VOLUME 27 ISSUE 1
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
DON’T READ THIS
How one Regis professor, determined to teach banned books, shaped a generation. 16
COLLECTION OF CROSSES
Distinct depictions of an iconic image. 20
ANARCHIST AND ARTIST REGIS.EDU
Chris Steele’s fight to be heard. 24
Regis students explore the Black Canyon on the Colorado River over spring break with the Outdoor Adventure Program.
IN THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E S
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 1
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
Regis University Magazine is published biannually by the Office of Marketing and Communications for the University community of alumni, benefactors, faculty, staff, students and families. ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Todd Cohen EDITOR Luke Graham, ACB ’19 EDITORIAL STAFF Lou Britt Jennifer Forker Wendi Hansen Angela Jackson
REMEMBERING “DIRTY BOOKS BOYLE” B y Je n n i f e r Fo rk e r The Rev. Robert R. Boyle, S.J., used dangerous books to open young minds.
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STANDING BENEATH THE CROSS 20 By Luke Graham More than 40 crosses hang in the office of the Rev. Kevin Burke, S.J. Each has a journey and a story. THE ARTIST AND THE ANARCHIST 24 By Luke Graham That grittiness of growing up in the Regis neighborhood never left Chris Steele. Now the rapper, writer, professor and researcher is using that to do amazing things.
DESIGN STAFF Trisha Himmler, ACB ’19 Marcus Knodle PHOTOGRAPHER Brett Stakelin, RC ’10 CONTRIBUTORS L.A. Vandewart ON THE COVER: The James Joyce statue on the Regis University campus commissioned in 1999. Regis University is proud to support a more sustainable environment by printing this publication on recycled paper certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Email: editor@regis.edu Mail: Regis University Magazine, L-27 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver CO 80221-1099
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Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
IN EVERY ISSUE THIS IS REGIS 06 These are the stories of who we are and what we stand for. CLASS NOTES 29 Who got a new job? Who published a book? Catch up on your classmates’ lives.
Chris Steele is making a difference in his own way. FULL STORY, PAGE 24 REGIS.EDU
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEAR FRIENDS, Poet Wendell Berry wrote that the university is where humanity is made. By that he means that the university is the place where we learn to think, to love and to be human. It also is where the faithful and the secular can share the same room, the same sacred conversation and their deeply personal truths. I was reminded of that this year when I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel with leaders of Muslim, Jewish and Christian universities. We were tasked with addressing the value of a faith-based education. Like our peers in higher education across the country, faith-based schools face economic and demographic challenges. We also feel the pressure to change and engage with an evolving, increasingly secular society. We are proud to be Catholic. We articulate a faith and provide a space for the faith that is respectful. That is the Jesuit way. We are constantly asking our curious students who are striving to find their place in the world to first look around and see if they can find a place for God on their journey. The overwhelming benefit of doing that at a faith-based institution is we don’t cut faith from the public conversation. Too many times in all aspects of life, that is the case. If we don’t bring faith into the conversation, the deepest part of what makes us human isn’t included. What a faith-based education does is turn humans from egoism to kinship. That is part of what makes our campus, and our culture, so unique. We’re a collection of deep thinkers, asking our students to do the same. Historically, it’s what our Catholic faith has asked us to do. The Catholic Intellectual Tradition is the richest, deepest and longest tradition of thought in the West. We understand that not all our students will include Catholicism in their lives moving forward. For some, we are the last touch point of religion they will have. But our goal, as a university, is to prepare them to not only discern “How ought we to live?” but how God is always present to help provide an answer. Gratefully,
John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J. President
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Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
IN BRIEF
A SPRING THING The University will only hold commencement in May. Citing a lack of a permanent space and wanting to have the event on campus, December’s commencement has been eliminated.
LUCKY NO. 13 David Hicks, the co-director of the MileHigh MFA program, was named Regis’ 13th Fulbright Scholar. He will teach at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic starting in January.
A PH.D. IN DUNKING Julius “Dr. J” Erving, below right, wowed the crowd with stories of his career at the PorterBillups Leadership Academy Gala in January.
MORE THAN A FACELIFT DeSmet Residence Hall will receive a $21 million makeover to be completed by July 2020. It will add 104 beds, four lounges and three classrooms.
MOVING ON UP Regis jumped a grouping in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The University joined the prestigious ranks of Gonzaga, Creighton and the University of San Francisco in the Doctoral and Professional Universities category.
LATINOS AT THE TABLE The event drew more than 200 people from the community to discuss Latino issues. Gov. Jared Polis joined the inaugural event.
REAL LOCAL FOOD Associate Professor Damien Thompson and Affiliate Faculty member Fatuma Emmad started the nonprofit FrontLine Farming. The organization operates several farms, including Sister Gardens near Regis. To learn more, go to frontlinefarming.org.
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IN BRIEF
Kyleigh Peoples jumps for a ball against the University of Tampa earlier this spring. Regis won the game, 20-19.
THIS IS REGIS
Cheers to
MORE AT WA LK ER’S PUB
THERE’S A WHOLE LOT TO
A ND
HENDRIX LIVE
you back
ON FEB. 14, 1968, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE PLAYED THE REGIS FIELD HOUSE TO A SOLD-OUT CROWD OF 4,700. Tickets were $3. A reviewer from the Rocky Mountain News wrote about the concert: “What it is — whatever it was, it was great!” The 14x20 original poster auctioned off for $4,900 in 2017. Every Hendrix concert was unique. He made this one special with his jams after the first song, an extended jam before Purple Haze and then stretching out Wild Thing at the end. The original recording came from a Vietnam veteran, who returned that day. It can be heard on YouTube by searching “Jimi Hendrix Regis College.” Set List: 1. Tax Free Jam
6. I Don’t Live Today
2. Fire
7. Purple Haze
3. The Wind Cries Mary
8. Band Introductions
4. Foxy Lady
9. Wild Thing
5. Spanish Castle Magic
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PLAY ON CAMPUS? PLEASE LET US KNOW. EMAIL EDITOR@REGIS.EDU.
REGULAR HOURS RESUME IN AUGUST Pub menu every day 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Happy Hour Thursday 4 – 5 p.m. Thrills REGIS.EDU 7 Mon.-Fri. at 9 p.m.
THIS IS REGIS
Tax Tip #701/2 for Giving If you are at least 70½ years old, you may support Regis with a direct gift from your IRA. With a charitable IRA rollover gift: You may make a tax-wise gift even if you do not itemize. You may direct up to $100,000 per year to the charitable organizations you love. Your gifts may help fulfill your required minimum distribution. Your gift will not be considered taxable income. Please consult with your tax or financial advisers to determine the best charitable giving strategies for you.
We can help! Office of Estate and Gift Planning 303.964.5152 or 800.388.2366 ext. 5152 giftplanning@regis.edu
REGIS.EDU/GIFTPLANNING
A LIFE-AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE WHY JESUIT MATTERS, WITH RETIRING PROVOST CHIEF OF STAFF STEVE JACOBS
I
laughed and wept, worshipped and dreamed with.
Thirty years was a long time ago.
As I retire from this gifted place, I leave with one sure belief: Finding God in all things is the universal truth desperately needed in these times. Too many of the world’s religious and civic leaders are losing their way.
CAME TO REGIS UNIVERSITY in 1988 from rural Kenya, where I served as a field officer in the Harvard-affiliated WorldTeach program. When I started at Regis, we scheduled a year of courses using sticky notes on a wall. People were allowed to smoke in their offices. Faculty sold textbooks out of the trunks of their cars for classes at extension campuses, and the fourth floor of Main Hall was condemned.
In employee orientation, the Rev. Michael Sheeran, S.J., said, “From its beginning, Jesuit theology has been world-affirming; we believe God is in ALL things.” I knew I had come to the right place. Over these 30 years at Regis, my experience has not only been world-affirming, but life-affirming. Regis has showered me with abundant gifts from faculty, staff and students. I have deepened spiritually. I have made friends in Jesuit universities around the world. I have had the privilege of reporting to immensely creative leaders: Bill Husson, Allan Service, Pat Ladewig and Janet Houser. I have been inspired by three presidents: the Revs. David Clarke, S.J., Michael Sheeran, S.J., and John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J. Most preciously, I met and married Tina Dowd here. Regis has been more than a job; it has been my beloved community of people with whom I have lived and loved,
If you believe God is in all things, you can never pull the trigger on an enemy, demean an opponent, curse an immigrant, ignore the homeless or build impermeable walls. The grandeur of God’s goodness is everywhere, especially in what only seem unlikely places. I will be forever grateful to the Jesuits for teaching me these things. In farewell to my beloved Regis community, I quote Nobel Peace Prize winner Dag Hammarskjöld: “For all that has been – ‘thank you.’ For all that is to come – ‘yes.’”
THIS IS REGIS
SAY ‘HEY’ TO REGI THE FOX TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS A UNIVERSITY ROOTED IN JESUIT BELIEFS, REGIS HAS ADOPTED A NEW MASCOT. REGI THE RANGER IS A FIRM BELIEVER IN LIGHTHEARTED FUN.
O
UR FOX’S MISSION — which is representative of our Jesuit values — is to welcome everyone and anyone to make Regis their home. We’re excited about adopting this new little creature into our hearts, and we hope you will be too. So, let’s get to know our new mascot better.
UMM ... YOUR TAIL HAS SOMETHING BLACK ON IT. A: Ah ... yes. Not so funny story. I escaped the forest fire that destroyed my home, after single-pawedly saving dozens of my woodland friends, but not before it singed my tail and ears. I found refuge on this campus, and the kind folks here let me stay. I won’t forget that. That kind of generosity is hard to come by these days.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ROAMIN,’ THE PREVIOUS MASCOT? A: Who? Just kidding. My friend Roamin’ got a job at
Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m sorry he left without saying anything. But, you know, he can’t actually say anything, so it should have been expected.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? A: I love laughter. I have more one-liners than there are microbreweries in Denver. This is a pretty serious world with lots of big questions. I’m glad I get to be part of a community that’s willing to ask them. But we also need to remember to laugh. It’s cura personalis — if we don’t take care of ourselves by laughing every now and again, how will we be able to care of others? So watch out! I’m going to sneak-a-laugh if you’re not careful.
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH REGI AND HEAR MORE ABOUT HER STORY AT REGIS.EDU/MASCOT.
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THIS IS REGIS
SHARPENING THE IMAGINATION VETERAN PROFESSOR BRINGS THREE DECADES OF RESEARCH TO THE CLASSROOM
S
URENDRA MAHAPATRO DOESN’T LIKE to talk about
himself much.
Pressed about his recent work, Mahapatro insists folks walk through the Pomponio science building with him. He stops at each student poster on the adjacent walls of the third floor. The research is out of reach of many people’s vocabulary. There is a poster on the reductive detoxification of TNT. Another wall details the model for a possible detoxification of chromium contaminants in water. At each stop, Mahapatro, a professor of organic and inorganic chemistry in Regis College, is downright jovial.
liance to Expand Student Opportunities (WAESO) at Arizona State University. Since 2002, he’s also helped more than 70 undergraduate students secure WAESO stipends. “Teaching is all about sharpening the imagination of students,” Mahapatro said. “I view research not in isolation but as an integral part of my teaching.”
“He asked me if I could include students in my research,” Mahapatro said.
Take Emma Hainstock and Anjelica Bautista. The pair accessed WAESO grants this year and have spent most Saturdays working with Mahapatro to isolate the cytochrome C oxidase enzyme in bovine hearts. The enzyme is critical for breathing. When it’s disrupted, metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological disorders may arise. Isolating it can be expensive and challenging. The students have isolated the active enzyme so future research on it becomes easier.
While at Regis, Mahapatro has secured more than $500,000 for undergraduate student research through a unique partnership he created with the Western Al-
Hainstock landed a graduate research award from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Each poster brings up memories of research projects Mahapatro conducted with students long since graduated. Lots have gone on to pursue graduate degrees. Some, he said proudly, are now doctors. “Regis is a special place,” said Mahapatro, who has spent 30 years as a chemistry professor in Regis College. “Research helps us. It helps us get outside our comfort zones.” When he started at Regis in 1989 the Rev. William T. Miller, S.J., challenged him.
“He opened so many doors for me,” she said. “He makes sure we never underestimate our potential and to always set high goals for the future.” That future will include more research conducted with Regis students. Mahapatro is anticipating the next round of WAESO grants. He also looks forward to meeting the next round of students he sends to graduate school.
THEN AND NOW: WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK IT’S SAFE TO SAY THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, including what
Regis students carried in their backpacks. To get an idea of how much the times have changed (or have, weirdly enough, stayed the same), check out our list of commonly used items from each era.
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Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
THEN NOW
THEN NOW
THEN NOW
RISING STARS
As an intern on the scheduling team for former Gov. John Hickenlooper, she sat in on meetings with the governor and his staff. The position allowed her to apply what she learned in her business law class to real life. At Mayor Michael Hancock’s office, she worked with others who spoke Spanish in the new Neighborhood Engagement Office, which seeks to engage more Latinos in the Denver area. She enjoyed using her Spanish to connect with the community on projects and at events. As a first-generation college student, Martinez knew she couldn’t get to where she wanted to be without an education. Her parents already had drummed it into her head.
ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
“My parents said, ‘We’re not going to be able to leave you anything else but an education. We put you in college and now it’s up to you to take on the opportunities.’”
IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL
M
AGALIA MARTINEZ WAS INTRODUCED TO THE BUSINESS WORLD AT THE AGE OF 14
and hasn’t stopped looking for opportunities to learn since then. In this first position, she filed, scanned and labeled documents at First Bank Holding Company in Denver, where she became an alphabet expert, she joked. The role taught her the big importance of little things.
THEN NOW
“I didn’t take any opportunity for granted,” Martinez said. “It might have seemed like something small, but in the end, it had a big impact on the company. I felt like even the little things I did helped someone else do their job.” Those small things led to bigger things for the Denver native, including paving a pathway to college, where she landed internships at the Colorado governor and Denver mayor’s offices.
THEN NOW
THEN NOW
Martinez’s options include pursuing a role in city politics or community outreach, or seeking a position at Regis. While deciding her future may not be as easy as the ABCs, her optimism is. “We’ll see what other options might come along,” Martinez said. “I’m excited to see what the world has to offer.”
THEN NOW
REGIS.EDU
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THIS IS REGIS
TECHNOLOGY KEEPS ADAPTING. SO SHOULD YOU. We have graduate certificates to keep you at the top of your game in: • • • • • •
Cybersecurity Data Science DevOps Full Stack+ Software Engineering And more
ARCHIVISTS CALL IT A CAREER
I
N 1995, ELIZABETH COOK PLACED AN AD in a San Francisco
Unlike bootcamp programs, Regis certificate courses are credit-bearing so you can apply them toward a degree program when you’re ready. Accelerated, online, evening and 16 week formats available.
Visit
regis.edu to learn more. 12
CAPTURING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Regis University is regionally accredited
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE by the Higher Learning Commission.
paper, looking for work and offering to process and arrange papers. The next day she found herself in a warehouse filled with fan mail and artifacts from the Allman Brothers Band. She discovered she really enjoyed reading other people’s mail as she sifted through mountains of proposition-filled love letters. “I thought, ‘How exhausting. How did they have time to sing?’” Cook said. “And that’s how I began as an archivist.” For the past 18 years, Elizabeth Cook and her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Cook, have served as archivists and special collections coordinators at Dayton Memorial Library. In May the couple retired to Southwest Colorado. Elizabeth Cook started at Regis in 2001. Jerry Cook was pulled back into the workforce in 2007 by the enticement of cataloging the newly acquired collection of Vice Adm. Richard H. Truly, formerly NASA’s administrator for Space Flight. A major contributor to NASA’s Return to Flight program after the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger,
THIS IS REGIS
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THINGS: MOST INTERESTING CLASSES AT REGIS
1 BRAIN POWER
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET THE CHANCE TO PERFORM BRAIN
A requirement for all neuroscience students, and the only class of its kind in the country, Advanced Neuroscience Methods allows students to discover what makes animals - and us - think and do the things we do.
SURGERY ON RODENTS?
2 COLORADO ROCKS
the collection includes Truly’s personal papers, communications and art pieces. Some of the art is showcased in the Felix Pomponio Family Science Center. “Truly’s favorite piece is the first memo that he published on how [NASA] was going to proceed with their plan for returning the space shuttle to flight,” Jerry Cook said. With two decades combined at Regis, the Cooks have helped create a place of warmth and knowledge within the Dayton Memorial Library Archives. The archives began as dust-covered piles of boxes on the dirt floor of Main Hall, filled with administrative charters. They have developed into a place where history comes alive in order to engage and enlighten visitors and scholars alike.
There is much here to behold and study: African artifacts, the Notarianni U.S. presidential campaign collection, Edward S. Curtis’ “The North American Indian” collection, and an assemblage of composer and recorder pioneer Erich Katz’s writings and music. These collections, and more, help enrich the Regis curriculum. “Having a broader picture of how you can interact with the world is something I think Regis does very well,” Elizabeth Cook said. “One of the things I’ve felt was the most distinguished about Regis is being able to be a part of this community and the emphasis of services to others.”
WHO’S READY FOR A ROAD TRIP? In Regis’ Geology of Colorado course, students travel across the state studying the beautiful and varying landscapes of Colorado.
3 ORGANIZED CHAOS
MATH AND PHILOSOPHY AREN’T NECESSARILY TWO SUBJECTS
THAT GO TOGETHER, but in Regis’ Chaos and Order course, students use both courses to challenge their traditional beliefs about science.
4 MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO
TREKKING THROUGH THE JUNGLE IN THE RAIN-
FORESTS OF COSTA RICA, students study monkeys in their natural environment. The Costa Rica Primate Behavior program highlights the conservation threats that rainforests face and helps students understand the complexity of these issues.
5 SOCIAL NETWORK
EVER WONDER HOW (AND WHY) WE CREATE AND MAINTAIN THE
STRONG SOCIAL NETWORK CONNECTIONS THAT WE DO? Our Networked Lives class examines the physiological and psychological implications of, and differences between, our online vs. offline personas.
REGIS.EDU
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REGIS 7 GETS SOCIAL
ACTIVE REGIS UNIVERSITY SOCIAL CHANNELS (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Nextdoor and YouTube)
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DEPARTMENTS UNIVERSITYWIDE THAT HAVE THEIR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, including Athletics,
Center for Career and Professional Development, Regis University Alumni and Regis Residence Life
GET SOCIAL WITH US!
Follow us and use #ThisIsRegis for your chance to be featured on one of our channels or in the next issue of the magazine! 14
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
THIS IS REGIS
“GETTING SOMEONE LIKE HIM WAS IMPERATIVE.”
AN ALL-TIME GREAT
W
HEN REGIS UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH BRADY BERGESON TOOK OVER THE PROGRAM during the 2015-16 season, he was looking
for a program-changing player.
The Rangers hadn’t won more than 10 games in a season in a decade, and Bergeson knew he’d need a strong player to reset the tone. He needed a scorer, a player who welcomed pressure and an athlete who would never be outworked. He needed Jarrett Brodbeck. “Getting someone like him was imperative,” Bergeson said. “He was an average athlete that absolutely outworked everyone. Who you start with says a lot about where you’re going. He and some others that signed in first class were huge to what we wanted to do.” Brodbeck certainly left his mark on Regis and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. He helped Regis to three consecutive 20-win seasons, highlighted by the school’s first-ever RMAC Tournament Championship in 2017-18. Brodbeck leaves the Rangers as the school’s all-time leading scorer. He took the record from Tony DuCros, who set it from 1972-76. Brodbeck also became the RMAC’s leader for most career 3-pointers.
Brodbeck’s work ethic is something of folklore. It started in high school, where he’d spend two to three hours shooting in the gym. He’d spend additional hours at a local 24 Hour Fitness. This work ethic continued at Regis, where Brodbeck shot hour after hour. He suspects he took more than 50,000 shots in the Field House. The business management major isn’t sure what’s next. He may continue basketball or he may pursue a different career. Either way, Brodbeck left a lasting legacy at Regis that won’t be forgotten. “What made us successful was we were always competitive in what we did. Whether it was tic-tac-toe or in the RMAC championship,” Brodbeck said. “I’ve always been very goal oriented. I set goals before the season. I set goals to be the best, but I know if your team is winning, you’re probably doing OK yourself.”
“I knew I could be a player,” Brodbeck said. “But my accolades highlight our team. With the scoring record, I didn’t know I broke it. I found out at a gas station outside of Durango.”
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JA M E S JOYC E
Mild fire of wine kindled his veins. I wanted that badly. Felt so off colour. His eyes unhungrily saw shelves of tins: sardines, gaudy lobsters’ claws. All the odd things people pick up for food. Out of shells, periwinkles with a pin, off trees, snails out of the ground the French eat, out of the sea with bait on a hook. Silly fish learn nothing in a thousand years. If you didn’t know risky putting anything into your mouth. Poisonous berries. Johnny Magories. Roundness you think good. Gaudy R Eyou M Eoff. M BOne E Rfellow I N G told another and so on. Try it on the colour warns “ D I R T Y B O OorKthe S Blook. O Y LTempting E” dog first. Led on by the smell fruit. Ice cones. Cream. Instinct. Orangegroves for instance. Need artificial irrigation. Bleibtreustrasse. Yes but what about oysters. Unsightly like a clot of phlegm. Filthy shells. Devil to open them too. Who found them out? Garbage, sewage they feed on. Fizz and Red bank oysters. Effect on the sexual. Aphrodis. He was in the Red Bank this morning. Was he oysters old fish at table perhaps he young flesh in bed no June has no ar no oysters. But there are people like things high. Tainted game. Jugged hare. First catch your hare. Chinese eating eggs fifty years old, blue TEACHING DANGEROUS and green again. Dinner of thirty courses. Each dishBOOKS harmless might mix inside. Idea for a poison mystery. archduke Leopold was it no TOThat OPEN MINDS yes or was it Otto one of those Habsburgs? Or who was it used to eat the scruff off his own head? Cheapest lunch in town. Of course aristocrats, then the others copy to be in the fashion. Milly too rock oil and flour. Raw pastry I like myself. Half the catch of oysters they throw back in the sea to keep up the price. Cheap no-one would buy. Caviare. Do the grand. Hock in green glasses. Swell blowout. Lady this. Powdered bosom pearls. The élite. Crème de la crème. They want special dishes to pretend they’re. Hermit with a platter of pulse keep down the WORDS: Jennifer Forker stings of the flesh. Know me come eat with me. Royal sturgeon high sheriff, Coffey, the butcher, right to venisons of the forest from his ex. Send him back the half of a cow. Spread I saw down in the Master of the Rolls’ kitchen area. Whitehatted chef like a rabbi. Combustible duck. Curly cabbage à la duchesse de Parme. Just as well to write it on the bill of fare so you can know what you’ve eaten. Too many drugs spoil the broth. I know it myself. Dosing it with Edwards’ desiccated soup. Geese stuffed silly for them. Lobsters boiled alive. Do ptake some ptarmigan. Wouldn’t mind being a waiter in a swell hotel. Tips, evening dress, halfnaked ladies. May I tempt you to a little more filleted lemon 16
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
DIRTY BOOKS BOYLE
J
AMES JOYCE, THE SCULPTURE, GAZES TOWARD PRE-DAWN ATOP THE SUNDIAL FOR WHICH HE HAS SERVED AS ITS PILLAR SINCE ITS INSTALLATION ON CAMPUS IN 2002. SELECTIONS OF HIS REVOLUTIONARY PROSE – EXCERPTED FROM “ULYSSES” – ARE ENGRAVED IN BRONZE AT HIS FEET. The noted Irish author was Jesuit educated, but he often rebelled against the Church, and his writing was denounced for its explicit references to the human body. His masterpiece, “Ulysses,” was banned in the United States during much of the 1920s. So, why is he here and to whom does Joyce owe his exalted presence outside Regis’ Coors Life Directions Center? The inspiration was the Rev. Robert R. Boyle, S.J. Boyle was an educator who earned the moniker “Dirty Books Boyle” for teaching the works of Joyce, Graham Greene and other prominent authors once deemed too lurid for undergraduate eyes. A towering academic figure on the Regis campus during the mid-1950s through late 60s, his pupils recall Boyle as a brilliant thinker, an astute literary critic and a strict instructor with a great sense of humor. The nickname? It might have been his own doing. Boyle defended the teaching of great albeit “sinful” works – “Ulysses” by Joyce, “The End of the Affair” by Greene, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger – in a 1958 issue of America magazine that earned itself the headline “Teaching ‘Dirty’ Books in College.” In the essay, Boyle defends teaching these works to undergraduate students at a Jesuit Catholic university: “Students in liberal-arts colleges, I judge, must simply be trusted to treat with respect works of literature which offer profound and powerfully expressed visions of reality … It is important that our students see our own time through the eyes of our competent artists, and if any works must be preferred, those which show students the human heart operative in our own world should be chosen.”
The Rev. Robert R. Boyle, S.J., was an educator who earned the moniker “Dirty Books Boyle” for teaching the works of James Joyce, Graham Greene and other prominent authors once deemed too lurid for undergraduate eyes.
Dennis Gallagher, a longtime fixture at Regis who was a freshman in 1957, recalls Boyle as strict, creative – and rebellious. “A lot of the Jesuits were uncomfortable he was teaching these risqué books,” said Gallagher, RC ’61, a longtime Colorado state politician. “Ulysses” was banned in the United States from 1922 to 1933, until the federal district judge in United States v. One Book Called Ulysses ruled the book was not obscene in a seminal court opinion heralded for championing freedom of expression.
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Books are still challenged today. The Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of communities that attempt to ban books. The most challenged book of 2018 was “George” by Alex Gino. More than 60 years ago, Boyle championed literary free expression in his own way – in the classroom.
STOLEN WEDGES STIR JOYCE SCULPTURE MYSTERY REGIS’ SCULPTURE OF JAMES JOYCE, “RIPPLES OF ULYSSES,” WAS COMMISSIONED IN 1999 BY MARTIN T. HART. A REGIS ALUMNUS AND ADMIRER OF THE REV. ROBERT R. BOYLE, S.J., HE GAVE IT AS A GIFT TO HIS ALMA MATER. THE SCULPTOR, NOTED IRISH ARTIST ROWAN GILLESPIE, TELLS THE STORY: I made a maquette (a small study) of a single figure of James Joyce standing surrounded by rings of engraved text from the 18 episodes of ‘Ulysses.’ The maquette was eagerly accepted, and I started on the full-scale piece. Making the bronze figure was fine — I had done this sort of thing many times before. However, the engraving was another matter; this was new territory. The ‘Eureka’ moment came when I realized ‘Ulysses’ is a story divided into 18 episodes that take place on a single day, so why not make a sundial? It took me three months, working every day with a howling milling machine running at 60,000 RPM and splattering a mixture of oil and shards of metal everywhere. Just when I was at the end of the job, a phone call came from Regis saying that they had, for the first time, read the text on the maquette and found Joyce’s words unacceptable. I could not compromise. I thought it was disloyal to James Joyce, and I couldn’t face the idea of re-engraving six of the wedges. So, I said I would sell it to someone else. It was sold to The Merrion Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, and unveiled on Bloomsday 2000. Martin Hart was disappointed and acted as a mediator. We eventually agreed that I would redo the sculpture with text chosen by Joyce scholar and Regis alumnus Tom Staley. Tom offered alternate text for the six offending wedges and I embarked upon the project for the second time. It came out better than the one in Dublin but took even longer. It truly exhausted me, and since then I have never done a repeat of any sculpture. However, on Aug. 27, 2012, the unthinkable happened: Nine of the wedges on the Regis sculpture were stolen and, to my horror, I found myself having to engrave them for the third time. I did this, and they were installed in the sculpture. The question that nobody has ever asked me is this: Did I revert to the original text or did I engrave the revised version?
After he earned a doctorate in English from Yale University in 1955, Boyle taught literature and music appreciation at Regis for 13 years, serving as chair of the English department for many years. (He taught the music course with the Rev. Edward L. Maginnis, another esteemed Jesuit professor who died last year at age 95.) Boyle then taught at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he bequeathed his voluminous Joyce collection. Boyle was professor emeritus at Marquette during the late 1970s when a particular young man – the Rev. John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., president of Regis – fell under his spell. “I took these courses from Boyle, and I found a new lease on life,” Fitzgibbons said. “It was drinking out of a firehose, but I just loved it.” Fitzgibbons was a student double majoring in English and philosophy at St. Louis University – and in formation as a Jesuit – when he received private instruction from Boyle during three summers at Marquette. Fitzgibbons wrangled with Aristotle and Plato, but he also hefted the works of Joyce and Gerard Manley Hopkins, a 19th century poet and Jesuit priest. Regis has hosted an annual Hopkins conference – held in Denver, Rome, Dublin, Jerusalem and, last year, in London – since 1999. “He was the best professor of English I ever had,” Fitzgibbons said. “He convinced me to be an English major – to get my doctorate.” Boyle was tough and demanding, but his love of classical English literature was infectious. “You wanted to work for him,” Fitzgibbons recalled. “His style was to invite you to learn more and more
and more. You never finished. There was always more.” A lesson that stood out for Fitzgibbons: He was to recite from memory Hopkins’ “A Candle Indoors” for Boyle. “I’m reciting this poem to him and he closes his eyes and he’s smiling from ear to ear,” Fitzgibbons recalls. “I look at him and I think, ‘I got Boyle.’ Then he opened one eye and with a wry grin said, ‘You almost read that very well.’” Jim Curtan, who worked in Los Angeles film and television for 45 years before retiring to Denver last summer, recalls his Regis classwork with Boyle fondly and with reverence. “His classroom was a sacred space,” Curtan said. “Boyle had a passion for his material and a passion for his vocation, as an educator and as a Jesuit.” Curtan, RC ’63, took every Boyle class he could find, sometimes two at a time. Now a spiritual director, Curtan says Boyle mixed the stern with the puckish. He taught the bawdy sections of literature with candor and humor. Boyle strived to turn young men into greater men who pursued the Jesuit values of magis and being men (and now women) in service of others. Boyle centered his lessons around Jesus’ teachings. “Everything he taught was deeply Christian. It was all rooted in Jesus and his teachings,” Curtan said. “He didn’t say that out loud but it was the framework for everything.” Tom Staley, RC ’57, who was on Regis’ Board of Trustees for many years and received an honorary degree from Regis in 1979, took several Boyle classes. Boyle was a “tremendous influence” in Staley’s life: After graduating from Regis, Staley earned a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962 then taught English as a Fulbright Scholar – twice – before settling in at The University of Texas at Austin, where he’s now professor emeritus in the English department. Staley’s area of expertise? James Joyce.
He is the founding editor of two Joyce literary journals and the author of several books about Joyce and his writing.
DIRTY BOOKS BOYLE
Boyle taught Staley and the other young male students – women weren’t admitted to Regis College, as the University was named back then, until 1968 – how to read Joyce, how to read Hopkins, how to read Greene and Salinger. Not to mention William Shakespeare. “It was a close reading – how to get into the text,” Staley said. “He had a whole idea about that, how to read it and understand it and bring it alive. It was just a tremendous education to have Boyle teach you. I admired him a great deal.” Bob Pipkin, RC ’62, graduated with a double major in chemistry and philosophy, the latter degree he added after taking courses from Boyle and other humanities classes. “I was supposed to graduate in 1961 – I was a straight chemistry major initially – but then I stayed five years at Regis College,” he said.
ity Regis Univers
GIVING
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The future surgeon recalls Boyle’s “Ulysses” class as his favorite. “‘Ulysses’ was one of the best courses I took with Fr. Boyle,” Pipkin said. “Joyce was a controversial author at one time, but he was one of the most important authors of the 20th century, and I had not been exposed to James Joyce before Boyle’s course.” Boyle received a Teaching Excellence Award from Marquette in 1978. He retired from public life in 1992 and moved to a Jesuit community in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He died in 1998 at the age of 82. As to the statue itself, it was another pupil and Regis trustee, the late Martin T. Hart, who decided Boyle should be honored. Hart, the onetime chairman of the board of the Steamboat Ski and Resort, donated $125,000 so the University could commission a sculpture by noted Irish artist Rowan Gillespie. What is more fitting than a life-size statue of James Joyce, surrounded by the words that caused such upset? This was the very prose that Boyle was adamant ought not only be examined, but understood and celebrated.
Your gift contributes to creating a community of future leaders that serve the public good. With your help, they will set the world on fire. The Rev. Robert R. Boyle, S.J., sits in a Marquette University classroom ready to teach in 1974. Courtesy of Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Marquette University Libraries.
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This ceramic Peruvian crucifix depicts the extreme agony of the suffering messiah. Like the crucifix on the front cover of “A Theology of Liberation” by Gustavo Gutiérrez, it is typical of the indigenous religious art of Peru. A gift from a Jesuit who was studying theology with me, it is the center piece on my wall. The book by Gutiérrez had an impact on my life. Before I became a Jesuit, I was finishing my undergraduate degree in accounting while taking a course in liberation theology, my final required theology elective at Rockhurst University. At the end of that semester, I felt a strong desire to use my education and my human gifts in the service of justice. I recall thinking that “in the cosmic game of life, I wanted to push my little pile of poker chips to the side of the poor.”
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STANDING BENEATH THE CROSS Some are remarkable, some are simple, but all of them carry a unique story.
WORDS: Luke Graham IMAGES: Brett Stakelin
W
hen the Rev. Kevin Burke, S.J., was ordained in 1986, friends and family gave him plenty of gifts. But having taken a vow of poverty, he remitted all monetary gifts to the Society. Still, some family members and friends wanted him to have something to celebrate his ordination. What could they get him? Crosses. Burke, who is the vice president for University Mission at Regis, now has more than 100 crosses from over the years. Nearly 40 of them hang in his office in Main Hall. They are gifts from students, colleagues, friends, family members and classmates from all over the world. They come from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the American Southwest. “When my nephew, Peter, was 10 or 11, he was taken aback by how different they are from one another,” Burke said. “They are all the same iconic depictions of the mystery of Christian faith in Jesus. But at the same time, they are all so different. We each perceive the mystery through very different cultural lenses and life-experiences. Each of us has the opportunity to see the cross our own way. The crosses spoke to him about the multiple ways of entering our shared religious world, where the same mystery is perceived and rendered in an almost endless variety of ways.”
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2
3 1
4
5 6
7
8
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THE STORIES BEHIND THEM: 1. This indigenous Mexican cross reminds me of “The Mexico Project.” In my first incarnation at Regis, I would journey with groups of students to Nueva Rosita, Coahuila. We would do some light construction work and live with the people in the parish of San José Obrero. 2. This elongated crucifix was made by a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and was given to me by my friend, the Rev. Bill O’Neill, S.J., following one of his visits there.
3. The corpus on this cross from El Salvador is made with barbed wire. It evokes the desperation of people living in times of profound political oppression. It seems especially timely today, since barbed wire adorns the “wall” that keeps political refugees from El Salvador and other Central American countries out of the United States. 4. This tiny metal cross is from Spain. It’s the first cross I was ever given. My uncle, the Rev. Jim Burke, S.J., purchased it after making a 30-day retreat in Manresa, Spain, and gave it to me when I graduated from Rockhurst in 1975. It is constructed entirely from horseshoe nails.
BENEATH THE CROSS
5. This ordination gift from 1986 depicts the Greek letters “Alpha” and “Omega” (the beginning and the end) around the letters “Chi-Rho” (which symbolizes Christ). 6. This crucifix from El Salvador was designed and painted by craft artists working under the direction of the famous Salvadoran artist Fernando Llort. I purchased it at Llort’s studio while in El Salvador for the 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Oscar Romero in 2005. 7. T his cross incised on the shell of an African gourd comes from the Saharan nation of Chad. It’s used as a eucharistic communion plate. 8. The cross was given to me by the people of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Massachusetts. They were remodeling the church to bring the altar closer. They took out some of the back pews and they made this for me from the top of a pew seat. 9. This Bolivian cross depicts the scene of Jesus with his mother and the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross. I received it in 1997 from a student after I spent time in Bolivia learning Spanish.
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10. The body of Jesus on this cross was made with copper wire by a very talented former student during her stay in a psychiatric hospital. For me it depicts her personal identification with the sufferings of Jesus. It is a sign of hope as she found emotional healing during that difficult time. REGIS.EDU
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Chris Steele and Chavo Trejo rehearse music in a Denver studio.
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THE ARTIST AND THE ANARCHIST CHRIS STEELE IS A RAP ARTIST, WRITER, RESEARCHER AND TEACHER. HE’S ALSO THE SAME KID FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TRYING TO ANSWER LIFELONG QUESTIONS.
C
HRIS STEELE COULDN’T SIT IDLE. He’d grown up in the
Regis neighborhood only a block south of campus. Some 20 years ago, the neighborhood was different. It was gritty but dripped with culture and character. Gentrification hadn’t become a lazy word thrown around by those trying to stay woke. Houses weren’t being razed for skinny apartment buildings marketed as “Just miles from downtown!” Brown Berets kept peace and the Chicano movement was alive. Gangs had corners and it meant something to be from the Northside or the Westside. Sometimes it wasn’t good to be from either. The sounds of music and rap battles filled the weekend nights at Winchell’s Donuts and Hi Performance Car Wash on Federal. The hip hop collective Zulu Nation would make unannounced stops at Sloan’s Lake. Basketball games at the Boys and Girls Club on 39th and King Street pitted neighborhood against neighborhood. The score on the court often trickled into parking lot fights. And by 13, Steele, RC ’11 and CPS ’14, had seen it all — the poverty, the drugs and the tough areas of his neighborhood. He viewed Regis as a fortress of privilege. He broke into the Field House to play basketball and stole stuff from the K-Mart, before the store was torn down to become Regis’ parking lot 6. He’d seen his brother kicked out of high school and mixed up with gangs.
WORDS: Luke Graham IMAGES: Brett Stakelin
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“HE WAS DIFFERENT THAN MOST REGIS STUDENTS. HE SAW AND EXPERIENCED THE WORLD IN ANOTHER LIGHT. EVERYONE WHO HAS KNOWN CHRIS, KNOWS HOW UNIQUE HE IS.” There was an opening. He applied for and got the job. With employee-tuition benefits — where employees can study at a discounted rate — Steele found himself enrolled at the University and working on his bachelor’s degree. He worked for three years in Physical Plant before transferring to the library where he worked the front desk. Eventually he earned a master’s in history and politics and began teaching at Regis. He brought his unique perspective into the classroom. “The material I taught him he used to turn into raps,” said James Walsh, who was one of the first professors at Regis who taught Steele. “You could tell he was from this old North Denver working class community. He was different than most Regis students. He saw and experienced the world in another light. Everyone who has known Chris, knows how unique he is.” It wasn’t until he witnessed a stabbing in Berkeley Park that things began to change. “That was it,” he said. “We decided to bring people together. We organized.”
A WAY TOWARD EDUCATION The Chris Steele of today is the American dream. He’s the story of the kid who came from nothing and made himself into something. Growing up, he saw poor people of all ethnicities living a few blocks from Regis and wondered why and how they got there. He saw those in power limiting the opportunities of his neighbors and wondered what that meant. He wondered then about his place in it all. Those questions drove Steele, now 34, to become a sought-after writer and researcher. His childhood experiences drive his music, and his early inquiries continue to inform his unique thought.
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Steele already has co-published articles with noted social critic and philosopher Noam Chomsky and has conducted research for filmmaker and author T.R. Reid, who lives in Denver. His queries supplied the lyrics for his eight hip-hop albums. They gave him the backbone for producing music for Common and touring with Talib Kweli. His inquisitiveness helped him earn a pair of degrees from Regis. At his core, Steele remains the same working-class kid from the Regis neighborhood who’s trying to answer these lifelong, burning questions. He has the restless heart of an anarchist, writer and rapper who wants to document a revolution, one where the voiceless roar.
DO IT YOURSELF The single-minded purpose and determination that propelled Steele to stand at a classroom podium at Regis was kindled as a street kid. He also had a fierce sense of purpose and desire to make the world around him better. But back when he was 13, Steele was reeling. He’d seen someone stabbed at Berkeley Park — a place he considered sacred. He’d witnessed what violence had done to his neighborhood and believed only two things brought people together: hip-hop and basketball. He wanted to do something about it.
“I think musically or writing, what I’m trying to do is expose B.S.,” he said.
So Steele walked north to Regis Boulevard, took a left and walked down to the pay phone at the convenience store at the corner of 50th and Lowell Boulevard.
It almost didn’t happen. After high school, Steele worked for a trucking company at a dock, until one day he ran into a friend who was a Regis landscaper.
Armed with 1-800 numbers from the back of the basketball publication Slam Magazine and hip-hop magazines Spin, XXL and The Source, Steele started dialing.
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
THE ARTIST AND THE ANARCHIST
“I knew those numbers were free to call,” he said. He planned to set up a basketball tournament and hip-hop show in Berkeley Park. He convinced the footwear company AND1 to deliver boxes of shirts to his parents’ doorstep. Wanna Battle Records in Cincinnati, Ohio, agreed to sponsor. “If the city wasn’t going to help us put it on,” Steele said, “I figured, OK, let’s do it on our own.” After the tournament, Wanna Battle Records came through town and invited Steele to watch several of their rappers perform in downtown Denver. He found himself in the company of rappers like Main Flow and the militant hip-hop duo Dead Prez. The teenaged Steele reveled in the intersection of hip hop and activism, politics and race, and it piqued his growing belief in anarchy. Suddenly, Dead Prez called him on stage to rap. “That,” he said, “that right there blew my mind.”
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES He was in college when the financial crisis cost his parents their home. Steele joined the Occupy Denver movement, which called itself a leaderless resistance movement and believed greed and corruption by “the top 1 percent” had caused the 2008 economic collapse. While working on his bachelor’s degree, he published articles that examined large corporations. He soon became involved in efforts to stop what were known as SLAPP or “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” which were intended to discourage protests through excessive litigation. The SLAPP theory
held that protesters wouldn’t want to pay to defend themselves in court. “I pissed off a lot of people,” he said. “I must have been doing something right.” Occupy Denver encouraged his outlook and pressed Steele to seek solutions. He’s passionate about those who don’t have a voice. He raps and writes about injustice, illegal occupations, immigration, racism, white supremacy, patriarchy, colonization and giving the power back to people. He sees his place as an organizer, a voice for those who didn’t grow up privileged. He’s starting to research a book on historical anarchy uprisings, and he’s co-authoring a book about the Common Ground Collective, a grassroots group formed by former Black Panthers and anarchists. They rebuilt communities that were devastated by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Steele continues to make music and has talked with Talib Kweli about signing with the Brooklyn rapper’s label. He volunteers at schools across the metro area, teaching beat poetry as a way of expressing feelings. He continues to teach at various high schools and community colleges and search for answers to those questions he first encountered in his neighborhood. “Chris is so f------ talented,” said rapper Tim “Sole” Holland, who has collaborated with Steele on multiple projects. “His podcast is growing, his rap career is growing, there is a line for him to be a professor that’s growing. His résumé as a published writer is growing. He’s becoming so influential. I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues on these big rap tours, or if you find him regularly published. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as a professor,” Holland said. “He’s so complex that he could do whatever he wants.” Yet Steele mainly sees himself as the kid from the Regis neighborhood.
“I guess I’ve learned it doesn’t matter where you’re from,” Steele said. “I’ve really started to think about what it means to create. Love is something you do now that you may not see the benefits from. But future generations may benefit from this album or this writing. When it comes down to it, that’s really what love is.”
Cover art of Chris Steele’s seventh album created by artist Seth Tobocman. Steele, who goes by the rap name Time, released this in 2016.
He dialed and dialed and dialed.
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Regi the Ranger communes with a kindred spirit at Ranger Day 2019. 28
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BY CLASS
1960’s Dennis Gallagher, RC ’61, was presented with the Wilma J. Webb Founder’s Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission for his work with the state senate in the 1980s to make King’s birthday a holiday in Colorado. Kathy Falconer Barco, LHC ’68, published her fifth book, “Storytime and Beyond: Having Fun with Early Literacy.”
1970’S Babel Health, a risk adjustment software for health care in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, appointed Sharon McCarthy, CCLS ’79, as its chief financial officer.
1980’S Bibby Financial Services in Atlanta named David Ciccolo, ACB ’85, as its managing director for its U.S. factoring and asset-based lending business.
The Colorado Springs Business Journal named Patricia Randle, ACB ’95, to its Women of Influence list. Randle has served as director of Fort Carson’s Army Community Service for the past 11 years. Mark Hall, ACB ’98, was named the city manager of Coffeyville, Kansas.
2000’S Donaldson Aerospace & Defense hired Vince Testa, ACB ’00, as its senior account executive for its rotorcraft helicopter division. Cologix, a cloud and data company, named Laura Ortman, ACB ’01, its president and chief revenue officer. Amy Tobias, ACB ’01, was named the chief development officer for the Humane Society of Indianapolis. Lecia Berven, ACB ’02, was selected as one of seven instructors for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Patty Erjavec, ACB ’02, was named the first female president of Pueblo Community College. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association named Kirk LaPoure, ACB ’02, its chief financial officer.
1990’S The Performance Review Institute, a quality insurance company for the aerospace, automotive and commercial vehicle industries, named Michael Hayward, ACB ’91, its executive vice president and chief operating officer. Cisco Systems named Guillermo Diaz Jr., ACB ’93, its senior vice president for customer transformation. Intra Energy Corporation named Jim Shedd, ACB ’93, to its board as its managing director. Casey Carey, ACB ’94, was named the vice president of product marketing for Marketo.
Texas Southern University in Houston named Mario Berry, ACB ’04, its acting chief information officer. James Engstrom, ACB ’04, was named the vice president of finance and administration for Global Market Development Center. Rand Fandrich, ACB ’04, was selected as a human resources subject matter expert for the Excellence Program, an initiative implemented by the government of the United Arab Emirates. Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, N.J., named Carolyn Allen, ACB ’05, its chief financial officer. Delaware named Solomon Adote, CCIS ’06, its chief security officer. (Continued on page 35)
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CLASS NOTES
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
JODI SMITH Anderson College of Business, Master of Nonprofit Management, Class of 2001 Current Job: North Dakota Land Commissioner “I’m the first female in North Dakota history to hold this position. Regis University impressed me with its interaction with so many different issues that were important to me. It was serious about education and serious about principles and teaching students how to lead and grow and change the country for the better.”
KIRSTEN KOROSEC Regis College, English and Communications, Class of 1993 Current Job: Senior reporter/editor at TechCrunch “Regis professors imparted no shortage of knowledge and lessons that would come to shape my life. But perhaps the most valuable skill — and one I use daily in my professional life — is critical thinking. I can’t thank the professors at Regis enough for teaching me to do more than just obediently consume information on the who, what and where, and to instead, think critically and question, so I ultimately come to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why.’”
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OUT OF THE SHADOWS
DACA RECIPIENT PUTS A FACE TO THE ISSUE
W
HEN
LUISANA
PAC H E CO
LEAVES HER HOUSE, she never
forgets her EMT jacket.
It doesn’t matter if she’s going to work at Mile High Ambulance or not. That jacket equals safety. For Pacheco, RC ’15, one of the more than 800,000 students who have been approved for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the jacket is a disguise. DACA gives undocumented young immigrants relief from deportation for two years. It also can offer a driver’s license and in-state tuition. However, the federal government may terminate the status at any point. Pacheco, who is originally from Costa Rica, grew up in Summit County, where she attended high school. She initially received DACA status in 2015, and recently renewed it until 2020. Pacheco started her accelerated bachelor’s in nursing at Regis in May. WHY SPEAK OUT ABOUT DACA?
I used to be so scared and embarrassed to share my story. I didn’t know if I was going to be judged or shunned for it, without people getting to know me first. I remember
I was dating this guy and finally had the guts to tell him, and he just asked, “Are you dating me for papers?” It was very discouraging. I’m speaking out now because of the political environment. We need to put a face to thousands of DACA students who are wondering about their futures in the U.S., and if I can do that, and hopefully inspire others to do the same, then that may make the difference in the outcome. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO SAY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE LEGAL WAY TO CITIZENSHIP?
I don’t think people realize the situations we face. There should be a better process. We’re pawns in a political game. I’m not sure what the ideal solution would be. But there has to be a better solution. WHY NURSING?
I wanted to work with patients. I wanted to do it at Regis, because I did my undergraduate degree here. The Jesuit ideals and the idea of being in service of others really resonates with me. My ultimate goal is to become a neonatal nurse practitioner.
MY REGIS STORY
A DIVINE NUDGING
FIREFIGHTER COMPLETES DEGREE AFTER LIFE-THREATENING EVENT ROBERT CARMOSINO WILL NEVER FORGET FEB. 26, 2012.
That day the fire captain with the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority fell 20 feet backward at a house fire. When he landed on his feet, he was sure it was divine intervention. He didn’t mention the fall to his family, so when days later human resources called, he had some explaining to do. “My wife was not very happy,” he said. Within a few days he told his oldest daughter how important college was. How it was always something that would help her in life. Carmosino had started a public safety administration degree but had never finished it. His daughter asked if he had. “I had to tell her no,” he said. “My whole life I’d been telling my kids to put their money where their mouth is. I’d been telling them ‘you need to finish what you start.’” His daughter’s questions followed on the heels of the roof fall. Carmosino decided it was a divine nudge to go back into college.
So he did. He started taking online classes at Regis and finally, in December 2018, Carmosino graduated with his bachelor’s degree, some seven years after he started. “I’m a religious man,” he said. “Falling off the roof opened my eyes that day. It was my one Get Out of Jail Free card. I started looking at things differently.” School wasn’t easy. Every weekend Carmosino attended his daughter’s volleyball tournaments then spent hours reading and writing papers. He knew he needed to finish his classwork, though. He grew up in a family of service. Both his parents were police officers and he has countless family members who are firefighters.
Carmosino joined the Wheat Ridge Fire Department out of high school. He finished his on-and-off-again university studies at Regis to show his children that he, too, could finish what he started. He also earned the public administration degree for himself. “I wanted my family to know to never quit,” he said. “That was a long journey. It took seven years to get that completed. I don’t even have the words to express my gratitude and gratefulness. It’s been absolutely unbelievable. I’m filled with pride.”
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From left: Tom Bowie, Ben Cosimi
CLASS NOTES
A GRAND DESIGN BOWIE, COSIMI CONNECTED FOREVER
E
ARLIER THIS YEAR, Dr. Ben Cosimi and Regis College Academic Dean Tom Bowie sat in a meeting room in Main Hall sharing stories.
He began at MGH in 1972 and went on to do New England’s first liver, pancreas and intestine transplants.
That it happened to be National Donor Day only increased the synchronicity and weird coincidences in the pair’s relationship.
It all started on a farm northeast of Denver. Cosimi’s mom was a teacher and insisted he and his brother get the best educations possible.
Cosimi, RC ’60, is a renowned transplant surgeon. Each year as the head of transplants at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, he’d accept one surgeon for a fellowship. During his last year as chairman in 2008, his fellow was Dr. Peter Kennealey. Fast forward a decade, and it was Kennealey who performed Bowie’s kidney transplant in September 2017. Bowie had spent the prior two years on dialysis. It wasn’t until the two were about to share lunch in Boston that they found their Regis connection, six months after Bowie’s surgery. Waiting in the lobby, Bowie looked up and saw Kennealey’s picture in the MGH lobby. At lunch he asked Cosimi if he knew Kennealey. Cosimi enthusiastically responded that Dr. Kennealey was one of his favorite transplant fellows. Bowie said, “Ben, I think there is something I need to tell you.” “It makes you think there is someone with a plan up there,” Cosimi said. “It’s funny how many things are connected in these ways.” Cosimi’s career was built on groundbreaking work in the transplant field. When Cosimi started medical school in the 1960s, he heard transplants weren’t possible.
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“She said the best education was Regis,” he said. He’d bus in from the family’s farm to downtown Denver, then over to Regis. There, as one of the first Boettcher Scholars, Cosimi received a liberal arts degree he said helped shape him. “The most important thing I learned here was honesty,” he said. “I learned to be very diligent in spite of any adversity.” Cosimi also started a career that would change many lives. One of those happens to be the person tasked with shaping current undergraduate students who pursue a Regis liberal arts degree. “It’s like there is some grand design,” Bowie said. “If I hadn’t come to Regis, or if Ben hadn’t, who knows what trajectory we’d be on.”
CLASS NOTES
SUMMER/FALL 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS Mark your calendars! Events are added thoughout the year. Also check us out online at regis.edu/events for a more in-depth schedule.
June
September
7-8
19-22
BAY AREA ALUMNI EVENTS Join other alumni in San Francisco.
FAMILY AND LEGACY WEEKEND Join other parents for an action-packed weekend.
22 RUNNING WILD 5K AND 1-MILE FUN RUN Help save African wildlife.
July
12-14 ALUMNI WEEKEND What happened to Bob from chemistry? Come find out.
22 PBLA GOLF TOURNAMENT Supporting Denver-area youth.
31 FEAST DAY OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Celebrate the founder of the Society of Jesus.
August
26 FALL CLASSES BEGIN Visit the bookstore and gear up for an exciting new year!
20 IGGY BEER FEST Sample dozens of beers from our brewing partners.
21 FATHER SHELTON MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNEY Help us raise scholarship funds. PHYSICAL THERAPY MOVE FORWARD 5K/10K Get in shape for the holidays.
22 ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME BRUNCH Come help us celebrate our top athletes.
October
5 BLESSING OF THE BEASTS Let us bless your favorite pet(s).
10 PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT Volunteer to help those in need.
31 TRICK-OR-TREAT STREET Open to the Regis community.
A P PA R E L A N D A C C E S S O R I E S F O R T H E W H O L E FA M I LY
Now with three convenient ways to shop
BOOKSTORE REGIS SQUARE FANZONE CLARKE HALL and online at
RegisStore.com REGIS.EDU
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CLASS NOTES
Grammy-nominated artist Jidenna played at the Regis Field House for this year’s Ranger Day. 34
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
CLASS NOTES
BY CLASS
Thomas Bannigan, ACB ’06, joined Cushman & Wakefield as an industrial broker associate. Judy Geiger, ACB ’06, was named the vice president of patient care services at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Oregon. The International Center, which encourages international growth in Indianapolis, Indiana, named Glennda McGann, ACB ’06, its development and engagement director. Guam named John Reyes, ACB ’06, to serve on its Commission on Decolonization. Leafbuyer Technologies Inc., an online resource for cannabis deals and information, named Kristin Baca, CCLS ’07, to its board of directors. Boomerang Tube LLC in Liberty, Texas, named Paul DeWeese, ACB ’07, its chief executive officer. Riverwood Healthcare Center in Atkin, Minnesota, named Todd Sandberg, ACB ’07, its chief executive officer. Edinboro University named Amanda Sissem, ACB ’07, its director of alumni engagement. AdventHealth Palm Coast named Julie Banker, RHCHP ’08, as the new director of inpatient services. Argonaut Manufacturing Services in Carlsbad, California, named Eric Blair, ACB ’08, as its chief commercial officer. Scott Rowley, ACB ’08, joined KeyBank in Alaska as its vice president and senior payments adviser with the enterprise commercial payments group. Mark Hartman, ACB ’09, was named CEO of Colorado Springs Neurological Associates. Ent Credit Union in Colorado Springs promoted Pamela Kastrava, ACB ’09, to service area manager.
2010’S Mark Bittle, ACB ’10, was named the director of sales for Hanson HotSpring Spas in Colorado Springs.
CALLING ALL CARS
A CONVERSATION WITH MARY PACIFICO-VALLEY, CPS ’84, ACB ’90
I
T WAS A JOB SHE TOOK OUT OF
HOW DID YOU MOVE FROM THE
NECESSITY
BOTTOM TO THE TOP?
BUT
FELL
IN
LOVE
WITH. She navigated from an entry-
level sales and marketing position to become the highest-ranking person in the company. Mary PacificoValley decided to work at Rickenbaugh Cadillac Volvo in Denver because her friend’s father worked there. Who knew she’d end up the president.
HOW DID THE JESUIT VALUES GET YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
The faculty members all live the mission even if they are not Catholic. I know what they’re teaching the students is “In Service to Others.” If you have those values, there’s no way you can go wrong. If you relate it to my business, I always call it our culture — the “Rickenbaugh Culture.” We certainly don’t do everything right here, but if that happens we figure out how to fix it pretty quick. How can anything bad come out of trying to do the right thing and treating people with respect in all situations?
I always felt like I would’ve never been as successful as I was here if I hadn’t continued my education, finished it at Regis and then went to get my MBA. I don’t think those things would have happened because the real important part of my career was when I graduated with my MBA and Kent Rickenbaugh made a change with the controller position and called me in to offer me a promotion. I’m thankful I had the book and background from Regis for him to take a chance on me. WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF CARS COME FROM?
My grandpa was car crazy, so maybe I got it from him. My brother had a toy two-story tin gas station. Basically, I took it over because he didn’t like it that much and I loved it more. My first car was a 1971 Camaro. My girlfriends and I used to drive it everywhere, and I’d let other friends drive it. My parents wanted to kill me.
(Continued on page 39)
REGIS.EDU
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CALLING ALL R EG IS A N D LO R E T TO HEIGHTS ALUMNI
EVERY ALUMNUS. ANY CONNECTION. EVERY YEAR.
JOIN US
J U LY 1 2 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 • State of the University Luncheon
• Loretto Heights College Luncheon
• Campus Tour
• Mass
• All-Alumni Dinner
• Regis Trivia
• Family Field Day
• Brunch
REGISTER NOW AT REGIS.EDU/AW2019 Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 303.458.3536 or alumni@regis.edu. 36
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
2019
CLASS NOTES
With a little cura pecunaris,* you can make a difference. *CARE FOR YOUR MONEY
WILD AMBITION A CONVERSATION WITH BETH PRATT, ACB ’05
F
OR BETH PRATT, AN INTEREST IN WILDLIFE BEGAN AT AN EARLY
AGE. The author and conservation-
ist of almost 30 years began her work in national parks — spending most of her time in Yellowstone and Yosemite. That all changed in 2012 when Pratt read a headline in the Los Angeles Times that mentioned a mountain lion, known as P-22, had made itself at home in the urban Griffith Park. She spent a day tracking P-22 and ultimately discovered a new passion: Helping these animals thrive and survive. Pratt traded in the wilderness for the concrete jungle and now serves as an advocate for urban wildlife, specifically cougars who call Los Angeles home. WHY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION?
Growing up in New England, we didn’t have the magnitude of wildlife that other places had, but I found myself incredibly drawn to the medium, animals — birds and frogs — for example. A big part of my passion for wildlife also stemmed from reading stories like “The Wind in the Willows” and
“The Chronicles of Narnia.” These books captured my imagination and sparked an interest in the science of conservation. DESCRIBE THE UNIQUE WORK YOU DO WITH L.A. COUGARS.
The #SaveLACougars collaborative campaign was originally inspired by P-22. After tracking him, I realized that this wild creature was a lot more similar to humans than I thought. I wanted to do something to help these animals survive and adapt to an ever-changing environment. This campaign is all about connection, coexistence, telling stories and captivating the imagination of people.
1 2 3
With the market at all-time highs, give appreciated stock and avoid capital gains tax. Name Regis as a beneficiary of retirement plan assets: They are tax-free when given to a nonprofit. A direct gift from your IRA may fulfill the required minimum distribution, and it’s not considered taxable income. Please consult with your tax or financial advisers to determine the best charitable giving strategies for you.
ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN NONPROFIT WORK?
One of the things Regis taught me was how to bring a business perspective to nonprofit work. It also reminded me of how important it was to stay true to your values, be curious, interested and resilient. My advice would be to do all of the above, and know that you don’t have to have it all figured out. But you do have to be willing to do the work.
We can help! Office of Estate and Gift Planning 303.964.5152 or 800.388.2366 ext. 5152 giftplanning@regis.edu
REGIS.EDU
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REGIS.EDU/GIFTPLANNING
SPOT-THE-DIFFERENCE
Wrap your head around this brain bender. Can you find all 15 differences?
38
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
I AM A
R A NGE R CLASS NOTES
BY CLASS
POWERED BY YOU Nortek Security & Control promoted Horacio Morales, ACB ’10, to director of international sales. Karen Roberson, RHCHP ’10, was named one of 19 Nurse Education Fellows by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The University of Hartford in Connecticut named Kelly Scafariello, ACB ’10, as senior associate athletic director for leadership. The Colorado Association of Science Teachers selected Woodland Park High School science teacher Dan Ganoza, CCLS ’11, as its 2018 Teacher of the Year. Denver-based marketing agency Ignite OPM named Annmarie Thorne, ACB ’11, its vice president of strategic partnerships. Ent Credit Union in Colorado Springs promoted Casey Perkins, ACB ’12, to vice president of lending. Kaitlin Maestas, RC ’12, was named the assistant curator of visual arts for the Momentary, a contemporary arts venue set to open in 2020 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Andrea Robinson, CCLS ’13, was named the executive director of the Owensboro Area Shelter and Information Services in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Regis has been a huge positive in my life, and I know that the well-rounded Jesuit Catholic education I received made me a better person. But my Regis journey was only possible thanks to the support of generous donors who funded scholarships and other resources I relied on. Being a student at Regis is like being in a really big family. Everyone is looking out for one another. After my first semester I never walked into a class without knowing someone. My name is Luke Heter ’18 and I graduated with my B.A. in music with an emphasis in education. I hope to pursue a career teaching music in the Denver area.
John Bradley, RC ’14, was named the North Dakota Wildlife Federation executive director. Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, California, named Robert Cook, RHCHP ’15, its chief nursing officer. Transportation Technology Center Inc. named Kari Gonzales, ACB ’16, as its vice president and chief financial officer. Bridgewell, a human services nonprofit in Massachusetts, named Christopher Tuttle, ACB ’16, as its CEO. Adrina Gibson, CCLS ’18, was named the director of the Division of Small Business Opportunity at the Denver Office of Economic Development. Christy Smith, RHCHP ’18, joined the San Luis Health Center as a family nurse practitioner.
Give.regis.edu/impact
IN MEMORIAM
“ A L L T H A T L I V E S , L I V E S F O R E V E R . O N LY T H E S H E L L , T H E P E R I S H A B L E PA S S E S AWAY. T H E S P I R I T I S W I T H O U T E N D … E T E R N A L … D E AT H L E S S … ” B H A G AVA D G I TA
MARY ELIZABETH EISENMAN-CARSON, LHC ’42
MICHAEL J. MALLEY, RC ’68
BARBARA A. BUCHEN, LHC ’45
GLADYS KATE JOHNSON, LHC ’69
MARY FRANCES GLASSMAN, LHC ’48
HARRY L. BRICE, RC ’70
BERNICE LORENE BROWNING, LHC ’49
MARY ELIZABETH FLOYD, RC ’70
NANCY A. DAVIS, LHC ’49
THOMAS EDWARD COOGAN, RC ’72
MARY REPARATA HOPP, LHC ’49 FRANK J. LAURETA, RC ’49 MARJORIE ANNE LONG, LHC ’49 MIKE A. QUERING, RC ’49 ANNE RIGER, LHC ’50 SHIRLEY RAE HARVEY, LHC ’51 DANIEL J. SHANNON, RC ’51 WILMA S. FIORI, LHC ’52 PATRICK M. MCALONAN, RC ’54 RONALD J. OARD, RC ’54 JOHN E. BORGERDING, RC ’56 EDMUND JOSEPH BOYCE, RC ’56 JACQUELINE KAY FREUDENSTEIN, LHC ’56
TOM DUGGAN ,
RETIRED REGIS COLLEGE FACULTY IN PHILOSOPHY, DIED ON MARCH 4. HE WAS 82. Duggan spent 34 years at Regis, retiring in 2009. He was named Teacher of the Year 2009 and was faculty athletic representative for the entirety of his tenure. He was athletics director in 197778 and was inducted into Regis’ Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Duggan developed new and innovative courses at Regis, was faculty chapter advisor for Amnesty International and was involved for decades in a philosophy discussion group with Saint Joseph’s Hospital doctors.
JESSE MICHAEL DELACRUZ, LHC ’74 ROBERT S. ECKERT, RC ’76 JUDY E. MCGINNIS, LHC ’76 DWAIN WILLIAM VICTORY, RC ’76 KEVIN JOSEPH SHEAN, RC ’77 GREGORY M. MINARICH, RC ’79 CELESTE M. PIERCE, RC ’79 CAROLYN E. WILLIAMS, LHC ’79 DENNIS ALDEN WEST, LHC ’81 EARL L. DONNAN, CPS ’82 COLLEEN CARMICHAEL, RC ’84 CLAUDIA H. RIETH, CPS ’84
DONALD L. MARTIN, RC ’56
GEORGE S. LEHNHOFF, CPS ’86
ROSEMARY HYATT DALTON, LHC ’57
SANDRA JANE DEMILLE, RC ’87
CLAIRE BELLE MARIE BENZEL, LHC ’58
PATRICIA ANN NELSON, RC ’87
ROMAN A. BORGERDING, RC ’58
KATHERINE C. BROWN, LHC ’88
MICHAEL C. DOLLAHAN, RC ’58
KURT ROBERT HOLZKAMP, RC ’88
THOMAS HENRY PEPIN, RC ’59
MICHAEL D. BRITTAIN, CPS ’89
LAWRENCE JOSEPH SPRINGER, RC ’59
GRACE E. KAJER, CPS ’89
JAMES C. SUTTON, RC ’59
JEANETTE MARIE SOUTHWICK, CPS ’89
AIMEE THOMPSON, RC ’59
DEAN A. GIAUQUE, CPS ’90
RICHARD EDMUND KELLY, RC ’60 TERESA ANN CLARK, LHC ’62 BARBARA JEAN MILLER, LHC ’62 DAVID EDMUND COFFEY, RC ’63 GERALD B. FABIANO, RC ’63 WILLIAM BENTON MCCURDY, RC ’63 JOHN JOSEPH O’CONNOR, RC ’63 MICHAEL J. MAROTTA, RC ’64 MICHELE E. NELAN, LHC ’64 LAWRENCE LEO RIEF, RC ’64 H. RICHARD HOUSTON, RC ’65 WILLIAM EDWARD ROTTINO, RC ’65 KAREN EILEEN ZETTL, LHC ’65
40
THOMAS EDWARD NEWTON, RC ’73
Summer 2019 | REGIS UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
JUDY NEWTON HARPER, CPS ’90 & ’93
CHARITY TILLEMANN-DICK,
OPERA SINGER AND REGIS ALUMNA, DIED ON APRIL 23. SHE WAS 35. She was 14 when she enrolled at Regis, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics, but it was her work with the music department that left a lasting legacy. She petitioned the university to add a music program in 2001 and earned a music minor in 2002. She underwent two double lung transplants and endured skin cancer. Still, she continued her impressive opera career throughout. She performed at the Lincoln Center in New York in 2011 and performed until 2015.
MARY JOYCE CALNAN, CPS ’94 KEVIN L. MCCORMICK, CPS ’94 JOHN T. KLINE, CPS ’97 LOIS G. ADLFINGER, CPS ’07 & ’10 JESSICA LYNN EDMONDS, CPS ’08 MARY ANN KENNEDY, RHCHP ’11 JOSEPH WILLIAM MORELLI, RHCHP ’12 RICHARD A. ZARUBA, RHCHP ’13 AMANUEL M. ABERA, CPS ’14 MARGARET CONIGLIO, CPS ’15 RENEE ROSS MORAN, CCIS ’15 LEILANI TANNER, CCLS ’17
Nearly 1,700 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students graduated in early May. Congratulations to all the graduates! REGIS.EDU
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