2March to College

Photo Credit: Emily Lovell

On Friday April 12, Regis’ chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars invited sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from Skinner Middle School to celebrate March to College Day.

A sizable number of the students who attend Skinner Middle School will be first generation college students, so the purpose of March to College Day as the Vice President of Public Relations Alyssa Gomez put it is, “to show kids that they have the possibility of going to college and that they can find a home here at Regis.” She also added that “It’s important to invest in the education of future generations.”

The middle schoolers arrived shortly after 9:00 am and left around 1:45 pm. In that amount of time, they broke up into smaller groups led by Regis students named after some of NSCS’ core values: knowledge, integrity, service, excellence, leadership, scholarship, and inspire.

They then did a number of different activities around campus. They started off by going to a demonstration put on by different faculty members such as a chemistry experiment with Dr. Chamberlain. She showed them how putting different elements in a flame changes its color, set off the fire alarm in the process, and thrilled the students.

Next, the student leaders of each group gave the middle schoolers a tour around campus. After the tour, the middle schoolers had lunch in the Main Café. When they were done with lunch, they went to a student panel where they could ask current Regis students about what college life is like. Then, they went to the Field House where they learned more about the Athletics Program and played trivia.

Regis Welcomes Poet Andrea Gibson

Photo Source // Amy Reglin

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

The Women’s and Gender Studies Department invited Andrea Gibson, a renowned queer poet that calls Boulder, CO home, to perform on campus on April 4, 2019. Their performance started at 8:00 pm in the Calver Recital Hall. Tickets were free for members of the Regis community.

Professor Alyse Knorr and junior Sam Yarnell provided the introduction and opening remarks for the event. They are both excellent poets themselves. Together, they welcomed Andrea Gibson to the stage for a powerful evening of vulnerability and beauty.

Gibson’s poems tackled issues such as the struggles that the LGBTQ community faces in today’s society, misogyny, and gun violence. Their poems especially focused on self-love regardless of who you love or what your identity is. A few of the poems that the audience was privileged to hear were “Your Life,” “First Love,” “Boomerang Valentine,” and “Living Proof.” Many of their poems were performed with musical accompaniment.

In between poems, Gibson revealed that one of their contemporaries once performed only poems focused on social justice issues even though the audience requested love poems. The other poet inspired Gibson, but then Gibson realized that their love poems are making a political statement. They then proceeded to perform a poem about one of their past loves and it was a heartbreakingly powerful moment.

At another point in the evening, Gibson said that they had once been told that “Self-hate is a way of trying to see the world as a safe, beautiful place.” They explained that when we experience awful things that are out of our control, we tend to blame ourselves in order to regain a sense of control. Gibson also told the audience that “the only thing you can control is where you put your attention.” Their overall message seemed to be to put your attention on making the world a safer, more beautiful place and on embracing who you are.   
Gibson’s openness and passionate performance created an atmosphere of acceptance. Regis was lucky to have them come to campus to share their story. If you would like to read some of their poetry, check out their latest book called The Lord of the Butterflies.

Meet Our New Mascot: The Fox

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

Paw prints have been appearing around campus. Signs were put up promising free donuts but none could be found. Rumors starting spreading that Regis was changing its mascot to a fox instead of a ranger named Roamin. Then, we all received the emails that confirmed it: Regis University will be making a complete switch from Roamin to the fox, but we will still be the Regis Rangers.

For clarification, the “Roamin’ shadow” logo will be retained on all athletic materials, uniforms, and the Field house, but the fox mascot is set to appear at athletic events and to be featured on Regis athletics apparel. Regis University’s school colors will stay the same.

But why the switch? Surveys and polls were conducted within the Regis community over the past year, and the responses to Roamin were quite negative overall. So, Marketing and Communications came up with the goal of creating a new mascot that represented the Regis spirit. They decided upon a fox because foxes are “fun, inquisitive, intelligent, and full of cura personalis.” The fox is also a unique choice for a mascot; not many other schools have it. Furthermore, not only do they call Colorado their home, but the Regis University campus as well. So next time you find yourself walking around campus in the evening hours, keep your eyes open for a glimpse of one of these beautiful creatures.  

You may have noticed that the fox was referred to as a “she” in the emails and may be wondering about the significance of this. Historically, Regis has had all male mascots, and there are very few standalone female mascots in general. Our Marketing and Communications team originally wanted the mascot to be gender-neutral in order to be inclusive of everyone, but decided to make the fox a female because it is something that almost no one else has done. As a sort of compromise, however, the costumes that she wears will be more masculine.

As of right now, she has yet to be named. But, members of the Regis community will have the opportunity to vote on names during Ranger Week which is April 8th-13th. Come cast your vote and welcome the fox into our community!

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.

Book Review: F You Very Much

Photo Source // Emily Lovell

By: Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

I just finished reading a fantastic book by Danny Wallace called F You Very Much: Understanding the Culture of Rudeness and What We Can Do About It. While the title is a mouthful, the book itself is less than 300 pages. Wallace is also a comedian so it’s a pretty funny and engaging read.

Wallace argues that rudeness is contagious. We have encounters with rude people all the time: on the road, on social media, at work, at school, in grocery stores and restaurants, etc. And when we witness rudeness, we ourselves are more likely to be rude, or at least become intrigued by what causes people to be rude. In fact, it was a confrontation with the rude owner of a hot dog joint that compelled Wallace to write this book in the first place.

Throughout its pages, he explores rudeness from a variety of expert perspectives. Darren Dahl, Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Science at the Saunder School of Business in Vancouver, is one such expert. Dahl coined the term, “Pretty Woman Effect.” In essence, if someone selling a product treats us with disrespect, we are more likely to buy their product in order to “buy” their respect.

Historical anecdotes, as well as personal ones, also serve as Wallace’s evidence. For instance, Wallace tells of Antanas Mockus, one of Bogotá’s previous mayors, whose radical policies reduced littering, traffic fatalities, and homicides within the city. I would recount other examples, but I don’t want to provide any further spoilers.
Overall, I think that Wallace presents a convincing argument on a very relevant issue. Wallace argues that civility is vital for society’s functioning, and after reading F You Very Much, I can’t help but agree. Hopefully, your curiosity has been incited and you want to read this book.  

Dillon Ice Castles

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

Dillon, Colorado hosts a spectacular winter phenomenon every year: the ice castles. Featuring ice tunnels, caverns, fountains, an ice throne, slides, and plenty of photo opportunities, a visit to the Ice Castles will be full of laughter, awe, and unforgettable winter memories.

The company that creates them is based in Utah and spent about 4,000 hours dripping, shaping, and artistically hand-placing icicles throughout the palace. They also embedded the icicles with LED lights that change color so that the castles are light up like the northern lights. So, while they sparkle by day, be sure to see them glow after sunset.

Brent Christensen founded the company in 2011. In order to get his six children with cabin fever outside during Utah winters, he built an ice cave for them in the front yard. Soon, his winter playground became enormously popular throughout the town and has only continued to do so. Now, ice castles are built in six locations throughout North America: Dillon, CO; Edmonton, AB; Excelsior, MN; Lake Geneva, WI; Lincoln, NH; and Midway, UT.

Tickets are limited, so you’ll want to purchase them a week in advance online. They are open every day of the week except Tuesday and Wednesday. General admission is $15.95 during weekdays and $18.95 during the weekend. The season generally lasts from late December to early March, but it depends on Mother Nature. More information can be found here: https://icecastles.com/dillon/

Another surprise awaits within the castle’s walls: a show by Insphyre Performance. Watch men and women dance and duel with fire. They swallow fire; they catch flames in their hands and use it to light their props; they brandish fiery batons. And, they perform with the perfect soundtrack like “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter or “Light it Up” by the Fall Out Boys.  

Once you are done admiring the Ice Castles’ fairytale-like beauty, and your hands and toes are numb with cold, you can go just right across the street to a little place called Cameez for hot cocoa. They also serve coffee, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and crepes. Be sure to cross this fantastic adventure off your winter bucket list!