The Marquette Tribune | March 2, 2021

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Marquette celebrates Women’s History Month a celebration of thinking about how the world can be other than it is,” Kizuk said. “It’s about change and empowerment, not just about women achieving the vote or something like that, but for achieving true equality and equity.”

Women’s History Month originated in 1987 due to petitioning by the National Women’s History Project. Before this date, it was “Women’s History Week,” which began March 7, 1982.

However, Kizuk said that it is International Women’s Day that holds the most personal significance due to its focus on various political movements.

“International Women’s Day, March 8, has great meaning for me because it’s tied to other political movements,” Kizuk said.“You can’t liberate if you

Events to discuss equality take place throughout March

By Claire Driscol

claire.driscol@marquette.edu

In the celebration of Women’s History Month, students and faculty reflected on the significance behind the month as well as initiatives they would like to see to expand the celebration beyond March.

Sarah Kizuk, a graduate student in the philosophy department, said Women’s History Month is about achieving “true equality and equity.”

“The whole month, for me, is

See HISTORY page 2

College of Business building to break ground $60 million project expected to be done in 2022

By Benjamin Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

After its announcement in the spring semester of 2020, the plans for a new business building will finally enter its groundbreaking phase in a ceremony this spring.

The $60 million project will be the new home of Marquette Business, taking the place of where McCormick Hall formerly stood, across from the Alumni Memorial Union.

All $60 million raised for the building came from donations from over 250 people, making it the largest donor-funded project in university history.

“We’ve been talking about the potential of a new College of Business (Administration) building for at least the last 15 to 20 years,” Tim Hanley, interim dean of the College of Business Administration, said. “We’re just thrilled that the time is now.”

The new 100,000 square foot building will include an event space that can also act as a classroom on the first floor that will be able to host speakers. At the same time there are plans for a career and student center where clients can interview and hire students, and there are even plans for a

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café facing the northeast side of the building. “(The café) is going to be a feature I think will make it special,” Hanley said.

While the building will be a new and fresh place for students in the College of Business Administration, Hanley said that other students, like those in the College of Engineering, will be able to collaborate in a program called “Exec Excellence in Leadership.”

Hanley said the new program that will be hosted in the new building was founded by Kris Ropella, the dean of the College of Engineering. The program will allow for students in the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering

to collaborate on projects that require a combination of the two fields.

“One feature that I think is really neat, thanks to donor generosity, is on the north side of the building ... we’re going to have a huge gallery. It will be all glass and a wonderful reception area,” Hanley said. “When we don’t have events, it will be a beautiful area for student seating (and) group study.”

Hanley said throughout the planning process, there was a plan to create a space where students and faculty “want to be.”

But even though the home of Marquette Business will no longer be Straz Hall. Hanley said the old building will be renovated, and will become the new home

for the College of Nursing.

“It’s quite, quite exciting,” Hanley said. “As soon as we’re out of our space ... a process will begin to renovate what’s now Straz Hall into the new College of Nursing home.”

But something Hanley said “had to give you goosebumps” was the day the fundraising goal was met. It was Feb. 11, one year exactly after Joe Daniels had passed away.

“We have got to give tremendous tribute to Joe Daniels,” Hanley said. “We don’t talk much about this project without Joe because Joe got this project started.

This was Joe’s vision.”

Some students remain divided See BREAK page 2

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Residents experience norovirus, pipes bursting

Emmanuel Acho to host “After the Final Rose”

Marquette must keep community informed about health risks

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

HISTORY: Lovell’s cabinet only 25% female Continued from page 1 don’t liberate poor people, You can’t liberate women if you don’t liberate black people, you can’t liberate women if you don’t liberate cisgender women and transgender women.”

Kizuk also said history months can be ineffective in reaching overarching goals, like equality, due to the way they’re presented.

“History months can be depoliticized,” Kizuk said. “Like when we have tepid talks given for a whole month, or when we get a little badge or bracelet; this separates it from the real quest for equality for women.”

However, Kristen Foster, an associate professor in history, said that Marquette has taken initiatives in advancing women’s careers through its Institute of Women’s Leadership program.

According to Marquette’s page on the Institute of Women’s Leadership, it is built around the mission of “advancing women’s leadership locally and globally through pioneering research, innovative programming, and collaborative engagement.”

“It not only gives women on campus a way to talk to each other across disciplines, but to come up with programming, as they fund research on campus, and they fund conversations about our research across campus,” Foster said. “To me, this is one of the most exciting and recent things to happen on campus.”

The Institute of Women’s Leadership will hold a virtual event March 4 titled “Pursuing Justice in Public Health and Equity through Community Engagement Conversation.”

Students can register at Marquette’s Office of Economic Engagement website.

In regards to initiatives Marquette can take to foster a better

“

The president’s cabinet is still a majority of white males. I think they can strive for more representation of women and people of color at the highest levels of leadership,” JULIA PAULK Associate professor of languages, literature and culture

understanding and appreciation of women’s history and studies, Foster said the university should create more space for students to take classes outside of their major.

“Initiatives to do more interdisciplinary conversations would be very helpful for conversations across campus and really appreciating what we do in each of our colleges,” Foster said. “That’s something we’ve realized we don’t do very much of.”

In order to create a more inclusive environment, Julia Paulk, associate professor of languages, literature and culture, said she hopes Marquette will strive for more representation within the president’s cabinet.

“The president’s cabinet is still a majority of white males,” Paulk said. “I think they can strive for more representation of women and people of color at the highest levels of leadership at the university.”

University President Michael

Lovell’s cabinet is only 25% female. The dean of the College of Communication, Sarah Feldner, and the vice president for research and innovation, Jeanne Hossenlopp, stand as the only two women.

However, Paulk said she tries to seek equal representation when creating her class’s curriculum.

“In my literature class I’m very careful to try to ensure I have female authors along with male authors,” Paulk said.

Looking forward, Paulk said Women’s History Month shouldn’t be exclusive to March, but rather a year-round celebration.

“It’s important given the fact that things have not equaled out, that we are reminded of women’s stories and the value of what they have contributed,” Paulk said. “Just like Black history should be all year, Women’s History Month should also be all year.”

BREAK: Largest donor funded project at MU Continued from from page 1 on the issue of the new building.

Some students are upset with the new building and said it’s unnecessary and isn’t good for the environment since Marquette has a lack of green space already.

Matthew Munson, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said he was not looking forward to the building taking up the previous green space, where he and his friends would enjoy the outside on the grass.

“As someone who has been inside of Straz Hall multiple times, the classrooms are completely fine,” Munson said. “It’s just Marquette’s way of getting new students to come and be donors.”

Kyle Laird, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he was looking forward to the brand new building.

“I definitely will be having classes in there (as an economics student),” Laird said. “It’s really exciting the way I see it ... I’m all for it, to be completely honest.”

The new building is expected to be completed by Christmas of 2022. Following the completion of the building, renovations for Straz Hall will then begin.

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

The new home for the College of Business Administration will be where McCormick Hall once stood, next to the Alumni Memorial Union.

Marquette is receiving $9.7 million in aid. Of that aid, approximately $3.3 million

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

Academic Senate holds meeting Provost Ah Yun discusses year’s challenges

By Benjamin Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

A special Marquette University Academic Senate meeting was called to order March 1 to discuss shared governance and the university’s future trajectory. The usual monthly meeting is hosted only once a month, but the senate met this week to discuss issues of shared governance.

Provost Kimo Ah Yun began by discussing what the future of Marquette would look like, after having chats with students and faculty through his weekly coffee chats.

Throughout the semester, budget cuts and layoffs have been issues that were brought up at these meetings, but Ah Yun saw hope for the future.

“I know that we are absolutely stronger because we work together ... we are making a dif-

ference in the lives of our students,” Ah Yun said. “We are now and will continue to be grounded by the mission of our university ... It’s something that we need to continue.”

However, Ah Yun acknowledged the “shifting sands underneath (Marquette’s) feet” due to budget cuts that have lead to the layoffs of 39 staff.

“You may feel like the sky is falling ... I don’t see it this way,” Ah Yun said.

Ah Yun turned to the construction of the new College of Business Administration building and the renovation of Straz Hall as the new home for the College of Nursing as positives.

Although he may not know what Marquette will look like five years from now, Ah Yun said that the constants in the university will always be “building men and women for others,” having their faith intact and cocurricular experience that enriches the whole experience.

“When we think about our students, affordability continues to be a priority,” Ah Yun “We will continue to educate every Marquette student in the typical

The Marquette Tribune EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Natallie St. Onge (414) 288-1739 Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Annie Mattea NEWS News Editor Benjamin Wells Assistant Editors Megan Woolard, Claire Driscol Reporters Natalija Mileusnic, Julia Abuzzahab, 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

Photo by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Provost Ah Yun discussed future semesters, among other issues.

liberal arts fashion ... (Marquette has) done for many years.”

Ah Yun said he has hope that Marquette will be more diverse in the future, but in order to achieve this, Ah Yun said a more diverse and inclusive curriculum must be achieved, as well as local support throughout the city Marquette resides in.

“Our work should help transform Milwaukee,” Ah Yun said.

While the meeting did discuss issues with the fiscal year 2022 budget and shared governance,

some of the attendees expressed their displeasure with still having their questions unanswered of where stimulus money will go and the nature of those laid off earlier in January. While Ah Yun did answer questions from senate members, many questions were still left without a concrete answer.

The next university Academic Senate Meeting will be March 22, and will be held virtually.

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, Emily Reinhardt, Kimberly Cook, Bailey Striepling VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Grace Pionek Photo Editor Zach Bukowski Sports Designer Kayla Nickerson Arts & Entertainment Designer Lily Werner Opinions Designer Mariam Ali Photographers Claire Gallagher, Joceline Helmbreck, Isabel Bonebrake, Nathan Lampres ----

Fall semester to be in-person Increased access to vaccine in state makes plan possible

By Claire Driscol

claire.driscol@marquette.edu

University President Michael Lovell announced Monday the university is planning for an “inperson academic and residential campus experience” for the 2021 fall semester.

Lovell said that its student and staff efforts, as well as increased access to the COVID-19 vaccine across Wisconsin, are what is making these plans possible.

As of Monday, 8.5% of Wisconsin residents are fully vaccinated.

“By adhering to health and safety protocols, and through your commitment to testing, contact tracing and symptom reporting, we were able to deliver a hybrid learning model that included in-person and online instruction,” Lovell said

in an email. “I want to personally thank each and every one of you for doing your part for our community.”

However, due to the unprecedented environment brought

by COVID-19, Lovell said the university will continue to work with public health officials in the city and state to follow local guidelines, as well as “maintain the mechanisms to pivot,” if these plans need to be adjusted.

“The health and safety of our community members remain our top priority,” Lovell said in

MUPD REPORTS MARCH 1 Students residing in the Commons were smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol in one of their dorm rooms. The illegal substances were confiscated and they’re being referred to Student Conduct.

FEBRUARY 24 An unknown subject was in possession of a

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an email.

Marquette is also now established as a vaccine site and will continue to offer the vaccine to all eligible members, which beginning March 1 includes all staff in education settings.

For students with further questions and concerns regarding Marquette’s shift to an in-person campus in the fall, there will be an online contact form in an attempt to provide more information.

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firearm and demanded money from a business in the 1600 block of W. Wells Street. The investigation is on-going.

An unknown subject tried to remove a Marquette student’s vehicle from the 2300 block of W. Michigan Street without consent.

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A non-Marquette subject continued to contact a Marquette student after their relationship had ended, MUPD advised the subject to refrain from contact with the student.

A non-Marquette subject displayed disorderly conduct on a Milwaukee County Transit System bus.

The subject had an active warrant. He was later shipped to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Languages department tries to stay afloat Amid budget cuts, pandemic, program faces struggles

By Natallie St. Onge

natallie.stonge@marquette.edu

Natalie Hill took a lot of risks to attend Marquette University.

Originally from Nashville, the 2017 graduate knew nobody at Marquette, as no one from her high school had ever attended. All Hill knew was the Jesuit mission and the challenge that Marquette could bring.

“I picked it because I felt like this is the school that is going to challenge me, this is the place I am going to grow,” Hill said. “I wanted to be in a place that values service and values thinking.”

Hill started in the College of Communication, then switched to the College of Education before finding her community within the College of Arts & Sciences. Hill majored in both history and French, where she said the professors within the college were her champions that not only encouraged her, but helped her find her way.

Many times at Marquette, Hill said she felt alone.

“Or that I had made a mistake or that I was failing or I wasn’t where I was supposed to be ... having that community that was spearheaded by professors, it made it all the difference for me,” she said.

It showed Hill that there could be someone that is both a supportive and academic mentor, she said.

Yet, today, Hill said she would not be able to recommend Marquette in good faith to any high school senior, or those looking at colleges, specifically at Marquette.

“I feel like I’m being betrayed by my university, essentially,” Hill said.

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES At the start of the spring 2021 academic semester, Marquette University President Michael Lovell announced the layoffs of 39 staff members due to short and long-term financial challenges.

These positions were in part of the university addressing the fiscal year 2022 budget, which had included an initial 225-250 projection of faculty and staff being laid off, university spokesperson Kevin Conway said.

An incentivized retirement program and tenure buyouts were also part of addressing the 2022 budget.

“The standard contract renewal process for non-tenure-track faculty on one-year temporary contracts is currently underway, in line with previous years,” Conway said in an email. “Each year, contracts for nontenure-track faculty are reviewed based on student enrollment levels and demand for courses. Last fall’s incoming class (Class of 2024) was 16% smaller than the previous year, making it the smallest class in more

than two decades.”

According to the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis, 1,647 first-year students were enrolled at Marquette in fall 2020. In 2019, there was an incoming class of 1,974 students. In 2018, there were more than 2,000 first-year students enrolled.

As a result, there will be fewer class sections next year, reducing the number of contract renewals for non-tenure-track faculty, Conway said, though he said no additional layoffs are planned at this time.

“The effects of this smaller firstyear class size will be felt beyond this year as the class moves through the university. Marquette is committed to keeping class sections small to support the student experience,” Conway said in an email.

At the turn of the semester, the German program in the College of Arts & Sciences felt those effects.

One of their three faculty members retired. Each of the two faculty members that remain teach full course loads.

“I am teaching an overload without pay,” Jenny Watson, an associate German professor, said, meaning she is not getting paid enough to teach an overload of classes.

Since 2015, the languages department on campus has seen a drastic toll on its student enrollment because Marquette stopped requiring a language to be taken within the Marquette Core Curriculum, a decision that Eugenia Afinoguenova, chair of the Languages, Literatures and Cultures department, said that the department has never really recovered from.

“That to us meant that institutional support was withdrawn from languages,” Afinoguenova said.

Afinoguenova said that the department has seen better years and that there are several changes that happened beyond the department, but said the first change was the core.

In the previous core, there was a category of diverse cultures, which the languages department was part of. There was a steady flow of students throughout the department, resulting in some students having to take up to four semesters of a language or culture class. Then, the university withdrew the requirement.

In the current undergraduate core curriculum, there is only one or two semesters’ worth of a language for a Bachelor’s of Arts degree, but for a Bachelor’s of Science, there are zero credits required.

“It’s not like we need to mandate taking languages, what happens is that languages are usually a supporting major or minor, because in the United States, there are few jobs in the languages here,” Afinoguenova said. “We are here because the institute remains of interest.”

She said the languages department serves as a crucial factor for someone considering to come to Marquette, however, since languages are not the first major, it comes second,

as the first major mandates a student’s course schedule.

With languages cut from the core, Afinoguenova said the department is ‘structurally vulnerable.’

“I don’t know how we can prosper and come back strong, without institutional support,” Afinoguenova said.

Heidi Bostic, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, said there are no faculty layoffs planned and there have not been any faculty layoffs in Arts & Sciences.

“Our need to be increasingly good stewards of the university’s resources is affecting all units across campus,” Bostic said in an email. “At this point, there is not a particular effect on the department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

The College of Arts & Sciences will work together with the department leadership to create a sustainable vision and plan for the future.”

Like many on campus, the languages department has been finding ways to continue on amid the university’s budget cuts and adjusting to online learning through the pandemic. Since the core requirement was withdrawn, language programs such as German, French and the Classics, like Greek and Latin, have been tasked with another responsibility to adhere to that sustainable plan for the future: revamp the program within 3-5 years.

“It’s almost like saying, ‘we aren’t going to cut you, but you’re going to fail anyway,’” Watson said.

GERMAN EXCELLENCE Watson, an associate professor in the German program, has been assigned to increase enrollment back to the enrollment levels the German program was at when there was a language requirement in the core.

Years up until 2015 saw an enrollment number above 100 students, but as the requirement was taken from the core, that has slowly decreased. As of fall 2020, only 75 students were enrolled in German.

According to the Goethe-Institut, the federal republic of Germany’s cultural institute that is active worldwide, an estimated 100,000 collegeaged students are taking German as a foreign language.

Next year, Watson said that she and the visiting instructor in the German program will have an increased workload without an increase in pay or new courses to offer students.

Watson said she is tasked to revamp the program by herself, as the visiting instructor does not get paid to do that.

Revamping the program to attract more students and have steady enrollment is an undertaking that Watson said she is worried she may not have time for. Watson said she has research to do, and would like to get promoted, but in order to receive a promotion, she will need to publish this year. Yet she is taking time to outreach to the German community in Milwaukee and within the Midwest to receive support to start

restructuring the program. All of which Watson said she does not have enough time for.

“We did get some really great support from the community here, because there’s a lot of German groups in Milwaukee and around Milwaukee,” Watson said.

As a gift from the Rudolf and Helga Kaden Memorial Fund at Deutscher Sprach-und Schulverein (DSSV) or the German Language and School Society of Wisconsin, a German Excellence Fund was established at Marquette. Additionally, Kaden funds are to be paid by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and funds will also be contributed by the DSSV. “We’re super psyched,” Watson said. “Right now, every year it will only kind of spin-off $5-7,000 but we are hoping more people will contribute and that’ll get better.”

Watson said she would like the funds to be used to pay the visiting instructor to help revamp the program in addition to the instructor’s current salary, but said she was told no because the funds will eventually be used to pay the entirety of the instructor’s salary, rather than being directly paid by the university.

Bostic said the German Excellence Fund grew out of an existing fund that the donors gave permission to repurpose in order to broaden the range of activities that it can support.

“It’s an endowed fund, which means that only a very small amount each year is spendable income. We hope that the fund will continue to grow as more donors contribute,” Bostic said in an email.

Excellence funds may be used for a variety of purposes such as providing high-impact opportunities for students, like study abroad and undergraduate research, as well as hiring faculty to help cover classes and sponsoring events, like guest speakers, Bostic said in an email.

“Now we’re scrambling to see if we can get some more money, but it’s like a catch-22 ... if we can’t get that enrollment up, we’re going to be cut. But we can’t use the money we have to work on getting that enrollment up ...,” Watson said.

Watson said it’s frustrating.

“I don’t see that as German excellence,” Watson said in regards to the use of the funds. She said she sees it as continuing German, not improving the program.

Watson said the visiting instructor is teaching courses to students who are paying tuition for those classes, and this spring the classes have met the 10 students or above cut off. She said she hopes the donors would want the money going toward improving the German program.

“I would prefer at this point to try to grow that fund, but use the money we have now to revamp the program so that we could continue with German in the future,” Watson said.

In December, the German program lost its tenured professor to retirement. Because of the loss,

Afinoguenova and Watson said they thought of developing a new course, a study abroad program or bringing a visiting teaching assistant from Germany to Marquette.

“This would be perfect use for the donors’ money,” Afinoguenova said in an email. “Yet the funding will be used for paying a small part of the salary of the part-time non-tenure track faculty member.”

Due to the fund not spinning off much, Afinguenova said she asks the funds to pay the instructor to help create new courses in order to meet the 3-5 year timeline.

Bostic said the College of Arts & Sciences is currently launching a strategic planning process with the department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. She said it is in part a response to the collaborative work group process during fall in which LLAC was asked to think about ways to controls costs and increase enrollments in some programs seeing lower student demand.

“We have not yet discussed a timeline for this strategic planning process and its outcomes,” Bostic said.

Michael Koch, the visiting instructor of German, has been teaching at Marquette since 2015. He said Marquette was a dream destination for him. Koch was approached by the recently retired professor, who had reached out in hopes Koch would join Marquette upon the departure of his predecessor.

“This is wonderful, this is where I want to be,” Koch said, reflecting back on the time. “It’s much closer to our home, it’s a bigger department, great colleagues, great tradition, powerful foundation and I was raised Catholic.”

Koch said it is disheartening to see that all of his positive hopes, dreams and aspirations are being endangered by what he considers “short term misappropriation” and short-sidedness on the side of the administration.

“Foreign languages and the humanities are probably the most cost efficient and effective and far reaching, not just far reaching but depth reaching, in ways to educate young people,” Koch said. “Not only in practical terms in 21st century skills, but also in terms of, it’s become almost a catchword these days, the Catholic, Jesuit mission of Marquette.”

To read more, scan the QR code or head to marquettewire.org.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

MU researches water Students, faculty learn to solve issues with contamination

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

Milwaukee is right next to Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes known for its contaminated waters. At the Global Water Center, Marquette students and faculty are participating in water quality research and innovation to help solve issues surrounding water contamination. “(The Global Water Center) is a place for collaboration between the university and industry on water technologies and water research,” Krassimira Hristova, associate professor of biological sciences and director of the Marquette Global Water Center, said.

Some of these collaborators include students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage district and industry partner A.O. Smith, a water heating company.

The Marquette research takes place on the 6th floor of the Global Water Center, which is in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood. The Global Water Center is a lab and research facility in Milwaukee that is used by a number of academic institutions and industry partners to conduct research on water-related issues.

Back in 2016 when Marquette first got involved with the Global Water Center, University President Michael Lovell spoke at the grand opening event.

“Our faculty and students are

going to benefit immensely – the talents at our university are going to be helping to solve the world’s water problems,” Lovell said at the opening.

Since then, Marquette has continued further research and innovation on many water-related issues. Some of these issues include the impact of recycled materials on river water system function and the impact of toxicants, such as heavy metals, on microbial communities.

There have also been a number of Ph.D. students working on their own projects. Ph.D. student Kassidy O’Malley has been working on assessing antibiotic genes in storm water.

“Antibiotic resistance is a public health crisis due to bacteria resisting the effects of the antibiotics designed to kill them. In order to address this crisis, all aspects of the problem must be understood,” O’Malley said.

In order to gain this full understanding, O’Malley conducts research on Milwaukee storm water in the Global Water Center.

“My research focuses very specifically on the input of antibiotic resistance into the environment from storm water. We sample storms as they occur in Milwaukee and target key storm water infrastructure locations,” O’Malley said.

Marquette students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the Global Water Center. “Project Water” has given 36 high school students from Marshall High School, a local Milwaukee public school, the opportunity to be a part of scientific research.

“It’s hard to provide openended science progression in high school. But with this program, students get insight into

areas of innovation and a better understanding of the actual scientific process,” Jenny Lamanna, visiting professor of biology and the high school innovation and research coordinator for the Marquette Global Water Center, said.

The “Project Water” program was created in 2019 to help empower minority students to get involved in STEM while giving them hands-on research and innovation experience.

“We wanted to build a program to create pathways for historically underrepresented students and help them feel like the STEM fields are a place for them,” Lamanna said.

The high school students work with four Marquette undergraduate student interns in an all-virtual program, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the program the interns share their research and have discussions with high school students and help them create their own water-related research project.

“The goal was to bring students to the Global Water Center and give them real professional experience through the process of science and innovation,” Lamanna said.

Currently, students are not allowed to be at the Global Water Center in person due to COVID-19 restrictions. But there are plans to have students there in the future, when it is deemed to be safe. The Global Water Center has continued to provide a space for research and innovation in water for not only Marquette students, but the greater Milwaukee community.

Photo by Benjamin Wells benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Milwaukee is located right next to Lake Michigan, a Great Lake that faces issues with water contamination.

The Marquette Tribune

Straz Tower experiences difficult week

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and norovirus, Straz has also been hit with water pipes bursting, fire alarms going off, snow inside its stairwells and elevators breaking.

Gutierrez said due to bursting water pipes, a fire alarm was set off Feb. 15 and students in Straz were evacuBy Julia Abuzzahab ated into the cold weather. Later that julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu day, the fire alarm went off a second In only a single week, Straz time due to a mechanic tripping on Tower was hit with numerous in- the alarm. This led to the second stances of bad luck. Not only has evacuation for students that day; this norovirus been circulating through time, at 2 a.m.

“To say the least, it was an awful the residence hall, snow was found in a stairwell, fire alarms have been day. I had just gotten off of work and going off, elevators have been I was going to sit down and eat my malfunctioning and water pipes dinner, (but I) ended up sitting outside in the below zero temperature have burst.

According to the Center for Dis- for 30 minutes,” Gutierrez said in an email. ease Control and Students in Prevention, noroStraz were unsure virus is a contaas to how there gious virus that was a pile of causes vomiting snow found in the and diarrhea. It stairwell of the is spread through eighteenth floor, direct contact but Gutierrez with someone said he believes who is infected, that the pipes consuming conbursting had taminated food something to do or water and/or with it. touching contamSchomogyi inated surfaces. said she was “I do worry about the sickMIA GLEASON working as a ness, it’s not First-year in the College desk receptiondeadly or anyof Education ist during the building’s week thing, but dealing of bad luck and with two viruses at the same time is stressful,” Sam although it was stressful at times, Gutierrez, a sophomore in the Col- she kept the students living in Straz lege of Communication, said in in her thoughts hoping that they all stay safe. an email.

“It was a little chaotic during the Mia Gleason, a first-year in the College of Education, said her week because there were so many friends all contracted the norovirus, people trying to adjust the proband although she was healthy, it was lems right away, which is a good reaction on behalf of Marquette and a stressful situation.

“To say that we are getting hit Straz overall. Also just being in the with the plagues would be an under- loop with communication from our statement ... four of my friends got DR group chat was really comfortthe norovirus, but have recovered ing to know what was going on,” and (they) feel good now,” Gleason Schomogyi said.

Although it has been chaotic at said in an email.

Claire Schomogyi, a first-year in Straz, the students there are lookthe College of Arts & Sciences and ing at its notorious events with a desk receptionist at Straz Tower, said positive attitude.

“The bad luck has honestly been she was not worried about contracting the norovirus while working and funny, yet annoying,” Gleason that Straz took excellent measures to said in an email. “We have been persevering, though.” ensure that all residents are safe.

While Straz has seen better days, “Personally, as a desk receptionist, I feel safe because we take the Gutierrez said he has also looked at sanitary and COVID-19 precautions things with a positive perspective.

“I can’t help but to laugh,” Gutisuper well,” Schomogyi said. “I do know that the norovirus has spread errez said in an email. “Like, it’s so outside of Straz now, so I’m being unfortunate, but I just shake my head extra cautious making sure I’m stay- and laugh. I love Straz and all of ing on top of disinfecting things and the people, but we are all just going through it.” washing my hands.”

On top of dealing with COVID-19

Pipes bursting, norovirus among issues in building

“

The bad luck has honestly been funny, yet annoying.

We have been persevering, though,”

6

News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Local businesses featured in dining halls Heaven’s Table BBQ, The Soup Market among partners

By Karsyn Hartsfield

karsyn.hartsfield@marquette.edu

In an effort to combine the Marquette community and the greater Milwaukee community, local businesses have been featured in Marquette’s dining halls.

Brian Kawa, the resident district manager for Marquette’s dining services, came up with the idea for these collaborations. The plans started being discussed last semester.

“When we came onto campus, we knew we had some COVID-19 restrictions we had to deal with. So, we didn’t get this started in our fall programming for this year, but it was on our 2020-2021 agenda to really start focusing on partnerships with local restaurants and local retail vendors as well,” Kawa said.

Local businesses such as Triciclo Perú, Heaven’s Table BBQ and The Soup Market have all been featured around various Marquette dining halls including Cobeen, The Commons, and the pop-up kitchen at

Marquette Place in the Alumni Memorial Union.

“We would call people and we’d say, ‘hey, we’d like to feature your business on campus’ and then it was a matter of more meetings, working with our culinary team, working with their teams to understand how they can utilize our resources.”

Alex Abendschein, the market manager for Marquette’s dining services, said.

Marquette has partnered with local businesses in their Innovation Kitchen to do food demos.

However, Abendschein said this specific collaboration is the first to his own knowledge.

“We have never partnered with businesses, in this sense, where we’re actually purchasing their food and we’re providing it on campus, in our dining centers, so that students who are on the meal plan (have) the opportunity to try these different local businesses.” Kelsey Otero, who leads the 707 Hub and is the associate director of social innovation at Marquette, said.

Otero said the program could “encourage other universities or organizations” to look into “what a bi-local strategy in the food place could look like.”

The benefits of these collaborations are directed to both the students and the local

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbrecki@marquette.edu

Local businesses have been featured in dining halls around campus.

businesses of Milwaukee.

“Milwaukee has a robust culinary atmosphere, and this is a great opportunity for us to kind of highlight some of those niche markets that offer some really unique food,” Abenschein said.

Otero also said this partnership is great for students as they can discover some of these “hidden gems.”

“A lot of students who have tried things here ... then take

their parents when their family is in town, or they take friends and expose them to a really dynamic food scene in Milwaukee,” Otero said.

Kawa said that this doesn’t only allow students to find more places to visit around Milwaukee, but it helps support the local community.

“Our goal is to support local businesses,” Kawa said. “Our local restaurant scene has been

devastated by the pandemic and all these small business owners are fighting just to stay afloat.

We see an opportunity, to not only bring a great product to campus but also as a way for them to earn some additional revenues by us buying their product.”

The focus now is on fall 2021 and to continue expanding the program and bringing in new businesses.

“The more of those local business we partner with, the more experiences the students have,” Kawa said.

As of right now, the goal is to have at least two local businesses per month. Although, Kawa said they may already have six or seven additional restaurants lined up for just March; including local businesses that are not just food-related.

“The list of potential vendors keeps growing,” Otero said.

She said she hopes these collaborations are something “students are more aware of and look forward to and are excited to try.”

“I’m excited and hopeful that someone might try a food and then want to go visit that restaurant,” Otero said.

Student debt issues persist amid COVID-19 Tuition concerns continue, university to implement plan

By Claire Driscol

claire.driscol@marquette.edu

Student debt continues to be a topic of concern as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the loss of over 22 million jobs since the virus surfaced last March.

Despite this statistic, John Baworowsky, vice president of enrollment, said that undergraduates had an average of $35,316 in student debt amid the 201920 school year nationwide.

However, to minimize the impact of student debt amid the pandemic, the university announced it is freezing tuition for the 2021-22 academic year.

Baworowsky said the university is implementing a plan to reduce personnel and operating costs to make up for this freeze

in tuition.

“Like many other institutions, the university is carefully managing its budgeted expenses,” Baworowksy said in an email.

“We look for areas that we could reduce cost without impacting the student experience. In our case, we looked at operating expenses and personnel costs.”

The university has also increased funding for scholarships and its “Bridge to the Future Fund,” which according to Marquette’s website, was established to “provide financial aid assistance to students whose changing economic circumstances jeopardize their ability to continue their Marquette education.”

“We are incredibly fortunate to have generous alumni and other donors who provided additional support to this fund since the pandemic began,” Baworowsky said in an email.

Initiatives to provide student debt relief are going beyond the university, as President Joe

Biden extended the student loan payment pause, which gives 42 million student loan borrowers a break from making monthly payments and accumulating interest through Sept. 2021.

However, Matt Magden, a junior in the College of Business Administration and member of the Marquette Democrats, said Biden has handled student debt poorly due to his lack of action in providing immediate relief. “(Biden) has handled it poorly,” Magden said. “He said he planned on forgiving $10,000 for every student with federal loans, but still hasn’t done anything.”

Biden said he was prepared to write off on this $10,000 student debt initiative amid his town hall in Milwaukee last week.

However, he refused to increase this relief to $50,000 — an initiative many democrats were pushing for.

“His action isn’t bold enough,” Magden said. “A large portion of America lives paycheck to

paycheck. I don’t know how people are expected to pay for college these days because even if you’re a hardworking student, if your parents have poor credit, you’re heavily penalized.”

Biden also said that eligibility for $10,000 worth of student debt relief may be dependent on whether students attend a private or public university.

However, Magden said excluding private school students from debt relief is not a fair initiative, as in his case, private school happened to be the cheaper option.

“I didn’t go to an in-state school in my home state of Illinois because a lot of the schools there don’t offer in-state tuition,” Magden said. “It ended up being a cheaper option for me to go to Marquette than an in-state public college in Illinois.”

Amid the 2019-20 academic year, the average tuition & fees for public colleges in Illinois was $9,999 for in-state students; this is over four times less than

the tuition at Marquette.

Without additional aid from Biden, Magden said he could be graduating with around $90,000 in student loans.

Olivia Flood, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she is worried about the consequences student debt may bring post-graduation.

“Student debt can take decades to pay off.” Flood said. “College has gotten a lot more expensive and student debt is becoming a huge problem for everybody.”

According to the Federal Reserve, Americans owed around $1.7 trillion in student loans amid quarter three of 2020, this is an increase of nearly 4% compared to quarter three of 2019.

“A lot of people are going to have a very hard time, especially in the coming year since the economy is not great,” Flood said. “So I’m hoping the university is able to lower tuition, but I do think freezing it is a good starting place.”

News

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

7

Opinions differ on Mental Health Days Some prefer spring break, claim to still have work

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

This semester Marquette introduced four Mental Health Days spaced throughout the semester as an alternative to spring break.

However, many students have said that they would rather have spring break and have been unable to properly rest during the Mental Health Day. “I want to reinforce how important these days are because we all need time to unplug. While the pandemic has increased the stress load for many of us, even under normal circumstances rest, recovery and reflection are key to leading healthy and balanced lives,” Xavier Cole, vice president for student affairs, said in a Marquette Today article.

The first Mental Health Day took place Feb. 9. The remaining Mental Health Days are March 10, April 20 and May 5. During

these Mental Health Days, all undergraduate classes are canceled and students have the day to do whatever they please. In the past Marquette has had a fiveday spring break in the middle of March.

Professors don’t teach classes on theses days and graduate students also get these days off.

However, they often aren’t always used as a rest day.

“Yes – graduate students get mental health days. Because a good handful of us are also graduate assistants (TAs or RAs), it’s especially helpful because we have so much going on and it’s just a nice extra break. It actually doesn’t even get used as a break day mostly, because we just use it as a work day,” Lexi Beaver, a graduate student, said in an email.

The calendar updates were made in October and announced through a Marquette Today news release by Provost Kimo Ah Yun. “University leadership recognizes that it can be difficult to manage the anxieties and stress associated with this pandemic.

The Mental Health Days will

provide students the opportunity to rest and recharge while also reducing unnecessary travel,” Ah Yun said in an Oct. 14 news release.

However, there are differing opinions on the university’s calendar updates.

“I get that they don’t want us to travel, but if they at least attached them to the weekend, like on a Monday or Friday, I think it’d be so much better than the random stuff they’re doing,” Elizabeth Gorney, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

In addition, many members of the Marquette community don’t believe the four Mental Health Days are a sufficient substitute for spring break.

“Spring break definitely is better than the random days off,” Johnny Shampo, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Some students said they liked having the Mental Health Day as a break from classes but agreed with Shampo that they don’t make up for the lack of spring break.

“It was nice to have a day off of class but they feel kind of

Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu

The next mental health day is next week, Wednesday, March 10.

useless and I’m sure everyone would much rather have an actual spring break instead of the Mental Health Days,” Megan Halldow, a first-year in the College of Health Sciences, said.

While all classes are canceled during Mental Health Days, both the Rec Plex and the Helfaer Rec Center are open throughout the day for student use during regular operating hours.

The Mental Health Days also

caused some confusion for students about what was expected of them in their classes that week.

“It messed me up not knowing whether my Tuesday/Thursday class had any Teams meeting that week or if it was all asynchronous stuff. I didn’t really get that much done that week because of the confusion,” Gorney said.

The next Mental Health Day will take place next week, Wednesday, March 10.

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8

STEBNITZ: “The Bachelor” persists despite controversy Chris Harrison steps down, Emanuel Acho takes over for finale

By Mason Stebnitz

mason.stebnitz@marquette.edu

While “The Bachelor” is entering what is usually the most exciting episodes of the show, the bigger headlines are coming from what has happened off screen.

Around two weeks ago, pictures surfaced online of one of the contestants, Rachael Kirkconnell. These pictures showed Kirkconnell dressed up at an antebellum South sorority party. There were also pictures of her liking racist tweets.

The controversy peaked in a Chris Harrison appearance on ExtraT, which was hosted by the first African-American Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay.

On the show, Harrison slammed the “woke police” for making a big deal out of Rachael’s past mistakes. He then went on to say “well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?”

These comments predictably sparked major backlash among fans of the show, as well as current and former contestants.

Lindsay came out and said that she no longer wished to be associated with the series.

Contestants on this season all released a joint statement on Instagram condemning the comments made by Harrison, demanding change. This led to Harrison coming forward and announcing he would be stepping away from the show for some time to evaluate his actions.

Kirkconnell released an apology on Instagram Feb. 11, where she promised to work toward unity and change. She later posted a seven-minute apology video to Instagram, where she implored her fans to not try to defend her actions. It is believed that “The Bachelor” producers were forcing her to hold off on putting out a statement, possibly because they were scrambling to figure out all of the details surrounding the situation.

It was announced Feb. 27 that Emmanuel Acho, a former NFL linebacker, would be stepping in as host for the “After the

Final Rose” live episode. Acho is best known for his new book, “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” In the book, Acho asks many tough questions about topics that many Americans are afraid to face.

“It’s been a pivotal season and this episode will be one of the most storied shows in its history,” Acho said in a tweet. “Empathy is needed and change is coming.”

Acho has no previous associations with the show.

These events have also brought to light the questionable history that the series has with race. Out of 41 seasons, there have only been three Black leads for the show.

However, Tayshia Adams was brought in mid-season after the surprise exit of Claire Crawley in Season 16. There have also been allegations of producers only bringing on minority candidates to fill race quotas.

Many clips from earlier seasons have seen the show dismiss racist behavior as simple drama.

One specific example of the insensitivity towards race was their casting of Lee Garret in Rachel Lindsay’s season. Garret was cast despite a history of racist tweets, which the show used as a headline generator to stir up interest for the season.

Despite all of the controversy surrounding it, “The Women Tell All” episode is scheduled for March 1, followed by fantasy suites in two weeks and the finale in the following week.

Currently in the season, “The Bachelor” has just narrowed the contestants to three, with honeymoon suite dates coming in two weeks.

At the moment, the fan favorite contestant is Michelle. Michelle arrived later in the show, but received a one-on-one date at the earliest opportunity. Her chemistry with Matt has been palpable from the start, and their hot air balloon date immediately catapulted her to favorite status.

Since that point she had not received much screen time, but she has managed to hold on.

In Michelle’s hometown date, she and Matt met with her elementary school students over Zoom. The students asked the tough questions, like if they had kissed yet and if they were going to get married. The whole scene was so pure. Matt fit in really well

with Michelle’s parents as well, who were very supportive and kind. I think Michelle is in a great position heading into honeymoon suites, although I wouldn’t call her the favorite.

Bri was next up, and failed to accomplish much of anything in my mind. Their date lacked the obvious chemistry of Michelle’s, and sort of meandered along without much excitement happening. I do not know much about Bri considering she has been around the whole time. She has rarely gotten screen time and has blended in very well with the other contestants.

However, Bri did quit her job in order to appear on the show, which shows she is willing to make sacrifices for love. Users on Twitter were quick to point this

out when Bri’s mom described her as “very practical” and “a realist” when speaking with Matt. I like Bri, so it is sad that she has been reduced to a mere placeholder in the final three.

Now moving on to the aforementioned Rachael Kirkconnell, who is still very much in the mix to win Matt’s heart. Rachael has been a frontrunner ever since her shopping date with Matt a few weeks back, and has really just been gaining momentum since then. Her big moment was when she and Matt enjoyed a private concert together after he gave her a rose after a group date. It was an overt display of love, even for “The Bachelor.” He whisked her away to dance while the other contestants just sat around, most

of them crying in shock at what had just happened.

Rachael took Matt skydiving in this last episode, which looked like a great time until she crashlanded straight into the grass.

She had minor bruises, but ended up being okay. Her parents were very skeptical of the relationship since a possible proposal would be coming up quickly. Rachael was disappointed that Matt did not ask her parents for their blessing, but he said he was just being consistent, as he had not asked any of the other parents up to this point.

If Rachael ends up winning Matt’s heart, you can expect a huge and polarizing news story to follow.

Photo by Nathan Lampres nathan.lampres@marquette.edu

“The Bachelor” finale will air on ABC channel March 8 at 7 p.m. In the episode, Matt James may propose.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

9

SHAFFER: Daft Punk decides to split up after 30 years Popular songs include “Get Lucky,” “Digital Love,” “Instant Crush”

By Tommy Shaffer

d.shaffer@marquette.edu

It was a sad day in the music industry, as well as the entertainment industry in general. After nearly 30 years together, Thomas Bangalter and

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, better known as Daft Punk, decided to split up Feb. 22.

The six-time Grammywinning French electronic music duo revolutionized the music industry. In everything the duo created they made sure to be unique and give listeners something they’ve never heard before, which is important in an industry where styles and sounds become popular and get copied

Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File

The Grammy-winning French act announced its break up Feb. 22.

by up-and-coming artists looking for a quick buck. Originality is the one redeeming quality you can hope for in music, and these two embraced it.

Needless to say, it was a shock for many when the news first broke. At the moment, the reason for the split is unknown, but it crushed the hearts of many lifelong fans, which was apparent with how many Instagram stories I saw honoring the legacy of the two the day the news broke.

The thing that always stands out most about them is the fact that they would wear space-like, futuristic helmets when they performed so that they wouldn’t get recognized in public. They wanted the music to take center stage. That is something admirable and inspiring, and reminds us all to be humble.

Throughout their many years of success, Daft Punk worked with countless notable artists such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and The Weeknd, among many others. Pharrell is the artist who stands out the most when discussing Daft Punk’s success.

“Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk’s album from 2013, features Pharrell on two of the most successful tracks on the album “Lose Yourself to Dance,” which has over 200 million plays on Spotify, and “Get Lucky.” The latter went on to win Record of the Year at the 2014 Grammy Awards, and the album also went on to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.

Another one of the duo’s most popular releases, “Discovery,” their album from 2001, has been one I have been bumping since the news of the split broke.

Songs like “Something About Us” and “Digital Love” are both so unique and a treat to listen to, which makes me wonder how it must have sounded 20 years ago when this style of music was not as well known.

That is exactly what I admire most about them. They both knew how risky it was to put out music that people were unfamiliar with, and knew that it would likely not succeed at first, but they did it because it was original and they loved how it sounded.

If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t go out of my way to listen to Daft Punk’s music until recently, but I have very fond memories of listening to them when I was younger, whether it was through the radio on the way to school or on the NBA 2K13 soundtrack, which featured “Around the World” off the duo’s 2001 release. These two simply put a pep in my step day after day, along with millions of others around the world, and for that they deserve some recognition.

Since I heard of their split, I’ve been going through their past releases and listening to some tracks I have never heard before. I think it’s the best way to pay a little homage to them, and I strongly urge everyone to do the same if you want to hear some of the most creative tunes you’ll ever have the pleasure of listening to.

The robots’ originality, humility, immense talent and success will never be forgotten.

Student creates business, helps others during pandemic Carter’s Health & Lifestyle LLC sells sanitizer wristbands

By Skyler Chun

skyler.chun@marquette.edu

Kristen Carter, a senior in the College of Communication, used her imagination and the resources at the 707 Hub to create a tool that would prove to be useful for others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 707 Hub at Marquette University is an innovative place where students can access creative work spaces, mentorship resources and collaborate with peers to create their own ideas and start-up businesses.

Her business, Carter’s Health & Lifestyle LLC, is selling the “Krisband,” a wristband that carries hand sanitizer wherever you go.

The product comes with a Krisband Hand Sanitizer Wristband and silicone refillable sanitizing gel for $12.75. It also comes in seven different colors: black, white, red, blue, transparent blue, light pink and purple.

Carter said the wristband has a built-in pouch that allows you to fill it up with hand sanitizer. She said you can also fill it with other liquids, such as lotion, sunscreen or shampoo. The refill bottle that

each wristband comes with is made to fit into the pouch to make refilling easier.

According to its website, the main goal of Carter’s business is to “provide high quality products to you that attribute to your overall wellbeing at your convenience.”

“I was always surrounded by entrepreneurs in my family growing up, and even worked as an intern for the Women’s Innovation Network,” Carter said. “So when the pandemic hit, I began thinking about using my extra time to help others and start my own brand.”

The Women’s Innovation Network is a program with the 707 Hub that aids underrepresented women in the field of entrepreneurship.

After doing a bunch of her own research, Carter went back to the 707 Hub to bring her ideas to life.

“Once I decided to launch (my business), I utilized the advising clinic and was mentored by some of the staff (at the 707 Hub),” Carter said.

Carter said she also hopes to give back to the community through her business.

According to her website, 11% of all proceeds go toward nonprofit organizations and COVID-19 relief resource centers.

Some of these organizations include the Community Organized Relief Effort in Chicago, which

provides emergency relief to those affected by COVID-19; UNISEF USA, which aids children across the world and the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, which supports those impacted by the virus.

Kelsey Otero, an associate director of social innovation at the 707 Hub, said she has watched Kristen’s business grow from its early stages.

“During the pandemic, Kristen recognized a need to be able to quickly sanitize and she created the Krisband,” Otero said. “This product is especially helpful for people who want to stay safe but may not be able to carry or keep sanitizer on them at all times.”

Otero said the 707 Hub was able to provide Kristen with a number

of mentoring services to help grow her company. This included meetings with Otero, Tom Avery, the 707 Hub’s Entrepreneur-inResidence and with the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic.

She said she also purchased a wristband for herself and her sister.

“I’m all about convenience, and the hands-free mobility of having hand sanitizer wherever you go is especially helpful, particularly in school settings,” Otero said.

She said the wristbands can be a great gift for parents to give to their children, so they know they have access to sanitizer while they are at school.

The 707 Hub also has many opportunities coming up for students who are interested in entrepreneurship to get involved

as well.

Applications for the annual pitch competition, Brewed Ideas Challenge, are currently being accepted. Students can apply for a chance to receive funding to start their own businesses and bring their ideas to life. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Otero said this competition offers students funding, mentorship and the opportunity to get their idea out there on a virtual stage. The live pitch event will be April 23.

“Anyone that has an idea should apply or plan to watch the live pitch event and support fellow Marquette students,” Otero said. “We also hold regular business bootcamps to help students develop their own ideas and businesses.”

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

The 707 Hub provides entrepreneurship opportunities for students through resources and mentorship.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

Tuesday, March 2, 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 fails to communicate about norovirus

The university must openly communicate threats to public health on campus, especially during a pandemic.

Norovirus, which is a highly contagious stomach virus that can lead to muscle and stomach pains, nausea and vomiting, was detected in Straz Tower and Schroeder Hall last week.

Straz residents were told in an email Feb. 18 that when several illnesses were first reported in Straz Feb. 12, Marquette Dining Services and the Milwaukee Health Department conducted an investigation in the food preparation areas to see if there was food contamination.

The health department determined that there was no contamination, and that the illness was due to norovirus.

An email was also sent to students living in Schroeder after a small number of cases were detected there as well.

In both emails, students were advised to wash hands with warm

water and soap for 20 seconds after using the restroom, as alcohol-based sanitizers are usually not effective against norovirus. Additionally, they were advised to isolate and avoid sharing food utensils at the first detection of symptoms, as well as to use chlorine bleach-based cleaner to wipe down surfaces touched by an ill person.

Considering that norovirus has already spread to two residence halls and is highly contagious, the university should release a statement informing the entire Marquette community. Students living in those two residence halls are not the only ones at risk; The university should be treating norovirus as a campus-wide public health issue.

If students or families don’t know someone living in either Straz or Schroeder, it is unlikely that they know about norovirus spreading on campus. A student in Cobeen Hall also reported being ill with norovirus.

Although students have limited interaction with one another in residence halls and classrooms due to COVID-19 restrictions, there is inevitably still direct or indirect contact among students, such as touching a door handle or desk surface.

Failing or refusing to inform the Marquette community about the norovirus outbreak on campus further puts students, faculty and staff as well as Milwaukee community members at risk as they may be less aware of their surroundings. Without accurate information, they are less equipped to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from spreading the norovirus.

Additionally, the coronavirus is still present on campus. In the last 30 days, there have been 64 positive cases of COVID-19 on Marquette’s campus, according to the Marquette University COVID-19 Dashboard, and those are only positive tests conducted by Marquette.

Since the university allows com-

in scope and unprecedented in scale.

The changes observed in Earth’s climate since the early 20th century are primarily driven by human activities, particularly the mass burning of fossil fuels like carbon dioxide that increase heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

This results in an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, which has been on a steady incline since the 1960s, according to research collected by NASA. The Texas power grid generates about half of its electricity by burning natural gas. This makes it well-equipped to handle the state’s warmer weather. But this speaks to a bigger issue: Texas’ infrastructure is not conducive to addressing the effects of dramatically changing temperatures.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts introduced the Green New Deal, a congressional plan to tackle climate change, in 2017. The goal of the Green New Deal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid climate change’s worst consequences while also trying to fix societal problems like economic inequality and racial injustice.

This type of initiative needs to be implemented more thorough-

ly in order to combat the climate crisis. Adopting the Green New Deal would also be helpful in preventing more power disasters across the nation.

Although Wisconsin experiences frequent cold temperatures during the winter season, the state is not necessarily in the clear.

According to the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, historical trends and future projections reveal an emerging consensus on the range of possible climate changes that Wisconsin will experience. In particular, WICCI finds that Wisconsin is likely to become a much warmer state over the next few decades, with average temperatures more like those currently experienced in states hundreds of miles south.

Climate change is not just about the increasing global temperatures; It is also about irregular weather patterns.

Wisconsin is also likely to become wetter, with a modest increase in total precipitation and the number of intense rainfall events, according to WICCI. The impacts of climate change vary by season, with winter experiencing the greatest warming and most likely increase in precipitation.

The major effects of climate

munity members to voluntarily disclose if they are in self-quarantine or isolation, it is difficult to accurately know how many cases there are on campus.

Norovirus may be less life-threatening than COVID-19, but that does not mean it should be taken any less seriously. Without transparency about the situation, Marquette community members may run the risk of contracting either of the viruses.

In order to protect campus health, Marquette should also be reinforcing COVID-19 protocols and ensuring that cleaning supplies and standards are followed. This is especially important considering that some students may not be taking the pandemic seriously.

Students may also feel that because COVID-19 vaccines are being administered on campus and across the state that they don’t need to continue following COVID-19 guidelines. However, not everyone has received the vaccine, so it is essential

that students continue to wear face masks and social distance.

Additionally, it has not been proven that getting the COVID-19 vaccine will prevent the spread. According to Harvard Medical School, current COVID-19 vaccinations have been effective in limiting symptoms, but there is not conclusive data on if the vaccine will prevent someone from spreading the coronavirus to another person. This uncertainty further necessitates the need to enforce COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The university has a responsibility to ensure it is protecting students’ health and well-being. This should begin with informing campus about the norovirus spread on campus, as well as any other health risks.

If Marquette has decided to offer in-person classes during the continuous coronavirus pandemic, they should be even more diligent, effective and communicative with any additional health risk to those on campus.

Recent Texas weather clear example of climate crisis

Hope Moses

Texas’ recent weather disaster illustrates that the United States is failing to address the climate crisis.

Texas, along with other neighboring states like Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana, was confronted with severe weather conditions typically not endured by the state. These severe weather conditions include deadly freezing winds, ice and snow. The extreme hard freeze led to an inadequate power grid and frequent power blackouts, leaving about four million Texans without heat or electricity for several days. Texans suffered the consequences of climate change, leaving 30 people dead, including a 75-year-old man whose oxygen tank lost power during the blackouts.

This happened because Texas, much like the U.S. as a whole, is not prepared to handle the climate crisis we are facing.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global

Graphic via NASA This chart shows recorded global temperatures since 1880.

change happening in the South should encourage Wisconsinites to hold governmental officials responsible for ensuring that we are protected from our own battles with climate change in the future.

Clean Wisconsin, an environmental organization working to protect the state’s clean air, clean water and natural heritage, is encouraging utility companies and the state to look for renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, as well as existing technology, to help Wisconsin transition to 100% carbon-free electricity.

To achieve this, the organization works on a wide range of issues in a number of areas to protect our natural resources and the health of all Wisconsinites. Clean Wisconsin has also been partnering with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to promote education,

outreach, policy and green infrastructure practices including rain barrels and rain gardens.

Though it may seem that disastrous climate change impacts are inevitable, there are various ways we can prevent it from getting worse. As mentioned previously, voting for government officials who have plans to address climate change is a great place to start. Even opening a dialogue and finding middle ground with those around you concerning this issue is a great way to bring awareness as well.

No matter how you choose to aid in the prevention of climate change, it is essential that we hold ourselves accountable for the future of our homes.

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

Opinions

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

11

Political student organization unity positive sign for future Max Pickart The Marquette College Democrats’ and Marquette College Republicans’ joint hosting of the Prayer Service for National Unity in the Chapel of the Holy Family Feb. 18 showcases a positive model for uniting a politically polarized nation.

It is necessary for the Marquette community, as well as this nation, to establish a common ground between Democrats and Republicans, in order to effectively address societal issues.

Currently, cross-party compromise is immensely difficult to come across in our society, as both parties are hungry for complete control and are experiencing severe extremism. The two-party system is very divided, resulting in members from both parties lacking trust in the other that goes beyond party policy issues.

According to a Pew Research Center study conducted before the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden supporters and Donald Trump supporters had widely differing opinions on the importance of numerous societal issues. For example, 82% of surveyed Biden supporters said health care was an important issue while only 44% of Trump supporters felt it was

Lucia Ruffolo While feelings of unproductivity and aimlessness tend to assume control over one’s emotional psyche during the coronavirus pandemic, it is healthier to accept that things will be out of control for awhile and to practice mindfulness.

The Midwest is always a dreary place during the winter. Media pieces can attempt to capture this atmosphere. The graphic novel “Blankets” by Craig Thompson contains some gorgeous yet gritty images of the melancholy haze that occurs during an upper-Midwestern winter — an unmistakable feeling of “gray” that lasts for months. January through March are often thought of as the worst months for this very reason. This was true before the pandemic.

During a pandemic, when indoor places are closed, the situation darkens dramatically. Cabin fever grows more intense, a certain anxiety that stems from feeling isolated and the knowledge that you can do absolutely nothing to change it.

It is easy to tirelessly try to make things work anyway, to rile oneself up with panic, a fear of missing out and truly mourning the potential

an important policy issue. Additionally, 84% of Trump supporters compared to 66% of Biden supporters felt that the economy was an important issue, and 82% of Biden supporters felt that the coronavirus pandemic was important compared to 24% of Trump supporters.

There has also been a clear drift towards a more personal, deeper distrust in America. In fact, this deeply personal polarization has caused Democrats and Republicans to see opponents in a less-than-human light. This is extremely unfortunate and the loathing of the opposite party prompts a divided political culture.

The College Republicans’ and Democrats’ decision to cohost this service is important for the Marquette community and shows a promising future for open dialogue.

Marquette Campus Ministry initially extended the invitation to both groups, as they believed it was essential to recognize the growing disunity that plagues Marquette’s campus. Mary Sue Callan-Farley, the director of campus ministry at Marquette, commended this effort by both groups: “The hope was to not only respond, but to build bridges for the future with a proactive desire to foster relationships and establish common ground on campus.”

pandemic. Though there is much work to be done for this campus to unify and heal, College Democrats’ and Republicans’ actions are a sign of tangible hope for the future.

The College Democrats and Republicans also co-wrote a unity statement, with Jesuit values and diversity in mind, that they shared at the prayer service. Much of the statement focused on fairness and honesty, as well as an urge to listen to all individuals as we share

this nation.

The College Democrats and Republicans also “promised to embolden each other to not only show radical compassion, but to (participate in) respectful dialogue,” which is something that our nation is currently lacking.

If the groups can commit to and follow through by participating in dialogue that is progressive and respectful, this campus has an opportunity to grow, to learn and to promote meaningful change on campus among differing political groups.

Though Marquette’s Jesuit faith and aspect of Marquette consistently challenges its students to “be the difference,” the phrase “be the difference” does not always have a tangible meaning or action tied to it. Sometimes it may be difficult for students to feel that they are truly making a difference through their classwork or extra curricular activities. However, the prayer service is a tangible experience about what being the difference means in America’s current political climate.

We should acknowledge the prayer service as a great example of reaching across the political aisle to works towards being men and women for others.

The commitment by both groups to “(see) God in all things” and the promise to “strive to create a country where the right to

accept the situation as it is. Acceptance, which is the last of the five stages of grief, can provide a sense of catharsis. Acceptance is not giving up nor losing hope, but rather acknowledging the facts of the present moment and choosing to accept certain truths of the reality around us.

Students can adopt certain practices to reduce anxiety, stress and loneliness. Journaling can help one recognize worrying, troubling or negative thoughts and help minimize stress by allowing someone to become more aware of their feelings and triggers. There are also sedentary hobbies students can engage in from their residence halls that can bring about a sense of accomplishment, like baking, knitting and even coloring.

Of course, even in accepting the reality of the pandemic, many students are still going through challenges, such as being stressed about the uncertainty of the future. These feelings are valid and should not be disregarded as unimportant. These types of indoor activities should not be mistaken for solutions to these struggles, but rather a way to cope with our reality.

Another way to cope is to connect with friends and family in order help ease tensions, whether through small groups in person or over the phone.

While the weather has been frigid

these past weeks, it is gradually becoming warmer and sunnier as we enter springtime. In more favorable weather, taking walks and being immersed in nature are some safe activities students can engage in. The lure of springtime can be beneficial to students who may feel trapped in the midst of winter flurries during the coronavirus pandemic.

But it is also important to be aware of the volatility of weather and be content with the fact that despite some warm days, there will likely be more snowstorms and cold weather in the near future. It’s been about a year since the coronavirus restrictions were put in place in the United States. Nobody thought it would last this long, and it’s also clear that there is no real telling of when things will be safe enough for us to return to some kind of normalcy.

Accepting can be a freeing experience. In the transition between winter and spring I like to think of the Simon & Garfunkel song “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” Between the coronavirus pandemic and the winter months, things are definitely hazy. I particularly think of the lyrics “but if your hopes should pass away, simply pretend you build them again.

Look around, the grass is high, the fields are ripe, it’s the springtime of my life.”

With the growing division on campus and in this country, the co-hosted prayer service could not have come at a more meaningful, important time, with a new president in office and an ongoing

“

It is necessary for the Marquette community ... to establish a common ground between Democrats and Republicans”

We should accept our reality

freedom. College years are often thought to be a person’s prime, allowing them to bask in all the glories of young adulthood without quite having as many real-life responsibilities. During the pandemic, however, young adults have to deal with the pervasive feeling of loneliness and may feel they are missing out on a true college experience.

When certain college experiences become regarded as cultural and social milestones, like going to crowded parties or sporting events, it is easy to think that the universe somewhat owes you this experience, and it becomes frustrating not being able to live in the moment, or get what everyone else is supposedly getting.

However, it is much more freeing to let go of the idea that the universe somehow cheated you. It is freeing to not ruminate on all the possibilities; It’s freeing to let go of the bitterness. Being mindful of the fact that things are just not good right now and that some experiences will just not be a reality might be the one way to rid yourself of these troubling emotions.

Mindfulness has been thought to affect the brain and its structure, and practicing it has shown to increase activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with positive emotions.

In addition, it is important to

life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is extended to all” is one that goes beyond the classroom. At Marquette, students are called to participate in uncomfortable conversations and dialogues in order to better understand the experiences of different demographics and individuals.

Marquette faculty and students must also commit themselves to extending rights, freedom and happiness to people of all backgrounds. The Marquette community must be the difference and unite against social inequities and inequalities that currently prevail in our society, while also emphasizing the importance of working with individuals who may not share political views.

The Marquette College Democrats and Republicans serve as a perfect example.

Discussion groups and dialogues must be available for students of all political affiliations.

Panels should be co-hosted by groups in order to allow for difficult, yet respectful conversations to be held.

By example of the College Democrats and Republicans, it is clear that a positive, unified campus and country is possible and attainable.

Max Pickart is a first-year student studying Writing-Intensive English.

He can be reached at max.pickart@marquette.edu

Because feeling present in the moment and being aware of environmental surroundings will make the days pass with more ease, and before we know it, the grass will grow, fields will ripen and springtime will arrive.

Lucia Ruffolo is a first-year student and is undecided. She can be reached at lucia.ruffolo@marquette.edu

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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.

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Sports The Marquette Tribune

TRACK AND FIELD HURDLER SHATTERS RECORD FROM 1993 SPORTS, 16

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 PAGE 12

1,800 fans to be present at Fiserv for NMD

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Redshirt junior Greg Elliott (5) pumps up the crowd at National Marquette Day in 2020. The Golden Eagles beat the Butler Bulldogs 76-57 Feb. 9. Marquette shot 46% from 3-point range.

Bucks, MKE Health Department pair to allow 10% capacity

By Zoe Comerford

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu

Even though students have not been the Sixth Man at Fiserv Forum for the entirety of the 202021 men’s basketball season due

to the pandemic, Marquette Athletics announced Feb. 25 they are planning to allow 1,800 fans for the March 6 National Marquette Day game.

This comes after the Feb. 3 update about the possibility of fans following the City of Milwaukee Health Department releasing Order 4.4, which adjusted the amount of people allowed at entertainment venues.

Marquette hosts the Xavier Musketeers for National

Marquette Day, which will be the conclusion of home games for the Golden Eagles. That game will also serve as Senior Night, where the team will honor veterans Jamal Cain, Theo John and Koby McEwen.

According to the statement, Marquette Athletics will “communicate directly with individuals/groups identified in the ticket distribution plan, including students, play/staff family members, athletic department

personnel and donors.”

It was the Milwaukee Health Department, as well as the Bucks, that paired to formulate a plan that allows for 10% capacity of fans, which is 1,800 people.

The stadium’s normal capacity is 17,341.

Seating will be socially distanced throughout Fiserv, but the majority of tickets will be available to Marquette students.

There will be plenty of health and safety protocols in place

including mandatory face masks, a timed-entry system to reduce gatherings of fans at entrances, as well as remaining seated at all times.

The team is currently 6-7 at Fiserv Forum. In head coach Steve Wojciechowski’s first season in 2014-15, the Golden Eagles were 10-8 at home, but under Wojciechowski, Marquette has never had a losing season on its home floor.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

13

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wojo’s journey from Cardinal Gibbons to Marquette However, the Wojciechowski reflexively to sort of protect myself … and I couldn’t even reach that family held their promise. Even quick enough, his head cracks (and) though many other schools were he jumps up so fast and sprinted touting him, Peggy told Dahlem down the edge of the court and got that they were telling other schools Steve would be attending Cardinal right back involved into play.”

That’s the play where Dahlem Gibbons because they had made

By Zoe Comerford knew Wojciechowski would be a a commitment to the Crusaders, isabel.comerford@marquette.edu perfect fit on the basketball team and Dahlem and Mullis liked him The son of a longshoreman in at Cardinal Gibbons, a boys-only the earliest.

Baltimore. A street fighter. A tough Catholic middle and high school.

“That’s a hard commitment, worker. A coach on the sidelines. It was Dahlem’s job, as Baltimore especially in this day and age, An all-star soccer midfielder. A model honors student.

These are the phrases that a former teacher, teammate, high school and college coaches used to describe Marquette men’s basketball head coach Steve Wojciechowski.

“There’s a toughness about him.

He’s always been a beat-the-odds guy,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said. “(They said) ‘He’s not good enough to do that. Well, he’s not big enough to do that. Well, he’s not good enough to do that.’ He just uses it as fuel.”

Brey, a former Duke assistant during Wojciechowski’s time as a Blue Devil, said the Severna Park, Maryland native’s toughness boils down to how his parents — PegPhoto courtesy of Mike Dahlem and Philip Forte gy and Ed — raised him, as they Steve Wojciechowski (center) in fall 1993 during his home visit with Duke. were hard-working people.

“He was raised in … just a great coach Ray Mullis’ main recruiter, to whether it’s in athletics or other home of learning that you gotta find players for their program who ways, people won’t stick to that work and you gotta be tough and would be team players. kind of commitment specially “I said, ‘hey, I’ll tell you what, when there are other enticements,” then you gotta be accountable,” Brey said. “They didn’t coach him, you better get on this guy right Dahlem said. “Steve is who he is in they didn’t tell him where to go to away because if we don’t get on large measure because of his mom school, they just loved him, and he him now, schools (are) going to be and his dad.” had a really great upbringing from all over him,’” Dahlem said.

From then on, Dahlem highly those two people.”

Time as a Crusader Marquette’s all-time leading recruited Wojciechowski, which scorer and consensus First Team consisted of going to his games, Not many people know that not All-American Markus Howard sending him birthday cards, inviting only was Wojciechowski a 1994 said a big reason why he decided him to their games and sending him McDonald’s All-American in basto be a Golden Eagle was be- game programs. ketball, but he was also a stellar At the time, Dahlem said the soccer player. He was a center midcause of the relationship he built with Wojciechowski, even during league had a rule that allowed fielder and his leadership led his eighth graders to play at the lowest team to the playoffs. his recruitment.

“From the time I was a freshman level of the high school team.

“I have no doubt that if he’d “We had freshmen basketball so wanted to play soccer at Duke, he to when I was a senior, our relationship grew by leaps and bounds,” we would say, ‘hey why wait till could have, no question. … He Howard said. “He’s always going high school to come and play as was every bit as good a soccer to be someone who I really value a ninth grader, come as an eighth player as he was basketball player. and really look to for guidance in grader? You could play on our high He may have been the best soccer my life. I was fortunate for my four school team,’” Dahlem said. “So, player in the area,” Brian Mooryears, and he was a big part of my we started recruiting Steve from house, Wojciechowski’s former asthat perspective.” growth to where I’m at now.” sistant basketball coach at Cardinal Wojciechowski was planning Gibbons, said.

Recruitment for Cardinal to play at Cardinal Gibbons as an Cardinal Gibbons’ basketball eighth grader. But in the spring be- program was historically successGibbons fore he was going to go, his mother ful, as they produced two other On the first row of wooden Peggy called Mullis and Dahlem to McDonald’s All-Americans prior middle school bleachers sits for- tell them Wojciechowski wanted to to Wojciechowski: Quintin Dailey mer Cardinal Gibbons’ assistant spend one more year at Severna Park and Rodney Walker. The basketcoach Mike Dahlem. Suddenly, Middle School. It was the closeness ball program also had plenty of a ball heading out of bounds flies he had with his friends that made it championship teams, including hard for him to leave. She said that Wojciechowski’s senior season, toward him.

A seventh grader, who was their intent would be to send him to when the team won the Catholic coming off the bench, dives like Cardinal Gibbons the next year.

League regular season and tourna“Both of our hearts kind of ment championships.

Superman to try to get the ball.

The 13-year-old belly flops on the dropped, Coach Mullis and my“I remember the Catholic League ground and hits and the top of his self, because it’s like he’s only go- championship game. They were head hit right between Dahlem’s ing to get better,” Dahlem said. down double digits in the fourth “Other schools are going to see quarter and went on a huge run to leg on the bleachers.

“Crack,” Dahlem said. “I him as an eighth grader. That’s win it and it was purely because kind of reached down kind of what happened.” of how hard they played,” Colin

Former coaches, teammate look back on humble beginnings

Moorhouse, Brian’s son and former teammate of Wojciechowski’s, said.

When Wojciechowski was a senior, Colin was a sophomore who played on both Cardinal Gibbons’ basketball and soccer teams with him.

“I was the point guard that came in afterwards and being a blonde point guard as well, I always joke that we had to reset expectations because there was no chance I was ever going to step in Steve’s shoes or be anywhere near as good as he was,” Colin said.

Although the basketball program was known for its championships, the school’s soccer program was not as elite.

“We played the top level, but we didn’t beat the really good teams other than the year we had Steve.

We played really well, and it was mainly because of him,” Brian said.

During Wojciechowski’s senior year, Cardinal Gibbons played their archrivals in soccer and Colin said they had no business being on the same field. While the game was close, with seven minutes remaining, Wojciechowski scored on an unbelievable play to put the team up 1-0.

“We’re all excited and happy.

All I remember is him yelling ‘this game’s not over’ and continuing to push us,” Colin said. “Most of his highlights are from basketball, rightfully so, but I will never forget us beating St. Joe’s his senior year and him basically willing us to that win.”

Wojciechowski had to balance soccer, basketball and being a student. His former math teacher, Philip Forte, said even as a first-year student, Wojciechowski was a fabric of Cardinal Gibbons.

“He was very active in the school, you know, participating in different clubs and activities,” Forte said. “Steve is always very outgoing (and) always had a smile on his face.”

Wojciechowski showed his teamoriented attitude toward not only his teacher, but his teammates as well.

“He could not have been a better teammate in terms of pushing people and demanding everyone work hard. It wasn’t always the easiest when you’re playing with him, but he brought the best out of his teammates and he pushed people,” Colin said. “He demanded everyone to give the same effort he did, because there was not anyone on the floor that was going to play harder than Steve did.”

As a first-year student, Wojciechowski made the junior varsity team, which Dahlem said rarely happened. He quickly became a leader and would stop practices, and even games, to grill his teammates if they were not competing to the absolute best of their ability.

“Many times you couldn’t hear

him, but you could see him just grilling those guys like, ‘this is not acceptable. This is not who we are. This is not Cardinal Gibbons basketball. I don’t care whether the coaches like this or not, this is not us. We’re not going to get better,’” Dahlem said. “The reason that guys were receptive to that … they had no choice but to follow along with him because he was not asking them to do anything that he was not doing first.”

Brian said Wojciechowski knew from early on he wanted to be a coach, and he portrayed those leadership skills even in high school.

“You always have these times at practice when practice is just not going the way you want it to go — either they’re not getting with it or whatever and you gotta do something to get them going. When we had Steve, we never had to do that.

He took care of that,” Moorhouse said. “If practice wasn’t going well, he would recognize that, he would get them all together. I don’t know what he said to them because the coaches weren’t with him, but they’d come back and start practicing better.”

Brian said that story has always stuck out to him because he said coaches do not typically see a player taking over like that and having all his fellow teammates respect him enough that they would listen to him.

“He assumed so much leadership that we did not have to instill in him and that was one of the many countless beauties of having him as a member of our program for four years,” Dahlem said.

Forte said Wojciechowski was the type of kid that gave 110% in everything he did, especially basketball.

“He would go after every ball, but he was also a great team player,” Forte said. “I mentioned that Steve was in our honors program at Cardinal Gibbons and he ended up being a scholar athlete not only here in in Baltimore, but then at Duke as well.”

‘The Magic of Ypsilanti’ When Wojciechowski was first being recruited, none of the top-tier teams were looking at him because he was projected as a mid-major player. Due to being an honors student, the Ivy League teams and other schools like William & Mary, University of Pennsylvania, Holy Cross and Drexel were the only ones looking at him.

But it was the 1993 Adidas ABCD camp at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti where that all changed.

The format of the tournament changed and each city, like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Philadelphia and Miami, See WOJO page 14

thletics

14

The Marquette Tribune

Sports

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOJO: Duke guard possesses ‘beat-the-odds’ mentality he’s going to be an assistant for you because he wants to be a coach,’ had eight to 10 of the best play- and the rest is history.” ers chosen to compete. However, Wojciechowski was not selected for Becoming a Duke Blue Devil Baltimore’s team.

“They decided to put a team of From the night of the visit from foreign kids together from overseas Krzyzewski and Duke, Brian and they said, well, ‘God, we need knew Wojciechowski was going to a point guard.’ So Wojo was like a choose the Blue Devils. late addition to the camp and he was Both Brian and Dahlem were put as the point guard all these for- able to sit in for Wojciechowski’s eign guys,” Brey said. home visits. Brian said there were For four to five days, back-to-back visits from Dean Wojciechowski built team chem- Smith from the University of North istry among his teammates, even Carolina, and the next night was though he did not speak any of Krzyzewski and Brey. their languages.

“It was pretty clear to me after “The great communicator with those two visits that I thought Steve Russians and Greeks and Israelis was going to go to Duke even beand Asians and seven different lan- fore he announced he was going to guages being spoken and he’s mov- go to Duke only because the personing their a--es all over the place and ality of Coach K and Steve hit off just kind of bringing them togeth- so well,” Brian said. “Coach Smith er,” Brey said. “He had seven guys did a great job too, but he was kind from seven different countries, and of more laid back, so it was it was he had them playing like a sympho- pretty clear to me that (Duke) was ny together, it was unbelievable.” going to be a good fit.”

At the time, Wojciechowski was Krzyzewski can still rememnot even on Brey or current Duke ber his initial meeting with head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s ra- Wojciechowski and his family. dar. Instead, they were watching a “They’re amazing people, they’re recruit from Chicago. team players, they’re hard workers, Brey did not mention the they want to be a part of something name of the Chicago recruit, bigger than them,” Krzyzewski but Wojciechowski’s team beat the said. “I knew that he would add not Chicago team. Then, they beat the just value as a player, but he would New York team. bring character, great character into “Wojo’s gesturing with sign lan- our program.” guage like a quarterback and a point During the fall of Wojciechowsguard. They don’t understand any- ki’s senior year at Cardinal thing coming out of his freaking Gibbons, Brey would go to mouth and they have a great week,” Baltimore frequently.

Brey said. “After about the third “What I would do is I would go day (we) are sitting there at lunch and watch him play soccer at Cardikind of going, ‘Why wouldn’t we nal Gibbons and then he’d go in the want this guy?’ Like I think we need gym and get a basketball workout to offer him and try and get him with Mike Dahlem,” Brey said. right then. Thankfully by the end of Before Wojciechowski even the week we made that decision and stepped on campus in Durham, offered him.”

Dahlem was able to go down to Dahlem said he will remember watch Duke’s practices and games. the line Brey told to Krzyzewski for “When he finally committed as long as he lives. to Duke, the Duke staff said to “He finally told Coach K, he said us, ‘Hey, look when we recruit a … ‘What are we waiting for? We young man (and) he comes to our have to start recruiting this guy seri- school, not only his family, but his ously.’ From there, it took off and high school coaches, you’re part of Steve started being recruited by big- our family now too so if you ever time programs,” Dahlem said. want to come down to practice, After that tournament, Brey come down to practice. If ever you said Wojciechowski’s stock was want to come down to games, come at an all-time high, as programs down to games,’” Dahlem said. like North Carolina and Georgia Not only did Wojciechowski Tech were vying for him. His fi- impact Dahlem’s coaching career, nal five schools were Duke, North he’s also the reason his former math Carolina, Wake Forest, St. John’s teacher, Philip Forte, began followand Vanderbilt. ing college basketball.

Brey said he had one selling “I would make it a point of point to Krzyzewski, who has three watching his Duke games on TV daughters and no sons: this was go- whenever they were on,” Forte said. ing to be the son he never had.

Dahlem, who was able to at“He’s Polish, he’s Catholic, he’s tend around three to four games a point guard, he’s tough as nails a year, said it was a joy watching and he’s gonna be on your coaching Wojciechowski play at Duke. As a staff one day,” Brey said. “He said Blue Devil, Wojciechowski averto me, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, aged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.9 ‘When we go into the home visit, rebounds and 1.6 steals in the 128 don’t talk about being a pro. Talk games he played in. about when he’s done at Duke how “Many games were played on Continued from page 13

Saturdays and often times they would practice on Sundays. (So) I would stay over for a Sunday practice,” Dahlem said. “Getting an inside look at Duke’s program, not many folks are blessed to have been able to do that. … Here I am, able to go ahead and watch and learn from that’s what Duke is doing in their program because of my association with Steve.”

Despite Adversities in First Year, Named Top Defensive Player as Senior

In his first year at Duke in 1994, Wojciechowski had to deal with the mental struggles of losing two of his biggest basketball influences: Mullis and Krzyzewski.

While Krzyzewski was out with a back injury and other illnesses for five months, his former Cardinal Gibbons head coach passed away in December 1994. Dahlem compared those losses to cutting a big chunk out of your soul.

“For Steve to have endured that freshmen year with losing in both of those ways, not having his two coaches around him that he loves

physically, during the rest of his time at Duke Wojciechowski absolutely flourished. He made the Second Team All-ACC in 1997 and Third Team All-ACC in 1998. As a senior he was also the 1998 NABC Defensive Player of the Year and named an All-American Honorable Mention. With Wojciechowski, the Blue Devils had an 87-44 record.

Throughout his four years, Wojciechowski started in 88 of the 128 games he played in. He sits at ninth in Duke history for steals and eighth in career assists with 203 and 505, respectively. In 1997, he recorded the highest number of steals in a single season with 82 and played in the NCAA South Regional final. Then in 1998, he tied for 13th-best with 74 steals.

“He never got the freshman year that he deserved but then you know he had a good sophomore year and we made the tournament,” Krzyzewski said.

At the end of Wojciechowski’s sophomore year, Krzyzewski told him he was going to be a good backup for Trajan Langdon and Duke’s other perimeter guards.

“I said, ‘You can really help us.’

Photo courtesy of Colin Moorhouse

Wojciechowski (center) kicks the game-winning goal over St. Joseph.

so much and for him to have gone on to have had the career he had at Duke tells you a lot about, you know, who he is,” Dahlem said.

Brey said that 1994-95 season was crisis management on a daily basis, due to getting beat regularly and also Mullis’ passing. The Blue Devils were 13-18 during his first season. “(We) were just really concerned about the young guys’ psyche, especially Steve’s, given we weren’t winning, Mike K wasn’t around, he lost his other mentor,” Brey said.

“He’s a warrior. … There’s always that edge and chip on his shoulder because he’s been told, from probably 12 years old, ‘well, you’re too small. Well, you’re not quick enough,’ and all he did was win and fight and outplay guys that were going to go to the NBA.” Though his first year was difficult both mentally and

He took that and he came back lost a lot of weight or whatever and he dogged Trajan Langdon every day in summer and fall, and they both ended up being my starting backcourt,” Krzyzewski said. “I knew right then … he was as good a defensive guard as there was in the country.”

A National Champion

After graduating with a bachelor’s in sociology in 1998, the firstgeneration college student went to play professionally in Poland for a year, until returning as an assistant coach for Krzyzewski in 1999.

“His junior and senior years, I knew he always knew the game plan, he spoke well, and he was a great leader,” Krzyzewski said.

“He loved the game and he loved working at the game and learning about the game, so when he became

available, I gobbled him up right away.”

He stayed at Duke until 2014 and was even promoted to associate coach in 2008. Wojciechowski coached the frontcourt and helped lead the Blue Devils to winning the 2001 and 2010 NCAA Championships.

“For him to go on to Duke and have the same level of success and then to go back to Duke as an assistant coach and remain with the program, certainly that speaks of his loyalty to his coaches,” Forte said.

For Colin, the last time he saw his former teammate was when Wojciechowski was an assistant and he talked with him after the game.

“My brother and I went to a Duke-Georgia Tech game. Steve’s just an all-around great guy. He really cares,” Colin said. “That’s why it was so great to play and be his teammate because you know he’s pushing you, but it was because he cared about you. That kind of translates with his relationships with his players too.”

After the Feb. 24 win against University of North Carolina, Wojciechowski was able to visit his old stomping grounds as Marquette practiced at Cameron Indoor Stadium before heading to the University of Connecticut for the Feb. 27 game.

“While I’m down there (there will) be different things that I see that will spark memories of the times that I had in that area. It’s a great area and I appreciated my time at Duke and in Durham and as a part of that community,” Wojciechowski said in a press conference Feb. 23.

Duke owned a 441-92 record with Wojciechowski as an assistant and associate coach, and Krzyzewski said he was lucky to have him.

“As much of an imprint as he made on our program as a player, I think he made an even bigger imprint on our program as a coach,” Krzyzewski said.

Coaching His Own Team University President Michael Lovell named Wojciechowski as the 17th head coach in Marquette men’s basketball history April 1, 2014. He took over for Buzz Williams, who had left for Virginia Tech.

“Those guys that are fabulous leaders become really good coaches,” Brey said. “The guys that are great leaders and captains on their college teams, they’re natural when they move onto coaching. He’s really been a natural.

He has established the “Win Every Day” philosophy and has led his team to three-straight postseason appearances with an NCAA berth in 2016-17, NIT quarterfinal appearance in 2017-18 and a No. 5 seed at the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament.

See WOJO page 15

Sports

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

15

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOJO: Key milestones translate to leadership roles

Continued from page 14

“He wouldn’t recruit guys that he felt didn’t have great character.

He feels that’s more important than anything you do on the basketball court,” Howard said. “The way he conducts himself as well as how he runs his program is a true testament to what he’s truly about. That’s bringing in young men that he feels can really make a difference on the court and off the court.”

Though Dahlem said there is a lot of glamor in being a head coach of a college basketball team, it comes with a price.

“It comes with a very, very exacting toll, a price that it exacts on the family and the guy that’s actually doing the coaching. It’s literally 24/7, 365 days a year,” Dahlem said. “Any time you get with your family and others is a real, real bonus.”

Many of Wojciechowski’s former colleagues said they have continued to follow Wojciechowski’s success as head coach at Marquette. They all said no matter how busy he is, he will always send a text back.

Occasionally Wojciechowski will call Dahlem if he is on a long drive. Other than that, their

communication occurs mostly over text.

“I will text Steve after virtually every game, before every game, especially when it’s a downer game and they’ve lost to try to pick him up,” Dahlem said. “He’s getting dozens, if not hundreds, of text messages from people because he has such a large sphere of people that means something to him, that he means something to. I don’t expect any kind of elaborate communication from him, but just to hear from him is great and just to know I can follow along with him is really a special situation.”

Even his former star guard and current Denver Nugget said he tries to reach out to Wojciechowski every so often after a game.

“We’ll both be texting or calling back and forth, which is nice. It’s always good to hear from him,” Howard said. “Any conversations we can have, they’re very good, they’re in depth and we just catch up and encourage each other.”

Dahlem said as soon as Wojciechowski took the job at Marquette, him and his 93-year-old mother became addicted to watching the Golden Eagles.

“I’ll tell my mom, ‘Hey, guess who’s on tonight? Wojo.’‘Oh Wojo’s on, Wojo’s on.’ We flip Steve’s game on, it’s our priority game,” Dahlem said.

In 2022, Brey and Wojciechowski will be reunited on the court. But rather than on the same sideline, they will be coaching against each other. It was announced in November 2019 that Marquette and Brey’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be renewing their rivalry in a homeand-home series starting in the 2022-23 season.

“It’s been a little unusual to look down and you see a guy that you recruited (coaching),” Brey said.

“There’s a special bond with Steve because we were both point guards from Maryland Catholic schools and kind of gym-rat guys who came up the same way, who wanted to be coaches.”

For Forte, he said he is beyond proud of his former student.

“I was very happy and extremely proud that he was able to get the head coach position there at Marquette and I’m a graduate of a Jesuit college myself, Loyola here in Baltimore, so you know so I was very happy that Steve landed at a good

Jesuit school,” Forte said.

Meanwhile, Brian has seen Wojciechowski when he’s come back to Baltimore. Brian is the Gibbons rep for the Baltimore Catholic League Hall of Fame selection committee and Wojciechowski was one of the inductees, but has also come back to speak to group.

Though Brian and Colin have not seen him coach at Marquette yet, they are planning a trip soon.

“I watch all the games and I’ve texted him a few times. He’s so busy, I try to not really bother him and let him do his job and he’s done a great job,” Brian said. “(But I watch) all the Duke games and I’m still a Duke fan.”

As for Brey, he said there is something about Wojciechowski’s personality and upbringing that makes him a natural coach.

“That’s the kind of guy you want your son to handle for four years,” Brey said. “I would send my son to him in a heartbeat and he’d come back a man.”

Howard said his growth both on and off the court were a testament to Wojciechowski’s leadership and influence.

“He’s not going to tell you what

you want to hear, he’s going to tell you what you need to hear,” Howard said. “Wojo always challenged me each and every day to be a leader … (and) the way he coached me was the biggest sign of respect and love that you could have.”

Dahlem, who has had 18 years working in collegiate athletics, said the truest joy in life is when he can be happier for someone than he is for himself. When good things have happened to Wojciechowski throughout his life — whether it was playing at Duke, coaching at Duke or now building his own program at Marquette — Dahlem said he could not be happier for Wojciechowski.

“I have to say that there are there are families and there are young men that were right up there with Steve, but I have not met anyone, been blessed or worked with anyone who has had more of a giving, kind, intense, team-oriented … you could fill in all the adjectives, than Steve,” Dahlem said. “He is the hardest working, the most giving, the most team-oriented, the most caring, the most selfless individual that I’ve ever been blessed to work with.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER

BIG EAST WSOC fields provide benefits, challenges Players across conference reflect on playing atmosphere

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

The BIG EAST women’s soccer fields are incredibly diverse.

Some of the most unique stadiums are found within the conference and each field presents a different challenge.

Out of the 11 fields, only two still boast a natural grass playing surface, in Marquette’s Valley Fields and Georgetown’s Shaw Field. The other nine teams have updated to some form of artificial turf, usually field turf.

However, the BIG EAST locations have so many more factors that create different atmospheres.

Several players in the conference talked about some of the most difficult and unique factors that separate the fields.

“Favorite place to play outside of home field” The BIG EAST lies in the Midwest and East Coast, spanning from Providence College in Rhode Island to Creighton University in Nebraska. Each player shared a little bit about their favorite places to play.

Butler redshirt junior goalkeeper Stephanie Rodriguez said her

favorite place to play was out on the East Coast.

“Personally, my favorite would be Providence. I love traveling out east. I think that’s a cool experience for us who are used to the Midwest weather and the type of fields out east is definitely an experience for our team,” Rodgriguez said. “They always have great facilities and fields. It’s top-class and we always enjoy playing there.”

Butler redshirt senior defender Amanda Kowalski talked about Creighton’s field, which has brought in league-topping attendance almost every year for the past decade.

“I would say I enjoy playing at Creighton. It’s just because it’s cool playing in a soccer-only stadium with a nice turf field,” Kowalski said. “It’s a cool atmosphere as well.”

DePaul redshirt senior midfielder Bina Saipi agreed with Kowalski concerning Creighton’s stadium, which can fit up to 7,500 fans.

“I think their stadium is super nice and big. I like traveling there, so the trip out there is fun too,” Saipi said. “I also think Butler is fun, and Georgetown. I would say those three are my favorite.”

Marquette senior forward Kylie Sprecher said besides her home field, St. John’s, Butler and Seton Hall top her list as some of her favorite places to play in the BIG EAST. “I think St. John’s has a pretty

cool field. It’s turf is higher up and they have a lot of stands on the side, so it doesn’t feel like the stands are on top of you,” Sprecher said. “I like Butler and Seton Hall. Butler is in a football stadium-style thing.

I don’t like feeling claustrophobic and we have space on the sidelines there. It feels more open, and Seton Hall is the same way.”

“Where is the hardest place to play in the BIG EAST?” Rodriguez said DePaul was one of the most difficult places to play for several reasons.

“Their field dimensions are definitely different compared to a lot of the BIG EAST,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of it is just a little bit of an adjustment for our team and game plans.”

DePaul’s Wish Field is one of the most unique places to play in potentially all of women’s soccer. There are a number of different factors that make it such a different experience.

“DePaul has the train right next to the field. So, every couple of minutes, the train is flying by which sometimes can be distracting,” Sprecher said. “Also, their field has a compact feeling that I don’t really love and there’s not a lot of space on the sidelines. It’s also used as a softball field so in one corner, there’s a bunch of softball lines which can make it a little tough and confusing and makes the field feel smaller.”

The most unusual part of DePaul’s field is the train that Sprecher mentioned, which constantly passes by the game. The game does not stop and the L train that runs through Chicago causes a commotion that becomes a distraction if one is not prepared.

Saipi said she actually thought Butler’s field had the hardest atmosphere.

“For me, it’s Butler. I think the whole atmosphere of the Butler Bowl and walking out and having their stadium almost dug into the ground,” Saipi said. “It’s always a competitive atmosphere and environment.”

“Best atmosphere in the BIG EAST”

The fans are such a massive part of any sports competition. With no fans due to the pandemic, the atmosphere is completely different.

Kowalski said Georgetown is able to bring fans out when they compete.

“I would add Georgetown just because of their atmosphere. They always get a good crowd going whenever we play there,” Kowalski said. “I think the atmosphere and field is pretty difficult.”

St. John’s redshirt junior forward Emily Purtell also said Georgetown was one of the most difficult atmospheres to compete in.

“Georgetown is usually a good turnout. There’s a bit of heckling

with the crowd there, so I think Georgetown,” Purtell said.

One of the other common picks for best atmosphere was Creighton.

Kowalski and Rodriguez said their fans tend to add to the game.

“My past experiences was Creighton. They were able to get a few students last time we were there. It very much feels like a soccer field, facility and stadium,” Rodriguez said. “They always have night games and the lights and the crowd when we’re there. It was fun having some sort of student section rooting against you.”

For Kowalski, the fans at Creighton were doing everything in their power to distract visiting players.

“Sometimes the crowd members will pull up our social media accounts and they’ll heckle us from the sidelines. In the Creighton game, they had a huge fan base when we went there last season and had a bunch of other sports teams there, and heckling,” Kowalski said.

Sprecher said she thinks that Marquette has one of the best atmospheres because of the fans.

“I’m not going to lie and not to be biased, but Valley Fields and the way it’s set up, it’s a very lively environment,” Sprecher said. “I feel like compared to a lot of other schools, the amount of fans and other sports teams that come to our game, the way Valley (Fields) is set up is one of the rowdier places we’ve been.”

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

TRACK & FIELD

Juru Okwaramoi breaks program record in hurdles Sophomore posts time of 8.1 seconds, beats 28-year mark

By Sam Arco

samuel.arco@marquette.edu

Breaking a school record is by no means an easy feat, and doing it as a sophomore makes it that much more special for Marquette track and field hurdler Juru Okwaramoi.

Okwaramoi posted a time of 8.10 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles at the Parkside Triangular #2 meet Feb. 20, beating the previous mark of 8.27 set by Chris Spindler back in 1993.

“I think I found out about 15 minutes after my race that I had beat the record,” Okwaramoi said. “It was funny too because after I finished my race my coach and I were like, ‘yeah it could’ve been better,’ but overall we were both still happy with the performance.”

Despite not participating in a competitive meet for almost a year due to COVID-19, the Baltimore native breezed

past the nearly 30-year-old record in only her third meet of her sophomore season.

“I always thought about breaking the record in the back of my head, but I hadn’t hurdled in over 11 months and I’m still getting back in shape and in the swing of things, so it kind of took me by surprise that I broke it this early in the season,” Okwaramoi said.

As for head track and field coach Bert Rogers, Okwaramoi’s success on the track does not come as such a shock.

“Juru’s such a hard worker and is starting to become a student of her craft,” Rogers said.

“She is naturally very fast and she’s starting to make the most of her potential, as you can see already.”

Coming into the season, Okwaramoi had been a huge part of the women’s team’s success when it came to several sprinting events. As a first-year in the program last season, she ran the third-fastest 60-meter hurdle time in school history with a time of 8.85 seconds and was also involved in the thirdfastest 4x400-meter relay, with

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Juru Okwaramoi (middle) hurdles at the Panther Tune-Up Feb. 14.

a time of 3:47.74 at the indoor conference championships.

With one record down in the books, Okwaramoi is not stopping there.

“I really want to break the 60-meter hurdle record at some point, I think I have a really good shot at it, and it would be awesome to break another record,”Okwaramoi said.

The current 60-meter hurdle record was set by Megan Kosman in 2001 with a time of 8.78 seconds. Okwaramoi currently holds the third-best time in school history with a time of 8.85 seconds.

As for the rest of her goals for the season, Okwaramoi wants to shift focus on accomplishing success with her all of her teammates and bringing back some hardware to Milwaukee.

“When it comes to outdoor season, I want to focus more on the team aspect and performing well in the 4x400meter relay and as a team placing well at the BIG EAST Conference Championships.”

With many high aspirations in place for the remainder of the season, Rogers can attest that no record is safe when the

sophomore is at her best.

“I feel like any of the women’s hurdle records are definitely in danger, whether that’s this year or in the future,” Rogers said. “Only time will tell, but she definitely has the potential to do something special here at Marquette.”

Since she is only a secondyear athlete in the program, Okwaramoi believes she still has a lot to learn and knows there is much more to come on the track in the following years.

“I think the most important thing is just trusting the process,” Okwaramoi said. “I know I tend to rush wanting to be good and having a PR at every meet, and I know that’s just not a feasible expectation. I just have to be patient with my training and trust that it will lead to great results.”

Trusting the process requires taking every step one day at a time, and in a year full of unknowns, many athletes such as Okwaramoi are finally realizing how important it is to truly take it one day at a time, because you do not know what tomorrow will hold.