TEACH IN, SPEAK OUT

by Rachel Hilty’23

TEACH-IN, SPEAK OUT

From November 5th-8th 2021, 12 students and three teachers from Regis Jesuit went to Washington D.C. to participate in the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Social Justice. For the past 25 years, high school and college students have attended this Catholic conference. Attending gives students the opportunity to learn about and discuss solutions to social justice issues like climate change, migration and border control, prison, and gang rehabilitation. In between sessions, students get to explore the nation’s capital and visit various monuments and museums. Regis Jesuit’s delegation had a jam-packed schedule on their trip. 1 DAY 1. BEFORE the sun was in the sky, their experience began. Arriving at Denver’s airport at 5:00 am, they went through long security lines to make the early flight. 2. AFTER four hours soaring across the country, they finally landed in D.C., checked in to the hotel, and grabbed something to eat at Shake Shack. 3. THE REGIS JESUIT GROUP walked miles around the city, visiting many different monuments, memorials, and government buildings in the National Mall, including; the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Nation’s Capital, the Washington monument, the

National treasury, and memorials for World War II, the Korean War, Martin Luther King Jr., and the women who died in the Vietnam War. Kids were free to explore on their own; people took pictures, did handstands on the monuments, and watched the sunset. 4. THEY ENDED THE DAY with a cold walk home, taking a break to grab Chipotle, more walking in the cold, some card playing, and a reflection in the lobby about their day.

2DAY 1. THEY WOKE UP and grabbed breakfast and then went to the Holocaust museum where students reflected on the horror and violence of the events and explored the museum on their own. 2. LATER, after visiting the Holocaust museum, the group grabbed lunch from food trucks and then went to the African American Museum. 3. THEN THE GROUP GRABBED an early dinner and had a little bit of time to relax before the first events of the Teach-In.

4. THAT NIGHT, conference students went to the hotel ballroom to hear a keynote by Fr. Brian Massingale, a professor of Theology and Ethics at Fordham University, who spoke about acceptance. 5. AFTER THAT, students got to attend a session of their choosing, including one by Fr. Greg Boyle. 6. FINALLY, the group reflected in the lobby and called it a night.

3DAY 1. THE DAY STARTED EARLY with students grabbing breakfast in the crowded lobby before a full day of conference sessions and break out rooms. 2. THE MORNING STARTED WITH a general session where U.S Climate Action Network Executive Director Keya Chatterjee spoke out about climate change. After that, people got to go to a breakout session of their choosing, including ones about ethical purchasing. 3. AFTER THE FIRST BREAKOUT SESSION students had lunch and then attended another breakout session on topics like prison sentencing before attending another general session where Fr. Greg Boyle, author of Tattoos on the Heart, talked about the importance of forgiveness. 4. THEN they held a Mass with all the schools that attended before dinner. 5. THE DAY WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN OVER, but the people at the Teach-In decided to go to the White House and pray a vigil in the dark against Title 42, which allows refugees to be expelled or denied entry from the country during public health crises. All the schools marched around the square in front of the White House with candles in hand chanting prayers for the martyrs and refugees. 6. AFTER THE LATE NIGHT vigil, people went straight to bed.

1. DAY 4 was mostly just a travel day, the Regis Jesuit group started off the morning by sleeping in and then grabbing breakfast before heading to the airport. 2. THE GROUP ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT and, after a four hour flight, they made it safely back to Denver.

Photo by Elijah Hawkins ‘22

by Kyra Graham ‘23 COACH MEET KelleyNew strategies for new beginnings

to learn more about Coach Kelley and her new journey at Regis Jesuit

Varsity girls’ basketball has always been one of the school’s star sports. With former famous players and games, the need for a varsity girls’ coach who not only played but could teach was vital. With such an important sport, the shoes would be hard to fill, but as the basketball season approaches, we finally get to meet the new girls’ varsity team coach: Jordan Kelley, someone who more than fulfills the requirements to lead the team and everyone on it all the way to state.

Coach Kelley, born and raised in Gillette, Wyoming, has played basketball almost all her life. She competed all the way up through high school, growing a strong passion for the game, and then moved on to also play in college. She played a total of five years of college basketball between the two universities she attended. After that she came to Denver, Colorado, not only to start but also to coach her very own club program for girls’ basketball. She started in 2016 coaching all ages, and during the time she wasn’t coaching her own club program, she was acting as assistant varsity coach for our team. In 2018, she moved in order to be the assistant coach of the girls’ basketball team at the University of Idaho. The prestige of Regis Jesuit High School brought her back three years later to act as head coach of the varsity team.

She loved the idea of not only being able to coach the students here but to be able to impact their lives, helping them to pursue all their dreams not only on the court or in the off season, but in all their hopes for life in general. She wants to focus on the program by creating a culture that brings both success and happiness.

She believes that a positive community, teamwork, strength, and a good mental foundation will really bring the whole team together. She wants the team to not only seek their own successes but also to help their teammates succeed, learning to support each other while they go along the same journey.

Coach Kelley of course hopes to bring the girls to state this year but emphasizes it must be done the right way, using positivity and support to aid any struggles the team might have this year.

She plans on readjusting some old habits on the team, habits involving not only their view on the world but also their playing style. She also plans to implement more of Regis Jesuit’s philosophy in everything she and her team does.

She’s most looking forward to simply getting to know the girls on the team and seeing them improve. While confident that the team could start with how college level basketball teams are coached, she believes that teaching from the very fundamentals is the best way to make sure they everyone is on the same page.

Her final wish for this season is to see the team have fun, improve, and win games along the way.

REGIS JESUIT’S NEWEST MUSIC TEACHER, MS. JULIE BRUCHS SHARES A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERSELF AND HER MOVE TO RJ

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO REGIS JESUIT? The former instrumental music director, Dr. He, and I have worked together for several years. She shared that she was moving and reached out to see if I was interested in learning more about teaching at Regis. After visiting and interacting with the staff and students, I felt a strong sense of both calm and excitement about the prospect of being a part of the community here. So far, I am really enjoying it!

WHAT MADE YOU FIRST INTERESTED IN MUSIC? I was really involved in dance and musical theatre as a kid. I also started playing piano when I was seven and violin when I was eleven. I loved it and felt that these areas were connected and gave me a sense of identity and passion. Music was the place I would go when things were challenging, and it served as a means of forming a deep connection with my friends and family.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SONG? Currently, O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridson and the fourth movement of Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, but there are way too many songs and pieces I love for me to have just one favorite!

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BRING TO REGIS JESUIT? I hope to bring a sense of compassion and care for students, while also helping them achieve their musical and academic goals.

WILL YOU MAKE ANY NEW CLUBS? I am currently working with the Drumline and Musicians at Mass along with Concert Band and String Orchestra. I am looking forward to building these programs along with the passionate students who are involved in them!

HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR FIRST DAY WENT? The first day went smoothly. I came from teaching in a similar program at a nearby high school. I love the context, priorities, and philosophies Regis embodies so far!