Regis Host Cowboy Cup

Photos Source: Frances Meng- Frecker, and Amy Reglin

This past weekend Regis hosted the men’s rugby Cowboy Cup. This tournament was the part of the bracket on the way to National Small College Rugby Organization Nationals. There were four teams competing here to move on to the next round, and Regis is one of the teams moving on. The Rangers fought hard in the championship game to win. They overcame a 29-0 deficit in the first half to win 44-39 over New Mexico Highlands University VATOS Rugby club. The next games for the rugby club will be the weekend of April 6th and 7th at the University of Denver—be sure to come support the Rangers!

The Plagiarists

Click on photos to scroll through the gallery!

By: Frances Meng-Frecker, Head Photographer

The six-member Regis professor/faculty band includes Alyse Knorr, David Hicks, and Scott Dimovitz from the English department, Don Bush from the Accounting department, Allison Peters from the Office of the First-Year Experience, and Alex Benedict the Senior Instructional Technologist. They performed in Walker’s Pub on Friday November 2and filled the student center. Students, families, and Regis faculty and staff enjoyed the two-hour concert, danced, and sang along with the band. The Plagiarists played songs from David Bowie to Amy Winehouse to Elvis Presley and many more. It was a joy to watch them perform and do something they love. Everyone had fun and I know for a fact that I am looking forward to their next concert, and I am certain that other people are too.  

COMPLAIN: Guerrilla Girls Workshop and Interview

(Photo: Frances Meng-Frecker)

By: Frances Meng-Frecker, Photography Editor

On Thursday, November 2, The Guerrilla Girls came to Regis to talk about the activism they do and why they do it. It was an excellent talk, and I highly suggest you go read about that event here. I was also lucky enough to be able to attend a workshop they held the next morning on Friday, Nov., 3rd in the O’Sullivan Art Gallery. Students, faculty, and artists came together to listen to the Guerrilla Girls and discuss what change needs to be made in society. Each group focused on one thing they wanted to change, made posters, and came up with ideas that would be most effective. Topics included sexual assault, the word feminist, DACA, lack of females in art history, and more.

Change needs to happen, and we have the power to make that difference. Our first step is complaining. The Guerrilla Girls love to complain, and they want you to complain as well. If we are not happy with something, we need to let people know about it. We can find unique and creative ways to make out voices heard.  I had the privilege of interviewing The Guerrilla Girls before the workshop, and that interview is located below.

Highlander (H): You chose names of dead female artists, what are the reasons for selecting the artists you did?

Guerrilla Girls (GG): I have always admired Shigeko Kubota. The same week that I was joining the Guerrilla Girls she passed away, and it was kind of like a sign that I needed to honor her name. And it is lovely to me that if I send an email under her name that people might wonder who this artist is and come to find out that she was one of the pioneers of the art world and there is little known about her. Kathe Kollwitz was a German artist who lived from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. She was very politically active. In addition to being an artist, she was an activist, which I relate. She did many exciting works, mostly prints, and drawings. She didn’t like art to be expensive, so even if she did an excellent art print, she would do an inexpensive version, which I also relate to as a Guerrilla Girl. A lot of her subjects were workers, women and children and all kinds of political things.

H: What change do you hope to see on college campuses and throughout society?

GG: First of all, there are so many people on college campuses including students and faculty. We all need to fight for more human rights and more diversity in our own country. There are just beautiful people doing great work, but on the other hand, there are still people on opposite sides of our incredibly divided country today, and our goal is to try to change some of those people’s minds.

H: How can we help make a difference in the art world?

GG: There are so many ways. First of all, complain. If you go into a museum, or a gallery and notice that they are only showing white male artists; say something. This is how the Guerrilla Girls started. We started complaining about all this stuff, and sometimes it does help to do things anonymously. Put up signs in the bathroom, or something like that. It’s a slow process, so I think the most important thing doesn't get discouraged. Don’t get discouraged because you can’t do everything. Just do one thing, and if it works, do another, and if it doesn’t work, most importantly, do another.

H: As female artists, how do you think we can be heard and recognized?

GG: Do work. I mean, female artists are being heard and recognized, but the system isn’t moving fast enough. The world of artists is excellent. Artists put their whole lives into their work, and there are fantastic artists out there. Women are here, and they are ready.

H: You currently have exhibitions in Brazil, Ecuador, and New York. Could you tell us about the exhibits and your messages for each?

GG: In Brazil, right now, we have a retrospective of the entire portfolio of Guerrilla Girls posters on display. We also updated and translated two of our signs to Portuguese. And through that exhibition, we like to encourage Brazilian artists and people to make their voice heard and empowered women and trans people and all those being persecuted. In Ecuador, we have a three-part exhibition in this incredible old giant building that has been repurposed as an art space. There is a room with giant versions of our work, but we also did the new job just for Ecuador about Ecuador itself. When we are in an exhibition in a museum, we almost always do critical work of the museum or the art world of the country we are in. Then we have a bunch of videos because we make a lot of videos about different activists, and then we have a room that is entirely chalkboard. On the chalkboard, in Spanish, it says, “I am not a feminist, but if I were, this is what I would complain about.” And it is covered with people writing incredible things. And the show at the Whitney is a group show that has activist art, and it has a bunch of our work in it.

H: How can art, in your opinion, change the world?

GG: I think art does change the world. I ultimately believe that art changes the world. It is a language. Art is every kind of art, not just visual art. It is all about a new way of looking at the world. What every artist does is invent their world no matter what kind of art you do, and as a viewer, you have to participate in that world, and it does change your mind about things and makes you think differently. We do it very overtly, but each artist has to do it in their way.   

Gallery Talk: Sandra C. Fernández

(Photo: Frances Meng-Frecker)

               Sandra C. Fernández is a printmaker born in Queens, NY and raised in Quito, Ecuador. She moved back to the United States when she was 22 to get her master’s degree. She was not always an artist, but she became one when she moved to the United States. She has instructed various art classes, including photography and printmaking at several universities in the United States for over 20 years. When Sandra Fernández moved to the US, she had a difficult time. During her “Artist Talk” opening reception on March 23, she reflects, “It took me awhile to find myself.” Her struggles are represented in her art. These struggles are not just the ones she faced as she discovered herself, but the struggles she faced culturally and politically. Fernández later said, “You are who you are and sooner or later that will come out.”

               The art pieces displayed in the O’Sullivan Art Gallery are all prints. These beautiful prints are related to Fernández’s background and culture. They have a cultural relevance and Fernández says, “Every print has a story behind it and corresponds to a time in my life.” There are many themes that are represented throughout the collection including; divorce, trauma, culture, borders, immigration, women, politics, and cells. Her collection is full of beautiful pieces that tell a meaningful story.

               Sandra Fernández is now a full-time artist who loves what she does. Go to the O’Sullivan Art Gallery before April 14 to learn about her story and witness the influences in Fernández’s life. To learn more about Sandra C. Fernández visit her website at http://sandrafernandez.info/home.html .

Frances Meng-Frecker Staff Reporter

Regis Homeless Outreach

(Photo courtesy of David Mooney)

               Homeless Outreach is a new event that happens every Sunday from 1pm-5pm. This organization was inspired by and named after the Saint, Benedict Joseph Labre, Ministry to the Homeless. Labre is the Patron Saint of Homelessness, and this new organization at Regis Unveristy was started by sophomore David Mooney with the help of sophomore Zach Martinez. Every Sunday they invite Regis students to make lunches and go downtown to start conversations with the marginalized and hear their stories. Please take the time to read this interview with David Mooney and Zach Martinez.

Why did you start Homeless Outreach?

Mooney: We have begun this with Regis’s Jesuit values in mind. Specifically, the values of Cura Personalis, men and women in service of others, and unity of mind and heart. For myself, I was inspired by my experiences with meeting those on the margins during my high school years. When I came to Denver, I couldn’t help but notice the many people who are ostracized and I couldn’t help but feel a strong pull towards trying to help these people and get to know who they are as people. And I was reminded of the beautiful, joyful friendships I made with those on the margins back on the streets of Cleveland and I wanted to bring that opportunity for joy to my fellow peers at Regis.

Martinez: David told me about a class he had in high school where they would go downtown with his class and they would feed and talk with the homeless. I think, for me, it is important to have a world perspective where I don’t just hear one side, but I listen to all the people in my community. It feels good to give. When you give, you are receiving a lot more.

What do you do?

Mooney: We make food packages which consist of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a water bottle, a granola bar, and or a small bag of chips or vegetables. From Regis, we take the bus down to 16th street mall and civic center park. We make these packages in order to use to initiate conversation. It’s not about efficiency of how fast we hand out food or how much, but it is about conversations and friendships. We have something to offer in return. We ask their name, we get to know them deeper than a superficial level.

What has homeless outreach meant to you?

Martinez: It has meant seeing the realities of the world we live in. It has made me examine how blessed I am to be where I am.

What has been your most meaningful experience?

Mooney: Broadly speaking, it is always pretty amazing to see the transformation that Regis students go through as they realize stereotypical perceptions are inconsistent in that those who are experiencing homelessness are human beings just as much as they are. Every experience is different. Some homeless people may not say a word, but that doesn’t happen too often. Many of the people we meet have lots to say. One particular experience was with an elderly man who was probably in his 60s, whose name is Ron, and as we approached him and said, “Hello would you like something to eat?” He looked at us with a face of irritation and snapped back, “who are you what are you trying to sell?” To which we replied, “Oh no we are not trying to sell anything. We are just students from Regis University wants to help you out.” We engaged in conversation starting with small talk but quickly progressing to much more personal topics. He told us about his three kids, how they don’t know he is homeless, which for us, in a very real way, transcended the notion that homeless people are just shallow or lazy; we don’t think of these people as having families or kids. As we saw with Ron, and with many others, pride and independence constitute the majority of what little they have. Our hope is to unshroud their dignity that is inherited in every human being. At the end of our conversation with Ron, he smiled, looked at us, and asked, “Are you guys Christians?” To which we replied, “yes, we are.” To which he said, “keep doing what you are doing. We need more good Christians in the world.”

Martinez: Last time we went, a homeless woman who had been homeless for quite some time played us a song on her guitar. Also, recognizing in some of the people I meet that mental health is such a big issue here that people do not understand. Not just in a marginalized setting, even an excellent university like Regis people are struggling with mental health. On the street, people do what they can to survive.

What do you hope that the people who participate get out of this?

Mooney: Homeless people are everywhere, no matter where we go, we will always find those on the margins. But, while the homeless are seen, I found it quite difficult to find those who would be willing to commit to a program such as Labre. Over and over I have heard the same responses of “I have a test,” “I am busy, sorry,” or “no, I am not going” to our invitations of the opportunity to befriend those on the margins.  I think that what makes it so hard for people (myself included) to follow through on helping the homeless is that a relationship such as that is one that is not a necessity, but rather, it is one that is formed through pure, selfless love.

Martinez: Compassion. When you begin to do downtown more frequently, you make connections with people. It brings a lot of joy in their day to see you, especially being youth. The fact that youth is leading something like this gives people hope.

Frances Meng-Frecker Staff Reporter

Snapshots of a Vision: Building a Liberated Community

(Photo: Frances Meng-Frecker)

         On Friday, February 10, a group of students, faculty, and staff gathered together to discuss diversity and oppression on our campus. This was the final event for Regis University’s Anti-Oppression week. Everyone joined together in a classroom on the third floor of Main Hall. There was a total of approximately 25 people that filled the classroom. This event was called “Snapshots of a Vision: Building a Liberated Community.”

         To create an illustration for the discussion, there was an artist named Susanne Van Der Meer. She drew a mural to represent the conversation. To learn more about this artist visit her website at www.siftvisuals.com.

         A safe place was created for everyone to share their experiences and talk about oppression on campus and in our community. These conversations and safe places are necessary for students, faculty, and staff.

         Some of the topics of conversation were: diversity, liberation, community, democracy, religion, race, advocacy, allyship, violence, and “how ought we to live?” The main goal of this was to start the discussion. Davion Rodriguez, a junior here at Regis, said, “I urge all of you to have that imperative conversation and address these issues. If you do not, then the next person will not, and the next person. And that is detrimental to what we are trying to do. I just urge you to have these conversations. Please.”

         How do we liberate ourselves and break down oppressive structures?

         “Respect means to see. And the goal for us is to be seen.”

Frances Meng-Frecker Staff Reporter