Boba Stores with Parking Lots

By Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

Let’s picture this. The car windows are down and the speakers are turned up as you drive into downtown Denver. You’re elated because you found a five dollar bill in your desk after cleaning up earlier and, combined with the pile of change that’s been piling up in your car’s cup holder, you have seven dollars to spend on a cup of boba. Your friend told you about the cutest new boba place that just opened up, and you’ve decided that you absolutely must go. 

But there’s no parking lot. 

You circle around the block, eyes peeled for any open spot next to the curb, trying not to think about the impending humiliation of attempting to parallel park. You could try heading into a parking garage, but with only seven dollars in your pocket, you wouldn’t even be able to afford being in there for an hour, much less buy boba on top of that.

To remedy that, here’s a list of the top places around Denver that spare you from that parking pain.

Read More

A Review of RedHanded’s Emptyhanded Tour with Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire

By Austin Price, Staff Writer

The lights begin to dim, and the iconic picture of podcast hosts and true-crime enthusiasts Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire light up the back wall of the stage. The classic podcast intro music aptly titled “Scary Murder #3” starts to play. The crowd erupts into cheers and applause. True crime fans and their novice significant others recognize the significance of this moment. This is RedHanded. A true-crime podcast. 

Read More

Perspectives of Black Students at Regis University

By Paige Robinson, Staff Photographer

During Black History Month 2023, I was curious to hear different perspectives from other Black students than myself to engage in their different stories, experiences, advice, and more. Along with me wanting to hear from my peers, I also wanted others to listen and understand what life might be like for a Black student, especially attending a PWI (predominantly white institution). Some responses may be what some expect, while other responses may come as a shock. Many times, Black voices are silenced so people can avoid hearing the hard truth about our lives and our history. I want to put an end to that, and I really hope people can truly feel for the Black students. The responses to the questions below will reflect how each student differs, but also connect. Other fellow Black students can also read this and know they are not alone. This is for those to understand the realities of the minority community, the good and bad.

Read More

The Art of Protest: An American Perspective on the French Retirement Strikes

The whole debacle started with a proposal by French left-wing president Emmanuel Macron to raise the age required to receive government retirement pension from 62 to 64. Given that you need to be 67 to receive your full social security pension in the United States, I was shocked to hear that this was even an issue. Now I am by no means a French legal expert, so I cannot speak much in depth of the debate on this issue. However, while retirement at 62 seems fanciful to me, I too would be furious if I had been promised it and then the president (who is quite wealthy) proposed taking it from me. 

This was the general reaction of the French public, and they expressed their anger in the way that they knew best: strikes. However, French strikes are not quite the same as those seen in America. They are typically the first step of a bargaining process, rather than a last resort. Whereas American unions tend to hold out on declaring a strike in hopes that an agreement will be reached, the French public start with strikes, almost as a reminder to the government or powerful company that they are the ones who truly hold the power, often before negotiations are made. Thus, the moment the retirement reform was proposed, the French had taken to the streets in protest in Paris. This mass public movement overtook the entirety of France, and by January 19, a national strike was declared. Not a single tram was running in the city of Montpellier where I live. Few buses were running and most businesses were closed. 

Another difference between French and American strikes that typically occur, is that French strikes have a declared end date. Whatever unions involved will declare a strike for a 24 or 72-hour period, and then business will resume as normal. This was the case at the beginning of the strikes. After a total shutdown on Thursday, everything was back up and running on Friday. However, the reason most strikes in France last a brief predetermined time is because they remind those in power of their place (in service of the people) and lead to successful bargaining and resolution. However, in this case, the French government did not stand down. Thus, another strike was announced the following week, and then the next, but the French government did not stand down, so the protests intensified.

Read More

Timeless or Touristy?: What to do (and What to Skip) on a Winter Trip to Switzerland

By Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer

Switzerland is said to have invented the concept of winter tourism. It is the place to go in Europe for folks looking for a ski vacation or a cozy winter get-together. But there’s much to see beyond the slopes, which is what drew my father and me to this destination during my mid-semester break at the end of February.

Before I get into this article, let me make it abundantly clear that Switzerland is not a trip for everyone, especially in the winter. In the other places I’ve written about, there are things that could appeal to a huge genre of people. However, many of Switzerland’s largest tourist drives, such as the Matterhorn mountain, Aletsch glacier, and funicular railways have limited access during the winter or are closed entirely. That being said, it is the go-to in terms of winter sports getaways in Europe and also boasts a number of winter-friendly tourist attractions including museums, castles, and historic rail lines. If you are a ski buff, or if you are like me and my father (read: obsessed with trains, boats, and ruins), Switzerland is definitely the place for you, though there may be some benefit to going in the spring or summer if you are a part of the latter group. 

One more quick disclaimer before we dive into it: be aware that Switzerland is one of the most expensive places to travel in Europe, as it is not a part of the EU, and thus is in a much different place economically than member countries. Be sure you look into this before you go on a trip and make sure you budget accordingly because it’s one thing to hear about it and another thing entirely when the cheapest meal you can find is a 16 CHF burger (roughly $17). 

With that out of the way, let’s get into the trip. My father and I spent a week traveling throughout Switzerland, visiting the cities of Montreux, Gruyère, Interlaken/Brig, Chur, St. Moritz, and Geneva. While it was initially in our plans to visit the Matterhorn in Zermatt as well as the Aletsch glacier, we, unfortunately, ran afoul in terms of weather, making neither of these locations worth the trip in terms of both visibility and activity closures.

Read More