college experience when you’re constantly in your room trying to pass a class. However, it is possible to find a balance between studying and getting schoolwork done, and socializing and spending time with your friends.

I find the most helpful thing to know when trying to hang out with friends is knowing what’s due in the coming days. One thing I would highly recommend to anyone going to college is downloading the app “Brightspace Pulse” – it's available on the Appstore and Google Play. This app helps by visually showing you what you need to get done for each of your classes week by week. In addition to this it also notifies you when grades are posted and lets you open WorldClass within the app.

Knowing when you have anything due is only the first step though. From there you can decide when you actually do your work, study, or socialize. Something I’m sure everyone has heard before is the classic saying: “Sleep more than you study, study more than you party, and party as much as you can.” That is a great rule of thumb, however for all of us not partying the lines can get a bit blurry. Let’s break it down.

We have 24 hours in a day, 168 in a week. Let’s say you sleep 7 hours every night. That leaves around 120 more hours. Then we subtract the time spent in class, let’s say about 15 hours a week. We are now left with just 105 hours of time to do anything else. Let’s now subtract time spent in the bathroom or showering, now were at about 100 hours. Then laundry and self-care, 95 hours left in your week.

Using the 95 hours, you can now choose where to fit in study times, mealtimes, and socializing. However not all of these are exclusive. You can study and eat, you can eat and socialize, and even study and socialize. The idea of studying more than you party doesn’t just mean going to huge house parties, social time also includes just hanging out in a study room with a friend or two.

Even if you have friends that are taking completely different classes, you can still get together in the student center and make small talk while going over your notes for a class. If you don’t want to study with your friends, another good way to fit them into your schedule is to have lunch or dinner together. You’re going to eat anyways, so might as well have some company with you.

The best way to manage your time in college is to remember what you’re paying for. Remember your time is valuable in every aspect, and you should be conscious of how you use it.

Album Review: David W. Jacobsen's POTUS

Jacob W. Jacobsen’s POTUS album cover

By: Jesse Stewart, Staff Writer

The last ten years of politics have brought with them an abysmal scourge of un-funny and uncreative ‘satire’, skewering politicians and ideologies simply for the smug self-satisfaction of the artist and their own personal beliefs. It seems as if art that addresses political figures no longer needs to possess any subtlety or craftsmanship, as the effort exists only to appease audiences by dogmatically adhering to a particular group’s preconceived notions and unchallenged perspectives.

However, existing in contrast to the sorry state of political satire, David W. Jacobsen’s most recent album POTUS functions not only as an excellent analysis of some of American history’s lesser-known or lesser-liked presidents, but offers a witty and sometimes even rather poignant perspective as well.

Bad artistry in satire can be easily spotted in instances when an artist succumbs to insecurity and arrogance by peppering their work with direct references to their own intelligence and cleverness, rather than letting the audience arrive at that admiration on their own. Jacobsen’s lyrical prowess may be wry but the construction of his points (as well as his relatively obscure choices of subject matter) create a very fulfilling portrait of what it means to be buried in history despite having such a clear mark on it.

Figures such as John Adams, Andrew Johnson, and Richard Nixon might be well known, but Jacobsen’s choice of analyzing their lesser-known actions, speeches, and works in the way of catchy little tunes, jumping between genres and tone, work together to create a Schoolhouse-Rock-by-way-of-James Taylor lesson through the chapters of America’s history that aren’t printed with the same bold ink as more obvious events. His analysis and perspective on presidents John Quincy Adams, Zachary Taylor, and Chester A. Arthur are quite competent and intriguing as well, choosing to portray the insecurities that come with leadership in a way that don’t come across as pandering endorsements nor scathing indictments.

As someone with an active interest in both history and art, the kind of person that might flirt with the young woman at a party by recounting some of the less-dull chapters of the Memoir of Ulysses S. Grant or quoting the love letters between John Adams and his wife Abigail, I cannot overstate how simply competent, well-researched, and engaging this collection of songs is. Jacobsen makes it quite clear what books and documents serve as a reference to his lyrics but the way in which he composes feathery and discrete melodies around what would otherwise be heavy and obvious points creates a very dynamic listening experience. The particular aspects of each president’s life that he chooses to hone in on and extrapolate a tune from is pretty remarkable.

Regardless of your political leanings, I think it is safe to say that at least half of our presidents were not up to par. Personally, I think you can make a great case that about ninety-percent of the men that have occupied the position committed acts that they should have been tried and punished for (for those of you doing the math at home: that’s about five innocent people in a quarter of a millennium). I would argue, generally, that he chose some of the objectively-obscure aspects of these men’s lives and found a weird little chunk of humanity in each of them that otherwise would either go completely un-remarked-upon or only noticed by my fellow weirdos that like to tell friends what we read about on Wikipedia at three in the morning, “Did you know Rutherford B. Hayes is basically a founding father of Paraguay? ...What do you mean you don’t know what Paraguay is?”

I can honestly say, without hyperbole, that I was disappointed with the album’s runtime, as I could have easily listened to thirty-four more tracks about the unaddressed men who also occupied that office (there have been forty-six presidencies but only forty-five presidents, try that one at parties too). David W. Jacobsen’s POTUS is a worthy album, measuring for both your time and education, with no better time to educate yourself on your country’s former leaders than on this President’s Day.

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David W. Jacobsen’s POTUS can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Morgan Wallen’s Racial Slur and the Culture Behind It

photo source Jason Kempin

By: Hannah Ury, Staff Writer

In case you haven’t heard, Morgan Wallen said the N word. There are many words society deems to be unacceptable, such as asking a woman how much she weighs or telling someone they should go on a diet, but almost everyone can agree saying the N word tops all of them. So why do people continue to say it? As soon as the video surfaced, Wallen was taken off of most radio stations, dropped by his label, and effectively cancelled by the internet. At least, that’s what we all thought. 

There is a valid argument to be made that a person can be separated from their art. People who find The Cosby Show entertaining do not necessarily support the actions of Bill Cosby, and people who enjoy Morgan Wallen’s music are not necessarily racist. Even the most objectively horrible people can have talents. However, it must also be considered that listening to someone’s music and watching their show is what pays their bills and allows them to have a platform they do not always use responsibly. 

After the video surfaced and the internet was cancelling Wallen, his streams were going up. It was no small increase, over 1000% to be exact. This is a significant increase for anyone, but it is especially remarkable for an artist who had already been referred to as the face of country music. One could argue that people continue to enjoy his music while condemning his behavior if his streams had remained constant or even gone down. Such a sharp increase, however, cannot be defended. Not only are people tolerating his behavior, they are supporting it. This is obviously concerning on the surface, but as you go deeper it has even more significant political implications.

The Black Lives Matter movement gained traction throughout 2020, but was met with significant backlash. Many people claimed that Black people have nothing to fight for, they’re already equal, and at this point they’re just seeking special treatment. Yet, how can we say Black people shouldn’t ask for more than they have when celebrities are shouting racial slurs in their front yard, and their music gains popularity as a result? Additionally, an increasingly large number of celebrities and influencers are getting cancelled for racist behavior, and these are only the ones who got caught. Racism runs rampant in America, and it’s time we acknowledge the problem. Sure, we’ve come a long way, but we certainly cannot call the current state of race relations good enough. 

Morgan Wallen is a 27-year-old white man with a mullet from a small town in Tennessee, and while many people were not surprised by his racist remark due to his appearance and hometown, it’s no excuse. However, his upbringing also raises an important point. Our culture condones, and in this instance supports, racism. Whether or not Wallen takes this opportunity to educate himself is something we may never know, but what we can do is continue to support initiatives to end racism, and stand up to those who deny its existence. This is only the most recent in a long line of incidents that prove time and time again racism exists, and we must stand up to stop it. 

A Laundry PSA

The laundry room in West Hall. Photo by Morgan Jacobus

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

College presents many challenges to incoming students: learning how to live on your own, being away from home, adjusting to the new rigor of college classes, possibly trying to pay for college… the list goes on. However, it has become apparent to me that for some people, having to do their own laundry is also a struggle.

For me, my mama taught me how to do laundry well before I was in college. I realize that not everyone learned how to do laundry, or perhaps they are not used to having to share laundry machines. However, your actions and behavior in the laundry rooms do not only affect you.

It’s story time folks. As a sophomore in college, this is my second year living and doing laundry on campus, and thus not my first time dealing with the various annoyances associated with sharing a laundry room with an entire building of students. However, recently I reached a new level of frustration.

When I do laundry, I try not to move someone’s load out the moment it is done. I respectfully wait a few minutes to allow them time to retrieve their load. However, one fateful day, I walked into the laundry room with my sheets, and I noticed that many of the machines were currently in use, so I looked to see how long was left on the machines to decide if I should wait or if I should just do laundry another night.

To my surprise, two machines were done, and one was almost done. So, I decided to wait for someone to move their laundry so I could use a machine. I also noticed that there were two dryers that were done, but with clothes still in them, and one that was almost done.

5 minutes pass.

Then it is almost 10 minutes.

At this point, three washers are done, and three dryers are done. I decide to go grab a pack of sticky notes and move one of the dryers’ contents out and put a washer’s load in so that I could finally start my laundry. I left a note that read, “I waited 10 minutes. Your load is in dryer 8. Please set a timer next time.”

There were six machines that were done, with no one in sight to retrieve them. That means that there were either six egocentric people who neglected to set timers, or a smaller number of people who thought themselves entitled to multiple machines at once.  

We all have to do laundry, it is a fact of life, especially if you are living on campus. I try to be as courteous as possible. Unless most machines are open, I only do one load at a time, and I set a timer so that I do not leave my laundry in there for prolonged periods of time. I do not think it is right to take someone’s laundry out as soon as it is done, because I do not want some stranger handling my laundry, whether it is clean or dirty. So, while it is respectful to wait, it is discourteous to force someone to wait over 10 minutes for you to move your laundry. This is what iPhone timers and alarms are for, y’all.

Additionally, if you are leaving your laundry in the washer, it is sitting in the water it was washed with, and thus is no longer clean. Thus you are not only being rude to everyone else who needs to do laundry, but you are also not doing it correctly.

Although my issue with laundry room conduct doesn’t focus on the cleanliness of the laundry rooms, it is important that we collectively respect the space. Why? Well, in the archives of the Highlander, there was an issue in 2007 that featured an article detailing how laundry was no longer going to be free because of “students abusing privileges.” If it happened once before, it could very well happen again.

I understand if you are new to doing laundry, however, as I have stated before, you are not the only one who does laundry. Call your mom, have a friend help you, look it up online… FIGURE. IT. OUT.

You’re in college, an adult now, so please start acting like it. Set a timer and take your clothes out of the limited machines so that the rest of us who actually know how to function as adults can do our own laundry.

Where Do We Go From Here? The Fulbright Program

By: Carly Compesi, Staff Writer

With the Spring semester in full gear, more and more students are thinking about their post-graduation plans. For anyone who falls under that category, Regis University’s Dr. Eric Fretz has a suggestion: the Fulbright program.

Dr. Fretz believes the Fulbright program should be considered by students with an interest in studying or teaching in a different country. In a previous statement, Fretz said, “The Fulbright program is a post-graduate scholarship. Students are encouraged to begin the application process the fall of their senior year. Students may apply for Fulbright scholarships as many as 10 years after receiving an undergraduate degree.”

As for location, the Fulbright program’s size and sponsorship allows for scholars to  travel to an impressive number of different countries. “The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs,” explained Fretz. “The Fulbright program is the largest U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students to undertake international graduate study, advanced research and English teaching in schools and universities in over 140 countries.”

The Fulbright program offers three types of grants. The Study/Research/Academic supports students for an academic year of study at an international university. The Study/Research/Creative & Performing Arts which support students for a year of study or professional training in the arts. The English Teaching Assistantships allows students to teach English or American Studies in over 80 different foreign countries. Students are only allowed to apply to one type of grant per annual competition cycle, but they may apply to whichever type of grant best fits their interests.

As Regis University’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Fretz is responsible for facilitating students in their Fulbright application process. Recently, I interviewed Fretz to learn more about the Fulbright program.

Carly: So how do you think all scholars could benefit from Fulbright...regardless of major or interest?

Fretz: Well, that’s a good question. It’s a hard one, too. I think the benefit for anybody is the opportunity not just to travel abroad. Because the funny thing about Fulbright—it’s not just about going abroad. It’s about going abroad to participate in cultural exchange. Anybody can go abroad. Any student could get on a plane to Barcelona or wherever they want to go, and that would have it’s own benefits, but the Fulbright scholarship comes with another set of benefits, and at the root of that is an opportunity to participate in cultural exchange in a way that, frankly, you wouldn’t be able to do if you hopped on a plane to Barcelona. [While] that would be really fun, you wouldn’t have an opportunity to live and work with people from a different country. And I’ll say this, too—given the political and cultural climate of the United States right now, this is a time when the Fulbright program is probably more important than it ever has been.

Carly: What resources...or who can they reach out to if someone wants more information on Fulbright?

Fretz: Well, me. (laughs) For students who are specifically interested in Fulbright, the first step would be to go to the Regis website because that has all of my contact information on it. The Fulbright website is embedded in the Regis website, anyway. I’d start there, and I want to make it very clear that nobody should ever hesitate to contact me if they have any questions.

Carly: That’s really kind! Is there anything else that you want to touch on more specifically?

Fretz: Yeah. Fulbright has made it very clear that they want to encourage a diverse pool of applicants, so I want to be a part of that recruitment. I really want to get first generation students involved in applying and thinking about Fulbright. And students of color, obviously. Women as well. I mean, we want everybody to apply if they’re interested, but we want applicants who look like the rest of America.

For more information, visit the Regis/Fulbright site and/or contact Dr. Eric Fretz (efretz@regis.edu) for more information.

What You Need to Know About the Women in Biden’s Cabinet

illustration source// fivethirteight

By: Sarah Gomez, Staff Writer

Joe Biden’s recent win for the presidency did more than make Kamala Harris the first Black, south-Asian woman to be vice president. The cabinet Biden announced is set to increase diversity all around, by nominating what he claims to be the most diverse presidential cabinet in history. His cabinet includes people of various races and ethnicities, but also an impressive mix of women. The cabinet includes nine women, five of whom are women of color. 

Without further ado, we have the women nominated for Biden’s cabinet.

Marcia Fudge, nominee for secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Marcia Fudge is a Democratic African American woman from Ohio. Marcia Fudge’s notable political history includes being a U.S. representative for the state of Ohio and mayor of Warrensville Heights Ohio. Her beliefs are closely aligned with far-left Democratic views and she is to manage multiple programs in the housing division. In addition to this, Fudge aims to increase affordable housing and rent assistance.

Fudge’s confirmation hearing was held on January 28th, 2021.

 Jennifer Granholm, nominee for secretary of Energy

Jennifer Granholm is a member of the Democratic party, a former attorney general of Michigan, and former governor of Michigan. She is a strong believer in climate change and has spoken out on the need for clean energy jobs. However, in the past this position has been a front for nuclear weapons, so this new direction will hopefully focus on climate policy.

Granholm’s confirmation hearing was held on January 27th, 2021.

 Deb Haaland, nominee for secretary of the Interior

Deb Haaland is a Native American woman enrolled as a member of the Laguna Pueblo. Deb Haaland has served as New Mexico’s vote director for Native Americans and as the chair of New Mexico’s Democratic party. As a Native American, many are hoping she will undo previous wrongs done to the native populations. Haaland would be the first Native American cabinet secretary, where she will oversee natural resources and tribal land.

It is currently unclear as to when Haaland is to have her confirmation hearing.

 Gina Raimondo, nominee for secretary of Commerce

 Gina Raimondo is the governor of Rhode Island and was the previous treasurer of the state. She is a Democrat who is credited with helping to boost the economy in Rhode Island. Once confirmed, Raimondo will be tasked with reporting to Biden with information regarding businesses, universities, and the economy.

Raimondo’s confirmation hearing was held on January 26th, 2021.

 Janet Yellen, nominee for secretary of the Treasury

Janet Yellen was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of governor for a total of 11 years; she is also known for chairing the council of economic advisers during the Clinton administration. She is an economist who has worked with past presidents and even the Federal Reserve Bank. As secretary of the treasury, she will be tasked with advising on domestic and foreign finances and other economic issues.

Yellen was confirmed on January 26th, 2021.

Isabel Guzman, nominee for administrator of the Small Business Administration 

Isabel Guzman has served as a California office of small business advocate and deputy chief of staff to the administrator of the small business administration. The state of many small businesses are not well during the pandemic, however, many believe Guzman can help small business owners. As the administrator of the Small Business Administration, she will be responsible for overseeing programs to assist small businesses in various areas.

The confirmation hearing for Guzman has yet to be scheduled.

 Avril Haines, nominee for director of National Intelligence

Avril Haines served on the senate foreign relations committee and as deputy director of the CIA. With her previous history with the spy agency, it was no surprise that she was Biden’s pick for the position. As director of national intelligence, Haines will be tasked with overlooking the National Intelligence Program and reporting these matters to Biden.

Haines’ was confirmed by the Senate on January 27th, 2021.

Katherine Tai, nominee for U.S. trade representative 

Katherine Tai is a Chinese American with both her parents originating from mainland China. Katherine Tai has served as the chief for the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and has also worked on trade cases at the World Trade Organization. Having been nominated for representative, she is to coordinate international trade and commodity. Tai is to be put in charge of trade agreements like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Though her confirmation has yet to be scheduled, we can expect it to occur in the coming weeks.

Neera Tanden, nominee for director of the Office of Budget Management

Neera Tanden is an Indian American woman, daughter of two Indian immigrants. Neera Tanden is known for working on several Democratic presidential campaigns and helping draft the Affordable Care Act. Biden will be the third president Tanden works under, having previously worked with Clinton and Obama. As the director of the Office of Budget Management, Tanden will be tasked with managing Biden’s budget.

Tanden’s confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled.