The Marquette Tribune | February 9, 2021

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“A time of renewal” Lovell gives seventh annual address to reflect on year

By Alexa Jurado

alexa.jurado@marquette.edu

University President Michael Lovell gave his seventh annual presidential address virtually Feb. 4, reflecting upon the last year.

“We faced a lot of suffering and loss over the last year,” Lovell said. “But the spring semester is always a time of renewal. As we transition from what was a historically challenging year for higher education, and a difficult chapter in Marquette’s history, our campus is alive with a promise of academic excellence, collaboration and student success.”

After a yearlong Mission Priority Examen, Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the

the Jacqueline Walker livinglearning community, named after a long-time staff member of the Educational Opportunity Program, will open for at least 20 students. A Black Cultural Center opened in Humphrey Hall at the start of the semester.

While Marquette has the highest retention and graduation rate of u n i v e rsities i n Wisconsin,

Society of Jesus, affirmed Marquette’s mission.

“In his evaluation, Father Sosa stated he was grateful for the self-study, and ... indicated Marquette was one of the strongest institutions in the (Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities) network in the United States,” Lovell said. “He affirmed the Catholic and Jesuit character of Marquette is firmly rooted.”

Lovell shared updates regarding the progress of the initiatives of Marquette’s Black Student Council.

There are now 40 Urban Scholarships, and the university launched a fundraising campaign to endow scholarships and fund housing. In the fall of 2021,

Lovell announced the Student Success Initiative, which will create a “network of care” that starts before students are on campus and stays with them through graduation.

A donation of $31 million was made to the College of Nursing, meant to support scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism in the College of Communication received $5 million to grow the program as well.

Wintrust Town Bank has partnered with the university to help build the new business school, announced at last year’s presidential address, through a commitment of $2 million.

Overall, the university raised $48 million in the last fiscal year from nearly 17,000 individuals.

“Our Marquette family of donors continues to amaze me See RENEWAL page 3

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Women voice concerns about Marquette issues Brooke McArdle, Sameena Mulla speak out, protest

By Natalija Mileusnic and Megan Woolard

natalija.mileusnic@marquette.edu megan.woolard@marquette.edu

Marquette has been faced with a series of severe budget cuts, which have led to the layoffs of 39 nontenured faculty Jan. 21. Women from different groups within Marquette’s campus have spoken up and voiced

their concerns of Marquette’s senior leadership handling of the firings.

Sameena Mulla, vice president of the American Association of University Professors at Marquette, said she has done several things in attempts to better Marquette.

“I have been at Marquette for 12 years and have been on the Committee of Diversity and Equity which is a standing committee of the Academic Senate,” Mulla said. “I’ve written a lot of policies and looked at a lot of data with my colleagues on that committee about the INDEX

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realties of what’s happening on this campus.”

Last semester, as a result of potential faculty layoffs a group of students staged a sit-in inside Zilber Hall. Of the protesters, Brooke McArdle, a recent Marquette graduate, was the only student given two student conduct violations for attending a protest in regards to Marquette’s pending budget cuts last semester when she was a senior.

“It was very clear that I had been singled out to be a target of the administration and to be made an example of to keep students silent. They were NEWS

very clear that this was a time to force submission from their students, particularly, I believe, female students.”

Mulla and other faculty were worried about what the university’s handling of the situation would communicate to other Marquette students.

“We had some concerns that targeting Brooke was also going to send a chilling message to other students who are active on campus,” Mulla said. “I admire her conviction and her willingness to advocate for what she saw as the right thing to do.”

In addition to Mulla’s

See WOMEN page 2

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Month is different due to pandemic, racial injustices

disapproval over how the administration handled the sit in, she also believes that Marquette faculty are often left out of detrimental decisions made by Marquette’s administration.

“Over the years there have been things that caused concern like the Intellectual Property Policy. Initially faculty were really left out of the loop on that, so there does seem to be a pattern where faculty are not brought in early enough decision-making processes,” Mulla said.

Additionally, Mulla explained

Here to stay PAGE 10

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News

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

WOMEN: Advocating can be difficult Continued from from page 1 how she got her voice to stand up for nontenure faculty.

“My interest in diversity and equity framed my approach to thinking about how to advocate for the faculty voice to be stronger in this budgeting process,” Mulla said.

Kristen Foster, director of Disciplinary Honors in the Humanities Program and member of the AAUP, had a difficult time adjusting to Marquette when she was hired about 20 years ago.

“My Marquette story began when I was hired in 2002–a new professor with a young child,” Foster said in an email. “I remember clearly trying to juggle a commute, the teaching that I loved, service responsibilities, and research all while raising a child with my husband.”

Foster expressed her concern for Marquette’s future curriculum.

“I became involved in the Disciplinary Honors in the Humanities Program because I have been deeply concerned about the devaluing of the Humanities both at Marquette and nationally,” Foster said in an email.

“Dropping Languages and History from the Core Curriculum is just one sign of this change.”

The students at Marquette have been part of the reason as to why Foster is speaking up to Marquette’s administration.

“I am learning how to advocate for the humanities and the students who love them as I do,” Foster said in an email.

“I have seen how deeply the faculty here at Marquette care about this place and our students as we have engaged in difficult conversations when we disagree with our upper administration.”

Foster said that there must be a change within Marquette.

“Marquette has room for improvement as it moves further into the 21st century, but it has a venerable foundation upon which it can change,” Foster said in an email.

Julia Paulk, member of the executive leadership board in the AAUP, said how she first heard of the budget cuts.

“At the end of summer, we received an email from the president saying that there were likely to be cuts at the university without much further elaboration,” Paulk said. “A few weeks into the fall semester, there was an announcement made that 200 people were going to be fired from the university.”

Paulk said why she felt compelled to speak up to the Marquette administration.

“I felt that it was important to ask questions and get

answers because there are a lot of faculty that have questions about the budget and decisions being made,” Paulk said.

Paulk said particular departments are at stake with the recent budget cuts.

“I’m in the department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and it became clear through with conversations with our dean that our department was at risk. Language study is central to a Jesuit education and it’s hugely beneficial to students today to have a language skills,” Paulk said.

Paulk shared how she spoke up and shared her opinion in regards to the budget cuts.

“I have attended as many of the meetings as I can. Meetings with the provost, coffee chats, the dean has had regular coffee meetings, I have tried to attend senate meetings and have tried to make my voice heard through those meetings,” Paulk said.

Many of Marquette’s female students and faculty have made an effort to speak out about issues on campus. McArdle explained how difficult it is to advocate as a female on Marquette’s campus “I think one of my big takeaways from being a female organizer on campus is that we have to do a lot more to prove that we deserve a seat at the table when talking about concerns with the university,” McArdle said.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Kizuk

Brooke McArdle, a recent graduate, held a protest last semester in Zilber Hall in solidarity with faculty and staff concerned about layoffs.

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

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RENEWAL: Layoffs not discussed

The Marquette Tribune EDITORIAL

Continued from page 1 when we needed it most. They incredibly grateful,” Lovell said.

President Lovell did not adhave stepped up for our students and programs. For that I’m dress recent concerns on campus,

such as staff and faculty layoffs or where millions of federal aid dollars will go. The virtual

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Executive Director of Marquette Wire Natallie St. Onge (414) 288-1739

address also did not allow time for discussion or questions.

Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Annie Mattea NEWS News Editor Benjamin Wells Assistant Editors Alexa Jurado, Megan Woolard Reporters Natalija Mileusnic, Charlie Pineda, Julia Abuzzahab, Claire Driscol, Karsyn Hartfield 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 Quinn Faeth, Ryan Lynch, Ariana Madson, Tommy Shaffer 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, Matt Yeazel, Matthew Valente, Jack Lewandowski 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 Helmbreck, Isabel Bonebrake ----

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This year’s presidential address looked different than past years, as it was held virtually and didn’t allow for questions.

COVID-19 TRACKER

MUPD REPORTS FEBRUARY 8 A victim unaffiliated with MU was fatally shot in the intersection on N. 23rd street and W. Wisconsin Ave. The subject fled the scene before police could arrive. Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the incident At The Commons three MU students yelled racial slurs at another MU student and threw unknown

objects at the victim’s door. All three students have been cited for disorderly conduct and will be referred to Student Conduct.

warrant. The subject was transported to the Milwaukee secure Detention Facility

FEBRUARY 5

A non-MU victim’s vehicle was stolen after being left unsecured, unattended and running in the 2300 block of W. Wells Street

A single vehicle accident occurred in the 400 block of N. 16th street.

MUPD responded to the incident and discovered that the occupant of the vehicle had an open

FEBRUARY 3

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Reddit users increase GameStop stock price

Video game retailer hits $347.51 a share in late January

By Benjamin Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Two weeks ago, an extremely large group of independent investors took the New York Stock Exchange by storm, and it all started with a dying company.

Video game retailer store GameStop had gone public in February of 2002 at just barely $10 a share and fluctuated between highs and lows for a decade until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. As a result, the whole market crashed.

The pandemic hit the retailer hard. The shift from brick and mortar stores to online shopping was reforming the American economy, combined with the financial effects of the pandemic, the company was gut-punched.

This was even after keeping their doors open as an “essential

business” during the pandemic.

As a result, hedge funds on Wall Street saw an opportunity to “short,” or bet against, GameStop in its downfall. This would allow for quick profit as the company continued its downfall in the stock market.

“If the price is falling, they win. If the price is going up, they lose,” James McGibany, an associate professor of economics, said. “Because then they have to buy it back higher than what they ‘borrowed’ it at.”

Assuming everything went to plan, the hedge funds leaned on the stock to drop and come out with a profit.

Or at least, that’s what would’ve happened.

At the beginning of the year, GameStop hovered at just $17.25 a share and was expected to continue to fall. However, large masses of individual investors started buying the stock while it was cheap. As a result, the stock price increased to $347.51 a share — at its peak — in less than a month. The gain was around almost 2,000%.

But these individual investors

weren’t a part of any hedge fund or bank. Instead, they were all a part of the trading subreddit, /r/ Wallstreetbets. Users have posted their gains on the subreddit

“

I only got a $5 profit ...

I didn’t know how much more profitable it was going to be,” NICK ARTINIAN Junior in the College of Communication

showing that some have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a matter of days.

Wall Street analysts were flabbergasted, to say the least, and a new type of stock was dubbed the “meme” stock.

While there are many motives behind why the stock had a

Graphic by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

sudden takeoff, Nick Artinian, a junior in the College of Communication, said some people took this as an opportunity to “stick it to the man.”

“One of my friends was the one who put me on to it,” Artinian said.

Artinian himself never got to invest in GameStop, but still took part in another stock at the time: Nokia.

“I only got a $5 profit ... I didn’t know how much more profitable it was going to be,” Artinian said.

Artinian has been in the stock market for about a year. He started off by investing small amounts of money and has worked his way up to being able to buy afford larger shares, without taking as much of a risk.

But the large Reddit movement changed his investing philosophy for the moment.

“It’s the sense of community, that’s really what gets people in (the stock market),” he said. “It sort of makes investing like a team sport.”

Artinian also said the future is bright for

cryptocurrencies, a new type of digital currency that can be used to exchange goods and services like Dogecoin or Bitcoin, to make upward moves because of mass individual investments like GameStop.

“I do think that cryptocurrency is going to be something of the future,” Artinian said.

“With billionaires like Elon Musk promoting that stuff, it’s only going to get bigger and bigger.”

Elon Musk has tweeted out his support for cryptocurrencies multiple times over the last few weeks. He tweeted that the currency is going to go “to the moon,” slang for a high jump, in a Feb. 5 tweet.

But Stephen Cole, an associate professor of economics, said the odds of such an anomaly stock rapidly rising again are very low.

“It could happen again, but I’d say ... it’s more of a one-time blip,” Cole said. “I wouldn’t bet on it being like a permanent thing unless some other news happens.”

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

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Global Brigade continues Volunteers help Shital Vora gives residents through students study abroad experiences vaccination

By Aspen Ramos

aspen.ramos@marquette.edu

Many university students jump at the idea to study abroad, a way to travel independently and to experience an unfamiliar world. Marquette alum, cofounder and CEO of Global Brigades, Shital Vora, had a desire for the study abroad experience.

Yet, she felt she would never be able to satisfy this want due to the vigorous academic schedule she held as an undergraduate student in the physical therapy program.

Nevertheless, a conversation in Caffrey’s Pub between Vora and her friend Jeff would dissipate this hopeless ideal and lead to the largest student-held movement for global health and holistic development.

Vora explained her frustration to Jeff: not being able to study abroad throughout her college career because her academic itinerary would not allow it.

Jeff explained to Vora that his neighbor was a physician who traveled to Honduras every year with other doctors. Then, they had an idea ... “what if

we tagged along and did spring break with them?”

Vora said the two knew it wouldn’t be the entire abroad experience, but it was the best they could get considering the schedule of the PT program.

After gathering a group of students who also had the inability to study abroad, the group headed off to Honduras for spring break with a team of physicians.

Since none of the students attending this brigade obtained any degrees or medical licenses, Vora had the expectation that they would be the “grunt workers” and would only shadow these doctors. Soon, they realized that this experience was tremendously impactful, not only to themselves as undergraduate students, but to the communities and individual people they were able to connect with and empower.

“We came back to campus with this buzz. We were just pumped and motivated to go back” Vora said.

Vora searched for organizations that offered programs similar to the trip they had previously taken to Honduras, but there was nothing like it.

“We saw a lot of poverty, a lot of people who had no resources, or very limited, and we felt that we had to do something about that,” Vora said. There were no organizations that offered the

resources and experience the group had endured on the first trip to Honduras, so Vora and co-founders had an ambition to drive and start an organization.

In 2003, approximately 2530 Marquette undergraduate students gathered, creating the first Global Brigade chapter and taking two trips a year to remain committed.

Global Brigades’ growth as an organization was an immediate domino effect, gaining two other chapters within a year. One of the past students who attended the first Marquette brigade posted about the experience via Facebook, which led to a friend at the University of Michigan to start a chapter, then the Michigan chapter went on their first brigade. A personal connection to the University of Southern California became interested and the dominos kept falling.

The following year ended with 80 chapters, due to the power of social media networking, commitment and empowerment. Today, Global Brigades holds the title as the Largest Student Movement for Global Health and Development, with over 450 active high school and university groups.

Vora’s commitment and passion still pertain. Vora returned to campus Feb. 8 for Mission Week.

Photo courtesy of Shital Vora

Shital Vora attended the 2018 Marquette Medical Brigade to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the very first medical brigade she went on as an undergraduate student.

MassVaxx aims to make registration process easier

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

A group of volunteer Marquette students, faculty and alumni have helped to create an online system that will help Wisconsin residents register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

MassVaxx is a free software system that works with public health institutions to provide an easy way to help patients throughout the vaccination process. In Wisconsin the vaccine is currently only available to a portion of the population, such as health care workers and individuals over the age of 65.

“Our software will provide patient registration, point of vaccine dispensing, adverse reaction tracking, and integration to an immunization registry, including the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR),” Sarah Hayden, a sophomore in the College of Engineering and business development representative for MassVaxx, said in an email.

To use MassVaxx, patients will go to the website and start by submitting basic personal and demographic information. From there patients will receive a QR code that can help health care professionals quickly look up an individual’s registration information.

“With that QR code, you will take it to an actual point of vaccine dispensing. By just showing that QR code, there’s one less contact point,” Gabbie Rohde, junior in the College of Engineering and software engineer for MassVaxx, said.

In addition to initial registration, MassVaxx also follows patients throughout the entire vaccination process. The software collects and stores information such as which company manufactured the administered vaccine, what arm it was injected in and if the patient had any adverse reactions.

Past the initial points of registry and vaccination, the system can help organize and manage large amounts of data that pertain to the vaccine.

“This software tool can

automatically transfer the data to the state’s immunization registry and then from there it’s ported over to the CDC, and that’s a step if you’re doing it manually.

If you’re doing it on paper, you have to either scan each paper or manually enter the data into the registry,” Dana Cook, professor of practice in engineering and front-end engineer for MassVaxx, said.

The idea to create a system like MassVaxx started back in early 2020. At the time there wasn’t a good system to keep track of vaccinating mass amounts of people. Cook said there was nothing more than an “Excel file and some paper.”

“As we’ve met with different public health departments, it’s very clear that they are underresourced and for something like this. (A system) that’s going to be used for public health emergencies only, hopefully very infrequently, they can’t justify paying a lot of money for something to primarily sit on the shelf,” Cook said.

Once they identified the need, Cook, Marquette faculty and students got to work designing a software system to help manage a public health crisis, such as COVID-19. All members of the MassVaxx team are volunteers. They all work for free and the system is available for use at no charge.

“It’s worth it just to get back to normal. Help out your family.

Help out your friends, help out people you don’t even know either. It really just comes down to helping out to fight against COVID-19,” Rohde said.

MassVaxx has also provided an opportunity for Marquette students to be involved in a professional setting. Many students lost internships due to COVID-19. The system has helped students professionally by being a part of an idea from the ground up. Yet, Hayden said the whole mission behind MassVaxx is to help fight COVID-19.

“We simply want to ‘be the difference,’” Hayden said.

“We have been affected directly by COVID and want to help solve COVID. We are trying to help the best way we know how – by producing great software to get more people vaccinated quickly.”

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Black History Month celebrated on campus Pandemic, racial injustice influence programming

By Julianna Abuzzahab

julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.

This year’s Black History Month is like no other. Not only is it taking place during a pandemic, it is occurring after a summer filled with racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd.

The murder of George Floyd was significant because although police brutality had been occurring for several years before the year 2020, his death caused millions of people around the world to fight for racial equality.

Donte McFadden, senior associate director of the Undergraduate Research and High Impact Practices, said he is celebrating

Black History Month by not only validating his own existence of African descent, but by engaging in a variety of different things.

“Watching films, reading books, listening to music, doing things in my job that validates why I took interest in wanting to learn not only about myself as a Black man, but also of other people of African descent in this country,” McFadden said.

McFadden said Black History Month is important because, to him, it’s just as important to celebrate the contributions of Black people year-round.

For example, the contributions of the Black Panthers led towards creating a number of popular community social programs for the Black community, free breakfast programs for children in school, and free health clinics in thirteen Black communities throughout the United States.

The Black Panthers were a part of the Black Power movement in 1960, to accentuate

Black pride, civil rights, an end towards police brutality, getting African Americans elected into political office and many other objectives.

Natalie Reinbold, assistant director of the Educational Opportunity Program, said Black History Month is an important month because it means a chance to learn.

The Educational Opportunity Program is an academic program that allows low income and first generation students to go to and succeed in higher education.

“Black History Month is a time we bring to light the real history of our country and to show our children we are brave enough to hear the struggles we previously found too painful,” Reinbold said.

In terms of celebrating during COVID-19, Reinbold has focused on watching films that tell the story of and celebrate Black history.

“I have two teenage children,

so last night we watched ‘See You Yesterday,’ and tonight we’ll watch ‘This is Wild,’” Reinbold said. “ ... I am excited that being virtual has lead people to be really creative with their programming and that many more people are likely getting to participate in events they may not have otherwise had the chance to do.”

The film “See You Yesterday,” produced by Spike Lee, establishes two teenagers that travel back in time to spare one of their brothers from police violence.

The next film, “This is Wild,” a documentary about a group of Black teenagers from Atlanta, Georgia who take on the wilderness in Colorado. The film’s creator analyzes America’s diversity imbalance through exploring the outdoors.

Students at Marquette are also celebrating Black History Month. Evelyn Gabriel, a firstyear in the College of Nursing, is extremely excited to celebrate

this important month.

“I’m celebrating Black History Month by showing extra love and support for my fellow brothers and sisters, and taking time to educate my peers on things they aren’t aware of, or have questions regarding Black history and culture,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel said she thinks that it is important that everyone celebrates Black History Month, and she wants to help those that don’t necessarily understand the significance of it or its history.

To her, February is a great time to educate people and be educated by people.

“I think that education on topics such as Black history and culture are crucial for everyone to constantly be learning, but especially this year because of the events that had happened in 2020,” Gabriel said. “I think this month, especially this year, will help unite our very divided nation.”

Graphic by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

Virtual Polar Plunge held at end of month Yearly event fundraises in support of Special Olympics

By Karsyn Hartsfield

karsyn.hartsfield@marquette.edu

The Polar Plunge is a national yearly event held by Special Olympics. At Marquette, students gather at the Milwaukee County Zoo to experience the freezing cold water together and fundraise for the cause.

This year, with COVID-19 limitations, the club has been raising money through fundraising on social media and are working on a smaller plunge plan.

Nibia Joseph, a senior in the College of Health Sciences and public relations officer of Supporting Special Olympics, said students interested in plunging can sign up by emailing her or checking out their Instagram.

Students can make donations until the official plunge date, Feb. 27.

Joseph has been involved in

Special Olympics, and other similar organizations, since she was young.

“I just wanted another opportunity where I saw them do something that they necessarily didn’t think they could before,” Joseph said. “I’ve heard so many kids say that they can’t do something because of their disability and that is something that I’m not okay with. They can do anything that they put their mind to, and I would really like to help them get there.”

Joseph said she especially loves being a part of the Special Olympics because of the “hype” and the “impact” that the Polar Plunge brings.

Although the Polar Plunge is their biggest event, the club participates in other fundraisers and volunteers elsewhere during the year, including at local schools and by doing bake sales Christine Batliner, a junior in the College of Health Sciences and the club’s treasurer, said the Polar Plunge is so great because you have fun “with a bunch of like-minded people who have the same goal of supporting an awesome organization.”

For Batliner personally, Spe-

cial Olympics have been a big part of her life, as her aunt was an athlete participating in swim events. She said it’s something she’s always been “super passionate about.”

While the Polar Plunge may not be the same as in past years, the club is still working hard to achieve its goals of helping the Special Olympics athletes.

The club’s goal was originally $12,000, as they raised that amount last year. This year though, they’ve already raised $35,000, surpassing their original goal before the plunge has even occurred. For every $757 raised, a Special Olympics athlete is funded for the entire year.

“It’s a creative way to raise money and it really shows how much people care if they are willing to go in subzero waters,” Samantha DeLeon, a first-year in the College of Education, said.

Students interested in joining the club can reach out to any club member, club president Nibia Joseph or find more information on the club’s Instagram.

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

The plunge will take place Feb. 27. To get involved, students can reach out to club members or use their Instagram.

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8

Marquette film, book club promotes diversity, culture Club meets once a month, focuses on intersectionality

By Charlotte Ives

charlotte.ives@marquette.edu

The first cohort of the Diversity Film and Book Club was established by Jennifer Maney, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, in fall 2019.

Initially just a book club, this year it began to include a film element.

The club meets once each month to discuss the book or film that was assigned. Maney said each book is paired with a topically related film, both of which ultimately tie back to this year’s overall theme: intersectionality.

This year’s book and film pairings have included “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and the Golden Globe nominated film “Moonlight,” “Power” by Linda Hogan and the film “Drunktown’s Finest,” and “This Is How It Always Is” by Laurie Frankel and this month’s film “Gun Hill Road.” The full list can be found online.

True to its name, Maney said the Diversity Film and Book Club includes members from a variety of backgrounds, professional and otherwise.

“The beauty of it is we had people come from all across disciplines,” Maney said. “And not to necessarily talk about teaching. What we felt was that any time you had the opportunity to learn about other cultures, you’re in fact becoming perhaps a better instructor.”

She said this is the ultimate goal of the Diversity Film and Book Club.

“Even though it’s a book club to build community and give faculty a break,” Maney said.

“At the end of the day it’s still with a focus, an umbrella, of how to make instructors make their classrooms more inclusive, and their practice (more inclusive).”

Maney said the inclination toward justice is a priority at the CTL and that it embodies Marquette’s Ignatian mission.

“Anything we do at the CTL, everything we try to do, we

embed this sense of anti-racism and equity and justice,” Maney said. “Because that’s the Ignatian identity, and Catholic identity.

It’s working for justice.”

At the first meeting, Maney said the club had about 25 participants. Over time, however, and as things went virtual, that number dropped to about 15 regular participants. Maney said it is a small, but mighty group with a strong sense of community, which is especially important during a pandemic.

“I’d say there’s a thirst among faculty to truly and authentically learn about different identities and cultures and groups,” Maney said. “And right now, especially,

“

I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be able to talk with individuals from different backgrounds candidly without having to worry about censoring.”

ROBERTA GAITHER Professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

faculty have need for community.

There’s an isolation factor that’s occurring.”

Maney said the ways that faculty members and staff typically interact is no longer available to them, such as stopping by offices or going to meetings. Fortunately, the Diversity Film and Book Club provides them an opportunity to enjoy belonging to a community with their colleagues.

Roberta Gaither, an adjunct professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences, said the Diversity Film and Book Club played a huge role in helping her become acclimated to Marquette.

“It was one of the first things I joined as a new adjunct professor at Marquette,” Gaither said. “And it turned out to be one of my best experiences.”

Gaither said what made her experience so valuable were the individuals she met in the club, the sense of camaraderie they have created and the frank discussions they share.

“I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be able to talk with individuals from different backgrounds candidly without having to worry about censoring,” Gaither said. “It’s never been tense. In fact, we kind of revel in discussing controversial things and I know that if we do that I’d never have to worry about it being an issue.”

She said the conversations that happen between the participants of the Diversity Film and Book Club have enormous value.

“In a way, these types of conversations are what makes the world a better place, one individual at a time,” Gaither said.

Kathleen Auchter, an instructional designer in the Department of Digital Learning and a newer participant in the Diversity Film and Book Club, said she joined the club for exactly this reason.

“With each individual book, there’s a lot of perspectivesharing and that’s part of the reason I joined this book club in particular,” Auchter. “It was to understand and get a deeper understanding of the different perspectives that exist instead of just holding so tightly to my own.”

Auchter joined the club in September, so she has only attended monthly meetings on a virtual platform rather than in person. She said this has not affected her experience.

“I can sit here and take my shoes off and pop into the meeting without having to drive anywhere and all of those things,” Auchter said.

“Everybody shares their camera and we’re all pretty comfortable with one another. It’s just another way of doing things.”

Rebecca Lorentz, a professor in the College of Education and a returning Diversity Film and Book Club participant, said she has found unexpected benefits to

conducting club meetings online.

“My first reaction was, ‘this is so much more convenient,’” Lorentz said. “But now I look forward to it because I actually get to have these conversations with my friends that I would typically have going from office to office or having lunch with someone or happen to see someone in Raynor, and now we have this virtual space where we can be friends and colleagues that we haven’t had for so long.”

But this is not the only reason Lorentz values the Diversity Film and Book Club. She said it provides an opportunity for her to critically examine her own lenses and biases, the very same thing she asks her students to do in her educational inquiry class.

“It occurred to me, fairly recently, that this is kind of my version of service learning,” said Lorentz, “And I’m encountering these different perspectives and I’m thinking about how they fit into my life and I can use the privilege I have to work toward

equity and equality and continue doing the things I ask my students to.”

Lorentz said she appreciates the sense of community that has been created among the participants of the club. She said everyone, including herself, has a role to play while engaging in these dialogues, and this role involves exploring many different perspectives.

“I feel like I am a voice in a conversation. And I think this is an important conversation to have in an academic sense, we all work with these issues in our professional lives,” Lorentz said.

“So I think that my first role is just a different voice from all of the other 6 to ten to fifteen voices that we have, and I think that’s kind of the whole point. Let’s have these voices and make sure these voices are heard.”

Any faculty members, instructors or staff interested in joining the Diversity Film and Book Club can email Maney for more information.

Photo via Flickr

The first cohort was established in fall 2019 by Jennifer Maney.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

9

Top movies to check out during Black History Month “Queen & Slim,” “Get Out,” “Just Mercy,” among films to see

By Quinn Faeth

quinlan.faeth@marquette.edu

Black History Month celebrations are underway as students of all backgrounds recognize and learn about Black history, Black culture and Black accomplishments. The Center for Cultural Engagement and the Black Student Council are hosting events all throughout the month of February. The full list of Black History Month events and the Zoom links for three movies can be found online.

In addition to keynote speakers, group discussions and talent showcases, there are also a few different film showings that students can watch for free. “The Photograph” is being shown Feb. 12 and 13, “Selma” is streaming Feb. 19 and 20 and “Black Panther” will be Feb. 26 and 27.

All of these films have Black

actors in their lead roles, which highlights Black excellence on the big screen. In addition to the films mentioned above, here are a few others to check out that are relevant to this month and Black culture.

“Queen & Slim” (2019) 2h 12m This film tells a sort of Bonnie and Clyde love story. While driving back from a first date, Slim, played by Daniel Kaluuya, and Queen, played

by Jodie Turner-Smith, are pulled over. It becomes clear that the white officer racially profiled the two of them and the situation escalates quite intensely. In a chaotic turn of events, Queen is shot in the leg. Slim then grabs the officer’s gun and kills him out of self-defense. Realizing what he has done, the two are now out on the lam. Even though he could have been justified in his actions, the media labels Queen and Slim as “cop killers.”

The film is about their journey in finding freedom while finding comfort in each other at the same time. It’s an interesting twist on the police brutality we see today. Time and time again officers avoid jail time for killing unarmed Black people as seen in the deaths of people like Terence Crutcher, Philando Castile and Tamir Rice, to name a few.

In “Queen & Slim,” the roles are reversed. A Black man shoots a cop out of self-defense and the reaction

is quite different. With an almost entirely Black cast, director Melina Matsoukas incorporates modern-day racist ideologies and Black struggles to create an award-winning movie.

You can stream this on HBO Max, Amazon Prime or Hulu.

“Get Out” (2017) 1h 44m “Get Out” is about the average suburban white person who says they aren’t racist, but still holds some prejudices deep down. The main character, Chris, also played

by Daniel Kaluuya, travels with his white girlfriend outside the city to visit her parents. From there he comes to realize that her family has been mentally enslaving Black people for some time. Contrary to some cross-racial films, white heroism has absolutely no role in “Get Out.” In fact, director Jordan Peele portrays white suburban culture as the source of evil that comes across as almost inhuman. Like “Queen & Slim,” this film has themes of racism woven in it that highlight the long-outdated ideologies of some white people in this country.

This film was recognized by several award shows, including a nominee for best picture at the Academy Awards. “Get Out” can be found on Hulu or for a small price of $3.99 on YouTube or Amazon Prime.

“Just Mercy” (2019)

2h 17m Unlike “Queen & Slim” or “Get Out,” “Just Mercy” is based on a true story about the blossoming career of young Black lawyer Bryan Stevenson in the ’80s, played by Michael B. Jordan. He’s a recent Harvard graduate who moves down to Montgomery, Alabama to fight for inmates wrongly put on death row. The film highlights a broken criminal justice system and the concept that Black people “are guilty from the moment they are born,” according to Walter McMillian, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who Stevenson tries to liberate from a wrongly accused murder.

After moving down to Alabama, Stevenson starts the “Equal Justice Initiative,” a law firm that provides legal representation to people who

may have been wrongly accused or who may have been denied a fair trial.

The firm is still in operation today. “Just Mercy” follows the never-ending fight for equality that Stevenson and his firm are on to restore justice for McMillian and for many others on death row. This film can be found on HBO Max, Hulu or Amazon Prime.

These films are just a few that are relevant not only to Black History Month, but are also helpful in understanding Black culture as a whole. Some others to check out include “Hidden Figures,” “Moonlight,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “The Hate U Give” and the newly released Amazon Prime original “One Night in Miami.”

Photo by Nathan Lampres nathan.lampres@marquette.edu

Many theaters are reopening after being closed due to COVID-19.

Students reflect on National Marquette Day in pandemic The unofficial holiday was celebrated Feb. 6, official date March 6

By Ariana Madson

ariana.madson@marquette.edu

In a normal academic year, the beginning of February marks National Marquette Day, which is the day where faculty, students and alumni alike come together to celebrate Marquette, specifically through the big men’s basketball game. This year, the official National Marquette Day will be March 6 but many students unofficially celebrated Feb. 6.

Barstool Marquette, an affiliate of the Barstool Sports blog, recently posted on their Instagram a caption of an article that drew attention to two Saturday games Marquette will be playing in which the official Instagram caption was “Indeed #Feb6.” Some students, like Shannon Cone, a senior in the College of Business Administration, said she is treated this weekend’s game as if it is the official day with her roommates.

“On Saturday we had a

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

Students, faculty and alumni dress in blue and gold to show school spirit.

reservation and we (watched) the game at Mecca which is across from the Fiserv,” Cone said.

Cone said that she thinks National Marquette Day is the one day that everyone can come together and celebrate the same thing.

“Especially because it’s a weekend, everyone clears their schedule for it,” Cone said.

Cone talked about last year’s celebrations, saying she had people over to her apartment where they had a brunch-like thing and then they all took an Uber to the game.

Cone said she remembers it was snowing outside and how pretty it was. She said she also remembers seeing the whole stadium filled up with many viewers dressed in blue and gold.

Angel Webster, a sophomore in the College of Communication, as well as a member of the cheerleading team, remembers last year’s game, especially since it was her first National Marquette Day. “I think my favorite part was the game because it’s adrenaline …

It’s incredibly exciting and it’s so

much fun to watch people’s faces especially and just seeing their pure and utter love for Marquette,” Webster said.

Webster said that even though there was not a large, set celebration, she thought people would still observe the unofficial holiday.

“I think it’s a little different this year because we don’t have anything to focus in on or bring us all together … I still think people are going to celebrate but I think it’s going to be a more secluded celebration,” Webster said.

Webster said she was still unsure if she will be celebrating one of the Saturday games as National Marquette Day. Angelina Marino, a first-year in the College of Nursing, said she planned to celebrate with her roommate this past Saturday.

“Me and my roommate were just planning for this Saturday (Feb. 6) to kind of do a little National Marquette Day … we’re just going to hang out with each other and just put on our Marquette gear, maybe take a few pictures together,” Marino said.

Though Marino is a first-year, she has heard of National Marquette Day before, especially since she

has an older sister who is a senior at Marquette.

“I’ve always seen in the past that she’s hung out with friends on that day and they put on their Marquette gear and go to a basketball game,” Marino said. “I just knew it was a really fun day where you got to celebrate the school.”

Marino said she knew she wanted to go to Marquette, and in coming here, she was particularly excited about National Marquette Day. “National Marquette Day was always something that I was really excited to one day be able to experience … it was something that looked like a ton of fun and I would be really happy to be part of,” Marino said.

Marino said she thinks it is a day where Marquette students get to be proud of their school and come together to celebrate being a part of it.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

PAGE 10

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

Ben 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

Kate Hyland, Social Media Executive Aimee Galszweski, Station Manager MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager MURadio

STAFF EDITORIAL

MU presidential address lacks transparency, inclusivity

While Marquette University continued to make decisions about the university, students, faculty and staff were again left in the dark, only to find out about these updates last week.

The university’s updates to address and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus or recent lay offs of 39 faculty and staff members were not discussed University President Michael Lovell delivered his seventh annual presidential address Feb. 4.

Lovell announced that the administration has been working with Black Student Council in order to follow through with its promises made over the summer to prioritize Black students’ success on campus. He said Marquette is increasing urban scholarships by 40, making significant changes to the core curriculum to address racism and racial inequality, launching a fundraising campaign for scholarships and housing funds and implementing an online training for faculty and staff on diversity and

implicit bias.

Additionally, Lovell said a Black cultural center opened up in Humphrey Hall at the beginning of the spring semester and the Committee for Black Student Initiatives was formed. The university is also in the process of hiring a director of Black Student Initiatives and will be opening up a Living Learning Community for Black students, which will be named after Jacqueline Walker, a long-time Education Opportunity Program staff member who passed away last summer.

The university should be acknowledged for making more initiatives to support Black students and address racial injustice on campus.

Lovell said that another area Marquette aims to focus on this year is prioritizing students’ success through the Student Success Initiative. According to university data, he said Marquette only graduates 1,600 students out of a traditional class of 2,000, and that

those not completing graduation are disproportionately first-generation students and recipients of the Pell Grant which is awarded to students in financial need.

Specific goals for this initiative include increasing four-year graduation rates, decreasing student debt, creating a Student Success Lab that will integrate curricular, co-curricular and academic services and implementing a holistic strategy to give individualized support to students.

While Lovell should be acknowledged for wanting to support students’ success, he has been largely absent from campus this year and has had little connection and communication with students, which may make it difficult for students to believe the university has their best interest in mind. Even though face-to-face interactions are most likely to be limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of emails sent to students have been from other university leaders like vice president of student affairs

Xavier Cole.

Additionally, attendees are usually given time to ask questions after Lovell delivers his presidential address, but this year’s online format did not allow for any dialogue.

This eliminated the opportunity for students, faculty and staff to ask Lovell questions about new plans for the university.

Lovell also mentioned that over the past year, Marquette has raised over $48 million from donors, and over the past two fiscal years, Marquette has raised over $200 million. He also announced that this April the university will be launching its largest fundraising campaign in Marquette’s history. Despite this progress, Lovell did not say how that money would be allocated.

Additionally, the university is expected to receive $9.7 million in federal relief funds from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, according to a Jan. 28 university news release. Of those funds, $3.3

million will go towards supporting students, leaving approximately $6.4 million. Lovell did not discuss how the university plans to spend those funds.

He also did not address the university’s recent decision to lay off 39 faculty and staff members, or discuss future budget plans for the 2022 fiscal year to lay off 225 more positions. Even though the university plans to launch its largest fundraising campaign over, received over $48 million from donors and is expected to receive federal funding relief, Lovell did not say that any of this money would go towards maintaining faculty and staff positions.

In 2021, Lovell should make deliberate efforts to maintain connections with students and the university must be more transparent about its decisions and make sure that students, faculty and staff members’ voices are included because the vision and future of Marquette should not be dictated by an exclusive few.

created the illusion that with proper precautions, things would go back to normal. Little did we know, this was the beginning of what would make Wisconsin the national hotspot for

“hopeful” citizens who did not, and still do not follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

While these citizens are responsible for their ignorance, I realize Wisconsin has fueled this blind optimism that citizens have. This kind of blind optimism enables citizens to not take COVID-19 seriously.

Summerfest is also inciting false hope by rescheduling for September 2021. This decision was made with the intention that by that time, the coronavirus vaccine would be widely distributed to the public.

While I hope this is true, this does not account for new strands of the coronavirus that may appear over the course of time, such as a new strand that has made its way to the U.S. from the United Kingdom which is said to be more infectious than the first. While medical professionals are certain the vaccine can protect citizens from known strands, this proves we are not in the clear. This is why voting to end the mask mandate in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Senate is dangerous and irresponsible.

Just the thought of ending the maskmandate gives people false hope that the end is near.

Much like Summerfest, Marquette

University is also guilty of spewing false hope to members of the community. This false hope can be seen through Marquette’s initiative — or lack of initiative — when it comes to controlling coronavirus spikes on campus. Since August, there has been over 1,000 cases on campus.

While in-person classes were kept to an intimate number and masks are encouraged in most areas on campus, until this semester, no random testing was done. Last semester the university only tested students who exhibited symptoms, this semester the testing 500 random students. Because of this, students, faculty members and others associated with Marquette were not receiving accurate information about COVID-19 through the Marquette COVID-19 Dashboard.

Fewer positive cases on campus gives people false hope about the seriousness of the coronavirus, when in reality, numbers remained relatively low for most of the fall 2020 semester because there was a lack of testing.

The university also enforced blind optimism when announcing a 20202021 men’s basketball season. Because Marquette does not have other

big sports teams like the University of Wisconsin-Madison, men’s basketball is what gives students athletic pride in their school and brings in a lot of revenue, Marquette students are not limiting their social circle because the university is not enforcing these rules as they should.

While I understand Marquette cannot be entirely responsible for the actions of students, the university should have anticipated spikes in COVID-19 on campus because students want to see their friends.

By no means is this me saying hope is dangerous. In fact, it is extremely healthy to be optimistic.

What is dangerous is blindly believing that the coronavirus is done rearing its ugly head. This is me saying that to protect our mental health and physical health we need to balance optimism with reality. This is difficult, but extremely necessary if we are going to get through this pandemic with the rest of our sanity and health.

Grim reality of COVID-19 doesn’t meet public expectations

Hope Moses Wisconsin’s inability to recognize the danger in spreading false hope about the coronavirus to citizens is detrimental to Wisconsin communities.

When COVID-19 hit Wisconsin February last year, it was apparent that it did not travel alone.

Instead, it was accompanied by anxiety and fear that swept across the entire state and nation. In an era of uncertainty and death, the remedy to this mental health crisis is hope. But there is a fine line between hope and false hope —Wisconsin has teetered on that line since the beginning.

The earliest examples of Wisconsin spreading false hope is in May 2020 when the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied an extension of Governor Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order.

The goal of “Safer at Home” was to prohibit nonessential travel and limit gatherings to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 and ensure the capacity of Wisconsin’s health care system. The denial of this extension

“

Blind optimism enables citizens to not take COVID-19 seriously.”

COVID-19 in October of 2020.

One of the communities affected by this poor handling of the coronavirus in Wisconsin were essential workers. Essential workers are those who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically necessary to continue critical infrastructure operations. A few examples of essential workers are anyone from retail workers to medical professionals. Being at the forefront of this pandemic, they bore the brunt of

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

Opinions

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

11

Destigmatize mental health, don’t just normalize Jenna Koch Mental health activists need to strive to destigmatize mental illnesses rather than normalize them.

The two terms seem very similar, but they each have different effects on those with mental illnesses.

The National Academies of Sciences reported in 2016 that mental health needed to be severely destigmatized. Destigmatizing means “to remove the association of shame or disgrace from (something).”

Co-author of the report, Patrick W. Corrigan, compared stigma to other systemic forms of oppression, saying, “it permeates all of society and affects people at all levels.”

Corrigan’s statement rings incredibly true, especially for college students. According to a 2020 survey done by the Jed Foundation, a mental health nonprofit, 80% of college students have experienced increased anxiety in the past year and 63% have experienced depression. Nearly one in five students in the survey had experienced recent thoughts of suicide.

The NAS report showed that people tended to victim-blame those with mental health conditions, especially those with substance abuse disorders. Interestingly, it found that the public is now more likely to believe mentally ill people are “dangerous and unpredictable” compared

to previous years.

According to the American Psychology Association, many do not reach out to help due to the stigma around it. However, portrayals and discussions of mental health are everywhere in media and online.

For example, “Euphoria,” the most popular show on HBO, centers around teenagers who deal with substance abuse. The 2017 drama “13 Reasons Why” covered the mystery behind a teen girl’s suicide, along with how it impacted her classmates.

These series, along with many others, are incredibly popular. However, this increased visibility of mental health does not seem to help those with these issues. For someone with mental health conditions, watching “Euphoria” may make them feel seen and understood. For those who have never experienced it, the show may create a skewed narrative about mental illness.

In media about mental health, there’s always the risk of glamorization or further stigmatization.

This was the case with “13 Reasons Why,” in which some repeated the behavior seen in the show after watching it. Many also criticized the show for romanticizing mental health issues by showing graphic depictions of suicide and other acts.

If consumers do not watch mindfully, they will begin to believe one experience or portrayal of mental health represents all of them.

Additionally, better representation may make it easier to talk about in

Graphic by Alexandra Garner alexandra.garner@marquette.edu

passing, but a productive conversation about mental health can’t be held unless we understand that visibility does not equal acceptance.

Normalizing mental health means treating it as if it’s something everyone should expect to go through, or that it is an unchangeable part of society. I’ve fallen victim to this mindset at times. I’ve thought that if my mental health conditions are merely a chemical imbalance, then I could never fix it. According to Harvard Medical School, depression and anxiety result from things much more complex and personal than just a chemical imbalance.

Mental health problems should

be seen as common, but not normal.

Just because something isn’t normal doesn’t mean it has to be shamed.

People with mental illnesses should not just be expected to live through misery, instead, they should be supported by their communities.

In Marquette University’s community, we need to restructure how we talk about mental health. It needs to be talked about with the diversity of mental health in mind. Not all people experience it in the same way, and while that may seem obvious, it needs to be acknowledged. The structural problems that contribute to it, such as heavy workloads and financial burdens that the school puts

on us, need to be addressed as well.

Marquette’s mental health resources need to do more than tell students to practice self-care and abstain from substance use. It must acknowledge that students feeling depressed, anxious and stressed all the time is not normal, nor should it be considered such. Although they’ve done a lot in the past year to accommodate to new circumstances, there are still many unaddressed issues students have with their services.

University President Michael Lovell announced during his 2020 presidential address Jan. 29 that there would be funds allocated to the Counseling Center to increase staffing and improve mental health awareness. However, there has not been any communicated changes.

I’d argue that many mental health conditions are already seen as the norm, especially depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Treating those conditions as normal only allows for them to continue. Encouraging people to get help while holding institutions accountable for the harm they cause will make the world kinder to people with mental illnesses. This can only be done not by normalizing mental illnesses, but by destigmatizing them and then working to both treat and prevent them.

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

Justice in Action Conference important for campus Max Pickart Marquette University should make the Justice in Action Conference, which is scheduled for Feb. 27 on a virtual format, mandatory for all students, faculty and staff members.

It is essential in today’s society that our community is well versed on the inequities and inequalities that continually have an affect on underrepresented members of our school, city and nation.

At the Justice in Action Conference, presentations will be given from social justice initiatives and organizations from the Milwaukee area that will focus on disparities that are common in today’s society, such as health care, legal rights and education.

As University President Michael Lovell said in the Racial Injustice Town Hall June 17 last year, there are disparities in “health care, job losses and economic opportunities” that are based on race. President Lovell added that the persistence of these disparities in our country must no longer plague our city, our nation or Marquette.

Unfortunately, there has been little

advertising by Marquette as an institution for the JIA Conference. In fact, the only advertising has been through the JIA Conference’s Instagram page, which credits no direct affiliation to Marquette. Furthermore, the student body has not received any email from the university in regards to the JIA Conference.

Marquette should be advertising and pushing for the conference more, both to its students and through its social media outlets in order to promote social justice and equity on campus.

The JIA Conference provides a key opportunity for students and faculty to further discuss important topics in regards to justice, such as “allyship, privilege, volunteerism and (other) social justice issues.” In addition, historical references in regards to social justice in Milwaukee will be discussed, further broadening the audience’s understanding of the importance of affecting social change beyond campus.

Additionally, the JIA Conference will also provide opportunities for reflection and conversation among peers and moderators, giving students the chance to further discuss their unique experiences and perspectives.

This conference will challenge students to dive into the roots of

systemic racism and inequality in Milwaukee and also to open their hearts and minds to the stories of their classmates. It is essential that students from diverse backgrounds and experiences attend the conference.

Lovell recognized that the university has fallen short in its fight for racial justice, adding that Marquette must prioritize Black lives and demand better as a society and university.

Although Marquette prides itself on diversity and inclusion, it is still a predominantly white university, with nearly 8,000 of 11,500 2020-’21 undergraduate and graduate students being white, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. Students of color are clearly underrepresented when looking at the demographics of the student body.

The JIA Conference focuses directly on three themes: justice, action and engagement, providing an opportunity for students and faculty to actually engage in discussions of inequities and inequalities, learn from the experiences of presenters and actively put the lessons from the conference into action.

One aspect of Marquette’s mission is that it “strives to develop men and women who will dedicate their lives to the service of others, actively

entering into the struggle for a more just society.”

Students should attend the JIA Conference to also further expand their learning and understanding of what it means to be servant leaders who are committed to the greater good, authenticity and the fostering and nurturing of an inclusive, diverse campus for all of Marquette’s students, as stated as the mission of Marquette.

In order for Marquette to truly fulfill its mission as a Jesuit institution, it must encourage its students to partake in opportunities like the JIA Conference.

The JIA Conference is meant to increase the university’s overall awareness of the structural racism that is still relevant today, as well as provide students with a springboard to become true allies, activists and advocates for social justice.

Through its online platform, the JIA Conference can be for students and faculty on campus or home, no matter the location. It offers different sessions, as well as break times, permitting for more flexibility for attendees. The virtual platform allows for a safe way to discuss with people of unique experiences amid the pandemic. It is accessible for all people of the Marquette community, and it is a safe way to further Marquette’s

mission for justice.

All members of the Marquette community should attend the JIA Conference because it will be a learning opportunity to develop a more whole worldview and provide further meaningful discussions about what the Jesuit education is all about: affecting social change, being open to growth and committing ourselves to the greater good of society.

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.

Sports The Marquette Tribune

MBB CULTURE GOES BEYOND UNIFORM, HAS LASTING IMPACT SPORTS, 14

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 PAGE 12

Fan policy may change given Order 4.4

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Justin Lewis shoots in pregame warmups at Fiserv Forum before the Butler game Feb. 2. There were athletes’ families and Athletics staff at Marquette’s game against Creighton Feb. 6.

Athletics announces spectators possible for NMD March 6

By Zoe Comerford and Bryan Geenen

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Marquette and other universities have the opportunity to admit a limited amount of fans into

sporting events.

In a City of Milwaukee Health Department media release, the city says a limited amount of fans are able to observe each event, assuming the COVID-19 safety plan is filed and approved by the city’s health department first.

“Only two observers or fans are allowed per participant during recreation activities. Organizations may request approval for more than two observers or fans per participant by submitting a COVID safety plan to be filed

with and approved by the City of Milwaukee Health Department,” the statement said.

The order was signed Feb. 2 and released around 2 p.m. that day.

“With the caveat that Marquette or any university could submit a safety plan for health department approval, and that could allow many more fans,” Jeff Fleming, representative from the City of Milwaukee Communications and Media Relations, said.

Due to the City of Milwaukee

Health Department releasing Order 4.4 Feb. 2, which adjusted the gathering limit guidelines for entertainment venues, Fiserv Forum allowed players and Athletics’ staff to attend the Feb. 6 Creighton game.

According to the statement, Marquette Athletics was working with university officials to evaluate if family attendance at other home events on campus, like at the Al McGuire Center, Valley Fields, the Helfaer Tennis Stadium and Recreation Center, may occur.

Besides this past Saturday, the last home game is March 6 against Xavier, which will be both National Marquette Day and Senior Day as the team honors veterans Theo John, Koby McEwen and Jamal Cain.

“Marquette Athletics will continue to explore with Fiserv Forum staff, university leaders and city health officials the opportunity the new order presents for potential expanded fan attendance at the game on March 6,” the statement said.

Sports

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

13

VOLLEYBALL

MU’s faith, family feel attracts Caroline Dragani Former Portland State setter attends parents’ alma mater

By Jackson Gross

jackson.gross@marquette.edu

Having two Marquette alumni as parents, and one as a college basketball player, sports and Marquette were always part of sophomore Caroline Dragani’s life. Dragani grew up in Brookfield, only a 20-minute drive from Marquette. Being so close to the city of Milwaukee was another reason why Marquette was a big part of Dragani’s life.

Both her parents, Patrick and Stephanie Dragani, graduated from Marquette.

Her father graduated in 1994, while her mother graduated in 1993. Her mother also played on the women’s basketball team from 1991-93.

Dragani thought it was really special to play for the college her parents had gone to, especially since she grew up as a Marquette fan.

“With both my parents being alums, that’s just how I was raised as a Marquette fan and so I think it’s really special to keep that in the family but also

share and hear their experiences and (to) make my own,” Dragani said.

There was one other big influence on Dragani’s life growing up: faith being intertwined with school. She grew up receiving private Catholic education at Catholic Memorial High School, just down the road from Milwaukee in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

“I loved my private school education, it’s something my parents were very adamant about, sending me and my siblings to private school, and I think that something that is very special about it is that aspect of faith, which is rooted in every day and every class and I think that’ something that I really like at Marquette too,” Dragani said. “It’s just a big part of everyday life.”

Dragani said that both of her parents have been a big influence on her, supporting and pushing her to be better.

After high school, Dragani committed to Portland State, where she was the top-ranked first-year setter in the Big Sky Conference with 7.91 assists in the 2019 campaign. She started in 24 of 28 matches and ranked third on the Vikings with 2.14 digs per set.

“I really liked my time there,

I made a lot of great friends, I loved the city of Portland and I loved being in Oregon,” Dragani said. “I honestly have some many great memories from my time there and it was a very hard decision to leave.”

Besides her faith, Dragani chose to leave Portland State because she wanted to “step outside” her comfort zone.

“I knew that I wanted to be part of an institution that had an intense athletic and academic experience,” Dragani said.

Head coach Ryan Theis was excited, not only for the talent she will bring to the volleyball program, but also to have a native of the Milwaukee area.

Theis said that he was happy to have some “common tendencies,” between Dragani and her parents.

As for on the court, Theis says that Dragani has a good “volleyball IQ” and that she “loves to learn.”

“Learning is fun, she loves to learn, it’s fun for her being new is that everything we say is new and she has to learn it and so she’s really enjoyed that,” Theis said.

While not expected to get a lot of playing time, Theis said with there being a lot of setters on the roster for the next 11 months,

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Dragani is a sophomore setter who grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

he believes that the energy that she brings is much needed. The team, after already losing Sarah Rose to medical reasons, and with Hope Werch being a senior, was looking to add setter’s for the 2022 season.

“She’s a very calm presence,

she is not our loudest, she is not gonna run around the court slapping everybody on the back, that is not her persona at all, she’s a very calming presence, doesn’t get rattled, you know what you are going to get from her day in and day out,” Theis said.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Bueckers, Karlen form special bond prior to college UConn star guard, Marquette forward played AAU together

By John Leuzzi

john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

When Marquette hosted No. 3 University of Connecticut Feb. 5 at the Al McGuire Center, all eyes were on the Golden Eagles to see if they could find a way to upset one of the best programs in the country But for two players, the game on Friday had a little bit more importance and meaning for a different reason.

Those two players? Marquette first-year forward Liza Karlen and UConn first-year guard Paige Bueckers.

Being opponents on the big stage is not something new for the Minnesota natives.

Karlen, who attended Stillwater High School, played against Bueckers, who attended Hopkins High School, in the semifinals of the Class 4A State Girls Basketball Tournament just last year.

It was Bueckers and Hopkins

who came out victorious.

Karlen averaged 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Stillwater, while Bueckers averaged 21 points, 9.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game at Hopkins.

Rivals turned teammates

Last year that rivalry turned into a friendship when Karlen joined the Minnesota Metro Stars, which was the same AAU team Bueckers played on.

“Leading up to last year, we’ve always kind of been rivals,” Karlen said. “We had a lot of matchups that were tough so just being able to play together that last year was great because we knew each other’s games and we kind of knew how to play off each other in a way that both of us could be really efficient.”

The Stars’ head coach Tara Starks has known Karlen since ninth grade, but wasn’t her coach until recently.

“First time I saw her, she was really quiet and kind of laid back,” Starks said. “I knew she could play but I wasn’t 100% sure where she was at. Liza had always experienced wanting to be on our team but was basically convinced to play with the older team and I don’t

think her experiences were what she expected.”

Over the next few years, Karlen and Starks kept in constant communication, and the thought of playing for Starks alongside Bueckers was too good to pass up.

“Last year I told her it’s only one year left and you’ve always wanted to play with me and always wanted to play with Paige,” Starks said. “And now’s the chance to because this is your last year to have that opportunity.”

Starks said Karlen and Bueckers became really good friends and added that it was Bueckers’ reputation as a people person that helped catalyze it.

When asked what two words accurately portray the two from their time together with the Metro Stars, Starks quickly answered with “committed” and “hard-working.”

“When I think about those two, (they are) committed to the process, committed to working out and just really smart kids,” Starks said.

“They understand the thing they need to do and they go out into the gym and continuously put time in to perfect their craft.”

In their time playing together, Karlen picked up on several things

from the 2019-20 National Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year.

“One thing that Paige is incredible at is probably her pull-up. Obviously, her passing is unreal but her pull-up jump shot is insane,” Karlen said. “That’s something that I’ve kind of been trying to add to my game and something I’ve been working on a little bit.”

Starks said she saw Karlen’s toughness and mentality go to the next level with Bueckers around her.

Aside from their basketball abilities, Starks said Bueckers and Karlen both have traits that people might not know about them.

For Karlen, Starks said she could be an Olympic swimmer.

“Unfortunately she probably had to give up one for the other, but she’s a big-time swimmer,” Starks said.

Meanwhile, Starks said Bueckers does not like the spotlight.

“You would think with all the popularity and all the attention that she gets, she would jump out on the floor and want to put up 30 a night,” Starks said. “No, (it’s) ‘I want my teammates to shine.’”

Starks also said Bueckers considers herself to be a great dancer.

“She really thinks that she’s the best dancer in the house,” Starks said. “She thinks she has a little flair in her inner dance moves and likes to do her little TikTok videos.”

Recruitment Even though the two played in the same circles in high school, the recruiting paths for Karlen and Bueckers were vastly different.

Back in June 2019, Karlen told Mike Peden of Twin Cities Sports Broadcasting that Marquette was always a serious thought. But things changed for her a few years ago when former head coach Carolyn Kieger left for Penn State.

After an appearance at an AAU Tournament in Pennsylvania in April 2019, Karlen began receiving more looks from teams like LSU, Penn State, Wisconsin and Xavier, but committed to the Golden Eagles after forming a relationship with now-head coach Megan Duffy and her staff.

Meanwhile, Bueckers played for USA Basketball and was ranked as ESPN’s No. 1 recruit. She committed to Geno Auriemma See BUECKERS page 15

edu edu

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Milwaukee Cup canceled, first time since 1993 No crosstown rivalry, breaks streak of over 25 years

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

For the entirety of the Marquette women’s soccer program’s existence, a crosstown rivalry showdown has appeared on the schedule.

However, for the first time since 1993, those rivals, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette, will not compete in the “Milwaukee Cup” this season.

The match up between the two women’s programs, which usually happens sometime in September, will not happen as of now.

Overall, the rivalry is a little more intense than most games. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s soccer head coach Troy Fabiano said the intensity stems from the proximity of the two schools.

“I think any time you have two schools that are that close to each other, you’re going to bring out the best,” Fabiano said. “The players get excited to play in it.”

Sophomore defender Bonnie Lacey said that for her, the intensity

stems from the close connections the players have with one another.

“I’ve lived in Wisconsin all my life. I fully understand the in-state rivalries so the (UW-Milwaukee) girls, I’ve either played on club teams with them all growing up or played against them,” Lacey said.

“So it is a lot of hype for the games and they’re always so fun.”

Senior defender Maddie Monticello said even the week leading up to the game is centered around the matchup.

“I remember the past three years, we’ve definitely scouted very heavily for UW-Milwaukee. We would tailor that whole week of practice for how UWM plays, even more than normal,” Monticello said.

“Like (Lacey) was saying, there’s a lot of girls from Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area so those girls really take it to heart and that trickles down to everyone else. Before the game in the locker room, it’s going. Everyone’s so hype. People get pumped for all games but I definitely see it elevated more for UWM.” The rivalry between Milwaukee and Marquette has been incredibly tight for the 28 games between the two teams. So tight that the two schools share the same record: 10 wins, 10 losses, eight ties.

Junior midfielder/defender

Madison Burrier said part of the reason the record is so close is because the style of play in a rivalry game tends to be different compared to that of a normal matchup.

“It’s even-matched because it’s not necessarily about your style of play, soccer-wise,” Burrier said.

“When both teams in big rivalries like that get on the field, it’s purely about heart and grit, and the last two years we’ve played them, it’s come down to the wire of who wants it more at the end of the game.”

Monticello also said that alumni reach out and tend to get involved, so the players know the history and meaning of the rivalry.

“It goes beyond us. When we have that game, I hear from so many alumni from Marquette,” Monticello said. “It’s so much more than just the 11 on the field. I think that goes to show because this rivalry has been going on for (around) 30 games now. The whole Marquette community gets involved and it’s really cool.”

Burrier said she usually marks the UW-Milwaukee game on her calendar each year.

“For me, it’s definitely a bummer.

You look forward to those games.

There’s always a certain hype around it in the locker room before

the game,” Burrier said. “But in all honesty, that hasn’t really crossed my mind too much just in the sense of, we’re just excited to get out there finally and play.”

Despite skipping the rivalry for a year, Fabiano said he and his team are just happy that they are able to have a season this year.

“Obviously, we’re all excited to get back on the field, and hopefully everybody is safe as we’re trying to explore the new climate we’re in but for the game, it’s obviously a neat game,” Fabiano said. “You talk about how close the schools are and a lot of players know each other. For the community, it’s a big draw. We get big crowds at both places and that environment won’t be there. As a coaching staff, we’re just excited to be on the field and play someone besides ourselves.”

Marquette women’s assistant coach Steve Bode’s ties to Milwaukee have immersed him in the rivalry for years. As a high school player, Bode was just down the road at Marquette High School. He then played for UW-Milwaukee as a collegiate soccer player before coaching for several years at Marquette.

“A lot of times at Marquette High our coach has taken us to Engelmann (Stadium) or Valley Field to watch the games. A lot of people

outside the area don’t really realize how cool the rivalry is,” Bode said.

“That Milwaukee Cup rivalry, on both the men’s and women’s side, it’s pretty special.”

The match between the crosstown rivals has its impact in multiple ways for Bode. The connection between the two programs runs deep in his history.

“I have so many ties to both universities. I have a lot of legacy at Marquette; grandpa, dad, two older brothers went to Marquette and I would go to games growing up as a club player, as a high school player,” Bode said. “That’s cool, as a high school player, to watch those games and then to have the opportunity to then play in those games and now to coach in the games, it’s awesome.”

Monticello said the absence of the rivalry this season was disappointing, but she was hoping there might still be a matchup down the road.

“Even though we can’t play them this spring, I would hope we could play them in the fall,” Monticello said. “I think it’s just kind of keep your eyes on the games we have scheduled and then hopefully beat them in a big rivalry coming up this fall.”

Until the rivalry is resumed, the hype will continue to build for the 29th Milwaukee Cup.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jamal Cain reflects on program’s influence, values Senior forward committed due to tight-knit relationships

By Nick Galle

nicholas.galle@marquette.edu

Resilient, confident and disciplined.

Those were the three words senior forward Jamal Cain used to describe the Marquette men’s basketball program. Those three words likely resonate with a majority of the hundreds of players whose MU careers have come and gone, with plenty of evidence to back that up.

Whether it be Jimmy Butler’s resilience to play over 47 minutes in Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade’s confidence that allowed him to hoist up a floater from behind the 3-point line to beat the Chicago Bulls in 2009 in double overtime or the discipline it took for 42 former Golden Eagles to make it to the NBA, it is pretty hard to deny that there is something unique about the 107 acres of land between W. Kilbourn Ave. and W. Clybourn St. Those that had the discipline to play professionally after spending their college careers in front of the

Marquette faithful have had a lasting impact on the players in today’s program. Cain said he tries to model some elements of his game after a couple of former Golden Eagles, one of which was a two-time AllBIG EAST Honorable Mention, and the other was previously named BIG EAST Player of the Year. “(I) definitely look up to Jimmy Butler, definitely (Jae) Crowder,” Cain said. “Just the ability to shoot the ball, ability to make plays, get their teammates involved, that’s something that I’ve definitely cherished looking up and being at Marquette, and also seeing how competitive they are … that’s something that I’ve definitely picked up from them and wanted to carry on while I’m here at Marquette.”

When it came time to make his college decision, Cain said the family-oriented foundation of the program led him to continue his academic and athletic career at Marquette.

“When I stepped foot on campus, I just felt a part of the family,” Cain said. “They welcomed me with open arms, made me just feel like I was at home. That was probably one of the biggest aspects of me being here.”

Making the team feel like a

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Marquette huddles in the team’s win against the Butler Bulldogs Feb. 2.

family is a mindset that has been taught over the 104-year history of the Marquette men’s basketball program, and the coaches have been acting as the guiding force. After head coaches such as Bill Chandler, Al McGuire, Hank Raymonds, Tom Crean and Buzz Williams spent time at the helm, Steve Wojciechowski and his staff find themselves at the head of the table in a family that has won over 1,600 games.

“They (coaches) do a good job with telling guys to portray a message to the teammates just

to show leadership and speaking up and not being shy,” Cain said.

“Some guys lead the huddles, it’s not just one guy always leading huddles.”

Having multiple leaders on the team is in full effect this season especially, as MU has four players with double-digit scoring averages for the first time since the 201617 season when Markus Howard, JaJuan Johnson, Andrew Rowsey, Luke Fischer and Katin Reinhardt found themselves averaging over 10 points per game.

First-year forward Dawson

Garcia has been one of the team’s leading scorers and leading rebounder, and fellow first-year forward Justin Lewis has also posted 8.1 points and six rebounds per game, primarily coming off the bench. In addition to the coaching staff, the veterans on the team have also been able to get the young newcomers accustomed to the Marquette way of play.

“For the most part I think Jamal and Theo and Koby have done a really good job trying to set the tone as leaders on a team that there’s a lot of new faces that we’re heavily reliant on,” Wojciechowski said in a postgame press conference Feb. 2. “We’re trying to teach in a very unusual time.”

As the veterans filter out and a new era of Marquette men’s basketball begins, the values that are preached every day at practice, at games and in team meetings never quite fade away — they instead get passed down. For those who are wrapping up their careers in the blue and gold, the lessons learned stick with them, both on the court and off.

“Take care of your business, really don’t make any excuses towards anything that you have to do,” Cain said. “Always give your best, on and off the floor.”

Sports

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BUECKERS: Past teammates thrive in BIG EAST Continued from page 13 and UConn in April 2019 after the Huskies earned their 12thstraight bid to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

At the time of Bueckers’ commitment, UConn was still a part of the American Athletic Conference, a conference where they had a record of 118-0 during their sevenyear stint. When the BIG EAST announced the Huskies would return to the BIG EAST conference, it meant Karlen and Bueckers would be opponents once again.

“When we found out that UConn was going to be (back) in the BIG

more experience.”

Starks said she saw Karlen have some hesitation in shot selection early on in the season but is now seeing the confidence build within the 6-foot-2 forward.

“I’m starting to see that confidence and getting comfortable with the system now that she’s a few games in and she’s played a couple of national games (where) everybody’s watching,” Starks said. “She’s now starting to become more calm, comfortable and a little more confident in herself.”

Karlen credited her recent success and finding herself in Marquette’s system to the confidence

feels uncomfortable in and that’s kind of rare for freshmen.”

The 11-time national champion head coach said Bueckers has not necessarily done anything out of the ordinary as a leader but instead is leading more with her play.

“I don’t think she knows how to lead yet. Right now, she plays and she’s trying to figure her way around college basketball and that’s her way of leading right now,” Auriemma said. “Down the road, she’ll become a leader, but right now I would say her leadership consists of just playing. She’ll make some plays and she’ll do some things but other than that, I don’t think she’s

passing the ball to kids who don’t even want the ball sometimes.’

But that’s just her,” Starks said.

“She wants them to get involved, she wants to score and she wants them to have an opportunity to have success.”

Following the Huskies’ 100-67 victory over then-No. 16 DePaul this past Sunday, Bueckers told Fox Sports’ Sarah Kustok that the biggest adjustment she has made to her game is the speed and pace of college basketball.

In Friday’s contest, it was Bueckers and the Huskies who came out on top as UConn beat MU 87-58.

Karlen scored six points for Mar-

is a whole different story, (but) it’s just nice to kind of hear her experience on that.”

At times when the Golden Eagles do not have a game, Karlen said she enjoys watching Bueckers play.

“I love watching Paige play. Obviously, Paige isn’t an easy player to stop but I think something that makes her so deadly is the fact that she can drop five points (or) 30 points on any given night but her passing ability is just off the charts,” Karlen said. “That’s a big part of her element, which is going to be hard but hopefully we can pull it off.”

Though on Friday Karlen and

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Metro Stars

Liza Karlen (second row left center) and Paige Bueckers (first row far right) were teammates with the Minnesota Metro Stars in the 2019-20 season. Now they play in the BIG EAST Conference.

EAST, I think it was just excitement more than anything,” Karlen said.

“We really both enjoyed playing with each other. Being able to see a familiar face these next four years will be really exciting.”

Early college careers Regardless of the differences in recruitment, the former AAU teammates are playing in the same Division I conference, but with very different roles in their programs.

Karlen has become a consistent bench option for Duffy, averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this season.

“She’s unique for a team because of her size,” Duffy said. “In that forward position, she can really shoot the basketball and can knock down perimeter shots and that’s only going to get better as she gains

and trust that she has received from the upperclassmen and Duffy.

On the other hand, Bueckers is leading UConn in every single statistical category and is off to an exceptional start to her first-year campaign.

She has received BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Honors six times so far this season and was recently the lone first-year named to the Wooden Award Top 25 List for women’s basketball.

Auriemma, who is second on the Division I women’s basketball wins list, said he has been most impressed with the consistency in Bueckers’ approach.

“She’s pretty level and doesn’t get too far ahead of herself,” Auriemma said. “She doesn’t get bogged down in what happened (in) the previous play. She’s got a great tempo. There isn’t any part of the game that she

started using her voice yet.”

Since the Huskies’ 67-61 win over then-No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 21, Bueckers has followed with four consecutive 20+ point performances.

“The way Paige likes to play is the way she’s playing right now,” Auriemma said following UConn’s 94-62 win over St. John’s on Wednesday. She saw the pass through Aaliyah (Edwards). Nobody saw that coming. It was just an incredible find by a kid who just sees things that other kids don’t see.”

Starks sees that Bueckers is comfortable in the Huskies’ system and continues to be impressed by her passing, even if she believes the 5-foot-11 guard should take the shot herself.

“I remember calling her after one of the games and said ‘Paige you are

quette, shooting 2-for-6 from the field, while Bueckers scored 30 points for UConn, shooting 12-for16 from the field while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

“She’s as good as advertised and better,” Duffy said following Friday’s game. “She just has an incredible feel of letting the game come to her and getting her teammates involved ... Then her ability to change her game within the game is really something that I’ve been impressed (as well).”

Back to rivals Though the two are now over 1,000 miles from each other, Karlen said her and Bueckers speak about once a month.

“It’s nice to just check in on her to see how she is doing,” Karlen said. “Obviously playing for Geno

Bueckers were suited up for different teams, both looked forward to seeing a familiar face on the court.

“I have played against Liza a whole bunch of times in high school,” Bueckers said. “It’s always fun playing against people you know, especially when you’re not in the state of Minnesota where you guys have to play. But now I’m excited to see her and excited to get out there.”

For Karlen, this game brought extra pride for continuing the trend of Minnesota players in the BIG EAST. “I love it,” Karlen said. “Although they’re going to be competition, I’m really proud of Minnesota and to see all this Minnesota talent across the board in the BIG EAST. I hope to continue to see more over my four years.”

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Siblings’ support motivates Kaifes’ athletic ability Sister, brother played collegiate basketball, inspire toughness

By Molly Gretzlock

molly.gretzlock@marquette.edu

Sibling relationships consist of all kinds of emotions and memories to look back on.

For Marquette women’s basketball sophomore guard Claire Kaifes, her sibling relationships were centered around their love for basketball.

“Two of my older siblings, my older sister and my older brother, played college basketball,” Kaifes said. “They played a major part in all of my development growing up. My older brother (and I), we would play one on one and he never let me win. Ever.”

The Kaifes siblings understand the challenges and rewards that come with playing basketball collegiately.

Her brother, Cooper, is just across the border playing for Loyola University in Chicago as a redshirt junior, and her sister, Katie, played for Eastern Kentucky and is now a graduate assistant for

the Colonels.

Like her siblings, she followed their footsteps and has found herself playing at the collegiate level, where she is having a breakout second season.

Since Marquette women’s basketball returned to play Jan. 15

Duffy said. “We believe in her that she can make multiple threes in a game and a little bit from the beginning of the year to now she’s just kind of (getting) more comfortable in her role.”

While the comfort she poses on the court when ball handling may

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Sophomore guard Claire Kaifes (10) looks to pass to a teammate Dec. 16.

after being on pause for almost a whole month due to COVID-19 protocols and precautions, she has been shooting over 50% from beyond the 3-point line.

“She’s got a phenomenal looking jump shot,” head coach Megan

appear effortless, Kaifes falls back on her siblings in the times where she needs some extra support or advice. “(My siblings) really built my toughness and built my competitiveness. They also are someone

to lean on because they’ve been through everything I’ve been going through,” Kaifes said. “So, if I ever need that support, they are one call away, one text away.”

The Shawnee, Kansas native averaged a double-double her senior year of high school while attending Mill Valley High School. She has since expanded on her athletic mannerisms after joining Marquette’s team last season, where she appeared in 24 games.

This season she has become an essential player off the bench for Duffy to rely on, contributing points at clutch moments.

“Claire Kaifes is a tremendous kid to coach,” Duffy said. “She comes in everyday with a smile on her face and a great work ethic. I think the biggest thing for Claire moving into her sophomore season was just to get more game reps and more experience.”

While the team’s roster may appear to be underclassmen-heavy, it consists of many different talented players with their own unique style of play. This allows many different options of players to come off the bench in different scenarios, including Kaifes.

“Our sophomore class is huge, along with our freshmen class as

well,” Duffy said. “We are still underclassmen (heavy) and (those) ten kids that are going to be huge parts of our program. It’s great to see her coming on and helping our team coming off the bench.”

In the Jan. 15 game against Seton Hall, Kaifes scored a seasonhigh nine points and has made scoring contributions in over half of the team’s games this season. Kaifes credits a lot of the growth she is having this season to her teammates. “(My teammates) have done a lot to find me (and) get me open drive-and-kick scenarios,” Kaifes said. “They are doing a really great job of finding me and luckily I have been able to make shots and kind of develop more of a jumper.”

While Kaifes’ teammates might not necessarily be related through blood like her siblings, she still looks to them like family.

“As a whole team we just have great chemistry with each other, we really learned how to like play really well with each other,” Kaifes said. “Even with different lineups and different combinations of players we’ve flow really well and really good at reading each other.”