Marquette Tribune | February 8th, 2022

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Anonymous Recycling spoons to make ‘Rad Rings’

Marquette Affirmations MU student refurbishes thrifted silverware into jewelry that will not tarnish

By Patrick Curran

By Skyler Chun

Everyday as I scroll through my Instagram stories, I see one common thread; @Marquette_Affirmations posts being reposted by fellow students.

There have been many student-run Marquette Instagram accounts that have faded into the background and didn’t quite hit the mark. Some examples include accounts such as, Marquette Couples and Marquette Redheads.

However, Marquette Affirmations has become widely relevant on campus, with 1,841 followers in just the last four and a half months.

The anonymous messages account posts “daily affirmations (for) golden eagles fans,” says the account bio.

The account brings a light-hearted energy that may be needed due to the stressors of a college campus. With their submissions open to everyone, they also interact with people on campus who voice their own manifestations on a daily basis. *J. Doe provides commentary on everything from Marquette basketball to dorm life, dining hall food and the life of a Marquette student, while at times even criticizing the administration.

Doe has requested to be anonymous for ensuring protection of their privacy. The Marquette Wire has honored that request.

In one post, @Marquette_Affirmations shared “Campus Safety is not an Oxymoron.”

It also provides a digital landscape for students to bond over shared experiences and opinions while staying humorous and light-hearted.

Yet, conversations surrounding the

Old silverware, thrifting and a love of jewelry were three things that allowed Tori Radermacher, a senior in the College of Engineering, to find a sense of community from doing something she loves.

Radermacher is the owner of Rad Rings, a small student-run business that turns thrifted spoons and other antique silverware into rings.

“I always loved the ring aesthetic and layered jewelry, but I couldn’t afford jewelry that didn’t tarnish,” Radermacher said.

After discovering spoon rings – weatherproof and tarnish-proof rings made from old silverware – on TikTok, she decided to try making them herself.

“I started with thrift stores,” Radermacher said. “There are buckets and buckets of spoons and they’re only 10 cents a piece. They’re usually kind of disorganized so I just kinda sit there probably for about 20 minutes sorting through and looking for ones with unique patterns or souvenir spoons.”

After buying her first set of metals, Radermacher asked her dad to help her make her first ring.

“We used bolt cutters and a dremel to sand it and then my dad mainly just bent it with pliers,” she said. “It took about an hour and a half just to get it to the right size.”

A dremel is a hand-held rotary tool with various attachments used for carving, engraving or shaping.

All rings are $15 and ordered through Radermacher’s Instagram shop @Rad_Rings_.

“We knew that wasn’t going to work out for future rings, so I started doing some research and found pretty much the only way to make them efficiently was using a ring press,” she said. “I decided if I went ahead and bought (a ring press), I could make jewelry for myself, my friends, my family and then potentially sell them and that’s how it got started.”

Radermacher said she uses Instagram to promote her products. She said she posts

skyler.chun@marquette.edu

patrick.curran@marquette.edu

See ANONYMOUS page 8A INDEX

CALENDAR....................................................3A MUPD REPORTS...........................................3A A&E................................................................8A OPINIONS....................................................10A SPORTS........................................................12A

Photos courtesy of @rad_rings_ on Instagram

the spoons as they are, just cleaned and polished. Customers then purchase the spoon of their choice and get to customize it to their size and what type of wrap they want (plain or spiral), so each ring is unique to them.

While Radermacher said the money she makes from this business typically goes toward groceries and other everyday purchases as a college student, the support she received has also gone toward helping her family.

“I recently did a fundraiser for my sister who is struggling with some health issues,” she said. “She’s had a decent amount of hospital bills so I thought that this was something I could do to help relieve some of that stress for my family.”

She said her friends and family have all been supportive of her business.

“They’re my biggest customers, and they tell all their friends … Spreading the word, that just brings more people in,” she said.

Mya Coene, a senior in the College of Education, became roommates with Radermacher in Cobeen Hall their first year after meeting through the Marquette Facebook page.

“One of the shared interests that we had from the beginning of our friendship was rings, so I was ready to support her from the beginning of her business,” Coene said. “Watching her spoon rings business grow has been so amazing because she gets more and more creative with each drop.”

Radermacher’s newest line is stamped rings, where she uses steel stamps to en See RECYCLING page 2B

NEWS

SPORTS

OPINIONS

Walking the stage

Lewis makes a splash

We need to be better

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Class of 2022 will graduate on Summerfest grounds, May 22

First-year forward’s makes a case for top player in BIG EAST

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Smarts make impact on MU community

Maya and Shaka Smart lend aid to Black students

us. That’s what sports are all about. That’s what coaching is all about — trying to get our guys to be part of something much bigger than themselves.”

The university mentioned the fund will mirror the university’s Bridge to Future Fund, which was established to help students experiencing financial struggles that would jeopardize their ability to continue their Marquette education.

“We all have an opportunity every day to make a difference in ways large and small,” Maya Smart said in the statement. “We are happy to contribute in this way to shine a light on the needs of students who have tremendously bright futures ahead of them and just need a little help.”

University President Michael Lovell announced Monday afternoon that Marquette men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart and his wife Maya have given a “major” gift to help Black students at Marquette to cover emergency expenses.

These expenses will consist of unanticipated loss or travel emergencies as well as food and safety needs.

“The reality is, in higher education, we need to continue to do more and do better for students of color,” Shaka Smart said in the statement.

“Dr. Lovell believes in that Lovell called the Smarts’ gift mission, and that’s why we’re “a true blessing.” here. We want to be a part of “From the moment they something much, much larger, stepped on campus, Shaka and and we want others to join Maya have energized our entire

community,” Lovell said in the statement. “Their significant gift extends far beyond the basketball court through the halls of Marquette, embodying our mission to serve others and foster new opportunities for underrepresented students. Their leadership is an inspiration.”

Deondre Reid, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said Lovell’s remarks about the Smarts’ gift goes beyond the hardwood.

“It makes a statement that people who give back to the community play a big role,” Reid said.

“It means a lot, especially someone who’s like you giving back to you.”

The Smarts’ gift will launch an endowed Student Success Fund in honor of former Marquette men’s basketball forward Bo Ellis and his wife Candy. According to the release, it mentions the Smarts’ recognized the impact the Ellises have made through their foundation, the Nicole Ellis Foundation, which was established after the sudden death of

their daughter Nicole in 2007.

The purpose of their scholarship fund is to help students who might not otherwise be afforded a Marquette education.

“We are truly honored that coach Smart and his wife, Maya, have decided to start an endowed fund named after us. Since establishing our foundation, it has always been our goal to help Marquette students with financial support towards completing their college education,” Bo and Candy Ellis said in the statement.

“This fund will do just that, helping our communities and exposing students to a university that promotes professional excellence. They will have the privilege of joining the great Marquette University family of alumni. It means the world to us.”

Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Scholl said the Smarts’ gift represents the mission of the university.

“We talk often with our student athletes about being women and men who go forward to make a positive impact on the world

and pursue excellence in all that they do,” Scholl said in the statement. “Shaka and Maya not only embrace and speak to these principles — they live them.”

Matt Magden, a senior in the College of Business Administration, said it means a lot to him to see the Smarts provide this opportunity to Black students.

“He didn’t have to do that and we’re always trying to be the difference and be men and women for others,” Magden said. “And I think a lot of people say that and it sometimes seems just like messaging but for him to do that, it’s really above and beyond.”

The Smarts’ gift will help make an impact for current and future Marquette students, with the hopes others will invest in the university’s endowment.

“We wanted to start a fund that could help students immediately, but also we thought it’d be pretty cool if 50 years from now, this fund could still be benefiting African American students,” Shaka Smart said.

Where are the N95s?

Students struggle looking for mask options on campus

By TJ Dysart

theodore.dysart@marquette.edu

Marquette University confirmed Jan. 18 that N95 masks had been ordered and would be distributed across campus for “voluntary use.”

However, many are wondering where the masks are, as some have said the N95s have been hard to find on campus.

“I haven’t seen them, but I definitely have heard of them,” Hannah Walsh, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “The only time I have really heard about them being a thing is in labs, but that might not even be through the university itself, that could be the professor bringing them in.”

There are several places where students can get surgical masks. Desk receptionists in residence halls typically have a box on desk. The university has also said there are non-medical grade N95 respirator masks at the information desk in the Alumni Memorial Union and Raynor Memorial libraries.

Andi Nkanasah, a junior in the College of Business Ad-

ministration and desk receptionist at Mashuda Hall, said that many students ask for a mask most days, but unfortunately she cannot supply students with them.

“I would say people ask for a mask every day I work. I mean someone could break it or lose it, but unfortunately we do not have information on if we are getting the N95s yet so I unfortunately have to say (to the residents) ‘I don’t have any,’” Nkanasah said.

Matthew Paulus, the director of risk management and member of the COVID-19 response team, confirmed at the Jan. 25 Academic Senate meeting that 6,000 masks had arrived to campus and 5,000 of those masks had been ordered for distribution. He also said that at the time there were around 50,000 surgical masks on campus and a “few thousand” cloth masks.

The university has also made a request to the City of Milwaukee for 10,000 other masks. There has been no update from the university since then.

“I mean the university said that they ordered the masks but I don’t see them,” PJ Ludwig, a first-year in the College of Business Administration, said. “I just hope that if there was an excuse as to why they aren’t here yet the uni-

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Students have stated it has been difficult to find N95 masks on Marquette’s campus

versity would communicate with us.”

While the assumption seems to be that students are itching to get their hands on the N95s, Walsh said that the assumption that students are pressing the school for the N95s is actually not as accurate as it seems.

“To be honest, I feel like most kids will wear whatever they can get their hands on,” Walsh said. “Everyone is out here losing them or breaking them so even if there could be more locations on campus where students could pick up a blue surgical mask or a cloth one I think that would suffice.”

Ludwig noted an incident in which he accidentally

broke his mask and was left to his own endeavors to find a new one.

“The other day I was walking to class in Cudahy and I went to grab my mask out of my pocket to put it on and it broke. I went to ask my professor by chance if they had one and he said no so then I had to see if anyone at the desks had one and everyone pretty much said the same thing which was ‘No unfortunately we do not have any’ and I almost missed my class,” Ludwig said.

While there is still uncertainty about the state of the masks, some students offered their hope in the university and on-campus organizations.

“I think obviously

Marquette University Student Government and the university are trying to do better provide that but right now we still have no information about those N95s. I think it is definitely better that they at least are pledging that they will role them out because it can suck when people lose them or break them on their way to class so if anything it will make sure students don’t have to panic and freak out about not having a mask and potentially miss class,” Nkanasah said.

To keep up with Marquette’s COVID-19 numbers and protocols, students can visit the Marquette’s COVID-19 Dashboard to learn more and stay up to date.

News

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

“Community. Books. You” provides aid First generation students benefit from free book program

By Phoebe Goebel

phoebe.goebel@marquette.edu

At Marquette University, the undergraduate program costs students $44,970, not including room and board, additional fees and the cost of textbooks.

Two Marquette students created “Community. Books. YOU.”, which is a free textbook lending program for first generation undergraduate students.

Community. Books. YOU. was founded by two Marquette undergraduate students, Wendy Perez and Julie Aleman. Both are first generation students at Marquette and were able to relate to some of the struggles that first generation students face when it comes to juggling college finances.

Perez, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, and Aleman, a sophomore in the College of Communication, developed a plan for an organization that would help students who couldn’t afford

textbooks and other college expenses.

After developing the idea, Perez and Aleman together competed for funds from the college in order to afford the books they hoped to provide to students. They were given the Brewed Ideas Challenge and Dorm Fund and were able to kick off their business plan from there.

Perez used her marketing and entrepreneurship background to help create a business layout that includes two different customer segments, so they have two different processes that they follow. The first process deals with textbook donations.

“We put bins across campus such as in the Alumni Memorial Union, Raynor Library, 707 Hub, and in some academic buildings so that students and faculty members can drop off their textbooks. We have a location in the lower level of Raynor Library that we use to store, catalog and organize the textbooks we get including donated textbooks,” Perez said.

The second process focuses on helping undergraduate students access textbooks for free through the lending program.

The process starts with students reaching out to Community.

Books. YOU. through their Instagram and requesting one book that they would like to lend.

“When we have the student’s textbook, we send them an email about pickup times and notify them to sign a textbook lending agreement in which they will return the textbook in the same condition by the return due date,” Perez said. “At the end of the semester, students return their textbook at the lower level of Raynor in the time slots provided to them.”

The concept of Community.

Books. YOU. was developed

by Aleman.

“When I lived in Puerto Rico, I had a conversation with a college student that stated that many people would throw a lot of stuff away at the end of semesters, including textbooks.

So, this gave me the idea of a program that reuses textbooks while helping students,” Aleman said.

Aleman brought her concept to the attention of Perez, who was passionate about helping students have access to textbooks. Perez experienced dealing with the high costs of textbooks during her first semester

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Community. Books. YOU was founded by two undergraduate students at Marquette.

February 5

MUPD REPORTS February 3

A non Marquette individual person was trespassing in the 1200 block of W. Wisconsin Ave.

Unknown individuals vandalized a Marquette owned vehicle in the 1300 block of W. Clybourn Street.

February 4

February 2

A non Marquette affiliated individual had outstanding warrants for arrest and turned themselves into MUPD. Suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility.

A non Marquette affiliated suspect entered a Marquette affiliated unattended and unsecured vehicle while in a Marquette parking lot and removed property without consent.

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The Marquette Tribune

they agreed to use their passions to start a plan that would help support their fellow students.

At Marquette University, about 22% of students are first generation, and the university says that it is committed to helping these students through proper education.

Cameron Heiser, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, is a first generation college student. Heiser said that to him, being a first generation college student means that you have to go through college with no immediate family member who has attended college and can offer personal experience.

Heiser said that this led to him facing many struggles at college.

To find some sort of home on campus, Heiser joined Marquette University Student Government and is now the executive vice president. He said that through his position he learned about Community. Books.

YOU., but said he wishes he was aware of its services sooner.

“I think this group is crucial to the first generation community here at Marquette,” Heiser said. “It provides a necessary resource because coming into college many first generation students do not actually know how much textbooks cost.”

The leaders of Community.

Books. YOU. are optimistic for the future of the group and hope that more campus organizations learn about its purpose and services.

“Some goals for the future is to spread the word about the program more such as to every college, resident halls and professors. We also hope Community. Books. YOU. is more than a textbook lending program for first generation students by providing a safe, comfortable space, knowing that we are a resource and being able to inspire first generation students,” Perez said.

EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Aimee Galaszewski Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Benjamin Wells NEWS News Editor Megan Woolard Assistant Editors Julia Abuzzahab, Connor Baldwin Reporters TJ Dysart, Bailey Striepling, Hannah Hernandez, Phoebe Goebel, Clara Lebrón PROJECTS Projects Editor Lelah Byron Reporters Christina Espinoza, Maria Crenshaw, Lan McCauley, Max Pieper ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arts & Entertainment Editor Randi Haseman Assistant Editors Kim Cook, Rashad Alexander Reporter Izzy Fonfara-Drewel OPINIONS Executive Opinions Editor Alexandra Garner Assistant Opinions Editor Hope Moses Columnists Grace Cady, Laura Niezgoda, Krisha Patel SPORTS Executive Sports Editor John Leuzzi Assistant Editors Sam Arco, Jackson Gross Reporters Kelly Reilly, Matthew Valente, Ava Mares, Johnnie Brooker, Ben Schultz, Hannah Freireich, Catherine Fink COPY Copy Chief Eleanor McCaughey Copy Editors Alex Wagner, Jack Connelly, Emily Reinhardt, Bailey Striepling VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Grace Pionek Photo Editor Isabel Bonebrake Sports Designer RJ Siano Arts & Entertainment Designer Lily Werner Opinions Designer Kendal Bell Photographers Colin Nawrocki Sarah Kuhns, Josh Meitz, Alex DeBuhr ----

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Relief from chaos in college life Nine-week student wellness program will begin Feb. 25

By Bailey Striepling

bailey.striepling@marquette.edu

A nine-week long student wellness program begins Feb. 25 to guide Marquette students in finding greater balance in life to feel less stressed, be kinder to themselves and experience more gratitude.

“Wellness may seem like a simple, straightforward term, but it actually consists of several dimensions,” Debbie Contreras-Tadych, a psychologist at the Marquette University Counseling Center, said.

Alyson Gerdes, a professor in the department of psychology, and Nakia Gordon, an associate professor in the department of psychology, started “Calming the Chaos” to help guide students on their wellness journey.

Throughout the program, student volunteers will complete wellness exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing or “belly breathing,” yoga, goal setting, nutrition, gratitude, self-compassion and more.

“It’s a different wellness activity each of those weeks and we talk about the wellness activity, we practice it during that week and then it’s another tool in their toolbox of well-

being strategies that they can use at any point,” Gordon said.

The Marquette University Counseling Center outlines the eight dimensions of wellness as physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, environmental and occupational wellness.

Activities such as yoga and nutrition will help promote physical wellness and teach students how to take care of their bodies for optimal health and functioning.

The Marquette University Counseling Center encourages students to learn emotion regulation and how to handle both positive and negative feelings to take care of their emotional wellness.

Another form of wellness, social wellness, focuses on answering questions such as ‘What aspects of your social life do you enjoy?’ and ‘What parts would you like to improve?’

Intellectual wellness exercises will engage students in creative and mentally-stimulating activities which will provide specific skills that can be used to maintain personal wellness, Contreras-Tadych said.

Financial, environmental and occupational wellness are all focused on maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle for yourself. During the program, students will use goal setting to achieve these areas of wellness.

Gordon said that the Ignatian principles will be used at the end of the program as a way for students to

reflect on their experiences through the last form of wellness, spiritual wellness.

The Ignatian principles are openness, generosity, courage, interior freedom, a habit of prayerful reflection on one’s experience, having one’s priorities straight and not confusing ends with means. Ignatius spells out these qualities for an authentic discernment process seeking God’s will and to answer the question ‘how do we know what God wants us to do in life?’

“You hear me using the word wellness and I’m purposely not using mental health or mental wellbeing because people are whole vessels and we want to approach as many aspects of their lives as we can,” Gordon said.

Contreras-Tadych said wellness is increasingly important for students as they enter into early adulthood.

“The balance that wellness provides allows students to better cope with the stresses that come with being in college, increases selfconfidence that is needed to learn and grow in one’s chosen career path and the ability to cultivate and maintain meaningful and healthy relationships,” Contreras-Tadych said.

Through this nine-week program, Gerdes and Gordon want students to learn specific ways to take care of all aspects of their well-being.

“I hope that students walk away with an appreciation that personal wellness is important to all of our lives and that it requires active work

Photo by Sarah Kuhns sarah.kuhns@marquette.edu

The program will begin in Schroeder Complex starting Feb. 25

to maintain wellness,” Gerdes said.

The program begins Friday, Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. in Schroeder Complex and will meet for nine weeks.

If you would like to participate in

the student wellness journey, email wholepersonwellness@marquette. edu with the subject line “Interested in student wellness.”

Marquette students take civil rights trip down south Center for Peacemaking made trip to southern states

By TJ Dysart

theodore.dysart@marquette.edu

“For me this was an experience that was both transformative and in some ways emotional,” Amyah Brooks, a first-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Marquette’s Center for Peacemaking initiated a civil rights pilgrimage that took place over winter break. Students from Marquette were offered an opportunity to explore monuments, museums and real life history through the Southern United States to bring themselves closer to the dark, yet moving civil rights movement.

“The program we put together was a collaboration of offices across campus,” Christoper Jeske, associate director of the Center for Peacemaking, said. “It was the Center for Peacemaking and we had others involved in supporting the program from the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and the libraries, Arts & Sciences and the Office of Black

Student Initiatives.”

The trip started in Milwaukee, moved to St. Louis and then to Memphis, Tennessee. Eventually it got all the way to Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, encouraging students to dive deep into the history and to learn outside the classroom about the unfortunate reality and continued racism in the United States.

“It was amazing to be able to learn about this history that we don’t traditionally get to learn about in most history classes,” Brooks said. “It was American history through the lens of Black Americans.”

Brooks said that the experience was both moving and uncomfortable at some times because of how deep the racist history is rooted in places she traveled. At one point during the trip, she stood on the same ground as those who were innocently lynched.

“It was so terrible and sad to see and all I could think was why did this happen,” Brooks said.

Several of the students on the trip said that their motivation for attending was to learn more about the history of the civil rights movement.

“For me, when I was

thinking about this trip and I was thinking on my own education and I knew that I didn’t have much experience or knowledge other than basic names and basic events,” Nathan Russel, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “I kind of looked at the trip as an opportunity to learn more about the inequalities people still experience to this day,” Russel is also a Center for Peacemaking administration intern and works directly with Marquette employees to increase initiatives like the civil rights pilgrimage. He said that he can only hope more students embark on the civil rights pilgrimage for years to come.

“I think the trip highlights a lot of things that we don’t learn about in most educations regardless of where we live,” Russel said. “I think that is was a great way to kind of open up your mind to a lot of things you might not have known about regarding the civil rights movement.”

Breske said that the group on the pilgrimage had three objectives to accomplish while on the trip: for students to learn about the history, for students to engage in personal

discernment and to experience a deepening of faith.

The pilgrimage was well received, as most of the students went above and beyond in accomplishing those objectives moments after each stop.

Breske spoke on the impact he noticed the pilgrimage had on the students.

“In terms of the impact of the trip it definitely had an impact on all of the students and we really saw that in the students’ personal reflections and them filling the gaps of their knowledge of history,” Breske said.

Sometimes students would have group discussions about their feelings of the pilgrimage as well as some individual journaling. At the end of the pilgrimage, the students submitted their final written reflections.

While the students praised the experience and the opportunity of the pilgrimage, they weren’t shy about sharing the upsetting reality of America’s history.

“There is a very large aspect to when it comes to oral history that is so much different than sitting in a classroom,” Russel said. “We went to a monument named the National Monument for Peace and Justice, It had big pillars and posts that

were hanging on the top and every block that is hanging has a county and a state along with all of the names of people who were lynched during the civil rights movement.”

Brooks said that her favorite location not only displayed the civil rights movement but also all the acts of racism and slavery that led up to the movement itself.

“I really liked the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama,” Brooks said “It started all the way from the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to modernday police brutality. It went from the 1600s all the way up to 2020 because they added exhibits since the summer of 2020.”

The students who went on the trip strongly encouraged others to participate next year as it was moving and educational.

“It is something like when you get there and you actually look at it wholeheartedly, you have to think about the experience and it really hits hard because it isn’t something you can even imagine how people went through it,” Russel said.

News

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

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Class of 2022 takes the stage at Summerfest American Family Amphitheater to be graduation venue

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

What does Marquette’s Class of 2022 have in common with Justin Bieber, Halsey, Gabby Barrett and Jason Aldean?

They will all take the stage at Summerfest’s American Family Insurance Amphitheater this year.

Marquette’s Class of 2022 will have their names read as they walk across the Summerfest stage at commencement May 22.

“Graduation at Summerfest is an awesome idea. With COVID-19 still sadly being a very large part of our lives, Summerfest gives us a great location to allow a mask free (hopefully) graduation for more than just ourselves and one or two guests. This location is also at one of Milwaukee’s best and most iconic venues,” Max Voboril, senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Last year graduates could only invite a maximum of two guests to graduation at American Family Field. In addition to a change of venue, there is also no limit to the amount of people a graduate can invite.

“It might be too crowded, but graduation is a big deal. I think whoever wants to come should be able to come to see someone that they know graduate,” Anuhya Kakumanu, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said.

Though the change of venue brings a ticketless aspect, there are still some concerns for graduation. The university has said that graduation will occur May 22 “rain or shine.”

While the American Family Insurance Amphitheater is partially covered it does not have a retractable roof like American Family Field.

“The only other comment I have relates to rain, the main question mark I’ve heard amongst friends with regard to graduation. If the weather holds, I assume graduation will be a hit. If it pours, that may make the day much less enjoyable, and raise questions as to why Amfam wasn’t again used as the location,” Voboril said.

Two ceremonies will be hosted, one at 9 a.m. for undergraduates and one at 2 p.m. for the Graduate School

Photo by of Josh Meitz joshua.metiz@marquette.edu

Many bands and artists have performed on the same stage that Marquette’s class of 2022 will eventually walk across in the summer.

and the Graduate School of Management. This replaces the all-university ceremony and college-specific ceremonies that have been held prior to this year.

However for some of the graduating Milwaukee Brewers fans, there is some sadness over not being able to graduate on the same field where Christian Yelich and other Major League Baseball stars take the field.

“The ticketless aspect is one that I really enjoy, as my last graduation only allowed three guests. I am a massive Brewers fan, and would’ve loved to have graduation there as well, but this has to be a close second and one I’m excited for nonetheless,” Voboril said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Summerfest 2021

was rescheduled to September from its normal June start time.

However this year Summerfest will take place over three different weekends: June 2325, June 30-July 5 and July 7-9.

Marquette commencement will take place May 22.

“I think it’s really amazing to graduate there at the scene of such a large music festival. I’ve never been to Summerfest, so I’m hoping that as a graduation gift I can go to Summerfest,” Kakumanu said.

However, for university officials, the prospect of an outdoor ceremony is fit to host graduation for Marquette’s Class of 2022.

“We are excited to celebrate our graduates’ important milestone in the new American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Summerfest.

It is an excellent outdoor venue that not only will our graduates and their families enjoy, but it also provides us with a safe environment so that we may celebrate together in person,” said Provost Kimo Ah Yun in a news release.

Currently, the Baccalaureate

Mass is scheduled to be held the day before graduation on May 21 at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Panther Arena. The university has said that the site is subject to change based on appropriate COVID-19 precautions.

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Supreme Court retirement opens up position

Justice Stephen Breyer ends career, 27 years served

By Connor Baldwin

connor.baldwin@marquette.edu

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s job was interpreting the laws. Having worked as a Supreme Court Justice for more than 27 years and as a federal judge for over 40 years, his retirement is understood and respected by his peers.

Nominated by former president Bill Clinton, Breyer has served on the Supreme Court since Aug. 1994. His experience working outside of the the judicial branch made him a wellrounded justice, Paul Nolette, associate professor of political science, said.

In the middle of the 20th century, nominees didn’t just work as judges in the courts, many had their own private practice or worked alongside politicians.

Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, Breyer worked with then-Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts who served for 46 years.

“I think it’s good to have a wider range of experiences on the Court and that is something that we will be losing with Stephen Breyer. He was never elected into any position but he did work in Congress and understood the legislative process quite well,” Nolette said.

Breyer was one of three labeled liberals on the Supreme Court, with a conservative majority of 6-3. But with a Democratic president and Senate, it is expected that they will appoint someone with similar political standpoints.

“Biden’s nominee cannot change the majority ruling of the Supreme Court,” Charles Franklin, law professor at Marquette, said. “But it’s not always purely ideological split and a substantial number of cases are decided 9-0 or 8-1.

But on the hot button questions we are much more likely to see a 6-3 or a 5-4 with the liberals in the minority.”

President Joe Biden said that he was going to appoint a Black female justice, which would be a first for the Supreme Court. Nominating someone of a specific background is not unprecedented, while campaigning former President Ronald Reagan said he would appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court which was later confirmed to be Sandra Day O’Connor.

“There is a substantial number of people in the country who are well-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. Every president making nominations considers a variety of factors and among that set of people that can be confirmed, are strong and well qualified candidates,” Franklin said.

There has been a shortlist of nominees brought up, all with their own background and

judgments. Names such as J. Michelle Childs, serving in the district courts of South Carolina and civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill have been some of the names brought up.

“I think there are a ton of qualified Black women to do the job. My only concern is that being Black doesn’t necessarily translate into the best interest for the Black community or the community he [Biden] is trying to represent … I would assume that Biden’s Supreme Court picks would be similar politics [left leaning],” Kennedy Furnace, a first-year law student, said.

The nomination is expected to pass in Senate, but with Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico recovering from a recent stroke and an upcoming midterm election in November, Democrats will have to make sure they move, Nolette said.

“Nothing is easy in a 50-50 Senate, however I would expect that Democrats will move quickly with this nomination and confirmation process. I’ve heard no indication from any Democrats that they would oppose a Biden nominee, now we will have to see who it is and how the process goes but by and large I think Democrats will be united behind Biden’s pick,” Nolette said.

Franklin is the director of the Marquette Law School poll and has an ongoing survey asking 1,000 Americans their opinions

of the Supreme Court. The most recent survey was conducted over January of this year and when asked about the recent ruling of the vaccine mandate 61% favored requiring vaccines for health care workers.

When asked the motivations of the justices at beginning of the survey, 58% believed that the Court’s decisions were based in law. If asked at the end of the survey 45% of those surveyed thought their decisions were based on the law.

“I would not expect the Court to persuade the people with the

wisdom of their decision. But when the Court decides in the direction of the majority opinion, it’s likely to reinforce the opinion to some extent,” Franklin said.

This increased politicization of the Supreme Court has left some disappointed with the way things are run.

“Right now I feel like we live in a country that cares more about political wins than actually doing things for the country, I find that on both sides,” Furnace said. “Checks and balances are there for a reason but it’s gone to the next level.”

MUSG discusses potential of LGBTQ+ LLC

Vice Provost for academic affairs makes appearance

By Julia Abuzzahab

julia.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

The Marquette University Student Government looks to make a rainbow floor for Living Learning Communities.

“I know that the LGBTQ+ initiative is working on getting, I think they called it the ‘Rainbow Floor’ for LLC, which is really exciting,” Cam Heiser, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration and executive vice president of MUSG, said.

Within MUSG, Nicole Laudolff, junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and legislative vice president, said there are initiative committees that reflect and Heiser’s platform which includes sustainability, LGBTQ+ student experiences, mental health and racial equity

and justice.

“Our LGBTQ+ student experiences initiative is the group that’s working to establish a queer LLC on campus … to provide that safe space for queer students immediately coming into Marquette because a lot of students don’t have a lot of exposure to LGBTQ+ people and necessarily know how to interact with them in a way that makes everyone feel safe and comfortable,” Laudolff said.

Heiser said he’s mainly working on setting up a meeting with the Office of Residence Life and the Resident Assistants Advisory Board to change the gendered visitation overnight policy as well as trying to include non-binary students into Marquette’s visitation rules.

Currently, only individuals of the same gender are able to spend the night in a residence hall.

The Marquette University Student Government met Jan. 31 for the first time in the

spring semester. Vice Provost of Academic Affairs John Su joined the meeting to discuss the rationale behind the changes to the academic calendar after the 2022 spring semester was delayed by a week.

Laudolff said Su also talked about changes to the COVID-19 policy and ways in which it could be improved upon.

“If students are having problems in their classes or professors are not being accommodating of their needs given COVID-19 as well as the different classroom policies — to have them let us know or to let their department chair know so that we can let Dr. Su know and help get that taken care of and support them there,” Katie Breck, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and President of MUSG, said.

At the start of each MUSG Senate meeting, the floor is open for student concerns.

Breck said she is focused on learning how to effectively communicate with students

in regards to the university’s policies.

One of the initiatives Breck said she wants to accomplish is to ensure the attendance policy at Marquette becomes more inclusive in terms of students’ physical and mental health.

“We’re also working on doing focus groups and student support groups that are led by the wellness peers,” Breck said.

Breck said the information learned out of the support and focus groups would be taken back to the Counseling Center and different departments across the university, for Marquette to understand how the university will be able to support students’ mental health better.

Focusing on the budget process, Breck said MUSG is determining how they can best support multicultural student organizations on campus.

Breck said MUSG is working closely alongside the Black Student Council and NAACP Marquette.

“As well as working with the Muslim Student Association to better improve their prayer space on campus,” Breck said.

As Breck comes to the final two months of her term, she said she ultimately wants to not only improve the physical space of the university for students, but also ensure Marquette is being responsive and supportive to student’s needs and mental health.

Heiser is also reaching the end of his term.

Currently, Breck said there are open MUSG positions, including communications vice president and the outreach vice president. She said students are able to apply on the website.

There are also open positions for academic seats representing any of the colleges in the student senate, Laudolff said interested students must submit a candidate registration form, which becomes available on Feb. 7.

News

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

7A

Working to end stigma around Black hair in the workplace Conversations emerge surrounding professionalism

By Clara Lebrón

clara.lebron@marquette.edu

“The stigma surrounding natural Black hair has a long history, much of it rooted in U.S. slavery and Eurocentrism. Hair has always been an important part of Black women’s identity. We know from past research and accounts that African women embraced and wore their natural hair and hairstyles proudly,” Stephanie Dhuman, a professor of sociology, said.

The unique struggles of African Americans have been present in American culture since the conception of slavery.

From police brutality to mass incarceration of Black men and the high rates of mortality for Black infants and mothers, there are many issues that stem from it. Hair elitism, and its consequences, are one of those issues.

This phenomenon has been studied and debated for many years, its roots coming from a place of perceived unprofessionalism.

Many campuses have organizations and clubs to try to end the stigma around African American Black hairstyles, but students and faculty can help combat this specific type of discrimination.

“There have been recent studies done that show these ideas are still very prevalent in professional settings today.

It speaks directly to perception and acceptability in American society. There is certainly nothing wrong with choosing to straighten your hair, but when hair texture is stigmatized as ‘unprofessional’ or used to determine someone’s value or worth, that’s discrimination,” Dhuman said.

However, some students on campus find solace in their natural hair and the autonomy it gives them.

“I think that natural hair on campus is something so unique, due to its uncommonness of it. It makes us stand out, feel special, and be different. Also, I take it as a representation of who I am, I feel like it symbolizes my culture and heritage,” Khadija Almawali, a first-year student in the College of Communication, said.

Other students find it very easy to see a difference in people’s attitudes depending on what kind of hair

they wear.

“I do notice a slight difference in how people approach me when I style myself up.

When I didn’t wear my hair in locs, I never really got compliments on my hair,” Derizay Moore, a senior student in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Dhuman clarifies that this phenomenon can be acknowledged, understood and overcome.

“I know for some people reading this, and when I say it in class, it might seem obvious. But I don’t think it’s stated openly enough, and it should be. We should be taking steps like this initiative to make it known that we appreciate and value each other for who we are,” Dhuman said.

More importantly, more steps can be taken to help combat this phenomenon.

“Conversations like this are a really important start. I think as a society we have to come to a collective understanding that presentation of self (whether that be the way we wear our hair or something else) does not change the value of what we have to say, our ideas, or our knowledge,” Dhuman said.

Some of the people affected by the culture around natural Black hair also feel the infor-

mation is important.

“I think it would be helpful to have some type of seminar so people can be aware of how Black hair works. I think it would be very beneficial because a lot of people ask me if

they can touch my hair or tell me how long it must take me and when it comes to hair a lot of people have boundaries,” Moore said.

Marquette Wire stock photo

Many students at Marquette feel as though their hair represents who they are.

SUMMER STUDIES REGISTRATION OPENS FEB. 17 marquette.edu/summer

The Marquette Tribune

8A Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8A

ANONYMOUS: Mysterious account finally speaks out owner of the account swirl around campus. Many students directly message the account to attempt to discover the person behind the magic.

As Disney Channel icon Hannah Montana said, “You get the best of both worlds,” which is exactly what the person behind Marquette Affirmations has. You may be sitting next to the campus celebrity in class or in the line at the Brew together and not even know that you are mere feet away from a campus superstar!

“Someone was like ‘this person is most likely an honors student and lives in this building’ and I was like it’s really weird that they are trying to consider this,” Doe said.

Students have tried to figure out the identity behind the account by attempting to match clubs or majors that the account frequently posts to the owner.

“A couple people have been trying with specific niche posts determine different sub-

communities I am in on campus to try and piece together what clubs I am personally in to figure out who I am,” Doe said.

However, these are all baseless predictions because the owner has not revealed anything on their account about their own identity and is selective about who they tell their secret.

It all started when one of Doe’s friends sent them other universities’ affirmations accounts. In turn, they decided to follow the trend and made one for Marquette.

“My best friend from high school goes to the University of Southern California and she sent me their affirmations page, so I decided to post one randomly on a lunch break between classes,” Doe said.

That’s when history was made.

It was almost like the shot heard all around the world when Marquette finally got an affirmations page.

Slowly but surely, the account grew into the phenomenon that it is today with word of mouth traveling

around campus and lots of daily posts.

“A lot of my friends were the

“

It is definitely still surprising that people are interested in it and actually look at what I am posting.” @Marquette_Affirmations

ones who helped me get it off the ground,” they said.

Four and a half months later, it’s still weird to hear fellow students talking about their page,

Doe said. Doe just has to keep it to their self to conceal their true identity.

“It is definitely still surprising that people are interested in it and actually look at what I am posting,” they said.

Doe believes they made the right choice to stay anonymous.

“A lot of the other affirmations accounts that I have seen are also a secret and it’s probably best if people do not know it is me because I feel like I would be embarrassed if more people knew,” they said.

Despite keeping their double life a secret, that does not mean that Doe’s close friends do not know.

In “Hannah Montana” terms you could say their friends are the reallife Lily and Oliver.

Seeing other people share Marquette Affirmations’ posts to their own stories is one of the best parts of running the account, Doe said.

“I can see when other people repost my post to their stories

and … seeing how the Marquette community is interacting with my content is really cool to see,” they said.

Doe said they receive lots of “niche” messages from students about dorm life, such as “the underwear stealing in Schroeder last night, that was a little interesting,” Doe said.

The widespread interest in Marquette Affirmations does not stop there, though. Doe posts many times a day, showing the influx of submissions has only grown as the popularity of the account catches on.

Students may have their own favorite posts, but what about Doe’s?

“I really like the Greg Elliott post about how he is the best player on the team. I have big respect for him,” they said.

But Doe never thought the account would gain so much attention or the following that it has.

Looking toward the future, the owner does not have a clear follower goal, but they do think it would be “cool to hit two thousand, but whatever happens happens,” Doe said. They’re excited to see the account continue to grow.

Will they hit two thousand followers? Will they reveal their identity to the world? Will Greg Elliott notice Marquette Affirmations? We are not exactly sure, but we are for sure manifesting it into the world.

Photos by of Collin Nawrocki collin.nawrocki@marquette.edu

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

9A 9A

Looking for last minute Valentine’s Day ideas?

With this list of new ideas, we’ve got you covered for Feb. 14

By Anna Houston

anna.houston@marquette.edu

It’s finally that time of year. Time to whip out those rusting baking skills, put together a romantic gesture, and, most importantly, show the people you care about just how much they mean to you.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this list of creative ideas is sure to give you a helping hand, no matter what the occasion or budget.

Travel to a new world at the movies Not only is taking someone to the movies a classic date idea, but there are ways to make these moments even more special. Take your date to a movie under the stars with the star lights on the ceiling at the Avalon Atmospheric Theater in the Bayview neighborhood.

This vintage theater will create the

perfect setting to wow your date.

If you want to watch a special romantic movie for the occasion, head over to the Waukesha Civic Theater and catch its showing of the classic movie “When Harry Met Sally“ for $5. This is a one-nightonly event on Valentine’s Day, so make sure to plan ahead!

Rather stay inside? Grab some blankets and watch “Booksmart” on Hulu, limited series “Hollywood” on Netflix or “Saving Face” on Amazon Prime.

The way to someone’s heart is through their stomach Feeling like food might be the way to go? Check out some ideas that are sure to please.

Shaker’s Cigar Bar is having a Valentine’s Day murder mystery dinner. This Is It will host CabaRai! with Milwaukee legend Rai Hudson.

If you aren’t the most confident chef, go out to eat! If you want to go the fancy route, reserve a table at Onesto for their special Valentine’s Day menu.

Make a home cooked meal; there’s no better way to show you care than food. You can make this

extra special by planning an indoor picnic: simply lay out a blanket, hang up some string lights and add a few flowers.

Plan a special outing Looking to go out-of-the-box and plan an activity-based celebration?

Here are some non-conventional ways to show someone how much you care.

Enjoy plants and nature? Make a reservation to visit the Mitchell Park Domes! Celebrate Valentine’s Day early over the weekend since the park is not open Feb. 14.

If you are looking for a relaxing Sunday activity to woo pet-lovers, head to the Sip and Purr Cat Café for Cat Yoga at 10 a.m.! Not only do you get to pet these loving cats, but you can also get your daily work-out in at the same time.

Take your favorite book lover to the Milwaukee Public Library for a reading date. Between the beautiful historic architecture and the endless shelves of books, this is the perfect place to sit back and delve into your favorite novel together.

Special gestures Finally, after the perfect outing, surprise the person you care about

Photo by of Sarah Kuhns sarah.kuhns@marquette.edu

with an extra special gift.

Write a letter to someone you care about and have it posted on the Summerfest gate. All the proceeds from the event will go to the Next Door Foundation Books for Kids Program. Use the link to submit your note.

Create a playlist! Whether you create it online or burn a CD, sharing music with someone you care about is both thoughtful and personal. If you use Spotify, you can print out the playlist code and incorporate it into a card or art piece which brings me to my next idea…

Make a piece of art! You can use any supplies you have lying around and create a card or even print out

pictures to create a photobook or get some hodgepodge and make a jewelry dish or vase. These gifts are not only on the inexpensive side but are fun to make.

Go classic with some flowers.

Grab the perfect bouquet for your boo at 414loral or Mod Gen both.

Write a heartfelt note. It’s simple, sincere and something that you can hold onto for years to come.

No matter how you spend Valentine’s Day, whether it be with a significant other, your friends or with family, it’s important to take the time to show others that you care. Hopefully these ideas help you to make this Valentine’s Day one you won’t forget!

Samson the gorilla is Milwaukee’s prime mate Ape’s legacy lives on past his death in 1982 at MKE zoo

By Connor Baldwin

connor.baldwin@marquette.edu

Although the Milwaukee County Zoo is home to many beloved animals, there is one animal that stands out among the rest, and his name was Samson, the 650-pound silverback gorilla.

Samson was a gorilla that was bought by the Pabst Brewing Company and donated to the zoo in 1950. Pabst Brewing purchased Samson and adopted brother Sambo from New York animal dealer Henry Trefflich.

Trefflich was a German immigrant who worked as an animal dealer for more than 40 years. During that time he sold over 1.5 million monkeys, which earned him the title “Monkey King of America.” He is also known for selling other famous apes such as Cheetah from the Tarzan movie.

When Samson first arrived in Milwaukee in 1951, he was situated in Washington Park Zoo, now known as Washington Park, just west of campus.

Samson and Sambo would live

in Washington Park Zoo for nine years before moving to the Milwaukee County Zoo. “When Sambo and Samson arrived, they were tiny, baby gorillas. Baby animals are cute, and baby gorillas are very cute.”

Mary Kazmierczak, Milwaukee County Zoo librarian, said in an email. “Gorillas have long childhoods, like humans. And their behaviors are similar to human children. They’re playful, cheeky, naughty, and endearing – and very photogenic.”

Shortly after the move to the new zoo, Sambo died of

tuberculosis, which left Samson solitary in his space. But in 1975, he would be accompanied by a female gorilla, Terra, but Samson largely ignored her and she was moved to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. However, Samson was never truly alone in the acquiesced limelight from zoo visitors.

Timothy McMahon, associate professor of history, remembers visiting the exhibit when he was a little boy.

“It was always an event to go see Samson. It was like he was the celebrity of the zoo. I grew

up in Wauwatosa in the late 1960s and Samson was a big part of the zoo,” McMahon said.

Samson lived in the Milwaukee County Zoo up until his death on November 27, 1981. Whether tapping on the glass to attract attention or just lounging, his theatrics dazzled crowds and earned him countless treats.

“Usually he was just regal, it was cool to see an animal that big, move slowly and then all of the sudden move super fast … most of the time he was super gentle. He had tires in his exhibit and he would play

Photo by of Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

around with those. I don’t really remember him climbing stuff but I remember him rolling around the tires.” McMahon said.

McMahon wasn’t the only one who was amazed by Samson’s stunts. Local media, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, frequently reported on Samson the gorilla. Alicia Armstrong ran a column called “Zooperstars” which highlighted the zoo’s antics and was published in the Milwaukee Journal Green Sheet.

“Samson was often the most popular Milwaukeean in polls.

He was beloved because he wasn’t a politician, he wasn’t controversial, he didn’t offend anyone. He was someone with whom everyone could feel a connection. Gorillas are charismatic animals. When you look into their eyes, you see their intelligence. When you looked into Samson’s eyes, you wondered what he was thinking, you wondered if you made a connection with him. But you never knew. He was an enigma.”

Kazmierczak said in an email.

Samson’s legacy lives on in the memories and stories of Milwaukee residents. Every year the Milwaukee County Zoo hosts a fun run “Samson’s Stomp & Romp” in memorium, and Samson’s remains are on display on the first floor of the Milwaukee Public Museum.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

10A Tuesday, February 8, 2022

PAGE 10

Editorial Board

Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Hope Moses, Assistant Opinions Editor Aimee Galaszewski, Executive Director Benjamin Wells, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Skyler Chun, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

Megan Woolard, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Randi Haseman, A&E Executive Lelah Byron, Projects Editor

Eleanor McCaughey, Copy Chief Grace Pionek, Design Chief Izzy Bonebrake, Executive Photo Editor Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive

Andrew Amouzou, Station Manager of MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager of MURadio Alex Rivera Grant, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

STAFF EDITORIAL

Reaffirming our commitment to BIPOC

While Black History Month is a time to recognize and highlight the accomplishments of Black people in the United States, we should continue to celebrate Black people, and other people of color, during the entire year.

Different organizations across Marquette University are hosting events throughout February to draw attention to Black voices and art.

These events include the “Justice in Action” conference Feb. 19, a Black Arts Showcase hosted by the Center for Engagement and Inclusion Feb. 26 and a Ebony Ball hosted by Black Student Council Feb. 27.

As of the fall 2021 semester, there are 332 Black students on

campus compared to 5,212 white students, as well as 29 Black fulltime faculty members compared to 527 white full-time faculty members according to the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. These disparities make dedicating time this month to learn and engage with Black culture and stories important, especially at a predominantly white institution.

During this month, it is also essential that non-Black students seek out resources themselves to learn and listen; it is not the responsibility of Black students to be educators.

We all need to do our part.

At the Marquette Wire, we are constantly working to

improve our diversity and inclusion efforts. To us, diversity and inclusion isn’t a checklist to be marked off; it is a constant process, and we are constantly working on it.

As an organization, we also need to hold ourselves accountable to accurately represent students of color on campus, as many groups have been misrepresented or ignored.

The Wire also dedicates a monthly meeting to discuss diversity and inclusion with our entire staff. Many staff members across branches also reach out every week to discuss questions about inclusive language and content with the Editor of Diversity and Inclusion.

We also hosted an open forum on diversity and inclusion in November to engage with student leaders on campus. This forum was an opportunity to create connections with student organizations, to see how we can better serve them and to inform them about the work that we do and hope to do in the future.

These are all positive steps, but there is still a lot of work to do.

This semester, we are hoping to have more internal training, meetings with student organizations and to do another MUTV production that discusses diversity and inclusion.

As we move forward, the Wire is committed to improving our diversity and inclusion

efforts within our own organization and in our coverage of the Marquette community.

We know that we will make mistakes. But we are promising to continue to be better; to hold ourselves accountable and listen to communities on areas that we can do better. Beyond Black History Month, we will continue to highlight Black students yearround; the same goes for other underrepresented communities on campus.

Marquette should do the same.

In order to create a truly diverse and inclusive campus, the university should also work to create spaces that all students, regardless of color, can feel safe and welcome.

too thin, she is undesirable and childish in the minds of some people. However, if a woman is curvier, she may be labeled as “fat” by other people. The standards are frankly impossible to achieve. The intention behind this movement to combat stereotypes of beauty and embrace all body types is a great way to improve body inclusivity and celebration, but there are still faults.

When the body positive movement stresses so much focus on our appearances, we will always find things we dislike or wish to change.

It is impossible to always feel beautiful, attractive and confident.

Sometimes there can be a toxic side to excessive self-love because when we don’t feel so in love with ourselves, we may feel like we’re taking 10 steps backward. If one night I feel beautiful and happy with my body but the next morning I wake up feeling insecure and upset with my appearance, it may encourage unhealthy habits. For instance, I may not eat or I may fixate on how I look and have a bad, unproductive day.

Realistically, there are

days when everyone feels uncomfortable, insecure or just not like their best selves; The body neutrality movement tells us that that’s okay.

The body neutrality movement is a different approach from body

appearances. For example, the body positivity movement may encourage us to adopt the mindset of “I love my arms, fat and all.”

Whereas the body neutrality movement would encourage us to consider positive self-talk such as, “I love my arms because they are what I use to hold my child.”

Adopting a more neutral perspective to our appearances and focusing positively on what our bodies’ purposes are can help us to improve our self-view. Not everyone’s bodies are capable of the same things, but for many, we can recognize that our bodies are there to help do a multitude of things: our legs can pull us up a steep hill on a hike and our arms can wrap around a loved one in a hug.

Working to shift our focus on our bodies from solely appearances to celebrating our capabilities and the experiences our bodies allow us to have can help us live our lives without being rooted in insecurity.

Another important aspect of body neutrality is mindfulness.

This refers to the concept of caring for our bodies through nutrition, rest and movement without feeling pressured to stick to a specific diet or workout

routine. In doing so, we can begin to see how our bodies function well, leading us to feel more content.

It is important for our happiness and fulfillment that we do not limit ourselves from doing the things we love out of insecurity or simply because we are fixated on our bodies.

We should all feel free to get all of the sugar and cream we want in our morning coffees. We should all feel free to go to a spin class in our two-piece workout set even if we do not feel 100% confident in that outfit yet. We should all feel free to exist and not be so constantly concerned with our outward appearances.

We should all feel free to live a life without hating our bodies, nor should we feel forced to love them every second of the day.

Our bodies serve us in a lot of different ways, and the body neutrality movement helps us to recognize that our bodies can do so much more than make us feel pretty or ugly. It is important to strike a balance between empowering ourselves and

Self-love goes far beyond the way we look

Grace Cady Sometimes the notion of accepting ourselves rather than loving ourselves is far more attainable.

As “skinny culture” has prevailed in America for decades, people have tried to shrink, pinch and prod themselves to fit into the standard of a “perfect” body.

Many people, women especially, have been drawn to harmful diet culture, intense workout regimens and plastic surgery.

These societal pressures also extend to transgender women as well, as they are also pressured to fit into a specific idea of beauty. Things can quickly go from bad to worse as some people begin to additionally suffer from alcoholism, eating disorders and low levels of self-esteem.

The body positivity movement is a social movement that is focused on celebrating all types of bodies while also challenging unrealistic body standards, especially for women. Although men do struggle with body image issues, women are often held to higher standards. If a woman is

ACCEPT

Graphic by Kendal Bell

The body neutrality movement calls for body acceptance beyond appearances.

positivity and, at its core, tells us that we can exist without having to dwell on our appearances all the time. Inevitably, it is not always realistic to want to celebrate our bodies, so let’s consider working on our mindset of neutrality.

The body neutrality movement encourages us to recognize what our bodies can do for us, beyond

Grace Cady is a sophomore studying Journalism. She can be be reached at grace.cady@marquette.edu

Opinions

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

Fantasizing violence against women must stop Laura Niezgoda Violence against women is so ingrained within our society that we, as women, are taught to desire it.

There has been a shift in the film industry to valuing the female gaze, especially in the romance genre. The female gaze, in theory, is characterized as seeing the movie from a woman’s perspective. The camera does not focus on the female protagonist’s chest to objectify women but instead focuses on the idea that women can be desired without objectification. It prevails the notion that men and women are seen as equal.

One of the movies where the female gaze is done well and accurately is “Promising Young Woman,” which depicts a women’s story of female rage and a platonic love story from a woman’s perspective and shows that both genders can contribute to societal problems, such as sexism.

In theory.

In actuality, recently, the female gaze has been mistaken as having a female protagonist in a romance movie where she experiences a sexual awakening through the toxicity and abuse that a dominant male puts her through.

To achieve this, Hollywood has looked to fan fiction, stories by fans of popular fictional characters of famous figures, written by ordinary people.

This year, Feb. 13 marks the seventh anniversary of the first “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie released into theaters.

This record-breaking film was based on a book of the same name by author, E. L. James. As women over the age of 25 flocked to the theaters, they were met with the story of the dominant, billionaire CEO Christian Grey and virgin, ingenue-esque, college student Anastasia Steele.

“50 Shades” was originally called “Masters of the

Universe,” which was posted onto Fanfiction.net in 2009 as an alternative universe of teensensation “Twilight,” a love story that centers on a human girl named Bella Swan who falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. Once James removed all references to “Twilight,” mainly changing Bella to Ana and Edward to Christian, she was able to publish “50 Shades” and eventually became one of the highest-paid writers in the world at the height of “50 Shades” popularity.

There are many problematic moments within the “50 Shades” novels that, luckily, did not translate to the movies. “50 Shades” details a “romantic” relationship that revolves around BDSM: bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism. While it brought excitement and adventure to many curious couples in the bedroom, the relationship between Ana and Christian is abuse masquerading as BDSM. In all BDSM relationships, consent is the top priority. However, in “50 Shades,” Ana is reluctant to try the intense relationship, and through her narration, it

“

We are... taught to desire toxic relationships.” is revealed that she doesn’t enjoy the actions Christian is performing on her and wants him to stop. However, he consistently ignores her boundaries for the sake of his own pleasure instead of hers.

“50 Shades” was a sensation among middle-aged women, dubbed “mommy porn” for its older, typically mother, demographic. In almost all recounts, “50 Shades” is seen as a fantasy. Fantasies that depict violence against women are

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Graphic by Kendal Bell

immensely problematic, creating a harmful and distressing escape from reality.

Fantasy is an imaginative, pleasant scenario where anything could happen. Fiction can be used as escapism, a way of leaving our reality and entering one where we feel we have control over and end when we close the book, shut off the movie or close out the tab.

Fantasy bleeds into our reality.

Adult content, like “50 Shades,” is only accessible to adults, though, meaning the scope of harm will only affect those whose brains are not as impressionable as children.

Unless it is another fanfiction.

“After,” a Wattpad fanfiction written by Anna Todd loosely following a “50 Shades” plot between Tessa, an innocent college student, and Harry Styles (renamed Hardin Scott for publishing purposes), a British bad boy heartthrob.

The fanfiction trilogy reached over 1.6 billion reads on Wattpad, was published in paperback and now has a movie franchise with three current installments.

Fifty percent of Wattpad readers are under the age of

18 with access to explicit content like the “After” series, which details an abusive and manipulative relationship and romanticizes rape. In “After”, Hardin manipulates Tessa into a relationship off of a bet. Within this relationship, Hardin and Tessa fall into a continuous cycle of fights that are then resolved by sex. In “After We Collided”, the second movie in the “After” franchise, Hardin takes advantage of Tessa’s drunkness after a party and rapes her after they had broken up.

Despite these problematic plot points, the series is alive and well, with the third movie being released last month on Netflix. Like “50 Shades,” it is either regarded as a well-loved story of true love or something to hate-watch. Either way, it is a product of fantasy depicting violence against women we consume through media, creating a demand for content like this.

“50 Shades” and “After” were targeted to primarily female audiences, proclaiming that these stories uplifted the female gaze. This is far from the case, as the female gaze within these

fictional stories is mistaken as toxic and abusive relationships between a dominant male and submissive female.

The content we consume dictates what our society desires, and currently, these stories depict violence against women.

We are being taught to desire toxic relationships, which affects both adults and children.

We must expect more responsibility from the film industry and more from authors.

Every day people, like James and Todd once were, who write on the internet, must understand that they have a voice and a platform and that there is a chance that their work may be thrust into the mainstream.

We can no longer excuse that these works are “just a fantasy.”

Violence against women is not, and never was, something to be desired.

Laura Niezgoda is a sophomore studying communication studies and criminology and law studies.

She can be reached at laura.niezgoda@marquette.edu

Statement of Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.

The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a four-week period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration.

Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 500 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 250 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content.

Please e-mail submissions to: alexandra.garner@marquette.edu. If you are a current student, include the college in which you are enrolled and your year in school. If not, please note any affliations to Marquette or your current city of residence.

Graphic by Kendal Bell

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Sports The Marquette Tribune

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COMES BACK FOR 12TH HOME WIN SPORTS, 14

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 PAGE 12

Trusting the Process

Photo by Collin Nawrocki collin.nawrocki@marquette.edu

Redshirt first-year forward Justin Lewis (10) going up for a dunk in Marquette men’s basketball’s 98-40 exhbition win over the Bowie State Bulldogs Nov. 4 at Fiserv Forum.

Redshirt first-year forward averaging 16.6 points per game

By Matt Yeazel

matthew.yeazel@marquette.edu

When redshirt first-year forward Justin Lewis saw all but two of his teammates from the 2020-21 season leave the program after the head coaching change from Steve Wojciechowski to Shaka Smart, he could have easily done the same.

Wojciechowski recruited Lewis, who is from the same city of Baltimore, Maryland.

After just one turbulent year of playing under him, Lewis no longer had that connection he had built with his head coach.

Despite that, he decided to stay at Marquette. Now, under Smart, Lewis is leading the nationally ranked Golden Eagles as one of the prime candidates for BIG EAST Player of the Year.

“He’s one of a kind,” Smart said after Lewis scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Marquette’s blowout win Jan. 4 against Providence. “He’s such an energy-giver when he’s in a good place. His aura is really fun to be around and it really impacts me as a coach.”

Earning appreciation

In less than two seasons at Marquette, Lewis went from a highly-rated prospect not getting a ton of opportunities to an evolved version of himself in his new role as the star of the team.

Lewis was rated as a four star prospect out of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He came in alongside fellow redshirt firstyear forward Oso Ighodaro.

Former Marquette associate head coach Dwayne Killings, who was part of the recruiting process with Lewis, said he thought Lewis was underappreciated coming out of high school.

“He had an elite ability to rebound the ball and I thought

he could do pretty much everything on the floor,” Killings said. “He needed to be at a place that was going to let him grow into what he was trying to become.”

The staff knew how talented he was coming into Marquette, but Lewis did not have a starting role waiting for him when he arrived in Milwaukee.

“Coming in he thought his role would be larger. We had three really good interior guys that we rotated,” former Marquette associate head coach Justin Gainey said. “We had to split time, but he never wavered and never stopped working. He worked for everything he had and now he’s reaping

the benefits.”

Lewis went on to average 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7% from the field in just 21 minutes per game coming off the bench last season. He played less minutes per game than forwards Dawson Garcia, Jamal Cain and Theo John, who all transferred to other Division l programs at the end of last year.

“He was in a hurry to be great but then he understood that it’s a process,” Killings said. “He just focused on getting better and on game day he just unloaded a level of passion and competitiveness that I think is pretty special.”

See TRUST page 16

Sports

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

13A

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Playing team defense, key pillar of Duffy’s program Golden Eagles rank No. 1 in BIG EAST rebound margin

By Ben Schultz

benjamin.schultz@marquette.edu

Since taking over the program just three seasons ago, Marquette women’s basketball head coach Megan Duffy has established a culture with one of its main pillars being team defense.

“Its been a culture defining thing for us,” Marquette junior guard Jordan King said. “Just the energy and effort that it takes on the defensive end is really big for us.”

Senior forward Chloe Marotta said this culture defining defense is emphasized in the offseason and during each practice.

“It’s something that we work on every single day,” Marotta said. “I think the main thing is how important each one of us know it is.”

The Golden Eagles entered the 2021-22 season knowing they’d be without reigning Co-

Marquette turning into one of the top teams in the country in rebound margin and three-point percentage defense.

Since her arrival to the team in 2019, King said she learned what it takes to be a good defender from watching and playing alongside Lott.

“I’ve been watching her defense since day one that I stepped on campus because I knew how good of a defender she was,” King said. “I watched a lot of her IQ that it takes to play defense and I think that’s something that I’ve been able to continue to learn.”

Through 22 games King has 32 steals which is more than she had in either of her first two seasons.

The overarching theme about Marquette’s defense under Duffy is that they play as a unit and don’t rely on specific players to get stops.

“We want to play team defense,” Marquette assistant coach Tasha Taylor said.

Taylor said the overarching theme within the Golden Eagles’ defensive scheme is playing together and help-

Marotta (52) dives for the ball in Marquette’s 61-59 win Feb. 4.

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Selena Lott, as she declared for the 2021 WNBA Draft upon graduation.

Despite the loss of Lott, Marquette’s defense has improved in different areas as those who played alongside her took things from how she played defensively.

The Golden Eagles’ defense isn’t predicated around just a couple players, but instead everyone on the court playing an important role. This has served as a factor into

ing each other through constant rotations.

“If you get beat individually, someone else is coming to help you,” Taylor said. “So playing on a string is big thing for us this year.”

In their 61-59 win over Providence Feb. 4, the Golden Eagles’ rotations were on full display.

An instance was when Friars first-year guard Kylie Sheppard got past Marquette sophomore forward Liza Karlen forcing graduate student forward Lauren Van Kleunen to leave

Photo by Collin Nawrocki collin.nawrocki@marquette.edu

Forward Lauren Van Kleunen (42) fights for the ball in Marquette’s 50-47 win over Creighton Feb. 6.

who she was originally guarding to rotate and stop Sheppard.

Once Van Kleunen cut Sheppard off, graduate student Karissa McLaughlin rotated into Van Kleunen’s original spot and forced the steal.

To go along with constantly rotating on defense, Marquette averages 15.1 points off turnovers every game while forcing opponents to turning the ball over 16.5 times per game, a number that’s risen each year under Duffy and ranks second amongst BIG EAST teams this season.

For Marotta, she said she sees the defense transitioning into offense when they’re able to get in transition off of a defensive stop.

“When we’re able to push in transition a lot of teams can’t find the people that they need to find, Karissa (McLaughlin) on the wing for an easy three, Jordan (King) going downhill and even Lauren (Van Kleunen) posting up in transition is big for us.”

Marquette found themselves forcing stops and getting in transition against Providence.

A specific example was when sophomore guard Rose Nkumu stripped the ball from senior

forward Alyssa Geary leading Marotta to collect the ball and passed it down to McLaughlin who was streaking to the basket.

Plays like Nkumu’s steal leading to McLaughlin’s basket have been a common occurrence for Marquette this season.

In addition to its defense leading it its offense, Marquette has out-rebounded its opponents at an elite rate. Through games that were played prior to Feb. 5, the Golden Eagles’ average rebound margin was +10 which ranked eighth in the country and first in the BIG EAST. King said the team views this as a way to limit an opponent’s possessions.

“We always emphasize as guards to just being able to get in there and get some scrap rebounds, loose balls, stuff like that is able to help the bigs and our team rebounding as a whole,” King said. “Anytime we can limit a team from getting extra possessions is huge.”

Since the 2010-11 season, Marquette has ranked in the top 20 nationally five times (including this season) in rebound margin with their best margin being in the 2013-14 season.

During that season Marquette’s average rebound margin was +13 which ranked second in the country. Of the remaining four seasons, three have come under Duffy.

Marotta, who is in her fourth

season, said those on the team understand the consequences of not getting rebounds.

“We know that we can guard for the whole shot clock and if we don’t get the rebound then we got to start all over again,” Marotta said. “Rebounding is something that we really, really, really emphasize and I can’t say that enough. It’s something that we talk about on a day-to-day basis.”

When teams come up against Marquette, they typically have a difficult time making threes.

On the season, Marquette’s opponents are shooting 25.6% from the 3-point line, which ranks 13th in the country as of all games played through Feb. 6.

“We don’t give up when someone has an open three, we’re not going to let them get an open three,” Marotta said. “We’re yelling ‘shot’ in their face or getting a high hand up and a contested three is obviously way more difficult than an open three and we know that.”

While Marotta and those on the team may see the standings, she said there’s always things to improve on and that their coaches remind them of that.

“As much as maybe we’re a good defensive team and it says it in the standings, there’s always something to improve on,” Marotta said. “We’re never told we’re the greatest defensive team, it’s always room for improvement.”

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Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Defense fuels Marquette’s comeback victory Sophomore Liza Karlen scores career-high 20 points

By John Leuzzi

john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

With seconds winding down inside the Al McGuire Center, Creighton senior guard Tatum Rembao was searching for a teammate to make the inbound pass while down 50-47.

Sophomore guard Morgan Maly received Rembao’s pass at the top of the key and set herself in hopes of tying the game with a long 3-pointer. But then entered Marquette sophomore forward Liza Karlen.

Karlen blocked Maly’s shot, securing the Golden Eagles’ 50-47 come-from-behind victory over the Blue Jays on Play4Kay Day. “Couldn’t be more thrilled about the performance this afternoon beating a really really good Creighton team,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “The moral of the story is our defense kept us in the game, we made some great plays down the stretch to execute.

Overall just really thrilled to get this home win on alumni day and as we celebrate the the Black Fives Foundation as well.

A great one for our program.”

With the win, Marquette extends its winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Golden Eagles hopped out to an early 8-5 lead in the opening frame, but the Blue Jays responded with a 9-0 run to head into the second leading 14-8.

“Creighton got a lot of easy shots that they normally make, so to be only down by that honestly was a good thing,” Duffy said. “It’s just when they’ve got five players on the floor who can score in different ways, it puts a lot of pressure on your defense. And I think sometimes that then takes your offense a little slower and a little harder to make shots.”

Marquette would get within two at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter when Karlen hit a jumper to end a close to three minute scoreless drought.

Senior forward Chloe Marotta then hit a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 14-14.

Creighton would narrowly outscore Marquette 9-4 to end the half to take a 23-18 lead into the locker room.

Despite Marquette going 5-for-12 from the field in the second quarter along, Karlen finished the half making three of her last four shots to lead the team with eight first-half points.

“Liza had a great bounce back game from Friday night,” Duffy said. “Liza has found a really good chemistry to find those short jumper, that in a lot of ways feels like layups.”

The third quarter was a tightly contested frame amongst both teams. Toward the midway

point of the quarter, Marotta fed a pass to Karlen for the layup to bring Marquette within one point, 26-25.

Creighton would then take control during the final 3:29 of the frame. Both Karlen and Marotta combined to score seven of Marquette’s 12 points in the third alone, helping keep the deficit to six heading into the final stanza.

“When they’re face guarding Karissa (McLaughlin) or double teaming Lauren Van Kleunen, I’ve got to step up right there,” Marotta said. “I got to take advantage of what they’re giving me on offense and then also finding my teammate in any way I can.”

After being held scoreless through the first 30 minutes, junior guard Jordan King got on the board at the 7:44 mark of the fourth quarter. King’s jumper served to be a momentum shifting basket as it forced Creighton to call a timeout after the Golden Eagles trimmed the deficit to 38-36.

Coming out of the timeout, Marquette continued its momentum, building the run to 10-2.

Graduate student forward Lauren Van Kleunen put in the second chance opportunity on her missed layup to tie the game at 40-40 with 5:26 left to go.

With time winding down in the game, Karlen worked the post on her way to hitting a contested jumper to bring Marquette back within one 47-46.

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Sophomore Liza Karlen (32) works the post heading to net.

Marquette was able to take its first lead since the first quarter at the 1:10 mark of the fourth when King hit a jumper, forcing Creighton to call another timeout.

As the trend has been during the Duffy Era, Marquette was able to etch out a victory behind its defensive efforts as the Golden Eagles held the Blue Jays scoreless over the final 2:50.

Marquette now holds a 12-1 record at home this season and is 33-6 all-time under Duffy at the Al McGuire Center.

Karlen put together a stellar performance on the afternoon.

The St. Paul, Minnesota native finished with a team and careerhigh 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Sophomore guard Danyel Middleton missed her second straight game with a non-COVID-19 related illness. Duffy said Middleton is day-to-day.

“Hurts us a little bit with our bench (as) she’s been playing

great,” Duffy said. “As quickly as we can get to get her back and healed up, she’ll be back out there.”

It is the 10th time this season that Marquette has held its opponent to under 50 points.

With the win, the Golden Eagles move into second place of the BIG EAST with a 10-3 record. Marquette will host first place UConn next Sunday at the Al McGuire Center.

“We talk a lot about February focus,” Marotta said. “That’s been our main goal these last couple weeks talking about how focused you have to be in February every single day, day by day. We knew that today, we got to take care of Creighton. On Friday, we had to take care of Providence.”

Marquette (17-5, 10-3 BIG EAST) will now travel to Villanova Friday in hopes of splitting the regular-season series. The game is set for a 6 p.m. CST tipoff on FloSports.

Sports

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Marquette Tribune

15A

CLUB SPORTS

Curling club strikes casual and competive mix U.S. Olympic Team features three curlers from Wisconsin

By Catherine Fink

catherine.fink@marquette.edu

There is more than one sport that calls an ice sheet its home. And for the Marquette Club Curling team, members are eager to stay on the ice with curling being showcased on the international stage in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic Team features three curlers — Matt Hamilton, Becca Hamilton and Nina Roth — from Wisconsin. As the popularity of the sport continues to grow it is relatively unknown at Marquette.

Many students, including Club President Micah Rojo, a senior in the College of Nursing, did not know there was a curling team on Marquette’s campus.

“I thought it would be funny to be a part of the curling club,” Rojo said.

“I just saw their booth and thought it was like the dumbest thing in the world. That’s honestly how it happened and how I got involved.”

The team practices weekly at the Milwaukee Curling Club in Cedarburg, which is the oldest continuous curling club in the United States.

The team has around 15 members

who range from first-year students to seniors.

Vice President Trevor Morris, a junior in the College of Arts and & Sciences, said he encourages people to give curling a chance.

“Don’t hate a sport until you’ve tried it, because I never thought I would be curling because I’m from Texas,” Morris said.

Morris said while curling is a competitive sport, the team camaraderie makes it a fun atmosphere.

Angel Martinez, a junior in the College of Arts and & Sciences, agreed that the curling team has great camaraderie.

Martinez said, “Our team has a great sense of community and always makes sure to include the curling tradition of sharing a meal together after every practice and bonspiel.”

Rojo said shaking hands and saying “good curling” is the curling etiquette at the beginning and end of a bonspiel.

“Each team has eight stones and four members and you’ll have one person be the skip. This is the person pointing what direction and where teammates want to throw out. You have one thrower and then you have two people sweeping,” Rojo said.

The “skip” is the player who is considered the captain. In order to aim the stone, the player will turn the stone whatever way the skip is signaling and when released they

will turn the stone handle back to the middle which allows the stone to curl down the ice.

Rojo said the skip will also yell out “sweep” to the two players that are sweeping the stone and “up” when no sweeping is needed. Sweeping is done in front of the stone and decreases the friction of the ice to help allow the curlers to control the curl of the stone better.

Scoring is based on where the stones land in comparison to the opposing team’s stone in the target on the other side of the ice. After each stone from both teams is thrown the stone closest to the center of the target will score or if one team has more stones closer than the other team.

Rojo said while curling looks simple it takes a lot of strategy between placing your stones and taking out your opponent’s stones, making it an intense sport.

“You want to take out your opponent’s stones with take-out shots,” Rojo said.

Francesca Mancini, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she appreciates the duality of the casual but also competitive side of curling.

“While practices are held in Cedarburg, the team carpools together, which is part of the fun and makes these teammates feel like a family,” said Mancini.

“It’s really fun, everybody is friends with each other and it’s

Photo courtesy of Marquette CLub Curling

Marquette Club Curling team practices at Milwaukee Curling Club.

very casual. It can be kind of competitive at times but it’s exciting and you keep wanting to get better,” Mancini said.

Leo Moorhead, a former junior national camp youth curling coach, currently serves as the team’s coach.

“It’s always a lot of fun and I can see so much passion on the team,” Moorhead said. “Every year we have more students who want to try the sport.”

Lizzie White, a senior in the College of Engineering, said Moorhead helps elevate the team with his knowledge and passion for the club and the sport.

“He’s been curling for such a long

time and shows us techniques, strategies (while) offering advice to players that are asking for it,” White said.

Rojo said he would love to see the club grow both on and off the ice.

“We want to be eligible for collegiate curling at some point to see what it would be like to curl other college curlers,” Rojo said.

With the Olympics underway, Martinez said the team is looking forward to spending time together watching the matches as a group.

“We’re a family, everyone takes care of everyone,” Martinez said.

“Curling is all about community and the Marquette Curling Club offers a great sense of community.”

Graphic by RJ Siano

16A

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

MEN’S BASKETBALL

TRUST: Baltimore native finding sucess with MBB Continued from page 12

Now in a starting role playing 32 minutes a game, he’s Marquette’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.6 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. Both of those marks are good enough for fourth in the BIG EAST conference in their respective stat categories as well.

Transition to a new coaching staff With Wojciechowski, Killings, Gainey and all but two others on the roster and coaching staff leaving, it was a learning curve and an acclimation process for Lewis after he decided to stay.

After that win against Providence, Smart said that Lewis and current associate head coach Cody Hatt work more closely together than any two people in the program.

Lewis said that Hatt and the relationship they’ve built has meant a great deal to him.

“He’s there for me, not even just on a court, but emotionally outside of basketball,” Lewis said. “He’s been around great players so I try to pick up as much as I can from him, but it’s really become bigger than basketball.”

Hatt, who’s worked under Smart for all of his six years at Texas, said that working with Lewis has been one of the most incredible parts of their transition to Marquette as a staff.

“He’s really trusted us and he’s been an awesome guy to coach,” Hatt said. “Justin cares about other people. He’s got so much basketball ability but it’s been very rewarding to watch him mature and grow as a person.”

While Lewis lost a Baltimore connection in Wojciechowski. He gained another with graduate student guard Darryl Morsell transferring from the University of Maryland.

SCAN TO WATCH THE MUR PACKAGE!

“I saw him when he was young. He had the big hands, big legs but never had it all together,” Morsell said. “It’s great to see all that work he’s putting in paying off. He’s letting the game come to him and I’m proud of him.”

The Baltimore connection means a lot to Lewis. He said he knows Morsell and him are making their city proud. Those in the building know how important his hometown is to him.

“Justin’s a prideful guy, he’s from a place where there’s a rich history of hoopers and guys who have ambitious goals to be successful,” Hatt said.

“The more you know about his story and his relationship with his people back in Baltimore, you understand that the way to move him towards being better if you build a meaningful relationship with him, which fits what coach Smart is about.”

Finding success During Marquette’s latest stretch, where they’ve won eight of their last nine games with six of those coming against nationally ranked opponents, Lewis is averaging 18.7 points per game along with 7.8 rebounds per game.

For his efforts, Lewis was named both BIG EAST and national Naismith Men’s Player of the Week Jan. 24.

More notably, he’s shooting nearly 50% from beyond the 3-point line during this ninegame stretch, hitting a total of 22 of the 46 attempts he’s taken from deep.

“It’s a huge factor,” first-year guard Kam Jones said about Lewis’ 3-point shooting following the win against Xavier Jan. 23. “He’s gained a lot more confidence in his shot as the season has progressed and we all believe it’s going in every time he shoots.”

Lewis shot just 22% from beyond the arc last season. Now, he’s pulling from deep more often as he’s playing a much bigger role but as the season has gone on, he’s shown the ability to be a reliable shooter from deep.

“I always knew he would be a good shooter,” redshirt junior guard Greg Elliott said. “The work you put in is going to show when the time comes and we all know the work he puts in is top tier.”

The belief in Lewis’ shot was there in those around him despite not taking or making many

Photo by Collin Narwocki collin.narwocki@marquette.edu

Lewis takes on Villanova guard Caleb Daniels in Marquette’s 83-73 win over the Wildcats Feb. 2 at Fiserv Forum.

last season.

“He didn’t shoot a great percentage last year, but you knew he could shoot it,” Gainey said.

“You knew it was going to be a part of his game and that really separates him because not only can he bang and do the physical stuff he can take you outside and stretch the floor.”

Last season when it came to shooting, Lewis said he didn’t have the confidence he needed in his 3-point shot to showcase it in games like he is in the recent stretch.

“I always knew I could shoot, it was a confidence thing more so,” Lewis said. “I worked on it a lot this summer and coach (Smart) just emphasized being ready on the catch. I continue to just get a lot of reps in and get the muscle memory down.”

Consistent 3-point shooting is the new addition to Lewis’ game, but in this recent stretch he has continued to stuff the stat sheet on both ends of the court.

Outside of the points and rebounds that stand out in these last nine games, Lewis has recorded 13 steals, 20 assists and has made 24 of the 30 free throws he’s attempted, good enough for 80%. He shot just 58% from the line last season.

“Throughout our recent success he’s found multiple ways to have winning impact on the game,” Hatt said. “Whether it’s his playmaking or versatility defensively, he is impacting winning in a challenging BIG EAST as a 19 year-old kid.”

NBA Potential Every time Lewis steps on the floor for Marquette this sea-

son he knows NBA scouts are watching him with a keen eye.

Killings, who has experience working in the NBA as a special assistant with the then Charlotte Bobcats, said the ability Lewis is now showing to shoot the ball consistently is certainly helping his case for reaching the next level.

“He’s a mismatch nightmare,” Killings said. “Shooting the ball efficiently takes his game to a whole other level, and he’s showing the ability to do it right now. That’s gonna translate well to the NBA game.”

Before the season Lewis told the Marquette Wire his goal is to play in the NBA and that he tries to model his game after the likes of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, players he said can do everything on the court.

While his shooting may be turning more heads in the NBA space, when asked what the strongest aspect of Lewis’ game is the answers always came back to one word: versatility.

“He has a unique feel and unique belief in himself intangibly,” Hatt said. “There’s been moments where the opposing coaches are sitting there on the bench shaking their heads because Justin has made plays that are just hard to account for.”

One of those coaches who was likely doing some head shaking is Villanova head coach Jay Wright.

Wright sang the praises of Lewis after scoring 19 points with nine rebounds, including going 4-for-5 from deep, in Marquette’s latest win over the Wildcats Feb. 2.

“I really admire how much he’s improved, this year it’s all come together,” Wright said. “Mid-range game, drive game, free throws, catch and shoot threes. I love him, he’s a great player.”

In Marquette’s two wins this season over Villanova, Lewis averaged 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. Additionally, he made a total of nine 3-pointers including the game-winner Jan. 19 in Marquette’s first ever win at Finneran Pavillion.

Killings compared Lewis to a former Marquette player who won a BIG EAST Player of the Year award of his own and is currently having success in the NBA in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.

“He can defend multiple positions and could end up being a ‘Three and D’ type player in some respects,” Killings said.

“But his strengths are really his versatility, competitiveness and his rebounding. He’s blossoming into a player that can impact the game in a lot of ways.”

Hatt said that as Lewis strives for his long-term goal of getting to the NBA, he and the rest of the coaching staff have worked with Lewis to keep him present in the moment with this team and this season.

“Justin prides himself on being a winner and he understands anything you’ve done doesn’t guarantee anything you’re going to do,” Hatt said. “He works. The shots he’s made in games in front of a lot of people are the same shots he’s made in an empty gym on his own.”

LOCAL LOVE EDITION

1B

Alex’s book cave: ‘Ring Shout’ 2020 novel by P. Djèlí Clark explores white supremacy

By Alex Wagner

alex.wagner@marquette.edu

During Black History Month, it’s important to look back at the persecution and discrimination that has affected Black people. From 1619 to 2022, the fight for true equality under the law continues.

While we must be introspective this month, it can’t stop here. We must continue to fight for a more equitable country during the rest of the year and lift up Black voices whenever and wherever we can.

For this week, I read “Ring Shout” by P. Djèlí Clark. “Ring Shout” follows Maryse Boudreaux as she kills demons known as ‘Ku Kluxes.’ Ku Kluxes came into this

world when the Second Ku Klux Klan summoned them during the premiere of “The Birth of a Nation” in 1915. They’ve been around for seven years at the time of the story, sowing distrust in the American populace, swelling the KKK’s ranks, inciting violence and feeding on the hatred of white people.

Accompanying Maryse in her journey is the foul-mouthed Sadie Watkin and World War I veteran Cordelia Lawrence. Together, the trio work for Nana Jean, an old woman with deep connections to Gullah culture. Maryse and her resistance fighters are on the front lines, sending the Ku Kluxes back to hell where they belong.

But something is brewing in her town of Macon, Georgia. An entity more sinister is about wreak havoc on our world and Maryse needs backup. This is a fight for the soul of our nation.

This year, I’ve made it a goal to

step out of my comfort zone as a reader. This book was the perfect stepping stone, confronting racism and the KKK while also having three Black women as main characters.

These women are strong, smart, resilient and driven. It’s something we don’t see much in the media, print or otherwise. Especially given the time this novel is set, the 1920s, it’s refreshing to see a new angle of Black excellence.

This novel oozes Southern gothic, with depictions of boogeymen from African culture, humid Georgian nights and tension that was strife during that time period. The depiction of Ku Kluxes was bone chilling as well. They were described as having six eyes, crawling on all fours and having tight pale skin covering their bodies.

The title comes from a religious ritual practiced by African slaves in the Caribbean and the United States. The people participating

in the ceremony move in a accentuate the lasting beliefs of the counterclockwise fashion, clapping descendants of slaves and how those their hands and stomping their feet. beliefs fit into a changing America.

You can easily read this One person would be singing book in a day. That and the others would being said, I will respond to their calls. have to knock off Before this, I had a star just because never heard of Gullah of the shortness. I culture. Gullahs are would love to see the descendants of this develop into a African slaves who series. The ending live South Carolina does set up nicely for a and Georgia. They sequel. While it does an have very preserved amazing job crafting history and cultural RING SHOUT these characters, I felt heritage. They have that I wasn’t really a rich linguistic, able to connect to them religious, culinary in the way I would in and storytelling a longer novel. It’s history that is now still an amazing story celebrated in areas like Savannah, Georgia, though, and a perfect and Charleston, South Carolina. read for this Black History Month.

Bringing this element into the I rate “Ring Shout” by P. Dèjí novel and having it play a central Clark four out of five stars.

Graphic by Lily Werner role in the story really helped elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu

Local businesses celebrating love in new way Bagels & Bouqs features 414loral, Ruby’s Bagels

By Randi Haseman

randi.haseman@marquette.edu

Valentine’s Day is about cute cards, beauituful bouquets and … bagels?

“It’s really just a one-stop shop for Valentine’s Day,” Mikel McGee, founder and floral designer for 414loral, said. “You have food, you have flowers, you have a card and we’re also throwing in some stickers too.”

For Feb. 14, three local businesses are collaborating to create “Bagels & Bouqs.”

McGee will be supplying the mini “bouq” part of Bagels & Bouqs. Daniela “Ruby” Varela, owner and baker at Ruby’s Bagels, will be adding two plain bagels, two chocolate chip bagels, four ounces of chipotle raspberry jam and eight ounces of plain cream cheese. The card is designed by Milwaukee native Michael Cerda from Cerda Design Co. “I feel like in today’s society, we’re always looking for convenience. So if you can go to one place and get three things rather than making several different stops, it’s also very helpful,” McGee said.

All three businesses began in Milwaukee. “I’m from Milwaukee, born and raised,” McGee said.

414loral (pronounced four one floral) is planted on North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. This historic area of Milwaukee, Bronzeville, is known for its Black entrepreneurs.

“That’s something that’s really important to me,” McGee stated.

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to be there.”

Varela, who was just named as part of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2022 40 Under 40, also surrounds herself with a strong history. Her mom and two aunts are all employed at Ruby’s Bagels.

“I know right now my employees, most of them, are family, but they’re also women who have been homemakers for so many years, and I’m like ‘Come on, ladies, we got this,’” Varela said.

McGee draws inspiration from her family as well. In monthly subscriptions, McGee offers a “granola-ism.” These witty one-liners are courtesy of quick quips from her grandma, nicknamed “Granola.”

“My grandma always has the best advice, the best one-liners. She just always knows what to say,” McGee said with a big smile.

“My grandma is a very influential person in my life and I wanted

to include her in that way,” McGee added.

An important figure in Varela’s family is her mom, Eva Campos.

After working shifts at Patrick Cudahy, Campos would pick up bagels from Pick ‘n Save. Her family’s heritage also contributed to the flavors at Ruby’s Bagels.

“I really love my Guilty Guava, which is a toasted plain bagel and guava jam and plain cream cheese. It reminds me of a guava empanada,”

Varela said.

Ruby’s Bagels is currently stationed in Zócalo Food Truck Park, but the space isn’t ideal for Varela’s bagel baking. She’s on the hunt for a brick and mortar store where she can expand her menu.

“I want to incorporate more Mexican drinks, Mexican hot chocolate, different ingredients in the cheeses and bagels and stuff like that,” Varela mentioned.

Outside of their families, both businesswomen rely on the local community.

“414loral is definitely … fueled by community support,” McGee said. “We would not be able to continue what we’re doing without people choosing to buy locally.”

McGee and Varela funnel their profits back into the community.

After a Mother’s Day collaboration, McGee donated her weekend tips to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund for a bailout fund for moms.

This year, McGee wants to set up a scholarship for a University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee student to take the same introductory to floral design class that inspired McGee to create 414loral.

“The best part for me has been being able to connect with the community and being able to connect other small businesses through collaborating with events,” McGee said.

A Juneteenth parade last summer inspired another local program at 414loral when McGee passed out roses donated by a local wholesaler.

“A lot of people were really surprised, excited. Some people

said that they had never gotten flowers before in their life.” McGee said. “The reality of it is that some people don’t get flowers until their funeral, which is too late.”

This planted the seed for “Flowers 4 All.” Every week during the spring and summer, through their website, anyone is encouraged to nominate a Milwaukee changemaker to receive flowers. This way people can enjoy their flowers while they’re still here.

Enjoying flowers and celebrating the small details while you can is another reason for Bagels & Bouqs.

“Even if you don’t traditionally celebrate Valentine’s Day — for some people, they don’t and that’s okay — it’s not so much about the holiday as much as it’s about the reason of celebrating the small things; celebrating yourself, celebrating with friends,” McGee said. “Bagels & Bouqs is a great way to do that and to support three small businesses.”

Varela echoes that statement.

“It’s not only to give to your boyfriend or husband or wife or girlfriend, but also to your besties, to your girlfriends …Who doesn’t love bagels and flowers?” Varela laughed. “Homemade bagels — fresh, two chocolate ones — and a beautiful bouquet. I think that just makes sense. Or you can treat yourself, just saying. I would!”

Photo courtesy of Haley Eaglestar Rock

LOCAL LOVE

2B The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

RECYCLING: Engineer major turned entrepreneur grave a designs such as stars, astrology signs, letters and smiley faces onto the jewelry.

Kaylee Reyes, a senior in the College of Engineering, and a friend of Radermacher’s since their sophomore year together, said she has been supporting Radermacher’s business since her first drop around Valentine’s Day of last year.

“Seeing how much her business has grown in just a year has been amazing,” she said. “I never really wore rings prior to her starting Rad Rings, but now they’ve become some of my favorite accessories.”

Being an engineering major like Radermacher, Reyes said she has gotten to know, and be-

Photo courtesy of @Rad_Rings_ on Instagram

come close friends with, Radermacher through classes since their sophomore year together.

“I can vouch that she’s a really good person that cares a lot about her products,” Reyes said. “She

truly puts in a lot of time and effort for every customer and is always looking for new ways to improve her rings.”

Reyes said the best part of Rad Rings is how easy it is to work

with Radermacher in creating a unique and customizable ring for each user.

She said her favorite ring actually came from a spoon she already owned, which had a small flower design along the edges.

“Because it was from a spoon I had personally owned, it became one of my favorites,” Reyes said.

“I even went over to her apartment to watch her make the ring in person … It was really interesting to see just how much work goes into making each and every single ring.”

Radermacher said she also offers local pick up instead up having customers paying for shipping, which limits a lot of waste and emissions that comes from

shipping.

“The fact that it’s a local, small business … I’ve been able to meet a lot of different people on campus and its become kind of a local community business,” Radermacher said. “It really means a lot to me.”

Each ring costs $15, and customers can find her business on Instagram @rad_rings_.

@JMattMKE: 414 pride on whole different level Former radio host now TikTok star shows off the city

By JD Davis

jonillia.davis@marquette.edu

Do you have pride in where you come from? How do you show it? Former 103.7 Kiss FM radio host Jeffery “JMatt” Matthias has taken MKE pride to another level.

He uses his TikTok, @jmattmke, to show off Milwaukee and all of its glory.

Matthias transitioned from being radio host to TikTok during the start of COVID-19. With content ideas still floating in his head, Matthias sought out ways to continue what he loved to do.

“The idea didn’t hit me right away to do TikTok but it was something I was actively looking for a place to continue doing what I was doing on the radio,” Matthias said.

Around July, Matthias struck gold with a video of a pirate ship being sold here in Milwaukee. The

video gained 5.3 million views.

Matthias figured out where to put his content but now needed to figure out how to grow his following.

“A lot of viral content, you can’t keep creating it forever. I said, ‘That was cool but that was a one off.’ So, like, how do I continue to grow on TikTok?” Matthias said. After some thinking, he felt videos about Milwaukee would be his niche.

With 272 videos and counting, Matthias explores Milwaukee restaurants to get brunch, such as Engine Company No. 3 or Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern. Shake up your taste buds, Matthias encourages, with Fresh Fin Poké, a restaurant that serves poké, a native Hawaiian cuisine.

Check out the video where Matthias suggests five hills you can sled down, including Humboldt Park or Washington Park.

Not into sledding? In another video, he mentions five outdoor ice rinks like Riverwest People’s Ice Rink or Lake Park.

As a way to be fair to restaurants, Matthias said he doesn’t like to

rank them, but mainly leaves the choice of dining to the people. He said he made it his mission to bring awareness to small businesses, especially during the pandemic.

“If you think about certain restaurants in the area that continually make it on to the different awards in the city for best, they are always getting

Photos by Josh Meitz joshua.meitz@marquette.edu Photo courtesy of @jmattmke

featured. What about the other ones, that are also equally as good, but lesser known or forgotten?”

Matthias said.

There are always activities in the big city and Matthias found some ones that may be less-known like visiting the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. Or you can visit a business called Selfie Hop with photo rooms that people can take selfies in by themselves or with their friends.

Matthias has a love for the city life, but he didn’t grow up in Milwaukee. He is a Brookfield native, which is west of the city in Waukesha County. After moving around Wisconsin, he stayed in Milwaukee.

“Even though I grew up in Brookfield, I kept looking at the city and just how active it was.

I was very intrigued by the city and wanted to live in the city,” Matthias said.

There is a theme to Matthias’ TikTok, but what is he trying to achieve?

“The goal is just really, at its core, to support local,” Matthias said.

Matthias said he feels there is a stigma against the city of Milwaukee. People may associate city life with bad traffic and high crime rates. Matthias believes if people started to look at the positive sides of the city and what it has to offer, they would enjoy Milwaukee a little more.

“If you look at the city of Milwaukee and you see positives within in it, you start seeing the city as more than its negative aspects.

You start seeing it as its potential.

What benefits and positive things there are. But I don’t think there are enough people telling those stories.

That’s what I’m trying to help do,” Matthias said.

In five words, Matthias describes his account as the “city of Milwaukee for locals.”

LOCAL LOVE

4B The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Who let the dorm dogs out?

Campus puppies offer cuddles, pets any day of the week

By Izzy Fonfara Drewel

isabella.fonfaradrewel@marquette.edu

It’s the week of finals. Everyone has either been hidden in their rooms or sprawled across the library preparing for the most stressful week of the year. They’re reaching the edge of burnout with nothing to pull them from the slump, but there are a few who can help. These superheroes prance through the dorms on their four little legs, a pleasant distraction from the mountains of test material.

Marquette University features nine residence halls and several of them are home to the “dorm dogs,” named by the students.

These little pooches live in the halls and spend their time meeting students and receiving more pets than they could’ve ever imagined.

Cobeen Hall is home to two dogs, Phoebe and Emery. Phoebe

is a retriever mix and Emery is a Beagle and Pembroke Welsh Corgi mix.

Phoebe, named after the character from “Friends,” is about five years old and has been with her owner Bernadette Heitschmidt, Cobeen’s hall minister, for three years.

“I had just started working as a residence hall director when my supervisor was fostering Phoebe … and my supervisor knew I was interested in adopting a dog and suggested I come take a look at her,” Heitschmidt said. “I told my supervisor not to get her hopes up because if this dog was not the dog for me, that I would have to pass.

Then I met Phoebe and I just did not want anyone else to have her, I knew she belonged with me.”

The other pup, Emery, is an emotional support animal for Sophie Cieslicki, the residence hall director at Cobeen. Emery is a rescue dog who loves playing fetch and chasing her ball around the Cobeen lobby.

“She loves getting residents and staff to play with her, and she loves all the attention she receives here,” Cieslicki said.

Aside from being fun to play with, the dogs give students a break from the stress of college.

Mental Health America reports found that 75% of people in proximity to a pet have improved mental health.

“Whenever I am stressed from work, Emery reminds me to take a breather and take time away from work to enjoy life, and I think she has the same effect on the students she interacts with too,” Cieslicki said. “It gives students a break from their busy days to just relax for a bit and enjoy the company of a dog.”

The dorm dogs also help students struggling with homesickness.

They bring a sense of comfort and normalcy to the new situation the residents are navigating.

“I think having a dog in the residence hall makes the hall feel more like a home for many students,” Heitschmidt said. “I

constantly hear students saying as they pet Phoebe that they miss their dog or another family pet at home.”

“I love seeing [the dogs] around campus, especially Phoebe

because she reminds be of my own dog,” Fiona Kelly, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences,

19A

said. “It’s very therapeutic being around the dogs and getting to know them.”

The dorm dogs are a welcome break from stress and allow everyone to take a moment.

They can also be the source of a good laugh.

Heistschmidt recalls one day at the beginning of the year when the staff was showing off their rooms and Phoebe was drawn in by the excitement.

She decided she had to join the fun too and strolled right into the celebration.

“I just couldn’t believe she wandered off and now we have a joke that Phoebe wanted to be an official staff member,” Heitschmidt said.

If you’re having a rough day, think about stopping by and saying hello to Phoebe and Emery or checking on the other dogs on campus.

Photo by of Sarah Kuhns sarah.kuhns@marquette.edu

My first love: on four wheels Open valentine card to RJ Siano’s favorite, first, forever romance

By RJ Siano

ryan.siano@marquette.edu

There’s something poetic about how my infatuation with my first car was reminiscent of a first love.

I wasn’t a perfect driver, and my 1999 Ford Taurus sure wasn’t a perfect automobile, but the two of us were inseparable.

I was smitten with my car, who I named Sherry, before I could even take the wheel. When I was only 15, my parents brought home a beautiful, sparkling red vehicle into our driveway: Sherry.

I fell head over heels before I even took my driver’s test. I sat in the driver’s seat — her with a half tank of gas, and me with an enamored heart — every day after school.

I knew her name was right for her the first time I heard Frankie Valley’s voice grace her speakers with his classic, “Sherry.” I didn’t play this via a CD player, Bluetooth or even an aux cord, because Sherry was only outfitted with a cassette deck. I plugged in the $15 radio wave emitter I bought to the dropdown cigar lighter that our mechanic outfitted into a port for car chargers, and maneuvered her scratched

yet gorgeous dials through the oceans of static until I could finally make out the song I was playing – “Sherry.”

I wasn’t quiet about my love for Sherry. I showed pictures of her from a multitude of angles to my

I’d always take the long way home just so we could spend more time together.

When a song I would play through her seductive speakers would change volumes too quickly, she’d speak to me with a flirtatious

Sherry

“On four wheels” Graphics by RJ Siano ryan.siano@marquette.edu

friends in homeroom in the week leading up to my driver’s test. I showed off her gold-detailed rear, robust back windshield and frontrow bench seat that had a third sitting place where a console often goes in today’s vehicles. I wanted nothing more than to take her for spin before the test that seemed to only feel farther and farther away.

When that day did come, it was magical. I felt a rush in my heart every time I manually unlocked her door every morning, and like a y F l r s Itlocked monk saying his iprayers, those doors every time I wandered more than four feet from her glimmering ruby red presence. We spent many warm nights with the windows down blasting music;

pop or crackle. When I drove too fast, her engine would rattle like a snake’s tail in Albuquerque. But I never did slow down; even when I drove so fast that my rearview mirror vibrated so much that it appeared I was driving on a nine lane highway.

That was the thing — I didn’t care what anyone else thought.

I wouldn’t feel a lick of jealousy or spite when the rest of the sophomores in my suburban Catholic school arrived in Range vRovers e or BMWs. Sherry and I had a bond that meant more than a brand logo or manufacture date. I didn’t need the luxuries others had, like four wheel drive, backup cameras or a functioning

On four wheels:

heating system.

As young love does, our time I understood that love was hard. together finally came to an end.

When the winters came, I knew The cost to repair her engine was that Sherry’s defroster wouldn’t about $900, which is over half be able to expel the ice on her what my parents paid for the entire windshield every morning. So, car to begin with. Maybe I’m just every night like clockwork, I went uneducated about cars, or maybe out before bed through arctic winds it was the hopeless romantic in and single-digit temperatures me, but I pleaded my case to my to lay an old beach towel on her parents to fix her. windshield to prevent ice from I knew deep down, though, that forming overnight. But most of it wasn’t right. I knew if we fixed all, I was there to say goodnight, that engine, it was only a matter of and to minimize the time we time before another gasket blew, or spent apart. before some other calamity came Eventually, the fateful day finally over my sweet, ancient Sherry. came where we parted ways just 9 To my Sherry, I know I couldn’t months into our journey together. give you a ride north to a farm It was scorching hot, and I could where you could live out your days see steam pouring off of her engine in peace, but I hope the scrappers from under the hood. In retrospect, we sold you to were able to use I should’ve taken that as a warning, your parts towards something because on my drive home from as beautiful as you always were my doctor’s appointment, Sherry to me. blew a gasket.

Love, RJ When I called for roadside assistance, I could sense our last days together were near. My mom put her arm around me as I watched her get chained and pulled onto a tow truck, and we both watched, not saying what we knew was y f i r s t l v e both true.

LOCAL LOVE

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 20A

The Marquette Tribune 3B

Valentine’s Day activities to celebrate your besties

Galentine’s Day ideas for everyone in your lovely life

By Kim Cook

kimberly.cook@marquette.edu

It’s that time of year again.

Grocery stores have devoted aisles to heart-shaped boxes and various shades of red and pink while human-sized teddy bears smile at shoppers waiting to be plucked from their cardboard home, purchased and given to that special someone with a dozen red roses that say ‘I Love You.’ Yes, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. And for those who may not have the aforementioned special someone to spend the day with, the holiday can still be a fun day to treat and pamper yourself. According to a 2020 survey done by Pew Research Center, 41% of all people 18-29 are single, so you are definitely not alone. With that in mind, here’s a list of things for singles to do by themselves or with their other single friends this Feb. 14: Celebrate your pals with a nice dinner While cooking for yourself or having a meal in a dining hall may be enjoyable, Valentine’s Day calls for a change in scenery. Time to take a page out of the V-Day

Photo by of Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

handbook and head to a nice but budget-friendly restaurant with a few of your closest gals or pals.

Think Olive Garden breadsticks or a trip to the nearest Cracker Barrel for chicken and waffles (bonus if you buy yourself something from the gift shop). Celebrate your friendships with a good meal and conversation — just like a date, but with more people.

Buy yourself something nice This is an opportunity to splurge!

Take yourself to Mayfair or Southridge Mall or your favorite online store and finally buy that one

thing that you have been dying to have. This is a day to show yourself some love. That dress that you saw in the window? Buy it. That new video game that everyone is playing that you don’t have yet? It’s yours. And don’t be stingy about it, treat yourself in the best way you know how.

And if you’re looking to shop locally, check out Med Gen in the Third Ward or take a trip down by the lake to visit Boswell Books. Both shops offer something for everyone and you’re sure to find something in either place that you just cannot live

without. For more ideas on where to shop for yourself, check out this list curated by Visit Milwaukee.

Share the love (just not the romantic kind) The world needs a little more love, so take Valentine’s Day to tell your friends, family or a special, platonic, person in your life how much you appreciate their presence in your life. Remember those paper valentines that you used to share with your classmates in elementary school? Buy a box with your favorite animated characters and hand them out to your closest friends. And if they are single too, it may make their day! This could also mean sending them flowers to a grandparent or mentor that you respect, or even just calling your mom to tell her about your day.

Stay off social media Yeah, this one is pretty much selfexplanatory. Love is great and all, but do you really want to scroll through post after post of your friends and people you know being nauseatingly happy? In general, social media been linked to feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness, according to Penn Medicine General Health. For this reason, use Feb. 14 as a day to unplug and do a little self-care. Curl up with a good book, do a paint-bynumber, maybe finally start working on your New Year’s resolution of going to the gym more. Just stay away from Instagram, Facebook,

Snapchat and Twitter.

Throw a Valentine’s Day watch party Now that the semester is underway, you probably haven’t had that much time to watch television.

Well, here is an option for you: “The Bachelor.” Grab your friends and your favorite unhealthy snacks, and gather ’round to watch the newest chapter in Clayton’s journey to find love. Enjoy all the drama and hilarity that ensues, and, oh, don’t forget the shrimp (if you know, you know).

And if a dozen or so women chasing after one man isn’t exactly your cup of tea, maybe try something new. ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” is a new feel good comedy sitcom series that is sure to make you laugh, and episodes stream next day on Hulu. And even if that recommendation doesn’t stick, as long as you are relaxed and enjoying yourself with your friends and snacks, the night is a win no matter what you stream.

Love you for you And this is probably the most important activity on this list: LOVE YOURSELF! Valentine’s Day is not a day to feel sad or less confident about who you are just because you do not have a significant other. You are amazing just the way that you are, and one day someone will come along and finally notice it. But for now, love the single life, love being you.

Marquette community explains: What is love?

Laura Schram, Anna Lovell give thoughts on today’s adoration

By Rashad Alexander

rashad.alexander@marquette.edu

The month of February brings a day that can be filled with either love and joy for some people or just a regular day for others. Valentine’s Day gives people the opportunity to do whatever they can for their significant other to show their love.

But what is love?

The four letter word may seem simple, but it has different meanings for different people. For Nico Townsend, a junior in the College of Communication, there are multiple aspects of the word.

“You can love certain things, you can love certain people. Sometimes it can be unconditional, sometimes it can be conditional,” said Townsend. “It’s still a strong feeling that you can have for something.”

A major difference for love in this generation versus the past is now the implementation of social media, said Townsend. Being single, Townsend feels like social media

has changed the meaning of love in a negative way.

“The way love was treated before is not gonna be the same as it is now, especially with social media and everybody glorifying things they wish that they had. A lot of those things are attainable, but it’s what you got to do to get to that.”

Townsend said.

While Townsend believes that love has changed for his generation, Laura Schram, a professor in the College of Communication, thinks otherwise.

“I think love is eternal. Love is truth, supernatural,” Schram said in an email. “Expressing it might be different from generation to generation, but it is essentially the same since the beginning of time.”

Schram has been married to her husband, Bob, for nearly 17 years.

She explained how her love for him grew as the years went along being around one other.

“I can’t trace back to one moment when I knew I was in love with Bob. It wasn’t like the movies. It was an evolution, progression.”

Schram said.

Schram also believes if you are truly in love, you are willing to make sacrifices within your relationship to better one another.

“One in love sacrifices total independence, time, and money.

Nothing is mine anymore. It’s ours.

The sacrifice isn’t a form of suffering.

You don’t have resentment about it.

The sacrifice comes from duty and provides joy.” Schram said.

Anna Lovell, a senior in the College of Business Administration, has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Louis Jackson, a senior in the College of Communication, for three years. When they first met, she felt that love right away.

“Ever since I met Louis, I would say love is easy and it’s finding your other half,” Lovell said. “I would say it’s just having a safe, comfortable place to be with one another and truly loving all of one person. That means flaws involved, everything.”

Lovell is the daughter of University President Michael Lovell, who has been with his wife Amy Lovell since they were in college. For Anna Lovell, she feels like her parents’ marriage has had an impact on what she believes love is. “(My parents) have set the standard of what love is to me. They are really grounded in their faith and pray a lot together. I look at my parents and they’re still so happy after it’s been twenty-something years. And I think that has shown

Photo by of Collin Nawrocki collin.nawrocki@marquette.edu

me that true love does exist.” Anna Lovell said.

And watching their marriage has also shown how different love is from their generation to now, Anna Lovell said.

“Back then, you had to try harder to express your love for somebody because you didn’t have a cell phone. Literally, my parents wrote letters to each other, or they would call off the landline. Nowadays, it’s so much easier to do the least amount of work.” Anna Lovell said.

Anna Lovell had some advice to give for those who are just getting into a relationship or thinking about getting into one.

“I think it’s really important to let things happen naturally. Because a lot of people try to force themselves into situations because they see people they think are happy, when really those people aren’t happy.

You just need to come about it naturally and I really do believe it’s important to be great friends first.”

Anna Lovell said.

Despite the different takes on what love is, it is clear that true love does exist when looking at Schram and Lovell’s relationships. And no matter how you feel about love, Valentine’s Day gives you a chance to love yourself, regardless of what your relationship status is.