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‘Confusion is an understatement’ Chester Loeffler-Bell notified his contract will not be renewed

By Finn Askin, Skyler Chun and Benjamin Wells finn.askin@marquette.edu skyler.chun@marquette.edu benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

Marquette Theatre feels frustration after losing valuable staff member and friend to a contract non-renewal.

“Terrible” and “angry” were the two words Chester LoefflerBell, the technical director for the Marquette University Theatre Department, felt best described how he felt when he was notified that his contract would not be renewed.

Marquette University announced the layoff of 39 staff and faculty Jan. 21, and has recently added that administration will not renew the contracts of a “single digit percentage” of nontenure-track faculty contracts were not renewed after

this semester.

Loeffler-Bell is currently in charge of teaching three courses, including stagecraft, lighting design and theatre management.

Outside of the curriculum, he was also in charge of making sure all sets were built prior to a performance. Additionally, he served as a lighting designer for numerous projects.

“I am very frustrated. I’ve been at MU for 20 years. I wanted to finish my career here. Confusion is an understatement,” Loeffler-Bell said.

In response to the layoffs, Loeffler-Bell felt that the Marquette community needs to know that they are not necessary, but still acknowledged that Marquette is in a rough patch right now financially.

“MU has the resources or at See CONFUSION page 2

Vaccine eligibility Graduate students burn out increases in city Mental health Wisconsin Center FEMA site a hub for distribution of shots

By Karsyn Hartsfield

karsyn.hartsfield@marquette.edu

Since the COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival, many people have been waiting for a vaccination of their own. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services changed its guidelines to allow even more people the

chance to get vaccinated April 5.

The new guidelines allow anyone 16 or older to get vaccinated.

Anyone under 18 wishing to get vaccinated will still need parental consent. Currently, for those under 18, the Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccination approved.

MaryKate Hogan, a junior in the College of Nursing, currently works at the Wisconsin Center administering COVID-19 vaccinations. Hogan said that she’s had people from outside the Milwaukee area, from Madison or Dane County, come to the Wisconsin Center for their vaccination because there’s more availability See VACCINE page 3 INDEX

MUU TV

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

remains issue for demographic

By Claire Driscol

claire.driscol@marquette.edu

On top of the hefty workload a graduate student receives, Becky Anderson — who is working toward a Masters of Science in Nursing — has also taken on stress brought by COVID-19. This stress has left Anderson feeling isolated.

“I did not recognize the toll that the state of our world was taking on my mental health,” Anderson said in an email. “Not only has it

NEWS

inflicted levels of stress and anxiety that some of us (graduate students) have never experienced, but it isolated us from the people and places we turn to in order to process some of those feelings.”

Mental health continues to be a topic of concern among graduate students, as a survey that drew responses from nine U.S. research universities indicated that signs of depression and anxiety amid this demographic have doubled during COVID-19.

Although professors have taken circumstances regarding COVID-19 into consideration, Anderson said less homework is “not really an option.”

“While the circumstances surrounding this past year are unique, we are still held

responsible to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and understanding of the profession that we are entering,” Anderson said in an email.

Marquette’s Mental Health Days also don’t apply to students in the Law School, School of Dentistry and some of the health sciences professional programs. Anderson has been unable to participate in Mental Health Day activities.

Erin Ahlgrim, another graduate student at Marquette, is also no exception to the challenges graduate students have faced amid the pandemic.

Ahlgrim finished her undergraduate degree last May — around two months after Marquette switched See GRADUATE page 4

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OPINIONS

‘Going through a lot’

Wisconsin mask mandate Pandemic persists Students reflect on regulations in state and in city

In-person sports events must follow COVID-19 guidelines

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Universities across the state are aware of student burnout

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

CONFUSION: Some worry about future of arts Continued from page 1

the very least could have cobbled together the funds needed to keep the dedicated employees and programs going during the pandemic,” he said in an email. “The University for whatever reason, wrongly decided to make easy choices instead of maintaining what makes MU great. They have forgotten that you need to treat people how you want to be treated.”

The Theatre Arts program will now be condensed down to four total professors, from an original five staff members.

Devon Wiensch, a junior in the College of Communication, said they were also very frustrated by this decision.

Wiensch said that the arts don’t get a lot of money, and when things get cut, the arts get cut first.

“I was fuming. I was so mad. I was an-ga-ry with three syllables,” Wiensch said when they first found out

Loeffler-Bell had been fired.

“Chester is such a teddy bear.

You’d think he’s like this grumpy guy, but he’s actually really sweet, and crazy talented as well. (The theater department) doesn’t deserve him really.”

Wiensch said the layoff was a surprise to many students in the theater department.

“We all woke up one morning and Chester got laid off,” Wiensch said. “I know they were thinking about closing the whole program and had to make cuts either way, but there was not any transparency about that or communication before or after he was fired.”

As technical director, Loeffler-Bell’s main job was to guide students in lighting and sound design behind the scenes of productions.

“It’s really hard to do a production to the best of your ability if you don’t have a technical director,” Wiensch said. “I am stage managing a capstone right

now, and Chester’s not here, so it’s weird and there’s also (COVID-19), so who knows what theater is anymore anyway.”

Emma Knott, a junior in the College of Communication, said she attended a meeting with the dean of the College of Communication at the beginning of the semester, along with a few other theater arts students regarding the department.

“When we were in a meeting with (the dean), she kind of just said, ‘We’ll make sure to keep students in the loop, or at the very least, informed of what’s going on,’” Knott said. “So a lot of students feel that there’s been a problem with transparency coming from the people who are making these decisions.”

Knott said that Loeffler-Bell has been working at Marquette for over 20 years, but received no severance, and there was no mention of him not having his contract renewed at a recent staff meeting.

Severance pay is a package of

benefits that employees are eligible to receive after being laid off. The specific amount of pay is typically dependent on the length of employment and agreement with the university or company.

“The whole university is dealing with cuts, but it just feels like such a big loss,” Knott said.

“Chester is the only one who knows how to operate on everything, and he does that for every single show.”

As a student who focuses mainly on acting and performance in the theater department, Knott said she wanted to explore set design more, and that was how she originally met Loeffler-Bell.

She said a lot of the work that Loeffler-Bell does actually takes place outside of the classroom.

“There was one day when I didn’t have anything to do, and he actually started teaching me a lot about set design,” Knott said.

Maaz Ahmed, a senior in the College of Communication, expressed his irritation with the university. Ahmed has had

numerous experiences with Loeffler-Bell. Even beyond the classroom, Ahmed was able to gain a large amount of experience and influence from him.

Ahmed said the situation was frustrating because “future students will not be able to work with (Chester). He has had an indescribable amount of influence on my education.”

“I worry that future students will not have the same opportunities to grow within the program. They will not be able to reap the benefits that he provided in such a safe environment,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed emphasized that as a Marquette community, students must protect educators and professors. Loeffler-Bell said he has felt this kind of support from students in theater who keep him going.

“This is the most devastating moment in my life. Seeing (theater students) every day helps a lot,” Loeffler-Bell said in an email.

Marquette Wire Stock Photos

Marquette Theatre often puts on several shows per year. This year’s shows have been mainly virtual, but in previous years they were mainly in-person. Shows above include Peter and the Starcatcher (left) and Crumbs from the Table of Joy (right). Both shows are from the 2019-2020 season.

News

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

VACCINE: Appointments continue Continued from page 1 for appointments.

Hogan said the way vaccinations are running in Milwaukee and Wisconsin “is honestly pretty impressive (because of) how smooth it is.”

“There is limited appointments (in Illinois), and once you get there, you’ll be waiting a long time. It’s just a different experience. In Milwaukee, it’s easier to get an appointment, and it’s a smoother process,” Hogan said.

Wisconsin currently has 39.7% of its population vaccinated with at least one dose as of Monday and 25.8% have been fully vaccinated.

This includes 2.17 million people who have had at least one dose, and 1.42 million people who are fully vaccinated.

Maddi Carroll, a first-year in the College of Business Administra-

tion, recently got her vaccination at the Wisconsin Center.

“It was really quick, easy and painless,” Carroll said.

Carroll explained the process for her shot involved registering online and then filling out paperwork when she arrived. She then was taken to a “curtained-off area” where the shot was administered. After the shot, she was taken to a waiting area to wait for fifteen minutes before she could leave.

Hogan explained that after the shot is given, patients are asked to wait 15 minutes, or 30 minutes if they have severe allergies, to make sure there are no adverse reactions.

In the event something was to happen, “there’s EMTS and nurses in the waiting room watching you,” Hogan said. Hogan said she hasn’t seen anyone have a reaction to the shot.

Carroll said she’s grateful that vaccines have be-

come more available and believes more places should follow Milwaukee’s example.

College campuses have a lot of students, possibly leading to being a hub for COVID-19 cases. Allowing access to vaccines on campuses could be helpful.

Marquette will be offering vaccinations but only to students, staff and faculty. Marquette has been doing random COVID-19 testing to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Liz Wiltgen, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, works as a sampler at Marquette’s surveillance site.

“Most people are pretty agreeable about testing, but generating one milliliter of saliva can take a long time out of someone’s day and be really frustrating to students,” Wiltgen said.

Wiltgen said she did not know much about Marquette’s vaccination process.

“Honestly (I’m) pretty confused by some of the emails about it,” Wiltgen said. “I think they could’ve communicated more clearly about who they were distributing vaccines to and how.”

Marquette will start vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson’s/Janssen one-dose vaccine April 14. Students and staff looking for more information about Marquette’s vaccinations can find them at the Marquette Medical Clinic website.

“I think both Wisconsin and Milwaukee have done a great job with vaccine distribution,” Wiltgen said.

On the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s website you can find a local location to get vaccinated. The Wisconsin Center near campus is currently offering appointments daily.

The Marquette Tribune

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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, Finn Askin PROJECTS Projects Editor Lelah Byron Assistant Editor Amanda Parrish Reporters Grace Dawson, Maria Crenshaw, Aspen Ramos, Beck Salgado ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arts & Entertainment Editor Skyler Chun Assistant Editors Charlotte Ives, Mason Stebnitz Reporters Quinn Faeth, Ryan Lynch, Ariana Madson, Tommy Shaffer OPINIONS Executive Opinions Editor Alexandra Garner Assistant Opinions Editor Aminah Beg Columnists Jenna Koch, Hope Moses, Max Pickart, Lucia Ruffolo SPORTS Executive Sports Editor Zoe Comerford Assistant Editors Nick Galle, Molly Gretzlock Reporters Sam Arco, Bryan Geenen, Jackson Gross, Matt Yeazel, Matthew Valente, Jack Lewandowski COPY Copy Chief Eleanor Mccaughey Copy Editors Kendra Bell, 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 ----

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Students can get vaccinated at the Wisconsin Center, among other local places. People interested must bring identification.

MUPD REPORTS APRIL 7 A subject unaffiliated with Marquette attempted to touch a Marquette student in the 1100 block of W. Tory Hill Street without consent. The subject was arrested and cited

by MUPD. An unknown subject vandalized a subject unaffiliated with Marquette’s vehicle on the

700 block of N. 22nd Street.

APRIL 6 An unknown subject removed property from a Marquette student’s vehicle without consent on the 2100 block of W. Michigan Avenue.

APRIL 5 A subject unaffiliated with Marquette had a verbal

altercation in the 900 block of N. 17th Street.

The subject had a warrant and was taken to Aurora Sinai Hospital after requesting medical attention. The subject was then transported to the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility by MUPD.

COVID-19 TRACKER

CORRECTIONS

CUMULATIVE CASES MARQUETTE

In April 6’s “Brewers bring crowds back to bars, restaurants” it stated that opening day for the Brewers was April 2. It was actually April 1. The Tribune regrets this error.

1,311 NEW CASES - 4/5-4/11 13 CUMULATIVE CASES - MILWAUKEE 102,107 SEVEN DAY AVERAGE WEEK OF 4/7 131

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The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Wisconsin schools respond to mental health UW-Madison issues pass/fail grading system option

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

Many Marquette students have been subject to a hybrid learning environment for the entirety of the 2021 spring semester. This is now the third semester that students have taken part in partial or fully online learning.

In addition to navigating college during the COVID-19 pandemic, students had to adjust after the university canceled spring break. Instead of spring break, the university added Mental Health Days throughout the semester, the next one taking place Tuesday, April 20.

Many students have expressed feelings of added stress and burnout from the pandemic and in some cases, the lack of breaks.

Different higher education institutions across Wisconsin have been addressing the problems of burnout in various ways.

The University of WisconsinMilwaukee held a scheduled spring break from March 2128. UW-Milwaukee is using an

academic calendar similar to past years. The school has a normal week-long spring break and no random days off throughout the semester. Currently, UWM is offering a hybrid format similar to Marquette, where some classes are face-to-face and some are online or partially online.

UWM chancellor Mark A. Mone said to students that the university plans to be “fully operational” next semester.

“We are optimistic that, by this summer, the majority of our faculty, instructors, advisors, and others working directly with students will be vaccinated. We urge everyone to monitor eligibility categories and the availability of vaccines. You are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as availability and eligibility allow,” Mone said in a letter to UWM students.

Other institutions, like University of Wisconsin-Madison, have taken a different approach regarding spring break. Like Marquette, UW-Madison canceled their spring break to discourage travel and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

However, students at UWMadison did get three days off from classes this spring. Marquette students had Good Friday

off from classes in addition to the Mental Health Days. This was the first time Marquette students had more than two consecutive days off this semester.

Additionally, UW-Madison has

“

Our students have been going through a lot of mental health challenges, JOHN SU Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

given students the option to use a pass/fail grading system for this semester. The majority of higher education institutions, including Marquette, offered this option the spring 2020 semester.

“We are making this change because we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an ongoing and cumulative impact on students in many different ways,” UW-Madison provost Karl Scholz said in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.

The implementation of a

pass/fail system gives students the option to replace letter grades with “Satisfactory-Disruption” or “University Disruption-No Credit.” Students can make this decision after receiving their final grades for the semester.

The pass/fail designations will not factor into Madison students’ GPAs, should they choose that option.

Despite the news from Madison, Marquette will not be offering a pass/fail grading option for the spring semester. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs John Su said part of the reasoning for keeping the same grading system is the increase of students earning higher letter grades last semester.

“Based on the data from last semester we actually had more students with A’s than in our previous pandemic semester.

We went from 50 % of students, pre-pandemic getting A’s to 57% this last semester,” Su said in a Marquette Now newscast April 7.

Su said that higher education institutions have different needs and approaches based on size and the challenges that come with that.

“Different institutions have different cultures. Madison’s

a big school, they may have less of an opportunity to have the personalized outreach that we’ve undertaken to get that academic support out for students,” Su said.

Even though Marquette will not be departing from its traditional grading system this semester, Su acknowledges that some students have been having a difficult time navigating the current semester “Our students have been going through a lot of mental health challenges. Burnout is real. But, they’re getting the right supports and they’re working closely with their instructors,” Su said.

Some of these “right supports” can be attributed to the various mental health services that Marquette has to offer. This includes the Counseling Center and the online service Silvercloud, which offers self-guided programs ranging in topics from anxiety-depression to sleep.

Even with the various supports available many students have still expressed the difficulties of online learning during the pandemic. Students will get two more Mental Health Days, April 20 and May 5, before the spring semester officially ends May 15.

GRADUATE: Difficult workloads cause stress Continued from page 1 to online learning. Only one week after she completed her undergraduate degree did Ahlgrim begin her graduate program toward a Master of Science in Nursing. The program was fully virtual for the first semester.

However, amid the fast-paced environment Ahlgrim has immersed herself in, she said it’s important to prioritize.

“In times of stress, it is easy to neglect our mental health unless we learn to prioritize,” Ahlgrim said in an email. “There will always be more tasks to accomplish, and if we do not take time to focus on ourselves mentally, we will run ourselves into the ground.”

However, graduate students are not alone in battling mental health issues.

Nicholas Jenkins, a counselor and coordinator of mental health advocacy, said the Counseling Center has seen many graduate students and encourages them to call when feeling overwhelmed.

Students who are looking to make an appointment at the Counseling Center should call 414-288-7172, as walk-ins are currently suspended due to COVID-19.

“Graduate students are one of the

populations that struggle most with trying to find balance,” Jenkins said in an email. “Many graduate students are trying to balance academics, an assistantship, research, thesis/dissertation, and other life stressors.”

Along with the Counseling Center, Marquette also offers the app and online mental health platform “Silver Cloud.”

“Anyone in the Marquette community can access Silver Cloud for free and can learn how to address a variety of different issues,” Jenkins said in an email.

“We currently have access to 6 different programs with Silver Cloud that include: depression, anxiety, stress, anxiety and depression (combined), sleep, resilience and COVID-19.”

There are also organizations, like the Marquette Graduate Student Organization, which Jenkins said “helps graduate students have a voice and get their needs met.”

However, regardless of the path students take to receive help, Jenkins said addressing these issues are important as mental and physical health go hand in hand.

“Issues with stress and mood can manifest into physical symptoms that can include headaches, stomach aches, sleep disturbances,

fatigue, heart palpitations and that is just naming a few of the many things that can happen,” Jenkins said in an email.

According to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental illness, especially depression, increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Long-lasting conditions may be a future issue for graduate students,

as a 2018 survey by Inside Higher Ed showed that 39% of graduate student respondents scored in the moderate-to-severe depression range, as compared to 6% of the general population.

However, students can reduce the risk of receiving these long-lasting conditions through relatively simple tasks.

“Try to treat studying/academics like a job and then give yourself some time to relax, engage in non-academic mental

stimulation, exercise, eat right and have a cool down time prior to going to sleep,” Jenkins said in an email. “Even dedicating 20 minutes a day to some self-care can have a significant impact.”

Although graduate school and COVID-19 can lead students to feel stressed, Jenkins said pushing aside one’s mental health will only worsen overall well-being and therefore encourages students to receive help in whatever format best suits their needs.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Students who are struggling with mental health issues can get appointments at the Counseling Center.

News

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

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COVID-19 variants become prominent in U.S. cause of the specific mutations that take place within the gene.

These five variants have shown evidence to spread the virus in a quicker and easier fashion than the original strain.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than

By Finn Askin other variants, which may lead finn.askin@marquette.edu to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health Marquette students were prom- care resources, lead to more ised a fully in-person semester hospitalizations, and potentially in fall 2021, however, new vari- more deaths.

The five variants that have ants of COVID-19 identified in been identified are denoted as Milwaukee raise questions about “B.1.1.7,” “B.1.351,” “P.1,” the future.

“B.1.427” and “B.1.429.” The Concern surrounding COVfinal two variants mentioned ID-19 has grown, as five varifirst appeared in the United ants of the coronavirus have States in February 2021.

The now been identified in Wisconother three variants were idensin. The total number of people in Wisconsin who have con- tified in the United States in tracted a coronavirus variant has late December 2020, and early January 2021. now surpassed 9,300.

“B.1.1.7” was first identified At this moment, the Centers in the UK, while “B.1.351” was for Disease Control and Prevenfirst seen in South Africa. “P.1” tion are currently only keeping was originally detected in Bradata on three of the five viruses. zil, while both “B.1.427” and Those three variants combined “B.1.429.” were first discovered have infected a total of over in California.

21,800 people.

A more detailed list of the five A variant materializes through variants can be found on the mutations or a change in the CDC’s website. genetic code that makes up the Based on data from the CDC, virus. These variants are differthe “B.1.1.7” variant is now ent from the original virus be-

5 new strains turn heads in scientific medical community

the most dominant strain in the United States. It was also confirmed that the variant shows evidence to not be more deadly.

Caitlin Ward, a junior in the College of Nursing, described why a variant developing can potentially be detrimental to a vaccine.

“If the strains change, our body only makes antibodies that react to the specific RNA of a virus. Therefore, if a mutation occurs, the virus is different and we can be infected again,” Ward said. “However, if COVID-19 acts like the flu, then vaccinated students shouldn’t be worried.”

Ward said she and her friends are all ensuring they obtain the vaccine regardless of whether or not it is fully proven it can fight against variants.

Stuart Campbell Ray, a professor in medicine who specializes in COVID-19 studies at Johns Hopkins University, said in an interview with Hopkins Medicine that evidence has been found that showed current vaccines should be effective against variants. More research is being done to confirm this evidence is true.

The CDC says that it is essential to get vaccinated, or, if not, one should stay consistent with physical distancing, hand hygiene

Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu

Some said they are not concerned about the variants of COVID-19.

and mask-wearing.

Henry Neri, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, expressed his optimism for the vaccine’s defense against the new strains. Neri received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine April 6.

“I am not nervous because the flu mutates every year and they make new vaccines to counter these mutations,” Neri said.

“I trust that our medical professionals will aid the world effectively and get us out of

this pandemic.”

The CDC says evidence has shown that the vaccine develops antibodies that recognize and fight the current variants.

It has also been said that these vaccines can also help activate anti-virus defenses within the body. The vaccine is also showing evidence to have up to 95% effectiveness against the new variants.

Summer classes to follow hybrid format SPARK online again but Orientation will be in-person

By Julia Abuzzahab

julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

Similar to this academic year, summer classes at Marquette will be conducted in a hybrid setting. Students have the option to enroll in classes that best fit their schedule, whether that be online or in person.

Although this summer is predicted to be hybrid, Marquette will return to a fully in-person semester next fall.

Chima Korieh, associate professor of history, said he chose to conduct his classes online in the summer to provide students with more flexibility in their schedules regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has, in a way, made it really much more necessary to find other ways of delivery, so we have more online classes than before Covid, but I think this summer will probably

still be a combination of that (in-person and online classes),” Korieh said.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services there have been 3,542,552 COVID-19 vaccines administered in the state of Wisconsin. Korieh said the COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary for people to stay safe and healthy while fulfilling their class requirements, so summer and online classes are a great opportunity to achieve these things.

Similar to summer classes, Summer Priority Registration & Advising Kick-off leaders, Orientation leaders and summer crew at Marquette are also influenced by COVID-19.

SPARK is a required program all first-year students must attend to help them acclimate to Marquette’s campus and register for classes. Due to the pandemic, SPARK will be all virtual like it was last summer.

Katie Harrington, coordinator for New Student and Family programs, said all first-year students will attend one of five sessions of SPARK in June via Microsoft Teams.

Harrington said regardless of SPARK’s virtual climate, there

are 28 SPARK leaders that do a great job at hosting small group meetings. She said that this year SPARK leaders will also be hosting late night events for first-year students.

“We’re still kind of in that phase where we’re prioritizing the health and safety of our students and families, and this was the best decision coming from the university and the city for how to conduct our June programs, but we are still really excited,” Harrington said.

There are 110 Orientation leaders coming to campus this August. Harrington hopes that the incoming freshmen will have a more in-person experience with Orientation leaders this fall compared to the fall of 2020, as that was conducted in an entirely virtual setting, but they still do not know what that will look like yet.

“We rely on guidance from a lot of folks for that, the university, the city, the state, but just like the university has declared an inperson fall, we also hope to host most of our August programming in person,” Harrington said.

“Which means 100 Orientation leaders will be here with us on campus and helping students acclimate to the campus.”

Although summer crew is a more behind-the-scenes job and less interactive than most organizations on campus, how they operate is still different because of COVID-19.

Colin Atkinson, coordinator of operations, business operations and auxiliary services, said that summer crew is a group of students that work to assist with residence halls from when they close mid-May until when they reopen in August. They help out by preparing residence halls and apartment buildings for move-in day, assisting people with furniture on move-in day and perform maintenance work, among other tasks.

Atkinson said that one of summer crew’s major jobs was to assist with the conference groups that would stay on Marquette’s campus throughout the summer. Summer crew would help in customer service by cleaning the rooms that were converted into hotel rooms in the residence halls, helping out with any questions the guests may have, fixing any broken objects and helping them get checked into their rooms, among other tasks.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marquette has not been

given the approval to host these conference groups yet.

Aside from the conferences, summer crew focuses on getting the residence halls and apartments ready for students to move into in the fall semester. Summer crew performs a variety of tasks like moving furniture, washing walls, performing maintenance checks, fixing electrical outlets, checking the plumbing and checking every piece of furniture in the room.

“We don’t know if we can have conferences so that is huge for us (one of their main jobs throughout the summer), but our work doesn’t change. We did have a very small crew last year, so what changes is everyone does (COVID Cheq) in the morning, we wear masks, work in small groups ­— which are already two to four in size — and we keep (limit to) one person in a room unless we are moving furniture,” Atkinson said.

The spring 2021 semester ends May 15, and six separate summer sessions begin throughout May, June and July. All academic session dates can be viewed on the 2021 summer undergraduate academic calendar.

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Junior Justus Gill balances Podcast highlights music, schoolwork, friends women seen as invisible, erased Musician finds creative outlet from coursework

By Finn Askin

finn.askin@marquette.edu

Justus Gill, a junior in the College of Business Administration, wrote his first song when he was 15 years old.

Gill is one of many musicians within Marquette’s community.

Gill is a resident assistant at Abbotsford Hall while also curating his first full-length album.

He said it has become his passion and a driving force in his life.

Learning guitar while simultaneously writing his first song, along with having an “incredibly musical family allowed for me and my music to grow,” Gill said.

Finding a creative outlet has become something people around the world are looking for. Especially in a time where negative emotions and loneliness have seemed more prevalent, the idea of turning those feelings into art has become more profound than ever.

Gill said his passion for music has only grown since coming to Marquette.

“Marquette has been a really

nice creative outlet for me,” Gill said. “I didn’t let anyone else hear my music till I came here.

It’s given me people who like my music, opportunities to perform that I’ve never had before, and musical relationships.” Gill said the Marquette community fueled his musical passion immensely.

Gill said two Marquette graduates had an immense influence on his music curation and growth.

Richard Nwabuzor, a 2020 College of Arts & Sciences graduate, and Graham Scott Bowerman, a 2020 College of Business Administration graduate, have both collaborated with Gill on his musical journey.

Bowerman said the opportunities that blossom from expressing yourself are unbelievable.

“I’d encourage anybody to express themselves and put themselves out there in unconventional ways in the pursuit of their passion. You never know what you’ll attract when it comes to friendships, opportunities and experiences,” Bowerman said.

Playing music in college also allowed for further self-expression, personal growth, and the union of his best friends, Bowerman said.

Nwabuzor, who is now a health equity organizer at MICAH MKE, said music

allowed him to connect with a lot of his friends on campus.

“Making music at Marquette allowed me to meet a wide array of people,” Nwabuzor said.

Nwabuzor also enjoyed his ability to perform in student organization events or in the Marquette University Spotlight.

Nwabuzor said that the Spotlight, which is a school-wide talent show, is a “fun extracurricular that allows you to meet fellow artists and students on campus.”

“I would say making music at Marquette allowed me to meet different people, whether it be fellow artists or just people on campus along with being a fun extracurricular activity by performing at student org events or Marquette Spotlight,” Nwabuzor said.

You can access Nwabuzor’s music on SoundCloud.

Gill encourages everyone to support clubs and organizations that empower artists. “Most importantly, be willing it helps people and gives favors to those that are trying to express themselves.” Gill is looking forward to releasing his first fulllength album, “Contrite Heart” this summer.

Photo courtesy of Justus Gill

Justus Gill wrote his first song at 15 years old. He said his love for music has only grown since college.

“Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters” airs first episodes

By Claire Driscol

claire.driscol@marquette.edu

The podcast series “Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters,” which was brought to life by director and chief curator of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Susan Longhenry, and associate director for Hispanic Initiatives, Jacqueline Black, aired its first four episodes this past March.

The podcast, which receives support from the Haggerty Museum of Art and Marquette University’s Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, was created to amplify the voices of diverse female-identifying individuals whose images and contributions have been systematically made invisible. The podcast serves as an extension to the mural project, also titled “Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters,” located at the back of Varsity Theatre.

Longhenry said the idea to extend the project beyond the mural came from the artist himself, Mauricio Ramirez.

“The proposal that artist Mauricio Ramirez submitted last August for the Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters mural suggested that Marquette compile oral histories of some of the University’s highly accomplished female-identified BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) alumnae,” Longhenry said in an email.

After Ramirez’s proposal to expand the project, Longhenry said it was both Black and her that decided to move forward with the idea in a podcast format.

“Upon reflection, we decided to expand the scope to students, faculty, and alumnae – and to adapt the idea to a podcast format,” Longhenry said in an email.

Along with amplifying the voices of female-identifying students, faculty, staff and alumnae of color who have exhibited “leadership, positive impact or social change,” Black said the podcast will be used to highlight those in this category who remain “unsung sheroes.”

“The phrase “unsung sheroes” refers to women who are engaged in important work to uplift the community or who

have had a positive impact within their spheres of influence, but who have not necessarily been recognized publicly, or whose stories are not widely known,” Black said in an email.

In highlighting the contributions of “unsung sheroes,” Longhenry said she hopes the podcast will also “erode” a bias.

“I think of poet Kyle ‘Guante’ Tran Myhre’s words that “ ‘... white supremacy is not a shark; it is the water,’” Longhenry said in an email. “For far too long our cultural default has been to associate leadership, expertise, and authority only with white men.”

According to a 2017 report, almost 75% of Fortune 500 boards – which are annual lists that compiles 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for the fiscal year – were mainly composed of white men. Only 19 of these companies were led by people of color and only 21 led by women.

However, Black said she hopes the podcast will give power to women of color and an ability to “see themselves reflected in the experience of our speakers and see their potential elevated.”

“It is my hope that stories like these become more central to Marquette - that these stories will no longer be relegated to the periphery of who we are as an institution and as a community,” Black said in an email.

Raabia Sheikh, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and first-generation Pakistani American, said the podcast is a step in the right direction for Marquette as it can be used to educate the majority white population on campus.

“Marquette prides itself in being a diverse campus but I have met maybe one other Muslim woman,” Sheikh said in an email. “However, having a podcast where people have guests to speak on their experiences and educate Marquette’s population is a great first step in the right direction.”

Looking forward, Black said she and her team will be pushing out around three new podcasts per semester beginning next year, as “Our Roots Say That We’re Sisters” has received several nominations for podcast guests and has already had 10 cohorts excited to participate.

“It speaks to the need for projects like this across campus,” Black said in an email. “So we will be scaling this up.”

News

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

7

Marquette robotics reach professional standards Participants compete in NASA creation competition

By Megan Woolard

megan.woolard@marquette.edu

If you passed by the glass walls in Engineering Hall 461 the past two weeks you may have gotten a look at an “H-bot,” created by a group of graduate students.

The “H-bot” is similar to an Etch A Sketch and uses whiteboard markers to write on the glass walls. Philip Voglewede, associate professor of mechanical engineering, said that while the Hbot was mainly a fun project for the graduate students, he is also figuring out how to use it in tours.

The H-bot is also currently being used as a demonstration in Voglewede’s industrial robotics and measurements and controls class.

In addition to the “H-bot” there are numerous other robotics developments at Marquette on both the

student and faculty level. Some of these developments include robots that can better mimic human hand movements and robot arms that can move in a forging press.

A group of students are also participating in a lunabotics competition by NASA where students work to design a robot that can operate by itself and navigate a simulated moon surface.

Joseph Schimmels, professor of mechanical engineering, said he is working on designing robots that are “more human-like in performing dexterous manipulation.”

This includes developing robots that can perform tasks that require contact with other objects. With humans, “dexterous manipulation” involves humans interacting with objects and their surroundings using their hands. Schimmels said some of these tasks are things like peeling a potato, opening a bottle, or assembling furniture.

“Most robots today are position-controlled rigid manipulators. They are great for accurate positioning in free space, but very limited in their ability to perform tasks that involve contact with other objects, especially when

there is uncertainty where those other objects are located,” Schimmels said in an email.

By looking to develop robots with the ability to more fully interact with their environment Schimmels’ research looks to address that problem.

“We are now designing a simple planar robot hand that is capable of adjusting the stiffness of each joint in each finger. This type of hand, together with how it holds an object, provides the object an appropriate overall stiffness — one that will allow it to self-correct any relative positioning inaccuracy,” Schimmels said.

This research will help robots to be more useful in the real world and in workplace environments.

With the ability to adjust robot stiffness, the robots will be able to perform tasks in a similar manner to humans. The adjustability of the robot stiffness is similar to how humans contract or relax certain muscles depending on the task.

In addition to research, there are also student-led groups in the robotics field at Marquette. The Marquette Robotics Group is an academic group that allows stu-

dents from any academic field to get involved.

“We are currently uncompetitive, meaning our project is purely academic and not for robotics competitions. Throughout the last year, we have been coding, designing and 3D printing a miniature industrial-style robotic arm from scratch,” Daniel Huetz, senior in the College of Engineering and president of the Marquette Robotics Group, said.

The group is also working on coding a vision system for the robotic arm that Huetz said will help the it “see” and interact with the world.

The Marquette Robotics Group aren’t the only students designing robots. A student-led design group is working on a mobile robot as part of NASA’s lunabotics competition.

According to NASA, “Lunabotics challenges teams to design, build and run their autonomously operated robot, traverse the simulated off-world terrain and excavate the simulated Lunar regolith.”

Essentially, students work to build a robot that could navigate a simulated lunar regolith, which is

a powdery substance that covers the surface of the moon.

On the faculty side, Voglewede has partnered with graduate student Kyle Wolf and associate professor of mechanical engineering Joseph Domblesky to do research on “having an anthropomorphic robot arm intelligently move parts in a small forging press.” A forging press works to shape and manipulate metal.

In addition to the robot arm, Voglewede and Domblesky are working with their colleague Richard Povinelli, professor of electrical and computer engineering, to enable to the robot to use artificial intelligence in the forging press to make it more efficient.

“We just received a grant on this work so we don’t have anything to show yet. It will be an extension of the robotic tending project,” Voglewede said.

Whether it’s playing a game of tic-tac-toe with the H-bot, or building a robot that can travel across the surface of the moon, students and faculty at Marquette are experimenting and researching all sorts of things in the field of robotics.

GET MORE FROM YOUR SUMMER. Registration is now open for Summer Studies.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8

Students reflect on overturned Wisconsin mask mandate Govenor Tony Evers’ emergency order was set to expire April 5

By Charlotte Ives

charlotte.ives@marquette.edu

Governor Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate was set to expire April 5. Although Evers attempted to extend this mandate by issuing another emergency order, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned his efforts, declaring the mandate invalid and saying he exceeded his legal authority April 31.

Wisconsin is now one of 12 states to have lifted its mask mandate, though it is the only state to do so by court order, according to the AARP. This decision has been met with some criticism from Marquette students.

“I think it’s also quite irresponsible,” Ava Brandt, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said. “I think COVID is very much alive and well in the state of Wisconsin. …I think it is a little irresponsible of the state to remove the mandate.”

Despite the ruling made by the state Supreme Court, counties and cities are expected to enforce their own standards for maskwearing. The City of Milwaukee has chosen to continue enforcing a mask mandate, a decision that seems to be met with approval from Marquette’s student body, which appears to lean in favor of maintaining COVID-19 precautions.

Elizabeth Grout, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said she is glad the Milwaukee mask mandate remains in place.

“I think there should still be a statewide mandate,” Grout said. “I mean COVID’s still very here. It’s very much here.

I think it’s kind of irresponsible for Wisconsin to get rid of the mandate, but good for Milwaukee for keeping it up.”

Brandt said she feels similarly.

“I think it’s very good of Milwaukee to maintain the mandate,” Brandt said. “Even though a lot of people are getting vaccinated, I think it’s still good to maintain the mandate and keep that going in this area especially.”

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Wisconsin is now one of 12 states to have lifted the mask mandate. However, many students continue to wear face masks on campus.

Some students feel that, despite any progress that may come with the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, now is not the time to give up on safety measures.

“I just think that things are getting better now with all the

“

I think COVID is very much alive and well in the state of Wisconsin.”

AVA BRANDT Sophomore in the College of Nursing

vaccines being rolled out,” James Ogunbola, a senior in the College of Communication, said.

“But I still think we still have a long way to go to get back to the baseline where we were before. So…I just think that this precaution would be best for everyone.”

Claudia Melendez, a senior

in the College of Engineering, said she thinks confidence in the vaccine is making some people less concerned about safety precautions.

“I also think that with the vaccine rolling out, it’s a great thing, but a lot of people are getting very comfortable with the fact that vaccines are rolling out, and they’re taking off their masks,” Melendez said. “I think some Marquette students are smart, but I’ve definitely seen in some other places, mostly in like buildings off campus, people don’t wear masks because there’s nobody around who’s gonna be like ‘oh, wear your mask’ and give you a slap on the wrist.”

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 34.7% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a percentage that may increase after the announcement any state resident above the age of 16 is eligible to receive the vaccine April 5.

The university has secured access to the Janssen vaccine,

which requires only one dose, for the week of April 12. Any Marquette faculty, student or staff interested in getting the vaccine can sign up for an appointment online.

Angela Mazzaferro, a senior in the College of Communication, said she has seen a lack of COVID-19 precautions on and off campus, particularly referring to parties.

“I have seen an increase in parties on campus and off campus,” Mazzaferro said. “So, I’m kind of both sides. People are being safe, but at the same time I think that there’s a small majority where they just aren’t.

And that’s a risk that they take.”

Ogunbola said he feels people on campus are usually pretty cautious when it comes to maskwearing, but that he cannot be sure about the entire population.

“Specifically on campus, I think that Marquette students are pretty smart and I think they know the repercussions of not wearing a mask,” Ogunbola said. “So I want to believe that Marquette students will continue to be safe

and do the right thing, but I don’t know, honestly.”

In general, however, it seems students feel comfortable with the amount of mask-wearing taking place on campus.

“I think campus is doing a really good job mask mandatewise,” Grout said. “I feel like if you see someone on the street not wearing a mask, it’s more of a rarity. You’re more surprised that they’re not wearing a mask and in all the buildings people wear all their masks. I think Marquette is doing a really good job implementing the mask mandate.”

Brandt said because a lot of students are conscientious about wearing masks, she feels very safe on campus.

“I feel as if Marquette students are very responsible when it comes to masks, even if they may not necessarily believe in masks, they’re still doing it out of respect for others,” Brandt said. “So I think Marquette students are doing a very good job.”

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

9

“Godzilla vs. Kong” ends in unexpected final battle Becomes highestgrossing film since start of pandemic

By Quinn Faeth

quinlan.faeth@marquette.edu

The movie theater industry has been longing for a blockbuster film to get people back in front of the big screen as companies loosen up on COVID-19 regulations.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” was just that, as it became the highest-grossing movie in North America since the start of the pandemic, according to Bloomberg.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” has been in theaters since March 31, so students can view it there or online with an HBO Max subscription.

The film features a star-studded cast with actors like Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Lance Reddick and Brian Tyree Henry.

The film is about the two titans in Godzilla and Kong and who would be the most dominant. The rivalry runs deep for these two as they try and fight for power.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” had fans

Photo by Nathan Lampres nathan.lampres@marquette.edu

“Godzilla vs. Kong“ came out March 31 and can be viewed on HBO Max.

excited to see the two heavyweights square off and there was extensive debate over who would win. Alex Rhodes, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, thought the victor was pretty obvious.

“I thought Godzilla was going to win going into it just because I thought he was bigger than Kong,” Rhodes said. “Godzilla can also fight on land or in water whereas Kong can only fight on land. Nevertheless, I thought it was going to be a close fight.”

Will Dummer, a first-year student

in the School of Dentistry, had a different perspective going into watching the movie.

“I had Kong winning because they portrayed him in the trailers as the protagonist,” Dummer said. “But in the middle of the movie, it was tough to tell because Godzilla was so big and mighty.”

With all the hype building up before the movie, neither Rhodes nor Dummer were satisfied with the execution of the film.

Rhodes said that it was simply “mediocre.”

He went on to say that the plot was underdeveloped, but the computergenerated imagery was impressive.

“I thought the movie was decent,” Dummer said. “I thought there was going to be a lot of fights between Kong and Godzilla but as it turned out there wasn’t as much fighting as I hoped there would be.”

The ending was what was the most shocking according to Rhodes and Dummer. Caution, spoilers are ahead!

The film ends with the reintroduction of “Mechagodzilla,” which was being built and tested throughout the movie.

Mechagodzilla, in a nutshell, is a robot version of Godzilla that is bigger and stronger. It was being developed by a tech company called Apex Cybernetics, the creator of which, Walter Simmons, played by Demián Bichir, has plans to take over the world.

He unleashes Mechagodzilla on humanity, which prompts both Kong and Godzilla to team up to take on the common enemy, even though they had been fighting the entire movie.

With the help of a few humans, they are able to successfully defeat

Mechagodzilla. It was a surprising twist to a film that many thought was to be a one-on-one battle between Godzilla and Kong.

Many fans were not ready for a new contender. Dummer and Rhodes had different perspectives of the turn of events.

“I liked the ending,” Dummer said. “I don’t think any of us were expecting Apex to make a robot Godzilla, it was cool to see.”

Rhodes thought otherwise.

“It was dumb because I thought it was just going to be those two [Godzilla and Kong] fighting the whole time to see who was more dominant,” Rhodes said. “The title implied that they were going to go head to head. It was almost hypocritical in the sense that they end up working together.”

ALEXANDER: Black creators deserve more recognition America needs to acknowledge origins of TikTok content

By Rashad Alexander

rashad.alexander@marquette.edu

Social media has overtaken our lives. And for better or for worse, it is here to stay. Apps like Twitter and Instagram have become a part of many people’s daily lives and have been used for various reasons.

Whether it’s for entertainment, networking or making purchases, social media has been a huge resource to many.

And then there’s TikTok, the most downloaded app of 2020.

TikTok has taken over the world with its ability to show users videos that they will find interesting, based on who they follow and what they like. Whether you like comedy videos, dance routines or cooking videos, TikTok has all that and more, it’s just a scroll away.

The app is home to many various content creators to entertain fans, including Addison Rae, one of TikTok’s biggest stars. Addison has nearly 80 million followers on the app with over five billion likes on her profile. At 20 years

old, she’s become one of the most recognizable social media personalities over the course of her two-year TikTok career.

Rae is known for doing different popular dances on TikTok. The various dances she’s done have been so popular, they have landed her an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon March 25. She came on the show and taught Fallon and the audience some of the many popular dances from the app. Even Fallon himself joined in on the dancing. No harm done, right?

The show did, however, bring up points that have been long ignored, but are now coming to light.

Social media saw Rae’s appearance on Fallon and many people were pointing out how the majority of dances and trends on TikTok came from Black people, but they only get attention when white entertainers, like Rae, do them. The topic was trending a lot on Twitter, with some users suggesting that Black creators should take a pause from making content and see what the other creators come up with.

Since this discussion, Fallon has tried to make things right by bringing on the creators of some of those TikTok dances to his show.

Meanwhile, Rae also responded to the controversy, saying that the

Black creators of the app are “so talented,” and that she “definitely don’t do them justice,” when talking about their art.

While it is good to see that this problem is being acknowledged, there is more to this discussion than just taking dances and not giving credit where credit is due. TikTok has been known for taking the trends and content of other people and not giving the credit to the original creator. And a lot of the

time, the original art comes from Black creators.

Black creators are not only responsible for a lot of the content on TikTok, but the trends that come around on the app as well. That one “TikTok song” you heard while scrolling through the app? Probably by a Black artist. That new dance you saw Addison Rae do last week?

Most definitely created by a Black creator. Those new style tips and trends that you have been seeing,

Photo by Nathan Lampres nathan.lampres@marquette.edu

The majority of trends and dances on TikTok came from Black people.

like sneakers and fitted caps? Black people have been doing them for years.

And this issue is outside of TikTok as well. Time and time again, people consume the art Black people have made, but do not show the same love to the people who actually created the content.

Or even to Black people in general.

I remember a quote from former NBA player Jalen Rose from when he was discussing the social justice movements from last year. His quote explains the issue in America perfectly: “I wish America loved Black people as much as they love Black culture.”

Social justice movements in the summer 2020 have shown this country’s flaws when it comes to appreciating Black people.

Oftentimes, we only get shown love when it’s a “trend” to do so. And that has to change. Black people are some of the most creative people on this planet and the way society treats them compared to their art is unacceptable.

In the end, this country has to do better. And while it’s nice of people like Jimmy Fallon to show appreciation to some of the Black creators of TikTok, there is still a lot of work to be done in order for these creators to get the credit they truly deserve.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

PAGE 10

Editorial Board

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

Marquette University often prides itself on embodying, as well as instilling, Jesuit values into its students throughout their four years.

From the university’s values, this can occur through guiding students to view and engage with the world with an interdisciplinary perspective, be men and women for others, make a commitment to act for the greater good and work to develop an inclusive and diverse community. Marquette encourages and works to cultivate students to “be the difference.”

Despite promoting and holding these values, it has been difficult to see how the university has recently been fulfilling this commitment to students and the Milwaukee community. For example, Marquette recently began construction for the new College of Business Administration building on the corner of 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue next to the Alumni Memorial Union. Though this may have been seen as a success for the university and future business students, this construction process may create implications for Milwaukee community members. On the corner of 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue there used to be a bus stop that had a covered seating area. This bus stop was often frequented by Marquette

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

We are not being the difference

students and community members.

Unfortunately, this bus stop may possibly have been removed in order to put up fencing for the construction site of the new business building.

Now, those waiting for the bus must stand and without coverage from rain, snow or sun.

Although the new business building will benefit future business students, it may also create further division with the Milwaukee community. Taking away a bus stop that is frequently used by community members may give the impression that Marquette doesn’t care about their well-being or presence on campus. Marquette’s decision to eliminate a space for people to rest who need public transportation and take shelter from adverse weather conditions in favor of constructing a new campus building puts the needs of the university above the needs of the community. Marquette should be creating bridges and connections with the surrounding community, not building up fences. Similar previous actions to build the The Commons and Athletic and Human Research Center have improved the student experience, but not the surrounding community, as they do not have access to these buildings, as The Commons is a residence hall and the Athletic and Human Research Center is

a center for Marquette faculty and partners to collaborate on athletic performance research.

Marquette’s campus is in the middle of Milwaukee neighborhoods, which is unique and among the few universities that have similar campus layouts. Considering the close proximity, the university must be more mindful of how its decisions impact the surrounding community. Similar to other Jesuit universities, Marquette was built to foster relationships with the community as well as create an environment for students, faculty and staff to engage in Ignatian teachings, such as connecting with those who may be in need and engaging in reflection. One way students do this is through service opportunities.

There are many service organizations on campus, like the Marquette Volunteer for Corps, Midnight Run. Service organizations at Marquette help engage students with surrounding communities through working with different sites and organizations that focus on a myriad of issues, such as homelessness, hunger and social justice. While these organizations provide great opportunities for students, the university should encourage students to engage with the community in other ways, as well. This is especially important

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck joceline.helmbreck@marquette.edu

A bus stop was removed on the corner of 16 St. and Wisconsin Ave.

considering students’ tendency to get stuck in the “Marquette bubble.”

This Marquette bubble can exist for students who are told that surrounding communities are dangerous.

Students may stay on Marquette’s campus due to their fear of the unknown or from things they’ve been told by peers, parents and professors, but this hinders engagement with Milwaukee and can lead students to disregard community members on campus. Perpetuating and continuing to believe these sentiments can have severe implications for how the surrounding community is treated. Students may intentionally or unintentionally ignore people walking on the street if they smile or try to talk to them. Refusing to see and engage with them creates further division between Marquette and

the community.

Students must be better and work to be more mindful. Everyone deserves to be seen and treated with respect, regardless if they’re part of the Marquette community or not.

We must stand in solidarity, not look down with superiority. The university must be better as well.

If we are to truly live up to the Jesuit values Marquette was founded upon, the university should foster different outlets for students to get out of the Marquette bubble to learn about and engage with the surrounding community. While getting rid of one bus stop or smiling at one person on the sidewalk may not seem to have a large impact, one decision can dramatically change someone’s life. That is how we be the difference.

Surge of immigrants at U.S.-Mexico border result of displacement Lucia Ruffolo The surge of migrants at the U.S.Mexico border, specifically minors who are unaccompanied by adults, must force us to re-examine how we view the issue of immigration in the United States.

The U.S. has been experiencing a record-high surge of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border since March, with thousands of children being held in government-run detention facilities. These facilities were rightfully deemed inhumane by the media during former President Donald Trump’s presidency, as they often lacked adequate services to care for children. Many photos even show cramped conditions with aluminum blankets and reports have shown that children lack access to proper hygienic products and food.

While President Joe Biden vowed

to fix the poor conditions at these detention facilities, it is evident that the problem remains. While some have defended Biden’s immigration actions, or rather lack thereof, and maintain that his administration is handling the situation more ethically, inquiries about the situation by journalists and photos released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection show this is not the case, as there still are cramped conditions.

Biden is preventing photojournalists from capturing the conditions of the border which shows a clear lack of transparency.

It is not to say that Biden is solely responsible for immigration issues or that these problems are something that only occurred under his administration. He has not held executive office long enough, and the issue of immigration in the U.S. is far too deep rooted, for this to be the case.

However, his attitude shows that Democrats and Republicans alike have contributed to mismanagement

of migrants and led to their suffering.

Both parties are still caught up with the idea that border is something to be guarded with military force and that it is acceptable to be apathetic toward non-American lives.

Anti-immigration and nativist sentiments are still strong in the U.S. and the idea that “American-ness” is something to be protected and to gatekeep can be found in contemporary political discourse, especially by conservatives. While Democrats may appear have to a warmer attitude toward immigration, many times they, too, fail to fully recognize the humanity of migrants, and often contribute to capitalist systems that maintain their low socioeconomic standing, through supporting free-market politics. At its core, immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border is a humanitarian issue. There are a myriad of conditions that cause people from Central American countries to attempt to migrate to the United States, so we must evaluate these

issues accordingly.

Some factors include climate change, which causes hurricanes that lead to flooding and winds that displace people from their homes.

Other reasons are due to cartel violence, drug wars and political corruptness and instability that results in poverty. The United States has played a substantial role in all these issues. The U.S. causes some of the highest carbon emissions in the world, second to only China, contributing to climate change overall.

Political corruptness and drug problems in Central America are the result of U.S. intervention in policies by using foreign aid to push their own anti-drug agenda in Central American countries like Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador since the 1970s. The U.S. also contributes to the subjugation of Central Americans by taking advantage of cheap labor at Maquiladoras, or sweatshops, located at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration has always been a

hot-button issue in the United States.

Most often this is the result of viewing immigrants as lesser-than, especially those from Central America.

Americans are inundated with the false notion that immigrants’ presence in the U.S. threatens American jobs and ways of life. We must recognize that the human desire to survive and flourish is not just something unique to American citizens and that being an American citizen does not make someone superior.

Most importantly, people must recognize the ways in which the nation has used its force to disrupt and destroy other nations.

Perhaps the most important way to deal with border crises is not view it as a “border crises” at all, but rather a wider problem of global human displacement that deserves attention in its own right.

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

Opinions

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

11

Sports teams must set example to combat COVID-19 Max Pickart Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers hosted the Toronto Blue Jays and over 38,000 fans in their home opener April 5, completely ignoring the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations and restrictions. The Texas Rangers organization is setting a horrible example for the remainder of the MLB season and fans, both in person and at home. Ultimately, this action promotes immense ignorance, lack of care for communities who continue to struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic and a major false sense of hope that the pandemic is coming to an end.

After the state of Texas lifted the mask mandate and COVID-19 restrictions March 10, the Rangers were able to play in front of a sold-out crowd less than a month later, with little social distancing and minimal mask-wearing, though both were supposedly requirements in order to attend the game.

Texas currently ranks in the bottom five states in terms of the

percentage of vaccinated individuals, with only 15% of the total population being fully vaccinated as of April 2. The state is in no position to open businesses and entertainment spaces to 100% capacity, yet Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, confidently declared in a press conference that Texas has “mastered” avoiding COVID-19, which is completely ridiculous.

While the Rangers team is technically following its state’s protocol, it is embarrassing to see the team act in this way, as they put their fans at risk and turned a blind eye to the international community that has endured over a year of this exhausting pandemic. In fact, businesses and organizations are still able to mandate masks, even if the state of Texas says otherwise. For example, though the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Governor Tony Evers’s mask mandate, the City of Milwaukee continues to enforce a mask mandate for the safety of the city and its communities. Businesses can do the same.

If anything, the Rangers organization is only further contributing to the increase in COVID-19 cases while health professionals urge businesses, organizations and states to avoid easing restrictions. The Texas

Rangers should not have had the opportunity to even open its game to fans, especially at full capacity.

Although 150,000 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since President Joe Biden’s first days in office, we are nowhere near herd immunity, which is achieved when a significant amount of the population has received the vaccine and would make the spread of COVID-19 from person to person unlikely, ultimately allowing for significant protection against the virus.

Actions similar to those of the Texas Rangers organization will only suspend healthy, safe normalcy and will continue to put this nation at greater risk. The pandemic is not over; our actions must reflect that.

It is essential that professional sports teams veer away from actions similar to that of the Texas Rangers organization. If fans are allowed to attend in-person games, it should only be a limited amount. And, while doing so, professional sports teams must enforce social distancing and mask-wearing if in attendance, at the very least. Arenas and stadiums should require a negative COVID-19 test done on site before being allowed into the stadium.

Then, and only then, is it truly safe to attend.

With the Milwaukee Bucks’ season ramping up, there is no doubt that the Bucks will be hosting at least one series in the playoffs. In addition, the Milwaukee Brewers’ season has just gotten started and, with summer only a month out, there will definitely be an increase in attendance and tailgating.

That being said, the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers must continue to only open up their games to limited fans. Any potential increases in fans allowed should be immediately combatted and questioned, especially until it is supported by the CDC. This is not a political issue. This is a health crisis that has endured for far too long and will continue if we act irresponsibly and selfishly. It has affected people of all demographics in monumental ways.

In order to achieve true normalcy any time soon, it is essential for those who are eligible to sign up for the vaccine.

In Wisconsin, anyone 16 years old and older is eligible to receive the vaccine and can sign up online through the City of Milwaukee Health Department. Encourage family, friends and peers who are eligible to sign up and get vaccinated.

If Marquette sports are to open up

to student attendance, it is essential for the student body to be vaccinated. There is absolutely no excuse, as we are all eligible for the vaccine.

With parties and minimal social distancing that occurred National Marquette Day, it is irresponsible to avoid vaccinations.

For Marquette faculty, staff and students who schedule an appointment, Marquette is hosting a clinic April 14 to administer the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Lunda Room in the Alumni Memorial Union. There are limited spots, so sign up. If you are unable to sign up via Marquette, register through the Milwaukee Health Department. Everyone has a chance to make a difference for the fight against COVID-19.

Professional sports teams and leagues nationally must also commit toward actions that benefit and promote the health and safety of the public.

Together, we can end COVID-19 and ultimately experience normalcy safely.

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

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

Marquette must follow Catholic Church, give reparations Jenna Koch The American Conference of Jesuit Priests pledged to raise $100 million March 15 to atone for its involvement in the African slave trade. The money will go toward a Jesuit foundation that partners with a group of activists descended from those enslaved by the Jesuit order in the 1800s.

This is the most impactful action taken by the Catholic Church to make amends with communities it has oppressed.

Although an action like this should have been taken earlier, it’s a step in the right direction and a step that Marquette University should take as well.

In recent years, there have been calls for Marquette’s, as well as other Catholic universities’, administration to address systemic racism within the world and the university itself.

It may seem that universities would be completely separated from the slave trade, but many Jesuit universities had direct ties to it. Georgetown University specifically sold numerous slaves to keep when the university was going bankrupt in

1838. The immense suffering of Black Africans allowed for Jesuit educational institutions to spread across America.

Marquette has never been involved with the slave trade, but it doesn’t have to be in order to make reparations. As an institution of higher education, it inherently contributes to systemic racism even as students and staff are trying to make it a more welcoming place.

Recently, there has been an increase in student-led activism at Marquette such as work done by the Black Student Council as well as a commitment to racial justice within Marquette’s Service Learning Program. However, the administration could improve in its efforts to address racial justice.

In his seventh annual presidential address, University President Michael Lovell shared that the university was following through with several of the Black Student Council’s initiatives. Some of these initiatives included opening up a Black Cultural Center in Humphrey Hall, launching 40 Urban Scholarships and opening the Jacqueline Walker livinglearning community for the fall 2021 semester.

While these initiatives

directly benefit Black students at Marquette, the university must take more action to educate all Marquette students about racial injustice. For example, Lovell pledged last summer to update Marquette’s Core Curriculum to include more anti-racist education and the university

“

Providing reparations ... is not just something Marquette should do, but something it must do.”

co-hosted the “Advancing Racial Equity in our Colleges and Community” virtual summit March 19. The university should pursue more education initiatives like these to provide students with an opportunity to engage with the topic of racial justice.

Going beyond Marquette’s campus, the administration cannot just teach students how to help create a more just world, it

needs to fix problems on campus as well as pledge resources to communities of color.

An important step could be to be transparent with where funds are allocated. Many students have already stood up against Marquette’s investments in the fossil fuel industry. Divesting money from that industry and investing it into communities in need as well as university improvements is something students have already demanded, but the university has not responded to them. Marquette needs to allow students to share their input on funding and seriously consider what they have to say.

In the long term, redistributing funds both to improvements in student life as well as communities outside Marquette needs to be a priority. Marquette’s administration has put many professors on temporary unpaid leaves of absences due to COVID-19.

However, the university’s top administrators and deans make obscenely high salaries.

Diverting funds from the highest salaries in the university to communities of color would not only help those communities but also show students and the wider community that Marquette actually is committed to

racial justice.

Additionally, Catholic institutions need to recognize their religion’s part in systemic oppression. Marquette University’s members may not have ever traded slaves, but they didn’t stop other Jesuit orders from doing so. Providing reparations to communities that are impacted by the lasting effects of the slave trade is not just something Marquette should do, but something it must do.

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

Statement of Opinion Policy

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

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

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

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

Sports The Marquette Tribune

ANDRADE COMES UP CLUTCH IN JUNIOR YEAR WITH GOLDEN EAGLES SPORTS, 15

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 PAGE 12

Camryn Taylor decides to transfer

ock photo

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

“

Sophomore Camryn Taylor (15) jumps for the ball against the University of Connecticut Huskies. The Peoria, llinois native averaged 12 points and 6.9 rebounds this year.

Sophomore enters portal following career-best season

By Sam Arco

samuel.arco@marquette.edu

Marquette women’s basketball forward Camryn Taylor has announced she will be

transferring from the program, according to her Twitter post April 12.

“For starters I wanted to thank my coaches and teammates for two great years at Marquette.

I hope I’ve had as much as an impact on Marquette nation as you all had on me. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. Looking forward to the next part of my journey,” Taylor said in the post.

Taylor is coming off a

I hope I’ve had as much as an impact on Marquette nation as you all had on me,” CAMRYN TAYLOR Sophomore forward

career-best season with the Golden Eagles. She averaged 12 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while starting all 26 games throughout the season.

This performance led Taylor to earn All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention honors for the 20202021 season.

The sophomore forward was a key part of Marquette’s success this year, as she scored in double digits in 19 games and recorded four double-doubles throughout

the season. Her presence will be missed in the paint, both offensively and defensively, for the Golden Eagles, as Taylor led the team in rebounding and was third in scoring.

The Peoria, Illinois native will be able to transfer anywhere next season without having to sit out, thanks to the NCAA’s new rule that allows student-athletes one penalty-free transfer in their college career due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sports

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

13

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jonas Aidoo decommits, Cain, McEwen leave MUBB Coaching change may bring in David Joplin, Tamar Bates

By Matt Yeazel

matthew.yeazel@marquette.edu

When a head coaching change is made in college basketball, the program’s focus directly afterward is on whether or not the players in the program will stay, whether recruits will stay committed and if the possibility for new recruits or transfers opens up.

After parting ways with Steve Wojciechowski and the hiring of Shaka Smart March 26, that is the position Marquette men’s basketball finds itself in right now.

The program has already lost players and commits this offseason. Last year’s three seniors, Koby McEwen, Jamal Cain and Theo John, will not be returning to the program. As of Monday night, first-year Dawson Garcia plans to go through the NBA draft evaluation process.

Cain will be transferring to his home state of Michigan to play for Oakland University, McEwen

will be transferring to Weber State and John will not be using the extra year of eligibility that was granted, due to COVID-19, to pursue professional opportunities.

The team will also be without Symir Torrence, who decided to transfer back to his hometown of Syracuse, New York, where he will play for the Orange. Torrence averaged 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 13 minutes a game last season.

Finally, the program lost a verbal commitment from four-star center Jonas Aidoo. The 6-foot11 center is currently No. 70 on the ESPN top 100 list for the 2021 class. He had verbally committed to Marquette, but had not signed a letter of intent.

That leaves the Golden Eagles with two first-year prospects for next season in guards Kameron Jones and Stevie Mitchell. Both have signed letters of intent and both have re-affirmed their commitments to Marquette since the hiring of Smart.

“I’ve been talking to Smart a lot recently and I’ve been getting to know him. He’s a really cool guy and really fun to talk to,” Mitchell said to BVM Sports. “Being able to learn from him is a great opportunity and I’m really excited to go to

school there and get better on and off the court.”

The Golden Eagles have been hot on the recruiting trail since hiring Smart. Two recruits who committed to Smart at Texas in guard Tamar Bates and forward David Joplin have since de-committed from Texas and Marquette has had contact with both in an attempt to bring them to Milwaukee.

The 6-foot-7 Joplin is from Brookfield, Wisconsin, so he would be coming back home if he were to commit to Marquette, like Smart, an Oregon, Wisconsin native. Joplin has been pursued by Minnesota, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Virginia in addition to Marquette, according to Mark Miller with the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook.

The 6-foot-4 Bates is No. 53 on ESPN’s top 100 and is also being pursued by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Oregon, Illinois, Missouri and Purdue according to Stockrisers.

“For me it was pretty simple.

I committed to Coach Smart, not Texas,” Bates told Sports Illustrated. “When he left I knew I would have to look at all my options.”

Smart and his staff have also been active when it comes

VOLLEYBALL

to transfers. The Golden Eagles were among the top eight choices for the highly coveted forward Noah Gurley, but the 6-foot-8 Furman transfer ultimately chose to go to Alabama, which he announced Sunday.

“We had a good Zoom, I’ve always been a fan of Coach Smart so it was good to talk to him,” Gurley told 247Sports prior to his commitment. “He mentioned that he has been watching my game for a couple years so he’s familiar with me, and he explained how he wanted to use me in the offense and defense.”

Gurley averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game as a junior last season. The Golden Eagles’ lone players taller than 6-foot-7 for next season are forwards Dawson Garcia and Oso Ighodaro after Aidoo de-committed.

Other transfers Marquette have reached out to include Tyler Kolek, a 6-foot-3 guard transferring from George Mason, Trey Wade, a 6-foot-6 forward leaving Wichita State, Tre King, a 6-foot-9 forward leaving Eastern Kentucky and D.J. Horne, a 6-foot-1 guard from Illinois State.

Smart is also already at work with the players he al-

ready has, as the team has had multiple practice sessions. In videos from the Marquette Basketball Twitter accountt, we have seen D.J. Carton, Justin Lewis and Greg Elliott among others. We have not yet seen Dawson Garcia.

Carton has been vocal on social media about his support of the Shaka Smart hire, and has also done a little recruiting, tagging his friend and Michigan State transfer Rocket Watts in a tweet expressing his desire to play together.

There have been no reports of Watts being contacted by Marquette, but there is also no timeline, as of now, for when Watts will be making his decision. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds for the Spartans in his sophomore season. He was a four-star high school recruit out of Detroit.

With that, there are a lot of possibilities for change in the roster next season. The Golden Eagles are losing their three senior veterans and multiple other talented players, but we have yet to see the sum of all the new talent they could have on the team, in addition to the players returning from this past season.

Team misses postseason for first time since 2010 Theis, Wolf, Rennie reflect on abnormal 2020 campaign

By Jackson Gross

jackson.gross@marquette.edu

After losing in the conference championship for the second year in a row, the Marquette women’s volleyball team’s only option to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament was to receive a bid. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, they did not receive one of the 48 spots available for the tournament which officially ended their 2020 season. This was the first time in 11 years that Marquette failed to make the tournament.

Even though he was disappointed with not making the tournament, head coach Ryan Theis had no issues with the selection committee’s decision to not include the Golden Eagles, and he was not surprised by the decision either.

“We came within a couple of points of being up 2-1 (on Creighton) for a chance to go, to be one of the top 48 selected,” Theis said. “Too many of those balls did not go our way (and)

the gym together,” Wolf said.

A daily COVID-19 test during the season was the hardest part for Rennie, waiting to not only to hear if she came back negative, but her teammates as well.

“The uncertainty everyday, every COVID test, it’s the matter of what are those going to come back as,” Rennie said. “Every time you take a COVID test you just don’t know.”

The year ending the way it did was disappointing for the team, but for sophomore Claire Nuessmeier, not winning the conference championship, as well as not getting a tournament bid, is a spur of motivation, giving her a chip on her shoulder.

“As soon as the season was done I was ready to be back on the court practicing,” Nuessmeier said. “I don’t want to wait.”

As of April 10, the Golden Eagles are expected to return the full team from this past year. The team will even be adding in four new recruits, including first-year setter Ella Foti. Foti, who was on the roster this year, was ineligible to play.

Nuessmeier said that the return of the team is one of the reasons why she is excited for the fall 2021 season.

“I think we got a really good group of girls, we get to keep everybody. I’ve got really good friends on this team,” Nuessmeier said. “Volleyball has brought Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu just so many good people together and it’s really nice that we don’t have to say any goodbyes after this season and that definitely made what happened at the selection show a little less bitter.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics I think we’re all just really fired Savannah Rennie (16) hits the ball in the Al McGuire Center. This was Rennie’s first year suiting up for Marquette. up to get going.”

too many of the hurdles got in our way including multiple pauses throughout the year. Too many of those things added up throughout the year and contributed to us not getting it done.”

There has been no question that this year has been very difficult for both coaches and players. For graduate student and right side hitter and setter Taylor Wolf as well as graduate student

and middle blocker Savannah Rennie, dealing with the uncertainty regarding COVID-19 tests and dealing with the virus was challenging.

“I think (the hardest part was) just the ups and downs of being in the unknown all the time, never really knowing if someone would test positive (for COVID-19) or not and to try to take advantage of the time we got in

14

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Popovic, Desmarais look to end spring on high note Rodecap hopes to finish above .500 with two matches left

By Matthew Valente

matthew.valente@marquette.edu

The 2020-21 women’s tennis team is 5-5, with two matches remaining prior to postseason.

The two matches are both away — at Xavier and Butler — and senior captain Natalija Popovic knows what part of the game the team needs to work on.

“We need to work on conditioning because the temperature is different outside versus inside,” Popovic said. “We need to play less aggressive.”

Popovic has missed most of the season due to an ankle injury and just returned for the last few matches. As a senior, it was hard for her to act as a leader for her team when four first-years are on the team because of her injury.

Also because of the pandemic, it has been hard for returning players to build team chemistry with the new players.

Redshirt junior Elisabeth Desmarais said it was hard to come back after not playing for a year.

“It was hard for us to help (younger players) out because we’re all trying to get back in this phase to playing matches again,” Desmarais said.

Desmarais had a tough start to this season, not being able to play, but thanks to the other players on the team, she has been able to look past that.

“The girls have been really supportive, and that has helped me build up confidence,” Desmarais said.

As a few matches slipped away from Desmarais, she took her coach’s advice to build up confidence.

“Confidence is built on many things like being physical so we would work extra hard on that,” Desmarais said.

In matches, when Desmarais is losing she knows not to give up and with building up her own confidence; it is important for her to help build up others confidence.

With this being her first season, first-year Lara Kaiser is preparing for the BIG EAST Tournament.

While other first-year students might be nervous, Kaiser said she is not.

“I hear BIG EAST Tournament is tough on the nerves but I am really excited to see everything,” Kaiser said.

The adjustment from playing indoors versus outdoors isn’t an

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

The Marquette women’s tennis team huddles with Steve Rodecap, the Director of Tennis (blue sweatshirt).

issue for Kaiser because she is used to playing in hot weather and she knows the kind of conditions that can occur.

“The coaches have done a great job preparing us right now for the conditions,” Kaiser said. “We will do sprints one day, then full sprints and on the court conditioning another day.”

Director of Tennis Steve Rodecap has also been preparing for this season. Rodecap said the season has been tough for him because Popovic has been out most of the matches with her ankle injury, and sees her as

a leader.

“Girls look up to her,” Rodecap said. “She is kind and disciplined off the court.”

Rodecap also said that he loves the improvement his players have made this season.

“Elie got off to a slow start, but she is playing her best tennis now,” Rodecap said.

He has also said he noticed Popovic is playing her best tennis right now despite missing most of the season. Rodecap said he is very impressed with the development of Kaiser. “Kaiser is not as

experienced as Desmarais and Popovic, she is still a great player on the team and has made enormous progress this year” Rodecap said.

“She has done so much despite not much experience under her belt,” Rodecap said.

With two matches remaining before the BIG EAST Tournament April 22-26 in Cayce, South Carolina, the team has high hopes for the conclusion of the regular season.

“I am confident we are going to win and end the year strong,” Rodecap said.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Emma Soccodato embraces Marquette culture Sophomore follows in sister Cate’s footsteps, plays for Coach Black

By Jackson Gross

jackson.gross@marquette.edu

While sophomore midfielder Emma Soccodato has only been on the women’s lacrosse team for two years, head coach Meredith Black has known Soccodato much longer.

“I think she committed as a sixth grader, (jokingly) but she came to our camp and told me then that she was going to be on this team and she kept to her word and however many years later, she’s now on the team,” Black said.

A Huntington, New York native, she lived near many of her close friends and loved hanging out at the beach during the summer.

When Soccodato was not at the beach or hanging out with friends, she was with her older sister Cate, who played for coach Black and the Golden Eagles from 2016-19. Soccodato said she loved to replicate what her older sister did and was

part of the reason she decided to play lacrosse.

“Just seeing my sister, I loved to copy everything she does, but I’ve always loved lacrosse more than any other sport, so I didn’t really doubt for a second that I wanted to play lacrosse in college,” Soccodato said.

Coach Black has loved having Soccodato on the team with the energy that she brings.

“It’s awesome,” Black said.

“She is such a fun person, a hard worker (and) probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached, she embraces everything about Marquette.”

While Soccodato has tried to match everything Cate has done, according to Black, the only thing that is similar between the two when it came to coaching them is the name and number on the back of the jersey.

“There’s nothing the same.

(Emma) is a midfielder, Cate was an attacker, so already there is a big difference, Cate was like a feeder and a finisher. Attackers are more finesse players, and middies (midfielders) are grit players, so that’s the very difference between those two,” Black said. “Emma is more outgoing, much more energy. Cate was very quiet, very to herself.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Emma Soccodato (10) is a sophomore midfielder from New York.

… I can’t say it enough, there’s nothing the same about those two.”

Although the two are very different, Soccodato looks up to and admires her old sister.

“Copy is kind of a dig at myself, I just admire her so much,” Soccodato said. “She’s inspired me more than anyone.”

While the sisters did not get to play with each other at Marquette, they did get to play together on the international stage, representing Team Italy at the 2017 World Cup, where the younger Soccodato scored nine goals and six assists in

eight games. Team Italy finished 3-1 in group play and placed in the 11 spot out of 25 teams while the sisters were on the team.

“Playing for them was probably the greatest experience of my life, just meeting new people, even on other teams and different cultures was absolutely amazing.

Just being so young and playing at such a high level taught me a lot, that I think was good to experience that before college and playing with my sister was the best part about it. I really wanted to take advantage of playing with her and it was just so fun,”

Soccodato said.

It was an extra point of pride for Soccodato, from a young age her parents taught her to be proud to be an Italian.

“It’s really important,” Soccadato said. “Ever since I was younger, both my parents instilled in me the importance of being proud of being an Italian. My grandparents on my dad’s side are both immigrants and just hearing their story of how hard it was immigrating from Italy to the U.S., and all the sacrifices they made, I am so proud to be an Italian and wearing that jersey was just one of the best feelings and I definitely know it made my dad proud.”

While Soccodato is trying to figure out what exactly she wants to do, she knows she has a connection to the nonprofit world and wants to get into that any way possible.

“I know that I want to get into the nonprofit world,” Soccodato said. “I’ve always had a connection with that and my major right now is operations and supply chain management, so I’m hoping to get on to the business end of nonprofits and honestly make a positive impact. That’s always been my calling; my goal is to chase that.”

Sports

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Marquette Tribune

15

MEN’S SOCCER

Junior midfielder brings spark to games, practices Zyan Andrade scores pair of game-winning goals in overtime

By Nick Galle

nicholas.galle@marquette.edu

From Brazil to San Francisco to Israel, soccer has taken Zyan Andrade all around the world.

After experiencing a variety of cultures across the globe, the junior midfielder has now made Milwaukee his home.

Andrade played collegiately for two years at the University of San Francisco before transferring to Marquette. The Dons went 8-24-2 in the two years Andrade was in the program.

In his first year with the Golden Eagles, Marquette finished its regular season campaign with an 8-1-1 record that earned the team a national ranking.

Andrade said making the move to a more successful program was a bit of a tough transition, but one he knew he had to make.

“I’m just from another country, so I kind of got used to moving place to place and I knew I had to make a change, I knew I had to be in a different environment,” Andrade said. “And after talking to the coaches a lot, I thought Marquette was going to be the right place to be and it was the right season, the right decision.”

Even if the transition was difficult, Andrade made it look easy. In his first Marquette start, he scored the game-winning goal with eight seconds left in overtime against St. Louis Feb. 13. He repeated his lategame heroics just over a month later against Creighton, where he scored another game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Golden Eagles over the Bluejays 2-1. Andrade also assisted Alex Mirsberger’s game-winning goal in double overtime March 24 against DePaul.

While Andrade was the one making the plays in crunch time, he said that the team’s play allowed him to have the opportunities to be the difference-maker when it mattered most.

“I think it’s just the ability to trust the people next to you,” Andrade said. “There’s Beto (Soto), Lukas (Sunesson), (Mirsberger), (Christian) Marquez — everyone is helping in some way, and not even just those guys.”

Andrade also credited the players in the back line, the ones running for 90 minutes trying to keep the ball out of the net, which has been a point of emphasis in head coach Louis Bennett’s game plan.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Zyan Andrade (23) kicks the ball in Marquette’s 2-1 win over Xavier March 17. Andrade has scored two goals and recorded two assists this season.

The squad has gone into overtime in eight of their 10 matches this season. Andrade said that even though there is a lot of pressure following regulation, the team has almost become accustomed to the adrenaline rush that it has been met with in extra-time.

“It’s usually a time where you have less time to score a goal, to win a game, so it’s usually a time where you feel more adrenaline,” Andrade said. “But I feel like after all those tries I guess, all those moments, we know the situation now. We’re fit to play the situation, which is important. … We know we have to remain calm.”

Bennett said it takes a little bit of time to get used to new teammates and to establish a certain level of confidence, but Andrade came to Marquette already having a clutch gene in his skillset.

“When you have a certain technical ability and when you have a certain ambition, he comes with that kind of, ‘oh give it to me, I’ll do it,’” Bennett said. “We didn’t really have to encourage him. As

soon as he was on set pieces, he was on set pieces. He strikes a lovely ball and in training if we say take some corners, he takes corners. So I think he came in with a skillset.”

Even though getting acclimated with new teammates can be challenging, Andrade was able to build an early relationship with first-year forward Beto Soto. The two came into the program as early enrollees last January, and Soto said that connection helped them build a bond, one that feels like they have known each other for years.

The first time they met, Soto, Andrade and some of Soto’s family went out to eat at Whataburger, a fast food burger joint that originated in Soto’s home state of Texas. Soto said it was possibly the most important moment he’s had with Andrade, because from that day on, the connection between the two was established.

In addition, Soto did not hesitate to mention that beating Andrade in the soccer video game “FIFA” was also near the top of the chart in terms of memories

the two share.

“Since the moment we met each other, it was never awkward,” Soto said. “To this day we still have that strong bond. We always joke around each other. … I consider him a true brother.

He’s helped me a lot throughout this whole year, school-wise and soccer-wise.”

Soto also said that he and Andrade have similar mindsets, and those mindsets are represented by the team’s stellar record.

“We’re always hungry to win, and always want what’s best for the team,” Soto said.

Bennett has also noticed the hunger to win, specifically during practices.

“In training, he’d be getting battered,” Bennett said. “And we’d say, ‘you don’t have to do this,’ (and) he goes, ‘no, no, no, this is the way we play, I like it.’”

By the middle of the season, Bennett told the midfielder that he knows Andrade likes to play aggressive, but suggested that he could play a simpler style.

The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native listened, and Bennett said it was

one of the most noticeable improvements he made to his game.

“Simplicity, in essence, is brilliance,” Bennett said. “And the simpler he plays, the more he stands out as being so insightful (and) having such a great knowledge for the tempo of the game. … He carried a heavy lot of tools with him and realized, ‘I don’t have to use them all every play, I only need a couple so that I can last the game,’ and that’s been the biggest, biggest improvement.”

Reflecting on his first regular season with the program, Andrade said it has been a successful one, but noted there is still work to be done, as the Golden Eagles will look to extend their season in the BIG EAST tournament semifinals April 15.

“I think having that first season as an adaption season was good in a way, and coming into this season everyone was super hyped (after) a year without playing any games,” Andrade said. “So it’s been really enjoyable and the team (and) the coaches are helping me with everything.”

16

The Marquette Tribune

Sports

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

TRACK & FIELD

Ward receives new opportunity with Golden Eagles After dominating the field on the East Coast, Ward, in his eyes, made the hard decision to take his talents to the Midwest, where he found himself in the heart of Milwaukee.

“The transfer process was

By Sam Arco scary,” Ward said. “I was entersamuel.arco@marquette.edu ing my senior year and didn’t Marquette track and field know whether it was the right graduate student Marquis thing to do or where I was going Ward has had quite the expe- to end up, but Marquette stood rience throughout his career out to me and I felt genuinely so far. However, through his wanted from the coaching staff, journey that ultimately led him so that was one of the main reato Marquette and he is look- sons I transferred here.” ing to make the most of his After Ward reached out to head new opportunity. coach Bert Rogers and jumps Born in North Plainfield, New coach Rick Bellford within Jersey, Ward originally attended the Golden Eagles program, the Central Connecticut State Uni- opportunity was too good to versity where he was a two-time pass up.

NEC Conference Champion in “I think his previous jumps the indoor high jump as a sopho- stood out to us immediately, and more and junior. was like ‘woah, he’d definitely Ward’s success in the North- be a contender in the BIG EAST east Conference did not stop right off the bat,’” Rogers said. there though, as he was named “After talking to him for a little the Northeast Conference Most bit, we thought he’d be a great fit Outstanding Performer during not just athletically, but academihis junior season for the Blue cally as well.”

Devils, while also being named Ward is currently enrolled All-NEC in the indoor high in Marquette University Law jump, long jump, triple jump and School, which was another imoutdoor long jump. portant factor in his decision to

Graduate student attends law school after success in NEC

come to Milwaukee.

Ward ultimately redshirted the 2019-20 season that was eventually canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in that time Ward was busy training and preparing for this season.

“As soon as I got here, I was training better and practicing better, so ultimately, I think I’ve grown a lot since arriving at Marquette,” Ward said.

Ward’s successful transition to Marquette’s program can be thanked by his quick chemistry with fellow Golden Eagle jumpers in senior Samuel Johnson and junior Jefferson Osunkwo.

“We all love to compete and Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics push each other every day in Ward is a high, long and triple jumper. practice,” Ward said. “We kind of have a friendly rivalry going “As we start to get in the routine on where we want to one-up one of the outdoor season, I’m lookanother, but at the end of the day, ing forward to watching a jumper we always want to help one an- in someone who has what it takes other and make each other the to compete in the BIG EAST conference and overall improve best we can be.”

Rogers attests to this and is ex- our team.”

After not competing for alcited for what Ward can bring to most two years, Ward couldn’t the table for the program.

“He fits right in with the jumps be more excited to get back to crew very well, and the three of jumping and competing with his them present such a great envi- new teammates.

“Honestly I have one real ronment overall,” Rogers said.

exciting expectation this season in that I want to compete at NCAA Regionals,” Ward said. “I know we have a great team that can send a lot of people there and I know me and a couple of the other jumpers have been working hard all season for that, so right now that is my biggest goal.”

When it comes to a specific event, Ward is looking forward to competing in the high jump in the BIG EAST with loads of other talent.

“I definitely would love to hit a personal record in the high jump this season,” Ward, who was a back-to-back NEC Champion in the high jump at CCSU, said. “We didn’t have as many guys that are so good in a specific event in my last conference, so I’m looking forward to them pushing me to go higher.”

With a talented addition in Ward, to go along with a mix of several other key seniors in Joe Keys and Samuel Johnson, Marquette will continue to compete for a BIG EAST title this season after finishing second two years ago behind Villanova.

“This team is going to be special this year to watch, so stay tuned,” Ward said.

Graphic by Kayla Nickerson