Holmquist and Sanders Lead Q & A Discussion on Syrian Conflict
On Tuesday, April 18th senior Allie Holmquist and history and politics professor Dr. Ethan Sanders hosted a Q & An entitled “The Syrian Conflict—A Civil War?” in the Regis Room of Carroll Hall.
(Photo: Getty Images)
On Tuesday, April 18th senior Allie Holmquist and history and politics professor Dr. Ethan Sanders hosted a Q & An entitled “The Syrian Conflict—A Civil War?” in the Regis Room of Carroll Hall. This semester, Holmquist and Sanders researched the conflict in an independent study. Over twenty students and faculty were in attendance.
Dr. Sanders began with background on the conflict by responding to the question, “Is this a civil war?”
“The first and most obvious answer,” Sanders stated, “is yes. It is a civil war insofar as it is a war raging amongst the people of Syria to either topple the regime of Bashar al-Assad or those who want to see that regime stay in place and keep its power.”
However, while numerous domestic issues led to the conflict, Sanders also stated that there are a variety of international players that have contributed as well. In this sense, according to Sanders, “it is not just a civil war but a conflict with regional and global dimensions.” The other foreign actors involved are Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States, and Russia. The interests and actions of these nations helped to shape the conflict into what it has become today.
Next, Allie Holmquist, a senior Peace and Justice and Sociology double major, gave background history information on how the Syrian conflict began and how it looks today.
“What has been most upsetting—and that word doesn’t capture what I’m trying to say—has been the use of chemical warfare against civilians in Syria.” The most recent chemical attack on civilians by the government occurred on April 4th, despite the fact that Syria is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which is an international law stating that it is illegal to use chemical weapons in any war.
“I think what needs to happen is a shift in how we look at the conflict. We can’t look at it as ‘the U.S is participating because they want to be seen in this light in the Middle East’ or ‘Saudi Arabia is involved because they don’t want Iran to be the superpower.’ It needs to be a shift to what the Syrian people need and how to keep them alive.” Holmquist stated that often those who are in a position to bring change to the situation often shy away from taking action by claiming that the situation is too complex.
“If we shift the conversation to the Syrian people, we’ll start different conversations. With that, I think other steps that need to be taken immediately are refugee resettlement and trauma counseling for refugees.”
For the latter half of the event, Holmquist and Sanders answered questions from guests in attendance. To conclude, Dr. Sanders stated, “First, be willing to dig a little deeper, and then to think empathetically about why people do what they do because that’s the only way to understand any conflict.”
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter
A Conversation on Our Changing Community
Over fifty gathered to hear the reflections of five panelists made of up Berkeley-Regis neighborhood residents at "Our Chaning Community."
(Photo: Will Tracey)
“What we want to do tonight is take a conversation that’s happening outside of our campus but also inside our classrooms. We also know it is affecting the daily lives, everyday experiences and work experiences of many people as well. Some of us call this gentrification, some of this call this community change, some of us call this the status quo. Whatever the case is, there is a changing nature in our community; there are changing buildings and changing experiences.”
These were the opening remarks of debate coach and Jon Denzler during “Our Changing Community,” a conversation on gentrification sponsored by The Institute of the Common Good, The Regis University Debate Team, and the Regis University Communications Department on April 4th in the Mountain View Room. Over fifty gathered to hear the reflections of five panelists made of up Berkeley-Regis neighborhood residents. The panelists were Stephanie Navarette, Kristen Barnes, Klaus Holzapfel, Niya Gingrich and Dennis Gallagher.
The first questions posed to the panel were, “What have been the most visible changes you’ve seen in the community, and what have been the most invisible changes?”
Stephanie Navarette, a local renter, and mother of one stated, “I think the most visible change for anyone and everyone in the neighborhood would probably be the buildings and the homes on the blocks. You see a lot of them that are not like the others. My grandparents’ business is gone. That’s the most visible change, I feel.”
As for an invisible change in the neighborhood, Niya Gingrich, the owner of Local 46 Bar on Tennyson Street stated, “I think this may be invisible to a lot of people, but there’s this push-pull relationship between the growth of the business community and the residential. As a business association, that’s one of the main things we’ve been focusing on, on how we can be delicate with that. And how we can be respectful of a small business community to the residents, and how we can work together.”
Next, the conversation opened up to a question and answer portion with the audience. Questions ranged from, “What are perceptions about the community that are an issue here?” to “How should people impacted by gentrification support the local business that has been damaging to the culture of the community?”
When one student posed the question, “Do any of you worry that you may be displaced?” one panelist shared, “I wake up every day worried that I won’t be able to stay in the school district that my son is in. Every day. For my landlord, it’s not an if, it’s a when is she going to raise my rent so that I can’t afford it by myself because I’m a single parent. It’s a when she’s going to sell her property and have new landlords take it over [. . .] I look at rents, and you can’t get a one bedroom for less than a thousand dollars in this neighborhood. So it’s definitely an everyday fear.”
Overall, much of the evening’s discussion centered on how our community can break down barriers with one another through interaction, and how we can navigate the complex questions that community change brings with it.
For more information on neighborhood issues, visit:
http://www.berkeleyregisneighbors.org/
Maggie Lacey Staff Reporter
Berkeley Regis United Neighbors Hold March Meeting
On Tuesday, March 21, twenty community residents gathered at Holy Family Church for the monthly Berkeley Regis United Neighbors (BRUN) meeting.
“Think globally, act locally.” This phrase encourages individuals who care for global issues to first make a change in their communities. As Regis students, our community involves not only our campus but the wider Berkeley-Regis neighborhood. The Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) of the Berkeley-Regis neighborhood is the Berkeley Regis United Neighbors or BRUN. On Tuesday, March 21, twenty community residents gathered at Holy Family Church for the monthly Berkeley Regis United Neighbors (BRUN) meeting.
The meeting opened with a message from the office of City Councilman Rafael Espinoza, our District 1 representative. Currently, the Denver City Council is considering a measure that would allow for extended hours for marijuana dispensaries. Espinoza’s representative encouraged all neighborhood members to take a 4 question survey to express whether they would like dispensaries to retain their 7:00 p.m. closing time, or extend their hours to 10:00 p.m., or remain open until midnight. The survey is accessible via a community e-newsletter, or on Rafael Espinosa’s Facebook page.
Some residents expressed concern over extending business hours for marijuana dispensaries, as it could affect parking in the area as well as noise levels later into the night. Additionally, residents pointed out that the neighborhood isn’t directly impacted by revenues. However, others for extending hours believed dispensaries should be treated in the same way as liquor stores, and the extended hours would benefit the dispensaries’ business.
The BRUN board members also raised the issue of businesses seeking liquor licenses to serve alcohol in the neighborhood. Currently, when a business applies for a liquor license, BRUN is notified and offers the proprietor the chance to sign a Good Neighbor Agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to ensure businesses respect the community and its expectations. The four conditions expressed in the community agreement are establishment closing time, patio closing time, trash expectations and dumping times, and noise level. If the proprietor chooses to sign the community agreement, BRUN will offer support at the liquor license hearings, while if they do not, BRUN will voice their concerns and opposition at the hearings.
Other announcements included the formation of a new group, Historic Berkeley Regis, which is a group of residents interested in studying the history of the neighborhood’s architecture. The annual Easter egg hunt was announced for Saturday, April 15th at 10:00 am. at Berkeley Lake Park, just east of Smiley Library on 46th and Tennyson.
BRUN holds meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is April 18th at 6:00pm at Holy Family Church (4377 Utica St.).
If you’d like more information on BRUN visit: http://www.berkeleyregisneighbors.org/
If you’d like to contact District 1 Councilman Rafael Espinosa, he can be reached at
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter
Education on Immigration
On March 15 over thirty individuals from all across the Regis community gathered together in Claver 315 for the Spirituality and Social Justice Committee’s event “Education on Immigration: A Call to Action.”
(Photo: Maggie Lacy)
It’s not often that a single on-campus event can draw attendees from the Regis College Office of the Academic Dean, the Psychology and Neuroscience Department, RUSGA, the Center for Service Learning, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Academic Internship Program, the Career Center, the RCHP Master’s in Counseling Program, the Office of the Provost, and outside community members. However, on March 15 over thirty individuals from all across the Regis community gathered together in Claver 315 for the Spirituality and Social Justice Committee’s event “Education on Immigration: A Call to Action.” The event, organized by senior Crystal Ayala, aimed to educate on current immigration policies, community actions, and how Regis can support immigrants.
First, community organizer Tania Valenzuela spoke about her experiences as an undocumented immigrant. Valenzuela graduated from Regis in 2011 with a degree in sociology. During her time at Regis, she worked to create more awareness for the issues that undocumented students face.
“There were instances when I came to class not knowing what my space was. Obviously, my education was super important to me, and I wanted to be there, learning” Valenzuela said of her experience at Regis,, “But it’s hard to be sitting and trying to learn when there’s all this other stuff working against my presence in this country. It’s draining that I have to daily justify my existence, and my right to be here.”
Next, Jordan T. Garcia from the American Friends Service Committee geared the conversation toward community organizing around immigration issues at Regis.
According to Garcia, “The people that are most impacted by any kind of oppression are the best position to define their liberation [. . .] They are also in the best position to describe the specifics of their oppression. I’m not an immigrant. What I can do is figure out how to lift voices of people who are trying to define their liberation.”
Garcia facilitated a group brainstorming session of tangible actions can be taken at Regis, as well as potential issues that Regis should address. The group expressed interest in changing the culture of Regis so that more undocumented students feel comfortable, making “Know Your Rights” resources and trainings available, and increasing conversations around immigrant rights in classrooms. Although Regis has decided against declaring itself as a sanctuary campus due to potential revocation of federal aid, the group discussed how we can cultivate the feeling of a sanctuary campus.
Additionally, Valenzuela and Garcia encouraged attendees to support a Colorado state legislation proposal entitled House Bill 1206, which would allow undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a driver’s license by presenting taxpayer documents. Another way to support immigrants is by donating to or volunteering with the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that promotes immigrants’ rights.
If you would like to get involved in undocumented immigrants’ issues at Regis, the Office of Cultural Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence holds meetings around these issues in their office every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. in Room 124 of the Coors Life Direction Center. Additionally, professionals in the office are available to speak with undocumented students in need of support.
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter
For online immigration resources, please visit:
http://www.togethercolorado.org/resources
To read HR 1206, the proposal to allow undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a driver’s license by presenting taxpayer documents, visit:
http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017A_1206_01.pdf
To read the Statement of AJCU Presidents on Undocumented Students, visit:
http://www.ajcunet.edu/press-releases-blog/2016/11/30/statement-of-ajcu-presidents-november-2016
Romero Troupe Visits Regis
How many ways are there to speak your voice?
(Photo: Maggie Lacy)
How many ways are there to speak your voice? Social activists often take their work to the streets through canvassing, organizing protests, and holding rallies. Over the past weekend, however, Regis hosted the Romero Troupe, a volunteer theater troupe founded by Regis Professor Jim Walsh made up of social activists who primarily do their work on stage.
On February 25th, RUSGA’s Social Justice and Spirituality Committee hosted the Romero Troupe’s show “Thoughts on Regime Change & Other Stories of Resistance.” Over one hundred community members gathered in the Mountain View Room to watch the troupe members perform three-minute skits based on their personal experiences of the new regime.
In one skit, an immigrant family with two undocumented parents re-enacted how they felt on the night of Donald Trump’s election. In another, an elderly gentleman shared how he decided to get involved in activism late in life, and why it gave him purpose in the world. A third skit featured a woman describing what it was like to work at a nonprofit with refugee women on Inauguration Day. The variety of skits reflected the diverse range of ages, races, nationalities, religions, and socioeconomic statuses that make up the members of the Romero Troupe.
The emphasis on sharing true stories from community members is one of the primary goals of the Romero Troupe. On the event’s Facebook page created by the Social Justice and Spirituality Committee, the Romero Troupe shared, “We seek stories from Colorado past and present. We are particularly interested in stories about unknown activists and organizers, unknown labor actions, and acts of resistance in the immigrant, LGBTQ, peace, environmental, and low-income communities. Our mission is to resurrect these stories by re-creating them theatrically and performing them several times for live audiences. We believe that these stories act as nourishment in the larger struggle and might inspire people today to become active in social change."
The Romero Troupe dedicated their show to their fellow troupe member Jeanette Vizguerra. As an undocumented immigrant, Vizguerra has acted as an advocate for immigrants in Denver for many years. She was unable to attend the performance, remarkably, because she is currently taking refuge in the First Denver Unitarian Church to avoid deportation.The show was free, yet donations were encouraged at admission. The Romero Troupe was able to raise four hundred and eighty dollars to benefit Mojados Unidos, an immigrants rights organization in Colorado.
If you would like to know more about the Romero Troupe, please visit
For more on Mojados Unidos, visit
https://www.facebook.com/Mojados-unidos-677054439017643/
And for more on Jeanette Vizguerra’s story, visit
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter
Regis Continues Discussion on Mental Health
RUSGA and the Institute on the Common Good co-sponsored a follow-up event to last semester's "Taking Care of Our Friends, and Ourselves” in response to the mental health related tragedies that occurred on campus last semester.
(Photo: Google Images)
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, RUSGA and the Institute on the Common Good co-sponsored an event entitled “Continuing the Dialogue on Mental Health.” Over fifty members of the Regis community attended the event in Claver 410, which was a follow up to the talk “Taking Care of Our Friends, and Ourselves” given by Dr. Abby Gosselin of the philosophy department in response to the mental health related tragedies that occurred on campus last semester.
The evening’s speakers included University Provost Dr. Janet Houser, psychology professor Dr. Brian Drwecki, recent Regis graduate Lauren Counterman, and Dr. Loretta Notareschi of the music department. Each of the speakers shared stories of their own experiences of mental illness.
The first speaker, Dr. Houser, emphasized that mental illnesses should be regarded in the same way as physical illness and should not be stigmatized. In regards to her experience of depression, she stated, “These are diseases, they run in families, they are illnesses. The chemicals in my brain do not work the way the chemicals in a normal person’s brain works. I have to take medication to keep those chemicals working correctly. About twenty years ago, we hit on just the right combination, and I’ve been effectively treated since then.” For Houser, one of the most important things we can do on our campus is to reduce shame around mental illnesses.
Dr. Drwecki stated, “This is a time that we in this community can begin to ask the question of ‘How do we create a liberated social environment that nurtures all people, all types of personalities, and all diversity of mental life? [. . .] If we do nothing, we have to admit that we are participating in an oppressive system. By doing nothing, we are complicit.”
Following the speakers, there was a discussion portion in which students and faculty asked panelists questions regarding mental health and what we can do on campus. Questions ranged from what one should do if their insurance company drops coverage of medication to how to support loved ones with mental illnesses.
Senior neuroscience major Veronica Valenzuela shared, “I felt compelled to come to this event because of my personal experience within my family of mental problems and issues. Hearing more stories is very powerful and can help me understand where I can help in that process with family members. Tonight I learned that even when we experience darkness, we have the capacity for brighter days.”
The RUSGA Health Awareness Committee and the Institute of the Common Good are committed to de-stigmatizing mental illness and plan on hosting more community events following Spring Break. At Regis, some of the confidential resources we have include the Office of Counseling and Personal Development and professional staff members at University Ministry. If you find yourself or a friend in a crisis situation, you can call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-TALK (8255).
Maggie Lacy Staff Reporter