Regis Jesuit is having yet another fantastic year across all spring sports.

The swimming team, sitting pretty at an undefeated record of 19-0 this year,  is heading off to the state meet May 18th in Grand Junction. Senior Clark Smith has already placed 1st in a number of events including the 50, 100, and 200 free. Junior Hennessey Stuart continues to power the team with 1st place finishes in the 100 Backstroke and the 200 Individual Medley. It would be an understatement to say that RJ has been a powerhouse in swimming for quite some time now, and it looks like this year will be no different.

The Regis Jesuit Track and Field team has excelled this season despite cancelled practices and meets due to frequent snow storms. Juniors John Schmidt and Jalen Williams have been dominating their respective events recently, the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Both have finished in 1st place in these events and will compete at the state meet, starting on Thursday, May 16th and finishing on Saturday the 18th. Senior Sean Morton has also had an outstanding season with 1st place finishes in the 400 and 800 meter races. Junior Jordan Hatfield already holds the Regis Jesuit pole vault record but that hasn’t stopped him from improving. Jordan recently set a personal record of 16 feet at the Continental League Championships earlier this month.

The Lacrosse team was once again one of the most dominant teams in the state this year. After posting a 13-5 record for the year, they turned in two victories in the playoffs against Highlands Ranch and Mullen before falling to Arapahoe in the semi-finals. While a loss this close to the championship is devastating to the team, this year was no disappointment. Our Regis Raiders ended their season ranked 3^rd in the entire state, behind only Arapahoe and Cherry Creek (the two teams meeting in the Championship). Their biggest victory of the year has to be their victory on May 8^th against Arapahoe, with a score of 9-6. Some stand out players are Blake Knobloch, who led the team with 29 goals and 50 ground balls, and Aaron Horvat, who had a very balanced year with 13 goals and 18 assists.

In a year with another new head coach, the Regis Baseball Team kept up the tradition of excellence yet again this year. Toughing it out in a spring with half their games being postponed because of snowstorms, the Raiders accomplished a 14-6 record overall and they finished with a ranking of 6^th overall in the state. After a great win over Littleton in the first round with a score of 7-3, the team fell in their next game against Chatfield. The final score was Chatfield 5, Regis 1. Even though their season ended prematurely, there were many bright spots on the squad this season. Senior Brody Weiss led the way with a .371 batting average and 23 RBI. Showing us that we still have a lot of talent for next season, 3 juniors really stood out this year. Justin Thaxton hit for a .417 average and 18 RBI while Max George hit for a team-best .468 with 30 runs scored and 17 RBI. Showcasing our talent on the mound, ace David Peterson had a record of 4-2, a 1.60 ERA, 2 complete games, 56 strikeouts, and only 13 walks.

The boys varsity volleyball squad also captured their fourth consecutive state title this past weekend. The boys rugby squad had a successful season before losing in a playoff game this past month. Overall, it’s been another standout year for Regis Jesuit athletics.

1^st Place- Play-by-Play Sports Action: Tommy Reins, Joe Quigley, Jake Lennert, Colin Stover, and Justin Brasel “Boys Basketball vs. Grand Junction Sweet 16 Playoff game” Watch the game HERE

1^st Place- Photo Essay: Emma Bridgewater, Vistoria Cassaretto, Yana Slabakov, and Olivia Froelich “Master of the House: Les Mis”  Read HERE

1^st Place- Alternative Coverage Treatment: Allie Petko & Ann Perchiazzi “What She Really Means”  Read HERE

3^rd Place-  Sports Reaction Photography: Jackson Burkholder Girls Basketball 5A State Championship win photo See the photo HERE

 3^rd Place – LifeStyle Coverage: Alex Arora “The Walking Dead: Zombie Culture in America”  Read HERE

 Honorable Mention: State of National News Video Broadcast: Chambers Giblin “Props & Amendments”  Video News package Watch HERE

 Honorable Mention: LifeStyle News Feature: Yana Slabakov “Plastics in our Lives”  Read HERE

Honorable Mention: Critical Review: Liam’s Game Reviews: Liam McAleveay Read HERE

 SEE the Colorado High School Press Association website for more details on the Best of Colorado awards. HERE

Fantasy Baseball Part 1

Fantasy Baseball Part 2

By: Nina Kelley ’15

Jean Valjean was arrested and imprisoned for nearly 20 years stealing a mere loaf of bread. Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables is a journey through Valjean’s life, presenting the conflict between making decisions based on what is legally right or what is morally right. It shows a strive for love and acceptance and the pain love can cause.

When Valjean is released from prison, he is angry and bitter and is unable to find work or a place to stay due to his “criminal past”. He eventually knocks on a bishop’s door who takes him in and provides him with a bed and food.

Valjean, despite the bishop’s hospitality, attempts to steal all of the bishop’s silver and is caught. The bishop denies Jean’s robbery and gives him even more valuable candlesticks in exchange for Valjean’s commitment of his life to God.

Valjean, moved by the bishop’s kindness, becomes a better man and decides to leave Jean Valjean’s criminal identity behind. He creates various aliases to hide his secret and experiences the discovery and loss of love and the decisions that force him to yet again break the law to protect those he loves.

Les Miserables is traditionally a musical on Broadway, however the more dramatic production of Les Miserables put on by our very own drama department was no less amazing.

Produced and directed by Ms. Dolores Boyle and Mrs. Jodie Prohira, Regis Jesuit’s production Les Miserables was incredible. The costumes were phenomenal, the actors and actresses made the story come alive and the sets were lifelike.

Junior, Kyle Butenhoff kicks the play off with an intimidating and angry voice taking one by surprise. He scares off everyone he comes across but the bishop is not put off by Valjean’s bravado. Instead he invites Valjean into his home and forever changes his life.

We later see Valjean at his desk in his office as a much calmer and inviting man. Captain Beauvais, played by senior Drew Lazzeri, describes him as eccentric but kind. Butenhoff makes Valjean come alive and become a more lovable and intriguing character. He draws you in and as the play goes on, you grow more attached to Valjean and travel through his obstacles in life.

When Valjean saves Fantine, played by senior, Molly Martin, and helps nurse her while she is terribly ill, you begin to see Valjean’s compassion. Upon Fantine’s death and her daughter Cosette’s entrance into Valjean’s life, we continue to see the softer, more loving side of Valjean.

However the amount of love Jean has for Cosette, played by sophomore Brielle Pray, becomes overprotective when Cosette meets Marius Pontmercy, played by junior Steven Szachara, and she begins to fall in love. The progression of Cosette and Marius’ forbidden love is endearing. During their nightly talks in the corner of the garden at night, you can almost feel the love they have for each other.

When Marius must go off to fight with his revolutionary friends at the barricades and Valjean is about to take Cosette away to England, you can see their hearts break and at the sight Cosette’s despair, Valjean’s compassion yet again shines through. He follows Marius to the barricades. After Jean’s arrival to the barricades, he is assigned the task of killing their prisoner, Inspector Javert, played by senior Collin Jostes.

Javert had been after Valjean since he discovered Valjean broke parole and was living a completely separate life. Javert had caused Valjean must distress throughout his life and yet Jean still spared Javert’s life. Javert always followed the law and never strayed from it. He lets Valjean go after discovering Valjean dragging a severely wounded Marius through the sewers to bring him back to beloved Cosette.

When Javert was shown such mercy, he takes his own life due to his decision to go against the law and follow his heart instead. Marius and Cosette were reunited and the play concludes with Jean Valjean walking alone across the stage.

This production was moving. There were scenes that caused you to laugh, and ones that caused your heart to ache for Valjean and for Cosette and Marius’s forbidden love. The sets  made the show realistic and each actor and actress played a crucial role in helping Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables truly come to life.

Watch the Video on the RJ Voice YouTube account HERE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ay41P81SZc

Seniors Hannah Burgan and Emily Kaiser shaved their heads for children’s cancer.

Seniors Hannah Burgan and Emily Kaiser are going bald for the kids that don’t have a choice to loose their hair.

On March 15 the two girls were at Fidos Irish Pub in Downtown Denver supporting the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser. St. Baldricks is an organization that raises money to help research and discover a cure for children’s cancer.

Pubs and barbershops all around the United States volunteer to host events for this foundation. Anyone can participate and help out in a multitude of ways. People can go online and volunteer to be a person who gets their head shaved, a barber, an event coordinator and even sponsor a child with cancer.

For Kaiser and Burgan the idea of shaving their heads came from inspiration of people close to them that had done it before.

“My dad had a mullet and shaved it off a couple years ago and the next year my brother shaved his head and then I decided to do it this year and Hannah decided that she wanted to do it too,” Kaiser said.

“My friend Sydney, who’s like my older sister who went here and graduated two years ago, her freshman year of college she shaved her head and she had long flowing curly hair and she shaved it off. And so that was inspiring and made me want to do it,” Burgan said.

The team name for the two ladies, the Mario Brothers, couldn’t be more fitting.

“On the weekends we get together and play Mario Party a lot and I’m always Mario and Emily’s always Yoshi. So it just seemed to fit,” Burgan said.

Going bald could be a very nerve wracking experience, but Burgan and Kaiser seem to be taking it on with a positive attitude.

“It’s an on and off thing for me. Sometimes I get really but then I think about it and I get really excited. I just think about how many people I am helping and at the end of the day it will just be so cool, even when people look at us all weird for being bald, I think it will be cool to explain to people that I did this because I’m actually trying to cure cancer,” Kaiser said.

“I haven’t really thought about it. I’m worried I’m going to be cold,” Burgan said, “I’m nervous because I have so much hair but it’s for a good cause and I’m trying to help the kids out.”

The administration have had to approve all of the flyers, videos, poster and even what type of razor the girls must use to shave their heads but aren’t the only ones that had to give their approval; so did their parents. But after much explanation of their cause both Burgan and Kaiser received the approval they wanted.

“My dad was alright with it because he has done it. And my mom didn’t want me to do it but after a while she was pretty cool about it. She just wanted me to be prepared for what I was doing,” Kaiser said, “When I explained to her that the reason I want to do it is because I’ll never actually be smart enough to cure cancer if the least I can do is give up my hair, its worth it.”

“My dad first told me no, that it wasn’t even up for discussion. He thought I was doing it out of rebellion and that people would think I was crazy,” Burgan said, “But a month later we talked to my dad again. And I explained to him we were walking in solidarity with those who don’t have a choice to have hair or not. And so he told me I could do it, even though he wasn’t happy about it.”

Burgan and Kaiser’s decision is bold statement, but it’s for a great cause. It will be a daily reminder for them and for the Regis Jesuit community that no matter how big of a problem cancer may be, we can walk on solidarity with those in need.