ELEVATE
DRONES: FLYING HIGH p. 18
REGIS JESUIT | AURORA, CO Vol. 2 Issue 1 | November 2016
ART ON CAMPUS p. 14
JESUIT CLASSIC p. 46
WHAT’S INSIDE
I I.
So You Want to Climb a Mountain? pg. 7
II.
Creek Week pg. 39-41
2 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
III
II
IV
III.
Flying High pg. 18-21
IV.
Art Around Campus pg. 14-17
STAFF
RJ Media [Elevate Magazine, rjtoday.org, RJTV and RJTV Sports Network] operates as a limited-open forum for student free expression. The publications are for the students, by the students.
ELEVATE MAGAZINE Patrick Britti ‘17 & Anastasia Conley ‘18..........Editors In Chief Maddie Munger ‘19, Connor Lyford ‘18............Copy Editors Ron Fishleigh ‘17, Erin Biafore ‘18.......Photography Editors Jorge Paredes ‘18 .................Art Direction & Photography Patrick Koenigs ‘18............................................Op-Ed Editor Jason Lewis, Taylor Bush, Lilli Maples, Bella Ames, Brielle Bajek, Katie Berrian, Ashlyn Carr, Avery Chapman, Dominique Ebedes, Kaitlyn Forte, J’Den Humphries, Molly Kennedy, Liz Koch, Sarah McDevitt, Maddie Plank, Natalie Skaggs, Lauren Winston, Alec Martinez, Jaime Tarango, Sam Bornhorst, Grant Breeden, Nick Faber, Victor Diaz, Hans Helland, Joe Lampty, True Potter, Cole Stevens, Hunter Sherrard, Jack Harpole, Will Barbera, Jake Butler.....Staff Reporters
RJTODAY.ORG & SOCIAL MEDIA Leo McCabe ‘18 & Lilli Maples ‘17........Social Media Editors
RJTV & RJ RADIO Nick Faber ‘18, Erin Biafore ‘18, Sam Bornhorst ‘17, Kyle Schwulst ’18, Nick Sangalis’18....................RJ Radio Hosts Noah Winston ‘17, Max Zahringer ‘17, Brent DiBiase ‘19, Nick Smith ’17, Maddie Munger ’19, Jorge Paredes ‘18, Jason Lewis ‘17, Sydney Linquist ‘18, Lila Smith ‘17, Mathew Palowski ‘18, Nick Faber ‘18....................RJTV Special Events Coverage Nick Sangalis ‘18, Matthew Bornhorst ‘19, Sam Bornhorst ‘17, Kyle Schwulst, Patrick Britti ‘18, Carly Schwulst,’18 Sam Bornhorst ‘17, Angela Serwaa-Marfo ‘20, Michael Manoogian ‘19, Jack Potter ‘19, Sam Stern ‘20, Phil Adam Dawkins ‘98................. Adviser Jason Lewis ‘17................... Cover Photo
The staff aims to balance what the audience wants with what it needs, and strives to make solid judgments with regards to news value and news awareness. The publications will serve as a medium for student opinions and ideas. RJ Media strives to produce objective, well-balanced and accurate reporting and content that features a range of students, their interests and their viewpoints. The staff is dedicated to being fair, accurate, balanced, truthful and responsible. The staff will seek the truth and report it, minimize harm and act independently. We promise to be transparent, accountable and open. The staff also upholds Ignation values with regard to social justice and openness to growth. The staff prides itself on using the Ignation Pedagogical Paradigm to help make decisions: context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation. The student Editorial Board will have final say in the content of the publications. School officials, administration or faculty and staff shall not practice prior review or the have the ability to censor any student publication, with the exception of material deemed to be legally obscene, libelous, substantially and materially disruptive, or coverage on any one of the following three topics, wherein coverage will be worked through with the president and principals: Obituaries, employee termination, and crimes or cases in the court of law.
EDITORIAL POLICIES
RJ MEDIA
The views of columnists are not necessarily those of the newspaper staff. Opinions will be published on designated pages or otherwise marked. All material published by RJ Media is copyrighted to RJ Media, year and date of original publishing. RJ Media will not publish any material that is a violation of copyright. We take our own photos and produce our own content. We sometimes use photos with express written permission, but only if we absolutely have to. Those will be credited to the photographer with attribution specified by the permission of use. Read our full editorial policies at rjtoday.org/policy Read our full Editorial Policies at rjtoday.org/about
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged, but will only be published if they are accompanied by a name and signature. Letters should be short and free of “bashing” or obscenity. Letters to the editor do not reflect the views of the RJ Media staff and will be marked on pages designated as such. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for potentially libelous material and length. The staff will not edit letters for punctuation, grammar and usage. Letters with issues will be returned to the submitter for further review. Contact the RJ Media Editorial Board at rjmedia@regisjesuit.com or in the RJ Media Lab (PAC-102). You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram @RJ_Media
FOLLOW US. WE PUBLISH DAILY. RJTODAY.ORG 3
UNITED IN RED
4 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
WHAT GOES INTO MAKING A MAGAZINE? 1,500 milligrams of caffeine, At least 45 “I hate yous,” Hours of lost sleep, Copious amounts of memes, One face print on a glass wall, Dozens of slices of pizza, An innumerable amount of tears. And three dozen committed journalists. We’re new at this... It also calls for lots of hard work. Over the past two months, many students grew to become journalists, seeking stories and knowledge. Many of their stories are published on our student-run site rjtoday.org Their devotion was not only motivated because of grades, but also the desire to produce something great for their peers to enjoy. So, what really goes into making a magazine? You. We’re excited for what’s to come next.
YOUR EDITORS, PATRICK BRITTI ‘17 ANASTASIA CONLEY ‘18
5
ATHLETIC TRAINING: WHAT IT TAKES
Trained health professionals, training staff knows what it takes to keep you safe and get you back in action. Story and photos by Taylor Bush and Brie Bajek ‘17 Once 2:45 hits, the athletic training rooms are flooded with athletes from every sport. Players are there for everything spanning from an ankle that needs to be wrapped to rehab for an ACL tear. Regis Jesuit has four athletic trainers: two in the Girls Division and two in the Boys Division. The Girls Division has Lindsay Casas, the head athletic trainer, and Jill Bradley, the assistant athletic trainer. The Boys Division’s head athletic trainer is Bre Perdue and the assistant trainer, is Sebastian Kurtz. “We can’t live without them,” head varsity football coach Dan Filleman says, “they are a very valuable part of our team.” “We are educators in health care, just like a nurse and just like a physician’s assistant. We have a vast education in sports injuries, we specialize in it,” Casas explains. The trainers are available every day after school to prevent injury and guide athletes through rehab. The process always starts with the basic questions: Rate your pain on a scale of 1-10, does it hurt to move it like this? These questions are key to your diagnosis. Once the trainers have diagnosed you, they immediately start to create a plan of action. Every single
athlete’s rehab is different, depending on the sport the athlete plays, the level of seriousness to their injury, and just about everything else. Communication is key and is one of the factors that makes the job of athletic trainers difficult. When the athletes are injured and don’t communicate with the trainers, they can’t get the help they need. How are the trainers supposed to help you if they don’t know you are injured? Coaches in all sports know how important the role of our trainers are. Coaches understand the heart players have for their sport and sometimes it’s tough to go in and learn of a diagnosis, but sometimes it’s just time to see the trainer. Athletic trainers are there to help you; they see you in the halls at school and have a personal connection with you. Why go to a doctor when you can see our trainers and get help from a sports injuries experts? The job of an athletic trainer goes a lot deeper than what we see on the surface. “We are medical professionals, not personal trainers,” Perdue says. “It’s like a puzzle, fixing people is a puzzle,” Bradley says.
Perdue works with an athlete, dressing his wound to make sure that it is okay to play with and he is ready to go back on the field.
Kurtz is thrown into action as Mateo Grajales ‘17 needs a quick injury evaluation during the Jesuit Soccer Classic. Photo by Jorge Paredes ‘18
6 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
Think you got injured at one of your practices or games? Follow these simple steps. 1. Check to see if it hurts. If yes, don’t go to your doctor yet. 2. If yes, go to your nearest Regis Jesuit athletic trainer. 3.Once you get to the training room, sign in. 4. Seriously, don’t skip the sign in. 5. Once you’ve signed in, sit down on one of the nice exam tables. 6. The trainer will come and ask you a series of questions to get a diagnosis. 7. Don’t say that your pain is a ten, unless it actually is a ten. 8. Don’t lie. If you’re in pain, they’ll know. 9. If something is wrong, follow instructions of your trainer. They know what they are doing. 10. Be sure to follow up and DO YOUR REHAB!
Casas checks one of the volleyball girls to figure out what is causing her pain, hoping to come to a diagnosis.
Bradley works with a cross country runner, soaking her foot in iodine hoping for a speedy recovery.
So you Want to Climb a Mountain? WHAT A VIEW: The phenomenal view atop La Plata Peak, one of Colorado’s 58 14ers.
Story and Photos by Connor Hodes ‘19
It’s 3 AM. The unpleasant sound of your alarm seems louder and more painful than ever. You walk downstairs, still half asleep, and start made, backpack Story and preparing. Photos byBreakfast Connor Hodes ‘19 packed, you hit the road. 3:30 AM. As you get closer, the drowsiness shifts into excitement. 6 AM. You reach the trail head. The first light of day appears, narrowly preceding the beautiful sunrise through the trees. 9 miles, 3000 vertical feet until you can call it a day. Is it tough? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
How to climb your first 14er:
Colorado has 58 named peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level. This is more than double the rest of the US combined. Climbing a 14er can take anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days, depending on the location and difficulty of the climb. Here are some tips and tricks to getting to the top of your first 14er.
1. Plan ahead
The best time to climb a 14er is from mid-June to mid-September. Hiking a 14er is usually a full day ordeal. Research the difficulty of the route you are taking so you know what to prepare for. Plan at least 2 days in advance so you can check the weather forecast and prepare accordingly.
2. Be prepared
As much fun as the hike is, there is always a possibility that something could go wrong. Bring cold weather gear, at least 32oz. of water, and food for an energy boost along the trail. Also consider bringing first aid supplies, water filtration, matches, and a headlamp.
3. Start Early
The goal is always to be off the summit by noon. This is to avoid the frequent afternoon storms in the mountains. Typically, you will need to start at or before sunrise, depending on which of the 58 you plan to climb.
4. Pace yourself
Do not start off too fast. Take it slow so you have enough energy to make a summit push once you are close. Take breaks throughout the hike to rehydrate and refuel.
5. Stay safe
If the weather is getting bad, do not risk it. Any typical storm is twice as bad at 14,000 ft Lightning is the biggest concern. If you see lightning or hear thunder, immediately seek shelter or start heading back down the trail. You can always come back and try again.
6. Have fun
It’s important to stay safe, but remember to have fun. Enjoy the challenge and appreciate the beauty of Colorado.
Already an experienced mountaineer? Here’s how to elevate your game. 1. Sunrise (or sunset) summit View the breathtaking sunrise or sunset from the top of a 14er. Prepare for colder weather and higher winds than normal. 2. Spend the night on the summit Often done in the same trip as #1, spending the night on the summit, often referred to as a “Bivy”, gives you breathtaking views of the stars without the light pollution of the city. Bring a sleeping bag, cold weather gear, and a tent or tarp for shelter. 3. Climb a 14er in the winter See the astonishing views of the snow-covered peaks from a different perspective- on top of one of them. You may need to buy/rent gear designated for winter climbing, such as crampons, an ice axe, and snowshoes. Expect extreme cold. 4. Ski a 14er Often done with #3. This is no easy task. Skiing a 14er involves steep slopes, dangerous terrain, and unpredictable weather.
THE SUMMIT BID: The final push through a snowfield to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt, one of the most popular 14ers in Colorado, in late June. 7
ROWDY
LET’S GET
By Grant Breeden ‘17 & Lauren Winston ‘19 Photo by Ron Fishleigh ‘17
ALEX BALDWIN “HOT ROD” Favorite Cheer: Olay Olay Best Part of Being a Rowdy: The Short Shorts “I have always had quite the urge since I was a boy to wear short shorts and scream at groups of people.”
The Regis Jesuit Rowdies: a group of rambunctious and wild hearted guys who get the crowd going. But they are more than just glorified cheerleaders. These “precious children of God,” as moderator Nick Fagnant ‘02 calls them, have created a new form of Ignatian leadership at the school. Get to know them.
ABE QUEEN
“JIM NASTICS”
Favorite Cheer: Go Bananas! Best Pick-Up Line: “Are you from Tennessee? Because you seem like a courteous and smart southern bell who was raised well and is gracious and kind.” “The senior girls are the most powerful force to be reckoned with in the student body.” ROBERT ODGEN MIRR
“BALD EAGLE”
Best Pick-Up Line: “Nice Pants, K Mart?” Favorite Cheer: Bananas or the cheers I make up in my head as I nap. “A lesser conservative Uncle Sam type handed me a biodegradable scroll made from non GMO Cyprus. In the scroll wads the name gifted by Zeus and the pagan gods of whom Ulysses spent his time bartering with. The name was Bald Eagle, the descendant of the first of Washington.”
JAKE GRANADER
“MICHAEL KHAKI”
How I Chose My Nickname: The nickname chose me. Best Pick-Up Line: “If beauty was time, you’d be eternity.” “Paparazzi always on me.”
HUNTER HANKS “THE COOK” Go to Dance Move: The Worm Best Pick-Up Line: “Hey! Tie your shoes! I don’t want you falling for anyone else” “The best part of being a rowdy is seeing the entire crowd cheering and knowing that you helped make that happen.”
8 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
LOU VERA “BRAVEHEART” Go-To Dance Move: The Salsa Favorite Cheer: We Are Proud of You “I wear a kilt, not a skirt.”
CARL COMPOSANTO “I’M NOT REALLY INTO THE WHOLE NICKNAME THING” How I Chose My Nickname: I wasn’t really into the the whole nickname thing but if I were to choose one, it would be “Baby Carlos”. “I’m pretty good at making a fool of myself, so why not do it in front of the entire student section” Go-To Dance Move: The Worm or The Dougie
JACK DUNN
“THE MATTRESS KING”
Favorite Cheer: The Halftime Dance Party Best Part of Being a Rowdy: Being able to dress up, get crazy with some of my brothers, and extra room to move at the games” “Rowdies can’t get rowdy without a sweet crowd to get ROWDY with.” EVAN LOMBARDO “OFFICER NAVE” Favorite Cheer: Olay Olay Best Pick-Up Line: “I’m very important. I have many leather bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” “My voice is gone already.”
MATTHEW VON TSCHARNER
“CHI CHI”
WYATT WISER
“WILD WISER”
Favorite Cheer: Is This a Football?! How I Chose My Nickname: I needed something that rolled off the tongue, and my friends would make fun of me for it. Wild Wiser, what could be better? “We need to start a rowdy conditioning program or something because it is quite difficult to sprint the entire school.”
GEOFFREY LORD
“COACH GEOFF”
Best Pick-Up Line: It’s from Napoleon Dynamite when he says, “You know, you could drink whole milk if you want.” Favorite Cheer: Raiders Got a Big Defense “I didn’t choose my nickname, my nickname chose me.” DAHN K NGUYEN
“STEEZY DEEZY”
Go-To Dance Move: The Fishing One with a partner, or just getting pretty jiggy. Best Pick-Up Line: “Are you a chicken? Because you’re impeccable.” “Successfully flipping a water gallon 8 times and getting the crowd hype is probably one of the coolest things ever.”
Best Pick-Up Line: “Feel my shirt. Know what it’s made of? Boyfriend material.” Go-To Dance Move: My signature “Wavey Worm” “Are my jorts short enough?”
9
THE UNDERDOG MENALITY
Broncos football great Rod Smith speaks with RJ Media’s Connor Lyford ‘18 about his career
This three time pro bowler, two time Super Bowl champion, Denver Broncos Ring-of-Famer, and Broncos career leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns would never consider himself to be an underdog. Even after all the routes, catches, yards, and touchdowns, the most impressive thing about Rod Smith is his unwavering determination. The path to greatness was not a simple one for Smith. Smith was an undrafted player out of Missouri Southern State University that spent his first year on the Broncos practice squad and faced countless obstacles on his rise to the top. “I wanted to get drafted, but it didn’t happen, so there’s disappointment right there. Those goals you had as a kid; you see it, you reach for it, and it’s not there,” Smith said. One of the first challenges Smith faced was a change from his normal position. “You see, most people don’t know that I never played receiver, I played quarterback my whole life. So the thing was, ‘do you really love quarterback, or do you love playing football?’ my choice was, I love playing football, I love winning. So whatever it’s gonna take for me to win, that’s gonna be it,” Smith said. Many would be quick to classify Smith as an underdog, but he has always held a different opinion. “You’re only an underdog if you think that way. My mentality is: YOU run YOUR race, you do the best you can do, and you will get better at being who you are in the inside, and your outside will catch up. No matter how good you think you are on the inside, you’re gonna have to prove it. Guys like me, we are just given an opportunity. If your inside isn’t right, you’re never going to be able take advantage of that opportunity. Other people call you an underdog, you never call yourself that. [By doing that] I’m just limiting an opportunity,” Smith said. Even today, Smith practices and teaches these philosophies. In 2015, a commercial was aired by the NFL as a part of the “Football is Family” series, it featured former Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall. “There’s people that really helped me get to where I’m at today. Rod Smith really showed me the right way. I was there to take his job, but Rod sat me down and said, ‘this is the blueprint, this is how you do things. And as you go up that ladder you want to look back and bring somebody with you.’ You’re not always going to like everyone you play with, but along the way you’re going to find people that you really love,” Marshall said. Smith’s philosophies don’t just apply to football, he sits down with politicians, businessmen, kids, and countless others to spread his message and help them achieve their goals, regardless of what obstacles they face. “As a professional receiver, there’s no way my talent was good enough; because I didn’t have the technique, I didn’t understand how to run routes,” he says. “I was an athlete, obviously, but I had to go and internally fix the things I thought I was good at. I thought, ‘hey, I’m an athlete, I’ll beat anybody, just put me out there and I’ll get open,’ but I learned that that’s not good enough. And I teach this, I tell people this, sometimes your talent is not enough.” 10 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
It takes something more than athleticism and talent to become the rare breed of a player like the one Smith. “Talent is not good enough. You’re born with talent, but if you’re not using it correctly it will never turn into skill. Skill is when you take your talent and you work it every single day; mentally, physically, emotionally, to where it becomes a habit for you. That’s the difference, that is the difference in talent and skill,” Smith said. Smith found his opportunity in the most unlikely of ways. He tells the story of his first reception as if it happened yesterday. It was a fourth down with 6 seconds remaining in the game, the Broncos were 43 yards out from the end zone, tied 31-31. Former Redskins Safety James Washington had knocked out every other Broncos receiver in the game, “I was the last resort,” as Rod puts it. John Elway called the play- Right 24 Double-Go.
“
Other people call you an underdog, you never call yourself that. (By doing that) I’m just limiting an opportunity.
“
“I said well, hell, he ain’t gonna throw it to me. You got Eddie Mac (McCaffrey) on the other side and he’s been playing.” As fate would have it, Smith looked up and saw the ball. To him, it was just like practice. However, this was no practice, and when Smith looked down and saw the ball in his hands across the goal line, it would change his life forever. I think it’s the first time since I started playing football that I’ve thrown a touchdown pass on the last play to win a game,” John Elway, legendary Broncos QB told the La Times in 1995, “so this was extra special.” Smith reflects on the catch with a laugh, “I stood up and raised my hands, and all of sudden, I see all of my teammates running at me. The worst hit I took in my career was probably that hit.” Opportunities present themselves in a variety of ways at a variety of times in life. What truly matters is how we prepare ourselves for these opportunities, how we commit ourselves to a point where the biggest moments feel like practice. As Smith puts it, “How many people who can run a 4.40 work at the gas station? How many people with 4.40s work at the grocery store? How many people with 4.40s sit there at home watching their old tapes talking about how great they could’ve been?” Smith said, “You gotta go work at this stuff. “ In life, the question is not: when will the opportunity come? But rather: will you be ready when it does?
MORE COVERAGE. MORE CONSISTENCY. MORE RJ SPORTS LIVE ONLINE. RJTODAY.ORG/RJTVSPORTS 11
Cracking the Code of Standardized Tests Story by Katie Berrian ‘20
Do you ever feel stressed- so stressed that your body starts shaking and you can’t even hear yourself think? You might feel this way when taking standardized tests, especially the SAT and the ACT. With dozens of ACT and SAT prep courses and hundred of books on how to take each test, it can be difficult to determine where to go and who to ask for help. It is even harder to figure out how to prepare personally on test day. Should you be the kid who brings six back-up batteries for your calculator or the one who drank too much coffee after a long night of studying We contacted different people to give us information on stress, standardized tests, and how these tests can affect your future.
12 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
The College Student
When Rachel Johnson, a junior at Xavier University, took the test SAT, she didn’t do as well as she expected. She was nervous under the pressure of the time limit and frustrated because she knew the information but didn’t understand the wording of the questions. Johnson began studying how to take the SAT. Then something clicked: in order to do well, Johnson had to take more practice tests and understand how to approach the test. After doing this, she took the SAT again and did much better. Her advice to students: “Start studying early for it because it gives you more time so you don’t feel as pressured or stressed when it comes to taking the test.”
The Admissions Officer
Would you ever plan on not taking the SAT or the ACT? As an admissions officer for Santa Clara University, Mr. Lorenzo Gamboa’s job is to assess the applicants and decide which students are best fit for the school. This means that admissions officers look at more than your SAT/ACT scores: they look at your GPA and activities that you are involved in. At Santa Clara University, Mr. Gamboa uses the SAT/ACT scores to verify your GPA. But as more schools are becoming test optional, you can decide whether or not you want to take the tests. His advice to students: Do everything you can to best display yourself to colleges.
Top Tips from practice 1. Learn tests: make sure you
know why you got certain answers wrong
2.
Eliminate answers that you know aren’t right
3.
The College Counselor
Don’t make yourself more stressed than you already are. Ms. Huggins, one of Regis Jesuit’s college counselors, says that negative thoughts can make students even more stressed for standardized tests. She mentioned that she regularly hears students saying things like, “I’m so stressed; I’m not a good test taker; I hate standardized tests.” Students say these things to express their doubts and their lack of confidence in themselves. Learning disabilities, stress, anxiety, and other factors could cause these tests to be harder for some students. Her advice to students: “Have confidence that, ‘I know this material, a number doesn’t define me, I can always take it again.’ It does not indicate how smart you are or how capable you are. It’s just how well you did on a test on a particular day.”
You are not penalized for inncorrect answers on SAT/ACT; answer every question
positive: positivity has 4. Stay been proven to improve test scores
The High School Teacher
Mrs. Warren, a math teacher in the Girls Division, advises that you think outside the box when faced with challenging problems on the SAT/ACT. On math tests for her classes, Mrs. Warren uses two formats: multiple choice and free response. Multiple choice questions force you to choose reasonable answers and free response questions encourage creative thought. Mrs. Warren said that advanced math students are more likely to score poorly on the SAT/ACT because many standardized tests are made up of more basic content. If you are an advanced math student, you are still held accountable for basics. Her advice to students: “Before the SAT or before the ACT, students should take a full paper version [of the test] because they’re going to address the paper version on the day.”
5.
Eliminate answers that you know aren’t right
13
ART Around Campus O
ver the years, art has become an idea of the past. Modern day society gets in the way of the dreams of painting skies on ceilings or sketching the beginning of a million-dollar masterpiece. Instead, we are engrossed in the text message on our phones or the gossip our friend is telling us. After indulging in societal habits, we forget about the amazing piece of work hanging next to our English classroom, or near the table we sit at during lunchtime. An artist’s job is to create raw ideas that express something deeper than its meaning on the surface. Bill Starke, who created the amazing sculpture in our Boys Division called “The Climbers” says, “My work is generated by ideas, inspired by the question, ‘What could happen?’” A simple yet elegant statement of a true artist, much like Mark Steele’s words about his own art. Steele is well known for his mural in our Steele Center. He says,“I work with the challenges it takes to make a piece of art different than a flat canvas.” All of these amazing works and the words said by the artists in this issue shows that any piece of art really can paint a thousand words. Story, exclusive artist interviews, and photos by Bella Ames ‘20
14 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
The work you see to the right is a well known piece of art located in the west of the Boys Division. This masterpiece was created by Bill Starke. Starke began as an aspiring sketch artist, and after years of hard work and plenty of setbacks, Starke managed to build his art into a career. His art focuses on what can be imagined rather than what you normally see.“I’m using human figures as my vocabulary” Starke explains, “I’m not interested in doing ‘replicas’ of things that already exist in nature, but of something abstract and new.” Every student that’s visited the Steele Center knows about the renowned mural, “The History of the Jesuits in the Arts” by Mark Steele. This specific piece of art had lots of trouble during the making process. The mural is built on a curved stone surface on the second floor of the PAC. Steele knew he couldn’t stretch one canvas across the entire area, so he divided the mural up into pieces, then put them all together in the end. “At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to make something like this work and turn out, but long hours of planning and problem solving made the work turn out into something people can learn from,” Steele says.
The sculpture done by Moana Ponder, located below the Girls Division quad, has a story different than many other works of art. The sculpture was originally designed to be a sculpture of Mike and Carleen Haselden’s daughter, but they decided to donate it to Regis Jesuit instead. Moana’s artwork is meant to express life and the beauty within it. “How do you make them alive?” She pondered, “You have to make the wind in your work”.
The “Regis Mural” focuses on Regis Jesuit’s story, and the Jesuits through the years. With observation, you can notice the hours and detail that was put into creating this amazing 3D novel. This wordless story was created by Matthew Dehaemers, who said, “This mural fuses elements from the life of the Jesuit, John Francis Regis with the history and transformation of the beloved Regis Jesuit High School”.
15
T
wo years, many drafts, and a road trip from Massachusetts to Colorado later, the anticipated St. John Francis Regis statue now looks west from the Steele Center. Standing a massive 15 feet tall, the sculpture depicts St. Regis in billowing robes trekking towards the mountains. The statue was commissioned over two years ago by former Regis Jesuit president Father Steele, SJ. The St. Regis statue is an exquisite finishing touch to the Performing Arts Center, but the value of this new piece doesn’t end with the art alone. The hope is that this statue will be a conversation starter. While the name “Regis” is written all around campus, on the wall posters, on the signs in front of the schools, on our papers, and is chanted at every sports game, it is rare that we take time to remember the man behind the name. The teachings of St. Francis Regis, the values of service and education and perseverance, are integral to who we are as a community. Even in just the past decade Regis Jesuit has striven to uphold the ideals of its namesake. One of the ways in which the school has done this was by opening up the Girls Division, on of the first Jesuit schools to educate girls in a single-sex environment. “I think that the fact he was so dedicated to educating women back in a time when women didn’t have that opportunity frequently really speaks to who he was,” says Girls Division principal Ms. Kessler. “In many ways it’s kind of a nice remembrance in a sense if us opening the out his dreams.” Along with its reminder of our values, the creation of this statue, a relic of our namesake, calls us to reminisce the history of this school. Regis Jesuit was not always called Regis Jesuit. Up until the 1920’s Regis Jesuit was called Sacred Heart College. Father Steele, who graduated Regis Jesuit in 1966, posits that the name change was propelled by two factors: “One was to have a less incendiary name in the era of intense Ku Klux Klan activity,” he says of the very real threat of hate crimes and violence in the 60’s. “The other reason was that the students were referring to their school as “The Shack” (SHC), and the Jesuits considered that nickname unseemly.” The choice of St. Francis Regis as our school’s patron
saint was fitting considering the mountainous, French towns which he served in during his final years and their verisimilitude to the Colorado landscape. Sculptor Pablo Eduardo’s unique, baroque style of sculpting, his signature touch of adding the illusion of motion to that which is still, brings St. Regis’ association with the mountains to life, while also relating the piece to the more metaphorical mountains which we all face. Eduardo says that he hopes that the statue “becomes a symbol that inspires the students to always keep going. It seems like it’s walking sort of against a big wind. That wind represents everything that’s going to come at you in life. I hope that this inspires you to be okay with it and to enjoy it. Everything is going to pose a challenge, you just have to walk.” When we see the statue, we are called to reflect on how we live out the lessons of St. Regis. Do we sacrifice our time and energy for those who are suffering and marginalized? Do we appreciate the value of our education and share that value with those around us? When we are confronted with obstacles, do we walk against the wind?
THE CREATION Question
16 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
of a
Story by Dominique Ebedes ‘17
Jorge Paredes ‘18 talks to artist Pablo Eduardo during the installation. See the RJTV piece at rjtoday.org | Right: the statue at sunset. Photo Ron Fishleigh ‘17
The Man Behind the Stone
An Interview With Pablo Eduardo
Q: How and when did you decide to become a sculptor?
A:
“I decided to become a sculptor when I was in college. What attracted me to sculpting was that you get to create, for me in particular, the illusion of movement with something very static. I love making motion out of clay.”
Q: Tell me about the creation process. A: “We’ve been working on it for three
years. The process is a very interesting because I had to learn everything I could about St. Regis. It’s like a character study. You start out with a drawing and then come up with something you think you like. You make a miniature model. You make one a little bit larger. Then you make the very large one.”
Q: What has inspired you along the way? A: “St. Regis lived in a mountainous re-
gion like Denver, which was very inspiring and beautiful. I come from La Paz, Bolivia, which looks exactly like Denver. Mountains all around. All white. La Paz is a little bit higher.”
Q: Which moments of the creation process
have been most challenging? Most exciting?
A: “The challenge has been for us here to
complete it in the time that they wanted us to complete it, which we were not able to do. What I enjoyed the most was making it. That is what I enjoy. Making the clay come to life. I enjoy being with him for a year. He becomes a great question.” 17
AS DRONE USE INCREASES, SO DOES THE DANGER TO PILOTS.
Flying High Story by Jason Lewis and Ron Fishleigh ‘17 Photos by Jason Lewis ‘17
18 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
At the Centennial Airport, Air Traffic Control guides Danny Seese onto the runway, alongside hundreds of other pilots. The pilots’ concerns include speed, altitude, flaps, and air traffic. Now, for the first time, pilots around the world, at the largest international airports to the smallest grass strips, have to factor in a new threat: drones. While the dangers of drones are obvious to pilots, the average person does not realize that a three pound drone can cause thousands of dollars in damage or cost the life of a pilot. Windshields of small prop planes–just like those that fly in and out of Centennial every day–have windshields no thicker than those of cars. Add the fact that such small prop planes fly at 130 miles per hour, and a three pound object becomes a projectile that can shatter through a windshield and cause serious injury to a pilot. “When there is a possibility of anything negative happening to the aircraft, you have to keep it in the back of your mind,” says Seese. When drone pilots fly into restricted zones especially around airports, it poses a major threat to their drones, and all pilots flying. However, the true threat to Danny Seese’s airplane isn’t a drone; it’s his classmates. Two avid drone enthusiasts at Regis Jesuit, Jorge Paredes and Noah Winston, are the ones controlling these new flying objects and the ones responsible for the safety of pilots worldwide, especially their classmate Danny Seese. It is the drone pilot who decides where it is appropriate to guide the drone and with the right direction, art is created. It’s a give and take: drones allow for stunning aerial photography and sporting, yet also pose a great threat to pilots if flown too close to planes. “Regulations do not let you fly over 400 feet and these things do a pretty good job about not letting you fly that high. They have GPS and sensors in them that stop it from letting you go that high. And then it also knows where there are no fly zones and it does not let you fly there. So
it makes it easy, especially when you don’t know where there are no fly zones. So I have never really ran into any issues,” Winston explains. These safety precautions set up within the onboard computers allow Noah to fly with more confidence on top of his “100 hours of flight time.” With all of these dangers in mind Noah flies his drone because his artistic eye realizes that “aerial footage really adds to the whole experience, it gives it some more depth when you are trying to find shots to use. It also gives some really cool views you can really see the landscape in a different way then you would normally be able to.” His classmate Jorge Paredes is also a strong believer that “If you are a filmmaker and you love to take videos or pictures of a different perspective, having a drone really helps you a lot because it gives your generic video more of a professional feel and look to it. This is because you can have the perspective from the sky rather than always having it from the camera on the ground.” Seese agrees, saying, “I think [a] drone shot create[s] a really beautiful shot and can add a lot to a video.” Jorge likes to use the drone that Regis Jesuit purchased last year for its students in the media program. He recalls learning how to fly from the video games he played as a kid. “I flew the drone and I realized that the drone is really similar to the video game in the way you control it,” Jorge explained. Drone industry has been booming over the past years and has been a huge positive in the world of art, videography, and photography since the release of the DJI Phantom in 2013 and shows no signs of stopping. The FAA has made the process of registering drones and keeping them within safe boundaries along with educating those who use them for artistic reasons or others so that Noah and Jorge can share the skies with Danny. Now as Air Traffic Control at Centennial Airport guides Danny Seese into the runway, drones can be the last thing on his mind and artists can create beautiful photos and videos safely in the sky.
19
How I built my
Drone.
Flying
SOPHOMORE COLE STEVENS ON BUILDING A RACING MACHINE FROM THE GROUND UP.
Story by Cole Stevens ‘19 Photos by Jason Lewis ‘17
It started about two years ago when i bought my first drone, a “ready-to-fly model”—all I had to do was connect my remote to it and I could fly. I eventually started to see YouTube videos pop up about drone racing, flying through gates and around amazing features. These videos—once captured only by Hollywood and tens of thousands of dollars—are now taken by regular pilots and their drones. I thought that would be so cool, so I started watching videos observing what the pilots were doing and how they were building their drones. I eventually made the commitment, I would build my very first drone. I had a lot of help from an incoming teacher that I met last year, his name is Mr. Beletic. He was kind enough to send me a list of everything that I needed to order, so that I could build my first drone.
All of the parts arrived within a week, and none were damaged, lucky for me. So that weekend I made sure to get my homework done on Saturday, and then spent Sunday afternoon working on it. I first built the frame, which was made of carbon fiber, the strongest and lightest material used for racing drones at the time. Then I moved onto the electronics, I had to make custom connections so that everything would fit in the frame. Eventually I finished the frame and electronics and assembled it, the next day after school I went home and started programming the drone so that it would fly. I took it out the next morning and boy did it fly, I eventually crashed a couple of times and had to do some minor repairs. Overall it took me four hours and a little bit of money, but is was worth it, an experience of a lifetime.
High 20 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
Soaring with
SID
FRESHMAN SID KILARU TAKES 3RD IN THE COUNTRY FOR DRONE RACING.
F
Story by Cole Stevens ‘19 Photos by Jason Lewis ‘17
reshman Siddha Kilaru sits on a bench under a pavilion in a Castle Pines park while his drone whips around the park. Kilaru, who likes to go by “Sid,” flicks his left thumb up on the stick and the drone rockets into the air, he pushes his right thumb to the left and the drone rolls so many times you can’t even count. Sid controls the drone with the ease of a master with years of experience. He is ranked number three in the nation after his racing at the MultiGP Nationals, where pilots came from around the United States to race each other. The MultiGP Nationals are an event held in Muncie, Indiana by MultiGP, a company that allows pilots to connect and race all over the country. It formed in the need for a more organized way to race, after drone racing started to pick up. In almost every state, qualifiers were held for the national competition. Sid raced well at the qualifier in Colorado and was able to go to the National race. When he got there the event organizers allowed the pilots to fly so many batteries that the competitors were able to memorize the track by the time the race came. Sid placed third in the competition which is by far the best that he has done in any other competition. Sid started flying drones a year and a half ago just line of sight, he eventually like many other pilots watched YouTube videos and got inspired. He watched a Tested YouTube video interviewing the most prominent pilot at the time and bought everything in the video and built it. After a week he crashed into a tree and destroyed the drone, he then bought another quadcopter and started racing that. For the first 4-5 months he raced in Colorado, then he started racing out of state, he went to Arizona to race night with a glowing racetrack. Sid then got more involved in out of state were he “can meet more people,” he also finds that “the competitions out of state are a lot better, and filled with skilled pilots with all backgrounds .” Sid hopes to qualify for bigger and better events around the world as the sport increases in popularity. Each time he straps on his goggles, arms the blades, and turns on his controller there’s the chance for transcendence. He says, “Flying a drone is an out of body experience that still gives you an adrenaline rush like nothing else in this world.” 21
Autonomous Ambitions
The growth of STEM and robotics encourages young programmers and engineers Story and photos by Victor Diaz ‘17
For ease of use, the controls of the robot are associated to buttons on an Xbox remote, having been tediously programmed by the programming team.
Matthew Bornhorst ‘19 working on programming that will guide a robot on its path through a maze.
At 2:59, in room 179, the wall of noise pummels whoever opens the door. Students, mentors and teachers sit together, discussing plans for the afternoon. The minute hand ticks forward, and team captain Grace Marchand steps forward to grab their attention. “Today’s meeting will be to discuss the station, and some projects,” she says. That gets everyone’s attention because they have been anticipating what the two to three month projects will look like. Regis Jesuit Robotics is an organized club, split into STEM Build, Scene Build, Electronics, Programming and Outreach sub-teams. Each sub-team has a mentor, and it’s Garrison Neely, who is in charge of programming, that steps up now. He turns on the giant rolling monitor behind him, and line after line of code appears. “Does everyone remember team 1619?” He asks. Various heads nod. Neely begins to describe his ambitious idea. His idea is to allow the robot to “see.” As he begins to go into details, the list of requirements gets longer and longer. Three processors. A special camera. Five different programming languages. Thousands of lines of code. You can see the programming sub-team moving towards the edge of their seats, anxious for the challenge. “You think we can do it?” Whispers float about the room as he describes the project. Neely ends his presentation to a roomful of applause. Mr. Beletic, new coach for robotics, and chemistry teacher in the Boys Division, is standing in a corner, watching all this. His own zest for the team is directed in a slightly dif22 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
ferent direction. “I’m looking at including a drone division,” Beletic says. His recruiting efforts have begun already, with a list of names that he wants. At the other end of the spectrum is Christopher Clare, mentor for STEM build. His plan is to replace a t-shirt cannon, built (and destroyed) last year---with a “t-shirt tank.” The room erupts in cheers and laughter at the thought of an armored weapon that fires t-shirts into the crowd. The major challenge, as described by Clare, is that they need to CAD the robot. But he’s not the only one aiming to design their robots on a computer. Mr. Heidenry, programming teacher at Regis, feels the same. “One area we need to expand into is CAD. We don’t do enough CAD.” But we are starting to use CAD at the school now. Mr. Dan Woodley, who teaches architecture, has incorporated CAD into his classes. CAD, or Computer Aided Design, is supposed to find design flaws before the actual construction process begins. The process involves hours of intense staring at a screen, and fiddling with a variety of controls until the design looks exactly the way you want it. Having just finished two weeks of team building activities, trust for each other is at an all-time high, and excitement is even higher. Anticipation How You Can Get Involved: for the coming robotics season is high, and amCome Tuesdays and bitions are even higher, Wednesdays 3-5 in front as the team prepares for their two competitions in of the STEM Center in the second semester. Boys Division
RJ LIBRARIES REDESIGN
CONTROVERSIAL NEW CELL PHONE POLICY
RJ GOLF BEHIND THE SCENES
RJ FOOTBALL & PRAYER
WATCH your SCHOOL rjtoday.org
IPADS - FRIEND OR FOE?
RJ RADIO: WALSWEER & BRUNO PODCAST
MRS. REED & MS. DIAZ: WOMEN WITH AND FOR OTHERS
IN THE KITCHEN WITH CHEF ANDRES
23
Beauty Behind the Scenes By Sarah McDevitt ‘19
Kara Toll knows not everything is just about seniority, or popularity, it’s about your hard work and enjoying your passion. Toll is the first sophomore, in what seems like forever, with a lead role. Kara, who plays Belle in Beauty and the Beast, has always loved music. She had a role in last year’s musical as the understudy for Rosemary, but still felt like it was an important part. Toll has participated in many Regis Jesuit productions such as chorale, the play, the lead singer in Radiance, and one of her favorites, Beauty and the Beast. It is her favorite part of the day, since she has been singing for as long as she can remember. She would sing songs with her family and learn music. Her mom, being an excellent singer herself, has always inspired and taught Kara. ”My family was super excited, and my mom loves seeing me and how my hard work has been paying off,” said Toll. “Every performance since third grade, really got me passionate about theatre and singing. I then realized I not only have a family at home, but a theater family I can rely on to support me.” Toll’s theatre family has been super supportive through the production of the play. Everyone has been really nice, especially the upperclassmen, and she really enjoys connecting with everybody. This involves cheering for the ensemble, “because they always sound so great,” says Toll smiling at the thought of her second family. “Trying to make sure I’m not too distant from everyone. As a group, people are always separated and keeping in touch with everyone is very important to me.” “The cast, crew, and pit band are always working their butts off and I have been staying after school since six, and even after, and starting soon it will start going to seven and then there is after rehearsals practice, the practice times on the weekends, and the directors wanting me to stay after rehearsals to go over lines,” says Toll. Some rehearsals are done separately, with the lead roles working with Mr. Hutchinson, the director. In addition to Kara’s lead role, there is the Beast played by Matthew Pawlowski, who has also had much experience with acting and singing. From a young age, Pawlowski has always had a passion for singing. “Eleven years I have been acting and singing, 24 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
and remember doing it all my life,” said Pawlowski, “and I just seem to flow my passion into high school.” He has participated in 17 different performances, three of them being an outside RJ production. “I have been in three performances through the Actors Academy of Performing Arts, but I wanted to devote all my time and energy to RJ,” says Pawlowski. Not only does he get support at school, but of course at home as well. In any way they can, his parents have been incredibly supportive. They have been giving everything they can into his career, along the way, running into a few obstacles. Since theater takes up so much of his time, there is not much for anything else. Trying to fit school work and any personal problems can be a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. That is why having the theatre family there is always a benefit. “It’s so hard to balance everything,” says Pawlowski, “but they give emotional support for whatever you need, and it’s great knowing there is always someone there for you.”
Above: The actors get pumped up as they prepare themselves for one of their first choreography rehearsals. Right: Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Pantoja are overlooking the progress of the set of the musical. Photo: Sarah McDevitt ‘19. Rose drawing by Brielle Bajek ‘17
Photos: Jorge Paredes ‘18.
25
r u using ur phone 2 much?
It all began with a question, how much time am I wasting on my phone? This question lead to self exploration and an experiment between J’Den Humphries and myself. We set out on a journey to see who spends the most time on their phone and found out a couple of things that both shocked and surprised us. We decided to download an app called Moments that measures the amount of time spent on your phone to see if there were any similarities between J’Den’s phone usage and mine. Here are the results of our research and developments. Molly Kennedy: Personally I hardly use my phone, but the average 13 to 18 year old spends nine hours a day on social media excluding classwork and homework. I decided to interview a fellow classmate, Darian Little, to see how much time she thought she spent on her phone. “A whole bunch”, Darian said, “maybe three hours and I probably check it at least thirty-five times a day.” I guessed that my average time would be a little bit over one hour and thirty minutes with an average pickup or check count of twenty. Over the course of the next few days I began to track my phone usage and discovered that I use my phone, on average, thirty to forty five minutes a day with an average pickup count of twelve times a day. The results happily surprised me and I was glad that I was not wasting time on my phone. Moments said that I spent most of those thirty to forty five minutes on my phone using the social media app, Instagram, and texting my friends or family. However I couldn’t shake the feeling that the majority of teenagers spend nine hours a day on social media and what the possible health risks are for looking at a screen that long. Dr. Anderson, an optometrist, answered a few questions about the affects of long periods of screen time. I began by asking her, what are the recommended screen time hours? She was sat back in her chair with a pensive look on her face, then all of the sudden she surged forward and put her elbows on the desk and said, “The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended no more than two hours of screen time, however this isn’t realistic”, Dr. Anderson pauses, “as children get older they spend more time on computers, tablets, and cell phones for homework and communicating with their peers.” She again says “A more realistic approach is needed.” She begins to talk about Computer Vision Syndrome. I ask her, how would someone know if they have Computer Vision Syndrome? “Common symptoms include eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck or shoulder pain.”
26 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
In a social experiment conducted by two Regis Jesuit juniors, they discovered just how much your screen time affects you.
Story & photo by Molly Kennedy & J’Den Humphries ‘18
Phone Usage by the
Numbers
93%
11
Of people are at risk for digital eye-strain.
9 hours
is the average amount of time Teenagers die everya teenager will spend on their day from texting while cellphone a day. driving.
We were beginning to look at fellow students on their phones walking down the hallway and all that J’Den Humphries and myself wanted to do was let them know that there is a whole other world outside of their 2 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch box. A world full of real human interaction and experiences. J’Den Humphries: Being a person who uses their phone avidly, I went into this social experiment a little hesitant. I knew my numbers would be large, but when I looked at the statistics of the average thirteen to eighteen year old - which was a staggering nine hours a day - I knew I couldn’t possibly use my phone that much. While doing this experiment, I asked a fellow junior, Montana Barham, if she thought the statistics were realistic. “Maybe on the weekends,” she stated, “But I don’t think I use my phone that much during the school week”. My prediction for how much I used my phone was about six hours, maybe six and a half at the most, per day. While using Moments for the next three days, my average time of phone usage per day was six hours and fifteen minutes. I also had an average pickup amount of twenty five to thirty five times a day. I was using my phone, according to the app, for texting, FaceTiming, and some social media apps. The results for me were a bit of a wake up call- reminding me that I spend more than enough time on my phone, and not enough in my environment. Knowing that the average teenager is on their phone for about nine hours a day, Mr. Will Cropper took the initiative to introduce Pocket Points to Regis Jesuit. Pocket Points is an application for your phone that monitors how much time you spend on it, and gives you points for not using it during class time. The points are then able to be used in restaurants in the area, as well as in the school. The teachers who also participate in Pocket Points can make rewards for students, such as free homework passes or teacher parking spaces. The more points earned by students, the more possibility to earn rewards. How much time are you wasting on your phone? A question that J’Den Humphries and myself would like to ask the readers of this article. We both asked this question to ourselves and discovered many things about our lives and our health along the way. Through our own experiences and research we have discovered that people will never live a true life if they never look up. We invite you to download Pocket Points, and see what difference it can make in your life.
POCKET POINTS STAY OFF YOUR PHONE, EARN POINTS, GET FREE STUFF 27
RJ Students travel to Poland
Story and photo by Jack Harpole and Will Barbera ‘20
had the opportunity to experience this year’s World Youth Day is an international World Youth Day. Catholic event held every two or three years in “The most amazing part about World a different country. Originally created by Pope Youth Day was meeting all John Paul II in 1985, World the Catholic youth around the Youth Day is an event primarily centered around the unity and “We all shared the world,” said Claire, “We all shared the same faith, and we cultural diffusion of Catholic same faith, and we were able to bond over that.” youths around the world. The Religion is prominent at this Pope’s appearance at World were able to bond event, and Claire and Mary Youth Day draws millions of were extremely proud to reprepeople from various cultures to over that.” sent their country, their reliWith the current Pope’s appearance at all World Youth Days, gion, and their school. millions of Catholic youths of Both girls discovered the all cultures and races gather and go on their own significance of a pilgrimage. “A pilgrimage is a pilgrimages. During the course of these pilgrimjourney while learning the meaning of Jesus’ ages, flags and other tokens from different coun- suffering,” Mary says. “[It] definitely comes with tries are exchanged. its struggles. The hardest part was learning how Seniors Claire D’Costa and Mary Harpole to compromise with people and settling on little 28 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
for World Youth Day
food and sleep while being far away from home.” a good attitude,” said Mrs. Harpole. Mrs. D’Costa Despite facing tough conditions, the mood pointed out how being a chaperone helped her improve her skills as an adult, parent, chaperone, of the week was fellowship, joy, and happiness. and leader. “For me it was a time “There was a lot of singing “It was great to [for] making big sacrifices,” she and dancing. There were new countries, people and languag- share a challenging says. “These experiences helped me grow in my patience, and es to be seen and heard everyand faith filled trip become a better chaperone.” day,” Mary said. World Youth Day in Poland Lisa Harpole and Marwith my child and garet D’Costa, mothers of changed the lives of everyone Mary and Claire, were lucky millions of other who attended. It will forever be remembered for the meaningful enough to attend the trip as a pilgrims from all chaperones for the group as insights to the world of Catholwell. across the globe.” icism that can be brought back “It was very special to to Regis Jesuit and incorporated me because it was great to share a challenging into our religious lives at school. and faith filled trip with my child and millions of other pilgrims from all across the globe. We learned how to get through tough situations with 29
CATCHING
s
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE QUALITY OF YOUR SLEEP? Story and photos by Lilli Maples ‘17 A recent survey was held throughout the entire Regis Jesuit student body, which revealed what different factors affect both the quality and quantity of students’ sleep. Throughout the survey, there was a noticeable trend in results that had to deal with how the academic work load at Regis Jesuit and the use of technology affect students’ sleep. . “Sleep is extremely important,” says GD school nurse Tracey Dwyre. “I see so many students who come to me not feeling well, and sometimes they can’t pinpoint why they don’t feel well. If I ask them about their sleep habits, and they tell me they didn’t get to bed until two a.m., or have less than four or five hours of sleep each night, then I can almost guarantee that is the reason they don’t feel well the next day.” The lack of students’ sleep at night affects their schoolwork because “They won’t remember information as well, and their brains can start to focus on other things besides school since they are so exhausted. When the body is tired, it affects your mind, and when your mind is tired, your academic performance can be affected.” A lack of sleep can actu-
ally affect your physical health. “Homework load is an underlying factor, and the lack of sleep from the homework load can affect your digestion,” Dwyre says. “I get a lot of students that come in with stomach aches and headaches that impact their learning experience even more than when they are simply tired.” Since Regis Jesuit has developed the iPad program, Dwyre has made observations of students that have most likely been affected by the use of so much technology. Dwyre thinks that “Because of the iPad program, students are using technology a lot more than they were in the past, and since they have grown up in a time where everything is accessed on a screen that is with them all of the time, they can be easily distracted. When students are doing their homework on their iPad or computer, and a notification suddenly pops up, they check it and all of a sudden they find themselves on social media for a long period of time. Because of the distractions, students can end up staying up really late on their screens before bed, which contributes to both the lack of sleep and the quality of sleep they are getting.”
Lauren Winston, ‘20, catches up on the sleep that she lost last night during her fourth period class.
RJ Media conducted three more interviews of random students in different grade levels from both divisions to get their input on what affects them. Jordyn Hubbs, ’20, Maya Fair, ‘18, and Jack Dodge, ’17, talk about how homework and technology affect their sleep. Maya Fair, ‘18: “Technology sometimes affects me. If I’m staying up late to finish a project on my iPad it takes while for me to fall asleep because I get distracted. I think social media affects my sleep also, but if we are being realistic, it affects a lot of people. Academic stress affects my quality of sleep because if I have a big assignment or test I will wake up like three times during the night stressing about it.” Jordyn Hubbs, ’20: “Technology doesn’t really affect me because I feel like we are all used to looking at a screen in bed at this point,” Hubbs explains, “and I have been getting a lot less sleep because of the work load at Regis. I have after school activities and then I get home and have to do homework for about 3 hours. I don’t get into bed until really late, and I could feel more rested if I didn’t have as much homework.” Jack Dodge, ‘17: “Technology doesn’t really affect the hours or quality of my sleep, but I also don’t have many social media outlets. Academic stress slightly affects the quality of my sleep because homework can keep me up pretty late.”
Student Sleep Habits Survey
Student Sleep Habits Survey
THE RESULTS
The online student survey was conducted over a five-day period. Over 650 RJ students participated in the school wide survey, providing many different results throughout the school.
SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey
Q7 If you do use electronics before you go to bed, do you put them away before you go to sleep or do you read or interact with your device while in bed?
Q2 How many hours of sleep do you get on an average school night? Answered: 653
Skipped: 0
Answered: 652
Skipped: 1
100% 100%
80% 80%
60% 60%
40%
40%
20%
20%
0%
0% 0-2 hours
3-5 hours
6-8 hours
I put my electronics away right before bed
9+ hours
I sit in bed with a screen until I fall asleep
Student Sleep Habits Survey SurveyMonkey
Student Sleep Habits Survey Answer Choices
I do not use electronics before bed SurveyMonkey
Responses 34 Q6 Do you use a mobile phone or any5.21% otherAnswer Choices Q4 On average, how many hours of 210 technology within an hour before you32.16% go to I put my electronics away right before bedhomework do you have each weeknight? bed? Answered: 652 Skipped: 1 68.30% 446
0-2 hours 3-5 hours
Responses
I sit in bed with a screen until I fall asleep
6-8 hours
Answered: 653
Skipped: 0
2.76%
9+ hours 100%
100% I do not use electronics before bed
Total Respondents: 652
Total Respondents: 653
18
80%
80%
60% 60%
40% 40%
20%
30 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
20%
0% 0-1
0% Very Often
Often
Sometimes
2-4
4-6
Never
Answer Choices
Responses
6+
62.42%
407
34.20%
223
7.67%
50
The
Story and Photos by Natalie Skaggs & Ashlyn Carr ‘20
Raider Bowl
Friday September second was a hot day in Colorado, and the only thing radiating stronger than the sun was school spirit. Groups of students hustled around campus preparing for their next activity. One of these students was Anouk Schembri, an ambitious freshman taking part in her first of many Regis Jesuit traditions to come. Anouk, who came to Regis Jesuit from Good Shepard, participates in the pep band and enjoys biking in the beautiful outdoors of Colorado. “When I first shadowed here I really liked it,” Anouk told RJ Media, “and I really liked the all the community aspect; it was really welcoming.” But little did Anouk know that choosing Regis Jesuit also meant choosing many unique events and traditions from RJ to be a part of her high school experience, and the first of these was coming soon: the Raider Bowl. The Raider Bowl is a gathering of freshman directly before the first football game of the season. This year in the Girls Division the class of 2020 took part in many games, such as tug of war, not unlike a field day for their Raider Bowl. These students also spent time prepping for the football game by adorning themselves in their school’s colors with red and white paint, until they met with the Boy’s Division freshmen to proudly run onto the field of their first football game as a Raider. Anouk heard of the Raider Bowl for the first time at Compass Day, as those who knew about it shared their anticipation with one another. “I wasn’t really excited for the Raider Bowl,” Anouk said, “I was more looking forward to hanging out with people, and going to the football game afterwards.” But she had no idea what was to come. First, Anouk met with her advisement group, which to put on their bandannas and prepare. Once the games commenced only two things stuck out to her; one of which was the beaming sun, and the other, said Anouk, was the “enthusiasm” of the Link Leaders who organized the event. “They were really trying to make us get involved and enjoy ourselves.” But all the enthusiasm in the world couldn’t keep some awkward moments from happening, such as the 30 minute break incorporated in this year’s schedule. “It was just a little strange.” Anouk said, “We weren’t doing anything.” But in the end this little moment was seemingly insignificant in comparison to all the joy the freshman experienced. “The most memorable I’d say was just prepping in the Raider Bowl before the football game and doing all the cheers with the Rowdies. I just thought that expressed school spirit and it also just got you excited to
RJ TRADITIONS become a part of the community. Doing face paint and all that.” No matter who you ask the students of Regis Jesuit can agree that the Raider Bowl opens the door to years of Regis Jesuit. Not just the school, but the community and the experience.
31
The
Encounter
New service directors bring experience, new ideas. Story by True Potter ‘19 With a smile on his face, and a gleam in his eye, Mr. Brendan Love describes the time he spent serving in Belize with a local man named Zack and his family. This is what Mr. Love and Pope Francis, call the “encounter”, and to Mr. Love, that is what service is all about. Mr. Brendan Love graduated from Regis Jesuit in 2004, continuing his education at Metro State College for aviation. He worked as a trained commercial pilot and flight instructor until he had a “reconversion and a calling to enter the society of Jesus.” He entered his novitiate and served for close to two years. But after about 21 months, he decided to not go on with becoming a Jesuit, and instead to work alongside them in service as a lay person. This led him to his job at Strake Jesuit, where he worked as a service director. During this time, a desire grew within him to come back to Colorado and be with his family, and he ultimately followed his gut and return to the state. When it came to applying to another job, it only made sense for him to teach at his alma mater. When asked about his thoughts on our ser32 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
vice program, Love said, “Going by the Bible, I’m really amazed by the height, the breadth, and the arm, but it’s so much more than just a requirement; I think we’re really living up to Pope Francis’ call to encounter, and that’s exactly what service is, an encounter.” As for his plans for the future of the service program of the Girls Division, Mr. Love’s priority is to see “the service program, and how it unfolds in day to day life.” One specific aspect he intends to focus on is service projects. He hasn’t done a service project at RJ since 2004, as a student, so one of his goals is to build relationships with existing service sites and to create new partnerships. “I want the opportunities to be limitless,” Love said. The Boys Division has also hired a new staff member, Mr. Anthony Mattacchione. Mr. Mattacchione is the new BD service director and head rugby coach. When he turned 27, he moved to Texas from Toronto and was offered a position as the head rugby coach at Jesuit Dallas. Through being a part of an establishment affiliated with the
Mr. Brendan Love ‘04 in his GD office
Jesuits, he became deeply involved with the community. While there, he was able to transform and build upon the service program. Through his work, he was able to get sports teams and clubs more heavily involved in service, before working to more thoroughly implement service into the local community. One of Mattacchione’s main focuses is to expand our service program to have more alumni involvement, “I’d love to create more opportunities for alums to come and do service.” He would also love to create more opportunities for coaches, and for the team as a whole. He thinks service is a great way to build synergy, and to in-
Mr. Mattacchione at one of his weekly rugby sessions.
crease the bond between the athletes. “Everyone has the ability to create community, with their time, talent, and treasure. The thing is, sometimes you have to have those invitations,” Mattacchione said. As he sees it, it is his job as service director to create those invitations. The distinct view of both Mr. Love and Mr. Mattacchione regarding service, is that service is all about encountering God through people and helping those people. Their intent is to make it easier for students to witness how beautiful that is.
5650 MILES Story by Joseph Lamptey ‘17
New language, new school, new life. Leap of faith, or a shot in the dark? For new sophomore transfer student Samba Kane, it’s both.
work hard,” Samba said, expressing his thankfulness to his uncle for introducing him the sport. Samba played for Senegal’s national basketball championThe leap: 5650 miles ship team, playing a pivotal role in The shot: Regis Jesuit their championship. It was when his friends The United States had long just been from his hometown decided to a concept, a dream, but now it has come to Colorado to play for East become his home. Samba’s thoughts High School that Samba had the on the U.S. are filled with excitement idea. and promise. His first thought was to “It is a good country and a attend Denver East because of dream come true,” he says of the U.S. familiarity and comfort. Towering over his fellow But after hearing about RJ sophomores at 6 feet 10 inches, Samba from sophomore Jamil Safieddine, may seem imposing. Despite this, who also plays for the club team his infectious kindness has attracted the Hawks, Samba was intrigued many new friends. For some who do by Regis Jesuit. not understand his native tongue of And he’s very happy with French, communication often takes his decision. place through emoji. “Everyone is welcoming,” For the first two weeks of Samba says. “They say hi. I always his new school, junior Roxford Azo want to talk to them but can’t was Samba’s translator. A fellow RJ always express myself. That’s what student, Roxford already sees Samba I’m working on.” as a friend. Junior point guard Elijah “He is a great kid coming Martinez is excited as well. “I’m into something he has never experilooking forward to seeing what he enced. Translating for him, I see that brings to this team. He obviously he is smart and can do big things,” has the height we need so I am Azo says. “He has a lot to say and it is wondering in what other way will only a matter of time until he can say he help our team. I know he’ll be a it all in English.” good presence down low with most Not unlike many RJ students, of our team being smaller guards. Samba is pursuing something specific He will definitely benefit us.” in addition to academics. For him, it Samba seeks to succeed is his love of basketball. off the court as much as on it. “I Head basketball coach Ken want to get good grades and win Shaw described it as “a great opportu- state,” he says of his goals for his nity for a young man to enhance his time at Regis Jesuit. Beyond RJ, life and improve who he is and what Samba wants to experience “better his options are later on which is why basketball and better universiall of us are here at Regis.” ties.” From a young age it was For Samba, his leap was quite obvious to those around him landed and his shot in the dark that basketball was his calling. has struck light. He says, “I did not “I love the game. It is so choose Colorado, it chose me and I much fun to play and it makes me love it.” 33
JOINT CUSTODY A hgjhgjhgjhfjhfkhjgkujjjhjkghjhfjhgvjhg kjhhjb
Many teens still not educated on the legal and community consequences of marijuana usage.
Story by Nick Faber’18 and Connor Lyford’18 Photos by Erin Biafore ’18
t this point in time, teen usage of drugs is still very underresearched and understood, particularly marijuana. What do you tell a room full of students that will convince them not to drive under the influence or not to use drugs in the first place? As much as speakers and facts can influence a decision, it all circles back to a teenager and a choice. For this reason, the following is intended to provoke thought, what you take from it is ultimately your decision.
According to Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the 2013-2014 school year saw 5,000 suspensions or expulsions due to marijuana related incidents in Colorado public schools. This number increased after the commercialization of marijuana in 2010, when there were about 4000 suspensions or expulsions. Is the risk itself a certain “high” of its own? “I don’t think students increase the amount of use with the harsher penalties, but rather they see it as something that isn’t so serious and risky since others have been caught doing it,” said one anonymous RJ student about suspensions and expulsions due to marijuana offenses. On a high school level, there are many serious penalties for being caught using drugs. On a state level, however, the consequences are not as severe. According to Scott Pendleton, a sergeant and supervisor of the marijuana enforcement team in the Aurora Police Narcotics Agency, 34 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
Lightshade and Good Chemistry, both local recreational marijuana stores, are only 12 miles from Regis Jesuit, and even closer to Overland High School.
teens caught using are issued a misdemeanor and a ticket for court. “It’s not a serious charge but it’s a charge none the less,” Pendleton says. This is the same for alcohol, he says, “They’re pretty similar. It’s possession and [sic] if you’re under 21 then it’s illegal.” Alcohol has traditionally been the more easily acquired drug, but some contend that the legalization of marijuana for those over 21 has increased the availability of the drug for teens. In 2015, 39 percent of all minors using marijuana reportedly obtained it from a friend legally able to purchase the drug, and 30 percent obtained it from their parents. “Kids are becoming more exposed to [marijuana] and more desensitized to the fact that marijuana is a drug and marijuana is illegal for kids,” says Lara Baker, a defense attorney. Another concern is the proximity of legal marijuana stores to schools. There are over 13 different marijuana stores within 10 miles of Regis Jesuit. Schools are concerned that the such ease of access and mainstream acceptance is leading to this desensitization. “I think that a lot of kids still feel that they are invincible, and that nothing bad will happen to them,” says Karen Wuertz, a music teacher at Regis Jesuit. “It’s scary. You catch two or three and there will be 70 others that are not getting caught, and those kids are driving home, those kids are on the roads with all of us and our families and innocent people.” The consequences for using drugs is not a light topic at Regis Jesuit. “When we are certain that there is an abuse that has happened, there are steps that are in place. I do feel like we take it seriously, it’s just hard to catch,” said Wuertz. Some students disagree with the consequences for students for a variety of reasons. “I think the school is too harsh on students who [are] caught. A message needs to be sent without ruining the students’ semester grades,” said the anonymous student. Students should take more caution in what they choose to do and how drastically it can effect them. As simple as the decision may seem, it can ruin a life or the lives of others.
There are over 13 different marijuana stores within 10 miles of Regis Jesuit.
35
Regis Jesuit grad Ty Blach ‘09 pitching for the San Francisco Giants, where he is currently a relief pitcher. Blach kept the Giants’ playoff run alive with a win against three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Blach pitched eight scoreless innings in the win. The Giants’ left-hander made his major league debut a month earlier at Coors Field in front of more than a hundred friends and family. Photo Courtsey of: MLB.com
Ty Blach ‘09
Alumnus achieves MLB success By Hunter Sherrard ‘18
S
ix hours before first pitch at Petco Park in Sunny San Diego on a warm Sunday afternoon, rookie Ty Blach is listening to some Christian music at his locker in the visitors club house while reading Psalm 27:14 from his Bible. His mind is in the right place. Next, he stretches all of his muscles using a foam roller to get loose and ready for a night down the left field line. Then, it’s to the bullpen to warm up. Soon, the twenty-six year old heads to the mound. This is Major Leauge Baseball. And Blach is ready. At Regis Jesuit High School, Blach was the number two starter in the pitching rotation his junior year, which means he was the second best pitcher on the team. His senior year he was the ace (number one pitcher on the team) and that was the year where he got his first offer to play baseball in the collegiate level. Where he committed to Creighton University. In his college days at Creighton he was a key necessity for them his sophomore and junior high year. His freshman year he was the Sunday starter(number three starter), Then sophomore yer got moved up to Saturday night starter(second best starter) when his season was phenomenal, and then his junior and final season he was the Friday night starter(ace) where his season went up and down. Na-
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tionally he lead games started his senior year(‘11-’12) with 21 games started. As Coach Darr, Coach Cavnar, and his mom Mrs. Blach, said his work ethic is what has gotten him so dominant that year and his sophomore season. As he had such a dominant sophomore season his junior year was a little shakier. But if you look at the stats there isn’t much of a difference. But after his junior year he got drafted in the 5th round by the San Francisco Giants in 2012 for a 224,500 signing bonus. His first year in the minors in 2013 he was in High-A where he looked like successful dominant starter with 12-4 record and a 2.90 ERA (Earned Run Average. The lower the better). Then after that season he got moved up to Double-A had an okay season with an 8-8 record and an ERA just above three. But after that season he got moved up to Triple-A and had a decent season with a record of 11-12 and ERA above four in 2015. In 2016 he started the season in Triple-A after 26 starts he gets called up for the big leagues where he has just beaten Clayton Kershaw one of the National Leagues most devastating pitchers on Saturday October 1, 2016. Blach threw eight shut out innings with three hits and 6 strikeouts where he picks up not only his first career Major League hit but two hits against Clayton Kershaw. With only three innings and giving up only one run, Blach did good for his first major league start.
RJ Media’s Hunter Sherrard ‘18 talks to Ty Blach the morning after his first major-leauge start.
HS: What’s your favorite Bible verse that you always read?
HS: So first off yesterday you made your first major-league start. What was going through your body before that and what led up to you doing that? TB: Yeah, obviously a lot of excitement. A lot of reflection on how far I’ve come like the culmination of a lot of different things and a lot of dreams that were born 20 years ago. It was pretty neat to go out there and pursue my dream and just have an opportunity to play baseball at the highest level. It was a really awesome experience.
TB: I’ve got several of them that I really like. There’s one that I have inscribed on my glove to kind of keep me calm during the game, Pslam 27:14 : “wait patiently for the Lord, be brave, be courageous. Yes wait patiently for the Lord.” I have that one on my glove just how’s the games going along to just step back and to have courage and know that God is on my side and to just trust my ability to make pitches.
HS: Talking more about yesterday- how has Jose Fernandez’s death affected you and the team?
HS: What grade were you in when you first got a scholarship or an offer from school?
TB: Yeah that was hard yesterday everybody was pretty sad yesterday morning getting into the clubhouse. They had the number 16 on the back of the mound yesterday when I took the mound so it was pretty humbling to see that just a reminder of how precious life is and how much of a joy it is to play this game every day in the spirit that he had to pitch that day is pretty sobering for sure.
TB: I was a senior. I was pretty late developing so I didn’t really start to blossom until my senior year I didn’t have a whole lot of offers just like some other guys did early on in their junior year. I was kind of a last minute sign I had some offers as my senior season started to come around, other than that I didn’t have anything major early in my high school career.
HS: But also yesterday with you starting - did your pregame routine change at all instead of relieving to starting? TB: I’ve always been a starter in the minor leagues I’ve started my whole career and my last two appearances have been relief appearances. Being able to get back into my routine as a starting pitcher that I’ve had coming up through my career felt good. Just getting back into something that I’m used to and I was excited to have that opportunity. HS: So talking about your pregame routine when you start a game. Take me through what you do. TB: Get to the field five or six hours early I get to the field get some food, hang out around the clubhouse, talk to the guys, sit down 15-20 minutes and read the Bible and it gets my mind in the right place and I’ll play some Christian music then I have a routine to go foam roll for 45 minutes or so then I go get stretched out go sit in the dugout for about 15 to 20 minutes before I go throw then go out play some catch and then get up on the bullpen mound and get ready to go.  HS: Do you have any superstitions about starting or just pitching? TB: Probably the biggest thing like I said it was probably reading the Bible and listening to Christian music because I feel like he just gets me in the right place mentally and it just reminds me about how blessed I am to have this opportunity to go out and play the games that I love for a higher purpose.
HS: And I saw that you went to Creighton, how has Creighton and their baseball program affect did you? TB: I think it’s been key for me in my development they really taught me how to play the game and they really taught me how to work and taught me how to play as a team. We had some really good teams there my sophomore and junior year we went to the regionals in the NCAA tournament and pretty incredible experiences to pitch at that level and to play against some awesome teams like Oregon State and UCLA and the regionals and it’s pretty unique to have those experiences and really pushed me to where I am today. HS: That’s cool I’ve always been a fan of [continued next page]
RJ grad Ty Blach ‘09 pitching for the Minor League Baseball feeder team Sacramento River Cats thta feed in to th San Francisco Giants. Photo Courtsey of: Sacramento River Cats 37
Creighton. Always has been my number one school to go to. I always thought of it as Regis on steroids.
TB: Ha ha ha it kind of is. My sister goes there now.
HS: That’s always good. When you got drafted what was the transition like from college going to the minors? TB: I got drafted out of my junior year so I left school a little early. And the first summer I was there I was in Arizona and I didn’t pitch because I have thrown so many innings at school and they just wanted me to relax and kind of just be around the guys. So I was in Arizona hanging out with the rookie ball team and I think those really big for me to learn what the game was like in pro ball and know the differences and what I needed to do in order to be successful playing professional baseball. To watch and observe for a little while. HS: I don’t know if you remember this at all but do you remember what went on in your mind when you made your first minor league start. TB: Yeah I do. My first official star was in the spring of 2013 we were in Visalia, California in High A. So I remember that, it was a Sunday morning and it was pretty neat to have that experience it was cool to kind of have the same routine as I did then to have now to start in the game just remember being really thankful for the opportunity to be playing professional baseball and I was excited to get out there and compete. HS: And getting drafted and going through the minors and all that process. What and your work ethic has change since college to now? TB: I think my work ethic has always been the same. Knowing when to push your body. I think the biggest thing that has changed is understanding the days when you can really push and understanding the days you need to recover and those are the days when your work ethic is more mental preparation. So not only it becomes physical preparation but also mental preparation and understanding mechanics and understanding hitters and how to attack hitters in a certain lineup. So I think that has been a big thing I love gotten older and learning the mental aspect of the game and how big that is. HS: Talking about knowing when to push yourself how do you know when to push yourself and one not to? TB: So as a starting pitcher you have a pretty good routine every fifth day you know you’re gonna be out on the mound. When you get in that routine me know how your body’s going to feel over the course of the season. As the season goes on your going to head into all those innings and they’ll take a toll on your body. And you’ll understand days where you need to back off and give your legs a day and you’ll understand days that you’ll feel like hey I need to push myself today and I’m feeling good and I need to get stronger. So just 38 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
understanding how your body feels and what day for your routine you are in. HS: In the span of the five days in between starts what do you do in between those? Is the first day just recovering and the second day long toss? TB: The first days depending on how you’re feeling it’ll mostly be a cardio day and I’ll run some stadiums that day up-and-down’s the stairs. So I’ll get some blood pumping through the legs. Maybe a little bit of shoulder work but for the most part just pretty light. Second day will be a bullpen day getting prepared for your next start and you’ll have a good lift after your bullpen that day. So you’ll be gaining strength getting ready for a few days out. Then the next day is more of a longer running day. Then the day before you pitches more of like a sprint day firing on all cylinders. HS: For the long run how long do usually run? TB: The day after I pick I’ll usually run 20 to 25 minutes of stadiums just running up and down the stairs. And then there are some days where you just kind of back off on that where you’ll just ride the bike or just go on the treadmill but for the most part I like to do the stadiums. Then the other long days is like 3/4 poles. You’ll be running at a good pace for the first three quarters than walking the last quarter. And come back and do 12 of those so you can just push your body aerobically and anaerobically. HS: In your first minor-league conflict or meeting with everyone, how did everyone treat you and how did you treat everybody? TB: So when I first got drafted everybody was pretty much in the same boat as me. Everyone was a guy that just got drafted or just signed overseas from the Dominican or Cuba. So everybody was in the same boat. It was like the first day of high school her first day of college where you don’t know anybody can you might have played in just a couple of guys in high school or college and everyone was pretty open and pretty excited. Ultimately we knew we were going to be playing together for a long time. So everybody comes together and it was pretty cool. HS: Have you ever played anybody that you’ve went up with through the minors? TB: Yeah there are several guys on the big league team that I’ve came up with. Like yesterday my catcher Trevor Brown. He and I have had a good relationship the last couple years. He played at UCLA when I played at Creighton when we played each other in the regionals. So I’ve known him for a long time. There’s a guy in Cubs organization that I played in AAA this year, his name is Pierce Johnson and he went to high school in Colorado. So I know him from there. Then he went to Missouri State and I played him all three years in college. Now I’m playing him all the way through pro ball. You develop friendships and relationships with those guys for sure.
CREEK WEEK
Story & Photos by Jaime Tarango and Alejandro Martinez ‘17
Students race along the field to embrace their fellow Regis brothers. For the first time in the history of Regis Jesuit football, the Cherry Creek Bruins had fallen to the Raiders. But this win didn’t come by luck, it didn’t come because of the chants from the stands. This win came from the summer practices, the week long preparation, and the heart of each one of those football players that despise Cherry Creek. If you’re reading this, you know who won, you know the score, everyone does. This game was more important than football, this game was more important than the coaches, it was more important than the teachers. This game was about Regis Jesuit. So much that no one cared if they got in trouble for storming the field, so much that it might have been worth one broken collarbone. Regis Jesuit beat Creek. Period. And to many it was as simple as that, nothing else mattered. After the Raiders lost to Mullen the next week, Sara Gutrich, a senior at Regis said, “At least we beat Creek” You can go up to any
football player and ask the same thing we did, why was that game so important and they will all tell you the same thing, because it was creek. We all know it, Regis kids do not like Creek kids. It’s a rivalry that can go from football to golf to chess. That idea of Regis vs. Creek is enough to get any one hype, even the freshman that doesn’t know what a first down is. The hype has been there since the beginning of the summer. For the Regis Jesuit football team, that’s all they have been preparing for. Years of coming up short to the Bruins left a bitter sweet taste in the players mouths and they where determined to change that. “I don’t like losing period, but losing to creek is ten times worse, this victory couldn’t have come at a better time.” Senior defensive end, Trey Williams said. The season is far from over and the football team knows it. But no one can ever take away the win they had over the Cherry Creek Bruins.
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STATE CHAMPS
The Regis Jesuit golf team has once again won back-to-back state titles. Under the leadership of Coach Craig Rogers and Ted Shilling, the team beat out Highlands Ranch by a single stoke. Great performances by Cal McCoy ‘18 , Drew Anderson ‘18, Tyler Zhang ‘17, and Justin Markel ‘17 earned Regis Jesuit its sixth state title is seven years.
VIDEO EXTRA!
Photo by Walker Fuller ‘19
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By:Brent Dibiase & Walker Fuller ‘19 Behind the scenes with the RJ Golf team Check out rjtoday.org for more.
Volleyballin’ Q/A By Sam Bornhorst Coach Ellen Miks joined the volleyball program this year. What is your opinion of her as a coach? Alex Osredker ‘17: The ways that they run practice Photos by Ron Fishleigh ‘17 and the way that they run the program is a step above what other programs do. How often do you get a staff who all played collegiate volleyball? It doesn’t happen. They know what real success is. Carly Schwulst ‘18: I love our coaching staff, they give out a more positive energy than the coaches did last year. They have total confidence and faith in us. Who are your rivals this year? AO: Our 5A league is the toughest league in the state of Colorado, so you got to walk into every match as if it was against your biggest rival. CS: You always look at every team you play as your rival. Why do you play volleyball at Regis Jesuit? AO: Volleyball give me a way to represent Regis in a very positive way, and it’s totally a part of who I am. CS: Volleyball has been a big part of my life and I can’t imagine not playing volleyball. It give me a break from school, and stress it’s a good stress reliever. GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY TEAM MAKES PLAYOFFS
TWO RJ STUDENTS MAKE 5A ALL-STATE TENNIS TEAM Sophomores Emilio Gonzalez-Cruz and Evan Nuss both made the all-state teams in 5A tennis after the Boys Tennis championship earlier this month. Will Dennen ‘18 and Luca Abbott ‘17 came in 2nd place for No. 1 Doubles during the tournament, Nuss and Gonzalez-Cruz won 1st in the No. 2 Doubles category. James O’Connor and Matthew Mahoney ‘18 also came in 2nd in the No. 4 Doubles bracket.
CROSS COUNTRY LED BY STRONG FRESHMAN PREFORMANCE Regis Jesuit’s Girls Cross Country team came in 13th at the state tournament on Oct. 29th, with freshman Isalina Colsman leading the team with a 17th overall finish.
The Regis Jesuit Girls Field Hockey team lost in the first round of play-off to Palmer Ridge 3-0 after going 8-7 this season. GIRLS RUGBY BUILDING PROGRAM AGAIN The Girls Rugby team had a great showing this year, with competitive games against established programs in several tournaments, including a few big wins.
Photo by Sydney Lindquist ‘18 43
Catch 4 the Cure
The 5th Annual Catch 4 The Cure softball game between Regis Jesuit and Rock Canyon raised money for the Jill Lamb Foundation to combat breast cancer. The Jaguars won the varsity match up 5-1. Photos by Lauren Winston ‘19 & Nick Faber ‘18 | Design by Jaime Tarango & Alejandro Martinez ‘17
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JESUIT CLASSIC
By Andrew Fisher ’18 and Ty Coen ‘18
A football game wasn’t all that Regis Jesuit had in store for its students Friday September 23rd. At 1:00 pm that same day the Jesuit Classic, a 16 year old tradition between four different Jesuit schools was set to kick off. As the referee blew his whistle to begin the first game between Rockhurst and Marquette the stands were full of fans looking to root for the school’s varsity soccer teams. Coaches Wolf, Weber, and Ptolemy study their opponents’ first game from the sideline. They watch one of the top ranked teams in the nation, Rockhurst, play another superpower team, Marquette, who Coach Wolf is optimistic of beating in RJ’s second game. “They know this is going to be a good test for us and they’re going to give everything they’ve got on the field,” Wolf said. “We’re really excited going into the tournament undefeated. We have a really good season going so far,” said Regis Jesuit senior captain Patrick Selner ‘17 before the tournament. Going into the tournament undefeated, the Regis Jesuit team morale was already high. Both the coaches and the captains saw the high hopes, and expectations the team had for the weekend. “You can expect good effort. Everyone is so excited for the tournament that I honestly think you guys are going to see a whole different team. Sometimes we’re not all ready to play, but today we are,” said junior captain Blake ‘18. Throughout the past 16 years, Regis Jesuit has won the tournament once. Eight years ago the Raiders won on goal differential. With the tournament at home this year, the Raiders hope to add another victory to that tally. “We’ve been playing some pretty good soccer. They like their chances,” said Coach Wolf before the game. After winning their first game, the Regis Jesuit team was at the top of the table. With their spirits held high the boys took the field on Saturday. At the end of the first half with the score tied at zero, Coach Wolf let his team know that a tie was all that was needed to win the tournament. The
REGIS JESUIT MARQUETTE ROCKHURST GONZAGA
RJ boys wanted to win. Ten minutes into the half Regis Jesuit scored and then had a whole 30 minutes left to play and defend. Marquette, however, was not going to go down that easily. Despite Regis Jesuit’s best efforts Marquette tied the game with a lot of time left on the clock. In the last few minutes of the game, RJ defender Devin Llorente scored the goal of his career. The ball was played into the box. The Marquette defenders scrambling to clear the ball away from the goal, while the RJ team was in full on attack mode. Time seemed to slow down until the ball was kicked into the back of the net leaving only ten seconds on the clock. The whole team rushed the field with coaches and players full of emotion. After minutes of excitement, the celebration turned to sadness. The shouts of joy were broken up by a whistle from the sideline referee. The two officials discussed the goal, and decided that the goal would not count because it was illegal. After that the game was sent into overtime. In the second half of overtime the Marquette players achieved glory winning the game and the tournament in one swift motion. Despite the heartbreak and the tears, Regis Jesuit felt
All four teams gather for a traditional Jesuit Classic photo.
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compassion and comfort from the other teams who recognized the effort and hard work the boys had put into the game. The Jesuit Classic is a great tradition that the schools look forward to every year. Players, coaches, and fans get excited about the camaraderie, and the high level of athleticism on display each year. “It’s nice to see all the Jesuit kids together, playing soccer having that common bond it’s great,” said Coach Wolf. “The quality of soccer is just spectacular, it’s nice to see top teams in the nation out here playing each other in Denver. It’s a great tradition.”
PLAYOFF INFO: At the time of printing, Regis Jesuit had defeated Vista Ridge 4-3 and was set to play at Boulder in the second round of playoffs on Nov. 2nd.
THEofJOYS hosting a
Jesuit Brother
By Jake Butler ‘17 Would you ever invite 6 strangers into your house? Would you risk crowding your kitchen while rushing out the door? "Seven teenage boys in the same house was a little bit too much for my mom,"says Zach Robertson. Robertson is a varsity keeper for RJ soccer and hosted six kids from Gonzaga for the Jesuit Classic. What drove him to do this is when he was hosted in Milwaukee he was hosted with six other kids and Zach had such an amazing time he wanted to emulate that. So when he heard Regis needed host for the classic he stepped up. It was a madhouse in the kitchen with kids zooming around grabbing food and narrowly avoiding each other. Everywhere was crowded in the house. Zach's father even needed to drive a second car to get all their hosted kids to
Forward Mateo Grajales ‘17 laces up for the match against Gonzaga. Photo: Jorge Paredes ‘18.
From left Dean Maloney ‘18, Cole Blake ‘18, Devin Llorente ‘18, Braden Murphy ‘20, warm up before the game against Gonzaga. Photo: Jorge Paredes ‘18.
school. The junior hosted the most kids out of anyone in the Jesuit Classic this year. The Jesuit Classic has been an important part of RJ since we joined in 2001. For 15 years we have been going to Rockhurst, Gonzaga, and Marquette as well as hosting it here. It rotates every year who rotates. The Classic itself is based around hosting. Hosting refers to keeping the players and student managers from other schools at a student's house whose school is hosting. This ranges from having one playing at the house to having 6. Hosting for the Jesuit classic is an "integral part of Regis' tradition and continues to play the role of bringing people together," Mr. Ptolemy 07' says, as he remembers fondly touring downtown Washington D.C. with his host family. "We spent a lot of time touring the city and seeing the monuments", Ptolemy said, "They really took me under their wing. They fed me well and treated me well." Hosting is more than just letting kids stay out your house. It's about creating friends and memories to last a lifetime. Zach still remembers the giant FIFA tournament when he was hosted last year at Milwaukee. "I really enjoyed it." FIFA is a soccer video game. They had a FIFA tournament including the host and everyone who was hosted. It lasted a long time and many smiles were shared. This single video game brought seven strangers from another state closer to their [continued next page]
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host and themselves. Even though the competition on the field is intense, there are no hard feelings after the game. In fact, the inverse is true. Brady McGowan from Gonzaga and Patrick McNamaro both said they felt camaraderie with the other teams. Only hours after the intense Gonzaga-Regis soccer game, Patrick McNamaro, Brady McGowan, and their host were in a 1998 Green Volvo S70 jamming out to "Money for Nothing" on the way to the Regis football game. The sound was so loud you could feel vibrations. McNamaro was even singing to the tune, not being afraid to show off his vocal skills. Both McNamero and McGowan said the football game was one of the highlights of the trip and both were pleasantly fascinated by the rowdies. They said they felt a part of the Regis crowd and how so many RJ kids were welcoming and kind. They both loved how energetic the Rowdies were, they admired the rowdies outlandish and zany costumes, and McGowan, who is in a similar chant leading squad at Gonzaga, loved to see the perspective from the other side. They said that it was something they would both remember. Mr. Ptolemy says, "It doesn't feel like you're playing against a friend, but immediately after there is camaraderie." This camaraderie is so strong sometimes the relationship stays after the Classic ends. McGowan texts the people he hosted and catches up with them every so often. McNamaro still follows the people he hosted on social media. The Jesuit Classic creates bonds that are far more important than any single game, any single call, or any single win.
Nick Dermer hangs out with his guests from Gonzaga.
Sam Stern with his guest at the Jesuit Classic banquet.
Devin Llorente takes his guest from Marquette to explore Red Rocks. 48 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
Sam Stern chilling with his guest from Rockhurst.
OP-ED
R J
V O I C E
Divisions: It’s on Us By Hans Helland ‘18
Regis Jesuit is unique as far as many schools go, opting for co-divisional education. The co-divisional structure, however, does sometimes lend itself to sexism between the divisions in a way coed and single sex do not. Splitting people into groups, shockingly, might result into the groups forming an unhealthy rivalry or unhealthy attitudes towards each other. Admitting and understanding the problem is the first step, but we also need to work towards actually fixing it as well. As a school we must follow the Jesuit principles and how they relate to this issue. Our Grad at Grad includes open to growth and loving, both of which would require us to work to end these issues. We cannot being loving if we are still sexist towards each other, and we cannot be open to growth if we just deny it or ignore it. The administration itself has established committees in order to both retroactively and pro actively deal with these issues, such as inviting speakers to address it. But how do we tackle these issues as students? First, we must work against wider societal issues. In a study of 15,000 people by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, using a test designed by Peter Glick of Lawrence University and Susan Fiske of Princeton University to measure sexism, the United States still ranks slightly above major Western nations in the studies’ measures of sexism, both hostile and benevolent. How we go about this is not a question one person can answer, but we can all agree it requires everyone to listen to the other side and not to ‘straw-man’ them. An important step towards understanding the other point of view is to listen and not immediately dismiss it. We as a community have to think about the problem and actively counter it ourselves. It certainly exists outside the school and in the greater media and society, but in order to tackle these problems within the school, the student body must decide for itself how it wants to interact and treat each other. It’s on us.
To the Movie-Goer: A Letter Of Complaint
By Taylor Bush ‘17
Dear movie-goers, I get it, everyone loves going to the movies. Being able to get the perfect seat for that summer movie you’ve been waiting the entire year for, going to the concession stand and buying tubs of popcorn and soda. Going to the movies is something simple,but incredibly effective when it comes to family fun. But movie-goers I have to say that as a movie theater employee, I have a few complaints: I don’t control how busy it is. When I’m running around trying to get the lines down, the last thing I want to deal with is you calling me from the concessions line telling me that it’s long. I’m looking right at you, I can see that it’s long. I’d be able to move the line along a lot faster if I could leave guest services, get off the phone with you, and go help. But don’t worry because the customer is always right; let me go get my manager. When your movie is over, I need you to leave. Middle schoolers, this one’s for you. I don’t care that your mom is still 10 minutes away and she took all eight of you. Wait outside, there are benches so you can all sit down and get some fresh air. I’d also like to take some time to acknowledge the burning fact about why you choose to leave all your trash in my theater for me to clean. You then proceed to complain about me taking too long. Well, that
wouldn’t be a problem if you picked up your trash when your movie ends. When I walk into a theater and see a black hole of trash, all I can think about is what was going through your mind when you thought it was a good idea to spill your soda and not tell an employee. Parents, I’m talking to you now. When you give your three year old a huge bag of popcorn and can clearly see them struggling to carry it, that’s when you want to take it. Now I understand that they’re screaming because they want to hold it and you give it to them so they can shut up, but don’t let them shake it. Please. It’s not a toy. I need you to realize that I have absolutely nothing to do with the prices. Do I think that $11.40 for an adult ticket at prime is insane? Absolutely. Do I have anything to do with this? Absolutely not. Complaining to me when you’re buying your movie tickets for your family of seven isn’t at all my fault and I don’t appreciate when you ask to speak to my manager because I can’t give you a discount. I also don’t appreciate when you’re buying popcorn and yell at me when I say that the cheapest bag is $6.09. No, I don’t know why the prices are so high and even if I did I still wouldn’t tell you. No, there isn’t anything I can do about it. Have a nice day. Sincerely, A movie theater employee
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged, but will only be published if they are accompanied by a name and signature. Letters should be short and free of “bashing” or obscenity. Letters to the editor do not reflect the views of the RJ Media staff and will be marked on pages designated as such. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for potentially libelous material and length. The staff will not edit letters for punctuation, grammar and usage. Letters with issues will be returned to the submitter for further review. Contact the RJ Media Editorial Board at rjmedia@regisjesuit.com or in the RJ Media Lab (PAC-102). You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram 49 @RJ_Media
OP-ED
Donald Trump Wouldn’t Graduate RJ Patrick Koenigs ‘18
I don’t have a degree from Trump University to diagnose a narcissistist, but there is something psychologically wrong with a man obsessed with his own name. His deranged ambition and debilitating ignorance is terrifying. He is the antithesis of every Grad at Grad at Regis Jesuit. Trump is not a man with and for others but a man completely for himself.
UNLOVING
Trump spewed racism and sexism into the mainstream. On the day he announced he was running for President, he called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers. Trump’s mocked a journalist for being disabled and re-Tweeted neo-Nazis. His comments are not just despicable or offensive. They’re wrong.
CLOSED TO GROWTH
Trump’s demented ego paralyzes him as a perpetual five year-old. He has Twitter tantrums at 3 am if he’s taunted. He’s proud of himself for name-calling. After Republican leaders called him out for starting rumors that Obama was born in Kenya, he said “Hillary started it.” Trump lacks the maturity required to be President.
INTELLECTUALLY INCOMPETENT
Almost everything Trump says disqualifies him from being President. If his comments aren’t racist or sexist, they’re idiotic. He doesn’t understand the grammar and spelling most people learn in second grade. “Looks to me like the Bernie people will fight. If not, there blood, sweat and tears was a total waist of time,” he Tweeted. He is famous for making baseless accusations on social media. A few years ago he suggested global warming was created for and by Asians to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitve. He’s objectively wrong. 50 Oct 2016 | Vol 2 Issue 1
Trump is not just anti-intellectual. He’s dangerously uninformed. When asked to name a foreign policy advisor he said, “I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things.” He says he knows more than any General about foreign policy but in an interview, he appeared to not know that Russia had already invaded Ukraine. He turns on the TV to get informed. He distrusts the “liberal media” so he depends almost completely on Fox News. He says they are real journalists and The New York Times “doesn’t write good.” Trump doesn’t read newspapers or books because he’s “too busy.” He said he’s read the Constitution and will protect Article XII- a difficult promise to make because Article XII isn’t in the Constitution (it doesn’t exist).
IRRELIGIOUS
The religious right has joined the alt-right in their support of Trump. He now has endorsements from KKK leaders, neo-Nazis, and Evangelicals. Donald Trump is adamant that he’s religious. After saying he goes to mass regularly, he bragged that he doesn’t need to ask for fogiveness. “I consider myself too perfect and have no faults,” he Tweeted. Religious conservatives like that he’s Pro-Life, even though Trump can’t make up his mind if he actually is Pro-Life. It’s still unclear if he wants to defund Planned Parenthood- in the
past year he’s said he’s both for and against it. At one point he wanted women that had abortions to suffer “some kind of punishment.” He retracted that statement and then proceeded to take five different positions on abortion in three days. Some religious Republicans like that Donald Trump stands for traditional family values. His first wife accused him of rape and he said that if his daughter wasn’t related to him he’d date her. Trump can’t stand for traditional family values because he doesn’t stand for any values.
COMMITTED TO DOING INJUSTICE
Trump is a fraud. He’s lied about his net worth by about five billion dollars. He says he’s a genius for not paying taxes for the past twenty years. He’s racked up billions of dollars of debt over the past few decades, but he’s bankrupted his businesses four times to get out of it. Trump is under investigation for using undocumented immigrants during the construction of Trump Tower. After Trump Tower was built, he would blatantly lie about it. After the attacks on 9/11, Trump went on morning television to brag that “[My building] was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan... and now it’s the tallest.” It isn’t. He’s currently being sued by the state of New York because Trump University took over $40 million on false pretenses. He didn’t have an educational liscense to run his university. Even the name
of his university broke the law because it wasn’t actually a university. After the state of Florida started an investigation, he paid the Attorney General to dismiss the scandal. Trump’s evaded the Vietnam War draft five times but said that sleeping with so many women without getting an STD was “my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.” He’s not. He suggested that people with PTSD weren’t as strong as the veterans that went to his rallies. He’s promised to protect all veterans but wrote to the New York State Assembly to get disabled veterans off 5th Avenue. Most recently, Trump’s gotten in trouble for leaked audio tapes of him bragging about sexually assaulting women. He apologized “if anyone was offended.” The next day, audio tapes were released of him and his friends sexually objectifying his own daughter. We’ve never let a Presidential nominee get away with the things he’s done. Trump has called eleven million people rapists and murderers. He’s promised to blacklist a billion people from entering the U.S because of their religion. His comments are not just idiotic- they are unconscionable. Donald Trump is against every Grad at Grad at Regis. He is everything we are told not to be. Racist. Sexist. Arrogant. He lacks basic morality. Trump wants to Make America Great Again but America will never be the same again if we let him destroy it irrevocably.
The
REGIS RABBLE
Vol. 1 Iss. 1
One Dollar Cheap
Astronomers Discover Black Hole at Center of the Universe, Local Lacrosse Legend Crushed
Shack Janley, Field Reporter
What proved to be a scientific breakthrough for a majority of the world was an emotionally distressing find for Jack Ballingoal, a Regis Jesuit student and lacrosse prodigy who just doesn’t get it. “I’m, like, really good at lacrosse” he said. “I was pretty sure everything revolved around me.” His family and friends are helping him through this tough time in his life, showering him with praise. “I’d like to see that stupid black hole beat my son in lacrosse,” Mrs. Ballingoal told reporters. Jack is holding out hope that the discovery is due to discrepancies within the data saying, “We haven’t given up hope
yet, I’ve bullied a lot of science nerds in my days, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they falsified data.” Jack and his family have put together a petition calling for the revision of the study. You can help him regain his sense of superiority at www.change.org/helpalocallegend.html. (Cont Pg. 3 “Dream Crushed”)
Excess Students Force Creative Class Spaces, New Expansion Propositions
For three consecutive years now, the incoming freshmen classes in both the boys and girls divisions have been increasing in number. The growth in the size of the student body has put a strain on the school, which is scrambling to find a place to learn for every class. Some classes are currently in mobile units by the stadium; there was also a reported sighting of a geometry class in the wrestling room. The board of trustees called an emergency meeting last Tuesday to discuss the issue. “We currently don’t have the funds right now to construct another section of the school for classrooms. We’re going to have to rent something,” board member John Salisbury stated. The options they considered were renting out an auditorium at the Chinese theatre across the street, putting a tarp over the tennis courts, and having class in the principal’s office. “I’m pushing hard for renting out the Chinese theatre. It has
the feel of a college lecture hall and the movie projector for Powerpoints will be awesome!” said Salisbury. The administration and board of trustees will be viewing Blinky Bill: The Movie at the Chinese theatre to test the location next Monday, and a decision will be made later that week. (Cont Pg. 9 “Fire Code Violation”)
Roctor Dinner leading a class of freshmen in the wrestling room.
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WE TALK ABOUT MUSIC. rjtoday.org
WE TALK ABOUT MUSIC. http://rjtoday.org
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