Hip Hop Event

Photo Source // Amy Reglin

By: Rose Ferrie, Staff Reporter

Last Wednesday, there was a little gathering in Regis 333 where people mingled, artists performed, and students got to learn a little something about Hip Hop. The performer Donny Blot (@donnyblot) had such a lovely presence and students appreciated him for sharing his talent. 

After that, students were invited to walk around the room where they could learn about generations of Hip Hop and the artists that made the genre what it is. Artists like Snoop Dogg, Tupak Shakur, Nipsey Hussle, Lauren Hill, Missy Elliot, TLC, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Slim Shady, Kid Cudi, Mac Miller, Donal Glover, Kendrick Lamar, and more were included. 

Their lyrics and biographies were also exhibited, showing their lyrical gifts and enlightening people to their beautiful music.

Regis Welcomes Poet Andrea Gibson

Photo Source // Amy Reglin

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

The Women’s and Gender Studies Department invited Andrea Gibson, a renowned queer poet that calls Boulder, CO home, to perform on campus on April 4, 2019. Their performance started at 8:00 pm in the Calver Recital Hall. Tickets were free for members of the Regis community.

Professor Alyse Knorr and junior Sam Yarnell provided the introduction and opening remarks for the event. They are both excellent poets themselves. Together, they welcomed Andrea Gibson to the stage for a powerful evening of vulnerability and beauty.

Gibson’s poems tackled issues such as the struggles that the LGBTQ community faces in today’s society, misogyny, and gun violence. Their poems especially focused on self-love regardless of who you love or what your identity is. A few of the poems that the audience was privileged to hear were “Your Life,” “First Love,” “Boomerang Valentine,” and “Living Proof.” Many of their poems were performed with musical accompaniment.

In between poems, Gibson revealed that one of their contemporaries once performed only poems focused on social justice issues even though the audience requested love poems. The other poet inspired Gibson, but then Gibson realized that their love poems are making a political statement. They then proceeded to perform a poem about one of their past loves and it was a heartbreakingly powerful moment.

At another point in the evening, Gibson said that they had once been told that “Self-hate is a way of trying to see the world as a safe, beautiful place.” They explained that when we experience awful things that are out of our control, we tend to blame ourselves in order to regain a sense of control. Gibson also told the audience that “the only thing you can control is where you put your attention.” Their overall message seemed to be to put your attention on making the world a safer, more beautiful place and on embracing who you are.   
Gibson’s openness and passionate performance created an atmosphere of acceptance. Regis was lucky to have them come to campus to share their story. If you would like to read some of their poetry, check out their latest book called The Lord of the Butterflies.

V-Day

Photo Source// Emily Lovell

By Emily Lovell, Associate Editor

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls. Regis University celebrated its 5th annual V-Day event on February 28, 2019 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. in the St. John Francis Regis Chapel. Admittance was only $2 and all proceeds were donated to The Empowerment Program, an organization that “provides education, employment assistance, health, housing referrals, and support services for women who are in disadvantaged positions due to incarceration, poverty, homelessness, HIV/AIDS infection, and/or involvement in the criminal justice system.”

All attendees were invited to bring toiletry items which would be donated to The Gathering Place, “Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women, children, and transgender individuals who are experiencing poverty or homelessness.” The items were also used to vote on art created by Regis students for the event. Desserts were served during a short intermission in which the winner of the art contest was announced.

Chris Pramuk, the Chair in Ignatian Thought, gave the opening remarks about how spirituality and sexuality are often placed in separate spheres but argued that sexuality is intertwined with spirituality. Therefore, he found it fitting that the event was taking place in the chapel (In previous years, it has been in the Mountain View Room).

Then, several Regis students performed powerful pieces of poetry, creative writing, and music. Some of the works were original, and others were written by the likes of Eve Ensler, whose poems “My Angry Vagina,” “Fur is Back,” and “My Revolution Begins in the Body” were featured. In fact, Ensler created V-Day in 1998 and is most well-known for her play The Vagina Monologues.

Alison McCarthy, the Assistant Director Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, concluded the event by thanking everyone who participated and reminded students of the resources available to them. Overall, it was a powerful evening full of thought-provoking art.

A Spectacular Snow Ball

Snowball 2018 at the Denver Broncos Mile High Stadium //Tyler Delgado

By: Emily Lovell, Beat Editor

Snow Ball, Regis’ annual winter formal, was held at Mile High Stadium on Friday November 16 this year. Tickets could be picked up in the Student Center throughout the week and were $7 a piece and $10 for a pair. Guests rode charter busses from Clarke Hall to the event and stopped at a coat check before entering the East Club Lounge. 

The theme was “Snowed in at Mile High” and the decorations were appropriate. Snow-covered Christmas trees in glass bottles topped the tables added to the venue’s winter wonderland ambiance. Hors d’oeuvres such as macaroons, raspberry oat bars, and cheese plates were provided along with ice water. A beer garden was available for twenty-one year olds and up, and unlike previous years, cocktails were also available. Each guest could buy a maximum of three drinks. Cozy tables and chairs in the bar area were situated around a fireplace creating a great place to chat with friends and enjoy the evening. 

The music ranged from classics like “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees to “Idol” by k-pop band BTS. Aside from dancing the night away on the dance floor, guests could capture the night’s memories through a photo booth and a caricature artist. If you worked up a sweat on the dance floor, or just wanted a breath of fresh air, you could go outside and sit in stadium seats overlooking the Broncos football field. 

Students generally seemed to think that this year’s Snow Ball exceeded last year’s due to its spaciousness, added activities, and awesome venue. The fairytale-like evening commenced at nine o’clock and ended at midnight. What a fantastic way to end the week!