The Marquette Tribune | October 27, 2020

Celebrating 100 years of journalistic integrity

Candidates’ platforms

Trump, Biden disagree on numerous topics such as the economy, COVID-19 NEWS, 1B

Volume 105, Number 9

YOUR VOTE 2020 SPECIAL EDITION

Teams quarantined

One positive COVID-19 test for basketball, women’s soccer programs SPORTS, 12A

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

WWW.MARQUETTEWIRE.ORG

2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 SPJ Award-Winning Newspaper

Community holds sit-in Students release

Six hour protest in Zilber to stand in solidarity with faculty takes place

petition in support of Marquette professors Students for MU Faculty has received more than 600 signatures amid budget cuts

By Natalija Mileusnic

natalija.mileusnic@marquette.edu

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Students held the sit-in to support faculty amid proposed budget cuts from the university administration.

By Alexa Jurado

alexa.jurado@marquette.edu

Brian Bajzek. Michelle Medieros. Bryan Rindfleisch. Jeffrey Coleman. Irfan Omar.

Melissa Shew. Erin Hoekstra.

Daniel Collette. Jason Farr. Eileen Ennis. Lee Sytsma. Jacklynn Fitzgerald. Giordana Poggioli-Kaftan. These were only some of the names of faculty members written on the sticky notes that filled Zilber Hall

Wednesday Oct. 21.

Students for MU Faculty, an organization in support of more than 225 Marquette faculty, held a sit-in demonstration for six See SIT-IN page 2A

Students for MU Faculty, a group of undergraduate students, recently released a petition for students to stand in solidarity with the Marquette Academic Workers Union and Marquette Faculty United amid the university’s proposed budget cuts and layoffs. The petition has 616 total signatures as of Oct. 26.

Brooke McArdle, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, signed the petition that says she stands in solidarity with the Marquette Academic Workers Union, Marquette Faculty United and the United Faculty and Academic Staff amid the university’s proposed budget cuts and layoffs.

“This petition is important because it’s showing Marquette that undergraduate students, graduate students and community members are

watching and listening to what Marquette is doing and they’re against it,” McArdle said.

Marquette University announced Jun. 22 that there will be a series of budget cuts that will affect faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.

A majority of these cuts are from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on Marquette financially.

“Marquette has come out and said that there is a $45 million dollar budget deficit predicted to accumulate by the end of next school year,” McArdle said. “Marquette has said that this budget deficit is stemming from COVID mostly, but also the demographic cliff that is supposedly happening in 2026.”

Christopher Gooding, a visiting assistant professor in See PETITION page 4A

Academic Senate meets to discuss future semester university-affiliated bookstore Book Marq, outlined issues that they faced coming into the fall semester and adjustments they would make going into the 2021 spring semester.

Frank said that the decline in

By Benjamin Wells enrollment for the 2020 semesbenjamin.wells@marquette.edu ter, academic schedule changes and professors not knowing The Marquette Academic Sen- if they would be able to teach ate met Oct. 19 to discuss chang- courses in person affected the es to the university bookstore, bookstore’s sales, and lead to the diversity climate on cam- staff members of the bookstore pus and enrollment for the next being furloughed. Frank said the school year. bookstore faced an estimated 15Pete Frank, manager of the 20% decrease in sales because of

Other topics included diversity on campus, enrollment

INDEX

MUU TV

COVID-19 TRACKER......................................3A MUPD REPORTS...........................................3A A&E................................................................8A OPINIONS....................................................10A SPORTS........................................................12A

the pandemic.

“In addition, we were unprepared in fulfilling orders to students who were assigned coursework prior to the beginning of the (fall) semester,” Frank said.

“An assumption made on our part was that this would not occur unless we were informed, but this proved to not be the case.”

In order to adjust for the spring semester, Frank said better communication between faculty and the bookstore can help avoid issues of getting books to students.

“We want faculty to also take an extra step to check whether NEWS

their textbooks and materials are needed for any given class are current with the publisher,” Frank said. “If there are any changes made to a course or section, we really need departments and faculty to email Book Marq as soon as those changes are confirmed.”

The bookstore will still continue to encourage students toward “the most affordable option” Frank said, as opposed to other options of textbooks that can be bought or rented. The bookstore will also be increasing its communication with students

See SENATE page 3A

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OPINIONS

Fun songs to get into the holiday spirit

Cultural appropriation during Halloween is wrong, offensive

Mail-in ballots

Halloween tunes

PAGE 4B

PAGE 9A

Many to use absentee ballots in presidential election

and parents.

Frank also announced Book Marq will be undergoing a remodelling for the next three weeks.

“As we continue to move forward toward these challenging times, Book Marq will continue to do all we can to provide the materials and services expected,” Frank said.

William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence, provided an update on the university’s climate in terms of

Culture, not costume PAGE 11A

2A

News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

SIT-IN: Demonstrators repeatedly told to leave Continued from page 1A hours to show support for the hundreds of faculty at risk of losing their jobs due to budget shortfalls.

Last month Marquette administration announced the possibility of between 200 and 400 faculty cuts due to a budget deficit arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brooke McArdle, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said the impending cuts make her “heart ache.”

“These cuts are necessary, according to administration.

While (University President Michael) Lovell claims they have looked at other options, it’s obvious they aren’t looking hard enough,” McArdle said.

She said the $45 million deficit was not simply the fault of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the administration.

“Faculty are the beating heart of this institution,” McArdle said. “They exhibit Jesuit pedagogy in the classroom, they foster academic excellence. Who are we without our faculty and our staff?”

McArdle, one of the sit-in’s organizers, said the university needs creative solutions for budget shortfalls, with input from faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduate students. “(Administration) strives to ensure Marquette has a future, but it will not have a future if the value system that created it is ripped away,” she said.

She pointed out that neither Lovell or Provost Kim Ah Yun have degrees from Jesuit universities.

“Why are we entrusting people to uphold Jesuit pedagogy if they don’t even know what it means?” McArdle asked.

Students, faculty, graduate workers and community supporters filtered in and out over the course of the six hours, many echoing sentiments similar to that of McArdle.

“I really do believe the faculty and professors are what make Marquette Marquette,” Cory Forbes, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

“If we’re going to be cutting things, we should be cutting the professors last. … We need to stand by professors in this time of struggle.”

Forbes said he hopes the university reconsiders their current plan of action. “(Marquette) doesn’t stand by its values,” Forbes said. “Its pocketbook comes before (its) prayer book.”

“All students right now, and all faculty, we’re in such a stressful time in our lives that

everyone deserves some type of security,” Olivia Ward, a senior in the College of Nursing, said.

“They work so hard, and I’ve seen the ways they’ve had to adjust.”

Ward said she does not see the university reflecting its value of “cura personalis.”

“I understand it’s hard times, but what are we here for if we’re not here for an excellent education,” Ward said.

Associate professor of French Sarah Gendron said she attended to stand in solidarity with the students. She said she believes the way administration is dealing with the budget deficit is “hugely problematic.”

“This is a university. This is not a business,” Gendron said.

Gendron said the university’s money should be spent on academics and on students, rather than senior administration and

consulting firms.

“It’s going to hurt so many people who have been part of Marquette for such a long time,” Gendron said.

Ericka Tucker, an associate professor of philosophy, said the university’s plan to make up for shortfalls is also a shift in goals and will affect the future of Marquette. She said the changes in research, teaching loads and class sizes will be difficult for

both faculty and students.

“I’m trying to put the pieces together,” Tucker said.

Administration from the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost came by periodically asking the demonstrators to leave, citing the Student Conduct Handbook and the university’s demonstration policy. Each time the students refused.

Photos by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Community members sat in Zilber Hall with signs and left post-it notes to show their support of Marquette faculty.

News

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

SENATE: Book Marq to be renovated Continued from page 1A diversity and inclusivity.

Welburn said the results for the campus climate study for the 2020 school year will be available in early November. The second campus climate study was promised after the first one in 2015, which showed disparity among races at Marquette and their comfort at the university.

Welburn said faculty all over campus are looking at ways to “redesign” their courses in order to have a more insightful look at issues of race. One of these redesigns came through Black Student Council working with the university’s English department to redesign the basic course of rhetoric.

He also said that a steering committee was working on bringing ideas to bring more discussions of racial equality to the table for the spring semester.

“I think this will be a great long-term benefit to really

challenge our campus to integrate racial justice in what we do,” Welburn said.

Enrolling students of color was also an issue that Welburn brought up at the meeting. Welburn said that in the 1970s, Marquette was able to retain about 600 undergraduate Black students, but that number has yet to reach that peak in the past 50 years. Currently, the number of Black undergraduate students sits at 326, about 4% of the campus population.

“This is really at the core of (our) issue, 50 years, and really no progress of any substance in increasing the number of Black undergraduate students,” Welburn said.

Welburn also said that the number of Black faculty on campus has grown in the last couple of years, increasing from 5.1% in fall of 2018 to 5.3% in fall of 2019, but Asian faculty had dropped.

“What we are doing in the way

of changing our community, the way we work with each other, the way we work with our students and getting them here and seeing their success and the way in which we work with our faculty of color, really comes down to a change in habits,” Welburn said.

Even though becoming an HSI is no longer a part of the university’s strategic plan, he stated that working toward the HSI designation is still a priority for the university. Many staff members took issue with the lack of priority on the matter.

John Baworowsky, vice president of enrollment management, gave insight to financial aid and scholarship modeling for the 2021-2022 school year.

Baworowsky said that the basis for financial aid is on enrollment and net revenue.

“As we focus on developing the algorithms behind what we do, we’re focusing more on enrollment headcount and net

3A

The Marquette Tribune

revenue,” Baworowsky said.

Baworowsky said that there are three variants that are behind current enrolled Marquette students: students’ ability to pay, students’ willingness to pay and a strategic financial aid plan that meets the university standards, Due to a decrease in enrollment this year because of COVID-19, the university saw a $14 million decrease in gross revenue.

The expected growth of enrollment for the next school year is to have 123 more students enrolled as compared to last year.

“The big point to emphasize is hitting that (number) is going to be a pretty heavy lift for the admissions office,” Baworowsky said. “It’s still ... dominated by COVID-19. Students are delaying applying to college. Many of them are still struggling in these hybrid kinds of environments.

Guidance counselors are telling colleges to be patient.”

EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Natallie St. Onge (414) 288-1739 Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Annie Mattea NEWS News Editor Benjamin Wells Assistant EditorsAlexa Jurado Reporters Natalija Mileusnic, Charlie Pineda, Megan Woolard, Julia Abuzzahab PROJECTS Projects Editor Lelah Byron Assistant Editor Amanda Parrish Reporters Grace Dawson, Maria Crenshaw, Aspen Ramos, Beck Salgado ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arts & Entertainment Editor Skyler Chun Assistant Editors Charlotte Ives, Mason Stebnitz Reporters Ryan Lynch, Ariana Madson OPINIONS Executive Opinions Editor Alexandra Garner Assistant Opinions Editor Aminah Beg Columnists Jenna Koch, Hope Moses, Max Pickart, Lucia Ruffolo SPORTS Executive Sports Editor Zoe Comerford Assistant Editors Nick Galle, Molly Gretzlock Reporters Sam Arco ,Bryan Geenen, Jackson Gross, Kristin Parisi, Matt Yeazel, Matthew Valente COPY Copy Chief Eleanor Mccaughey Copy Editors Kendra Bell, Grace Kwapil, Emily Reinhardt, Kimberly Cook VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Grace Pionek Photo Editor Zach Bukowski Sports Designer Kayla Nickerson Arts & Entertainment Designer Lily Werner Opinions Designer Mariam Ali Photographers Katerina Pourliakas, Claire Gallagher, Joceline Helmbrek, Isabel Bonebrake ----

ADVERTISING (630) 441-0818 Sales Manager Audrey Roth

THE MARQUETTE TRIBUNE is a wholly owned property of Marquette University, the publisher. THE TRIBUNE serves as a student voice for the university and gives students publishing experience and practice in journalism, advertising, and management and allied disciplines. THE TRIBUNE is written, edited, produced and operated solely by students with the encouragement and advice of the advisor, who is a university employee.

The banner typeface, Ingleby, is designed by David Engelby and is available at dafont.com. David Engelby has the creative, intellectual ownership of the original design of Ingleby.

THE TRIBUNE is normally published Tuesdays, except holidays, during the academic year by Marquette Student Media, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881. Subscription rate: $50 annually.

Photo by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Book Marq manager Pete Frank (top right) said he hoped the spring semester would be smoother in terms of book distribution.

COVID-19 TRACKER

MUPD REPORTS OCTOBER 22 Unknown subject intentionally removed property from a business located in the 800 block of N. 16th Street without consent.

OCTOBER 23 Unknown subject(s) intentionally attempted to steal a MU-student’s vehicle parked in the 2000 block of W. Wells

Street by tampering with the ignition.

OCTOBER 24 A subject later identified as a MU student provided a false name and date of birth to officers while at a residence located in the 2000 block W. Michigan Street. Subject will be mailed a citation by MUPD. OCTOBER 25

Four subjects were seen on the roof of a building located in the 1300 block of W. Kilbourn Avenue throwing pumpkins off the roof, striking several vehicles parked below.

Preliminary information suggests the subjects are MU students. Once this is confirmed, they will be issued Disorderly Conduct citations via mail.

CUMULATIVE CASES - MARQUETTE 529 NEW CASES - 10/20-10/26 50 CUMULATIVE CASES - MILWAUKEE 39,001 SEVEN DAY AVERAGE - WEEK OF 10/25 389

4A

The Marquette Tribune

News

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

PETITION: Undergraduates against layoffs Continued from page 1A theology, said that in the worstcase scenario, Marquette will cut 450 workers.

“It might affect library workers, physical plant workers and other staff members that are not classified as faculty,” Gooding said.

Gooding is part of the Marquette Academic Workers Union, which he said has done a multitude of actions in order to stop Marquette from laying off faculty and staff.

“I’m a part of the Marquette Academic Workers Union,” Gooding said. “It’s a union made up of nontenure-track faculty and graduate workers. We’ve done several press conferences, we spoke with the media in various different capacities, there’s a petition we’re currently circulating in order to get support, contacting alumni and mobilizing students.”

Caleb Kwasigroch, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said he wishes Marquette was handling the situation better.

“I have seen the suffering that goes hand in hand with being unemployed, and I wish Marquette would have a more thought out plan,” Kwasigroch said in an email. “It definitely feels like they are jumping the gun and generally are not making the greatest choice, especially in the tough times we are living through.”

Gooding said the bud- “You’re cutting out a lot of potential paid less, and I often have larger stu- are inaccurate.

“Marquette is projecting a demoget cuts could impact students for admission, but you’re dent loads,” Gooding said. “There’s a lot of different things I would graphic cliff for 2026,” McArdle also taking out the Jesuit ideals.” graduate students.

Gooding is on a nontenure track, like to see for as far as reform goes said. “That cliff is only measuring “One of the things these cuts might affect is the number of gradu- which means that he has to sign a like better treatment of nontenure white students, who are going to stop going to college. That doesn’t ate assistants, or TAs and RAs and contract every year to be employed faculty members.”

Additionally, McArdle said take into account that Latinx stuothers that are teaching classes,” at Marquette.

“I teach twice as many classes as that Marquette’s statistics for the dents are supposed to double by Gooding said.

McArdle said that Marquette tenure track faculty members, get demographics about students that time.” plans on cutting 20-25% of the arts and sciences classes in the near future.

“Marquette is known for academic excellence and if we cut programs we aren’t going to have as wide of a poll for students,” McArPhoto by Claire Gallagher claire.gallagher@marquette.edu dle said.

Students are frustrated with how the faculty are being treated and the lack of communication given to employees.

Auntie Anne’s, Jamba Juice to open on campus Chains to offer pretzels, juice, lemonade, smoothies

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Jamba Juice are coming to the Marquette campus Nov. 20 as a combination store. The store will be on the block of 16th and Wisconsin between the existing Maki Yaki Japanese Grill and Cousins Subs.

Auntie Anne’s will offer a variety of pretzels and lemonades and Jamba Juice will offer an assortment of smoothies and juices.

“I think it’s pretty cool because we don’t have a lot of good fast food places right now on campus so I think that’s pretty exciting,” Jane Eaton, a junior in the College of Business Administration, said.

Other students had similar reactions to the news of a new fast food place coming to campus.

“It’s a great addition to our school campus and community.

It will really bring the community together as we all break pretzels together,” Mary Sebastian, a

first-year in the College of NursSome students are excited to food like chicken sandwiches or ing, said. have a new food option on cam- burgers or noodles. Who’s gonna The combination of Auntie pus, but would rather have some- go have a meal of Jamba Juice Anne’s and Jamba Juice allows thing more filling. and a pretzel?” for a variety of different food “Personally, I think another Tetzlaff is not the only student choices at the same location. business could thrive more here, at Marquette that wants more full “At first, with just Auntie a place with more sustainable meal options on campus.

Anne’s I wasn’t “ I sure, but with like the the Jamba Juice Jamba I think it’s goJuice, ing to be very b u t popular,” Marmaybe tilia Marechal, instead a sophomore in of an the College of Auntie CommunicaA n n e ’s tion, said.

I’d rathThis combo er have, store comes like, a after Focus PaneFoods, Auntie ra,” EaAnne’s parent ton said. company, acThere quired Jamba a r e Juice in 2018. other Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu Focus Foods students The stores are currently hiring and accepting new applications for jobs. also owns poputhat have lar food chains such as Cinnabon food. Auntie Anne’s is just like similar concerns about the food and McAlister’s Deli. pretzels, which is awesome, it options on campus.

“I’m interested to see what they adds to our Marquette commu“Honestly, I feel like it’s turndo with the interior design. I feel nity,” Lauren Tetzlaff, a junior in ing Marquette into a bit of a mall. like every single one looks the the College of Arts & Sciences, But, I think the Jamba juice will same, but since it’s a combo of said. “But, I do think that Auntie be fun and Auntie Anne’s has the two I don’t know what they’re Anne’s should be combined with some good comfort food. I’d just going to do,” Marechal said. a restaurant with more substantial prefer something better, but we’ll

take what we can get,” Morgan Greiber, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

However, other students think that the grab-and-go accessibility that comes with Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice will be a great option for students.

“Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice are a perfect quick snack to grab. They’re super easy to walk with to class and they’re fulfilling and delicious,” Sebastian said.

But, some students are less concerned about the food options and are more concerned with payment options.

“I just really hope that Jamba Juice and Auntie Anne’s take Marquette Cash,” Katerina Vasquez, a first-year student in the College of Nursing, said.

The new store will be Auntie Anne’s fourth location in Milwaukee and will be Jamba Juice’s second location.

“It gives a lot of opportunities for on-campus jobs for students which is really great,” Sebastian said.

Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice are now hiring and accepting applications of new employees.

News

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

5A

Law School poll surveys Wisconsin voters State’s issues outlined, include racial justice

By Benjamin Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Sophomore in the College of Health Sciences Komal Khatri will be voting in her first presidential election this year.

But as polls begin to finalize, there is one thing on Khatri’s mind: the 2016 polls that that predicted Hillary Clinton’s victory.

FiveThirtyEight’s general election forecast for the 2016 presidential election estimated that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had a 71.4% chance of winning the presidency, but at the end of the night of the 2016 election, President Donald Trump won the election with 306 electoral votes. He also flipped the states of Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin.

The 99 electoral votes from all six of the states that Clinton was expected to win were able to push Trump into the presidential seat, and beat Clinton’s 227 electoral votes.

“I am trying my best this year to have faith in the polls and

trust the process,” Khatri said.

According to an Oct. 5 Marquette Law School poll, Biden has a five-point lead among likely voters in the state of Wisconsin and around this time in 2016’s election, Clinton had a four-point lead among likely voters. She ending up losing in the state of Wisconsin by a margin of less than one percent.

Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law poll and law professor, said Wisconsin has a central role in American politics this year.

“Wisconsin is very important, we are near the tipping point in the electoral college,” Franklin said in an email. “If the (presidential) race is fairly close we will be very near the tipping point.”

Political science professor and department chair Paul Nolette said that Biden’s lead in the state of Wisconsin is still “robust” and said Trump will have an uphill battle in the state.

“With a week to go, there is still an opportunity for shifts,” Nolette said. “There is always a chance of this happening because polls are a snapshot of how voters are thinking at a particular moment, as opposed to a prediction about what things will look like on Election Day itself.”

Nolette said that the reason why these polls do not reflect the final outcome of an election is due to how much of the electorate surveyed actually turns out to vote.

“For example, a poll asking 1,000 people who they plan to vote for, and 10% of those surveyed are college students. If college students end up representing more than 10% of the people who actually turn out to vote, the poll could be ‘wrong,’” Nolette said.

“In 2016, the polls did not survey enough voters without a college degree … which in turn underestimated votes for Trump.”

He said nowadays most pollsters take things like education into consideration when creating and sending out surveys. He said generally, polls are still a reliable source, although not perfect.

Nolette said he thinks Trump will have difficulty winning the race for the presidential seat because recent national polls show Biden leading Trump by large margins.

“It’s going to be difficult for Trump to take the lead in the national polls at this point, as he’s been trailing Biden consistently for months. However, that does not mean that President Trump could not win a second term,” Nolette said. “Trump could lose

the popular vote and still win in the Electoral College — after all, that’s what he did four years ago.”

Besides gauging who will win the presidency in November, the Marquette Law poll also polls issues that matter among likely and registered voters in the state of Wisconsin.

Nolette said that certain issues like the economy are always prominent in every election cycle, but there has been one major issue that has been on the minds of voters on both sides of the aisle: COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 225,000 Americans and infected over one million since March. With businesses shutting down, universities shifting to fully online formats and a death toll that increases daily, COVID-19 is on the docket for voters in Wisconsin.

The most recent Marquette Law School poll showed that 61% of Wisconsin voters are either “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about “experiencing coronavirus.” Only 5% of Wisconsin likely voters said that COVID-19 is under control now, while 50% of likely voters said they think the pandemic will be under control a year to more than a year from now.

Another issue that has been on the forefronts of the election this year is racial inequality.

“There may be some indication (among voters) that issues of race may be an important issue for Wisconsin voters, particularly following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha,” Nolette said.

Prior to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a man who was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer, 61% of likely Wisconsin voters approved of protests against police shooting, but after violent protests came to the city of Kenosha, that number plummeted to 46%.

The same pattern has been reflected with opinions of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In June’s law poll, the movement had 59% of likely Wisconsin voters who had a “favorable” view of the activist group that called for racial justice. Now that number sits at 46% of people who have a “favorable” view and 40% who have an “unfavorable” view.

The Marquette Law poll has been used by national news networks to assess where Wisconsin’s vote will swing in the presidential elections.

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

The law school poll frequently helps determine important issues in the state. Wisconsin has a ‘central role’ in this years election, according to the poll’s director Charles Franklin.

6A

News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Service learning changes due to pandemic Virtual opportunities make volunteering possible for classes

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

With concerns over student safety and risks surrounding the spread of COVID-19, the Service Learning Program has altered the way Marquette conducts service learning.

“We’ve had to do a lot of pivoting because of COVID. We’ve got a lot more virtual placements than we’ve ever had before,” Kim Bohat, director of service learning, said.

At Marquette, service learning is used in a variety of different classes.

The Marquette website describes service learning as “student academic learning through meaningful service experiences, which encourage and enable Marquette’s faculty and students to positively impact the community.”

Different classes that use service learning range from Sales and Marketing to Veterans’ Health and Culture. All of these classes, as well as the service learning program as a whole, have adapted to new ways of doing things.

“We have seven reflection sessions that we typically offer to anybody doing service learning,” Bohat

said. “We usually meet in the union, do small group conversations, so we’ve moved all those to Zoom and we’re doing virtual breakout sessions and things like that.”

Bohat also teaches practical cases in medicine. They’ve had to come up with a completely new approach to service learning.

“Those students are typically at places like free clinics, working at the hospital,” Bohat said. “Medical settings don’t necessarily need or want extra bodies hanging out so it’s been kind of hard to find placements for those students. Instead we partnered with Milwaukee Film and participated in the Minority Health Film Festival this fall.”

Practical Cases in Medicine is not the only class that has changed due to COVID-19. Veterans’ Health and Culture has also changed. Normally those students are out in the community working with veterans at different organizations throughout the community.

Now, students have been talking to veterans over the phone or via other virtual options such as FaceTime or Skype.

“For service learning the value in it is that interaction with another person in that physical environment,” Benjamin Theilen , said. “So I think when you move it to Facetime, or Skype format or telephone

format, you might lose a little bit of what it’s like to actually be in that physical environment.”

Despite the switch to a virtual format, Theilen still believes that service learning has still been productive.

“So far from what I’ve heard from the students and the participating places it’s been a great experience to still have the opportunity to

“

We’ve had to do a lot of pivoting because of COVID. We’ve got a lot more virtual placements,” KIM BOHAT Director of service learning talk and see each other virtually and spend the time allowing veterans to share their stories and experiences,” Theilen said.

In addition to moving towards

more virtual formats, there have also been a few other changes within service learning. Many service learning classes have a required number of service hours. Due to COVID-19 there aren’t as many service opportunities for certain classes. With an effort to keep both community partners and students safe there have been changes made to certain policies.

“We decreased the amount of hours that we normally would require,” Abiola Keller, a professor of nursing, said. “A key part of service learning is developing and maintaining relationships with the community, and to do that you need to spend time.”

Keller is a course lead for culture and health.

The Office of Service Learning also created a program to help K-12 students in Milwaukee Public Schools transition to their schools’ online formats.

“We started with community service programs over in Student Affairs and with the Burke Scholarship Program in Student Development and we started an MU tutoring hub,” Bohat said. “It’s our way of reaching out to partners who are struggling to reach their students. So we’re tutoring at a couple of different schools and just kind of offering more support than we

normally would.”

Even with the new changes this semester, some faculty still feel the program has been successful.

“The idea of service learning and giving students the opportunities to have encounters that they normally wouldn’t have, I think it’s absolutely been successful. I think in terms of service learning and the way we’ve traditionally done it, it’s a work in progress,” Keller said.

Theilen had similar feelings about how this semester in service learning has gone with the new changes.

“I can’t say enough great things about the service learning program and their office at Marquette,” Theilen said. “They’ve got phenomenal staff that help the students and the faculty and they really do a phenomenal job.”

University’s research status at second level Some faculty told Marquette would become R1 school

By Alexa Jurado

alexa.jurado@marquette.edu

Marquette is an R2 school.

Universities are each given a research status based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. There are three possibilities: R1 – doctoral universities with very high research activity, R2 – doctoral universities with high research activities and D/PU – doctoral or professional universities.

Rankings are based on the number of PhDs awarded and research expenditures, the total amount of money the university budgets for research activities. Schools in the first two categories must offer at least 20 research or doctoral degrees and must have at least $5 million in total research expenditures.

Jeanne Hossenlopp, vice president for research and innovation, said these expenditures include grants, money raised by faculty, internal resources and donor funds.

Hossenlopp has been involved with research at Marquette for over 10 years. Back then, she said Marquette’s expenditures were only about $10 million. In 2015, with

expenditures just below $24 million, Hossenlopp said they had a goal of doubling that number in 5 years. It has since grown to $37.8 million in 2019.

Hossenlopp said a lot of new faculty knew about this goal and liked the idea of coming to a university that was striving to move.

“People heard the ambition and wanted to be part of a university that valued doing research,” Hossenlopp said.

At the Sept. 21 Academic Senate meeting, Doug Woods, dean of the graduate school, said it has never been a goal of the university to become an R1 research school. However, faculty in attendance said that while being recruited and hired, they were told attaining the R1 status was in Marquette’s future. “(It) was a surprise to a lot of faculty,” Gerry Canavan, an associate professor of English, said.

He said the decision may affect things like student internships and grant revenue, but also retention of faculty. He said a lot of faculty would like to see Marquette reach an R1 research status.

“A lot of professors, their research is very important to them,” Canavan said. “If it’s not valued here, it’ll be valued somewhere else.”

Canavan said that he and many others want Marquette to be recognized as a great research institution.

Ericka Tucker, an associate pro- current R2 status, due to a push in Hossenlopp said these classififessor of philosophy, said Marquette increasing class sizes and faculty cations don’t necessarily measure has strived to recruit research-active teaching loads. quality of research, however. She faculty, and has been successful in “If we do not maintain even R2 sta- said it is important to take into acdoing so. tus, we will fall behind peer universi- count awards and grants earned for “We’ve recruited the kind of fac- ties and the best Jesuit universities,” said research. ulty that regularly get counter-offers Paulk said in an email. “Excellence “How you fall in the rankings is a from Ivy League institutions,” Tuck- in research and teaching go hand in little bit out of your control,” Hoser said. “But people stay here be- hand. It will cost the university in senlopp said. “We are committed to cause they like the class sizes, they the long run if we lose sight of that. continuing to grow.” like the city.”

All of the conversation right now is With faculty cuts in Marquette’s Tucker explained that if teaching about university finances but without future, Hossenlopp said research loads increase, those faculty might any meaningful conversation about will become highly collaborative. not have time for their research. how our core goals as a Jesuit insti- She said it will be a question of effiBecause of this, Tucker said Mar- tution will be safeguarded.” ciency and bringing people together. quette’s “excellent” faculty will the According to a 2018 update, Villa- “It will be a challenge,” Hossenleave the university. nova University and Seton Hall Uni- lopp said. “I am optimistic that there “The university switched on a versity, both Catholic institutions, are some opportunities … to really dime for no reason,” Tucker said. are also R2 schools. Georgetown think about how our research imJulia Paulk, an associate profes- University is R1. University of Wis- pacts not just our teaching but our sor of Spanish, said the university consin-Milwaukee is a R1 school as entire Jesuit mission.” has spoken of reaching R1 status for of August 2019. six years.

“I am bothered that the university is not transparent in acknowledging this significant change in policy and reversal of information given to faculty,” Paulk said in an email.

“To stop our upward trajectory could cost the university potential grants, can reduce ability to publish in top venues, and lose the potential to attract top students and faculty.”

Photo by Claire Gallagher claire.gallagher@marquette.edu Paulk said she is now conMarquette is an R2 institution, which means it is a second level school. cerned about Marquette even being able to maintain its

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

News

The Marquette Tribune

7A

The Marquette Tribune

TUESDAY, October 27, 2020

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8A

Drive-in movie theaters rise in popularity during pandemic Upcoming movies include “Casper,” “The Conjuring”

By Quinn Faeth

quinlan.faeth@marquette.edu

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the foreclosure of organizations all around the globe. Restaurants, bars, gyms, boutiques and movie theaters that were once bustling with people now are dark with a “closed” sign pinned on the front windows. But another industry is thriving in the dark during the pandemic: drive-in movie theaters.

Social distancing is in full effect at the Highway-18 DriveIn, just as they have since they opened in 1953. It’s about 50 minutes west from campus in Jefferson, Wisconsin. With a little extra space put in between cars, they remain fully open, and

fully fun for anyone who wants to catch a movie. Even though they are getting ready to shut down for the winter, being able to stay open during the summer months can be good for business and for anyone who may want a taste of normalcy.

Nate Campbell, a senior in the College of Communication, said he went to a drive-in theater for the first time over quarantine because so many of them have remained open. He said it was a great first experience altogether with family and friends.

“The novelty of it,” Campbell said. “It offers a much more intimate situation for exactly the people that you’re going with.”

The sort of “pod system” that exists with each group contained in one car prevents interactions with other moviegoers that could increase the spread of the COVID-19. They are also outside, unlike traditional movie theaters, which makes it harder

to get infected, according to the Center of Disease Control.

Drive-in theaters have faced their fair share of obstacles since they first became a business in 1933. This isn’t the first hurdle they’ve had to overcome. The wide range of streaming services that are available nowadays have taken a toll on the industry and movie theaters in general.

Back in the 1950s there were approximately 4,000 drive-ins located around the country. As of October 2019, that number has dwindled down to just 305, according to the United Drive-In Theater Owners Association (UDITA). But the retro atmosphere that drive-ins provide keeps people coming back and the industry alive.

That’s exactly what Kelly Kennedy, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, likes about them: the throwback vibe.

“It gives you the nostalgia feel, and you get to see what people

used to do back when they were the only types of theaters open,” Kennedy said. “They’re more fun than regular movie theaters.”

She said she gets the same feel from drive-ins as she does from other old things like roller rinks or diners.

With winter on its way in, the outdoor movie season is coming to a close. But there are two drive-ins in southeastern Wisconsin, one of which is still open.

The closest drive-in to Marquette is the “Milky Way Drive-In,” which opened within the last year in Franklin, Wisconsin. It is one of the 50 best drive-ins across the United States according to Mental Floss, and is about 20 minutes south of Marquette’s campus. They have movies scheduled through November 1, and charge $35 per vehicle for entry admission.

Some upcoming movies include “The Babadook,” “The

Conjuring,” “Ghostbusters,” “Casper,” “The Cabin In The Woods,” “Jigsaw” and “The Addams Family.”

The next closest is the Highway 18 Drive-In. Unfortunately, the recent cold weather has forced them to close for the year, but they will reopen next spring.

Ticket prices are $10 per person.

In these unprecedented times, going to a drive-in movie can be a way to put a pause on the global pandemic for a little while.

Photo via Flickr

The closest theater, the “Milky Way Drive-In,” is 20 minutes from Marquette University’s campus. It opened last year in Franklin, Wisconsin and was ranked nationally for its quality.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

9A

First-year students adjust to new school, campus life Meeting people, distance learning among challenges

Marquette and staying on top of her schoolwork.

“Coming into college, I knew it

was going to be a big adjustment, especially because I didn’t know many other students at Marquette,”

By Tommy Shaffer

d.shaffer@marquette.edu

Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses and many large events, but it has completely flipped college life upside down.

One of the most notable changes has been the switch from practically every class being in-person to being either completely online or having a hybrid schedule, in which students have a combination of online and in-person lectures. However, many first-year students seem to be acclimating well to this new campus life.

Kate Hughes, a first-year in the College of Business Administration, said she has been getting used to classes at

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

Many meet on campus wearing face masks and social distancing.

Hughes said. “However, I was lucky to find great friends on my floor and in my building.”

Hughes said she thinks Marquette has done a great job making the transition as smooth as possible.

“Being able to go to classes, the library and the recreation center has made my college experience seem more normal,” Hughes said.

“Just not being able to meet other freshman in different dorms has been difficult for me.”

Tyler Pietsch, another firstyear student from the College of Business Administration, said adjusting to campus life has felt pretty seamless.

“I was a little worried about meeting people at first, but everyone is in the same boat so it has been easy to meet other people and make new friends,” Pietsch said.

Pietsch also said that five out of his six classes are in person, which can seem rare to hear on campus these days.

“We still have the chance to hang out with friends within the dorm and I’m still able to practice with the (club swimming) team,” he said. “We have a lot of restrictions, but none are overbearing … I’m happy that we are even on campus.”

Remi Maynard, another firstyear student in the College of Business Administration, said she has also made some new friends this school year.

She said she expected this year to be very different due to COVID-19, but she has learned to accept the changes.

“Living here is very different from home, but I haven’t had any trouble yet, which is really nice,” Maynard said. “It’s not what I expected, but I’ve accepted it and have had to adjust to enjoy it as much as I can.”

In an environment where all odds are seemingly stacked against them, the first-year students at Marquette seem to be making the most of the current situation.

Ghostly tunes to listen to during Halloween season “Haunted,” “I Put a Spell on You,” “Dark Horse” among songs

By Ariana Madson

ariana.madson@marquette.edu

With Halloween just around the corner, it is not only an important time to snack on the best Halloween candy, but it is also time to listen to some spooky tunes. Let’s take a look at a few songs that can add to the ghostly vibes of the season.

Thriller “Thriller” is a Michael Jackson classic, as well as one of the most popular spooky tunes, especially around the Halloween season. The opening of the song indicates a sense of fright, perhaps throwing you into a haunted house or even a spooky graveyard. The beginning line “It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark” points towards a chilling experience about to occur. With its ’80s beat, the song proves to be a catchy tune with feet-tapping rhythm, perfect for a Halloween

dance party.

I Put a Spell On You “I Put a Spell on You” is a popular tune that has been covered over time. Originally written by Jay Hawkins (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) in the 1950s, it is perhaps more well known through the famous Disney Halloween movie “Hocus Pocus,” which features the song. The movie is about a young boy who ends up being tasked with defeating three evil witches on Halloween night.

As portrayed in “Hocus Pocus,” the song lyrics like “I put a spell on you” and the melody bring about an enchanting theme, almost as one being put underneath a spell.

Another version to take a peek at is

by Annie Lennox.

Haunted Though Taylor Swift’s album “Folklore” topped the charts this past summer, “Haunted” is a song off of her third studio album “Speak Now.” Though it is not as well known, it brings about the haunting of an old relationship, which is perfect for spooky season. Swift uses a minor tone with a robust opening to emphasize the unrest that the end of the relationship has caused. With lyrics like “Can’t breathe whenever you’re gone / Can’t turn back, now I’m haunted,” the memory of the past person stays with Swift. This song is perfect for a candlelit Halloween night with purple and orange colored lights hanging while carving pumpkins.

Superstition “Superstition” is a Stevie Wonder

classic with a groovy tone. Many well-known superstitions are mentioned in lyrics like “Ladders bout’ to fall / Thirteen month old baby / Broke the looking glass / Seven years of bad luck.” The song describes how superstitions can be terrifying, emphasizing the spookiness of the season. It makes you want to get up and dance a little bit, especially with the different brass instruments in the song. It’s perfect for a car ride to a pumpkin patch or a corn maze as it uplifts the mood and gets you into Halloween spirit.

Dark Horse “Dark Horse” is a popular song of the 21st century, having been released in 2013 by Katy Perry. The song starts out with a somewhat ominous and mysterious tone that indicates something exciting is on the way. Perry sings with anticipation as the beat builds, singing “so you wanna play with magic?” indicating a future relationship that could be a dangerous type of magic. The song also sprinkles in hair-raising minor tones, not unlike those after a good jump scare during a Halloween movie. This song is perfect for a karaoke night while perhaps pumpkin carving or making some Halloween/fall baked goods.

I Want Candy “I Want Candy” is a popular 1960’s rock song covered by Bow Wow Wow which become the popular 80s tune that describes the desire for a blooming relationship

Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson is an 80s classic with a catchy tune.

but likening it to candy, almost like a child on Halloween night. With the lyrics repeating “I want candy,” it brings back the memories of being a kid again, walking around collecting candy, excitedly yelling with anticipation in a child-like fashion for sweets. The song itself has a quick tempo, which bodes perfectly for an evening in while dancing around the living room, snacking on the finest Halloween

candy and maybe even baking some Halloween-themed goods.

Though these songs will bring some much needed eeriness to the upcoming holiday, some other songs to possibly add include “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt Kickers and “Somebody’s Watching Me”

by Rockwell.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

PAGE 10A

Editorial Board

Natallie St. Onge, Executive Director Annie Mattea, Managing Editor Marquette Tribune Kelli Arseneau, Managing Editor Marquette Journal

Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Aminah Beg, Assistant Opinions Editor

Benjamin Wells, News Executive Zoe Comerford, Sports Executive Skyler Chun, A&E Executive Lelah Byron, Projects Editor

Eleanor Mccaughey, Copy Chief Grace Pionek, Design Chief Zach Bukowski, Photo Editor

Julia Donofrio, Social Media Executive Aimee Galszweski, Station Manager MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager MURadio

STAFF EDITORIAL

University must improve transparency, communication

The university must improve its long-lasting issue of being transparent with the Marquette community in order to keep students, faculty and staff involved in issues that directly impact them.

Recently, Provost Kimo Ah Yun said in his Sept. 29 Virtual Coffee Chat that Marquette would no longer be pursuing the Hispanic Serving Institution initiative, which would mean that 25% of the undergraduate student population would identify as Hispanic or Latinx. Moreover, half of that 25% must be from lowincome households.

The decision to remove becoming an HSI from the university’s strategic plan was not shared through an official announcement, but rather first inquired about by a Marquette professor.

The university should have notified students, faculty and staff directly impacted by this decision rather than excluding them from the decision-making process.

Qualifying as an HSI would make Marquette eligible for Title V benefits and discretionary grants, which provide assistance to schools that service Hispanic and low-income students.

Currently, only 14.8% of undergraduate students identify as Hispanic or Latinx, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. Marquette also lacked transparency or community insight in its decision to eliminate spring and some of Easter break for the spring 2021 semester and replace them with four mental health days.

Making this change to the academic calendar is not a great benefit to students. Students will most likely find it difficult to relax because the mental health days are in the middle of the week.

The university should also have notified faculty and staff first privately about the changes to the spring 2021 semester as it impacts their course curriculum. Moreover, it should have consulted with faculty and staff, as this may impact their curriculum, and they are supposed to have shared governance. By not being included in the conversation about changing the spring 2021 semester, some professors have said they will still try to give students longer breaks.Faculty and staff should not be hearing about significant university decisions the same day as everyone else through university

press releases.

Additionally, they were not involved in Marquette’s decision to potentially lay off 225 to over 300 faculty and staff members.

Many faculty and staff members were initially confused about what the university was deciding due to miscommunications.

Potentially laying off almost 300 faculty and staff could impact their livelihoods and well-being. The university should not only be more clear and communicative about its decision, but it also should have included faculty and staff in conversations regarding potential layoffs.

Faculty and staff are not disposable. Marquette must work to build better relationships and dialogue with faculty and staff because they provide essential, unique expertise, perspectives and insight of students and campus.

Marquette has also not been transparent in its COVID-19 response.

When Cobeen Hall was instructed to quarantine Sept. 25 and Schroeder Hall was instructed to quarantine Sept. 14, students were notified less than three hours before their quarantines began, which didn’t give them sufficient time to prepare. Faculty

and staff were also not notified beforehand about residence halls having to quarantine, which may have left professors scrambling to make accommodations for students not attending class.

Additionally, the university must be more transparent about its intentions and commitments to students and marginalized communities on campus.

Recently, the Native American Student Association and Black students both led protests and held demonstrations calling upon the university to address demands and injustices against both groups on campus.

The university must follow through with its commitments to students of color. In regards to NASA, the university said in July that they were in the process of evaluating how to update the Marquette seal, which inaccurately depicts the interactions and character of the Indigenous people Father Marquette interacted with. Changes to the Marquette seal have still not happened, and University President Michael Lovell did not meet with NASA during their demonstration.

Students, faculty and staff of color deserve to be and must be included

in conversations about the university’s decisions to meet their demands.

Unfortunately, issues with the university’s transparency are not new to this academic school year.

During the fall 2019 semester, the university blindsided the College of Education with the announcement that they could face potential structural changes.

Finally, Marquette was very unclear and uncommunicative about its demonstration policy, which was revised four times, without communication with the Marquette community regarding those changes.

The university needs to be more transparent. It is difficult for students, faculty and staff to trust, feel represented by and identify with Marquette, as it continues to exclude them. In order to advocate for the Marquette community, the university must make more efforts to create dialogue and improve upon how it shares its information.

Marquette cannot keep excluding faculty, staff and students from important decisions. They cannot keep blindsiding their community.

Our administrators’ decisions impact thousands of people, yet they refuse to be transparent.

the university must enforce mandatory testing on a bi-weekly basis for its students, as well as a test for every student upon arrival on campus.

This is essential for the university, as it would provide accurate and up-todate statistics regarding the spread of COVID-19 on campus. At the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, students were not required to get tested for COVID-19 before coming back to campus. If students return to campus for the spring 2021 semester, they should be required to get COVID-19 tested.

A failure to do so is extremely irresponsible and ignorant, as it is essential for the city of Milwaukee, its citizens and the university to make sure Marquette’s COVID-19 Dashboard accurately represents that of its population, with no room for error. The university’s COVID Cheq is insufficient, to say the least, as it lacks professionalism and relies heavily on the university’s students to self-diagnose. A four question survey is not able to correctly identify whether or not a student has CO-

VID-19 because students may not show symptoms.

Furthermore, it is important that students, faculty and staff remain informed regarding any tentative plans for the spring 2021 semester before returning home for roughly six weeks.

Doing this is extremely important, as students come from all over the world. In addition, students rely on Marquette to make a decision before the upcoming break, as accessibility to the residence halls over break is not likely.

If in-person classes are further suspended, it is essential that the university allows its students and faculty time to prepare and adjust to the new type of remote learning. As mentioned, students must be given the opportunity to clean out residence halls and bring home belongings prior to the upcoming break. Commuters and students who previously opted to take fully online classes also deserve the opportunity to make a well-informed decision regarding their options for the spring semester.

In addition, students will want to know what their spring semester will look like. If in-person classes and residence living continues, safety procedures must be followed and enforced, similar to the fall semester.

Also, students should have the personal decision to return to in-person classes or take online classes if the university opens up for the spring semester. As the university has seen, residence halls are a hot spot for COVID-19, so Marquette must be proactive to ensure that influxes in residence halls do not occur again.

On the contrary, if in-person classes are permitted, professors must be given the opportunity to decide whether or not they will teach in-person courses, hybrid forms of courses or fully online courses. It is essential that the faculty make personal decisions that correlate with health standards and regulations of the Wisconsin DHS and ones that they are comfortable with.

The safety of the students and faculty, as well as the city of Milwaukee, must be kept at the forefront

of decision making. The health and well-being of this university and this city will ultimately rely on the trends of COVID-19 and the university’s upcoming decision.

MU needs to make decision about spring semester

Max Pickart Before Marquette University’s upcoming break from in-person activities and courses on campus, beginning Nov. 25 and lasting into late January 2021, it is essential that the university makes a decision regarding classes for the spring semester. No matter the decision, whether it resembles the fall 2020 semester structure or is a completely new online or in-person structure, students, faculty and staff need to be informed.

The decision must be one that is well-intended, well-informed and for the well-being of the university, its students and Milwaukee.

Before making a decision, it is key that the university looks at trends of COVID-19 cases in Milwaukee and adheres to rules and suggestions made by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Services.

In addition, if a decision is made to proceed with in-person classes,

Max Pickart is a first-year student studying accounting. He can be reached at max.pickart@marquette.edu

Statement of Opinion Policy

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

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

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

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

Opinions

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

11A

Cultural appropriation persistent, still unacceptable Hope Moses

Cultural appropriation rears its ugly head during Halloween season. Addressing cultural appropriation during the Halloween season is an issue discussed every year, yet it seems the message is never taken seriously.

The common justification for an individual’s participation in cultural appropriation is that it is appreciation. But there is a fine line between the two, and it is unfailingly crossed each year.

Cultural appropriation refers to the use of objects or elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that doesn’t respect their original meaning, does not give credit to their source, reinforces stereotypes or contributes to the cycle of oppression. On the other hand, cultural appreciation refers to an individual’s honor and respect for another’s traditions. Appreciation requires one

to listen and seek education that will help one understand more clearly the aspects of a culture.

Cultural appropriation is the complete opposite — instead of an eagerness to educate oneself, it highlights the ignorance that an individual has.

Cultural appropriation is rooted in colonialism, as colonial culture required indigenous or foreign cultures to assimilate into colonial life. This resulted in people borrowing certain aspects of one’s culture that are often rooted in underlying pain of a marginalized group without realizing where the linkage comes from. When we fail to acknowledge that different cultures have experienced different histories, we open ourselves up to a blissful and detrimental ignorance that could be solved/fixed/addressed with education.

For example, non-Native American children dressing as Pocahontas is problematic for a number of reasons. Pocahontas was not just a character that

Disney created, but a Native American woman whose kidnapping and rape has been romanticized. Unfortunately, she represents what happened to many Native American women during colonial times. Romanticizing her story only allows for the suppression of the truth surrounding this narrative to continue. The point is that the Native American experience is more than a cheap buckskin dress, plastic beads and faux feathers.

Native American culture is not a costume and the tragedy of Pocahontas should not be claimed or celebrated.

And if you are thinking of doing blackface, do not.

Blackface is the practice of deliberately using dark makeup to imitate the appearance of a Black person. It has become a major issue on college campuses during Halloween and other campus events as well. The origins of blackface can be traced back to minstrel shows. The first minstrel shows were performed in

New York in the 1830s by white performers who used burnt cork or shoe polish to blacken their faces and wore tattered clothing to mimic enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. These performances characterized Blacks as lazy, ignorant, superstitious, hypersexual and prone to thievery and cowardice.

So not only is blackface rooted in racism, but it is offensive because we cannot wipe our skin off at the end of the day. We are born Black and will die Black, and the injustices that come with having darker skin are not to be taken lightly.

Additionally, there is something unsettling about demons, ghosts and zombies standing next to people dressed as geishas, ninjas and those in hula skirts during Halloween, as associating cultural wear with these fictional characters can perpetrate the idea those part of these cultures are scary, violent and beastly.

So, to those planning to

partake in Halloween festivities, understand that there are ways to appreciate a culture without turning them into costumes.

Taking the initiative to research your costume and making sure it is appropriate is a great place to start combatting this issue.

We need to recognize the harmful stereotypes cultural appropriation perpetuates and avoid taking part in it. Unfortunately, the responsibility to call out offensive actions often falls on the shoulders of the offended party, which is why allyship requires more than not doing something — it is action based as well. Helping to call out cultural appropriation and help educate the public on why cultural appropriation is wrong will help make a difference as well.

Hope Moses is a first-year student studying journalism. She can be reached at hope.moses@marquette.edu

Catholic Church must do more for LGBTQ people Jenna Koch Pope Francis recently endorsed same-sex civil unions in a new documentary about his life. Although his support of LGBTQ people is not entirely new, his comments reaffirm his position with more conviction than before. This news is cause for celebration, but there is still work to be done before Catholicbased homophobia is stamped out for good.

In the 2020 documentary “Franceso,” Pope Francis said gay people were “children of God,” stating that families should not kick their children out or make their lives miserable for being LGBTQ. He then said “what we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Previously, in 2013, when speaking about accepting gay parish members, Francis stated “if a person is gay and seeks out God and has good will, who am I to judge?” In that statement, he is specifically talking about gay male priests. However, his most recent quotes comment on laws outside of the Church, and touch on LGBTQ acceptance in a broader context.

In addition to conflicts over his statements, there has been much controversy over the origin of the video footage. At first, the director of “Franceso” Evgeny Afineevsky claimed Francis

Photo via Flicker

Pope Francis speaks to an audience of attendees in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Vatican Sept. 18 2013.

said the quotes to him directly. It was later revealed by Francis’ media advisors that the footage came from a 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa.

At the time they were recorded, the Vatican censored his quotes, only to have them resurface in “Franceso.” The Vatican is now enacting a media blackout of sorts after the premiere of the film Oct. 21, as they are declining interviews from news organizations.

The Vatican’s response represents the wider conflict between Catholics all over the world. Although Pope Francis is the leader of the Catholic Church, what he says is no longer the ultimate rule as it may have been in centuries past.

Churches and Catholics around the world have more autonomy in what they believe and how they choose to express it than ever in Catholicism’s history. This is ultimately a good thing, as the Church no longer has authoritarian-like power over members. However, with diversity comes conflict.

The argument over LGBTQ people doesn’t just come down to a matter of acceptance or rejection, but includes many different viewpoints that cannot be simplified in that way. Before becoming the Pope, Francis stated that he supported same-sex civil unions only as an alternative to gay marriage. While his views seem to have changed, there is often a backhanded at-

titude that comes with religious figures’ views on LGBTQ people. The “hate the sin, love the sinner,” does nothing to actually help LGBTQ people.

The Vatican’s stance on LGBTQ people is that homosexual acts are “intrinsically immoral and contrary to natural law.”

However, the Church does not consider LGBTQ orientation itself to be a sin, but rather an inclination towards immoral actions that must be resisted.

A real change in Catholicism will need to come from continual support for LGBTQ people, not a few quotes from the Pope that the Church refuses to acknowledge. Supporting LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ Catholics, means asking them what

they need from the Church from the local level all the way to the Vatican.

The Church’s support for LGBTQ people should not be conditional.

This support can start right here at Marquette University.

Although Marquette has an LGBTQ+ Resource Center, LGBTQ organizations should be added to the volunteer work the university encourages students to do.

Marquette’s emphasis on service comes from the Jesuit values the university was founded on, so giving students the opportunity to work with LGBTQ organizations would help extend those values to all communities.

In times where LGBTQ rights are in danger of being taken away in the U.S., and being LGBTQ is still a crime in many countries like Afghanistan, Indonesia and Jamaica, it is incredibly important for such an influential institution to show more support for the community.

The Pope’s recent comments are just the beginning of what the Church can do to improve the lives of LGBTQ people. With more support from the Pope and other clergy members, the Church can play an important part in shifting this bickering conflict to a productive conversation.

Jenna Koch is a first-year student studying journalism. She can be reached at jenna.koch@marquette.edu

Sports The Marquette Tribune

STEVE BODE RETURNS TO MILWAUKEE AS WSOC ASSISTANT COACH SPORTS, 15A

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 PAGE 12A

Three Marquette teams in quarantine

Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu

Marquette Wire stock photos

Marquette men’s and women’s basketball programs were put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine Oct. 21. MU Athletics announced Oct. 26 women’s soccer is also quarantined.

Marquette Athletics announced that the women’s soccer team is taking a pause from training for the next 14 days after one positive COVID-19 test within the program.

By Zoe Comerford This marks the third athletic isabel.comerford@marquette.edu team in less than a week that Five days after the manda- will be quarantined. tory quarantine for both bas“We will take a pause from ketball programs Oct. 21, training over the next two

One positive test results in pause for WSOC program

weeks in accordance with CDC guidelines as we continue to put the health and safety of our student-athletes at the forefront,” women’s soccer head coach Frank Pelaez said.

“We are confident that we are doing what is in the best interests of all involved and look forward to a strong finish to the fall semester.”

In accordance with NCAA guidelines, the athletics department conducted surveillance testing Oct. 23 of 102 studentathletes and “inner bubble” personnel and it resulted in one positive COVID-19 test. “Inner bubble” personnel includes anyone in close contact with the student-athletes.

Following the Oct. 23

testing, contract tracing was conducted and now members of the women’s soccer program will quarantine for 14 days in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Since Aug. 28, Marquette Athletics has had nine positive results out of 911 tests, which is a 0.9% positivity rate.

Sports

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

13A

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Mikki Easter brings rural background, goalie talent Redshirt first-year grew up in farmlands of Culpeper, Virginia

By Kristin Parisi

kristin.parisi@marquette.edu

Living on a farm might just seem like a life of growing crops and training animals, but for some athletes it can be utilized as a personal gym.

Redshirt first-year goalkeeper Mikki Easter grew up in Culpeper, Virginia, where the surrounding area is mostly farmland. The farm is exactly where Easter said she spends a lot of her time — although she does not live on one herself, she has connections close by.

“My best friend actually has a farm,” Easter said. “So, I’ve worked there a couple of summers. They’ve been like a second family to me since I was in kindergarten, so I love hanging out with them.”

Along with working on her best friend’s farm, Easter found that the workload and equipment around the property could make for a great workout when she does not have the time to get to the gym or the field.

“One summer I worked to prune tomatoes for a store, so that was a

workout every day,” Easter said.

“But I have done workouts using farm equipment like hay bales and big tires.”

From going on runs around the property to soak up the views to fishing in the ponds, Easter said there are many things to keep her busy on the farm.

Coming all the way from the East Coast would be an adjustment for anyone, but coming from a rural area to the city of Milwaukee was even more of a change for Easter.

“At home, the closest grocery store is 10 to 15 minutes away, and you can’t walk anywhere. You have to get in a car and drive,” Easter said. “So that was it. That was an adjustment.”

While this was a lifestyle change for her, Easter said having family from a city had already gotten her used to life in an urban area.

“My whole family is from Pittsburgh, so I was used to a city, so just actually moving was different,” Easter said.

Since most of her teammates come from either towns in Wisconsin or urban areas, senior Kylie Sprecher said the team sometimes likes to joke around with Easter while they are all together.

“She’s from Virginia, but she’s from like middle of nowhere

Virginia. We call it the boonies Culpeper,” Sprecher said. “But we joke with her and she lives on a farm, and her background on her phone is a picture of her cows. Also, I think when you meet her you can kind of hear a little bit in her accent, but she’s very much from the woodlands of Virginia.”

Even her roommate from last year, sophomore midfielder/defender Josie Kelderman, poked fun at Easter’s rural background.

“Definitely off the bat, I could tell she had a weird background with farms and stuff,” Kelderman said.

“She makes a lot of jokes about cows, because apparently she’s around them a lot, which I think is pretty funny for some reason.”

Easter has put her geological background and accent to good use, as teammates say she has one of the best voices on the team.

“She’s a very, very good singer.

Very good,” Sprecher said. “I know she entered the athletic talent show last year, but it was virtual because it’s right after all the COVID-19 stuff happened. So, they had posted her video, but she’s very into music.

And a very good singer.”

The athletic talent show is a firstyear talent show that the soccer program puts on every year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the show

was virtual, but it went on nonetheless, and Easter was able to blow her team away with her singing and piano skills. Although we do not know the results from the talent show, just from the comments

by Sprecher and Lena, it seems like Easter impressed.

Easter said that she has always sang in her church choir at home, and she even decided to quit her high school’s band to join her high school’s choir program during her junior year.

Along with entertaining her teammates with her vocal skills, Easter’s teammates said that she is one of the funniest and most genuine people they have ever met.

“She’s very energetic, very caring, she loves to have fun, she always is making people laugh,” Sprecher said. “Whenever I’m around her she just kills me. The stuff that she says is so funny.”

One of the reasons that Sprecher loves to be around the young goalie is because she makes everyone around her feel engaged in whatever activity they are doing as a team.

“She’s always down for whatever people want to do. She’s just very go with the flow, very chill, but in a way, she’s just very genuine,” Sprecher said. “Even though I’m two years older than her, I hung out with

her so much her freshman year just because she makes you feel good.

She knows how to have fun and lightens the mood.”

Along with Sprecher, senior midfielder/forward Maggie Lena has also taken a liking to the redshirt first-year even though she has only been with her for one season.

“I would say the biggest thing is she knows how to put a smile on everyone’s face,” Lena said. “I think she’s really good at flipping that switch of being on the field, really driven, smart and holding people accountable, but then off the field knowing how to let loose and have fun and always dance in the middle of the gathering.”

The passion that Easter has for playing soccer and her ability to unite everyone together is one reason why Lena thinks she is developing into a fantastic leader for years to come in the program.

“She’s just really passionate about what she does, 100%. Whether it’s soccer, school, you know, being a leader, being a friend, being a teammate,” Lena said. “Yes, she might be on the younger end right now ... (but she’s) feeling more confident with every practice and continuing to be that leader younger players can look up to both on and off the field.”

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Ryan Theis’s squad continues with group practices MUVB completes 4-phase COVID-19 protocol, wears masks

By Jackson Gross

jackson.gross@marquette.edu

After going through the steps of the four-phase COVID-19 prevention program that Marquette University and the Milwaukee Health Department required, women’s volleyball is now able to attend group practices.

The four-step program was put into place when athletes stepped onto campus this semester. With the completion of every step, athletes were able to have more interaction with each other.

Women’s volleyball head coach Ryan Theis said everyone in the athletics department was tested every two weeks, and once there were no positive tests, the fourphase program began, with each phase lasting 10 to 14 days.

Stage one included voluntary activities and no sharing of volleyballs.

During stage two, players were allowed to share volleyballs with their roommates and lift together.

Once phase two started, Theis

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

MUVB huddles during practice Oct. 15. After no positive tests, Theis implements a 4-step program to resume practices in the Al McGuire Center.

put the team into what he called “pods,” where a group of four teammates would live together and then be assigned a coach to work with.

Phase three increased the size of the players to groups of 10, and the final phase has allowed the whole team to practice in the gym with masks and social distancing during water breaks.

While the whole team is practicing now, Theis is still keeping the “bubble” of people to a minimum.

“Phase four was team practices and trying to keep our bubble, obviously, as close as possible,” Theis said. “For example, we’re

not using practice players (full time students who volunteer to play and help the team prepare for opponents) and we’re not using all our managers on court just to try and keep the bubble smaller.”

Senior middle blocker Elizabeth Orf said the team was ready to get back to practicing together.

“After being off completely for so long, we were all really eager to get back into it,” Orf said.

Since players and coaches are wearing masks during practices, Orf said that it can be hard to breathe at times while working out.

“It’s actually been pretty

difficult to get used to it,” Orf said.

“The first time we started working out in masks, it was during one of the first stages, so we weren’t able to do that much … We can definitely tell it’s gotten easier wearing the mask throughout the weeks, but it’s still difficult.”

Theis has implemented extended water breaks that are socially distanced and players can only remove their mask for short periods of time. Theis said they are not allowed to have their mask off for more than 30 seconds to a minute.

“Our protocol for going to get a drink, for example, is (to) sanitize your hands, remove your mask,

drink the water, mask back on (and) sanitize on your way back to the team,” Theis said. “They can take a few breaths without the mask on as they get water.”

With no games this fall due to the BIG EAST postponing fall sports until the spring, Theis has planned some intrasquad scrimmages and had the first one Oct. 24.

“I’m excited,” Orf said. “At this point we have to take anything we can get, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. I think we’re all excited to be able to play a full game with each other.”

14A

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

MEN’S SOCCER

Bennett, Sunesson learn from preseason scrimmages MSOC prepares for spring in 2020 fall following pandemic

By Matt Yeazel

matthew.yeazel@marquette.edu

The postponement of the 2020 fall sports season has not stopped the Marquette men’s soccer team from competing in game-like environments.

To get ready for their season, which was moved to the spring, the team has been competing in team scrimmages. The squad has tried to make the experience as much like a real game as possible.

Due to the long time without being able to play soccer due to COVID-19, head coach Louis Bennett said that he wanted his team to steadily get back into playing shape.

“There was an inequality in the player’s fitness and how much they played over the break,”

Bennett said. “We wanted the first week of having the full group together (to) be in some sort of real, competitive situation.”

The team had some training before, but in smaller groups. Now, the whole team can be together for these scrimmages. The scrimmages are also streamed online

by Marquette Athletics, and the team gets into full uniform.

On Wednesday, the White team beat the Navy team 4-0, with goals from first-year forwards Alan Kim and Noah Madrigal, plus two goals from junior, Cristian Gennaro.

“We want to see how far along we are, who understands and who doesn’t,” Bennett said. “We want to see what level of fitness they’re at, but also for the new guys, have them see what it’s like to play soccer at Marquette.”

For the players, it is an opportunity to finally compete again after what coach Bennett said was the longest break from soccer ever for almost all of his players.

“It’s great that we have the

Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu

Sunesson (9) races to the ball in a match against Green Bay last season.

possibility to get out on the grass again,” junior forward Lukas Sunesson said. “We’ve all just missed it so much, and we all just want to get that competitiveness out on the field.”

That break is also a reason why the progress they are making is going to be slow and steady.

The team has not yet played a full 90-minute game, as the first

scrimmage they held was three 10-minute periods, and they are building up from there.

In terms of what they are seeing on the field, there is still a long way to go until the new season begins, but Sunesson has been encouraged by what he has seen.

“Our team chemistry has always been good, and it still is really good,” Sunesson said.

“Physically, we’re taking things a little slower because of COVID-19 but we’re in a really good spot right now.”

Bennett echoed those sentiments and said that this past week was the best week he had seen from his team to date this semester.

“Despite unfamiliar circumstances, we’re beginning to recognize ourselves,” Bennett said.

“Our core group is getting stronger, and it hasn’t felt like we’ve been restricted at all, even though we have been.”

Now, Bennett is excited to see how his team develops from here with the addition of competitive play in these scrimmages, but he is also ready for his team to get back to playing games.

“Everyone has shown at least a little glimpse of who they can be on the pitch,” Bennett said. “If this had been our first week of our fall season, I would’ve been like, ‘let’s go, let’s do it.’”

WOMEN’S SOCCER

U.S. WNT success inspires Kylie Sprecher, Maggie Lena Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach pose as role models for MU

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

In 2019, the FIFA Women’s World Cup was the mostwatched Women’s World Cup in history, reaching approximately 1 billion unique individuals, according to findings by Publicis Sport & Entertainment. In the final match between the United States and the Netherlands, there was a live audience of over 82 million people, up over 50% from 2015.

The impact these athletes have on the field has been massive and continues to inspire members of the Marquette women’s soccer team.

Their success in the win category is a large reason for their popularity and success, but for members of the Marquette women’s soccer team, their impact spans beyond their World Cup titles. The cutthroat mentality that the national team possesses can be found in their record. Since 2010, the team has gone 185-16-27 in 228 matches.

“The pros are at their level for a reason,” women’s soccer assistant coach Erin Scott said. “They’ve specialized their craft. They’re so good at what they do that they just go on the field and know they’re not going to lose. That’s one of

the most admirable qualities of the national team to me. They go out on the field and expect to win every game.”

The U.S. Women’s National Team has appeared in the World Cup eight times and won four of them. They are the two-time defending World Cup champions with victories in 2015 and 2019.

They have also received a gold medal at the Olympic Games four times in six appearances. They have won as recently as 2008 and 2012, with a quarterfinal appearance back in 2016.

This recent record speaks for itself, and it seems most Americans know the names of multiple members of the current roster.

Athletes from the past such as Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Abby Wambach are highly

recognizable, but players from more recent teams are steadily gaining popularity.

The recent celebrities on the pitch for the U.S. team include Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, who together amass a total Instagram following of 13.5 million people.

Senior forward Kylie Sprecher said just watching film of the national team’s movements and mannerisms — especially film of those who play similar positions like Morgan, such as Christen Press and Tobin Heat — has helped her game.

“Being able to watch what they do and try to keep that in the back of my head and to use that when I’m making decisions myself in practice and in games,” Sprecher said. “The more you watch and

Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu

Sprecher (8) dribbles the ball in Marquette’s 2-0 loss to Colorado State.

learn, the more it can help improve your personal game.”

Senior forward Maggie Lena said on Twitter one of her favorite players was Abby Wambach, who retired in 2015 with the most goals in U.S. history in both World Cup and Olympic competition.

“Overall she’s a great role model as a female soccer player,” Lena said. “Being a fellow forward and someone who likes to score goals, that’s what her legacy is … so having her as someone to look up to is important.”

The impact made on Lena came from a moment much earlier on in her soccer career when she met Wambach as a middle schooler.

“She was playing at UCLA and I’m from California,” Lena said.

“I ran into her at one of the games (and I) have a photo when I’m a lot younger with her, so that kind of set it for me.”

Sprecher also spoke about an experience she had at a U.S. national team match in 2019 at the World Cup in France.

“Being able to go to France and see all of the best players in the U.S. on the field together playing against the best players in the world was insane,” Sprecher said.

“It was a very surreal experience to be there and to watch them actually win the whole thing.”

The massive impact that the national team had was on display when Sprecher and her family were able to go onto the field before one of the games.

As she stood in the middle of

the field, looking out at the arena before the match, Sprecher spoke about the realization of how many people truly watch and pay attention to the women’s soccer scene.

The women’s World Cup had a large number of views which, for Sprecher, showed just how much of an impact those women could have.

“They’re able to use that platform to bring an issue to light that might not be heard otherwise, so I think seeing them put a priority on that and then here at Marquette as women’s soccer players, we’re on a lesser scale, but on a similar platform, of we are a little more visible than maybe some students here,” Sprecher said. “Especially in these times, using our platform as a Marquette women’s soccer player to reach the people that we might influence to continue to fight for the things we believe in here at Marquette.”

Scott also spoke about the impact the national team can have on young female athletes.

“When younger players see these professionals on the national team doing things other than soccer and stepping up and speaking out against things they don’t believe in and supporting things that they do. I think it just empowers younger women to understand that they always have a voice and they’re always going to be more than just an athlete. It’s awesome they have role models to look up at,” Scott said.

Sports

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

15A

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Former UW-Milwaukee grad returns as assistant coach After stint at Loyola, Steve Bode joins Frank Pelaez’s staff

By John Leuzzi

john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

Women’s soccer assistant coach Steve Bode is incredibly familiar with the city of Milwaukee. As a Marquette University High School and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, Bode has spent much of his life in Brew City — especially at Marquette.

“Marquette is a place that I know well and have spent time at,” Bode said in March. “My two older brothers went here, my dad went here, my grandpa went here, so Marquette means a lot to me. So when this opportunity came up, it was special.”

After his professional soccer career ended over a decade ago, Bode joined the Marquette men’s soccer staff, citing his passion for leadership and playing as his driving forces.

“I kind of prided myself on being like a cerebral player and always trying to think ahead,” Bode said. “A lot of times, I was a leader on the field and was asked to be an extension of the coaching staff. So when I finished my playing career, the next best thing, I felt, was coaching.”

When men’s soccer head coach Louis Bennett was searching for an assistant coach for his staff, he knew the former player would be a good option.

“I knew his mentality — he was an insightful captain as a player,” Bennett said. “He had high standards but he had an appreciation for how people go about stuff.”

Bode’s connection and relationship with Bennett helped him land a spot on Bennett’s staff after Bode hung up his cleats.

Bennett said Bode’s ability to “view the game through his own eyes” served the Golden Eagles well. At Marquette, Bode helped put together numerous top-15 ranked recruiting classes and assisted in developing 10 players to go on to play professionally including players like Louis Bennett II, Bryan Ciesiulka, Amilcar Herrera and Axel Sjoberg.

“When you get to the stage as a young coach where you’re prepared to debate and respectfully go back and forth, that’s the best kind of assistant coaches to have,” Bennett said. “It was important that he saw the game through his own eyes but also knew what we needed.”

Now Bode has transitioned over to the women’s game,

currently serving as an assistant coach for MU women’s soccer under first-year head coach Frank Pelaez.

Pelaez said he has considered Bode a Marquette guy from day one, even though he did not attend MU for his undergraduate years.

“When he did get here after he graduated from UWM, it was nice. He spent a lot of time watching our games as well on the women’s side because he just loves the game,” Pelaez said. “We were very successful at the time so I think anytime you’re around a team that is

head coach Patrick Laughlin said. “If you’re helping them be successful, they’re going to be interested in more of that. He was able to demonstrate to them that he could improve them.”

Bode’s ability to build credibility and relationships with players often stemmed from his experiences as a professional soccer player.

“Whatever someone’s background is, it may provide an opportunity to open the door but you have to have the goods, you have to be able to help players become better,” Laughlin said. “Steve has a really good

push you as a coach because you have to find ways to impact them more because it goes beyond the basics. Now you’ve got to think little things about how I can make this forward who’s already very talented be effective and goal-scoring, for example.”

Bode spent last season as a men’s assistant coach at Loyola Chicago. But after Pelaez was hired at Marquette to replace former women’s soccer head coach Markus Roeders, Bode made his way back home.

Pelaez told the Marquette Wire in March the decision to hire Bode was a “no-brainer.”

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Steve Bode was an assistant coach for Marquette men’s soccer for eight seasons, leaving in 2016.

successful, without me knowing, he would watch a lot and try to see the culture.”

But Bode’s coaching career has not only taken place in the Cream City. After an eight-year stint with the men’s team at MU, Bode headed out to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was an assistant coach at Brown University in 2016.

“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone,” Bode said. “I really felt strongly that I needed to move on to grow and continue to grow and learn more about my coaching style and develop my own coaching philosophy.”

In one season at Brown, Bode played a key role in the development of six All-Ivy League honorees.

“In a place like Brown, you have a lot of young people who want to be successful,” Brown

understanding of soccer and does a great job relating it.”

From there, Bode joined Chicago FC United of the United Soccer League as the head coach in 2018.

In September of that same year, the Milwaukee native received his United States Soccer Federation A-Senior License as a part of his work as a scout for U.S. Soccer. For the last five years, Bode’s main role with the federation has been talent identification with U14 and U15 youth national teams.

Bode said just like his decision to leave Marquette, his other stops were about experiencing different things and continuing to learn more about himself and his coaching philosophy.

“When you work with highlevel players, you learn from those players,” Bode said. “They

“He is very genuine and people can see that,” Pelaez said. “After we hung up I was like, ‘gosh, he would be someone that, with his personality, would transition to the women’s game.’”

For Bode, the chance to return to Milwaukee was easy.

“Marquette is like home for me and Milwaukee is home,” Bode said. “With Frank asking and bringing it up to me, I know he has a very strong vision and very high ambition to get this program again back to the stands where it was, so it was easy and contagious.”

Bennett said it is great to have his friend back in town.

“It is not my job to question hires, but this was a really good hire,” Bennett said. “I’ve known Frank, but for Steve — someone that you recruited, someone that you’ve seen grow and develop,

the type of man he’s become, the husband and then father of little kids. I’m biased, but it’s great he’s here.”

Bennett regularly kept in touch with Bode while he was away from Milwaukee. He mentioned he has seen his former defender and assistant coach grow as a coach.

“A lot of people from the outside might have said he made several sideways moves, but it isn’t,” Bennett said. “Each job is different, each head coach is different from how he works and how he develops, but Steve had to see that for himself, and he did.”

Pelaez said Bode’s greatest strength is his ability to build relationships with others, and that he sees that in his assistant coach, describing him as a connector of the game.

Bode said his coaching philosophy and style is a blend of something he has taken from the coaches he has both worked and played for. He mentioned two in particular, Bob Spielman and Bennett.

Spielman’s emphasis on growing and learning the fundamentals of the game at all times and Bennett’s passion for the game is what Bode values the most.

Pelaez said though Bode is “unique,” there are a few coaches that he reminds him of.

“There’s a lot of coaches that I’ve worked with that do have some of the qualities that he has.

I think if you’re looking tactically, it reminds me a little bit of (former MU men’s coach) Steve Adlar,” Pelaez said. “Steve is just so unique in how he is able to translate to the players. I feel very fortunate to have him.”

During quarantine, Pelaez said one of the ways he got to know his new coaching staff was by sharing recipes and taking photos of food. According to Pelaez, Bode is becoming a better chef.

“I told them, ‘to me soccer is like cooking. You’ve got to marinate, you can’t just expect things to switch like that,’” Pelaez said.

“Marinating things takes time and it tastes better. Just like soccer you gotta do it slow and easy, repetitive over and over again and little by little it’ll taste better when it comes to the winning argument.”

In the meantime, Bode said his main goal is to support his players and get the best out of each of them.

“From a family standpoint, there’s a lot of people who are part of the (Marquette) family,” Bode said. “They’re all there to yes, challenge you, but also support you. That’s what I’m trying to do, trying to get the best out of the players that I coach.”

16A

The Marquette Tribune

Sports

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

D E T I VO Tuesday, October 27, 2020

1B

The presidential candidates’ platforms Trump, Biden have different policies on COVID-19, taxes, relationships with foreign countries

By Charlie Pineda

charles.pineda@marquette.edu

President Donald Trump is running for a second term alongside Vice President Mike Pence. They are going up against former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.

Trump has a list of policies that he wants to put into effect if he wins the election. He has promised to create ten million jobs in ten months and create one million new small businesses. He wants to cut down on income tax and provide companies with tax credits to them to keep jobs in the United States.

As for health care, Trumps looks to repeal the Affordable Care Act link that was passed by former President Barack Obama, which increased the federal government’s regulation of the private health insurance system, including making it illegal to deny coverage to people with pre-existing medical

conditions. He also looks to lower drug prices by importing cheaper ones abroad.

For foreign policy, Trump continues to make alliances with international countries and maintain trade tariffs with China. Trump’s tariff policy aims to encourage consumers to buy American products by making imported goods more expensive.

Trump doesn’t believe racism is a systemic problem within U.S. police forces. He has positioned himself as a firm promoter of law enforcement but has opposed chokehold methods and offered grants for improved practices within law enforcement.

Trump looks to protect the Second Amendment which allows Americans the right to bear arms.

He proposed tightening background checks on gun buyers after mass shootings in 2019, but nothing came of the plan and no further legislation has been acted upon.

President Trump says it’s his constitutional right to fill the vacancy

on the Supreme Court during the remainder of his first term in office.

Trump is skeptical about climate change and wants to expand nonrenewable energy. He has committed to withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. During his election campaign in 2016 Trump said climate change was “a hoax”. However, he has since rowed back on that statement saying in a recent interview: “I don’t think it’s a hoax, I think there’s probably a difference.”

As for the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump set up task forces January 2020 for safety and allowing the country to open up.

Former Vice President Joe Biden served under Former President Barack Obama from 2008 to 2016.

With that experience, he is now running for president with Kamala Harris as his vice president for the Democratic Party.

They plan to help out the economy by raising taxes for the people who earn more to pay for investment in public services, but say

the increase will only impact those earning over $400,000 a year. Biden also wants to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour.

For health care, instead of removing the ACA, Biden wants to protect it and expand on it. Biden wants to lower the eligible age for Medicare from 65 to 60. He also wants to give all Americans the option to enroll in a public health insurance plan similar to Medicare. As president, Biden will stop this reversal of the progress made by Obamacare.

Biden promises to repair relationships with U.S. allies. He wants to hold China accountable with an international coalition that China “can’t afford to ignore.”

Biden sees race and policing as a systemic problem and has set out policies to address racial disparities in the justice system, such as grants to incentivize states in reducing incarceration rates.

Biden wants to ban assault weapons and implement universal background checks. He would also

fund more research into preventing gun violence.

For the Supreme Court, Biden says if elected he would work to pass legislation to guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion if the Supreme Court rules against it.

On climate, Biden wants to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and wants the U.S. to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and proposes banning new leases for oil and gas drilling on public lands. Joining the Paris Climate Accord commits another 187 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

To combat COVID-19, Biden plans to set up a national contact tracing program, establish at least ten testing centers in every state and provide free coronavirus testing to all. Only eight states are meeting the testing target right now.

Students voice what issues matter Concerns include the economy, polarization, health care, political unrest

By Benjamin Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

The 2020 presidential election is now one week away, and as this historic election makes its way to its the finish line, Marquette students voiced their opinions on what issues matter most to them.

Charles Franklin, a professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law poll, said that young people in this election agree on certain issues; mostly all voters ages 18-29 are opposed to limiting illegal immigration, requiring 12-weeks paid maternity leave and opposing raising tariffs on exports among others.

Franklin also said Wisconsin is vital to the presidency in this year’s election. According to the most recent Marquette Law poll, Biden leads Wisconsin by five points.

“Wisconsin is very

important — we are near the tipping point in the Electoral College. If the race is fairly close we will be very near the tipping point,” Franklin said in an email.

As for issues among young people, Miranda Spindt, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, chairperson for Young Americans for Freedom and secretary for College Republicans, said that the economy is one of the items at the top of her list.

Young Americans for Freedom is a nonpartisan conservativeminded student group that advocates for right-wing thinking among young people.

“That’s the only issue in this election that is drastically going to change depending on who wins,” Spindt said. “I feel like the economy would really change.”

Spindt said she thinks the economy has done well in the past four years and expects the third economic quarter for the

United States to be a good one.

According to an article from Fortune.com, experts say the third quarter for the United States, which will be officially released days before election day, is expected to make a rebound. However, due to the pandemic, 2020 is still expected to be a down year for the economy regardless.

“I don’t think (the economy now) would be any different if anyone else were in office,” Spindt said.

But aside from partisan issues, Spindt also said there’s another issue in our nation: the political split that currently divides Americans, their political party.

“The thing I think about a lot is ... that our country obviously has problems and there’s tons of social unrest and divisiveness and it’s hard, it’s sad,” Spindt said.

Spindt said that people’s political views now split our country more than ever, and that

politics are starting to matter over personalities in terms of friendships.

Eric Rorholm, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and chairperson for Marquette Democrats, said health care is an important issue on the docket for him.

“It strikes me as disgusting — especially during the time of a pandemic — that the thought of getting ill ... the first thing I think about is not the pain, illness or healing, it’s the debt,” Rorholm said. “Cost is a barrier for people to receive the medical help they need.”

The average cost of a medical visit without insurance in America can range anywhere between $300-600, and according to healthcare.gov, a three-day hospital stay can cost upwards of $30,000. 20% of those with COVID-19 require hospital care.

“It’s one of those things you don’t think about until it’s really

crucial, and the fact that people, based on whether or not they slip on a wet floor ... can be facing large amounts of money in medical debt,” Rorholm said.

As for the direction for the country is going in, Rorholm said the United States is heading in the wrong direction. He said current crises and capitalism have tainted the United States’ way of thinking and has shut down the working class’s needs.

“It’s wrong that we’ve decided to shut working people down in the name of the almighty dollar,” Rorholm said. “We’ve created an economy that is very responsive to the needs of ... corporations.”

The 2020 presidential election is Nov. 3. Voters can mail in ballots early by requesting an absentee ballot or vote in person by finding a their designated polling place.

2B

Your vote 2020

Wisconsin’s role as a swing state

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Votes in previous presidential races have been for both parties Barry Goldwater.

While Wisconsin has votmegan.woolard@marquette.edu ed consistently blue at the The state of Wisconsin has presidential level, that hasn’t the potential to be one of the always applied to state most decisive Electoral Col- government officials. lege votes in the upcoming 2020 “We have a Republican led legpresidential election. islature. If you think about this According to fivethirtyeight, red state, blue state thing, people Wisconsin has a 13.1% chance of see Wisconsin as more sort of dibeing the state that decides which vided,” Dolan said. candidate becomes president.

Wisconsin has had a RepubliWisconsin has the third highest can majority in both the House of likelihood of being the decid- Representatives and the Senate ing state, trailing only Florida since 2011. at 14.4% and Pennsylvania at “We’re not really far in one 25.9%. With the possibility of a camp or the other. Even though close election, winning Wiscon- in the presidential years we sin’s 10 electoral votes could were voting for Democratmake a difference in deciding ic candidates, we still have a who the next president will be. lot of Republicans in the state,” “If the election is a cliffhang- Dolan said. er, Wisconsin is going to be Other swing states in the 2020 one of the states that makes it a presidential election include cliffhanger,” John McAdams, Iowa, Pennsylvania, North Caroa political science professor at lina, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan Marquette, said. and Florida. Florida and PennsylIn the latest Marquette Law vania are the only states that have School poll, former Vice Presi- more potential than Wisconsin dent Joe Biden is currently pro- to be the deciding state in the jected to receive 5% more of 2020 election. the votes than President Donald Currently both states Trump in Wisconsin. are projected to vote for “The president won Wisconsin Biden, but by a slim marlast time by the narrowest of mar- gin. Florida is projected to gins. The recent history and the vote for Biden by 3% and polling combined suggest that Pennsylvania by 7.2%. In it will be tighter here than else- the 2016 election both Florwhere,” Ryan Owens, a political ida and Pennsylvania voted science professor at the Univer- for Trump. sity of Wisconsin-Madison, said.

With national polls showThis isn’t the first close elec- ing Biden leading Trump by tion in Wisconsin’s history. For a narrow margin, Trump has the past few elections, Wiscon- said that he expects the Susin has been seen as a swing or preme Court to intervene. battleground state.

In the first Presidential “We’ve been considered debate Trump said, “I’m a battleground state for the counting on them to look at last three or four, maybe five the ballots, definitely,” when presidential elections,” Kath- referring to the Supreme leen Dolan, a political science Court ruling on any postprofessor at the University of election controversies.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said.

The last time the Supreme In the 2016 presidential elec- Court was involved in a tion, Trump narrowly won over post-election controversy Democratic nominee Hillary was the case of Bush v.

Clinton to win Wisconsin. Trump Gore that followed the 2000 earned 47.2% of the votes, barely presidential election. beating Clinton, who won 46.5% The 2000 presidential of votes. election was especially Even though Wisconsin voted close nationwide and in the for the Republican candidate in state of Florida. It was a the last presidential election, the battle between Republican state previously had a history of George W. Bush and Demmore than 20 years of voting blue ocrat Al Gore. Bush won in presidential elections.

271 electoral votes, which The last time that Wisconsin is one more than the majorvoted for a Republican candi- ity. On election night, there date before 2016 was in 1984 was debate over which canwhen Ronald Reagan was elected didate won Florida and the into office.

25 electoral votes that came But the past few elections with it. have been close. In fact, the marIn Florida there was a gin of victory for the winning huge issue surrounding candidate in Wisconsin hasn’t what ballots counted. In been over 11% since 1964 when 2000, Florida had punch Lyndon B. Johnson defeated card ballots. This lead to

By Megan Woolard

a lot of confusion. Some voters had failed to fully detach the portion of the ballot. These have been known as “hanging chads,” while other ballots merely dented the portion of the paper, known as “dimpled chads”. This way of voting caused controversy on which ballots cast were valid and could be counted.

Bush won Florida by a margin so slim the state law required a recount. After the recount, the results stood: Bush had won by only 537 votes.

With such a slim margin and no one knowing for sure what will happen, McAdams said there is potential for another Florida case, like in the 2000 election.

“There is a lot of potential for lost ballots, some ballots coming in very late, some voter fraud. I don’t think there will be a huge amount of voter fraud but a small amount in a state with a narrow outcome could create Floridalike chaos,” McAdams said.

With many citizens electing to use mail-in voting due to safety concerns over COVID-19, Trump

has claimed that mail-in voting will lead to voter fraud.

“There’s fraud. They found them in creeks. They found some, just happened to have the name Trump just the other day in a wastepaper basket” said Trump, expressing his concerns over mail-in voting.

Despite Trump’s concerns, there is very low likelihood of voter fraud. In a 2017 study done by the Brennan Research Center, the likelihood of voter fraud was deemed to be between 0.00004% and 0.0009%.

Gore challenged the results of the recount numerous times. The legal battle made it all the way to the Supreme Court. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of the recount.

This ruling officially made Bush the winner of Florida and the new president of the United States.

“In the case of Florida, it would only take less than 1,000 votes that are questioned to throw the whole thing into chaos,” McAdams said.

While McAdams doesn’t anticipate another 2000 Florida case,

he said “the potential is there.”

In order to effectively challenge the results of the election, Trump and his campaign would have to find reasonable evidence that the election was somehow unfairly conducted, and as a result, the votes couldn’t have been accurately counted.

“His campaign would have to come into Wisconsin and find what they think is some credible reason that votes were not being counted correctly, or procedures weren’t being followed or laws were being broken somehow,” Dolan said. “Then he would go into court and make some argument that that is the case and then there would be this process of starting in federal court and moving up the line that could ultimately go to the Supreme Court.”

The presidential election day is Nov. 3, and it is suiting up to be a close race between the two candidates. Wisconsin, as a swing state, could be a key factor in who wins the 2020 presidential election.

Graphic by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Your vote 2020

Final debate provides insight

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

By Benjamin Wells

The Marquette Tribune

Regulated format brings discussions of vaccines, the Affordable Care Act

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Kristen Welker, an NBC journalist, moderated the second and final presidential debate from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee Oct. 22. featuring President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Because of the nature of the previous presidential debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates added a rule that both candidates had two minutes of time to talk with the other candidate’s mic muted. Following the two-minute opening statements, both candidates had their mics unmuted, but were still expected not to talk over one another.

As of Thursday night, 15 million Americans had already submitted their ballots via absentee or early voting. Trump also is currently behind in national polls and battleground states, including Wisconsin by five points, according to the most recent Marquette Law School poll.

The first topic brought up was COVID-19 and how each of the candidates would respond in the next four years.

“This is a worldwide problem,” Trump said. “But I have been congratulated by many countries in terms of what we’ve been able to do.”

Trump cited that the mortality rate in the United States is going down and that a vaccine should be ready within weeks, and if not, by the end of this year. However, experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci are saying that the distribution of a vaccine wouldn’t be ready until well into 2021 and that distancing and mask-wearing would still be in effect into 2022.

“We’re rounding the corner ... it’ll go away,” Trump said.

But the former vice president shamed Trump for his response, which has been criticized by his opponents.

“Anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America,” Biden said.

Biden said if elected, he would encourage nationwide mask-wearing, rapid testing and set up national standards for social distancing and mask-wearing for opening schools and businesses, along with providing them with financial resources to remain open.

“I will take care of this, I will end this, and I will make sure we will have a plan,” Biden said.

Biden said if a vaccine is produced and ready for distribution by the end of this year, he would wait for scientists to approve it to ensure the safety of other American citizens.

Trump then slammed Biden for wanting to shut down the nation, saying that it would be

detrimental to the economy. He also blamed China for the pandemic, something he has done numerous times.

“We can’t close our nation, or we’re not going to have a nation,” Trump said.

In a message to parents and teachers who are concerned about the reopening of schools, Trump said he wanted to keep schools opening up, despite public school systems across the nation moving to fully online formats for the rest of the year.

Biden then criticized Trump for having knowledge of the pandemic in January and choosing not to act because he didn’t want the American population to worry.

“He went on record and said ... he knew

how dangerous it was, but he didn’t tell us because he didn’t want (us) to panic,” Biden said.

The Associated Press broke the news Oct. 21 that Iran had been interfering with this year’s election in multiple battleground states by sending threatening messages to Democratic voters.

This national security threat was brought up to both candidates.

“Any country ... that interferes with our election will pay a price,” Biden said. “They’re affecting (American) sovereignty.”

Biden came after Trump for refusing to call out Russia, which interfered in the 2016 election.

In 2018, 13 Russians were charged with meddling in the 2016 presidential election by running a social media campaign toward the benefit of Donald Trump.

T r u m p

c a m e after Hunter Biden for receiving $3.5 million from Russia, though Biden said he had never taken “a single penny” from any foreign country.

Whether or not Hunter Biden received funds from a foreign source remains unknown.

When pressed on his tax returns and his involvement with foreign nations, Trump said he planned to reveal his taxes “as soon as he can.”

“I don’t make money from China, (Biden) does, I don’t make money from Ukraine, (Biden) does ... I was

put through a phony witch hunt,” Trump said.

The claim that Biden has received money from foreign nations lacks context and has yet to be proven true.

However, according to the New York Times, Trump has been proven to be involved with Ukraine, related to paying money to the nation to “investigate” the Biden c a m paign.

This

Image courtesy of AP Photos.

scandal lead to his impeachment earlier this year.

Following discussions on national security, American families and their health care was next on the docket.

Currently, the Affordable Care A c t covers over

Supreme Court.

“What we’d like to do is terminate Obamacare ... and come up with a brand new beautiful health care,” Trump said.

President Trump has yet to elaborate on what the “brand new beautiful healthcare” is.

Biden believed that the Affordable Care Act should be expandedandbuiltupon.However,ifthe Supreme Court overrules the Affordable Care Act, Biden planned to replace it with another option: Bidencare.

The Biden health care plan involves giving competition to privatized health insurance companies and reduce premiums and drug prices by working with Medicare.

Biden has stated multiple times

that h e doesn’t want to eliminate private health care, a type of health care that covers a majority of Americans according to the U.S. Census website.

Biden was also the only Democratic candidate during the primaries who supported a privatized healthcare system.

“We’re going to make sure we’re going to be in a system that protects pre-existing conditions,” Biden said. “People deserve to have affordable health care, period ... (Trump) is never going to come up with a plan.”

President Trump was then asked about the issue of a stalemated coronavirus relief bill, which he blamed on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Congress.

“Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to approve anything because she’d love to have some victories on November 3 ... we are

r e a d y, willing and waiting to do something,” Trump said.

Following the discussion on health care and the economy, immigration was brought up.

The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border was a basis for Trump’s campaign Image courtesy of AP Photos. in 2016. Since his election, 20 million Americans. The goal families have been detained and of the Affordable Care Act was to children have been put in cages in make health insurance available detainment centers at the border. to more people who can’t afford More than 500 children remain sepprivate health insurance. President arated from their parents.

Trump said he had a plan on how Trump is attempting to overturn to reunite these children with their the Affordable Care Act in the

3B

families but did not elaborate. He did say, however, that most of these children are brought over by human traffickers, gangs and drug cartels.

“These 500 plus kids came with parents, they separated them at the border to make it a disincentive to come here to begin with,” said Biden. “It’s not coyotes that brought them over, it was their parents. It makes us a laughing stock and violates every notion of who we are as a nation.”

Biden said he would send a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants to Congress within the first 10 days in office.

The heated discussion on immigration led to the discussion of race in America.

In speaking directly to parents who are people of color, Trump said he had done more for Black people since Abraham Lincoln, a claim he has made multiple times.

Trump then claimed he was the “least racist person in the room.”

Biden followed up and said Trump was the most racist president America has ever had.

He also talked about fundamentally changing the prison system in order to provide support over punishment for people accused of drug crimes.

After race came the issue of climate change. Each candidate was able to provide their response to the current climate crisis that is happening worldwide.

Trump said that the United States has had the best carbon emission numbers in 35 years, criticized China, India and Russia for having “filthy” air and explained the Paris Climate Accord withdrawal was because of the risk to the economy.

The Paris Climate Accord is a United Nations agreement to organize toward a global initiative against climate change.

“We have done an incredible job environmentally, we have the cleanest air and the cleanest water,” Trump said.

But Biden felt the United States could do more.

“Climate change ... is an existential threat to humanity, we have a moral obligation to do it,” Biden said. “We’re going to pass the point of no return in 8-10 years.”

Biden said that he was able to get environmental agencies and people worried about jobs to approve his climate plan.

His plan involved creating green infrastructure that will clean the environment and create 18.6 million jobs and one trillion dollars in economic growth.

Both candidates were able to present their ideas in a more regulated fashion than the first debate, and the American people will take to the polls in the middle of a pandemic to vote for the future of their nation Nov. 3

4B

Your vote 2020

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Absentee ballots see higher usage

The Marquette Tribune

Some feel worried regarding accuracy of mail-in votes, potential fraud

By Natalija Mileusnic

natalija.mileusnic@marquette.edu

COVID-19 has been a continual issue within society since early 2020. In the primary elections, many states saw delays and impacts from the pandemic.

In particular, there has been increased use of absentee ballots with the states that allow a voter to vote by mail.

Mail-in ballots allow voters to vote from their home if they’re unable to make it to a polling place by Election Day. In 2016, almost a quarter of the ballots were sent in through mail, but in 2020, that number has doubled, seeing a record number of a predicted 50.3% of eligible voters voting by mail in the presidential election.

Philip Rocco, assistant professor of political science at Marquette, said having mail-in ballots during COVID-19 could be a good thing.

“Having the option to mail in your ballot is an important way to reduce congestion at polling places and to limit the potential for viral transmission,” Rocco said in an email. “As an election official in the city of Milwaukee, I know we are counting on voters’ ability to use this option as a means of de-densifying polling places.”

Julia Abuzzaham, a first-year in the College of Communication, said that she will be mailing in a ballot since it’s safer than going to the polls.

“I believe mailing in a ballot is a great way to vote, especially with COVID, for people to vote in this coming election that aren’t able to do so in person,” Abuzzaham said in an email.

Michael McNee, a first-year in the College of Communication, agreed that voters would will be more encouraged to vote if they do it by mail, since they are not at risk for contracting the virus if they do not go to polling sites.

“My opinion on absentee voting is that it is a good idea to encourage people to vote early and not in-person because of COVID-19,” McNee said. “It is safer and will still allow people that are considered ‘high risk’ the opportunity to vote.”

Patrick Lintner, a first-year in the College of Nursing, said he is voting through mail since he is not from Wisconsin and because Michigan allows absentee ballots.

“Because my home is in the state of Michigan, I plan on having a mail-in ballot being sent to me,” Lintner said. “That

way I can still participate in the upcoming presidential and all other elections.”

Rocco said that the only controversy surrounding mail-in ballots would be the new procedural legitimacy regarding the virus.

“I think we should see the ‘controversy’ as surrounding not mail-in ballots per se, but the procedural legitimacy of the 2020 election itself,” Rocco said in an email. “Naturally, any country that is holding an election during a pandemic is going to have to alter its procedures.”

According to National Public Radio, over 500,000 absentee

ballots were rejected during the primary elections earlier this year, including over 20,000 ballots from Wisconsin.

President Donald Trump has questioned the legitimacy of mail-in-ballots, saying that there would be, “voter fraud like you’ve never seen” in the first presidential debate, saying that ballots could be “manipulated.”

Samantha Freisleben, a firstyear in the College of Nursing, said mail-in ballots are not accurate for voters that will be voting in the upcoming presidential election.

“I do not think that mail-in ballots are 100% accurate because

they could easily be changed or lost,” Freisleben said. “This means that the person’s vote would not be counted.”

McNee agreed and said it is easy to get a hold of someone’s ballot and change the vote.

“I do not believe that mail-in ballots are 100% accurate because of how easily they could be tampered with,” McNee said.

Lintner agreed that mail-inballots could be inaccurate.

“As much as I want to say yes, I do not think they are accurate, even though I will be using a mail-in voting ballot,” Lintner said. “I think they’re not accurate because of the so many

ways that they can be tampered with to become invalid.”

Abuzzaham said she believes that mail-in ballots are accurate and that the vote will be counted.

“I do believe mail in ballots are accurate because there’s so much detail that goes into ensuring your ballots are accurate in mail in format,” Abuzzaham said in an email.

In the state of Wisconsin, all absentee ballots collected by Nov. 3 by 8 p.m. will be counted.

An attempt to extended the collection date was rejected by a federal appeals court.

Graphic by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu