A Last Letter from the Editor

By Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

I have had the privilege of serving as Editor in Chief of this publication for the past three years. I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity at the end of my freshman year by my prior editor, Catie. Just as she took a chance on me, I did the same by passing my title on to freshman staff writer, Austin Price. She will be supported by Madelynn Loring and Sandra Vo, who have been dedicated members of my team for the past two years.

In reflection on my time, I have had highs and lows of things I wish I had done while being proud of what I was able to accomplish on my own. It has just been me supporting this publication for the past few years, and I hope that I was able to build a steady enough foundation for my colleagues to carry it on without me.

This journey began by chance back in 2019, when I stumbled across a RUSGA Instagram story highlighting that the Highlander was tabling in the Student Center. Upon seeing that fated post, I high-tailed my way to the student center from my work study job, making it in the nick of time as they were packing up their materials. Lo and behold, I was invited to their staff meeting, and my relationship with this publication began.

I remember my first published article about Regis’ club fair. From there, I continued covering Regis events, including the annual trick-or-treat street, Drag Show, and Social Justice Week. Week after week I would show up eager to each of the staff meetings, waiting to see what assignment was next for me. A few months later, Catie tells me that I am her top choice for taking over the publication and that she would transition me in March.

For my fellow seniors, you might recall that mid-March was when we were sent home because of COVID. I was the last to publish an article that semester, with my perspective piece on COVID. A few months later, I had a brief Zoom meeting with the then-editor and publisher, and that was it. The publication was mine, but now what?

I began in a bit of a scramble, and to be honest it was a bit of a blur, but bit by bit I established myself as the new head honcho. My dear adviser, Sue Sci, helped me bring this publication out of the dirt and into the light. I started with a small staff, which grew the next year and the next.

I attribute part of my success to my decision to give my writers free rein. Whatever they wanted to write, I said go for it. Since there were no events to cover the first few months of my editorship, I figured why not publish more op-eds? Soon I saw my writers grow into distinct writing voices and styles, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Today, I can say that I printed two issues, had several articles published in the local newspaper the Denver North Star, finally held the community event I’d been dreaming of, and found three lovely ladies to pass the reins off to. When it came time to hand over everything, it became clear to me how much work I had done in my three years, especially with the relationships I built.

As I depart into the great unknown, I want to humbly thank all who have supported me throughout this journey. It has been an honor to be your editor these past three years, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to lead this publication to where it is today.  

SOMOS "GOZA" Community Event

Photography by James Ortiz, Staff Writer

Written by Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

On October 25, the Regis LatinX affinity group, SOMOS, hosted a community event called GOZA, which means “enjoy” in Spanish, which encompasses the main purpose of the event. The goal of GOZA was to foster community and invite non-SOMOS members to enjoy elements of Latin culture they may not have tried before. Various departments came together to help execute the event, including RUSGA, the Spanish Department, and ODEIE. Regis students from all walks of life came to participate and enjoy the festivities. Not only did SOMOS provide music and room to dance, but also an array of Latin food including empanadas, tamales, pupusas, as well as aquas frescas. There was also a spirited round of musical chairs and a pinata! Overall, the event boasted a large turnout and succeeded in bringing together the Regis community to experience LatinX culture.

Getting the Best Price for College Textbooks

By Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

Not only can college be really expensive, but on top of tuition there is the additional expense of course materials. However, for the 2022-23 academic year, textbook acquisition looks different for Regis students. Earlier this summer, Regis students received an email regarding the new endeavor to make textbooks more affordable through Regis’ partnership with their bookstore vendor, Follett.

Through this new program, Regis students are charged a flat $35 per credit hour fee, and in return will receive their course materials through mail or bundled and ready at the Ranger Station Bookstore. It is worth noting that this program may not include all academic programs, such as nursing. Further, there is the option to opt out of the program, which may be in the best interest of many Regis students.

For me and my chosen path of study, I was hesitant about the program since the fee for my credits was over $500, when my textbooks have never costed me more than $200 in past semesters. As a result, I chose to pursue the opt out path. I would recommend doing a little bit of research to see what prices your textbooks are going for. If it would cost less to buy your textbooks on your own, then opting out would save you money. Alternatively, if the cost would be more than the fee, saying in the program would save you money.

After sending a couple emails, I was informed that to opt out of the program, all I needed to visit the portal, register with my Regis email, and opt out from there. However, the fee will not be removed until after the add/ drop date. Access the portal here: https://accessportal.follett.com/0269

For those who wish to bargain shop for their textbooks, I have some recommendations to aid your search. I will usually start my search by simply googling the ISBN of the required textbook, to get an overview of the prices and sources I can buy from. However, I do have a few websites I usually end up buying from (with some bonus deals).

Thriftbooks.com

This is my all time favorite website to buy books from. It is a used book site that you can buy based on the condition of the used book, ranked from acceptable to like new. This site also has a great rewards program in which you are granted points based on your purchases that you can redeem for FREE BOOKS! And, the more you buy the more points you get per dollar spent. Since these are used books, quantities are often limited or not available, but I would recommend starting here!

Rakuten deals

You can get cashback on purchases from particular stores through Rakuten, including Textbooks.com (2% cashback), Follett (2% cashback), Barnes and Noble (1.5% cashback), Better World Books (2.5% cashback), and Ecampus (3.5% cashback). All you need to do is create an account with Rakuten, then go through their app to the website, or add the Rakuten shortcut to your computer!

Chegg

I know a lot of students use Chegg, but I just haven’t had a lot of luck finding the best deal on this site. However, UNiDAYS, a discount website with student deals, has a coupon for Chegg for 10% off! I also recommend getting an account with them to take advantage of student deals and discounts while you are still enrolled.

Additional tips & tricks

Try to find eBooks to buy or rent, which can be cheaper with the additional benefit of digital highlighting and notes, and my favorite feature, the search option. With a physical book, you have to flip through countless pages to find something you are looking for, but with an eBook you can simply search a key word. 

If you buy a physical book, you have the option to pursue sellback options. I have sold back to the Ranger Station Bookstore before, as well as to websites like Textbooks.com for some extra cash!

Ultimately, it’s up to you how you want your textbooks! You have to weigh the options of cost, time, and convenience to see what the best option would be for you.

Notable Opinions the Editor Shares: Kindle Paperwhite Review

Photo by Morgan Jacobus

By Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

Hey everyone, it’s the EIC back again with another recommendation. Since we have already covered my favorite stationery, I thought an appropriate article in time for the holidays is a product recommendation of mine: the Kindle Paperwhite. Who knows? It could make a great gift for that special reader in your life. Plus, if you want to treat yourself to one, it is lovely to curl under a blanket with (if you have festive jammies you get bonus points).

After all, being an editor involves quite a bit of reading, particularly articles, but I also consider myself an avid reader in general. Ask any of my staff members, and they will say that before meetings I am usually reading on my kindle. I carry it practically everywhere with me, and it helps me read more whenever I have some extra time to kill. Without any further ado, here is my official review.

Product Review: Kindle Paperwhite

I used to be an avid bookworm growing up, but then life and schoolwork got in the way. I used to read so many books, then I hardly read any books outside of my books for school, until I decided to make a change. At the beginning of this year, I made a goal to read more books, and I have read 49 books this year so far, which I owe to my Kindle Paperwhite.

I had a Kindle Fire since about 2012, and it worked just fine, but I found that I wasn’t reading on the kindle I already had because the screen would strain my eyes. However, I heard that the paperwhite isn’t like a screen.

The reason I chose to upgrade was primarily because of its “300 ppi glare-free display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight.” And let me tell you, I tried scouring review sites to see if it actually looked like a book page rather than a screen. It seemed like it was, but there was a part of me that doubted. How could an electronic device actually look like paper rather than a computer screen?

After reading with it religiously for about almost a year, I can tell you that it truly does look like a book page. When I first received it and activated it, my mama and I were in shock. How can it even do that? I don’t know how it works, but it does. You have the option of backlighting the screen if you are reading in a dark or low light environment, but you can also read without turning the light on at all to get the experience of what looks like an actual piece of paper. Even with using the backlighting feature at night, I found it doesn’t strain my eyes and I am able to read longer.

Though part of the advertisable qualities of the paperwhite was its smaller size and being waterproof, what truly appealed to me was the screen. However, I will say that the size was smaller than I expected. It fits nicely in my hand, and I can bring it so many places with me. Part of why I have been able to read so much this year is because I have been able to have a book with me at all times, which is so easy when it is this small. It even fits in some big jacket pockets of mine. Its size is so much more convenient than a book or even a tablet, but it isn’t too small to read on either.

I am not going to lie; the colors it comes in definitely caught my attention when I was eyeballing the kindle online. The paperwhite comes in black, twilight blue, sage, and plum. It was difficult to narrow down the color I wanted, but I opted to go with the plum color, and it is gorgeous. I also opted to get the Amazon case for it, which reminds me of the super expensive Apple case people would buy to go with their iPad, but it was worth the extra money in my opinion (though I did use a coupon on it, which made me feel better). The case was made for this kindle, and it fits it perfectly. The kindle snaps into the hard shell of the case, and there is a flap that will put the kindle to sleep when it is closed. And guess what? It comes in the super pretty colors to match your kindle. Yes, I am a sucker for matching accessories, and I am not afraid to admit it. Though there are some other case options you could use, or not even use a case at all, I would recommend getting the Amazon case to accompany your kindle should you choose to buy it.

One of the specs that they emphasized when promoting this product was its battery life. I would say that the battery life is impressive, and I don’t have to worry about charging it every week or so, even when I read for longer stretches, like my trip to visit family in California (I did a lot of reading then). Though I think the battery would depend on how much you read, I can verify the claim that it lasts weeks rather than days. Not only that, but when its battery is running low, I have noticed that it is fast to charge, which is impressive.

Another feature I didn’t even realize I would want is its connection to Goodreads. I have had my account since middle school, and I love it. I believe every bookworm should have a Goodreads account to keep track of their books. When you open a book on the kindle for the first time, it opens a sidebar with a brief description of the book, about how long it would take for you to read (yes, this device actually learns your reading speed), and it updates the book as currently reading on your Goodreads shelves. It also updates the book as read once completed. Additionally, when you highlight the book (bonus of an e-reader – you can highlight your library books!) it saves your highlights under your Goodreads account so even after you have returned it you can look back on what you highlighted.

Though you can add notes, I mainly stick to highlighting, because a drawback of it not being a traditional screen is that it isn’t as sensitive or responsive to touch. Sometimes it isn’t as precise as a tablet would be, because sometimes it doesn’t select what you want to select, and sometimes it can be slow to respond. If you hold down and drag your finger across a paragraph, it is fairly easy to highlight that way, but it is more difficult to type. However, I bought this product because of its similar look to real paper, so I consider this a fair concession to make that doesn’t detract away from the overall experience. Plus, how much typing do you have to do on it anyways? Write in a notebook if you really want to.

There are so many countless benefits to an e-reader, even if you don’t get a Kindle Paperwhite. Not only does it save you money because online books are cheaper than physical books, but it also saves paper, and it saves space by storing hundreds of books on one device. However, I am sure you have heard these reasons before. Something people may not consider with e-readers is the ease of checking out books when you are away from your library. Being in college, it is so much easier to checkout eBooks from my library rather than worry about being home to return physical books. Additionally, I know I am less likely to have a book be overdue when I don’t have to worry about when I can physically return it to a library.

This is not a tablet or an iPad, it is just an e-reader, but it does its job well. If you want more out of one device, I recommend getting an iPad with a kindle app on it to read books. But, if you are like me and want an e-reader that doesn’t look like a screen, I think the Kindle Paperwhite is for you. To me, the impact it has had on my reading, as well as helping my goal of using my phone less is priceless. By being able to have a book with me at all times, I am able to reach for my kindle rather than my phone when I am bored or have downtime. It has also helped the ease with which I read by appealing to the traditional bookworm within me that prefers paper to screens.

You find the version I bought a year ago refurbished for about $100, or there are other paperwhite options out there depending on how new you want it and how much you want to spend.

Thanksgiving Traditions

With Thanksgiving break coming up and everyone planning to go home to see their families, a couple of our staff thought it would be fun to share some of our Thanksgiving favorites and how we usually celebrate.

Morgan Jacobus: My family’s tradition is a little outside the norm, but it suits our family perfectly. We don’t usually gather in a large setting with other family members, usually it is just the three of us: myself and my parents. However, we embrace our tight-knit unit in which we just like to lounge and spend time together. So, our tradition the past few years has been to get a smoked turkey breast from Honey Baked Ham (after all, there is no need to cook a whole turkey for three people), then make our sides in the morning, set up the goods on our kitchen island, and graze all day rather than sit down for a formal meal. Our staples include green beans made with bacon and almonds, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing (box is our favorite, try not to judge), and my personal not-guilty pleasure is canned cranberry sauce. Some may cringe at some of the store-bought inclusions, but it suits our tastes, and it leaves time for us to just spend the day together. 

Maeve Hushman:  My childhood is peppered with memories of large family thanksgivings spent at my Great-Aunt Roby’s farm house. Their house in  a less urbanized part of San Diego county was always greatly anticipated. My aunt’s house had huge trees, animals, and lots of backyard space for a little girl to ruin her nice white tights and pretty winter dress. It also had a counter top full of excellent food. After my Grammy passed away, this tradition of driving out to my aunt’s for a large Thanksgiving stopped. Instead, we had to redefine our traditions. Now, Thanksgiving is celebrated in just my nuclear family unit: my parents, my little brother, and me. On that Thanksgiving table there are always some must-haves: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry-orange sauce (my great aunt’s recipe), stuffing, green beans, apple pie and most importantly, rolls. My little brother is 17 but still remains a picky eater. He eats nothing but turkey and rolls with butter on Thanksgiving, so having a basket of warm dinner rolls is essential.  My Thanksgiving essentials are mashed potatoes with gravy and the cranberry-orange sauce. However, I love to bake pies and for the past few years I have been the designated pie baker for my family. It is my favorite dish to prepare, even if the mashed potatoes are my favorite to eat. 

On behalf of The Highlander, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Notable Opinions the Editor Shares: Paper Stationery Favorites

By: Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

In my last article, I discussed my favorite writing utensils. As promised, I am continuing my editor series with my paper-based stationery favorites, so you have something to write on with my established favorite utensils. Among my favorites are my top notebooks, as well as sticky notes and notepads. After all, where would an editor be without a plethora of sticky notes and notebooks? 

Top Notebook Recommendations: 

Bullet journal: Archer and Olive A5 Dot Notebook

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

I cannot rave about this journal enough. It is such high quality, and so elegantly crafted. Some of my personal highlights include the ultra-thick pages (so there is no ghosting or bleeding from pens/ markers), lays flat when opened (ideal for any form of journaling), and features a pen loop! From an aesthetic perspective, its hardback cover is lovely (not to mention the countless other design options to choose from, including faux leather), it comes with an ampersand charm page marker. Furthermore, the box it comes in is wonderful, so it is like opening a present for yourself. I truly admire this company, so if you are looking to treat yourself to an exquisite notebook, look no further. 

Multi-section notebook: Opalhouse 3 Section Notebook

This is my official editor notebook that I use for anything related to the Highlander, since I have a lot to keep track of. It combines different types of notebooks into one, which is handy. For instance, it has three tabs that separate the sections (WITH divider pockets might I add) that make it easy to separate different types of notes. Not only that, but it also features different kinds of notebook paper, like to do paper (so you can create lists and check off tasks as you complete them), regular lined paper, and dotted paper. It unfortunately isn’t currently on the Target website, but you can find it in the notebook section. 

Personal journal: Leatherette Storage Journal

I like this notebook for journaling since it has a dating system on the top for journal entries, featuring the months of the year and numbers you can circle to indicate which day you are writing. It also has cute pockets on the front for pens and can even fit a phone, making it possible for everything you need to journal contained in this cute notebook that you can throw in a bag or purse. 

Small monthly notebooks: Composition Notebook Set Unruled Affirmation

I think this notebook set can be a cute gift for someone, or even yourself. There are twelve notebooks for each month of the year, each including a positive affirmation on the front. They are each small and handy to carry with you anywhere you go. The possibilities are endless: you can carry one with you for random thoughts, to have some paper handy, or you can use it for daily journals according to the monthly theme. Sometimes it is nice to just have a notebook you can keep with you in your pocket! 

photo by// Morgan Jacobus

Noted: Sticky Notes and Notepads

I am a sucker for packaging, like in the case of Noted, a series by post-It. They are beyond normal blank sticky notes, featuring different shapes and designs including circles, notes with tabs, lined notes with check boxes, and more. There are weekly notes, to do list notes, and even a self-care notepad for habit tracking. Plus, how cute are they? They come in an array of aesthetic colors in notes, pens, and pads, and even stickers to choose from. If you are looking to upgrade your sticky note game, check out Noted.