Marquette Tribune I September 27

Convocation consequences

Marquette professors speak out in support of student demonstrators

By Julia Abuzzahab julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

“Cumulatively sanctioning 10 students of color for speak ing the truth is outrageous – it’s absolutely outrageous.

Because plain and simple, they’re right. They’re abso lutely right,” Stephanie Rivera Berruz, associate professor of philosophy, said.

After the demonstration at

the original convocation date, Aug. 25, Marquette University took disciplinary action against participating students and sent them through the Student Code of Conduct.

Both Rivera Berruz and Julis sa Ventura, assistant professor in education policy and leader ship, said that the students will either be faced with probation or probation and suspension with abeyance.

“But we don’t really know what it [suspension with abey ance] means, because it’s not in the student handbook,” Ri vera Berruz said.

Both said on top of that, some students have to pay a fine of $300, write an apology letter, complete 20 hours of commu nity service and write an edu cational program on the dem onstration policy. If a student is placed on probation, they will likely have to step down from any leadership role.

The Marquette Wire in dependently confirmed this information.

A source involved with the matter spoke to the Marquette Wire. The Marquette Wire granted anonymity to the stu dent to protect their identity.

The source said in terms of the educational seminar that they aren’t exactly sure what it means. They said they could create a flyer, virtual or in-per son training, a formal video or other educational material.

The students will have five business days to appeal the student code of conduct outcome.

“What is Marquette going to do with $300 per student?

… Realistically, that is not anything to this institution,” Ventura said.

Ventura mentioned how there were other ways the university

could have taken disciplin ary measures. She said there are people on campus who are experts on restorative jus tice, yet Marquette chose to go through the student conduct process which she described as “punitive.”

Ventura was a witness at some of the students’ hear ings. She said that the con duct process harmed the students involved.

“In the hearings, intimida tion tactics were used. There were interrogations where they

Marquette’s commuter student lounge gets an artistic facelift

CSA’s Mariam Ali begins painting mural in AMU space

By Timothy Littau timothy.littau@marquette.edu

If you looked inside the commuter student lounge on the first floor of the Alumni Memorial Union two weeks ago, it would not have ap peared much different than a college dorm room, minus the beds. A mini fridge, micro wave, couch, table, chairs and

a few posters and signs filled the space.

“It just looks like a random room in the AMU and I want to make it a more comfortable place for people to socialize and hang out,” Mariam Ali, a commuter student and senior in the College of Communica tion, said.

That is what Ali set out to do, spending two weeks work ing on a comic book-themed design on her iPad to pitch to the Commuter Student Asso ciation and AMU supervisors in the hopes it would become

a floor-to-ceiling mural.

“I had an idea for a comic book design because it would be easier to paint on the wall and have everyone else help out,” Ali said.

Not quite finished yet, the word “Marquette” undulates across the blue wall in large bubble letters with Marquette Hall’s Gothic bell tower in the background. Ali expects it to be finished later this week.

“It’s just really impressive,” Javeria Choudry, president of

Wells’

Beloved janitor, Wilmore

Slay or nay?

Violence in Hip Hop

The mural will cover one of the wall in the comnmuter student lounge.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

See CONVOCATION

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

COMMUTER: floor-to-ceiling comic style paint

Continued from page 1

CSA and a senior in the Col lege of Health Sciences, said.

Ali spent 10 hours work ing on the mural on Saturday, Sept. 17 sanding the wall and painting the white surface blue. Once it had dried, she sketched her comic book de sign onto the newly covered canvas with the help of a pro jector and filled in the lines with black markers. Then fel low commuter students helped her do the bulk of the painting.

“That’s why I organized this mural, to bring people togeth er,” Ali said.

She also began this work of art to help a bigger cause.

“I also want to have this mural bring awareness to the commuter students’ issues here because right now there’s not a lot of opportunities for commuter students,” Ali said.

Ali said some of those issues are expensive parking and a lack of opportunities.

“There’s more priority for people who live in the dorms for more opportunities than commuter students,” Ali said. “People will say, ‘to have the college experience, you have to live on campus,’ but that’s not necessarily true.”

Despite the shortcomings that commuter students may face, Ali is hopeful that change continues to occur for com muter students, in ways big and small.

“People are starting to see that we need to pay attention to this demographic of stu dents,” Ali said.

Being able to give the com muter student lounge a more welcoming look is one way that change is happening for commuter students, and it does not go unnoticed by commuter students

“It’s the one place I always know I can go. It’s given me a great group of friends here,” Markell Harper, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and commuter student, said.

“It’s a commuter’s foothold on campus.”

Ali takes her creativity off campus too, at Milwaukee OATS Screen Printing, where

she helps design clothes and logos at her internship.

“She brings an interesting perspective to our shop. She has a lot of insight into adver tising and community partner ships, and that’s what we’re all about,” Enrique Murguia, owner and director of Milwau kee OATS, said.

“OATS” stands for “only a T-shirt,” and Murguia said that creating art is a way to build community and empow er youth, both of which take place in his vibrant shop every day.

Ali is a role model for other

interns and young artists to look up to.

Art is also an important puz zle piece in Ali’s life.

“I like art a lot because I can have anxiety. It started off as a mental health thing to get my mind off of things so art was just a great outlet to not have to think about my problems and just get in the zone,” she said. “I also have ADHD, I have all of these ideas in my head, and I have to get them out some how. Art is just a great way for me to get those ideas out.”

Those ideas come to life for Ali on canvases ranging from T-shirts to walls, even in rooms that are seemingly as mundane as a dorm room. But the commuter student lounge has a fresh layer of paint and a new sense of community, which will be left behind long after the paint brushes have finished grazing over the work of art.

Wilmore Peters: a best friend to The Commons

students have even made it past their second dream. For some, waking up before even 9 a.m. might make one anxious, but for Peters, it is all part of the process.

building and saying hello to sleepy students as they walk by.

By TJ Dysart theodore.dysart@marquette.edu

When the parents of firstyear students get that first phone call from their children while they are at Marquette, one might expect the conver sation to be about academics, social life or how the dining hall food is. But for some par ents, their discussion might be about how their children have befriended a familiar janitor; Wilmore Peters.

Peters is one of the main janitors working at The Com mons. He is responsible for the 7th and 9th floors at Wells and has taken the responsibility of making sure each floor is clean and each and every student is happy.

“It’s not about the job title or how much money you make,” Peters said. “It’s about what you contribute and why you are in that space.”

A typical work day for Pe ters starts with a 4 a.m. wakeup call. He will make his way to the Commons and begin to clean each of the floors he is responsible for before most

“I love what I do man and I have not missed a day of work in 11 years,” Peters said. “I can say I never have a bad day here because the students are the key ingredient in the mix.”

Peters has been working at Marquette for 13 years, and he does not plan on stopping any time soon. Residents of Wells Street Hall and Eckstein Tower have said that Wilmore Peters goes above and beyond his typical job requirements.

Lex Wallace, a first-year student in the College of Busi ness, said that in just four weeks he has become closer with Peters than some of his classmates.

“You don’t really expect there to be this type of pres ence on a campus, especially from someone that doesn’t necessarily have to interact with you,” Wallace said. “It definitely is something you al ways hope for, but to see it in action is really cool.”

After an early morning or tidying up the floors, the next part of his job begins with cleaning the lobby of the

Peters said he enjoys talk ing about life and the potential scenarios the students could experience in their future. Not only that, but even in the midst of a conversation between a student and Peters, if someone needs help, he will be the first person to assist them.

“Man Wil is always ready to help me out,” Hugh Kingsley, a first-year student in the Col lege of Arts & Sciences said.

“Like this morning I needed dish soap and he immediately went and got me some. He is also just a great person to have a conversation with.”

Peters refers to Kingsley as “big guy” showing that resi dents have gotten so close with Peters they are on a nickname basis.

And while Peters will always make sure everyone’s day is brightened, he will also make sure they are held accountable.

But what does Peters credit his positive attitude to? He says it’s his calling to the Lord.

“Each day he gives me the permission to do what I do and uplift people each day and that‘s what I am going to con tinue to do,” Peters said.

Peters wants students to also

“prepare for the challenge”.

“It is just as much for these students about what you learn outside the classroom as it is what you learn in the class room. There will be times

where students struggle in col lege and if I can be that source of joy in the midst of a stu dent’s personal challenge then I went about my day the right way,” Peters said.

Wilmore Peters makes sure each floor is clean and every student is happy.

Photo courtesy of Wilmore Peters

Wells Street Hall janitor is familiar face to many at MU

The commuter student lounge is located on the first floor of the AMU. Ali began painting the mural last weekend.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

CONVOCATION: fines, letters, service

were asking students to name other students involved, they were not educational,” Ventura said. “The person questioning them didn’t stop the line of questioning even when seeing students in emotional distress.”

Ventura said this process made the students go through their trauma all over again.

“For my own personal ex perience this has been very traumatizing and draining. I’m just thinking about the events in general and how Marquette decided to proceed just shakes me up. I shouldn’t be focused on any of this, I shouldn’t be treated as a criminal. At the end of the day I’m a student, I am trying to do the best I can to graduate,” the source involved in the matter said.

Ventura said that she be lieves that there’s this narrative that the students are “rabblerousers,” which she said isn’t the case.

“These students are Mar quette students who are living to be the difference,” Ven tura said. “To me, if the uni versity really stands by their slogan, by their Jesuit values, then we would be support ing these students instead of punishing them.”

In a statement shared with the Marquette Wire, Marquette university spokesperson Lynn Griffith said that the university acknowledges the frustration voiced in the demonstration at the convocation concerning the support for people of color on campus.

“We likewise acknowledge that the way in which these frustrations were shared pre vented a planned, celebratory moment for the Class for 2026

and their families. Because of our commitment to student de velopment, when students have acted contrary to our commu nity Standards of Conduct, these behaviors are addressed through the student conduct process. Details and outcomes from student conduct cases are protected by federal privacy laws and will not be disclosed by the university,” Griffith said in the statement.

Ventura said that if these stu dents had proper support on campus, maybe they would have taken a different approach to convey their message.

“Punitively sanctioning them for being brave enough to get up on a stage and say that in front of hundreds of people that to me sounds like an act of bravery, right? Granted, I’m not denying that it wasn’t in violation of whatever rules the institution has, but that doesn’t get to the core of what transpired, right? Which is that these students were absolutely right,” Rivera Berruz said.

Ventura also said that being in Milwaukee, a city that’s so diverse, having 30% students of color in the first-year class this year still isn’t enough.

Advisor Smith named Mil waukee the sixth most di verse city with a population of 500,000 or above.

Ventura said the result of this situation has made her think about institutional racism. She said that policies and practices are racist when the institution doesn’t take into consideration a student’s background, so cioeconomic status and who students are.

Ventura also said that the students who are being pun ished are not Marquette’s typi

cal student who might have legal guidance.

“We’ve already harmed these students. We have failed them as an institution and we just continue to do it,” Ventura said.

Ventura then said we should question why Marquette has a demonstration policy.

Currently, Marquette’s dem onstration policy requires students to have their pro test or demonstration even tually approved by the Dean of Students.

Ventura said the students who were punished were told that they should have been responsible for understand ing Marquette’s demonstra tion policy. Ventura said she believes this is unfair because no student will have read the student handbook from cover to cover.

“But if we say we are for academic freedom as a higher education institution, then why do we have a demonstration policy that has students ask for permission?” Ventura said.

Rivera Berruz said in this particular circumstance, the students were successful at calling out the harm that the university has caused them, and the administration got upset about it. She said this begs the question of who the educator is in the room.

“To take such a punitive stance suggests that the stu dents successfully pissed off the right people,” Rivera Ber ruz said. “They rattled the cage in exactly the place it needed to be rattled.”

Ventura said that these stu dents were silently demon strating as Provost Kimo Ah Yun and University President Michael Lovell passed right

by them without looking or acknowledging their presence which she said escalated things because it made the students feel invisible.

“I would also ask where was the president? Why didn’t the president say I’m willing to speak to you? I’m willing to hear what you have to say, right?” Ventura said.

After students pointed to a lack of support for students of color at the demonstration as well as being treated like a statistic, Marquette posted a statement Aug. 25 responding to their concerns.

“As a result of our ongoing efforts, 30% of our incoming first-year class identifies as stu dents of color and we believe our overall diversity this fall will be at an all-time high,” the statement said.

The statement then said that they were “proud” of their diversity, equity and inclusion progress and re main devoted towards initia tives shared by the univer sity and Marquette University Student Government.

“That’s not an accom plishment to me, that’s em barrassing,” Rivera Berruz said in terms of Marquette’s diversity statistics.

Ventura said she doesn’t be lieve the students are responsi ble for the postponement of the new student convocation.

“I want to reiterate that the students did not cancel con vocation, the Provost canceled convocation because he could not de-escalate the situation, and he could have looked for people who could,” Ventura said. “He could have done a million things differently.”

The MarqueTTe Tribune

EDITORIAL

Executive Director of Marquette Wire Andrew Amouzou

Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Megan Woolard

NEWS News Editor Julia Abuzzahab

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Black Student Council brings food, games, music to MU

Clay, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and president of the Black Student Council, said.

By Hannah Hernandez hannah.hernandez@marquette.edu

Barbecue, games, music, dancing and laughs brought some of the Black community at Marquette together for a family cookout.

On Friday Sept. 23, the Black Student Council hosted a cookout. There was food from Ashley’s Bar-B-Que, a local Black-owned business, and DJ Gid Money playing music. There were also various activities and games: musical chairs, limbo, ping pong, bean bag toss, spike ball, Jenga and Connect Four.

“Being a Black and brown person, that’s something that we resonate with so much. Growing up, our families have so many cookouts to build that family atmosphere. That’s what the Black Student Council has been trying to do is implement that family cookout here on campus,” Lonny

For Clay, the event wasn’t just a cookout, but a way to bring students together and create a safe space on campus. Clay said Black students come up to him and share their feelings of isolation on campus due to the lack of spaces to be their authentic selves or being the only black person in their classroom.

After hearing these experiences, Clay and the BSC decided there was more to be done.

“We try to hold these events to bring the culture together so that they remember that there are other people that look like them, that share experiences with them, that they could connect with, grow with and be with friends. They can have those spaces where they feel secure and safe in their expression, in their identity,” Clay said.

Jeremiah Walker, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, describes his experience of being Black at Marquette as a “journey.” He said that he experienced imposter syndrome, isolation and depression as a minority

at Marquette.

“I come here to be able to see our Black people on campus and not even just our Black people. Here we have diversity, all shapes and colors are here, so not only does it bring the Black people together, but it’s also bringing people that want to support us as minorities out as well,” Walker said.

Anyiah Anthony, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said that diversity at Marquette is minimal.

“I’ve had two Black teachers through my whole four years here at this school and they were amazing teachers. We do need more of an influence, especially for our young Black students,” Anthony said.

4% of Marquette’s faculty of color identify as Black, as of fall 2021. Due to the lack of Black representation in the classroom, Anthony said that she values the community that BSC creates with its events.

Walker said that Marquette needs to learn to retain Black faculty and staff as well as listen to the requests of Black students.

“They said to be the difference,

that we are the difference, but they don’t seem to do it in their own community,” Walker said. “It doesn’t correlate with the Jesuit type of values that they that they teach us, they think hammer into us every single day.”

Josiah Anderson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said that he feels like Black students are treated as children, especially when they are trying to create change.

“We’re kind of forced to have to believe in the promises and words of people, empowered that will never deliver for us and especially won’t put a sense of urgency behind their words and won’t try to get that done in a timely manner,” Anderson said.

Anderson said despite being treated as less than others, Black students are resilient.

“The small amount of black students we do have on campus shine bright and we’re always gonna shine because we’re excellent at everything that we do, and we earned and deserve our spot here,” Anderson said.

Olivia Ford, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said

that she feels Black students are underrepresented. As of fall 2021, 4.3% of undergraduate students of color identify as Black.

“We’re thriving, we’re trying to do our best with being in the position that we have been put in. We’re trying to make the best out of a situation that continuously tries to make us not okay,” Ford said.

Ford said events created by BSC, and other organizations help gather the Black community. The next event that BSC is hosting is a Halloween dance. The Ebony Ball, which Clay describes as the biggest event of the school year, is in the spring semester. Clay said that Ebony Ball represents Black excellence across the entire university.

“I do appreciate the events that BSU does put on here on campus because it allows us to all come together and express our blackness in a way that won’t be described as destructive,” Ford said. “We are able to have fun and see each other and laugh and be able to congregate without worrying what the society thinks.”

Peer mentors provide support and companionship

as a neurodivergent person, finds most people do not understand how much the term neurodivergent itself encompasses.

By Angelina Gallulo angelina.gallulo@marquette.edu

For some Marquette students, going away to college their first year is the start of a new chapter of life. New students can face navigating newfound independence and living alone in a heightened academic and social setting. For a student who is neurodivergent, this adjustment can prove itself taxing.

On Your Marq is a program aimed to provide wraparound support to incoming neurodivergent students at Marquette, from their first year to last.

Emily Raclaw, founding director of On Your Marq, started her first day of work the same day as her students in the fall of 2019. Raclaw believes On Your Marq has taught her so much about herself.

“I have to analyze my own success strategies and share them with my students. I get to build relationships and see these students become amazing human beings over a period of time. I have known most of them since they were 18, and now our first class is graduating,” Raclaw said.

On Your Marq provides peer mentoring, independent living support as well as academic and mental health support to neurodivergent students who can register for the program before they step foot on campus.

Raclaw, who herself identifies

“Neurodivergent is not a synonym for autism. It encompasses all neurodivergent groupings such as humans with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more. When we started On Your Marq, all our students were autistic. That is no longer the case, as with changes to diagnostic criteria, and access to diagnosis, we wanted to be sure we were equitable in our program acceptance criteria,” Raclaw said.

Raclaw wants her students to have a memorable time at Marquette.

“I want Marquette students who struggle with social interactions or adapting to new environments to feel welcomed, accepted and included on campus and be able to share their joy,” Raclaw said.

Raclaw said there is still a strong stigma regarding students who are neurodivergent in an academic setting but encourages all students to make a positive change in their viewpoint. With one in every 68 children being neurodivergent, it is not uncommon to find. However, only 41% of these neurodivergent children will later graduate college, as opposed to about there national 60% graduation expectancy of a non-neurodivergent student.

“I like to describe it as our social skills are written differently. Our instruction manual for seeing the world is completely different than someone else. Being in a new place and not having the same instruction manual as many other

people and not having anyone to go to or anyone to understand your own manual is why so many neurodivergent students struggle in the college setting,” Raclaw said.

On Your Marq offers a peer mentoring opportunity. Each incoming first-year student is paired with an upper-level to assist them with any questions they may have about campus, meeting regularly outside of class, and forming a relationship together for two years.

“I enjoy seeing the stigma broken down through our peer mentoring,” Raclaw said.

Raclaw notes any relationship goes two ways. Both the mentor and the mentee in the program, both Marquette students, are gaining valuable skills and lessons from their friendship together.

“When you look at it from a mentor’s point of view, they are going to be comfortable working with and interacting with neurodivergent people in whatever career path they choose. Both sides benefit and form a genuine relationship,” Raclaw said.

Emily Anderson, On Your Marq mentor and senior in the College of Business Administration, recognizes the importance of mentors in her own life. Anderson is grateful for those in her family who have guided her as she grows closer to graduation.

“My grandparents have affected my outlook on life. They taught me how to work hard, overcome adversity and have fun along the way – all great values I cherish and hold with me everyday and pass on to others,” Anderson said.

Relationships like these, Anderson said, inspired her to begin peer mentoring. Anderson facilitates weekly mentor meetings, coaches, recruits and assists with the implementation of On Your Marq social events.

Anderson said she has learned the importance of transparency in her mentor relationship and believes transparency is being as honest, open and accepting as possible to all people. Anderson said she strives to generate an open dialogue about things in a relationship that might need to be evaluated and treated different at all times.

“My mentees teach me that everyone perceives messages differently. Being transparent about our differences allows me to build trust and authentic friendships with those I mentor, as well as making sure I am inclusive as possible in all social and academic situations,” Anderson said.

Anderson said she thinks Marquette’s values foster a community of acceptance, but it is up to students to put in the work.

“We have to continue to be sensitive to the needs of others. This can be done by treating all students as individuals, which creates a more welcoming atmosphere to neurodivergent students,” Anderson said.

Benjamin Jennings, a junior in the College of Education, first heard about the program from his parents, who were scared about their son living away from home for the first time in his life.

“With me going away to college, my parents were a little concerned

about me having autism and how that would affect my college life, social life and mental well-being,” Jennings said.

When Jennings was first introduced to the program, he said was rather apprehensive of the support he would later learn to receive.

“I was reluctant to join. I was scared the program would remind me of a special education class, which I didn’t really like. As I got more involved, I found it’s a wonderful community that I have grown to greatly respect,” Jennings said.

Jennings believes the biggest lesson he has learned from On Your Marq is the important value of being punctual in classes.

“My mentor helped me respond on time to emails from my professors. That used to be a big issue for me. I can take a while to respond. Now I feel like I am doing a better job of staying on track with all my academics,” Jennings said.

Jennings himself is currently trying to listen to others more and accept the advice they have to offer, as he said he feels in the past he was very stubborn when it came to allowing others to help him grow.

“At times, I used to think I didn’t need anyone there to guide me, but I have learned to listen and accept help. The advice I have received from On Your Marq will not only help me as a student on the autism spectrum, but help any first-year college student. The lessons I have learned are ones that I try to pass on to others,” Jennings said.

Bringing Marquette together for a family cookout on campus

On Your Marq program for both sides of mentorship

Newest furry member of MUPD looks to join force

Lieutenant Hensley introduces “Blue”

to MU community

By Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

As fall approaches and warm weather quickly becomes a thing of the past, there’s no need to feel blue when Marquette University’s newest furry friend is walking around campus.

Blue, Marquette University Police Department’s new community support dog, made his debut on campus when his Instagram account posted about his arrival May 19.

Since then, Blue’s presence on campus has garnered attention from both students and faculty.

MUPD Lieutenant James Hensley takes care of the sevenmonth-old German shorthair and initially suggested the idea of adding Blue to the team as a way for officers to relieve stress.

“I really wanted him to be almost like a little bit of an ambassador for the department. So they don’t see us as a bunch of badges and uniforms,” Hensley said.

This idea grew as Blue began to interact with campus and explore his surroundings. Blue’s role on campus now involves providing comfort to MUPD officers,

students, staff and faculty.

the feel-good hormone oxytocin. The story behind Blue’s name came as a result of a departmentwide survey. There were six

potential name ideas for him but ultimately Blue won. With gold and blue being the official colors of Marquette, it made sense, Hensley said, to suggest that name.

Many students have come to know his name around campus and often stop to say hi to Blue during his walks. Hensley said that a typical walk across campus may take him double the amount of time, as students ask to pet Blue, many times coming back twice in one day.

“I was really excited that Blue was gonna be on campus. I love animals, so having an animal on campus that I can go see every once in a while was nice,” Isabelle Holmes, first-year in the College of Business Administration, said.

Since his arrival on campus, he has been spotted at O-Fest, Coffee with a Cop, Al’s Run and even riding the LIMO with students.

“Blue is a good boy and Marquette University was excited to welcome him to campus at the end of the spring semester to serve as a community outreach dog with Marquette University Police Department. MUPD has had notable success with the implementation of a community outreach dog in building a relationship between MUPD and the campus community in the past,” Kevin Conway, university spokesperson, said in a statement.

Contrary to popular belief, Blue is

not a trained drug- or bomb-sniffing dog, however, he is currently working toward receiving his police dog badge.

“He’s in the middle of his second class and once he’s finished with that we’re going to actually have a swearing-in ceremony just like with our police officers and he’ll get his badge at that time,” Hensley said.

Blue has more training in his future as Hensley plans to get him certified as a therapy dog once he is eligible to enter the training program after he has his first birthday.

Therapy dog training involves advanced manners classes where dogs will accomplish skills such as attentive listening and being okay with others touching them all the time.

Blue is not Marquette University’s first community outreach dog. Nattie, Blue’s predecessor, worked for MUPD for two years before retiring in April 2020.

Although there’s a new dog in town, the same sentiment still rings true: Students love to see a familiar furry face on campus.

“His big skill set is just bringing happiness to people. I joke about that I have the best job on campus, because not only do I get to walk around with him on campus, but people see him and they start calling his name,” Hensley said.

Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that petting a dog lowers stress levels and can increase

Blue is currently working towards receiving his police dog badge.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Gamma Betas bring Fiesta de Noche to campus

MU’s chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta hosts nightime celebration

By Clara Lebrón clara.lebron@marquette.edu

Sounds of reggaetón, rancheras and salsa could all be traced to the Fiesta de Noche celebration at the Ray and Kay Eckstein Common Sept. 24.

While taking a break from making tacos and carefully ladling sweet horchata into red cups, Angel “Pollux” Martinez, vice president of external affairs for the Gamma Beta chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity, expressed how the turnout for the event felt.

“It’s crazy! It’s almost like a joke! Every 30 seconds I’m talking to someone new. It’s like, ‘Hey! How’re you doing? Horchata or Jarrito?’” Martinez said.

Although Fiesta de Noche is sponsored by the Marquette University Student Government and Late Night Marquette, the Gamma Betas are the event’s founders.

The Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity is the first Latinobased fraternity. It was founded in 1986 at the University of

Iowa. Although its founding chapter started with 18 members, the organization currently has over 120 chapters in more than 30 states.

Marquette’s Gamma Beta chapter was founded on May 15, 1998, and officially recognized on May 17, 2000.

“It started as just, like, a cookout for the bros at the fraternity, and then it kind of expanded more and more every year. They’ve been doing this since the early 2000s, the last five years it’s gotten really big,” Martinez said.

According to Martinez, the event has reached an attendance of at least a thousand in the last three years.

“I think Fiesta de Noche is so good for the community. Everyone gets to be together and non-Latinos get to learn and be more open and understanding when connecting with us,” Amanda Morales, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Lines for food spanned from the tables where Mexican drinks were being served to the opposite street, and the greenspace was packed with an audience watching dancers perform the Jarabe Tapatío, a traditional Mexican dance that imitates a courtship and concheros, another traditional Mexican dance meant

to imitate and honor precolonial and colonial traditions.

When the dancers were not performing, a live DJ was playing a mix of Latin music from all corners of Latinoamerica.

“I feel appreciated when there’s activities like Fiesta de Noche. It’s like you’re getting acknowledged and noticed,” Camila Rodriguez, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Since 2016, Marquette has been striving to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. HSIs are

federally designated institutions that have a 25% or higher Hispanic student body.

“Having an event like this is so important. Marquette is an aspiring HSI, and events like this mean so much to the Latino community on campus. It’s reassurance that we care. Even if we go to a PWI, we’re all here for each other,” Martinez said.

As of 2021, Marquette has a Hispanic population of at least 15%.

This means that the Hispanic

population on campus has doubled in the last 10 years and that Marquette now officially qualifies for Emerging HSI status.

Although Marquette is an Emerging HSI, some students feel that administration could be allocating more resources to its Hispanic population.

The Roberto Hernández Center, University of WisconsinMilwaukee’s Hispanic Student Resource Center, sits 15 minutes away from Marquette’s campus.

Although Marquette has multicultural programs and resource centers, there is no specific support for Hispanic students.

“I’ve been going to these events since freshman year. It’s really nice to see your community and the people of color from on-campus. It’s not even about celebrating my Mexican culture, it’s about celebrating culture in general,” America Garcia, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Garcia said she is also a part of Marquette’s chapter of the Sigma Lambda Gamma International Sorority, Omicron Gamma. The sorority often collaborates with the Gamma Betas, as does the Latin American Student Organization.

Eyes on the M-Prize: Students apply for competition

about. It’s a fun project for the students to think of something like this. Especially for Kohler, that is always top of the mind, the idea of sustainability and stewardship.”

By Will Eikenbary will.eikenbary@marquette.edu

It isn’t every day that you get the opportunity to pitch your ideas to a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank”-style innovation challenge.

However, that’s exactly what Kohler is doing by collaborating with Marquette for an innovation competition, officially dubbed the “Kohler M-Prize Challenge,” to design kitchen and bathroom amenities with the theme of “Designing for Inclusivity.”

Carmel Ruffolo, associate vice president for corporate engagement, said this opportunity is an exciting one for students, faculty and the Kohler Company alike.

“The M-Prize was really born through [Marquette’s] 100 year collaboration with Kohler,” Ruffolo said. “Their main aim in this is to involve Marquette students and [help them] understand what Kohler [is] all

In the spring of 2020, Marquette University, in collaboration with the Kohler Company, hosted “Redo the Loo.” This unique innovation competition was designed in order to encourage students from different disciplines to work together and create a creative solution to a prompt.

In this instance, the prompt was to redesign the bathrooms in Marquette’s on-campus innovation space, the 707 Hub.

While Marquette’s M-Prize Challenge began back in 2020, Kalpa Vithalani, executive director of technology transfer, said that Kohler has had a similar company-wide challenge for their employees since 2018. Vithalani said this idea was what eventually became the M-Prize challenge.

“[Kohler] has been doing something called the I-Prize challenge since 2018 because they recognize that innovation can come from anywhere,”

Vithalani said. “In one of [these] I-Prize projects, in order to continue iterating and developing on it, they needed some help from students. They’re like ‘Hey, if students can help us develop one of our in-house projects, what about brand new ideas?’”

Students who were interested in competing in the M-Prize challenge submitted applications online as individuals until Sept. 26. Following the applications, 30 selected applicants will be split up into six teams and have the opportunity to attend “Innovation Day,” the opening event at the Kohler Company, Sept. 30.

John Knapp, executive director of Innovation Alley, an interdisciplinary leadership initiative on Marquette’s campus which sponsors events in the 707 Hub, said the application process for the M-Prize challenge is intentionally straightforward.

“The application isn’t designed to be very exclusive,” Knapp said. “We want our passionate students who seek the opportunity to work with peers. We want people that are passionate about the role that inclusivity plays in our society and how we can be inclusive in

the way that we design products. It’s an opportunity to grow and develop.”

Despite the commitment required to compete in the competition, John Peterson, an instructor who teaches the Intro to Entrepreneurship course, ENTP 3001, said he recommends students take advantage of the ability to use their creativity outside of classes.

“One of the things I do is ask students to get out of the classroom and get involved in other things,” Peterson said. “I think these are wonderful opportunities and I absolutely encourage students to get involved.”

Dominic Barry, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, decided to apply for the M-Prize challenge because of his experiences with innovation before college.

“In high school, I was the president of my district’s innovation team which did large-scale, off-the-books problem solving,” Barry said.

“[We tackled issues] such as dealing with dangerous roads that the city wasn’t willing to touch, redesigning how tests are administered at our school and

also consulting for General Mills on products and how to work with [the] new generation.”

Barry said one of the reasons he loves innovation is because of the ability to work with people from different perspectives toward a common goal.

“Innovation is a place where people from different backgrounds can work together really well because it takes an understanding of issues from multiple viewpoints to really solve a problem.” Barry said.

“I’m looking forward to working with people outside of my college to solve an out-of-thebox issue.”

Despite the obstacles students may face while competing in the challenge, Ruffolo said at the end of the day, it is a creative outlet above all else.

“We at a university sometimes don’t give these types of creative opportunities just to let yourself go and say ‘Hey, maybe I can do this,’” Ruffolo said. “There’s no right or wrong, there’s no one saying ‘if you don’t do this, you’re not going to get an A.’ You’re free to be creative. I wish I had that.”

Dancers perforned the Jarabe Tapatío, a traditional Mexican dance

Photo by Katie Craig katharine.craig@marquette.edu

Kohler “Shark Tank”

style pitch makes its way to MU’s campus

GRAND

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10. This Nebraska-based team faces off against MU WSOC this Thursday

11. Iggy the eagle is named after this saint

12. MU MSOC plays this team on Friday

13. #1 women’s volleyball team in the Big East Sean ________ performed at Homecoming last year

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10. This Nebraska-based team faces off against MU WSOC this Thursday

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Come back next week for

13. #1 women’s volleyball team in the Big East Sean at Homecoming year

1. Church on Wisconsin Ave. near Johnston hall Ring Marquette was not scheduled this ____ Bingo is happening the AMU this Thursday at 9 p.m.

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6. House The musical duo in the AMU ballrooms this Saturday This MU program in 1960

8. This program provides with accessible food other necessities

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Hot Diggity Dog: Alum pilots the Wienermobile

By Izzy Fonfara Drewel isabella.fonfaradrewel@marquette.edu

Secret Service with a side of relish — Oscar Mayer’s Hotdoggers have escorted everyone from babies to Prince Harry, bringing a smile no matter their royal status.

Kaitlyn Bross, an alum of the College of Communication, spent her entire summer traversing the Midwest in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, aptly named RelishMe. Bross heard about the position after running into a previous Hotdogger at a gathering for Marquette Rock Climbing Club.

“I was rock-climbing at a gym in Milwaukee and I ended up talking with a current Hotdogger, and she had a similar personality to me,” Bross said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I could totally see myself doing that this year.’”

After her training at Hotdog High, Bross and her co-pilot, Ben Godfrey, set off on their adventure, stopping in a new city every week. They show off the Wienermobile, engage with people on the road and spread the Oscar Mayer brand across the country.

“One of the most special places I got to take [the Wienermobile] was home,” Bross said. “I parked in my front lawn in Wentzville, Missouri and I got to give my three nieces and nephews a ride in it around town. That was absolutely incredible, I had dreamed getting to do that ever since I applied for the job online and it was very frank-tastic.”

The Wienermobile offers rides to its fans, however, sometimes those fans aren’t always human.

“We’ve gotten to bring bunnies in here, we’ve gotten dogs. I have a goal of getting a raccoon in here,” Bross said. “Some other Hotdoggers have gotten squirrels and turkeys, and one even got a miniature horse.”

While they’ve had their fair share of animal experiences, the Hotdoggers have interacted with many dedicated and enthusiastic human supporters.

One of the people that Bross remembers best is a woman

named Jane. Bross and Godfrey met Jane at a car show in Apple Valley, Minnesota when she showed up with a poster of the Wienermobile full of facts, history and postcards. Her passion for the Wienermobile started when she was a child and saw it on a road trip in the 70s.

“After chatting with her at the event and seeing how awesome of a person she was, her brother

came up and we recreated the same photo they took many years ago,” Bross said. “It’s one of those days I will never forget because of how much magic I can create through the Wienermobile.”

Throughout her time at Marquette Bross studied public relations and political science. Her experience in PR gave her the ability to represent the Oscar

Mayer brand as a Hotdogger.

“I love doing social media, I love getting to chat with media and set all of that up. I find a lot of joy in getting to do interviews and also just making fun social content to share my adventures with other people,” Bross said.

On their long-haul adventures, Bross and Godfrey spend a lot of time listening to music.

“Our go-to’s are alt-rock,

classic rock, a lot of rap, indie and sometimes you just got to put Doja Cat on after a hard day,” Bross said.

Bross will continue hotdoggin’ around the Midwest until January when she will be relocated to another part of the country. Stay up to date with her journey on Instagram, @om_ketchupkaitlyn.

“Ketchup” with Kaitlyn Bross as she traverses Midwest

Kaitlyn Bross, a graduate of Marquette University, poses in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Sept. 23. She is one of 12 Hotdoggers in the United States.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

REVIEW: Slay or nay at New York Fashion Week?

influence the world in more ways than just style.

By Phoebe Goebel phoebe.goebel@marquette.edu

Athletes have the Olympics. Actors have the Oscars. Writers have the Pulitzer Prize. But, when it comes to the world of fashion, weeks of preparation and anxiety lead up to the ultimate judgment of trends, styles and top designers: New York Fashion Week.

Twice a year, New York Fashion Week showcases international fashion designs to buyers, celebrities and the public. The second show of the year takes place in September and this past Sept. 8-12 did not disappoint in setting the stage for the future of fashion trends.

As a fashion fanatic and a huge “The Devil Wears Prada” fan, I thought this past fashion week brought what it needed to bring. Celebrity features, disability awareness, street-style advocacy and old friend reunions were only a few of my highlight moments from the week. In addition to the clothes, designers also explored the concept that fashion week can

The designer who stole the show for me was Open Style Lab, whose show took place Sept. 8. OSL is a non-profit organization dedicated to making fashion accessible to all people, particularly those with disabilities. What made their show stand apart from the others were their models, those who were all members of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy community.

The fashion industry has continued to push the same problematic narrative for years. Typically, models are tall, skinny and have the same skin tone. OSL drives against this narrative, as they have made it a goal of representing people of all abilities in their brand.

The style of the show itself had a modern and futuristic feel with bright colors and touches of unique patterns. One of the models, Sawsan Zakaria, owned the runway with a metallic blue look and matching heels. And even though she uses a wheelchair, this didn’t stop her from performing like any other model.

Disco Inferno and 14N1’s show called “More Fashion; Less Gun Violence” was a very close second in my ranking

of shows. Disco Inferno and DripOnSociety’s 14N1, hip-hop brands, teamed up to bring an incredible show to New York City’s Housing Projects, the Robert S. Fulton Residences.

took the brand’s relaxed street style to a new level.

Not only did I love the items featured in the show, but I am a sucker for the positive message behind the clothes. For this

Fendi, a high-end fashion brand, highlighted a solution that I know we all face in our everyday lives. Not enough pockets? Sew a tiny purse into a sock! Problem solved, right? Wrong. There are so many reasons why this tiny purse is far from practical.

First, the placement is less than convenient. I would personally rather not bend down to my ankle every time I need a quarter to pay a parking meter. Secondly, the purse is children-sized. What do they think we are going to use this for?

This accessory might be the most impractical addition to the fashion world featured at the event. I do recognize the fact that most of the fashion from fashion week is completely unrealistic, but in those cases, it is just to get a reaction from the audience. I think that Fendi is being serious with this one by bringing this new “trend” to the market.

Models of all genders and skin tones walked the urban runway in streetwearbased clothing items. Some of the standout pieces to me featured patches, graffiti, written messages and Converse All-Stars. The looks had a 90s feel to them and

show, one of the brand’s founders, A$AP Illz, said that he wanted to highlight a community where gun violence is prominent through the medium of fashion.

Some shows stand out, but not always for the best reasons.

Whatever the case, New York Fashion Week never fails to spark international conversation as to how the fashion industry is developing and inspiring future fashion. I am excited to see what is brought to the table at the February fashion week Feb. 9-12, and I can only hope no more sock purses make an appearance.

New-Gees become Fugees by pulling an all-nighter

Twelve-hour long improv show takes place outside AMU

By Clara Lebrón clara.lebrón@marquette.edu

The Fugees call themselves “Marquette’s best and only improv troupe.” Although they have hosted several workshops, fundraisers and shows throughout their history, there is one distinct tradition that separates them from any other group on campus.

Although some clubs have initiation rituals, few have one as unique as Marquette’s Studio 13 Refugees: performing in a twelvehourlong improv show.

From Sept. 23 to Sept. 24, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m, The Fugees could be found outside the AMU performing their annual initiation show.

“It’s like a right of passage, we call our new members New-Gees, and they are New-Gees for the full year until they complete their twelve–hour shows. If you’re not at the twelve–hour show, you’re a New-Gee for two years,” Cecelia Starks, co-president of the

Fugees, said.

None of the members know exactly when the twelve-hour show became a tradition, but it has been commonplace since before all of their entries into the group.

“This past year I was a New-gee, so tonight is my baptism, I guess you can say. I’ve been looking forward to this for an entire year. I can’t wait to spend the next eleven hours with these crazy people,”

Arik Zintel, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

The improv show consisted of several short-term improv games, often starting with an audience suggestion. A member of the team would ask the audience for an object, occupation, celebrity or major, and the team would then have to create a scene or a quip using the randomly assigned topic.

The games often have raunchy names such as “Sex With Me Is Like-” and “Pornshop” and rely on a quick wit.

Group members explained that the exhaustion from performing can sometimes be compounded by the situational complications that come with performing outside from night to morning.

“Last year there was just a man with bagpipes that started playing

in the middle of our set. Just out of nowhere. Our teammate started dancing with him though, it got the juices flowing again,” Starks said.

Additionally, several Fugees arrived five hours after the official show started. These members are a part of Marquette Theatre’s production of The 25th Putnam Spelling Bee.

“Half of us are doing something crazier than doing improv for 12 hours. These people are rehearsing until 11 p.m., coming here, and then going to another rehearsal tomorrow morning,” Starks said.

Zintel also had an early morning, having helped set up for Acatober Fest, and later performing at the event.

As the show progressed, members marked the passing of hours by presenting paper banners and subsequently running through them. The banners were sprawled with comical phrases and doodles, with the number of the passing hour placed in the middle.

But no matter how many banners were broken, the Fugees did not stop performing from night to day.

Matthew Read, a junior in the College of Communication, detailed his experience after officially crossing over from New-

Gee to Fugee.

“It was really crazy, got pretty delirious at the end but it’s an amazing group of people. We just love doing comedy together so it just works. It is also the only way to go from New-Gee to Fugee so that’s really exciting,” said Read. The new team will now be hosting workshops to help interested students get comfortable with improv and will return to

hosting shows that are less than twelve hours long.

“This is one of the best communities I’m a part of on campus. Even if you’ve never done improv before, it’s definitely something to try out. It helps you grow because you have to get out of your comfort zone no matter what,” Zintel said.

Good, bad, and most impractical walk the runway in Big Apple

Graphic by Lily Werner elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu

The Fugees performed from 6 p.m. Sept. 23 to 6 a.m. Sept. 24.

Photo by Keifer Russell keifer.russell@marquette.edu

OPINIONS

ediTOriaL bOard

STAFF EDITORIAL

ODS accommodations necessary, need more action

We live in a world where a lot of people struggle to empathize with others who bear burdens or walk lives that they do not – being a different gender, race, sexuality, class or creed and the implications associated with those identities set everyone apart. But, disability is the only identity that impacts all minority groups.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about one-third of students who have a disability while attending college actually reported it to their school. That leaves the majority of college students with a disability unassisted and their schools in the dark.

There could be numerous potential reasons that students do not report their disability. The fear of ostracization from their peers is one.

Understandably, it can be intimidating for students with a

disability to get involved at their schools for fear of rejection or judgment. Although we live in an ever-evolving world, that does not mean we are without bullies or tyrants. The prospect of joining sports, clubs, Greek life or other student organizations can be daunting for students who fear whether or not they will be accepted.

Students with disabilities should definitely not be intimidated by is their on-campus resource center. At Marquette University, the Office of Disability Services provides students with test proctoring information, disability accommodations documents and other accessibility information.

The umbrella term “disability” can cover a lot of areas.

Students with a disability could have autism, anxiety, hearing or visual impairments or a wide

variety of other neurodivergent disorders. Because there are so many disabilities that college students can experience, it is important that none are neglected. Each disability is unique and intricate; they all deserve special attention.

We still have a stigma in this country surrounding mental illness. A 2021 statistic shows that 15% of people believe that those with a mental illness are a “burden to society.”

For college students in a vulnerable and transitionary period of their life, this kind of stigma can be even more frightening. The question becomes how to effectively combat this. And really, it does begin with the people with power.

Student-athletes have a unique college experience regarding disabilities and mental health. Recently, we have seen an increase

in student-athlete suicides. Balancing their sport, work, school and, for some, disabilities places a lot of weight on their shoulders. It is important that schools have specified resources for student-athletes.

Professors must be accepting and encouraging of students with a disability. Students have expressed frustration with their professors for either outright rejecting or expressing annoyance with their ODS accommodations. Although this is a clear violation of the student’s rights, it still happens.

Marquette must have a clear and strong stance on ODS accommodations: They will be accepted and validated. Whether students need a translator, need to use technology in class, need extra time on their exams or other resources, their accommodation and their disability must

be respected.

At the Marquette Wire, we must also continue to strive for transparency.

Recently, we have added captions to our Marquette University Television segments, so that people who are hard of hearing can still watch and enjoy. At the Marquette Tribune, we have continued to expand our coverage and strive to discuss topics of every realm. We have created an editor of diversity and inclusion position, as well as a content coach, which helps us stay accountable and on top of how to best tackle diverse issues.

With that said, the work is not done. Between our society, university and student media, we have a lot of work to do. Students with a disability deserve transparency, action and acceptance – we must all do better for them and for ourselves.

Rashad Alexander

Hip-hop has always been known for the violence that happens within and outside the music. Dating all the way back to the rivalry between Tupac and Biggie in the 90s that eventually lead both rappers to an early demise.

You would think that after hip-hop legends like them were killed, rappers would do better to limit the violence that takes place outside of their music. But it hasn’t, and now it seems like rappers are starting to die out.

Hip-hop has always been critiqued for it’s glorification of drug use and violence. Often times, it’s revolved around the upbringings of rappers and how they got to where they are now. But, when those things are still an issue within the hip-hop community today, it brings up the question of when things are gonna change.

Recently, Philadelphia artist

PnB Rock was killed during a robbery attempt on him in Los Angeles while he was out for lunch with his girlfriend. PnB’s death adds to the long list of rappers that have succumbed to the violence that is discussed in their music.

Since 2018, we’ve seen at least one rapper a year lose their life to gun violence. XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, King Von and Young Dolph are just a few on the long list that we’ve seen killed in the past few years. That doesn’t even show the rappers who survived violence. Lil Tjay, a mutli-platinum rapper from New York, was shot seven times this past June.

Being a rapper has become so high risk that it has guys like Rod Wave saying being a rapper is “the most dangerous job in the world.” These people are entertainers. Their job is to provide their art to their fans. And yet, they have to constantly fear for their lives because they feel like a target — a feeling nobody should ever have to deal with.

The question then comes as

to why hip-hop has become so violent in recent years. Some assume that rappers lyrics are a direct reflection of their lifestyle.

21 Savage, who is known for his lyrics regarding violence, was criticized after saying he wanted the violence to stop in his hometown of Atlanta. He responded to a fan on twitter criticizing him, saying, “A song is for entertainment it’s not an instruction manual on how to live life.”

While 21 Savage makes an important point about the lyrics, there still needs to be a split between rappers’ street life and their careers. Many rappers are known to have associations with gangs. While the things they rap about are their stories, oftentimes that street image comes back to haunt them.

But at the same time, it can be hard for rappers to leave behind that street life, especially when it’s made them who they are.

In his song, “I Got This,” NBA Youngboy said, “I don’t wanna live this way no more, you know? Like, I got people who just carry on with this sh*t be-

cause I got us into it.” It’s clear he doesn’t want to live this gangster lifestyle anymore, but it’s never simple enough to just walk away.

The hip-hop community also has to do a better job of addressing the violence within their culture.

The violence is such an elephant in the room that keeps getting entertained and doesn’t seem to get fixed. Rappers need to hold their peers accountable when it comes to the drama that they participate in. Look at the NBA Youngboy and Lil Durk dilemma and how it resulted in the death of King Von. Situations like this

The world has lost a great amount of talent over the past few years. We’ve seen the lives of rappers who are supposed to grow old get their lives taken way too soon. Hip-hop is supposed to be a thing of beauty, but the past few years have shown us the ugly side of the culture. If this issue doesn’t come to a resolution, there may not be many rappers left in this culture.

Rashad Alexander is the music director at the Marquette Wire. He can be reached at rashad.alexander@marquette.edu

Grace Cady, Executive Opinions Editor Laura Niezgoda, Assistant Opinions Editor

Andrew Amouzou, Executive Director Megan Woolard, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune

Hope Moses, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

Julia Abuzzahab, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Izzy Fonfara Drewel, A&E Executive Skyler Chun, Investigative Executive

Emily Reinhardt, Copy Chief RJ Siano, Design Chief Isabel Bonebrake, Chief Photographer Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive

Sarah Richardson, General Manager of MUTV Emily Bittman, General Manager of MURadio Kimberly Cook, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

Photo courtesy of XV Rapper XV performs to an enthusiastic crowd at the University of Illinois last year.

Gun violence, hip–hop artists fall victim could be avoided so easily with accountability from their peers.

OP-Ed: Pipedreams and Pipelines, effective climate solutions

ing from what they call RCP2.6 to RCP8.5 scenarios.

Thankfully, IPCC points out that all extreme climate change projections are considered “low likelihood.”

that nuclear energy is incredibly safe, clean and reliable.

There is one issue, however, with nuclear energy. Most nu-

Environmental policies that propose the total upheaval of American institutions and the current state of the economy are simply impractical. Suggestions made by many activists and politicians tend to be vague and lack rational solutions.

The Green New Deal and even the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for climate change read much more like wish lists than real solutions. They both lay out overarching goals that they desire to accomplish but appear to avoid how these goals would be achieved.

Many of these same activists and politicians espouse an apocalyptic worldview surrounding climate change, which is not supported by recent data. Not to say humans do not have an immense role in influencing climate change.

Humans clearly are the main driver, but the fact is we are not close to a climate change-induced end of the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its projection report last year which displayed potential climate scenarios rang-

The most extreme scenario (RCP8.5), which would see an average global temperature increase between 3.7° C – 5.4° C, is projected to only occur if the globe’s greenhouse gas emissions doubled to sextupled by 2100. The most plausible scenario is the RCP3.4 which would see an average global temperature increase of 2.0° C – 2.4° C. The RCP3.4 is not ideal, and humanity should strive to diminish its effects, but this scenario does not display an extinction-level event. Even the RCP8.5 scenario is unlikely to cause humanity’s demise.

These current projections show that humans still have time to implement solutions without completely altering our society and economy. The best solution to pursue is nuclear energy or rely heavily on nuclear energy until renewable technology advances or we create a more efficient solution.

The problem is nuclear energy often has a negative stigma. People think about the tragedies at Chernobyl and Fukushima, and proceed to dismiss the evidence

Nuclear plants use the process of nuclear fission to break an atom’s nucleus, releasing an enormous amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation. The heat is used to transform water into steam, which proceeds to turn large turbines that generate electricity. This process is astonishingly efficient as well. A nuclear reactor requires around 27 metric tons of Uranium each year and houses 18 million ceramic fuel pellets, which produce as much electricity as 2.5 million metric tons of coal.

Additionally, each fuel pellet produces about the same amount of energy as 150 gallons of oil.

Nuclear energy is a safe and clean way to produce energy. Nuclear energy does not pollute the air but instead releases water vapor. The human death rate for nuclear energy production is only 0.03 deaths per terawatt-hour (one-trillion watts) of electricity produced, resulting in 99.8% fewer deaths than coal and 99.7% fewer than oil. Even hydropower and wind energy produce a slightly higher death rate due to accidents.

It is clear that in order to move away from fossil fuels efficiently, we must pursue nuclear energy.

clear power plants were built in the 1970s, so new plants, and technology replacements in old plants, are needed. On average, a nuclear power plant takes about a decade to build and costs around nine billion dollars.

In the meantime, the United States should continue to implement renewable energy sources when available and expand its usage of natural gas. Natural gas is still a fossil fuel, but it is the cleanest and most efficient form of fossil fuel. Making it the perfect energy source to utilize in a transition period from more

Political rhetoric, powerful weapon

Grace Cady

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can break a nation.

The United States is no stranger to political chaos – it’s hardly ever been without it. In modern times we can look to the Watergate Scandal, the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky affair and most recently Trump’s “Big Lie” which claimed that he won the 2020 Presidential Election. What all of these cases most notably have in common are corruption and duplicity, but the more subtle smoking gun here is the rhetoric surrounding them.

When it comes to political scandals, affairs and afflictions, there is one common hail mary: the attempt to save face.

As American citizens, we are accustomed to hearing the desperate attempts to cover up missteps – the cries for help from politicians as they watch their aspirations sink into a black hole right down with their reputations. Undoubtedly

we have all heard Clinton’s pleading statement: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” That was before the truth came to light. But, the true danger begins when dishonesty persists.

To give him a shred of credit, Trump was smart. He was smart to lay the groundwork for his relentless fan base to believe that he could only lose the 2020 presidential election by means of fraud.

Aug. 2020 Trump told an audience in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that the only way he could lose to opponent Joe Biden was if there was fraud involved in the election. “Make sure (to vote) because the only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election was rigged,” said the former president. “Remember that. It’s the only way we’re going to lose this election, so we have to be very careful.”

After he ultimately lost the election, the grim reality for our country set in.

Trump made relentless statements about how this election was stolen from him and pushed the conspiracy that he was robbed of the secondterm of his presidency and that

boiled over into what we all know as the Jan. 6 insurrection. Where avid supporters of Trump stormed the Washington, D.C. capitol building in hopes of protesting the certified election results.

There was so much harm done to our democracy in those days.

The days when a former president, who in all optimism should uphold our democracy and honor the peaceful transfer of power, encouraged his cultlike fandom to “fight like hell” for their country – convincing them further of his “Big Lie.”

Political rhetoric is a powerful weapon.

Trump was well aware of the weight that his words carried with his supporters. After all, the man has been compared to Adolf Hitler. We are not dealing with a genocidal regime in America, we are not enduring the ghastly acts that occurred during the Holocaust, but we have given far too much power to a man who knows how to create and control undivided loyalties. And says some extremely harmful things while doing it.

Even now, Trump persists in

putting his own spin on things. Within his recent classified documents scandal, Trump continues to deny any responsibility while vilifying the FBI and other parties looking into the case.

If Donald Trump is the puppeteer, his rhetoric serves as his strings.

Trump has figured out how to control a significant portion of the nation on the basis of a “trust me” mentality. If Trump says that he lost the election, his supporters believe he lost the election. If Trump says that he is coming back as President, his supporters believe he is coming back as President. If Trump says that he hates somebody, his supporters hate them as well.

There is also something to be said about the way that Trump has empowered people to say disgusting, ignorant and offensive things in the name of “being authentic.”

Saying narrow-minded and awful things about women, claiming that he “likes people who weren’t captured” in reference to war hero John McCain and making derogatory remarks about journalist Megyn

harmful sources.

An increased dependency on natural gas and nuclear energy in recent years resulted in a decrease in U.S. emissions. The UN’s 2020 Emission Gap Report points out that the United States decreased its CO2 emission by a larger margin than any other major polluting state, even while refusing to participate in the Paris Climate Accords.

Using natural gas until we can fully transition to nuclear and renewable energy is a cleaner way to proceed while maintaining economic proliferation.

None of this is to say that renewable energy should not be used. We should use as much renewable energy as possible and continue to incentivize innovation to better store and implement it. However, the belief that the United States, or any developed country, will be using 100% renewable energy anytime soon is absurd. We must continue to build natural gas pipelines and erect nuclear power plants.

The natural gas to nuclear pathway is the most efficient way to preserve the economy and produce a cleaner world.

Jack Radandt is the President of Young America’s Foundation at Marquette. He is not a paid staff member of the Marquette Wire. jack.radandt@marquette.edu

Kelly after she questioned him during a debate, Trump has left a legacy of evading responsibility for saying revolting things.

If there is any lasting impression Trump has made on our country, it is the tolerance for dishonesty, the praise of ignorance and the empowerment to be hateful.

Grace Cady is a junior studying journalism and political science. She can be be reached at grace. cady@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: grace. cady@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.

Jack Radandt

...humans still have time to implement solutions without completely altering our society and economy.” “

From setter to coach, a trend across Big East teams

she was a three-time captain. Campbell played at St. Ambrose in Iowa.

By Ben Schultz benjamin.a.schultz@marquette.edu

This year’s Marquette volleyball team is comprised of more setters than what meets the eye when scrolling down the roster list or when looking at a lineup.

In fact, there are seven combined setters on this year’s roster, including those who aren’t in uniform.

The team’s current setters who wear the long-sleeved uniform with Marquette across their chest are sophomore Yadhira Anchante, senior Caroline Dragoni and sophomore Ella Foti.

There are also some setters disguised in sports polos or sweaters who sit near the net on game day as four of the five coaches played setter in college.

“I had no idea until I got here,” first-year volunteer assistant coach Adam Campbell said.

Marquette head coach Ryan Theis, assistant coach Abby Gilleland, Campbell and director of volleyball operations Ellie Adams were all setters in some regard during their playing days.

“It allows for us to communicate well,” Campbell said. “We all kind of see the game similarly as well, which also helps us kind of stay on the same page.”

Adams played setter at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where

Theis said that having a coaching staff full of setters is merely a coincidence, just like having an assistant named Ryan in Ryan Walthall and previously Ryan (RJ) Lengerich.

Including Theis, four of the 11 head coaches in the Big East were setters in their playing days.

Gilleland, who played setter at Ohio when Theis was the coach, said she wasn’t surprised that so many of the coaches in the Big East were former setters.

She had one similarity between coaching and setting, which she believes is just one reason for setters making the jump into coaching after they take off the jersey for the final time.

“Both are really big decision makers,” Gilleland said. “I think the decision making when you’re put in the shoes of a coach, what are you doing every day? You’re making decisions to put your team in a situation to be successful.”

Setters and coaches both make important decisions, but the setters are the ones setting up their hitters to score points.

Anchante, the starting setter for Marquette this season, has become the main decision maker after the Golden Eagles transitioned from a 6-2 with two setters last season to a 5-1 this season.

For Anchante, when she gets the second touch she has all the power. Some of the decisions she has to pick from are if she’s going to set junior outside hitter Aubrey Hamilton on the outside

or sophomore middle blocker Hattie Bray when she slides to the right side. Anchante also has the option of setting sophomore outside hitter Jenna Reitsma in the back row or dumping it herself.

The decision-making aspect of being a setter is what Gilleland said is a key differentiator between setters.

“They have the ability to take a bad pass and make it a good one and put hitters in good situations to score points,” Gilleland said. “Much of the decision making that lies in the position that you can have a really great setter that makes a lot of poor decisions and not win a lot of

matches because of it.”

While in college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Theis served both roles when he was the setter and the coach for the club volleyball team.

“Some of it was by necessity,” Theis said. “Nobody was signing up to coach for no dollars.”

During that time Theis excelled on the court and was a two-time All-Midwest 10 selection. He also found his way on the women’s volleyball bench as a student assistant for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“That’s when I actually started learning to coach. I was more just in charge of what was going

on the court versus coaching it,” Theis said. “By the time I was a senior and had helped the women’s team and learned drills and ideas and structure that helped and made me more effective as a leader for the club team.”

Theis said he also learned more than the Xs and Os of volleyball.

“As a player-coach … I was 21, a guy on my team that was 27. I had a guy that was 18 and not interested in showing up to practice on time,” Theis said. “You just learned some nuances and how to treat others, how to handle others in bad situations, how to communicate. That

Big East Men’s Soccer

Butler

Ovr. Conf. Away

Photos by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Four of five members of Golden Eagles’ staff are former setters

Caroline Dragani (left) and Ella Foti (right) are two of the three setters on the women’s volleyball team.

GOLF

Robinson putts his way to sucess

THIS WEEK: MARES ON ATHLETICS

Tim Tebow, Reggie White, David Robinson, A.C. Green, Gabby Douglas, Kurt Warner, Allyson Felix and Stephen Curry are just a few major athlete’s that share the Christian name, crediting their profound success to God.

Since 1954, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, also known as FCA, has been active across all levels of competition from professional to youth sports communities.

One of these communities is alive on Marquette’s campus and its athletics program is thriving because of it.

Regardless of where the athlete competes — the court, field or track — there is a certain level of trust that must be held.

Number one, they must trust themselves. They must have the mental toughness to carry out what is required of them to succeed. Secondly, an athlete must trust their teammates, a sense of togetherness and dependability that is necessary to create not only a team but a family.

And finally, athletes that also put their trust in God may be considered a triple threat.

An opponent cannot shake or rattle an athlete whose focus is on eternal glory. Such wisdom goes beyond any form of competition, grounding athletes in the fact that a sports game is just that: a game. It is an opportunity to praise God using the blessings that he alone gifts each individual.

“We talk about this idea of playing for an audience of one,” men’s lacrosse graduate student attacker and Marquette FCA leader Holden Patterson said. “Of not playing for the satisfaction of others or awards, but instead playing for the one who created us. I think that mentality actually relieves stress and helps one play with more joy.”

Participation in FCA does not make one stronger or faster. Being a Christian does not win games or matches. Instead, it makes one’s heart stronger. It changes perspectives. FCA teaches that the most valuable win is a

relationship with God.

Through FCA, Marquette athletes are able to become more compassionate, understanding and service-focused individuals, and Marquette’s chapter attendance continues to grow.

The influence of FCA goes beyond the sport, rather it uses the common foundation of playing a sport to build better people. Specifically, building better people by faith. For Marquette’s chapter, it equips and empowers teams across campus to unite and inspire others through the Gospel.

Amongst Marquette’s 14 varsity teams, a larger bond is created through the connection of FCA. Such a connection allows for open communication, specifically communication around mental health.

College athletes are 2% more likely to experience severe mental illness than their non-athlete counterparts. In addition, data also confirms that these athletes are at a greater risk of substance abuse, social anxiety and eating disorders.

FCA provides a safe space for these athletes to talk together, lean on one another and help each other.

“Everything that we’ve been learning in FCA about the Lord and specific to athletics applies to everything in my life,” Devon Cowan, FCA co-leader said. “I completely believe in the fact that it (faith) is going to have a major impact on my life and hopefully be passed down through multiple generations.”

Athletics is simply another medium in which humans have the option to praise and honor the Lord. Marquette FCA is the foundation of a solid athletic program and as FCA grows and branches out, the betterment of all will follow suit.

Ava Mares is the Assistant Sports Editor covering men’s soccer and women’s basketball.

@avamaresMU

a freshman.”

Northern Ireland native emphasizes on growth with program team.

“He has gotten terrifi c around the greens. He has become such a consistent player,” Schlader said. “His hard work on the greens has paid off.”

By Trevor Hilson trevor.hilson@marquette.edu

After Josh Robinson made the trip across the big pond to Milwaukee, he realized golfing in Northern Ireland did not entirely prepare him for golfi ng in the states.

Robinson transitioned from tighter, shorter courses back home to lush and large tracks offered by the states.

“The hardest adjustment I had to make between the different styles of golf was on the putting greens,” Robinson said. “Different grasses with different levels of green affect the roll of the ball, and we do not have that much green grass back home.”

Now in his senior year at Marquette, he said those stipulations on the greens are no longer an issue.

“I have learned more putting drills than I can count over the last two years,” Robinson said. “I have been able to focus on putting and turn it into a strong point of my game. Being able to putt well makes your game more consistent.”

Teammate Scott Schlader said he noticed Robinson’s perseverance in improving his short game during practices and competition.

His average score dropped almost three strokes, from an average of 76.17 to 73.95, between his sophomore and junior season. He has also seen an increase in his rounds played in that same stretch, from 18 to 20.

Head coach Steve Bailey said he has also seen growth from Robinson daily.

“We have emphasized creating habits and being the best we can be. Josh has led the charge in embracing that, and his success has been a by-product of his discipline,” Bailey said. “We try to plan out the 168 hours of the week as best as we can, and we use a program, Habit Share, to track our guys. Josh didn’t miss a day in sharing his habits last season.”

Robinson’s discipline and habits have helped him receive numerous accolades, such as being recognized as an Academic All-American last year. He shared his secret to balancing school and sports.

“I’ve always been structured and disciplined with my daily plans, which has helped me balance school work with golf,” Robinson said. “Time management is key when you are a student-athlete, so you must learn those skills quickly when you come in as

Bailey also said he has high marks for his golfer’s balance and discipline, saying that an ability to do both is “incredible.” He noted how he appreciates Robinson’s focus on the little things.

“He does a good job focusing on the microscope goals,” Bailey said. “He does a little, a lot and not a lot, little.”

Robinson is a jack of all trades on the course; he doesn’t consider putting as the only strength of his game.

“The biggest part of my game is being able to fi nd the fairways,” Robinson said. “I don’t hit it very far, but my ball fl ies straight.”

Though Robinson has one extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, he said he hopes to stay in the game of golf after his time at Marquette.

“I plan to turn professional, hoping to go to Q school for the Challenger or DP World Tour in Europe, while also starting to look for professional coaching jobs within golf,” Robinson said. “I love coaching and helping others in my sport, so I hope to pursue that and get my PGA certifi cation, too.”

SCAN FOR SPORTS

Photo Courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Josh Robinson walks the greens at the 2021 Big East Championship in Bowling Green, Florida.

Kelderman works way back into Starting XI after injury

Senior defender overcomes obstacles during rehab process

By John Leuzzi john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

Glendale, Wisconsin native Josie Kelderman grew up experiencing the greatest stretch in Marquette women’s soccer program history.

Now as a member of the Golden Eagles, she has the opportunity to be a part of the reboot.

“I remember the early years getting recruited here when they were making it to the NCAA Tournament or they were winning Big East championships,” Kelderman said. “That’s something I really want to experience with my teammates.”

Aside from trying to help lead the Golden Eagles back to the big dance for the first time since 2017, Kelderman is also writing her own comeback story.

Last year, Kelderman suffered a season-ending ACL injury during an exhibition game against University of Wisconsin-Madison. It would go on to change her life.

“It was pretty difficult,” Kelderman said. “Especially after the whole COVID season, which was super frustrating, I was really excited to come back and have a normal year. It sucked overall that it was out of the window immediately.”

Following her surgery, Kelderman was staring down a long and unpredictable road to recovery.

During her rehab, Kelderman worked closely with Pelaez and associate athletic trainer Kenny Wilka as well as Assistant Director of Sports Performance

Emily Jacobson and the team’s orthopedic surgeon.

Wilka, who supervised the entire rehab, said there was no rush in Kelderman’s rehab process.

“We wanted the tissue to heal right,” Wilka said. “Our goal was to do right by Josie.”

Kelderman said while she faced challenges with the injury itself, she was tested physically.

“Physically, it was extremely frustrating. I’ve never been on crutches before and I ended up being on them properly for about 10 weeks,” Kelderman said. “Then mentally, I just felt helpless almost like I couldn’t do anything for myself which was extremely frustrating because I’m a very independent person.”

She said one way she was able to cope with these difficulties was through the help of her roommates.

“They helped me out a lot,” Kelderman said. “They knew I hated asking for help so they would do things so I wouldn’t exactly have to ask. They made me feel independent but also (helped) me out so I could do things.”

One of those roommates was senior midfielder Hailey Block, who knew Kelderman prior to transferring to Marquette before the 2020 season, as both played on the same North Shore United club soccer team from eighth grade to college.

“As a friend, it broke my heart because I know how much soccer plays a strong role in her life and the passion she has for the sport,” Block said. “And being her roommate you saw a side of sadness and struggle, which you normally don’t see with a different teammate because you’re not living with them. I just knew I had to be there for her through every step of it.”

Since Kelderman was unable to be around the team in a competitive environment, those around her found ways to make her still feel part of the team.

To do this, Block said she and other roommate senior goalkeeper Mikki Easter hosted team activities at their apartment.

“We would invite people over for movie nights, make cookies or even cook dinner together,” Block said. “(We) were exploring different hobbies that were outside of soccer.”

As for Pelaez, he said he tried to keep her involved by inviting her to help him out with coaching.

“She’s really receptive to things, especially during games,” Pelaez said. “I would ask her to maybe look at certain things and analyze them because you can still grow as a player by observing when you can’t play because of an injury you look at it a little bit more unbiased and more objectively.”

Kelderman said it was “really hard” being away from the team, especially when she stayed behind in Milwaukee on

their road trips.

“I really had to find things to occupy myself with so I wouldn’t get so worked up with my head about it,” Kelderman said.

So she joined Marquette’s student-athlete advisory committee, also known as SAAC, to help out with events.

“I hadn’t really been a good participant out of soccer or out of school things,” Kelderman said. “We did a trivia night for everyone and that was a lot of fun to plan but it just was like putting myself out there more with other people and meeting other people.”

The time away from Marquette’s pitch also allowed her to visit another one: the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Where her dad, Kris, is the men’s head coach and her older brother, Jake, was playing his final season.

“Seeing how it feels to not be playing for an entire season gave me an extra perspective of how lucky I am to be where I am at,” Kelderman said. “It reminded me how much I actually love being out there and how much I needed and wanted to get back. It pushed me to work a lot harder.”

Even though she was cleared for soccer-related activities right at the start of June, Kelderman said she “wasn’t fully 100% back” to how she used to play.

“I wasn’t quite as quick as I used to be and the decisionmaking process, it was all really frustrating,” Kelderman said. “Because all of a sudden, I was thinking about it a lot when that was something I never had to do before.”

She said it took her a few months to get over these obstacles.

“The biggest part was realizing I had to do a lot of extra work,” Kelderman said. “I would do

smaller technical sessions with my dad, go lift to get my leg muscles back and then go to a soccer practice. It was a lot of extra work, which is like something I never really had to do before.”

Kelderman made her return to the pitch in the Golden Eagles’ home opener Aug. 25 against UWM.

“I remember getting onto the field and it was almost like I had all this adrenaline,” Kelderman said. “I was just so excited, but also nervous. I played for five minutes and I was like, ‘I don’t even know what just happened.’”

As for Pelaez, he said Kelderman’s return brought a mix of emotions.

“I felt like a dad who’s going, ‘Oh, god, she’s going to walk,’” Pelaez said. “It was good to see her come out of there smiling. She was tired as hell, which I told her she would be but it was great.”

Since then, Kelderman has begun to contribute more for the Golden Eagles as she has earned starts in each of the last five games in addition to seeing her minutes extend each match.

Pelaez said Kelderman’s biggest improvement since her return is her ability to see the field.

“I give them all the green light to fly balls into the back of the box or into the net and she’s starting to see that,” Pelaez said. “I forgot how well she can strike the ball. It’s a pleasant addition to what we’re trying to do.”

And while Kelderman has her eyes set on bringing a Big East title home to Milwaukee for the first time since 2013, she has a personal goal she wants to accomplish as well.

“Just getting back to where I used to be and being able to go out there and keep up with everyone,” Kelderman said.

Photos by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Kelderman attempts a throw-in during Marquette women’s soccer’s 2-0 win over Western Michigan Sept.15.

Mitrovic brings international talents to Bennett’s squad

the same,” Mitrovic said.

By Catherine Fink catherine.fink@marquette.edu

The Marquette men’s soccer team has an international flair with players from many different countries. First-year midfielder Mitar Mitrovic is no exception being from Belgrade, Serbia.

Mitrovic lives with two other international first-year players, Ludvig Malberg and Tristan Ronnestad-Stevens, as well as first-year player Kyle Bebej.

“The culture difference between them and me is not huge. It feels like we pretty much grew up together in a way,” Mitroch said.

Mitrovic shared that soccer helps overcome cultural barriers in the U.S. for the international players.

“This is my sixth year here now. So when I first got here, it was a bit of a challenge. You know, adapting to everything but now I’m really getting it because we’re all footballers, we all are

Mitrovic said he found his way to Marquette and Milwaukee after a 30-minute Zoom call with head coach Louis Bennett and assistant coach Sean Hughes during his senior year of high school.

“I contacted Coach B and Sean and think we had one meeting. It was great,” Mitrovic said. “I liked the way they saw football (soccer) and thought it fit my style and after that we pretty much agreed on everything in 30 minutes.”

For Mitrovic, the coaching staff and the soccer program at Marquette exceeded his expectations after his interview.

“When I came here, it was even better than I expected, the facilities, the coaches, the player’s style really fit for me and I feel comfortable here. I feel really good,” Mitrovic said.

Prior to playing for the Golden Eagles, Mitrovic played for both the Chicago Fire Academy and Indiana Fire Academy. Both academies are affiliated with Chicago Fire FC in Major League Soccer.

“I moved to Chicago in 2016 and that’s where I started off,” Mitrovic said. “I played there for three years and they sent me

down to Indiana to play. That’s where I think I really have started developing.”

Senior forward Lukas Sunesson has seen Mitrovic’s development grow in each game he plays.

“I think the future is bright for Mitar,” Sunesson said. “I think he’s becoming more and more mature in how he plays. He’s very secure on the ball, he wants the ball all the time and tries to make himself available. He’s a very talented player, so if he just keeps getting mature I think he’s gonna be one of the best players.”

When it came to picking his jersey number, Mitrovic said number six just felt right for him.

“The six months that I spent in Serbia last fall, I was number six,” Mitrovic said. “Then (when) Sean texted me and he asked me what number I wanted to be, I saw six and I felt good with the number so I picked it and six is kind of a midfield number.”

Mitrovic arrived early to the Golden Eagles, as he was on campus last spring. He said this allowed him to get acclimated with the team and campus.

“Before coming here in the spring, I played third division over there (Serbia) semi-pro

and played with grown men,” Mitrovic said. “That helped me prepare to come here and then I had one semester of getting to know the team, the coaches. So now (when) the season started I already felt at home.”

Through eight games this season, Mitrovic has totaled 462 minutes while scoring one goal and recording two assists.

Sunnesson said that Mitrovic is a strong player in the middle of the pitch.

“He’s already a very important player for us and I don’t think that’s gonna change. He plays a very vital role in our midfield. He tends to get a little aggressive sometimes on the field but he’s working on not getting any yellow cards and I think he’s doing great.”

Before the game players have to mentally prepare to play.

“I think everybody gets nervous, you know, but now it’s more exciting, it’s more just being excited to go out there and compete, especially at home,” Mitrovic said.

Mitrovic said he looks up to all four of the Golden Eagles captains: Alan Salmeron, Zyan Andrade, Lukas Sunesson and Alex Mirsberger.

“I look up to them because of the way they lead,” Mitrovic said. “One is a 6, one is a 8 and I play both positions so I’m taking the good things they have on and off the field as leaders and as players. Learning from all of them helps you a lot.”

The pressure of Division I soccer can be intense on a player, but for Mitrovic he said likes to joke around to help lighten the mood.

“I like joking around with the team. You know, I feel like it’s good to have a good atmosphere in the locker room and, you know, just messing around, joking, I think it’s fun. And when people are laughing, then I’m happy.”

While Mitrovic is still a young lad on Bennett’s team, he said he has hopes of extending his soccer career post his time at Marquette.

“That’s that dream, you know, playing professionally, I don’t see myself doing anything else but this,” Mitrovic said. “That’s what I’m working towards right now, but at this moment the focus is of course helping the team win and making it to the tournament this year and every year.”

SETTER: Position compared to quarterback on court

Continued from page 12

was actually a very valuable learning experience.”

With enough experience coaches know what position some of their players should be playing, even at a young age.

Dragani, in her third year at Marquette after transferring from Portland State, grew up as a right-side hitter during her first couple of years of volleyball due to being left handed. Then one day at a young age, she was moved to setter and stuck with it ever since.

The ability to influence and touch the ball on every play is what Dragani said appealed to her about the position.

“I feel just being able to touch the ball on every play, it’s kind of like a guaranteed thing,” Dragani said. “Any of the back row people can pass it but everyone knows that the setter gets the second touch. I feel like that’s a cool part about it … you’re able to influence every play.”

The influence a setter has is comparable to the influence the man under center in football has.

“A lot of times people compare it to like a quarterback and a lot of decision making,” Gilleland said. “I think just kind of the way the game is structured, being the second person that touches it, touching it every rally and typically the relationship between a setter and the coach is a lot more intertwined in decision making.”

Gilleland is the primary coach for the setters, but the relationship between Theis and his setters, specifically Anchante is still strong.

“In our situation it’s I trust her and I think she trusts me. I think the relationship is if she needs something, she can come talk to me and I will be there for her,” Theis said. “Her dayto-day communication is with Abby (Gilleland).”

“My office is always open if she needs anything. I’m there to help her be successful whether it’s in the classroom, whether it’s her international travel, whether it’s communication with a teammate and she’ll come to me when she needs help with any of that.”

Midfielder earned starts in each of last four matches

Graphic by John Leuzzi John.leuzzi@marquette.edu

KELDERMAN

sPORTs

Demystifying Chess at Marquette

Club looks to expand membership amongst beginners

By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu

The pawns advance, the knights arrive on the flank, the queen bounds forward and the rook slides in behind the defenses to deliver the final blow. The attack cannot be stopped, the king cannot move and it is checkmate.

Chess is a game originally created in 7th century India, under the name “chaturanga.”

But in the 11th century, the game spread to Persia, where it received its current name and jargon. Chess stemmed from “shah,” meaning king, and checkmate from “shah mat,” meaning “the king is helpless.”

Throughout its history, chess has been a benchmark of human brilliance, flair and artistry. Because of this, chess has a

reputation of being a game only for geniuses, something Marquette chess club President Deven Johnson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he hopes to change.

“I struggled with that for so long when I was first thinking about getting into chess,” Johnson said. “You don’t have to be a genius to get better at chess … You can be as good at chess as you want to be.”

Johnson said with chess, you get out what you put in and it does not matter how smart you are.

He mentioned how Hikaru Nakamura, the current sixth-best chess player in the world, famously took an IQ test and the results showed average intelligence.

“His IQ was like 102. It was extremely average,” Johnson said. “He’s an amazing chess player, because he just puts in a lot of work.”

Johnson said he learned the rules of chess as a child, but it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that he became very

interested in the game.

“I didn’t get really serious about chess until the pandemic in June of 2020. I just saw some interesting videos on YouTube about it and some funny videos that caught my intention,” Johnson said. “I decided to start playing and I’ve been playing since then. I started playing online, seriously, around September of 2020.”

After taking a year off for COVID, Johnson said he knew he wanted to immerse himself in chess club last fall.

“I figured, ‘Okay, chess club at Marquette is probably not insignificant,’” Johnson said. “Mainly, I just wanted to play with other people, learn from other people and see what chess was really about.”

Ross Dziallo, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, also played chess as a child, but he said he was drawn to the game for another reason.

“My dad played it with me; I enjoyed the simplicity of what you needed to play it and the utter complexity of the game

itself,” Dziallo said.

This year, the chess club held its first meeting Sept. 9 in the Brooks Lounge at the Alumni Memorial Union.

The club had different stations for all different levels of players, something club Vice President Joe Marsicano, a senior in the College of Business Administration, wanted to see.

He said that Johnson and him want to make the club more instructional this year.

“We are actually devoted to teaching people and that’s something we felt last year definitely could’ve been worked on a little bit more,” Marsicano said.

He noted that anyone can join the club, it does not matter how talented you are or how long you’ve been playing chess.

“You could’ve never even heard of the game of chess and we would be more than glad to help you and we will teach you,” Marsicano said.

The club plays in the Collegiate Chess League, where schools compete for $20,000. They play thirty-six rounds of

chess across six weeks in the regular season. In the playoffs, they are placed into divisions and play bracket-styled elimination rounds against other colleges.

In this league, the club not only competes against schools in the states, such as Duke University and The Ohio State University but also competes against schools from around the world.

“There was a school from India, as well as a school from Singapore,” Marsicano said. “So you just got a huge variety of different people you would play throughout the world.”

Johnson said he wants people who are on the fence about playing chess to know that they should not be nervous to take the next step.

“Go out and watch some content, go on YouTube and see just how fun it can be,” Johnson said. “For someone who’s interested in chess, just put yourself out there and you’ll find that it’s a lot more fun than you think.”

Members of the Marquette Chess Club practicing inside the Brooks Lounge inside the Alumni Memorial Union. Club competes against both state and international schools.

Photo by Jack Albright jack.ablright@marquette.edu