Highlander Welcome to Regis First-Year Issue 2021

THE HIGHLANDER WELCOME TO REGIS FIRST-YEAR ISSUE

GUIDE TO CAMPUS INCLUDING MAP

REGIS RESOURCES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

WHAT WE WISH WE KNEW AND OTHER ADVICE

CLUBS ACROSS CAMPUS

AUGUST 2021 REGIS UNIVERSITY 3333 REGIS BLVD. DENVER, CO 80221

Letter from the Editor Hello reader! Thank you for picking up our first ever first-year issue. The Highlander is our student-run publication on campus, and we wanted to kickstart this year with a Welcome to Regis issue. Our goal with this issue is to provide a for-students, by-students guide to campus. While Regis offers you many of the tools you need to succeed, sometimes it can be helpful to get some guidance from those that were once in the place you now find yourself in.

Your first year is definitely an exciting time, so soak in every moment and experience. But it can also be a little hectic, confusing, and nerve-wracking.

You are bombarded by a new place, new surroundings, new information and oh yeah, the pressure of the future. Take a deep breath, keep yourself grounded and hold your head high! You got this.

A few things this issue focuses on include how to get ahead with your classes, how to adjust to dorm life, clubs you can get involved in, a simplified map to help you navigate campus, words from students who just graduated, and little pieces of advice tucked in along the way.

I hope our humble guide will provide a little helpfulness on your journey! I am so excited to welcome you all into the Regis community and see what amazing thoughts and ideas you will bring.

Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief

Thank you to Carly Compesi, Sarah Gomez, and Kira Oviedo for your help in creating this one of a kind issue

How to Get Ahead One of the best decisions I made as firstyear was figuring out where I was at and what classes I needed to take. While you have time to figure out your major, since you don't need to declare until the end of your sophomore year, it is in your best interest to at least know where you are

Do you have AP or dual enrollment credits?

Yes

No

Do you know what you want to major in?

Yes

No

There's no pressure! With Regis, you don't have to declare until your sophomore year. Start considering which direction you want to go and talk to people within the department (professors and students) to see if it is something you want to pursue.

By Morgan Jacobus

at with your general requirements. Once it is time to register for spring classes, your first-year adviser will help you and guide you through registration, but if you follow these steps, you will be more prepared (not to mention ahead of your classmates).

First, go to WebAdvisor and under Academic Profile, click on Transcript, and it will show what credit you got for those classes. Then, ask for a form with the general requirements for a Regis degree (your first year adviser can help you with that). From there, you can crossmatch what your classes were transferred as with the requirements and then have a better idea of what classes you have left to take.

If you know your major, declare it officially with either a paper form through the Dean’s Office in Loyola or digitally through WebAdvisor. Even if you came in with a major, you still have to officially declare, then from there you can try to get a major-specific adviser.

Start asking around your major's department for information about majoring. It's likely that your major will have a packet with the requirements for that degree, so you can see what kind of classes you will have to take. You can also see about who you can have as an adviser.

Some Words of Wisdom from the Regis Community College is a fun time and you deserve to have fun, too

Don't obsess over school work

Do fun stuff with new people Don't be afraid to ask for help from your faculty (and go to office hours!)

Take a mental health day when needed

or s i v r ad u o Y ally r u is yo

Don't be afraid to drop a class, especially fall semester!

Take advantage of fun things that go on around campus (especially free food)

Take time to do stuff

REGIS SUSTAINABILITY CLUB Calling all First-Year Students!

This upcoming fall semester, the Regis Sustainability Club will have several in-person opportunities to contribute to the Regis community and help make our campus greener! With our club, students will work with like-minded individuals to promote ideas of sustainability and of a more just world. Projects such as the Clear Creek Clean-Up Event (early September) will be a great opportunity for firstyear students interested in environmentalism, sustainability, or volunteering to meet other students with the same passion! Working closely with Adams County, the Sustainability Club has worked hard to ensure a safe, inperson event facilitated and worked by students in an effort to give back to our surrounding community. The Regis Sustainability Club plans to meet on a weekly basis for the Fall 2021 semester, allowing for a free-form discussion

about all things sustainability and gives firstyear students the chance to connect with club members and learn more about volunteer opportunities. In the past, the Sustainability Club has worked hard to promote awareness about environmental issues and social justice issues both on campus and in the city of Denver.

We are a community of students dedicated to environmental change on both a small level on our campus and on a larger scale, by giving back to our surrounding communities!

For more information, contact: Micah Perez, President mperezcharles@regis.edu Olivia Huelsing, Vice President ohuelsing@regis.edu

WHAT'S YOUR

PRIME STUDY SPOT

By Sarah Gomez

How important are study snacks? a must

can do without

Study in silence or noise?

Solo or group sessions?

quiet please I don't mind noise more the merrier

Lattes and coffee or sodas and teas?

just me

sodas and teas

Take breaks or one shot session? lattes and coffee

I need breaks

Light academia or coffee house vibes? coffee house

STUDENT CENTER The student center has plenty of space for you to study, and offers its own appeal. With access to food and drinks all day long, the student center makes studying feel straight out of a movie.

all at once

light academia

ON THE Study room Claver QUAD

Claver offers the same kind of access to food and drinks as the student center, while still providing the peace and quiet needed for solo studying , or space to gather with friends.

Not to mention the amazing food and ice cream bar between subjects.

Studying on the quad is an amazing way to enjoy the scenery and aesthetics of Regis, while still being productive. Tables and space on the lawn are perfect for studying with friends or on your own, just grab some snacks from the student center and you’re all set.

This classic study choice is great for when you have to cram for an exam or a distraction free environment, whether it be for an hour or all day . Studying without interruption is almost certain, but group sessions are still a possibility.

ASIAN STUDENT ALLIANCE ASA is an inclusive and informative club. We aim to bring awareness about the Asian community and their respective cultures as best as we can. We do host two big events every year: The Autumn Moon Festival in the Fall and Lunar New Year in the Spring. These two festivals are celebrated by many Asian countries, but not all and their dates and traditions vary. We do our best to incorporate as many of the Asian cultures that we can to bring as much representation as we can. We are open to anyone joining, even those who do not identify with the Asian community.

Whether it is to experience the food, get to know more about the culture and traditions, or because they are just intrigued, anyone is welcome to experience and be a part of ASA. We just ask for respect towards the culture and the people.

We as ASA try to get people to talk about their stories and experiences in the API community. We want to hear everyone's stories whether through speaking events or even just during discussions in meetings. If people aren't willing or ready to discuss their stories/experiences in person, we are also open to healing about them through other channels.

For more information, contact ASA's co-presidents: Jordan Super-Hill jsuperhill@regis.edu Gabby Sanchez gsanchez001@regis.edu

CLAVER CHAPEL ARTS CENTER

RESIDENCE VILLAGE

MAIN

WEST HALL O'CONNELL ATHLETIC CENTER FIELD HOUSE STUDENT CENTER

DESMET DIRECTIONS CENTER

CARROLL LIBRARY

CLARKE

SCIENCE CENTER

LOYOLA

A Student's Guide to Campus

By Morgan Jacobus

symbol key Places to eat and buy food

Books

Places you can get coffee

Art center

Classrooms

gym and fitness

has computers and printing

clinic and counseling

Claver

Claver market where you can buy snacks, smoothies, coffee, and food for your dorm Classrooms (including nursing) Auditorium and music Computers and printers available

Main

Student accounts Classrooms (including art rooms) Official administration (president, provost, etc.)

Student Center Coffee shop Cafeteria and Walker's Pub Regis University Student Government Association and Programming Board Diversity office and Student Affairs

Library

residential building

Books and archives, some textbooks available for use in the library DVDs and digital equipment Computers and printing Research help and study rooms

sports buildings science classes/ labs student financial resources

Carroll

Computer labs with printers Lots of professor offices Tech help center

Clarke

Learning commons (help with writing and tutors) Center for Career and Professional Development Starbucks (but you can't use Starbucks gift cards or Regis flex dollars) Highlander room and radio station

Loyola

Dean's Office and Internship Office First Year Experience Office and some professor offices Financial Aid Office Classrooms

Directions Center Gym, Outdoor Adventure Program, Bike Repair Shop Clinic and free counseling

If I Could Go Back Told Through the Eyes of Carly Compesi and Katey Funderburgh, Then and Now

I remember who I was in 2018: anxious and afraid, but determined to find myself.

I am still her, that big-eyed first-year Regis student who believes she can help change the world, who remains insatiably curious and desperate to belong.

If I could’ve been there on her first day, I would’ve put my hands on her shoulders and said this: This is going to be hard. But it will also be more beautiful than you can imagine.

You are becoming who you are meant to be. You are learning to love this Earth and be loved by the people in it. You are going to be okay.

I remember who I was in 2018: insistent on never calling campus my home.

When I came to Regis, I locked myself in my past, determined to stay the person I’d always been.

When I felt like leaving Regis, I locked myself in the bathroom, sobbing, wishing I could cut myself open and disappear Until a friend slammed on the door, came inside, and cried with me.

If I could’ve been there on my first day, I would’ve put my hands on my own shoulders and said: You have permission to be a hundred different people— A thousand different people if that’s what it takes.

Just look for the people who will slam on the door and cry with you.

Be the person who will slam on the door and cry with them.

Be who you are.

Dear Reader, whoever you are, I’m sorry, maybe I’ve been lying to you this whole time. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything.

Here I am now, age 22. I’m writing this from my mother’s house in the midst of this pandemic, climate disaster, political upheaval, social awakening— it feels like all of history is happening right now.

Here I am now, in 2021. I’m writing this from my childhood home after the shortest, longest four years—it feels like my whole life has led up to this moment that no one prepared me for.

I’m scared.

I want to get it right, do my part, live a good and full life while working for the kind of social change that Regis has taught me to believe in. I want to find the confidence that Regis instilled within me and use it to set the world on fire. In moments of anxious nostalgia like this, I really do miss college.

I miss my classes and my professors.

I miss dodging squirrels after my classes.

I miss late nights and too-much coffee and sitting in the library with my friends.

I miss singing in the car when pizza at midnight sounded better than writing essays.

I miss the euphoria of parties, Ranger Days, sun-drenched afternoons on the quad— all of those times when my community became my center.

I miss walking through the Student Center after those parties and Ranger Days and sun-drenched afternoons—all those times when I thought time stretched on forever.

I even miss my mistakes, how young and messy they were.

How young and messy I still am, and maybe always will be.

It’s been 3 months since I graduated and I still haven’t gotten used to feeling completely uprooted from the life I loved at Regis. Some part of me is still anxiously expecting to move into those freshman dorms and start over. I feel lost all over again, like I did on my first day in 2018 only this time, I’m preparing a future that isn’t filled with all the people I didn’t know I would meet four years ago.

I’m scared.

But I know that, in four more years, I’ll look back on this and wish I could’ve been there with the girl writing from her mother’s house in 2021. I’ll imagine putting my hands on her shoulders and saying this: You are becoming who you are meant to be. Be who you are, and you will be okay.

I believe in you.

Dear Reader, whoever you are. I'm sorry, maybe I've been lying to you this whole time. If I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing.

Your New Home Dealing with the blank canvas of your new room and the other person that lives there

Making Your Space Your Own

BY S A R A H GOMEZ

Regis welcomes you home, but for many of us, we never felt further from it. One of the best ways to settle into your new room is to make it your own. The four plain or brick walls may not seem like your space, but with a few things of your own, you will feel right at home in no time.

For starters, put something personal on the wall. This can be anything from a poster of your favorite band, photos of friends back home, or a tapestry of your choice. Once that's up, you can place your LED strips or fairy lights in a way that frames it, or in a way that will provide light for late-night studying or just for when your roommate turns out the lights.

Of course, this is the bare minimum, you can add whatever else you would like to make it feel more your own. However, there are some things many people end up not liking after a few weeks.

Throw Pillows and Squishmallows are more often on the floor than anything. Most people forget to update a whiteboard or find their area rug annoying after just a few weeks. Everyone is different, so just use the simple rule of thumb: would I use this at home?

Must haves for decorating STICKY PUTTY EXTRA STORAGE BINS STORAGE OTTOMAN PERSONAL LIGHTING OF YOUR CHOICE DESK LAMP LED STRIPS FAIRY LIGHTS

Roommates and How to Deal

BY MORG A N JACOBUS AND SARAH GOME Z

One of the biggest transitions to college can be having to share a dorm room. It can take some adjustment, but with a few simple things to keep in mind, it can be a pleasant experience for you and your roommate. Here are my top recommendations for making dorm life bearable

1. Be courteous of the fact that you are sharing a common space

3. Set clear expectations When you move in, your RA is probably going to

It is not just your room, so be mindful that you are

have you fill out a roommate agreement, and for

sharing your room with a whole other person. Don’t

good reason. This will outline both of your

take up a lot of floor space, and try to keep your

expectations for how you are going to live

belongings on your side of the room. Depending on

harmoniously, from level of cleanliness/ any

how clean your roommate prefers (which you

cleaning expectations to level of noise and about

should discuss before you move in or once you

what times you go to bed/ wake up. All of these

move in), try to maintain your agreed upon level of

affect you and your roommate, so it is better to be

tidiness.

upfront about your preferences so there isn’t confusion later on.

2. Communicate It may seem obvious, but an important thing to

4. Don’t expect to be best friends right off the

remember when dealing with roommates is to

bat

communicate. If there is something that bothers

It is possible for roommates to become really close

you, respectfully speak up about it and have a

friends, but don’t be disappointed if this doesn’t

conversation. When it comes to anything regarding

happen for you. Whether you become friends with

the room, you should have an open line of

your roommate or not, at least be respectful and

communication. For instance, if anyone is going to

kind to them while you share this space for the

be coming over, if you are going to be away or

year. If you have any conflicts that you are unable to

coming back late, or if you need some space to have

resolve on your own, try to have a mediator like an

some privacy.

RA to try to smooth things over.

Most Compatible Roommates According to Your Zodiac Sign Aries - Gemini or Leo Taurus - Cancer or Capricorn Gemini - Libra or Aries Cancer - Taurus or Scorpio Leo - Sagittarius or Libra Virgo - Capricorn or Scorpio Libra - Gemini or Leo Scorpio- Cancer or Virgo Sagittarius - Aries or Aquarius Capricorn - Virgo or Scorpio Aquarius - Sagittarius or Gemini Pisces - Cancer or Taurus

Considering Communication?

This wide-ranging major has helped hundreds of students begin rewarding careers in marketing, public relations, media production, audio production, social media management, education, business and nonprofit management, law, real estate, community service, sports, sales, health care, event planning and the arts—and other paths too numerous to mention. Majors can choose from 3 emphasis areas:

Lambda Pi Eta is the National Communication Association Honor Society - Strive to Become a Member!

Media & Society Emphasizing practical application through community engagement and production, students have opportunities to create online content (i.e., podcasts, videos, etc.); write for our school newspaper, The Highlander; produce a show for our radio station, KRCX; write critical-cultural reviews of popular culture for conferences, and much more.

Human Communication & Conflict Studying human communication develops knowledge and practices that (unique in their centrality to everything we do) can transform the quality of our lives. Students learn to think with greater insight, complexity and nuance about performed behavior, relationships and how people make meaning as well as explore consequences of a conflict-ridden society.

Public Relations & Civic Engagement The Public Relations and Civic Engagement emphasis at Regis focuses on ethical and transparent public relations that works for social good.

While we approach PR primarily from an advocacy lens, students are equipped with the theoretical and practical skills needed to tell stories to a wide variety of people across a range of platforms.

GLOBAL MEDICAL BRIGADES

Do you enjoy helping others traveling to new places or making a positive impact on the world If so then Global Brigades is the club to join Global Brigades is an international non profit that uniquely implements a holistic model to meet a community s health and economic goals Here at Regis we are involved in the Medical Brigades where we provide health clinics to communities in Greece Honduras Nicaragua Guatemala Panama and Ghana Each year we travel to one of these countries to work with the community and learn about their culture You do not need to have any medical experience to participate in the trip Although the pandemic has prevented our travel in the past all brigades are opening up and we will be good to visit one of these amazing countries next May We hope to see you at our meetings this fall ,

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PRESIDENT GLENN KOZLOWSKI GKOZLOWSKI REGIS EDU GRADUATE VP ELIZABETH MOSLANDER EMOSLANDER REGIS EDU @

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JOIN THE HIGHLANDER We are calling all writers, photographers, designers, artists, poets, reviewers, passionate people, social media gurus, and everyone in between! If you are interested in sharing your creativity and having your voice heard, email Morgan Jacobus about joining the Highlander at mjacobus001@regis.edu

Follow us on Instagram @ruhighlander Check out our website ruhighlander.org

Cover and back cover photos by Morgan Jacobus