Integrative Core class to become Sophomore-only in 2019-2020 school year

(Photo: Emily Schneider)

By: Ellie Mulligan, Staff Reporter

As of now, the Integrative Core consists of four courses that must be taken anytime during a Regis student’s Junior or Senior year. However, this policy is about to change. As of the 2018-2019 school year, the RCC400D class, Diversity and Cultural Tradition, will be opened up to sophomores.

“Essentially, if you are attending Regis next year, you should plan on enrolling in RCC400D,” says Dr. Eve Passerini, Director of the Integrative Core. The class will be open to Juniors and Seniors as usual, but upcoming registration for Sophomores will include the option for it as well.

But why, exactly, should Sophomores be taking this course? According to the proposal to open RCC400D to Sophomores, “There is increasing evidence that when diversity instruction is offered early, it creates a more welcoming campus community for all students and prepares students to be more thoughtful citizens of the world.”

By encouraging Sophomores to take this course, professors like Dr. Passerini hope to keep the difficult conversations about diversity, privilege, and oppression from being swept under the rug. In doing so, sophomores taking RCC400D will come closer to the Jesuit mission of creating one reconciled, peaceful family of humanity.

Freshman Sydney Monahan looks forward to the upcoming class. “I think a course like this is important to have as early as possible, and I definitely think that sophomores are capable of understanding a concept like that. It would be really valuable to have that foundation not just as a junior or senior, but as a Regis community member.”

Overall, this change is reflective of the passion for continued learning and understanding shared by all Regis students. Regis President, Fr. John Fitzgibbons, said it best: “As As a Jesuit, Catholic university, we embrace the discomfort of examining our own presumptions, failures, and shortcomings, and, in our engagements with one another, we prepare ourselves to be challenged, strengthened, and transformed…This means exploring not only the dynamics of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, and culture, but also the social and structural implications of privilege, power, and social-political order in America and the wider world.”

New RUSGA constitution signals change on campus

(Photo: Emily Schneider)

By: Ellie Mulligan, Staff Reporter

A new RUSGA constitution was voted into effect on February 27th. This new constitution brings with it plenty of new changes, which are meant to provide a more democratic approach to the voice of the student body here at Regis. Though some students feel intimidated by the idea of getting involved in student government, the new constitution hopes to make the channel of communication from the student body to the administration much smoother.

In the past, a President and Vice President have been the two most powerful positions on RUSGA. However, the new constitution, written by current President John Casillas and Vice President Nick Stofa not only abolishes the Vice President position, but divides its’ current power into four different roles: the Vice President of Clubs and Organizations, the Vice President of Social Justice and Diversity, the Vice President of Involvement, and the Vice President of Programming.

Together, these Vice Presidents will handle everything from Ranger Week to voicing the opinions of the unheard and underserved voices here on campus. By dividing the Vice President position into four roles, elected by popular vote, students have a better chance of making their voices heard among their peers.

According to Freshman senator Jake Williams, “[The new Vice President positions] will take the current Vice President position so that they can work closely with the President; these people will be equipped with members of their specialized workforce so that RUSGA as a whole will be made more democratic.”

Though the elimination of the Vice President position is the most notable change, the new constitution contains many more updates that reach beyond than the legislative branch. More specifically, one of the branches itself will be eliminated from RUSGA’s duties. As it was, RUSGA had an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. With the new constitution, this judicial branch is no more.

The duties of the J-Board will be moved to administration, and the chief justice will no longer be governed under RUSGA. This change was simply motivated by necessity; both the chief justice and J-Board were seeing low numbers of cases. In order to make the judicial process more efficient for students, the responsibility was moved.

Above all, the new constitution aims to make RUSGA, and the Regis campus as a whole, more communicative and democratic. It will be up for recount on March 20th, but it stands in effect as of now. This constitution, as well as those who worked to write it, hope to create and develop new relationships between the students both on and off-campus and the administration.

Regis ensures that students don’t suffer alone

(Photo: Emily Schneider)

By: Ellie Mulligan, Staff Reporter

It’s no secret that many college students face mental health issues. When balancing studying, maintaining a social life and other responsibilities, stress can easily become overwhelming. Many students chalk up their anxieties to their course load, or the adjustment period to college that so many people talk about-- if everyone else seems to be handling it by themselves, why can’t I?

The truth of the matter is that dealing with stress and anxiety is taxing, especially for people with mental health issues. However, here on campus, there are plenty of outlets and resources to rely on if that load becomes too heavy to bear. The best place to go on campus when experiencing mental health issues, or simply going through a rough patch, is the Office of Counseling and Personal Development, or the OCPD, located in the Coors Life Direction Center.

The OCPD offers counseling sessions, workshops and therapy groups which all work toward creating a safe environment for students. The staff, consisting of licensed counselors and psychologists, provide both short- and long-term counseling and referral to psychiatric consultants when necessary. Not only are these services beneficial to those experiencing problems, they are completely free to full-time, traditional undergraduate students.

According to their web page at regis.edu, the OCPD is designed to “promote development in the areas of communication skills, dating and relationship issues, adjustment to college life, assertiveness training, and other relevant topics upon request.” In addition, Regis offers a 24-hour hotline which students can call to speak with a licensed mental health professional.

One freshman, Mariellen Burke, describes how Regis’ Office of Counseling and Personal Development helped her through a rough first semester. “I was going through a tough time with anxiety and depression. Once it began affecting my schoolwork and overall attitude, I knew I had to reach out. Seeing a counselor and reaching out to my professors made all the difference. Not only were they understanding, they helped me get back on my feet and catch up on everything that I missed,” said Burke “If your mental health starts getting in the way of you living your life, definitely reach out to the resources here on campus.”

The OCPD works to ensure that each student who needs it has the resources and community support to seek help or work through their problems. Thanks to these resources, students like Burke don’t have to feel alone in their times of need. Though mental health and other issues are stressful and may leave students feeling hopeless, Regis ensures that nobody has to go through these issues alone.