14 minute read
OPINIONS
Tuesday, april 5, 2022
The MarqueTTe Tribune OpiniOns
Advertisement
PAGE 10
Aimee Galaszewski, Executive Director Benjamin Wells, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Skyler Chun, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal
ediTorial board
Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Hope Moses, Assistant Opinions Editor
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
STAFF EDITORIAL It’s time to listen
Andrew Amouzou, Station Manager of MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager of MURadio Alex Rivera Grant, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion
To adequately address the increase in crime on campus, Marquette University needs to invest in community programming and better include community members in conversations about safety.
Recently, Marquette University Police Department has sent out several safety alerts regarding crimes that have occurred during the day.
There were two robberies reported March 21: a robbery near 19th Street and Kilbourn Avenue at 10:43 a.m. and a robbery near 22nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue at 3:48 p.m. There was also a shooting reported near 15th Street and Kilbourn Avenue at 12:06 p.m. March 26.
Last week, MUPD did not send a text safety alert, but sent an email to students about a nonMarquette affiliated individual who attempted to break into a vehicle, fled on foot, discharged his gun near 18th Street and West Highland Avenue and shot himself in the leg. The individual was transported to the hospital.
In response to these incidents, Marquette announced last week that the President’s Task Force on Community Safety would be implementing new safety measures on campus to address the increase in crime on campus.
These changes include adding police patrols, security officers, LIMO drivers and security cameras, making residence halls and campus more secure, expanding safety content for SPARK and New Student Orientation and the Ambassador program with the Near West Side Partners.
While the university’s responsiveness to take action should be commended, Marquette should consider adopting more inclusive and preventative strategies to address safety concerns in addition to its current plan.
Of the eight members on the steering committee, the only community leader represented is executive director of the Near West Side Partners Keith Stanley.
Marquette, like many Jesuit institutions, is centered in the Milwaukee community to be of service and stand in solidarity with it against injustices and inequities.
While these are the goals, many of Marquette’s recent decisions on campus could be seen as dividing us from the community.
As construction began for the new College of Business Administration building last year, the covered seating at the bus stop on the corner of 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue was removed. The bus stop is heavily frequented, and the covered seating allowed people to rest and avoid harsh weather while waiting for the bus.
Marquette cannot uphold Jesuit values of “cura personalis” and men and women for others unless it includes community members in safety discussions. The crime is not just happening on Marquette’s campus, it’s happening in their neighborhoods as well.
One way the university can help keep community members safe is by giving them the option to opt into safety alerts. Marquette could post QR codes around campus in general that could take them to a link to sign up.
If students’ parents as well as faculty and staff can opt into safety alerts — many of whom are not on campus — Marquette can better protect community members who live nearby.
The university should also consider hosting a town forum for community members to come and share their opinions and concerns about safety. Engaging in direct conversations with community members not only sheds light on areas where Marquette can serve nearby neighborhoods but it can also allow them to tell Marquette what solutions are best for them.
Marquette should also consider working with new Marquette University Student Government President Bridgeman Flowers and Executive Vice President Samari Price. The pair shared during the MUSG presidential debate March 27 that investing in nearby neighborhoods could be a solution to support community members.
These steps are important for serving community members as well as Marquette students who commute, as they also have to face these safety concerns.
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted Milwaukee communities, especially those that are predominately communities of color and low income. Marquette needs to listen and serve.
As a result of discriminatory policies like redlining that have disproportionately impacted communities of color, Marquette needs to recognize that Milwaukee residents need to be supported, not saved. Recognizing the agency of community members is essential.
As a predominantly white institution, Marquette should not be playing the “white savior.”
Marquette needs to be transparent with prospective and new students about the crime on campus.
Additionally, the university should revitalize its student and parent orientation programs. Marquette already announced plans to expand the safety content at SPARK and Orientation. This should include discussions with students about using their discretion in unsafe situations and discussions with community leaders about nearby Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Marquette is not a gated or isolated campus, and this could be important to helping students recognize they are guests in these communities, breaking down the “Marquette bubble” and increasing visibility and helping amplify community voices.
Having these conversations with students and families when they first step on campus will not only break down the division between campus and community members but it will also help break down stereotypes that often circulate among students and families.
Another way Marquette can help prevent crime is by investing in community programs. The university should aim to bolster local communities through discussing and working with communities about the issues they face. Supporting nearby communities could mean funding programs and initiatives related to health care, food access, transportation, equitable education and mental health resources that empower people.
Marquette is receiving pressure from faculty, staff, students and families to address safety concerns on campus. Implementing remedial efforts is not enough and it does not strive for a truly Jesuit university.
While people may be afraid for their safety, addressing these concerns has to begin with listening to community members if we are to develop successful, long-term solutions. It’s time Marquette listens.
Krisha Patel
The purpose of comedy is to make people laugh, but there needs to be a line when it comes to insulting people about their identities.
While people may remember the talent recognized and the awards given out at the 2022 Academy Awards, most likely the biggest thing people will rememberisWill Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face.
Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, saying, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.” The joke was in reference to the movie “G.I. Jane,” where women joining the Navy try to improve gender neutrality. One way they did this was by shaving their heads.
The joke may have been harmless if Pinkett Smith hadn’t been public about her journey with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder causing hair to fall out from a young age, since 2018. She decided to shave her head in 2021 so she could spread awareness about her experience with the illness.
Smith apologized to the academy in his acceptance speech for Best Actor for his role in “King Richard,” and publicly apologized to Rock after the incident. Recently, Smith chose to resign from the academy altogether. While Smith can still attend the awards ceremony in the future and still be nominated, he is no longer on the committee that votes for the winners.
While Smith is at fault for assaulting Rock, Rock also needs to be held accountable for his actions. There needs to be a line drawn on how far comedy can go and insulting someone’s body is definitely crossing it.
Another example of comedy that should be off limits is making racist jokes. Amy Schumer came under fire in 2015 for being racist towards Hispanic people by insinuating they are rapists by saying, “I used to date Hispanic guys, but now I prefer consensual.” While Schumer publicly apologized, it doesn’t take away from the fact that her joke crossed several lines by being racistperpetuating inappropriate stereotyping. Late night talk show hosts have also been accused of making jokes that harm others based on their identities.
A skit from 2000 of Jimmy Fallon doing blackface as he portrayed Rock and stereotyped him as a crack addict resurfaced in 2020.
Similarly, Jimmy Kimmel was called out for making a homophobic joke in a 2018 tweet amid his online feud with talk show host Sean Hannity. He made a sexual reference that in turn was negatively met by a lot of people part of the LGBTQ community.
Both talk show hosts have since apologized and owned up to their actions but it doesn’t take away from the fact that their inappropriate use of comedy may have deeply affected a large group of individuals.
Sexism should also have no place in comedy. Women are usually targeted in these sexist jokes. Kevin Hart was called out in 2018 for being sexist towards women, using negatively stereotypes for women and label them derogatory terms and calling them “crazy.”
Louis C.K. is another example. Much of comedy is geared towards women and he often jokes about masturbating in front of women and rape whistles. This is deeply inappropriate given his history with sexual misconduct.
Harmful and offensive jokes have also cost some comedians their careers. For example, comedian Adrien Brody was asked to leave Saturday Night Live after going off script and portraying a skit that was racially offensive and appropriated Jamaican culture.
Comedians should look to their peers to find ways to still be funny but not make homophobic,
Nora McCaughey
“Are you guys from Chicago?” the cashier in Milwaukee asked me. I proudly told her I am, and she responded that she is also from the Windy City. I asked what part she’s from, and she gave me the name of a suburb.
Whenever I hear this it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
It tells me everything I need to know about this woman’s relationship with my hometown of 21 years: she knows absolutely nothing. Only someone with a surface level knowledge of Chicago could possibly think that downtown is the only part of the city worth visiting, and only someone from a suburb would say that living outside the city is the same as living in it.
The cashier may have experienced Navy Pier and Lollapalooza, but something tells me she never had to learn the Cubs’ playing schedule to avoid taking the Red Line on a game day or arrived late to school because the Chicago Transit Authority driver of the Addison bus pulled over to run in and grab a pizza (tavern style, not deep dish) on his route.
People love to say they’re from Chicago when they’re actually from a suburb. Northbrook, Elk Grove, Naperville — I’ve even had someone from Gurnee, which is almost an hour away without traffic, claim to be a Chicagoan. Besides just being incorrect, there’s no reason for it.
Put yourself in my shoes: If you told me you were from example, Illinois, and I said I was from there too, wouldn’t you be disappointed if upon clarification I admitted I was really from somewhere thirty minutes away? We might enjoy some of the same things, but I’m sure there are small things about your town you were excited to talk about and bond over that only someone from the actual town would know.
For us, that’s why you don’t order a chocolate shake at the Wiener Circle, how to find your way around Lower Wacker or where the best secret beach in Chicago is (I’m not telling!). Personally, I like to ask fellow Chicagoans where they were the moment they found out the Rainforest Cafe on Ohio Street was closing or the Rock n’ Roll McDonald’s was being remodeled.
I’m not trying to sound rude, I promise. I understand why people do it: Most people, especially when traveling outside an opportunity to rebuild again. Today we merch (vouch, for non-Chicagoans) for each other, navigate the secret underground Pedway system and lace up our gym shoes before leaving one of 77 unique neighborhoods so we can be a part of this club of people who can say they’ve lived in Hell and cherished every second of it. So can you blame me for being annoyed with people who say they’ve been down here with me when really they’ve been hanging out in Purgatory?
opinions Finding fine lines in comedy
Living in the 606
of the Midwest, don’t know every single small town outside of Chicago. But I don’t think it’s a big ask for people to put the words “a suburb of” or even just “near” before the name. At this point I should ask for zip codes, and if they don’t respond “six, zero, six,” I’ll offer them a shot of Malort.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the center of the Loop or on the outskirts near Jefferson Park, there are many universal Chicago experiences that bind us together.
Being in the city limits gives you access to Chicago’s public schools, which are an adventure all of their own with frequent teacher strikes and scandals. We suffer through nightmarish traffic at all hours of the day and know to never get on a train car that’s empty during rush hour (There’s a reason it’s empty). We roll our eyes at our politics that are entirely built on corruption, politely ignore the weirdos on the El and grumble about why we pay taxes if our roads are going to be filled with potholes anyway. Suburbanites can enjoy all of those things in their own towns, of course. And I’m sure some of them do. The difference is minuscule to most yet massive some. It’s like being in an exclusive club: If you’re in, you’re in, if you’re not, you’re not. Many people don’t even want to be in the club due to high crime, corruption and overall craziness, but to be honest, that’s part of the appeal.
Famed poet and brief citizen of Chicago Carl Sandburg once wrote, “Here is the difference between Dante, Milton, and me. They wrote about Hell and
never saw the place. I wrote about Chicago after looking the town over for years and years.” Despite my affection for the city, Sandburg isn’t entirely wrong in comparing it to Hell.
And I love to say I’ve lived in Hell. Not many people can survive that, and those who have have special connection with each other. From two CTA bus drivers stopping the buses to exchange roses to an elderly woman shooing a man off the train for making lewd remarks at me, Chicagoans are birds of a feather, and we definitely stick together.
We’re the ones who changed the course of an entire river for our personal convenience, waited 108 years for the Cubs to win the World Series and saw the entire city burning down as
racist or sexist jokes.
Take John Mulaney for example. He does stand-up comedy and chooses not to pick on other people. Instead, his comedy sheds light on his personal struggles with cocaine and drinking addiction in the past and his time spent at rehab.
Ali Wong is another comedian who doesn’t make digs at others for who they are, and doesn’t use insensitive language. If she makes jokes about culture, it is her own.
Comedian Katt Williams also said in an interview that he doesn’t make jokes about other peoples’ identities.
A joke is meant to allow people to leave the room laughing, or even create a space to talk about important and serious topics that may be uncomfortable. Not ashamed about things they cannot control about themselves.
Krisha Patel is a junior studying nursing and Spanish for the health professions. She can be reached at
krisha.patel@marquette.edu
Nora McCaughey is a senior studying English. She can be reached at eleanor.mccaughey@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.
