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Elevate 4.1

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ELEVATE Vol. 4 Issue 1 | Winter 2018 RJ MEDIA STUDENT MAGAZINE Regis Jesuit HS

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME RJ Special Olympics discovers worldwide impact of inclusion.

PG. 18

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LEADING OFF Photo By: Armando Maldanado ‘21

Junior guard Jada Moore moves the ball up the court against Arapahoe High School during the Foundation Game. “I was the one getting emotional,” said RJ head coach Carl Mattei. The game helped raised awareness for mental health. Regis Jesuit won the game 59-47.

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Contents

IN THIS ISSUE 18 22 28 15

news

E E

VOL 4.1

EDITORS-

RJ Special Olympics takes the trip of a lifetime to Shanghai China for the 2018 Special Olympics East Asian Youth Summit

Maxine Fusel

NEWS ED

feature

Chris Faber ‘2

FEATURE

A look into the reports of sexual abuse committed within the Catholic Church and what needs to change.

Hunter Sulliv

SPORTS E

sports

Sam Stern ‘20

Meet the sophomore athlete who is turning heads being a three sport athlete who redefines what it means to be an RJ athlete

LIFESTYLE

Sophia Marci

lifestyle

CULTURE

Olivia Bachm

Need a new recipe for this holiday season? Read about a junior’s favorite recipe and its importance to her life.

ENTERTA

Mariano Ada

culture Dive into the diverse culture of street art within RiNo, the Denver Art District and up an coming artists.

entertainment See what happened to these Regis Jesuit alumni within the entertainment business.

people of RJ Life changing experiences of Mr. Walsweer and Ms. Franek.

op-ed Opinion commentary from within the Regis Jesuit community. Elevate 4.1

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PEOPLE O Cam Collins

OP-ED ED

Maddie Proct

30 6 35

PHOTOGR

Jose Orenday

BACKPAG

Alex Britti ‘19

COPY ED

Matthew Bor

RJMEDIAN

Alex Zoellner

Cover: Photos Photo illustrati


ELEVATE EDITORS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Maxine Fuselier ‘19 & Leo McCabe ’19

NEWS EDITORS

Chris Faber ‘20 & Hannah Smith ‘20

FEATURE EDITOR Hunter Sullivan ‘20

SPORTS EDITOR Sam Stern ‘20

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Sophia Marcinek ‘20

CULTURE EDITOR Olivia Bachmann ‘20

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Mariano Adame ‘20 & JP Pak ‘20

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PEOPLE OF RJ EDITORS

Cam Collins ‘20 & Maddie Munger ‘20

OP-ED EDITORS

Maddie Proctor ‘21 & Will Munro ‘20

30 6 35

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Jose Orenday ‘21 & Armando Maldonado ‘21

BACKPAGE/RABBLE Alex Britti ‘19

COPY EDITOR

Matthew Bornhorst ‘19

RJMEDIANOW.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alex Zoellner ‘19 Cover: Photos By Will Munro ‘20 Photo illustration by Jose Orenday ‘21

RJ Media [Elevate Magazine, rjmedianow.com, RJTV and RJTV Sports Network] operates as a limited-open forum for student free expression. The publications are for the students, by the students. 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

e

staff

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 rjmedianow.com/policy Read our full Editorial Policies at rjmedianow.com/about

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST ENTER OUR “PIC OF THE DAY” CONTEST TO WIN A GIFT CARD AND BE ENTERED INTO STATE AND NATIONAL CONTESTS. Submit original photography to rjmedia@regisjesuit.com 5


People of RJ

The Story of My Life

Chris Walsweer Story and Photo By: Nolan Whitmore ‘20

W

hen you look at Mr. Chris Walsweer, a white-haired, tall man with big sunglasses and sleeves to cover up his tattoos, you can’t help but smile. To many, Mr. Walsweer is just a history teacher at Regis Jesuit High School, eating lunch in the quad. But hiding beneath his sunglasses and swagger is man with countless stories who has made many hard decisions in his life. At first, he will tell you stories about his adventures surfing in third world countries, making a small living as a bartender, and the numerous other memories he made while traveling the world. However, what many do not realize is that to explore the world, Mr. Walsweer had to make one of the hardest decisions of his life: to drop out of law school. “The most important choice I ever made was to not go to law school, and instead to go travel the world. Because of that, I ended up becoming a teacher. It was hard, in terms of knowing if I was making a good decision -- God knows I make a lot of BAD decisions-- but that was probably the best decision I made,” said Walsweer. “I mean I don’t know how it would’ve worked out from a law school perspective, but that was probably the hardest thing I did. I had to think about that for so long, I knew I was letting down my parents, and we had already gone through the whole application process, but I said no I can’t do it. I surfed for a couple years, while I was out surfing in the Virgin Islands and in the Caribbeans, and I was like, ‘you know what, I think I wanna teach.’”

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Elevate 4.1


People of RJ The Story of My Life

Kathy Franek Story and Photo By: Nolan Whitmore ‘20

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s a young mother, Mrs. Kathy Franek returned to teaching kindergarten after being moved by her daughters emotional birth, giving her a new way to approach the kindergarteners who Franek calls her “little angels.” Today, Mrs. Franek keeps busy, working at the front office doing a multitude of mostly unnoticed tasks that help keep Regis Jesuit from collapsing. She stays occupied working on athletics, checking in visitors, and completing other various responsibilities in order to keep her from being too homesick for her daughter who stayed in Chicago for graduate school, fulfilling her dreams of going to Cubs games and living on the lakefront. However, the lasting memory of the birth of her daughter never leaves her mind. “No one really prepared me for how emotional that would be. But when she arrived it was like a miracle had happened. She wasn’t crying she was making little baby sounds and her eyes were open. And when I looked into her eyes I thought ‘I am seeing heaven’. And… I just started crying, and it was just so… beautiful,” said Franek. “My husband was holding her at one point and he was talking to her in soft tones and he took his and he was rubbing her little baby fist and she just reached up and grabbed his finger. And -I just all I could think of-- I could just feel the presence of God in the room, and this beautiful, wonderful miracle that he had blessed us with.”

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People of RJ

MEET SOME NEW FACES

Be

Story and Photo By: Lauren Elson ‘19 and Ashley Richardson ‘19

Mrs. Ortiz Junior Theology and God Concepts

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ew teacher, Mrs. Ortiz came to Regis Jesuit hoping to show students that they are worthy and loved. Ortiz previously taught at Jesuit Dallas and St Ignatius in Chicago, and has always loved Jesuit education. As a junior theology and God Concepts teacher, her main goal is to portray a more loving God to her students instead of a punitive God. She formed this mindset from her theology teacher in college. “He totally changed my mind about God and the Catholic Church and everything. It was a really beautiful class… [it] was really empowering for me and so I wanted to in turn empower other people.” She has always known teaching was her passion but someday would like to become a catholic worker. She says, “I would want to be a catholic worker. For Dorothy Day? It’s a big movement where people do like service and stuff from their homes. That’s a dream of mine that I’ve always had is to run a Catholic worker house.” Mrs. Ortiz is well on her way to making a big impact on her students lives.

To meet the rest of your new teachers visit RJMediaNow.com

Elevate 4.1

Mr. Leeuw Senior Theology

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xpect to see Mr. Leeuw handing out Starbursts. He is one of the many , with his contagious smile. Being the newest addition to the theology department, he is ready to make a splash. Being a monk in earlier in his life, he has had many other professions before settling down here at Regis. However, teaching has always been a part of him. He taught in many different programs and places such as Los Angeles, a women’s crisis counseling center, an RCA program in Michigan, Colorado Springs, Africa, an orphanage, as well as in prisons. Mr. Leeuw expressed that “Teaching has always just been [his] thing”. Although he is new and is still trying to get a feel for what everyone else has been doing the last four years, it is obvious that he loves his job. Mr. Leeuw’s main goal is for his students to, “live [their] truth, and find where [they’re] supposed to be in the world. I told them at the very beginning of class, my job isn’t to convert you, my job is just to make you better, man, if Christianity is the path for you go nuts, but like if you’re the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, I’m not going to stand in your way.” Although he has a passion for teaching he wouldn’t mind becoming an SNL writer in the future. Mr. Leeuw is a perfect fit for the RJ community and is excited to continue his teaching journey.

Mr. Martin

Human Geography and Model UN

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hen Mr. Martin first started at RJ, he was introduced as one of RJ’s new ASC’s in the boys division and occasionally subs in the girls division. It is his first year teaching and he has many different classes such as Human Geography and Model UN. Mr. Martin has lived in many different states such as, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Alabama, and now Colorado due to being a part of a military family. He has experience with the single sex education, attending Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Martin explained how he is intrigued with the idea of single divisions and that “[it] was just more comfortable”. The main idea he wants his class to take away is how he “taught them. Because a year from now they might not remember what some of the terms we learned are, but they’re going to remember if I cared about them, if I took care of them And helped them to become better student and was a person who they can trust.” If he wasn’t pursuing his teaching career you would find him center stage in a rock band. He is already well known for his singing, but for now he is focusing on his teaching career. Mr. Martin is doing very well for his first year of teaching and we can’t wait to see where he goes.

BOWEN C

Bowen Colm ‘21 ron, China when months old. Whe baby she was dro orphanage weari which represent b ness. Bowen’s mo a child, had to go nine-month proc accepted. Althou member the orph she has seen man her an idea of wh were like. Bowen time when her m adopted but she s known, or as she confirm my theo

“


Beyond The Bounds of Blood Story and Photo By: Sara Higley ‘21 and Katelyn Marshall ‘21

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BOWEN COLM ‘21

MIKAYLA SMITH ‘21

LAURA MILLER ‘21

Bowen Colm ‘21 was adopted from Huron, China when she was just eighteen months old. When she was a newborn baby she was dropped in front of the orphanage wearing green and yellow, which represent brilliance and gentleness. Bowen’s mother wanting to adopt a child, had to go through a strenuous nine-month process until she was accepted. Although Bowen does not remember the orphanage she was in, she she has seen many pictures that gave her an idea of what her first months were like. Bowen can remember the time when her mom told her she was adopted but she states to have always known, or as she says, “It was good to confirm my theory of being adopted!”

Mikayla Smith ‘21 has a different kind of adoption story as she wasn’t adopted, her nine-year-old brother was. Mikayla comes from a big family of seven, including her little brother from China. Although Mikayla did not go on the trip to China to bring her brother home, she remembers the process being extremely tedious. “I know there was a lot of paperwork and background checks. A social worker had to come to our house a few times to make sure it was adequate for a child and my siblings and I had to get letters of recommendations from our teachers,” Smith says. Even though this was a long and tiring process for the Smith family, they all believe it was well worth it. She clarifies that she loves her big family and every single member is a part of what makes her family whole.

Laura Miller ‘21 was adopted at ten months old from China. She has one biological sister and a non-biological sister that was also adopted from China when she was seven. Her adoption had had a large impact on her life as she knows life would be very different for her if she was still in China. Girls in China were often traded off to men to become married at a young age, which she says is what would have probably happened to her. “It’s definitely very different here. I consider myself very lucky to be able to receive a high education and to live in a place so full of opportunity.”, she explains.

“

I consider myself very lucky to be able to receive a high education and to live in a place so full of opportunity. I wouldn’t have the same kind of chances I have today if I wasn’t adopted.

”

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People of RJ

ROWDIES OFF THE FIELD ANDREW HOLT Ho Ho Holt

With a passion for innovation and an eagerness for an adrenaline rush, Andrew Holt is able to hype up an entire student body and demonstrate his creativity as an aspiring musician. “Rowdying requires a lot of creativity, spontaneity, confidence, and self discipline. All are heavily required in the musical field to be able to produce good songs which are unique and thoroughly-thought over.” Holt’s interest in music began at a very young age as he was accustomed to his father blasting 80s and 90s rock throughout the house. His interest in music increased as he started high school and eventually, during sophomore year, he started singing and producing music. Now he notes that, “I enjoy listening to music, playing music, singing, and producing music. Music is a huge part of my life.”

PETER MAPLES Captain Canada

An aspiring Rowdy since he first saw them freshman year, Peter Maples is now able to represent the fun and inclusivity that first drew him to the Rowdies. Maples emphasizes the role of community and helping each other both on the field and in is passion for cooking. He says, “without the community, we would have no one supporting each other, and I think the one thing that is unique about Regis compared to the other schools is our sense of camaraderie and the support we show each other.” Since Maples has played soccer since the seventh grade, he knows the importance of supporting individuals, not only in rowdying but also for those who are playing the game. “With sports, I believe camaraderie and support are absolutely necessary for success. With food, being inclusive and sharing helps bring people together.”

By: Maddie Munger ‘19, Sean Donovan ‘19, Emma Proctor ‘19

MAX ROZMIAREK Park Ranger

Max Rozmiarek puts himself out there every game by shouting into a megaphone and by hyping the crowd up, but outside of his role as a rowdy, Rozmiarek is a DJ and music producer. This is a self-taught talent that started in 8th grade when he found an app on his phone and started working with it. From here, his interest in music has floruished, which led him to join the DJ Club his freshman year, where students within the Regis Jesuit community can participate and provide music at various events. Besides being the “Park Ranger,” Rozmiarek has more responsibilities due to the technical aspects of being a rowdy: ensuring that the electronic equipment is set up before the game and working properly to support the rowdies, and specifically making sure that the speakers are always bumping. Rozmiarek has been able to combine his talents making for exciting games and loud get togethers, he is never one to be missed.

SPENCER HUNT ZooLander

​ With only a camera and a pounding heart to lead him, rowdy Spencer Hunt can almost always be found taking shots of the world up in the depths of the Rocky Mountains. Stunning photographs is only the start. Taking weekly trips to the mountains with his Canon Rebel T6 camera and chevy pick up, he is always on the hunt for the next great spot. Hunt has a passion for putting the world on paper. With each new mission, he comes back with shots to be proud of, taking your breath away. This passion didn’t start overnight however, with several years to guide him on ward. For Hunt, he is “always in his element whether it’s on the field, in a race, or in the mountains.”

Rowdies Posing for their first Rowdy Rally (photo by: Jake Flynn ‘19)

Elevate 4.1

Rowdies at the first

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LEO MCCABE American Man

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Rowdies at the first home football game against Overland High School. (photo by: Armando Maldonado ‘21)

LUKE SLETTEN SkyWalker

​ From an outstanding gymnast to putting together a band in his free time, Luke Sletten may be the next Regis Jesuit student to be seen on stage. From his days of being a Rowdy on the field to his late nights strumming his guitar, he has the mindset to be the best he possibly can. Unlike most students, when Sletten gets home after school he doesn’t rush for the controller and T.V., instead he heads to his studio where he practices guitar. Now instead of listening to his favorite bands, he can actually perform their music, and Sletten is even beginning to produce his own original pieces. Sletten, along with his passion, has been able to stay on top of everything else a teenager would be going through now, from school to social events, and now rowdying. Soon we may see Luke Sletten go from the stands to the stage itself.

JOE VAETH Mario

A freshman dream to reality, and the real life incarnation of Mario himself, Joe Vaeth cannot be missed. His small stature allows him to become the better brother from those original Nintendo games we have all played. As Mario, it is impossible not to laugh as he hypes up the Sea of Raiders as we take on new teams. Besides being a fun sight to those in the stands at RJ games and supporting his fellow raiders on the track, Vaeth has adventures off the field as well. They take place up in the Rocky Mountains in a remote camping spot that not even he was willing to share with me. It is something Vaeth craves as he takes up his reliable and tricked out Jeep onto the rocky dirt paths to his blissful sanctuary. Here he can have time to fish in the cold rocky mountain streams and share stories around a fire with the few friends that come with him. Vaeth is certain to put a smile on anyone’s face, and just like Mario, he is always saving the day.

JOHN MICHAEL DANCY Coach

A hunter, fisher, skier, and golfer, John Michael loves being in the great outdoors. Being a rowdy is fun and extremely energizing, which John Michael is well suited for, but off the field he takes a different trail. Since he was young, he has loved experiencing the world. When he is in nature, John Michael experiences absolute tranquility. John Michael recounts, ”I have loved nature ever since I was a kid, I was just happy to be outside.” Being in the great outdoors is something he holds special; whether he is catching a massive trout in the cold Colorado waters, to trailing down the expansive peaks in the Rocky Mountains John Michael is in his element. He’s an energetic spirit at Regis Jesuit and passing this spirit onto others is not a problem for him. Ultimately, John Michael is competitive at heart, and uses his skills constructively on and off the field.

​ eo can almost always be seen in the L RJ Media Lab in the Steele Center during school being the 2018 Editor in Chief, but he has more than just a passion for reporting. From being an avid skier to his massive sticker collection, you are bound to have an interesting conversation with him. As for his passion for journalism, it all started freshman year when he took Mr. Dawkins’ Journalism One class, starting a fire to be fueled as he has now become an editor at Regis Jesuit. This has lead McCabe down a path to ensure he is informed about the world, understanding that it all starts with the reporting and the journalists who publish a multitude of stories every single day. Let it be known that he has a passion to be the best reporter he can be. McCabe will always be heard on and off the field, as Regis Jesuit is his true team that he will always root for.

“I am the weirdest priest that has existed, because priests on a Friday night are not working with male cheerleaders, but here I am” -Fr. Ramirez Padre 13


People of RJ

FINLEY KRAHN Finn the Human

Knowing the distinct line between fun and chaos, Finley Krahn exemplifies that being a Rowdy is not solely about acting crazy, but also about having and showing good morals to the student body. “My morals are straight and I’m a happy guy, and because of this I have nothing else to do besides trying to lead people in the same direction” he says. Off the field, Krahn enjoys playing chess, playing drums, and working in a music studio. He uses these activities as creative outlets in alignment with rowdying. For example, the focus it takes to play chess is seen in Krahn’s focus and attention to the student body. As seen in a chess game, the sole goal is to win; just like how in rowdying the sole goal is to hype up the crowd. Understanding the beats and rhythms used in drums, and working in a music studio, enables him to create and perform cheers that he knows will sound good and that the student body will love!

FO

“[The Rowdies are] a tight group, they’re a mini brotherhood. Always hanging out together and being a good role model.” -Mr. Ell CONNOR SCHELSSINGER Dad

Throughout his last three years at Regis Jesuit, Connor Schlessinger has been known as both a dedicated student and athlete. Schlessinger has played soccer since he was four years old. Soccer was arguably the most important aspect to his life and he felt unstoppable. This came to a halt when he suffered a series of severe concussions which has led him to refrain from continuing with any contact sports. This undesirable occurrence has provided Schlessinger with the inclination to further focus on his passion for weightlifting. Although Schlessinger has been weightlifting since the beginning of his freshman year, he became more serious about this when he received his latest concussion during his junior year of soccer. “I weightlift everyday,” he says, “it’s such a good escape.” Even though soccer was his life for a long time, Schlessinger has proved that while it is difficult to overcomes such adversities, it is completely possible and the outcome is sweeter than one could ever have imagined.

BERTO BANCHERO

BRODY MCGAH

Drinking ranch at the football games is not just a pastime, it is simply who El Rancho is. Away from the Rowdies, he is better known as Berto Banchero, and can most often be seen practicing for lacrosse. He’s now a “varsity lax bro”, but Banchero actually started playing lacrosse thirteen years ago when his mom signed him up due to his excessive energy. Since then, he has jumped around between many teams, both club and sport. Ultimately, he enjoys lacrosse no matter what team he is on. “I enjoy playing lacrosse whenever I can, it is such a great stress relief.” To this date, Banchero’s greatest experience on the field has been winning the State Championship game last year as a junior. Now, he plans to work even harder in an attempt to get another State Champ titles.

Coach Beishar told Brody McGah to wrestle because it would help his career as a football player. What McGah did not know was that this pursuit would lead him to his greatest high school focus. Every winter since, he and several other boys from Regis Jesuit spend up to two hours practicing together daily in the wrestling room. From freshman year, his goal has adapted from making varsity to making state as he has begun winning more tournaments and focusing on just placing at tournaments to trying to win them. He specifically remembers the ending of his season last year when he was one match away from making state. “I was devastated but that makes me push harder so I can reach my goals,” he says, “the most important thing is to remain focused and positive.”

El Rancho

Elevate 4.1

Lucky the Leprechaun

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Lifestyle

FOOD de JOUR

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

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Story and Photo By: Sophia Marcinek ‘20

he Casillas house is filled with an overwhelming sense of welcome and the smell of delicious food. Sofia Casillas is a junior at Regis Jesuit and she loves to bake. She believes “cooking is one of those skills you need in life.” Sofia not only believes that cooking is an important skill, but that it is also a way to connect with her Mexican heritage. She tells stories of cooking with her grandparents and a smile surfaces instantly. “Food is important to any culture because it’s a way to express yourself,” she says. She is able to connect with her family through food especially. This was particularly true before she was able to speak Spanish. “Even though I couldn’t really speak the language I could make food with my grandmother and we were able to spend time together which was the best part,” says Casillas Christina Nelson talks about how on some days Casillas will bring cookies for class or to share with her friends knowing that some people could use a little bit of joy that day. These acts of kindness not only bring happiness to others but also to Sofia. A smile is almost always plastered on her face, but in the kitchen that smile is so big that it is hard not to smile yourself. In the kitchen, Casillas is a natural; maneuvering around hot pots and pans and, when the oven opens, a carefully crafted delicacy is ready to share. Mexican chocolate brownies are a particularly important recipe to Casillas. After participating in the exchange program at Regis Jesuit, a five month program where she was able to study abroad in Mexico, she created a special connection to this recipe. According to Casillas, “When the exchange students that came here from Mexico went back at the end of the year, my friends who were hosting were really sad after they left and chocolate always makes me feel better so I made Mexican chocolate brownies. I dropped them off at my friends house and after a lot of crying and a lot more brownies I think everyone felt better.” It is clear that not only do these brownies bring joy, but so does the thoughtfulness of the person behind them. The joy -- and food -- she brings to the Regis Jesuit community is why our school needs more people like Sofia Casillas.

2 stickes of butter 2 cups of sugar 4 large eggs 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 2/3 cup of unsweet cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened 1 cup LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies. 15


Lifestyle

EXPLORING COLORADO

PARADISE COVE Guffey

One highly touted, popular destination in Colorado among the student body is Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove is located in Guffey, Colorado, only a two hour drive from Regis Jesuit. It is a well-known spot where families, teenagers, and college students go to enjoy nature and some cliff jumping. The cliff heights range from approximately ten feet to nearly a hundred feet. Cliff jumping may get your heart racing, but it certainly comes with risks. Lindsey Hanson ‘19 said that “[the] water was very shallow and your feet could hit the bottom.” While enjoying Paradise Cove with some friends, “a man jumped and hurt his ankle”, said Hanson. Regis Jesuit students should remember to enjoy the cliffs but to stay safe.

Elevate 4.1

GREAT Alamosa

Colora Sand Dunes Nat Sand Dunes are for only twenty d sledding. Cather about 750 feet ta chased at one of weekend getawa

ROYAL ARCH Boulder

Another highly recommended hike is the Royal Arch Trail. It is a fairly short but steep hike in Boulder’s Chautauqua park. Hunter Sullivan ‘20 deemed the Royal Arch Trail his favorite hike because it “has a gorgeous view at the end that makes it well worth it.” The trail is only 45 minutes away from RJ. Hikers will get to see unique rock formations, Bluebell Canyon, and the famous arch.

BLACK CANYON Montrose

Another stunning national park located in western Colorado is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It is about a five-hour drive from the Denver area. Grace Weinstein ‘19 said,“It’s very intimidating looking at the steep drop of the canyon”, but she really enjoyed her time in the National Park. If you are brave enough to endure the 16% grade of the East Portal Road, then rock climbing, beautiful scenery, fishing, and challenging hikes await you in the canyon. While the trip to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park can be challenging, the camping and scenery outweigh the long drive.

Story By: Courtney Vale’ 19, Joelle Macke ’20, Hunter Sullivan ‘20

Photos by: Cou


DO

GREAT SAND DUNES Alamosa

Colorado is home to four national parks, one of which is the Great Sand Dunes. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a beautiful four-hour drive south of Denver. The Great Sand Dunes are a hidden oasis in the mountains of Colorado, and you can access the park anytime for only twenty dollars. You can plan to play on the beach, hike, camp, swim, and even go sand sledding. Catherine Bradac ‘21 said, “I had a blast sliding down the hills of sand.” The dunes are about 750 feet tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and sandsleds and boards can be purchased at one of the three retailers in the valley. The Great Sand Dunes National Park make a great weekend getaway or camping trip.

CRESTONE NEEDLE Crestone

Just south of Denver is an intimidating fourteener called Crestone Needle. At 14,203 feet, it’s a very challenging 11.2 mile hike. Connor Hodes ’19, a student at Regis and talks about his experience summiting Crestone Needle. “I loved everything about the experience--the challenge,the people, and of course the feeling of accomplishment on the summit.” For a long time, Crestone Needle was “unclimbable” because of it’s tough terrain. It is about a four hour drive away, and many Raiders have taken on the challenge. Get out there and climb!

cated in westunnison. It is ea. y intimidat”, but she k. If you are he East Portal y, fishing, and While the trip Park can be eigh the long

ke ’20, Hunter Photos by: Courtney Vale ‘19, Hunter Sullivan ‘20, Catherine Bradac ‘21, Connor Hodes ‘19

17


News

TRIP OF A LIFETIME Regis Jesuit’s Special Olympics program has been helping Special Olympics of Colorado (SOCO) spread its message of inclusion for over ten years. Story and photos by: Will Munro ‘20

5 years ago, the first Project Unified team was established. The sports include basketball, flag football, and soccer, with two teams (red and white) playing in each. Every year the club participates in a variety of SOCO events including the Spread the Word to End the Word Rally, and an annual Shindig fundraiser. The dance helps to raise thousands of dollars for SOCO ($9,117.54 last year). This past July, Regis Jesuit was selected to send a delegation to the Special Olympics East Asian Youth Summit in Shanghai, China. Myself, along with faulty members Ms. Emily Glenn (RJ class of ’08), Mrs. Merideth Feik, senior Olivia Hernandez, and Regis Jesuit Project Unified athletes Aaron Schmidt and Tyler Glenn were appointed to venture to China from September 9th to the 15th. Our program was selected because it is an example to follow. Our events are very unique, and the club has become an integral part of the school community. This is extremely difficult, as our athletes (team members with intellectual and physical disabilities) do not come from Regis Jesuit. Each has graduated high school and are in their 20s. Sara Prescott, Manager of Unified Champion Schools for Special Olympics International, describes Regis Jesuit as having “a true passion for promoting inclusion on their school campus/ community. We were interested in the similarities that students from Regis could share with students from China.” Regis Jesuit’s program is similar to those in China. In China, the athletes come from “special schools” and do not attend school with the partners (players without intellectual disabilities), who attend “regular schools.” RJ’s team has been integrated into the school community through events

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“

Special Olympics... reaches millions of people just like me.

”

like our annual pep rally (which occurred on November 5th). Regis Jesuit’s unique unified community is desired by those in other nations like India and China. However, Regis Jesuit was not the only program in the United States to be selected. Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island also sent a delegation. Their state is the first to have a Project Unified team at every public high school. Ponaganset is leading the charge towards inclusion with a powerful pledge that they created (Regis Jesuit has also adopted this pledge). The summit spread a message of inclusion. Leadership skills were also developed through workshop breakout sessions. We saw several different presentations describing Special Olympics programs from across the world, which included China, Macau (Macau though a part of China is a “special administrative region,” similar to Hong Kong), Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, South Korea, India, and Malaysia. Our delegation was greeted with great hospitality. Translators were always provided, and we were given guides for navigating Shanghai (which is the biggest city on Earth). While we were in China, the annual autumn moon festival was taking place. The moon cakes, a circular cake with peanut butter and a duck egg yolk in the middle, are eaten to celebrate. Following this, our tour guide Rockie Zhao took us to the Huangpu River. The river overlooks the beautiful skyline of Shanghai, including the Bank of China Tower, and the Pearl Tower. The river is surrounded by a financial district, including a mock of the famous “Wall-Street Bull.” Athlete Aaron Schmidt enjoyed the trip because he was able to make “a lot of new friends.” He especially enjoyed presenting “a group project and a presentation about RJ.” Another highlight for Schmidt was playing floorball at a special school. Floorball is essentially field hockey but indoors, and the last day of the trip we played with students


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at the Shanghai Pudong New Area Special School. Schmidt also enjoyed riding a bus around the city and conversing on it. He was overall very glad that he went. Schmidt was not alone in his praise of the trip,Ms. Emily Glenn, and her brother, athlete Tyler Glenn, also valued the trip. Ms. Glenn said that the “opportunity to visit Shanghai was an incredible lesson.” She affirmed that the world, thankfully, values the “core beliefs of inclusion and understanding.” She found it amazing that despite language barriers, we were able to converse in the joy of Unified sports at the summit. Her brother shared a similar sentiment. He enjoyed visiting the Coca Cola World and a Chinese marketplace called the Yu Garden. He “loved meeting and making new friends.” He learned that “Special Olympics is an organization that is all over the world and reaches millions of people just like me.” He loves that he has the opportunity to be a part of the Regis Jesuit Unified team because he enjoys being a “part of the great community.” All and all, the trip was amazing, eye opening, and life changing. I am honored and humbled that I, along with Regis Jesuit was selected to attend. The trip has had a profound effect on the attendees from Regis Jesuit, myself included. Their trip was an opportunity to visit China and to discuss what I love. We met truly amazing people, including Amar and Lkhagvabat from Mongolia (see following page) and learned much. I learned what true inclusion looks like. It is not making accommodations and forcing people together— It is a formation of a community that cares for one another, which I see at Regis Jesuit. Our Unified teams care for one another and we are unified by positivity and compassion. I learned to appreciate our program at the summit, but also saw room to grow. We instituted a school wide pledge at the pep-rally this year, after hearing it from Ponaganset High School.

19


News

A

mazing things can happen when people come together as one. This is especially true when those people are from all across the world coming together to share love for Special Olympics. Mongolia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sinagpore, Rhode Island, Taiwan, and India. All of these people gather to celebrate their passion for Special Olympics. During the week of September the 10th in Shanghai, China, 77 people, including five representatives from Regis Jesuit, came together in Shanghai, China to develop a Unified Generation at the 2018 Special Olympics East Asian Youth Summit.

SOC

RJ Spec

By: Will Mu Photos: Will

Simran Sahni and Shrey Kadian are from Bharat in New Delhi, India. Kaidana is a silver medalist and is very successful cricket player. “I did not have any confidence or exposure to Special Olympics,” she says. Now, in becoming a Special Olympics Youth Leader, Sahni doesn’t feel “any shyness, or weirdness while interacting with other people, or other athletes.”

Jenna Obiurka and Vanessa Tocco (right to left)

are from Rhode Island They play Unified Basketball and volleyball. “Unified supports each other and it’s not about winning or losing… it’s just a really positive atmosphere.” said Vanessa.

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Lkhavgab

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people are Shanghai, Special Olymtives from lympics East

SOCO ACROSS THE WORLD RJ Special Olympics discoveres worldwode impact of inclusion. By: Will Munro’20 and Chris Faber’20 Photos: Will Munro ‘20

Mr. Jason Zhan is the Re-

gional Manager of Healthy Athletes for Special Olympics East Asia. He helps provide screenings for 6,000 athletes. He says that it is important to advocate for SO. “We have the responsibility to let more people know about SO.”

ian

Lkhavgabat Ganbat and Amar Bayarsaikhan

(left to right) are from Mongolia. Lkhavgabat lives in rural Mongolia and loves art. Lkhavgabat explains, “everything related to Special Olympics has been a great memory. It has changed my life tremendously. Ever since I won the gold medal in China ... it has really helped my family to live life easier, [which] is most important.”

David Chung and Yi-Hsuan Tseng

are from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). They have been participants in Special Olympics for a combined 14 years, and it holds a special place in their hearts. Chung says, “Special Olympics is a movement, not only a competition.” 21

(right to left)


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he revelations of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report and the questions surrounding the hierarchy of the Catholic Church’s handling of abuse cases have left the religious community wounded and in distress. Many members of the Catholic Church feel betrayed, hurt, and hopeless. Over 215 cities have been devastated by major sexual abuse scandals by clergy occurring before the early 2000s. Dating back to the 1950s, leaders in high positions of power in the Catholic Church have been covering up these cases. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court released a Grand Jury report containing the names of hundreds of priests and bishops who were accused of the sexual abuse of adolescents over the past 70 years. These cases have contributed to a culture where sexual abuse is normalized. This is clearly not a recent issue nor is it a localized one; however, this was one of the largest inspections the Catholic Church has undergone to date.

What happened? Released on August 14, 2018, the Grand Jury Report revealed that the Dioceses in Pennsylvania had covered up thousands of cases of child sexual abuse by over 300 clergy members, the largest known number of abuses by the Church in history. The report reveals that internal diocesan documents hold records of over 1,000 identifiable child victims. The Grand Jury Report added that “the real number - of children whose records were lost, or who were afraid ever to come forward - is in the thousands.” The report further declares “Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing, they hid it all.” According to the Grand Jury Report, the first allegations occurred in 1947 and continued to be made, yet they were silenced by Church leaders. Despite the disturbing details of the report and victims’

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Why does

DECADES IN THE SHADOWS

For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has covered up thousands of sexual abuse allegations. By: Alexis Berry ‘19, Caroline Smith ‘19, and Grace Sayers ‘19 & Hunter Sullivan ‘20

The Ca last few decades these revelations reporting in 200 over 600 stories team investigate cases. Over 130 personal abuse b was accused of r Most o schoolboys, the The oldest allega 1960, and he adm Geoghan was ab of Cardinal Law several times, bu went. He was rem least 70 other pr Spotlight team i “What pened in Boston


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abuse stories, most of these crimes can no longer be taken to trial because of the statute of limitations, “which forbids prosecutors from charging someone with a crime that was committed more than a specified number of years ago.” The Grand Jury Report calls upon the “Pennsylvania legislature to stop shielding child predators behind the criminal statute of limitations” and suggests it be abolished. Currently, Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations law authorizes victims of child sexual abuse to bring accusations forward until they are 50 years old. Since 2002, fifteen states have removed the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, while 29 more states have increased the amount of time permitted for victims to come forward with allegations in their statutes. Many other states are currently discussing making changes to, or even abolishing, the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases.

Why does this feel like an echo? The Catholic Church has been shaken in the last few decades by the revelation of sexual abuse, and these revelations came to a head with the Boston Globe’s reporting in 2002. That year, The Boston Globe wrote over 600 stories of sexual abuse. The Globe’s Spotlight team investigated a similar coverup to the Pennsylvania cases. Over 130 people came forward with stories of their personal abuse by Fr. John J. Geoghan, a Boston priest who was accused of rape for three decades. Most of the victims who came forward were schoolboys, the youngest only four years old at the time. The oldest allegation against Fr. Geoghan dates back to 1960, and he admitted to four cases as late as 1995. Fr. Geoghan was able to stay in ministry under the authority of Cardinal Law. He was asked to move to new parishes several times, but continued his abuses everywhere he went. He was removed from the priesthood in 1998. At least 70 other priests were exposed by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team in 2002. “What I think is very different with what happened in Boston and what happened in this Pennsylvania

“Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all.”

report,” comments Fr. Jim Goeke SJ, “is that they put all of it in one document that was published. So much harm and devastation described in one report, so much harm over a long period of time, I imagine it makes people wonder, ‘Are my children safe now?’” Adding to the controversy of the allegations is the fact that Pennsylvania is not the only state to reveal claims against priests, as many others are beginning to release reports. Many abuse victims and others who want justice are pushing for Grand Jury reports in their respective states.

What is the Church doing now? The Dallas Charter, also known as the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, sets policies which ensure the safety of children. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops enacted this in 2002. The Dallas Charter set policies for protecting children including: educational policies for volunteers, priests, and clergy; mandatory reporting; and background checks for anyone working with children in the Church. One of such policies mandates that if there is a credible allegation against a faculty member in a Catholic school then that teacher is immediately removed from their work and is not allowed near minors. The Charter has provided a technical structure to protect children and vulnerable adults. It also contains direction on reconciliation, healing, and accountability in order to prevent future abuse and in making prompt and effective response to allegations. These changes in the past decade have helped contribute to the drastic decrease in allegations. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate shows a drastic drop in allegations from nearly 1400 allegations in the years: 1970-1974 to 22 allegations in the five year period that we are currently in. These 22 cases are still 22 too many, as zero should be the only acceptable figure; in response, Archbishop Aquila and other Catholic leaders and school teachers are determined to eliminate these occurrences all together.

What is Denver doing now? “Denver was on this eleven years earlier than most of the country, which is good. This is what should’ve happened,” says Fr. Goeke. Denver’s efforts to protect and seek justice for victims is evident--especially with Archbishop Aquila’s response to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. Archbishop Samuel Aquila promises that the Archdiocese of Denver takes sexual abuse in the church very seriously and personally by protecting all members of the Church community. Aquila writes, “The Archdiocese of Denver can never fully make right the sins of the past, but we are committed to always being a part of the healing process.” Each allegation will be accounted for, and priests will be immediately taken out of ministry, if they are accused of misconduct. Support for victims will be the main priority of the Archdiocese. Archbishop Aquila has published a website on the Archdiocese page called “A Solemn Promise” to allow transparency and encourage communication. Aquila has led four masses of reparation at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver for the

23


sin committed by clergy members in the Catholic Church from September through November. Denver Catholic Schools are also actively working to avoid sexual abuse, and have instilled programs since 1991 that support this cause. Every adult interacting with children is required to participate in Safe Environment Training, which has already instructed over 70,000 people with an average of nearly 5,000 adults newly trained each year. Additionally, a mandatory reporting policy was put into place in 1991 for Denver Catholic Schools. These policies have been effective in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver, as a letter from the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Elias J. Moo, claims. His letter states that Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver are required to train adults to report concerns, allow students to feel comfortable coming forward, and keep boundaries in place to ensure that no child is left vulnerable at any time. President of Regis Jesuit, Mr. David Card ‘87 also stated that “all Regis Jesuit employees must complete a background check and receive a safe environment training, “Protecting God’s Children” in order to work at Regis Jesuit. We are also trained as mandatory reporters of any type of child abuse.” He adds, “More importantly, our charge is to love one another--especially our children--in everything we do.” Fr. Goeke discussed that there are circumstances that he is very self-conscious about in the current climate. For example, a few days after the Pennsylvania report came out detailing clergy sexual abuse there, Fr. Goeke found himself in a situation where as one of the cross country coaches, he was accompanying two cross country runners on a four-mile run. They were the final two runners in the group that started from school. One of the runners needed to cut the run short; the other really needed to go the whole distance to benefit from the workout. Fr. Goeke was faced with a decision. Should he encourage the one runner to complete the run, meaning that she would run the final two miles alone with him, since she had never run this course previously? Or send her back with the other runner? He encouraged her to go the full distance. Reflecting afterwards, although everything was innocent and completely harmless, he worried about perceptions. What would others think if this student tells her family or friends that she ran alone with a priest for two miles? He remarked, “I wish I didn’t have to think about these things, but I do.” Despite the Archdiocese of Denver’s responses to the tragic revelations, many are demanding political action to deliver justice to the victims and survivors of this abuse. Jeb Barrett, leader of the Denver chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), says, “The Catholic Church has to surrender its immunity [to] an external examination of its internal records because they have been hiding sexual assault for centuries.”

What do we do now? Within the Catholic environment of priests, teachers, and students, Regis Jesuit wants to spark change in the Catholic Church starting with the student body. Regis Jesuit dedicated a week of prayer and conversation about this topic to help the community reflect and to promote a call to action. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a student-led rosary, and three open-dialogue meetings were all part of Regis Jesuit’s response. New principal, Mr. Jimmy Tricco describes how his faith was shaken when The Boston Globe revealed the abuses in 2002. His experience especially resonates with students and faculty at Regis Jesuit after cover-ups have been revealed yet again with the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. Around 40 percent of Regis Jesuit student body and faculty are not practicing Catholics, but we are called as church and community to respond to this together. Regis Jesuit wants to provide for the needs of all students, no matter their faith. In order to help everyone, Mr. Tricco says, “I hope people [at Regis] who are not Catholic can see that one, the Church did something terribly wrong. However, I think there are still a lot of good people in the Church that want to right that wrong, and bring healing and peace. [And two,] that the Church stands for something more than the people trying to live out its mission day to day.” With the #MeToo Movement and the Church abuse scandal co-occurring, dialogue surrounding sexual abuse and assault has become a more persistent and intensified discussion in our society. From seven-decade long whispers of abuse to a larger international dialogue, the sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has instigated immense pain and confusion among its members and the non-Catholic community alike. Girls Division theology teacher, Mrs. Ortiz has also experienced great pain and confusion but expresses the imperative nature of her mission to reconciliation and healing. As she voices, “I have a God-given conscience and I will speak it, because I have a right and duty to, and if I am not being listened to I will speak louder.” There is no doubt of an urgent need for action. Trauma has led to uncertainty, causing people to doubt the Church and Catholic institutions. Dr. Kabadi, the Assistant Principal for Mission, Ministry & Diversity, feels that despite the despair of the situation, we are not called to live in that brokenness. He puts it best: “As horrific and painful at it is, we don’t want to forget this. We want redemption. We want hope.”

August 14th, 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report released

2002 Boston Globe Report Released

1947

First Allegations from Pennsylvania Report

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Many believe that the Church must reveal all records of sexual abuse in order to overcome it. As Mr. Tricco said, “if we don’t know all of the issues, all of the problems, all of the hurt, all of the suffering and pain, it’s hard to begin healing in all of those areas.”

1985 First major lawsuit against a diocese

June, 2002 Dallas Charter establishes standards of care for children and vulnerable adults

July 28, 2018 McCarrick resigns

February 2019 U.S. Conference of Bishops will meet to address further reform

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RJMEDIANOW.COM YOUR HOME FOR STUDENT MEDIA

25


Sports

Golf: The Raiders had a great season that consisted of another run at a championship. Junior Bo Wardynski ‘20, received all state honors. l-state honors.

Fall Sport Wrapup

Fall sports were in full swing this year, and there were plenty of highlight moments to go around. Fall sports athletes brought two state championships to the RJHS community. Another five sports made the playoffs as well. Let’s Go Raiders! Softball: History made! Senior Pitcher Jackie Cal ‘19, Chloe Valdez ‘21, and Lanie Smith ‘21 were integral parts of their first trip to the state tournament.

Elevate 4.1 This is a caption for your photo and mack sure you put the name of the photographer like this (photo by: John Doe) This is a caption for your photo and mack sure you put the name of the photographer like this (photo by: John Doe) This is a caption for your photo and mack sure you put the name of the photographer like this (photo by: John Doe)

Cross Country: This year was an eventful year as RJ had many runners make it to the state Cross Country meet in Colorado Springs. This year’s team was led by Isalina Colsman ‘20, who finished 16th in her race.

Soccer: Division Champs!! This season was highlighted by great seasons from senior captains Ben Cavarra ‘19 and Colton Barry ‘19 who led the team in scoring with a combined 21 goals during the regular season.


Field Hockey: STATE CHAMPIONS!!! The Raiders won state for the first time in school history. Lauren Pendergast ‘20, scored both goals in a thrilling 2-1 overtime effort.

Boys Tennis: STATE CHAMPIONS!!! Senior Kosta Garger led the way winning the individual #2 singles title, while Sophomore Morgan Schilling was runner-up at #1 singles. Senior Evan Nuss and Junior Emilio Gonzalez-Cruz captured the #1 doubles title.

Division Champions!! The Raiders finished off the regular season 6-4. This team was led by freshman quarterback Nicco Marchiol ‘22, and senior running back sensation Kiahn Martinez ‘19.

is year was RJ had many the state Cross olorado Springs. was led by Isalina finished 16th in

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27


Sports

The Three Sport Wonder The Student Rarity that is Reshaping RJ Athletics By: Sam Stern ‘20

“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” Grace Weigand, a sophomore, is considered a rarity in the Regis Jesuit sports community as a three sport varsity athlete playing field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. She came in with a fiery competitiveness that could not be extinguished by anyone in her path. She started to find her love for basketball and lacrosse at the age of six. When she started high school, she decided to try field hockey in order to organically make friends. Fast forward to today and she plays all three sports at the varsity level. Talk about a Sports Illustrated caliber story in itself. She’s in season all year long, with field hockey in the fall, basketball in winter, and lacrosse in the spring. During the summer, she plays lacrosse for the club team Summit, one of the most wellknown lacrosse clubs in the state, and often participates in camps for all of her sports. Weigand describes her training be saying, “I’m always working out, lifting 2-3 times a weeks, running, and getting cardio in when I can.” For an athlete of Weigand’s caliber, she always is in the lab working on her skills in all three sports. With someone working on her skills as much as she does, where do academics and school life come into play? Stress is a common reality for students in high school, let alone someone as busy as Weigand is on a regular basis. Weigand voices that “when I get home from practice, I get right down to business. I try to use my time wisely, have good time management, and talk to teachers when needed.” At such a prestigious athletic school that has produced athletes like Missy Franklin, Josh Perkins, David Peterson, and Caleb Elevate 4.1

3

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Basket Grace Weigand showing her athletic prowess in all three of her varsity sports (photos by: Armando Maldonado ‘21)

just say I “amLet’s never bored.

”

Sloan, none of these athletic phenoms were three sport athletes. Wiegand has truly set a brand new standard in both the girls and boy divisions when it comes to athletic greatness. While talking to senior basketball star and sensation Francesca Belibi, there was a sense of amazement being shown through the accomplishments of Grace. “Not often do you see a lot of double sport athletes at Regis, and she is now in her own category playing three sports at a varsity level. She has a high role on each one of her teams, and is a great person at the same time.” Elite is a word that is not used lightly around the Regis Jesuit community. Athletes at our school are expected at all times to be the best athletes they can be. Imagine the level of determination, heart, love, and strength that would be necessary to play this many sports. Weigand represents all four of these attributes at all times. She does these four

things while also being a person who takes their own academic and personal success very seriously. That alone makes her a mega star. She proves to be an inspiration to so many people in the RJHS community, such as sophomore All-American shooting guard, Avery Vansickle. “She is definitely an inspiration to me. The way she carries herself and treats others is amazing. She is always smiling and making others happy,” Vansickle said. The 2018-2019 season has already begun, and Grace has already been an integral part of the field hockey team this year. She will also be taking part in basketball during the winter and lacrosse in the spring, hoping to add a couple titles to her already stacked resume. Sports has proved to be a way for Grace Weigand to truly have a fun time and put her apart from her other classmates, teammates, and friends. Dedicated. Driven. Focused. Passionate. Committed. Competitive. Grace Weigand is a real example of a potent powerhouse.

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ALUMNI MUSICIANS IN THE Entertainment

Jake Granader ‘17: Michael Khaki By: JP Pak ‘20 and Mariano Adame ‘20 Growing up, Jake Granader had always had one dream: he wanted to become a rapper. As a freshman in high school he quickly realized that writing down lyrics was a good way of expressing his thoughts. In a way it was almost like therapy. He would sit in the library most days at lunch and not even eat. His obsession with music consumed him. “I would just go in there and sit there the whole time. I just started recording and no one really messed with it at the beginning, nobody cared.” Like anything you do you have to work hard at your craft and that’s exactly what Jake did. Kids were looking down on him, saying he didn’t have what it took to rap. Soon the ignorance of the other students turned to admiration and people saw his potential in the rapping industry. He was finally at a point where people were looking forward to him releasing music and were excited to see him in the hallways. After the release of “wear your khakis” and its music video, the buzz around his music was at an all time high. “I’m not where I want to be, but I think people are starting to notice” says Granader about his music and career. Although Granader’s life was quite admirable among the kids at school, a darker side existed after 2:45 every day. His struggles with family life and academics were becoming increasingly hard to manage. After living the second semester of his senior year out of his car, he graduated and moved on to the University of Colorado Denver. Although he had much hope going in, his first semester was filled with negligence and resentment. Knowing that college wasn’t where he was meant to be, Granader made the crucial decision to leave the school and follow his passion. When asked about this turning point in his life, his response is clear and calculated, with no stutters or pauses in speech. “I don’t regret it at all,”

Elevate 4.1

Granader performing at his concert “Vacation II” this past summer.

Granader claims. “Everyone has to take their own path, man. It just wasn’t for me, and getting out of that actually helped me become a healthier person.” With a fresh slate, most “freshman” rappers, at the beginning of their professional career, become a completely different person. Many leave their past in the dust, forget their family and friends, and set off for a brand new life. Granader, however, took things a little differently. His past didn’t fade away - it actually influenced his music even more. “I don’t believe you have to be from a certain place or do certain things to be a certain something,” Granader says. Even his aelius “Michael Khaki” pays homage to his upbringing at Regis. “The whole point behind the name Khaki is that I was required to wear a uniform just like you guys. That’s what I was in, just Khakis all the time. I just thought, you know, people are going to laugh at me. I was going to give them a reason to laugh at me because I didn’t really care.” Nowadays he refers to music as “my full time profession.” While working a side job to get by he works on music with his producer X-GD who is a Grandview Alumni everyday. “I could tell he was very passionate about his music” says X-GD about why he likes working with Khaki. Together they wrote and produced Khaki’s most recent album titled “Next God.” The album is available on every platform like iTunes, SoundCloud and Spotify. Over the summer he started playing shows and opening for artists who came to Denver. However, the big show he did this year was “Vacation 2” at the Black Box. Coming from Colorado, it

can be tough to make it in the music industry since there is no one here who’s very involved, especially with the Hip-Hop side of things. Khaki isn’t sweating this at all. “I just think its better to come from a small place and have to prove yourself to the wider world.” So far most of his shows and performances have been due to his connections he has with venues and the networking he does day to day. On an average day Jake starts off with working a side job to make some money in order to get by. After a few hours of work he gets home and lays down on a old worn out green couch to do some reading on self improvement, money management and entrepreneurship. He uses the knowledge from the books and applies it to his idea of starting a clothing brand. Once he’s all caught up on his pass times he gets to work on his art. Sitting around his apartment thinking about rhymes and musical rhythms he can turn into the amazing work he knows he can make. The process of writing, recording, mixing and mastering his music is one he has got down pretty well by now, making it that much easier to put out music to his fan base.

“Everyone

has to take their own path, man. It just wasn’t for .”

After his musical part of the day there’s still one more step. He works on visuals for his music videos, drawing inspiration from artists like Vince Staples, Mac Miller, XXXTentacion, Kanye West and Tyler The Creator who are just some of the many artists with an incredible sense of uniqueness in their music videos.

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S IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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of the day tep. He works c videos, drawrtists like Vince XXTentacion, The Creator he many artists se of uniqueeos.

A great example of what Jake is capable of doing with his videos is “wear your khakis,” shot by Jesse Suchomel, it is one of his best videos to date and an authentic look at what’s to come in the future. Many artists live a fine line between who they are on stage and who they are inside. The pressure of topping charts, putting out work, and pleasing fans can be enough to make “what you’re passionate about” seem like work, usually separating a rapper’s true self and his outside identity. Granader has founded his music on the defiance of this cultural norm. “Just be yourself,” he says, with the same youthful tone he has maintained since his freshman year. Although the center of his industry is far from the suburbs of Aurora, Colorado, Granader never wants to lose sight of who he is and where he comes from. “You struggle and stuff along the way, but you just have to work at it and keep going. It’s a fact that you see in success,” he claims. Though unorthodox at first glance, Granader’s vision still seems to make sense through a different lens. In an industry full of Gucci sweatpants, he still wears his khakis - it’s just who he is.

Aldo Pantoja and Tim Sauer ‘01: Don Chicharron While the booming 808 bass and syncopated percussion of Michael Khaki’s music is appealing to many, it didn’t come to life on its own. Khaki’s sound spent its early stages of development here at Regis, a community that has served as a launch pad for many other artists and groups. One of those groups has its founding member just steps away from the front office, working diligently as a leader of the arts program in the Steele Center - Mr. Aldo Pantoja of Don Chicharrón. Last year, Don Chicharrón gave its Regis Jesuit debut performance on Diversity Day, making it one that the community will not forget anytime soon. Their specific style, combined with their history as classmates (with 6 of the 9 members of the band being RJ alumni) come together to form a sound with roots very far away from Colorado. “I really wanted to try this specific psychedelic rock style that comes out of Peru called chicha,” Mr. Pantoja claims. The style of music impacted him greatly. “I was blown away,” he says. “I kind of grew up with a little bit of this my parents being from Peru, and I fell in love with it too literally during the concert. I texted my good friend Justin Horagan who was also a Regis Jesuit alumni of 2001 and I was like ‘We’re starting a band’.” They have been making music ever since, with their next “big picture” goal being to perform at an all Chicha festival in Colorado, and then ultimately in Peru. Later this year, Don Chicharrón will be releasing their album, coming in cd form as well as being available for purchase across all online platforms. Although forming the band was a risk, Pantoja is glad he followed his heart. “It could have flopped in Denver, it totally could have flopped,” he claims. “But I didn’t care. I just kind of wanted to start and make that music. And now we have a little bit of a following, and people are really digging it.”

THE CURTAIN RISES: SISTER ACT

Show gets mainstage honors at THESCON During the final song of Sister Act senior Eli Harvey, who plays the lead as Dolores Wilson, began to shed tears. “This was the last time I was going to be here, this was my last show with these girls. This was then last time I was singing this song, and the song Sister Act has a lot of connotations about sisterhood which is one of the things Regis Jesuit likes to push a lot.” Little did Eli and the rest of the ensemble know that they would be nominated and selected to perform once again at the main stage conference in front of thousands of people at the Bellco Theater for the first time in Regis Jesuit history, a huge honor in the high school theater community. However, this honor was not simply handed to the cast, crew, and pit; it took several months of preparation to make Sister Act the star-stopping production that it is. During auditions, director Mr. Pantoja commented, “I can tell that the learning of the repertoire will take a little bit longer than I thought, especially with the music. But I think when we’re on stage and we finally do it, we’re gonna be so proud of ourselves.” They should be. The ensemble will take the stage once again during Colorado Thescon on December 7th. 31


Among the Story and Photos by: Cameron Collins ‘21 and Maddie Munger ‘19

Elevate 4.1

In Los may have to pay u can receive up to art, is considered But dur of art is highly re largest independe a eight years ago. art is well esteem artists at CRUSH powerful messag Laura K runs the “Among but she has alread meaningful art a Through her gall only for audience effect on each ind that, “art can cha CRUSH one week, Septem empowering arti mitted to changin people walk ever and Krudener wa we participate in and feelings, wha the bat.” Kruden message for welln for activism.” On young artist nam At only the art and activi where the artist l wall. She has pas in Oxford, Engla Moreover, Galpi activist and she u “A lot o she thinks is just now,” she said. Daniel type of street art. pieces that, whet no matter what, From t ered illegal, to pr express themselv


he

In Los Angeles, you can be fined up to $50,000 dollars. In London, you may have to pay up to $7,356 dollars and spend six months in jail. In Detroit, you can receive up to five years in jail. In these cities, graffiti, regarded by many as street art, is considered a felony. But during CRUSH WALLS, Denver’s annual urban art festival, this type of art is highly regarded. Each painting is a piece of a greater puzzle for Colorado’s largest independent street art showing, founded by Colorado-native Robin Munro, a eight years ago. Over the years, graffiti has evolved into street art, and while street art is well esteemed in contemporary culture, graffiti remains an offense. Many artists at CRUSH WALLS have traveled the world leaving behind their art, and a powerful message with each piece. Laura Krudener, a gallery owner and street artist in RiNo Art District, runs the “Among the Colors” (ATC) gallery. ATC has only been open for a year, but she has already made a name for herself within the art industry through the meaningful art and the artists she showcases. Through her gallery, Krudener wants to be able to exhibit different types of art not only for audiences to see, but with the intent that each piece will have a profound effect on each individual. She asserts that the most important thing to remember is that, “art can change the world.” CRUSH WALLS’ annual street art/mural showcase takes place for only one week, September 3rd to the 8th. This unique gallery is not complete without the empowering artists themselves, with art that goes beyond the eye. CRUSH is committed to changing the urban skyline, bringing art from the galleries to the streets people walk everyday. This popular showcase is important to artists in Colorado and Krudener was eager to participate saying, “I opened this gallery a year ago, and we participate in the CRUSH WALLS art festival because art is all about emotion and feelings, what is inside, instead of what you would normally just see straight off the bat.” Krudener prides herself in the fact that she, “focuses on artists with a message for wellness, identity or gender [and] she tries to find art with a message for activism.” One of the most inspirational artists that Krudener showcases is a young artist named Devon Galpin-Clarke. At only thirteen years old she has already made a major impact on both the art and activism industry. She specializes in pasting, a particular type of art where the artist layers adhesive paste onto a sketch on paper and paint it onto a wall. She has pasted across the world sixteen times over, in Paris, France and once in Oxford, England, and still works to spread her art through the world. Moreover, Galpin-Clarke contributes more than just her art, she is also a youth activist and she uses her art to communicate a greater message. “A lot of people think that nobody’s going to care what a kid thinks, what she thinks is just get started, don’t wait. These problems are directly affecting us now,” she said. Daniel Montes ‘20 is a spray painter at Regis Jesuit, who advocates for any type of street art. He remarked that, “When I see street art, I see these magnificent pieces that, whether it’s illegal or not, are still beautiful and incredibly pieces and no matter what, this talent should be shared.” From the streets of Detroit, LA, or New York, where graffiti is still considered illegal, to promising new installations here in Denver. Street artists continue to express themselves through their art, making our cityscapes more beautiful.

Culture

Two abstract walls of art in the RiNo Art District.

33


Culture

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM How faith and football are present in the Denver Broncos locker room. Story By: Matthew Bornhorst ‘19 & Leo McCabe ‘19

Taking a glance at the Offensive Line room at the Denver Broncos Team Facility, you would never imagine that these men, just 16 hours later, would be smashing their heads in against the Seattle Seahawks. During these exactly 23 minutes of calm, they are sitting in prayer, under the direction of Fr. Tom Rochford ‘64 SJ. Every Saturday night, before each Broncos home game, Fr. Tom arrives at the Broncos team facility, giving players and coaches the opportunity to take a step back from their frantic preparations and attend mass, an opportunity they otherwise would not have. “Sunday morning you know they’re on it right away,” said Rochford SJ SJ. “So if they didn’t pray on Saturday night, they wouldn’t [pray because] they can’t go out to a parish.” Father Tom has been saying this mass for the Broncos for four years now, but the tradition has been at Regis Jesuit even longer, going as far back as Fr. Wally Sidney SJ (President c.1995-2006). Regis Jesuit alumnus and current Broncos assistant coach Klint Kubiak ‘05 is a member of Fr. Tom’s congregation. For him, going to mass is something that must be done. “You don’t miss mass; that’s not something that’s OK,” said Kubiak. “If you’re not right with the Man upstairs, it’s hard hard to focus on your day.” Kubiak had a similar experience, saying, “The

Fr. Rochford gives out communion to some of the players and staff

Elevate 4.1

Christian values that Regis promotes, that’s the foundation of your whole life is seeing how people you respect go about their business and carry themselves and live the Word.” When you look at the players and coaches, it’s not obvious that they’re attending mass. “When they come in there, they might be wearing shorts. It’s not fancy,” Rochford SJ says. “Imagine if you’re praying with people on a war field, you know they’re there, they’re doing their thing and they’re ready to go to it.” Even in the most stressful of situations, Fr. Rochford SJ does his best to take their mind off of football and on to God. “I like him so much because typ- ically he doesn’t talk about football. He brings it back to everyday life, which is what we should be thinking about in there, not our jobs,” Kubiak said about Fr. Rochford SJ. Fr. Rochford SJ is used to these stressful situations as well, and tries to bring some sort of levity to his homilies, enough to even get then head coach Gary Kubiak to laugh the night before the Super Bowl. And, yes, Fr. Rochford SJ did get to travel with the team for Super Bowl 50. But even in San Francisco nothing changed for him or his congregation. “One of the things about this is everybody sits in the same seat every time. Football players are like creatures of habit you know,” Fr. Rochford SJ says, “And so everyday Kubiak was always in a back corner and Pug sat there and Chris, you know, I knew exactly where everybody was going to sit.” For these men, it’s more than just a chance to pray. It’s their opportunity to live their faith through their profession, and take a break from all hectic clamor before the game. In those 23 minutes they remember who they are and Whose they are.

Pennie of Our

By: Matthew Bo

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No Ph Disple “World

By: Hannah Sm

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Pennies, The Scourge of Our Age? By: Matthew Bornhorst ‘19

Pennies, you probably pick them up off the ground for “good luck”, but when was the last time you paid for something with pennies? Probably never, because carrying around enough pennies to buy even just a candy bar would weigh over half a pound. Moreover, pennies cost around 20% more (1.23 cents per penny) to produce than they’re worth. With the number of pennies lost or discarded, the mint also has to keep producing them at these insane costs, losing the government $46 million per year. Studies have also shown that dealing with pennies adds 2-2.5 seconds per exchange adding up to almost 60 million man-hours wasted per year dealing with this change. So why then are pennies not eliminated? Many supporters of pennies claim that either it would decrease donations from coin collectors, think Salvation Army collections, or that pennies have too large a sentimental value. To the first, many other countries-- Canada, New Zealand, and Australia-- have gotten rid of pennies, with no effects to donations. It has increased productivity in fact, as people are more likely to use coinage if they don’t have to deal with pennies. In addition, this is an issue that runs deeper than mere sentiments. I find that this topic has more to do with how our government deals with issues than this issue itself. Coinage reform is a simple, effective, and clear way to improve efficiency in the government; it is bipartisan and would not play on political tensions, yet it is rarely brought up on a docket to receive a vote. This is not a singular story either, for issues like transportation, postal or prison reform, the solutions are clear and simple. They would have measurable increases to both our economy and quality of life, yet they are disregarded as unimportant.

No Phrase is More Displeasing to Me than “World Peace” By: Hannah Smith ‘20

I desire experiences of internal and external harmony for all living beings, but not when it’s just a cliche as in a beauty pageant. The Oxford English Dictionary defines peace as, “Freedom from disturbance; calm and tranquility.” This is where the canker gnaws, because to me, the opposite of war is not peace, but creation. If we focus only on the light at the end of the tunnel without taking into consideration the tracks beneath our feet, we are liable to slip and fall, preventing us from reaching our destination. When confronted by a problem, one must create a solution rather than just an end to the issue. In order to clarify and protect the rights of its citizens, America’s founding fathers created the United States Constitution. President John F. Kennedy created the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to aid the movement towards equality for men and women of all races, creeds, and colors. Woodrow

Op-Ed Wilson helped create the League of Nations, which would inspire the United Nations, to bring our world a bit closer together. The only way to truly end a war is through the creation of something, not simply the end of something else. “World peace” is a vague concept, while “world creation” is a vocation. It serves as a call to action and is easily conceptualized. It is a necessary, though often overlooked, stepping stone on the path to achieving the harmony God desires for us.

Review: “I Was Almost A School Shooter” TED Talk

By: Zack Newkirk ‘22

Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. Empathy is something we can all get better at. Whether that means trying to see someone’s background or reaching out to let them know that they are loved. The truth is, empathy is a rare thing in the world today, the result of which being a severe outbreak of violent acts. Acts that are a call to the world for change. Most people hardly acknowledge a call for something to change. A change that would result in a community where everyone loves everyone. There are already small communities like this, such as Regis Jesuit, where we strive to love everyone. Some acts that have been committed due to lack of empathy have hit close to home for Coloradans. In 1999 the Columbine shooting seemed to change security within schools, but did it really change how the people inside schools interact with each other? Aaron Stark, who attended Denver North High School in 1996, tells a powerful story of his childhood and what drove him to the point of almost becoming a school shooter. Stark was surrounded by drugs, hatred, and isolation throughout his childhood, so these were the only things he ever knew. He shares his feelings in a very powerful TED Talk called “I Was Almost A School Shooter”, that brings him to tears. Stark lived a troubled life at home, movingaround a lot due to the fact that his parents were always running from the law, and his parents constantly telling him he was worthless. At one point, Stark even called social services but, his parents were experienced in dealing with the government and easily blew smoke in order to avoid the situation. In the car ride home, his mom told him, “Next time you should do a better job and I’ll buy you the razor blades.” This comment, that his mom made, is indicative of what he had to come home to for years. It saddened him to his core and left him more devastated than he had ever been before. Unfortunately, it wasn’t any better for him at school. Stark was constantly bullied by his fellow classmates for his obesity and never settling down at one school. “If someone tells you you’re worthless enough, you will believe it,” Stark said in his TED Talk. With all these people telling him this, he finally snapped. He later says that he had everything set in place, including a gun, and was planning on shooting up his school or a mall’s food court. What changed his life was when his only friend brought him over to his house and fed him dinner. “He treated me like a normal human being, which was something I don’t think I’d ever felt in my life,” Stark said. For someone like Aaron Stark, who had never been loved in his life and was surrounded by drugs, hatred, and isolation, a friend made the biggest difference in his life and prevented a horrific act. While it does not just fall on the kids at school to treat people right, reaching out to people, or any simple gesture, can make a great difference, especially when that person has never known what it is like to be cared about. As students and adults at Regis Jesuit we should strive to be like Aaron’s friend, remembering that we never know what someone is going through reaching out to others to show them love.

COMMENTARY CONTEST

Submit original op-ed commentary to rjmedia@regisjesuit.com

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Why

Staff Editorial

America Needs Journalists

By: The Elevate Magazine Staff

The number of students choosing to major in journalism is booming. Take Northwestern’s Graduate School of Journalism for example, enrollment has risen about 24 percent this year. Why? Because real journalism isn’t boring, old-fashioned, or fading. Journalism is the sports broadcaster you see on ESPN, the undercover reporter in war-torn countries, the photographer traveling the world to capture true human experiences. Since the first newspaper printed in America, in 1690, journalism has exposed injustices and kept people informed around the globe. It has changed our world for the better, leaning on its backbone - the journalist. In 2018, journalists work with a wide variety of media— podcasts, newspapers, magazines, social media features, and news shows. Some people may think that print is dead and that journalism is a dying art, yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. With so many outlets and avenues in the digital age, the 24 hour news cycle can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know who to trust, what to believe, what really is “fake news.” Modern day journalism too often focuses on the monetary model: resorting to sensational or biased news to get clicks, likes, and views. America needs good journalists and developed, well-researched stories now more than ever. The focus on outrageous headlines and political slander needs to stop. Americans need to be informed on divisive political issues, so we can make the right choice when it’s election time. America needs journalism to combat the bigotry, prejudice, and social injustices that continue to plague our country, as well as to combat the misleading and fake stories seen across all forms of media Journalists advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves in our communities, our country, and worldwide. Journalists exposed sexual misconduct by influential men from Harvey Weinstein to Roy Moore. Journalists provided platforms for victims to speak out in the the #MeToo movement and expose the predators through investigative journalism. The movement was

driven by social media, with over 32,000 replies to the original tweet in only 24 hours. Countless journalists—Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, Rowan Farrow, Oliver Darcy, among others— investigated and worked to prove and report the stories of the victims. The movement was plastered across the covers of many magazines. Time’s cover story was titled “The Silence Breakers”. Journalists interviewed dozens of men and women over the course of six weeks, and the magazine named those interviewed in the piece as its Person of the Year for 2017. Journalists’ dedication to dive into the sexual assault allegations against powerful people ultimately led to an environment where survivors were encouraged to share their stories. Investigative journalism revealed the reality of the immigration crisis. Journalists published content exposing the harsh conditions and personal stories of immigrants in desert detention camps, especially children separated from their parents, to the public. Their determination has inspired activism and change across America. Often times, commentators or analysts who call themselves journalists fail the public. Good Journalists operate under the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. The foundational principles of the code of ethics are seeking truth and reporting it, minimizing harm, acting independently, and being accountable and transparent. Real journalists cover important issues while respecting the people involved and searching for truth. America needs more journalists who upload these principals. Henry Luce, a reporter who launched Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated magazines, remarked, “I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world.” No matter what the issue, big changes happen when journalists come together and work hard. Regis Jesuit has a team of journalists working diligently to release publications to keep the student body informed. RJ Media publishes Elevate Magazine (both online and print), weekly episodes of RJTV, Raider Sports Network broadcasts, podcasts, and RJ Radio. We cover important events at Regis Jesuit, keep you updated on your Raider sports teams, and dive into students’ personal stories. We are not perfect. We miss things. Sometimes we make mistakes, but we promise to strive for good journalism. We always do our best, and we need your help. If you are interested in helping out with RJ Media and exploring an interest in journalism, there are two ways to get involved. You can sign up to take one of the journalism classes and explore media, ethics, and publication. As an alternative, you can join the club and jump right in. We meet Mondays at Academic Support. You can find us on Instagram @rj_media, Snapchat @raidersportsnet, and Twitter @RJ_Media. Reach out to the staff members, or email us at rjmedia@regisjesuit.com.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The Frist Amendment

OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, IDEAS?

COME AND SEE US IN THE RJ MEDIA LAB! OR EMAIL

Elevate 4.1

RJMEDIA@REGISJESUIT.COM

R

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Op-Ed

Really President Trump? Really Jim Acosta?

By: Alex Zoellner ‘19 On November 7th, 2018 President Trump held a press conference about the midterms. Naturally, attending the press conference was CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta. As expected, Acosta lead with a tough but very legitimate question. That question being; “why did you label the caravan as an invasion and do you believe that you demonized immigrants in this election?” His question came on the heels of a President Trump-sponsored campaign advertisement being pulled from NBC and Fox News because it contained a lie and exploited racism and xenophobia. Trump’s response, interrupting Acosta, was that it was simply a difference of opinion and that if those within the caravan wanted to enter into the U.S., they would need to come in legally. Trump’s response was swiftly followed by Acosta refusing to relinquish the microphone and badgering Trump with further questioning. When a female intern attempted to take the mic from Acosta he refused, but never laid his hands on the intern. Just a few hours later Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement that Acosta’s media hard pass would be revoked “until further notice.” As such, when Acosta attempted to enter the White House on Thursday, he was denied access, leading to both a comment and video being posted on Twitter. Acosta’s tweet was soon succeeded by Sarah Sanders posting a doctored video of Acosta’s interaction with the intern on Twitter. This was done in an attempt to claim justification for the White House’s actions. The claim the administration made was that it “will never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young intern.” Let me start off by saying that no key players in this debacle are innocent, not Trump, and not Acosta. Acosta has a very extensive and contentious background with Trump. In a democracy and a land with freedom of the press, as many political positions as possible should be heard via media. To this point, Acosta has just been doing his job, garnering praise from many of his peers. But, that doesn’t mean that you can abandon professionalism. To that end, the way in which he took up everyone else’s time and carried himself was distinctly unprofessional. However, it was by no means illegal and was absolutely within the confines of the First Amendment and his role as a reporter. Badgering someone with tough questions is a part of journalism. Sometimes, one must play a little rough in the pursuit of journalism. That’s just how it is. The President, however, has very little to no say as to whom is allowed to interview him, what questions they ask, or how many questions they ask. Sometimes, you just gotta suck it up and answer some questions. That is professionalism. And Trump most certainly didn’t do that. It is equally as unprofessional to call someone a “terrible person” on the stand during a presidential press conference as to not relinquish the microphone, at said press conference. That is not how a professional acts, and that is especially not how the president should act. Furthermore, no one can suspend a press pass without a legitimate cause for doing so. If you could do that, then you would be opening the door for interviewees to choose their interviewers. That doesn’t sound like a free press to me. Acosta’s pass was reinstated. To make matters worse, the video of Acosta’s interaction with the intern, posted on Twitter by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is clearly doctored. Infowars — which is where the doctored video originates — clearly altered the speed of Acosta’s arm and added special effects like zooming in and slowing down. This, of course, has been confirmed by multiple video analysts such as Tom Albright — the research director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University — and Shane Raymond of Storyful — a social-media intelligence firm that verifies media content. In addition, witnesses within the room — and most people who have seen the video — have attested to the falsehood of Sarah Sander’s claims that Acosta laid his hands on the female intern. Ultimately, while Acosta was impeccably unprofessional, he was doing his job. President Trump and his administration acted dangerously, irresponsibly, and lied. Everyone is guilty of something.

E-cigarette companies are scamming kids, and it’s working By: Gwenyth Thebald ‘22 For about five years, vaping has been used to get adults off smoking and is seen by teens as a “healthier” alternative. Now, a new and more sleek and subtle version of the vape called the Juul is becoming more and more popular for underage consumers. Flavors like fruit medley or mango are specifically targeted to teens. Although Juul claims that their market is strictly 21 and older, juuling in schools is still largely prevalent. One pod — or 200 puffs — is actually worth one pack of cigarettes. Each pod contains 59 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter of liquid, which is three times the amount of nicotine permitted in the European Union. Juul vaporized a liquid that contains nicotine salts which make the nicotine absorb into the body as fast as regular cigarettes. The nicotine salts hurt less than cigarette smoke and transfer more smoothly into the body than the average cigarette. The comfort and ease of using the Juul over a cigarette is especially appealing to teens. Many teens have become physically dependent on nicotine and have begun to use Juul compulsively. But, although students continue to learn about the consequences of juuling, they continue to use the Juul as a trendy pass time. The reason? Marketing. Juul continues to send out warnings on their website about the age limit being 21 or over. Although they continue to send out these warnings, they continue to use marketing techniques that appeal to a younger audience. In fact, The Washington Post reports that “The sales campaigns for Juuls — now hugely popular with teenagers across the nation — are at the heart of a federal investigation…”. The investigation is over whether Juul’s marketing lures a younger audience into using their product. The FDA has “put their foot down” on e-cigarette companies, specifically Juul. Last April, the FDA has begun a Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan to make e-cigarette products less accessible to teens. eBay has even begun to ban these products being sold on their website, in hopes of not selling to any underage consumers. Dr. Gottlieb, the FDA Commissioner, offered e-cigarette companies a five-year extension that allowed them to prove that e-cigarettes are truly better for you then the traditional cigarette. Although Gottlieb allowed the e-cigarette companies a chance to prove themselves, they claimed that these regulations would not allow them to introduce new products that would help get adults off smoking. The Juul pod flavors are the most well known marketing technique. Flavors that resemble bubblegum or well-known candies lure teens into wanting to try the wide range of flavors. The Juul flavors combined with the young-looking marketing adverts in magazines and online point to a disturbing truth of the people that are behind these companies, and what is to come for youth in the future.

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WE ARE REGIS JESUIT DAILY MASS LUNCHTIME M-Th ROTATES CHAPELS

FRIDAY MORNING MASS BD CHAPEL & FIRST FRIDAY OF MONTH COMMUNITY MASS IN GD CHAPEL

PRAYER JOURNEY

OM

& RECONCILIATION TALK TO ONE OF YOUR JESUITS

Elevate 4.1

Vol. 2 Iss. 1

REGIS COOKI HANDS

Story by Ale

“I just don’t g mick. After m finally reachin this. This is re It’s Jesuit student front doors fo young men an dreams which academic sup the sudden dis Cookies. In th Students stepp indefinitely. “W ies I didn’t kn was in a hope ness and stuff Tellers. “I jus the school kno have such an i snack.” Wh quietly, they a partnered wit Rehabilitation to help studen cookie addict The Junior cla preserve the m that some day support and th outdated phra sense of Regis class doesn’t u about as a ma Otis Spunkme


The REGIS RABBLE Vol. 2 Iss. 1

THE WORLD’S ONLY NEWSPAPER

REGIS JESUIT STUDENTS STRUGGLE AFTER COOKIES ARE RIPPED FROM THEIR ENTITLED HANDS Story by Alex Britti

“I just don’t get it!” says senior Cormac McCormick. After months of struggle McCormick is finally reaching for help. “I just can’t go on like this. This is reaching crisis levels, man.” It’s been almost 3 months since Regis Jesuit students of all walks of life walked in the front doors for their first day of school. All these young men and women were full of hopes and dreams which were promptly crushed during academic support where they were faced with the sudden disappearance of Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies. In the face of uncertainty Regis Jesuit Students stepped up and allowed panic to ensue indefinitely. “When I quit Otis Spunkmeyer cookies I didn’t know where to go. I felt lost, like I was in a hopeless ocean of regret and differentness and stuff,” comments senior Jeremey Tellers. “I just never thought that Regis, the school known solely for it’s cookies, would have such an identity crisis over it’s favorite snack.” While many students are struggling quietly, they are not unheard. Administration has partnered with TCTRGWCA (The Cookie Time Rehabilitation Group Without a Cool Acronym) to help students in their personal battles with cookie addiction and the long road to sobriety. The Junior class has also stepped up to help preserve the memory of cookie time, fearing that some day it will be known only as academic support and the name cookie time will be a long outdated phrase only used by those with some sense of Regis culture. Meanwhile the freshman class doesn’t understand what the big fuss is all about as a majority of them have never tasted an Otis Spunkmeyer cookies in their lives.

PRICE 2 RUBLES.

Oct. 30, 2018

BRING BACK JORTS YOU COWARDS!

Story by Jort Historian Harper Johnson

The jort. The ultimate hybrid. The pinnacle of human achievement. More world defining than the splitting of the atom. The “jean-short,” or jort as those of us in inteligencia know it, is the giant step that Neil Armstrong was talking about. Normally, one would say that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, but seeing as jorts have been around longer, sliced bread is the greatest thing since them. Put simply, the jort is the magnum opus of leg apparel and anybody, and I mean ANYBODY, who thinks otherwise

has either been living under a rock or are just afraid of the sheer-awe inspiring genius of jorts. Some less informed readers may be at a loss on the history of the king of clothes, well wonder no more. Invented in 1904 when inventor and all around well-dressed dude, Sir Reginald P. Jort wanted to have a pair of short trousers that in which he could, “Party like it’s gosh-darn 1899.” The result came when, after months of R&D, our good buddy Reginald, aka: Bob The Builder But From Belgrade, cut the bottom half of his pair of Levi jeans off. What was produced was an article of clothing that was functional, comfortable, and stylish (See JORTS on A4 for more).

THE FRESHMEN HAVE STARTED A REFORMATION; DO WE EVEN CARE? Story Reported by Abby Mortinsen

The freshman class has begun to separate from the Catholic Church. After too much Church education in the first few weeks of the school year, the students have realized that this was a mistake. In order to avoid learning about the Seven Sacraments for the rest of the year, freshmen have decided to form a new Protestant church. The new “church” will include Three Sacraments. Two of these will be classics for Protestant Churches, Baptism and Communion. The third will be G.O.N.E. F.I.S.H.I.N.G. (Going to Every School Function and Being Awkward and Confused). It’s very important to them. This new church will be called the Church of 2022, and part of their dogma includes the world ending on January 1, 2023. The senior class is very frustrated with the freshmen as they have been through much more theological education and feel the freshmen should be able to handle the Seven Sacraments. Alex Britti, Class of 2019, says, “It’s only seven, dude. You can count them on your fingers. Like, is it that hard?” The freshmen have responded by saying one can count to three on one hand. Miranda Clock stated, “It’s just simpler.” Meanwhile the juniors are going through the several existential crises caused by junior theology. They are relatively indifferent to the situation. The sophomores, consumed with their reading of Genesis, are also indifferent to the situation. Overall, nobody really cares.

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