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Parties still happening Gatherings continue despite warnings from health officials

By Shir Bloch and Alexa Jurado

shir.bloch@marquette.edu alexa.jurado@marquette.edu

Photo Courtesy of Erin Cook

Even amid a pandemic, students are finding ways to party.

Several members of the Marquette community saw a large gathering near 17th St. and Kilbourn Ave. Aug. 22. Those there wore coordinated white shirts, showing that the party was clearly planned.

“We haven’t even started school yet,” Erin Cook, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Nice weather is not an excuse to go outside and disregard health guidelines.”

Cook drove by the party and said she was disgusted that students would choose to gather.

When she first saw the gathering, she shouted out of her window, then parked the car to get out to record what was

Students gather outside off-campus apartments, despite risks.

happening. She said the students she confronted seemed completely unbothered.

Cook decided to take a video of what she saw. She then picked up the phone and called Marquette University Police Department to report the party.

“After I took the video, I immediately called the MUPD nonemergency number,” Cook said. “They didn’t seem like they were going to do anything, didn’t give reassurance that somebody was on their way. They just asked for my name and phone number and said, ‘Thank you for reporting (the incident)’.”

Cook said she didn’t know where she stood on expectations of the Marquette community, but she wasn’t expecting anything of that caliber.

Jeff Kranz, assistant chief of police of MUPD, said the de-

partment received over a dozen calls this past weekend regarding outdoor gatherings.

Kranz said that MUPD’s first objective is to educate students about the significant health and safety risks large gatherings pose to the entire campus community, as well as dispersing the gatherings in a timely manner.

“Students who host these parties are in violation of the Marquette Student Code of Conduct, and they are (…) subject to disciplinary action based on that policy,” he said in an email.

Additionally, Kranz said that the city ordinance authorizes the commissioner of health and police officers to issue citations to those who willfully violate or obstruct the execution of an order issued under a chapter in the Wisconsin Statutes.

“It further provides a See PARTIES page 2

Attendance policies updated due to pandemic Communication emphasized for fall 2020 academics

By Shir Bloch

shir.bloch@marquette.edu

With COVID-19 upending much of traditional college life, Marquette University has altered some of its policies to navigate the world during a pandemic and ensure student safety and success, according to John Su, vice provost for academic affairs.

“Instructors are expected to make reasonable accommodations for students who miss classes due to COVID-19 expo-

sure to make up classwork and/or get notes from a lecture,” Su said in an email. “Labs, clinicals and other field-based classes are the exceptions to this because it may be impossible to make up classwork in these types of classes.”

Su said that students are expected to contact their professors to ensure they can make up the materials for the classes they missed due to COVID-related absences. He said that the most important thing is for students to maintain constant communication with their instructors.

Students were required to complete online COVID-19 training before returning to campus, which included informational videos and quizzes about the

INDEX

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

material learned. After completing the training, students agreed to the community standards pledge, which outlined rules that students agreed to follow while on campus.

As part of the community standards pledge, students are expected to abide by the university’s guidelines in areas such as health and wellness, campus movement and personal and community well-being. These guidelines include wearing masks, sanitizing shared surfaces such as desks in classrooms, maintaining appropriate social distancing and washing hands frequently and thoroughly.

Students must also complete the COVID-Cheq survey every

morning and get verification before attending in-person classes.

Access to certain campus spaces, such as dining halls, requires proof of that day’s verification.

According to an Aug. 24 university news release detailing class attendance and withdrawal guidelines, “Marquette University is requiring students to not attend class if symptomatic.”

The guidelines said that professors are expected to make reasonable accommodations, no component of grades can be based solely on attendance and syllabi should outline professors’ expectations for students who may miss class due to the virus.

The release guidelines

See ATTENDANCE page 2

NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

New guidelines concern student population

Friends utilize social media, internet to stay in touch

Title IX rules PAGE 5

are meant “to create a flexible and compassionate response to students during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Students are not required to obtain medical excuses for missed classes as doing so would place additional burden on healthcare systems, according to Su. “Except in the case of an emergency, classes will continue,” Su said in an email.

Su explained that through the Center for Teaching and Learning, faculty now have practice to design alternative assignments and classroom activities.

The CTL is an office to promote a culture of “pedagogical excellence” at Marquette.

OPINIONS

Slow connection

Are we next?

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

Marquette is not as prepared as it thinks for reopening

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

PARTIES: Guests face possible consequences PARTIES Continued from page 1 forfeiture of $500 for violating this ordinance,” Kranz said in an email. “Following this interaction, the MUPD officers will also forward the name of the resident(s) to the Office of Student Development for possible student conduct action.”

Other universities are punishing students who break health guidelines. Purdue has suspended students who have attended gatherings.

Panagiota Markakos, a junior

in the College of Arts & Sciences, saw the party on others’ Snapchat stories and she said she was shocked and disappointed when she saw it in person.

“My friend had called the MUPD nonemergency number,” she said. “They told us that they were going to send dispatch over to take a look. We never received a call back from them but it didn’t look like they had come to do anything about it.”

Markakos said there should be some disciplinary repercussions for students who gather and that a “little slap on the wrist” isn’t sufficient.

“Suspension is a good consideration,” she said. “If this continues, classes will be put online in two weeks … I just hope that mistakes like this aren’t done again.”

Other institutions, like Purdue University, have taken these measures.

Cook said that she heard about the party earlier in the day when a friend’s roommate heard the noise and called MUPD. She said MUPD cleared the original party, which she said had around 80 attendees, but that about 50 came back half an hour after being told to leave.

This was the largest gathering Cook has seen. She said she has seen groups of five to 10 people gathered without masks in backyards.

Markakos said that it is very important that students wear masks, maintain social distance and not get into big groups. She said that students have to do this not just for themselves but for the surrounding community.

“Everybody talks about the ‘Marquette bubble’ and how these so-and-so blocks are Marquette,” Cook said. “But we definitely have to think about the Milwaukee community …

(people) have to think about Black and Brown families in the area who they are affecting by not wearing a mask and not social distancing.”

Kranz said he hopes to see the number of gatherings decline in the coming days and weeks.

“Everyone must do their part to help slow the spread of the coronavirus and keep our campus community safe and healthy,” he said in an email. “We know students want an in-person college experience — to continue to offer that, we must be mindful of the extraordinary risks posed by large gatherings.”

ATTENDANCE: Accommodations increase ATTENDANCE Continued from page 1 Students with pre-existing conditions should contact the Office of Disability Services, Su said.

“Don’t wait, please be proactive,” Su said in an email. “ODS can work with the students, instructors, and the college to identify reasonable accommodations for students. The right accommodation depends on the student’s condition, the academic discipline, and the structure/modality of the course section.”

Lucila Radke, junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she appreciates Marquette’s actions during this time to ensure student safety. “(Marquette) is going out of its way to make sure we are as safe as we can be,” she said. “Obviously they can’t force us to follow the rules so there’s the possibility that we will still have an outbreak, but in my opinion (the university) has done everything it can do.”

She said that it is important for students to follow health guidelines because Marquette has a large impact on the city of Milwaukee, especially the neighborhoods surrounding campus. She said she is disappointed by the parties she has seen around campus.

“The Marquette bubble doesn’t actually exist so it’s important to consider the impacts of our actions on our neighbors,” she said. “Nobody wants a repeat of March, so it’s on all of us to prevent it.”

If someone notices other members of the Marquette community violating these guidelines and putting others at risk, they can fill out the Community Pledge and Standards Violation Reporting Form.

The form asks for the submitter’s personal information, involved parties, questions and supporting documents. However,

only the date and location of the incident, as well as a detailed description of it, are required to submit the form.

“Students reported for potential violations of policies will be responded to through the student conduct system, and the guidelines will be the same as for any code violation,” Stephanie Quade, dean of students, said in an email.

Depending on the nature of the incident, Quade said students could be charged with various degrees of seriousness, including failure to comply with the

directives of a university official, violating local ordinances or endangering the safety and health of other members of the community.

“Students found responsible for any of these violations would face responses commensurate with the gravity of the case at hand,” she said.

Quade said that the severity of the punishment rests on factors such as the severity of the infraction and the student’s disciplinary background.

Su encourages students to keep track of national news in order

to see what’s happening in other campuses across the country.

“I know everyone is so eager to reconnect with each other,” Su said in an email. “Probably everyone has struggled with isolation since the emergence of the pandemic. But please remember that our goal is to build and sustain those social connections for the entire semester, not just the first few weeks. We can do this together.”

With the redesign of buildings and spaces across campus for risk mitigation, Su said it is the actions of the Marquette

community outside of academic spaces that will plot the university’s course for the next several months.

“I believe in our students and faculty,” Su said in an email. “It will be an extraordinary challenge for everyone to stay committed to risk mitigation, and not every college has succeeded. But we have amazing students, faculty, and staff who exemplify the Catholic, Jesuit mission of our institution.”

Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu

Academic policies have been drafted with the pandemic in mind in order to maximize safety and learning. Students are expected to abide by a Community Standards Pledge which provides guidelines in areas such as health and wellness.

News

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

Marquette dining experiences change Takeout selections available for meal plan recipients

By Shir Bloch

shir.bloch@marquette.edu

With Marquette’s Anytime Dining plan, most first-years and sophomores used to stop by dining halls all the time, sure of their entry and speedy service. Now, the pandemic is changing what it means to dine at Marquette.

Alex Abendschein, marketing manager for Sodexo, said that the new safety measures are not meant to be restrictive but have been made in consultation with city health officials and Marquette University.

“Masks must be worn at all times unless you’re eating or drinking,” he said.

There is a limit of one chair per table, and there are stickers on bench seating to ensure sufficient distance between diners.

Additionally, plexiglass has been placed in many stations of the dining halls.

“The plexiglass is there to stop the spread of COVID, but it will also keep people from reaching, “ Rick Arcuri, executive director of business operations for the division of student affairs, said.

Though the look of the dining halls will be different, the basic structure of the meal plan will remain the same, and Abendschein stressed that students will still have ample options for dining.

“It’s important that we impress on you that the dining program and how it runs will still be the same,” Arcuri said. “How we’re serving it is what’s changed.”

In addition to directional signage on the floor, Abendschein said that the dining halls will create student pathways, especially in tight corners.

Abendschein also said that students on the meal plan should

watch the SPARK informational video before entering the dining halls. The video includes a walkthrough of the dining halls and explains the new, coronavirus-friendly process for getting food.

“We’re going to do cashless payment,” Abendschein said. “We’re also working with IT services to put in touchless card readers so there is no interface with cashiers.”

Every morning, students, faculty and staff must complete the COVID-Cheq survey, which asks questions about symptoms and exposure to sick individuals in order to determine whether someone is allowed to walk about campus and attend classes that day.

Students will have to show their COVID-Cheq green light, which will be sent to their emails after they complete their daily symptom tracker, in order to access the dining halls.

Additionally, Abendschein encouraged students to download the Bite by Sodexo app, which has menus for each of the dining halls, to plan their meals ahead of time.

Abendschein also said that the dining halls are trying to provide full meals at stations so that students don’t have to go through multiple lines.

He also emphasized that staff have been trained to package to-go containers so they are full and look appetizing to students. Ordering options are not available at this time.

As some first-years decided to stay home and some sophomores chose to move out of the residence halls following the university’s Aug. 5 announcement about final fall plans, Arcuri said that the numbers of those signed up for the meal plan has been fluctuating and will likely finalize after the first week of classes, which he

says is normal.

“It’s going to take longer (to serve students) because we are limited to a number of people in a unit,” Arcuri said. “Now we have to make sure we don’t exceed capacity.”

Arcuri said that dining capacities have significantly decreased. For example, The Commons used to have a capacity of 623 people but can now only serve 180. He said that other dining halls have experienced similar drops in capacities.

Abendschein said that staff will have temperature checks and will self-monitor like students are required to.

“Every 30 minutes staff will stop and do sanitizing and cleaning of work stations,” Abendschein said. “It is a visual cue so people recognize we are taking this very seriously.”

Elizabeth Wiltgen, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said she thinks Marquette is handling the pandemic well overall but should’ve communicated with students in a more straightforward way, such as about dining options.

“Marquette didn’t communicate much about their plans for dining services until (last) week, and I felt almost entirely in the

A MU victim was sexually assaulted while off-campus by a subject not affiliated with MU. Subject was located and taken into custody.

While in the 800 block of N. 14th Street, a subject not affiliated with MU grabbed a MU subject, slammed them against a wall and placed a knife to their neck without consent.

AUGUST 22 Unknown subjects

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

dark,” she said. “Since I still don’t know much about the plan, I worry that with physical distancing and extra cleaning procedures, it might be hard to get a quick meal between classes.”

Wiltgen, a vegan, chose Marquette partly for its dining options and has been happy so far, especially with many of the staff members in the dining halls. However, she is apprehensive about her options this coming fall.

“It would have been reassuring to receive notice from the university about how many different meal options they plan to offer in dining halls, especially whether they plan to continue accommodating all dietary restrictions,” she said.

“If food is being pre-prepared and packaged, it worries me that they could run out of vegan or gluten free options for the day before everyone with dietary restrictions gets to eat.”

Abendschein and Arcuri said they both ask for patience as everyone on campus adjusts to the new normal. Abendschein even has a philosophy of “plan, navigate, enjoy” that he hopes students can apply to their dining needs.

“At the end of the day, I just want you to enjoy,” he said.

Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Annie Mattea NEWS News Editor Shir Bloch Assistant Editors Alexa Jurado, Ben Wells Reporters Matthew Choate, Charlie Pineda PROJECTS Projects Editor Lelah Byron Assistant Editor Amanda Parrish Reporters Grace Dawson, Maria Crenshaw, Beck Salgado ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Arts & Entertainment Editor Skyler Chun Assistant Editors Charlotte Ives, Mason Stebnitz Reporters Ariana Madson OPINIONS Executive Opinions Editor Alexandra Garner Assistant Opinions Editor Aminah Beg Columnists Jenna Koch, Hope Moses, Max Pickart, Lucia Ruffolo SPORTS Executive Sports Editor Zoe Comerford Assistant Editors Nick Galle, Molly Gretzlock Reporters Sam Arco ,Bryan Geenen, Jackson Gross, Kristin Parisi, Matt Yeazel, Matthew Valente COPY Copy Chief Eleanor Mccaughey Copy Editors Kendra Bell, Grace Kwapil, Emily Reinhardt, Kimberly Cook VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Grace Pionek Photo Editor Zach Bukowski Sports Designer Kayla Nickerson Arts & Entertainment Designer Marissa Provenzale Photographers Katerina Pourliakas, Claire Gallagher ----

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Dining hall workers prepare prepackaged food for students to pick up.

MUPD REPORTS AUGUST 23

approached a subject not affiliated with MU in the 800 block of N. 23rd Street, displayed a firearm and left the area in the victim’s vehicle.

AUGUST 21 Unknown subject removed property from a residence located in the 900 block of N. 20th Street without consent.

AUGUST 20 A subject not affiliated with MU subject was involved in an accident at the intersection of N. 16th and W.

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COVID-19 TRACKER Clybourn Streets. Subject was found to be operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and was taken into custody by MUPD. AUGUST 18 A subject not affiliated with MU was observed with an open intoxicant in the 2300 block of W. Wisconsin Avenue and was issued a citation.

CUMULATIVE CASES - MARQUETTE:

105 NEW CASES - WEEK OF 8/20:

5 CUMULATIVE CASES - MILWAUKEE:

23,232 SEVEN DAY AVERAGE - WEEK OF 8/20:

110.6

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

University to face COVID-19 financial risks

Marquette receives aid to diffuse spring losses

By Shir Bloch

shir.bloch@marquette.edu

Marquette University is a cog in a much larger machine, just as its students are part of the education machine that is the university.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world began to see a cascade of effects, from widespread unemployment to Zoom meetings in pajama pants, and now to financial worries in higher education.

“When COVID-19 hit and we were forced to move to an entirely remote environment, the university saw an immediate short-term financial shortfall of about $15 million, most of that stemming from room and board refunds,” Joel Pogodzinski, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in an email. “We moved swiftly and decisively to entirely cover that short-term loss through furloughs, renegotiated vendor contracts, discretionary spending reductions and CARES Act relief funds.”

Since March, the university has received around $6.6 million as part of the CARES Act’s relief funds, $3.3 million of which was directed by the U.S. Department of Education to be set aside for Marquette students with the most financial need.

The university’s efforts resulted in a recovery of the $15 million shortfall, and Marquette even ended the 2019-2020 fiscal year with a slight surplus. However, the coming year may pose a greater financial threat to Marquette as well

as other universities, such as University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill moved online and Notre Dame paused in-person classes for two weeks a mere week after opening with in-person classes.

In a non-COVID-19 year, tuition and fees contribute to $256,633 or 54% of the university’s total operating revenues, according to Marquette’s 2019 financial report.

Room and board follows, making up 11%. The other 35% comes from grants, contributions, invest and endowment income and other forms of income.

When it comes to normal total operating expenditures, instruction costs $124,496, or 28% of the university’s annual expenses, according to the same report. Institutional support comes in at 20%, student services at 15% and academic support at 14%. The rest of the university’s annual spending goes towards research and grants, auxiliary enterprises and public service.

With COVID-19 posing a very real and present danger, the university has about $20-25 million in known financial risks, with some of this money allocated towards health and safety measures, Pogodzinski said.

“The actual number could be much higher and will depend on the final count for first-year students, attrition among our returning students, whether we are residential for part or all of the academic year, and the impact of other lost revenues,” Pogodzinski said in an email.

He said that other factors, such as cleaning and technology costs, dedensification and health services like testing, tracing and additional care will all contribute to the year’s

financial risks as well.

“Nearly 5,000 alumni, parents and friends donated to the recent face mask fundraiser, organized

by University Advancement, and raised more than $200,000 to support Marquette students who are training to be on the front lines of health care,” Pogodzinski said in an email.

Marquette announced Aug. 5 that fall instruction would begin a hybrid plan, with both in-person and online classes being offered.

Among other announcements, the university said that first-years could live at home if they took all online classes and sophomores could live in apartments or off-campus rather than the usual residence hall requirement.

“It was important that we dedensify our residence halls for the health and safety of our campus community,” Pogodzinski said in an email. “While it does contribute to increased revenue shortfall for this year, it was important to us to give our students additional choices on their modality of instruction, as well as their housing preference to help manage the health, safety, economics and other personal choices.”

In a letter to the Marquette community June 22, University President Michael Lovell announced several mitigation strategies to offset coming financial risks, both short and long term. These strategies included salary reductions for the University Leadership Council, suspension of employer contributions to Marquette’s 403(b) retirement plan for the coming fiscal year and a pause on all nonessential hiring.

“No matter what happens, it’s

clear the fall 2020 semester will look and feel different than past semesters,” Lovell said in the letter.

“We should all anticipate changes to how we interact with each other so that we may demonstrate care and concern for the most vulnerable among us and help limit the spread of the coronavirus.”

Lovell stressed that there must be a balance between cura personalis — care for the whole person and cura apostolica — care for the work and the institution.

“We expect additional mitigating measures to continue to help keep the university as financially healthy as possible, in order to uphold our commitment of delivering a transformational education and experience for our students,” Pogodzinski said in an email. “We will monitor our upcoming admissions cycle and will communicate tuition decisions later this calendar year.”

Despite cuts in discretionary spending, the College of Arts & Sciences will employ an associate director of career diversity through 2025 thanks to the Humanities Without Walls Award, which is worth $1.3 million and fosters collaborative research, according to a university news release.

“Sometimes there is an assumption that various serious challenges we face in the world — the coronavirus pandemic, new technologies, racial disparities, or disruptions in the nitrogen or phosphorus cycle of the earth — are simply technical or scientific issues,” Heidi Bostic, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Yet, we know at the heart of all of these challenges lie the basic questions of who we are and how we should live. For that reason, the humanities and broad

liberal arts are crucial to addressing grand challenges.”

Additionally, Marquette alumni Jeff and Sarah Joerres have donated $1.5 million to the university, with half supporting study abroad opportunities for first-generation students and the other half to the university’s Neuro Recovery Clinic, which treats people with chronic disabilities that stem from neurological conditions such as stroke or brain injury.

William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence, said that these study abroad experience provide students with new vantage points and world views.

“Several studies show that highimpact experiences are a crucial component to retaining and engaging diverse students,” Welburn said.

Even with the university’s known financial risks, credit rating agency Moody’s recently gave the university an A2 rating, which means “investment grade,” and determined Marquette’s outlook as stable and is better than the outlook for the higher education industry as a whole.

Pogodzinski said that though the university will face financial challenges as the result of the pandemic, Marquette’s overall financial picture remains strong.

“Know that when we do have to make tough decisions, we will do so in the interest of the greater good,” Pogodzinski said in an email. “We want to ensure Marquette’s longevity, so that we can continue to provide a transformational Catholic, Jesuit education to students for at least another 140 years.”

Milwaukee left in shadow of virtual convention City economic impact decreases to $3 million

By Annie Mattea

anne.mattea@marquette.edu

In March 2019, Milwaukee was chosen as the site for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In November 2019, the Marquette Wire interviewed the president of the Host Committee for the 2020 DNC, who said that the convention would be an amazing branding opportunity for the city. But by June 2020, the DNC became almost completely virtual.

Marquette University was involved in much of the DNC planning before its move to be primarily virtual. The university was to house many of the anticipated visitors in its residence halls. Marquette also held

many panels in anticipation of the convention.

But Marquette is no longer involved with the convention at all.

“Marquette University, as a good partner to the City as it played host to the DNC, is disappointed that we are unable to collectively showcase Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin to visitors from across the country,” Mary Czech-Mrochinski, associate vice president for public affairs and co-chair of the university’s convention steering committee, said in an email. “It is equally disappointing that our students, no matter their political affiliation, are unable to take part in this historic opportunity in Milwaukee, in which the university would have been the site for non-partisan or bi-partisan events during the convention.”

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the convention to August

and ultimately to a primarily virtual setting. Milwaukee was anticipating 50,000 visitors to the city and an economic impact of $200 million, Claire Koenig, senior media relations manager for VISIT Milwaukee, said.

The city had prepared for the visitors, with hotel developers racing through the development process to house people, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Following the pandemic, the city anticipated a $3 million economic impact, with 4,000 room nights, Koenig said. Room nights mean nights of a stay purchased at a hotel. For example, one person who stays in a hotel for four nights generates four room nights.

Koenig also said that there would have been increased media exposure to the city, which is now lost.

“Obviously we are devastated

for the lost business,” Koenig said. She said a lot of local businesses had ramped up efforts and increased staff, although she did not provide examples.

Koenig said that there is still some spotlight on the city, so VISIT Milwaukee is trying to put Milwaukee’s best foot forward and show the best city they can.

She said VISIT Milwaukee had put out numerous short videos and two short commercials allowing people to virtually see the city for convention week.

Paul Nolette, associate professor and chair of the department of political science, said that political conventions are meant to energize party members.

He said that although convention locations normally do not have a significant impact in terms of increased support, often only showing short term bumps as they are months prior to the

election, voter registration numbers in Milwaukee will probably not be as high as they could have been had the convention been in the city.

He also said the virtual nature cuts down on speeches and amount of time party members get to speak, but a lot of the speakers are the same as they possibly would have been.

Nolette said that Wisconsin still has a big role in this election.

“It is the ultimate swing state,” Nolette said. Wisconsin was one of the closest states in the previous election, ultimately voting for President Trump. In Wisconsin in 2016, Trump won 47.2% of the popular vote and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won 46.5% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia. There are numerous theories that the Democratic convention’s placement in Milwaukee was related to this.

News

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Title IX rules change Concerns arise over new national guidelines

“aims to empower students to end sexual and dating violence in their schools,” according to its website.

Students have also taken concern with the new rules. One student, who asked to remain anonymous because of her experience with the Title IX process, said she was “shocked” when she heard.

“I think overall the new rules ... do not help the survivors,” she said. “There is a reason Marquette has taken Title IX cases so seriously, because they are serious offenses. The new rules, to me, seem to ease up on the perpetrator and do not hold them accountable for their actions.”

She said if she had ever had to attend a hearing with her perpetrator present, she would have never reported the incident in the first place.

“The larger audience of the hearing is something that would

through the formal hearing process if they’re not comfortable doing so.”

Restorative justice is the meeting between a victim and an ofBy Alexa Jurado fender to resolve a conflict. alexa.jurado@marquette.edu Additionally, while the new Title IX rules allow schools to Marquette University recently not take jursidictison when inreleased its updated interim Title cidents don’t occur directly on IX policy, according to an Aug. campus, Kreple said Marquette’s 13 university news release. This Title IX office is still taking on follows the announcement that responsibility. of new Title IX rules regarding “Marquette is committed to sexual misconduct last spring. addressing sexual harassment The policy — referred to and sex discrimination in a way as “interim” by the Title IX that reflects the university’s mispolicy task force to anticipate sion and preserves the dignity of further changes — was creour community members,” Proated to comply with the new vost Kimo Ah Yun said in the national guidelines. news release. “The task force One notable change to Title unpacked the new federal reguIX is the requirement to conduct lations and determined how to in-person hearings for five spenot only comply with them, but cific behaviors defined as sexual also reflect the university’s comharassment: sexual harassment, mitment to a safe and equitable sexual assault, dating violence, campus. We anticipate the policy domestic violence and stalking. will continue to evolve and we The rules now allow for crosslook forward to receiving feedexamination by the alleged perback from the community.” petrator’s chosen representative.

Kreple said she is worried the Previously, the university utinew rules will have a “chilling lized a single-investigator model effect on students.” which involved a single Title “It’s really important to me IX coordinator from start to finthat everyone (in) our campus ish. The investigator interviews community feels supported by involved parties and reports Title IX, to feel like we’re an findings and any sanctions to option for them,” she said. “I be issued. approached our policies with Institutions are also required the goal of trying to create avto choose between two standards enues for folks to engage with of evidence to apply to proceedus that weren’t there before to ings. The first, preponderance of try to combat that potential the evidence, requires that the Kristin Kreple chilling effect.” chance a claim is true is greater While the anonymous stuTitle IX Coordinator than 50%. The second is the clear dent has doubts about DeVos’ and convincing standard, which have deterred me. In my case, I rules, she said she commends requires evidence to be substan- appreciated only having the Title Marquette for keeping their politially more probable to be true IX person to talk to instead of so cy largely the same. than untrue. many others,” she said.

“I think that although changes Despite other changes, MarAlthough hearings are re- were made by DeVos, and they quette will continue to maintain quired, Marquette is allowing are not good changes in my opinthe use of preponderance of evi- for both parties to be in separate ions, Marquette seems to be dodence, the number of mandatory rooms, Title IX coordinator Kris- ing what they can to keep things reporters on campus and contin- tin Kreple said. the same,” she said. “There are ue to broadly define sexual ha“They would never cross some things they need to change, rassment and sex discrimination. paths,” Keple said. “We can kind which I understand. It is not to To comply with these guide- of shield the impacted person their control. Which is somelines, Marquette will now im- from engaging with the respon- thing I think students need to recplement a hearing process to dent. And I think that that’s a ognize. We cannot blame Maraddress conduct, as well as a good way to try to keep the trau- quette for implementing what “prompt and equitable process,” ma to a minimum.”

DeVos changed.” to address “sexually harassing Outside of the five specific The student offered advice for and discriminatory” conduct that behaviors however, Marquette those who might be considering falls outside of Title IX guide- will continue to use its single- filing a Title IX case. lines. investigator model, Kreple “The people in the office are so DeVos’ new rules allow for said. She also said there is a lot kind and want to help. They are new protections that “safeguards more flexibility for resolving in your corner,” she said. the rights of all students, includ- matters informally.

Kreple said students are weling the right to due process,” ac“I’m very open to doing that come to come to her and the Title cording to the U.S. Department in situations that are appropri- IX office for supportive services of Education. However, some or- ate,” Kreple said. “We are ex- when feeling unsafe. ganizations such as Know Your ploring mediation, maybe some Students, faculty and staff are IX, have expressed worry. restorative justice and any other invited to comment on the inKnow Your IX is a survi- kind of informal resolutions terim policy by emailing policyvor and youth-led project that ... (students) don’t have to go feedback@marquette.edu.

“

It’s really important to me that everyone (in) our campus community feels supported by Title IX.”

The Marquette Tribune

Campus returns Community prepares for in-person learning

By Ben Wells

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu

Since the university’s closure March 18, Marquette has dedicated an entire COVID-19 taskforce to take on the responsibility of ensuring campus safety for students to return.

It has taken into account student, faculty and staff voices into the decision.

Marquette University announced Aug. 5 that classes will begin Wednesday, Aug. 26 after months of meetings and town halls.

“We all need to understand the seriousness with which you, and every member of the Marquette community, must take our public health and safety requirements,” University President Michael Lovell said in a letter addressed to students. “We’re seeing at college campuses across the country that mistakes by a few are having large impacts on many.”

Lovell said in his letter that he encouraged students to participate in less risky outdoor activities and university-sponsored events that maintain social distancing.

“Certainly, recent events illustrate the challenge that we are facing,” John Mantsch, professor and chair of Marquette’s Biomedical Sciences Department, said. “While every situation is different, it ultimately is going to come down to student behavior and choices.”

He said that a majority of transmission will likely occur off-campus. Students will have to think not just about the value of in-person education, but the well-being of others. Mantsch said that the best way to demonstrate that appreciation is by abiding by guidelines set in place by the university and Milwaukee, like wearing a mask and social distancing.

Mantsch also said that because of the university’s classroom and IT infrastructure, faculty training and student support put in place because of the pandemic, the university is generally prepared to provide safe instruction. He also said that sufficient testing and contract tracing, personal protective equipment supply, and ample space to quarantine play a big role in whether or not the university is ready to ensure that safe instruction.

“The best that we can do right now is wait and see and be prepared to pivot as needed,” said Mantsch.

Tom Hansberger, a graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of the Academic Worker’s Union said that the university’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is “not adequate.”

Hansberger said that the university’s decision to not test every students upon arrival and their choice to only test students who are symptomatic and those who have been in

5

contact with those who are infected is ineffectual.

“Something that would be a much better coronavirus response plan would be ... testing everyone on campus, twice a week,” Hansberger said.

Hansberger also said the response has been inadequate due to poor communication between students, staff and administration on the choice to opt-out of in-person instruction.

He also expressed concern for himself and other co-workers who are graduate assistants or non-tenured faculty. Some may not have health insurance and are still being asked to teach in-person amidst a global pandemic.

“They’re taking the lions share of the risk,” Hansberger said. “That’s just absurd.”

The University of Notre Dame tested all of their students before allowing them to return to campus and within 8 days, and still transitioned to an entirely online format. Due to Marquette’s decision to not test students, Hansberger said he expects Marquette to see the same fate.

“It’s unimaginable that the results would be any different at Marquette when other universities have reopened with a hybrid model with ... even more stringent safety measure (than Marquette) and still have large enough outbreaks of hundreds of people, that have forced them to take their entire semester online,” Hansberger said. “I think it’s important to remember that we in Milwaukee have more cases and a higher rate of the spread than when we originally shut down in March.”

The number of cases the city of Milwaukee on March 18, when the university shut down, was 34. As of Monday, that number is over 23,000 confirmed cases.

James Friel, associate director of Recreational Sports, is making sure the Rec Center and RecPlex are safe for students as soon as they return to campus by working closely with the COVID-19 response team.

Currently, social distancing and masks are required within the buildings at all times. Normal semester hours resumed Aug. 24, and recreational sports resumed Aug. 21.

“Much like moving into a residence hall, dining in a cafeteria or hanging out at the AMU, there are risks coming to our recreational facilities during a pandemic,” Friel said. “However, we have taken several steps to make it a safer place and to reduce the risk of any spread.”

Friel said that is very important for students to show “cura personalis” during this time and that students can trust that Marquette University Recreational Sports will be doing their best to ensure everyone is safe on campus.

“You can’t see our smiles under our masks, but we are very happy you are back on campus,” Friel said.

6

News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Alum covers White House, President Trump Ben Tracy returns to D.C. after 22 years of working abroad

By Skyler Chun

skyler.chun@marquette.edu

With the 2020 presidential election right around the corner, Marquette alum and CBS News White House correspondent Ben Tracy shared his experiences covering the nation’s capital.

Tracy said each day as a correspondent is often very different from the rest, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said a lot has changed in the way he does his job due to COVID-19, one thing being his work location. He said workers at the White House are currently on a rotation where they physically go into the White House one week at a time and then work remotely for two weeks.

“When your job is to develop sources and be talking to people in administration, (working remotely) makes it very hard,” Tracy said. “You also can’t go meet people for coffee or a meal to kind of develop some of those relationships.”

However, when assigned to go into the White House, he starts his days early, arriving at the White House around 6:20 a.m. to prepare for his 7:00 a.m. hit for CBS This Morning.

“Then whatever the news of the day is — whatever you are trying to track down — you start emailing and making phone calls,” Tracy said.

“You have White House officials who are out on the driveway of the White House after they do their T.V. hits, and you run up to them and ask the questions. If they don’t stop, you shout questions and see if they will respond in some fashion.”

He said they operate inside a very small booth inside the White House.

“It’s not nearly as glamorous as you would think it is,” Tracy said. “Even in these briefings with the president, you’re sitting there with a mask on and sometimes he can hear you

and sometimes he can’t. It’s definitely changed a lot of things in terms of the daily experience of covering the White House.”

After that, Tracy said he works on updates for CBS News’ stringing platform, CBSN. He said President Donald Trump is now doing a lot of daily news briefings too, so he spends a lot of his time crafting questions. “(Crafting questions) is always a fun kind of dance because you need to have at least ten questions,” Tracy said. “You never know when he will call on you, and if your questions have already been asked, you want to make sure you have backups.”

He said covering Trump is often very unpredictable, but exciting.

“If you’re in news, what you want to do is have news, and he is someone who reliably provides news everyday, oftentimes many times a day,” Tracy said. “You are constantly having to keep your ear on whatever he is saying at any given time. While it can be exhausting, it’s also what makes it fascinating and interesting.”

Tracy shared an example of covering breaking news on Trump from mid-August.

“I was doing my live shout out from the north lawn of the White House, and our story was about how (Trump) tweeted out today that people should not buy Goodyear tires because he is upset that Goodyear doesn’t let people wear ‘make America great again’ hats inside their plant,” Tracy said.

He added that Goodyear also does not let workers wear Joe Biden hats for political reasons.

“But then the president was giving a news conference before we went on the air and he started talking about (a) conspiracy group so we had to add that into our tag,” Tracy said.

Tracy then concludes his day by preparing for the evening news.

“The days can be long, but honestly, they go by pretty quickly because there is just so much going on,” Tracy

said. “It’s a mental challenge, but it’s fun.”

On days when he does not go into the White House, Tracy said he works remotely from home. Most recently, Tracy has been covering the Democratic National Convention through his computer and television screen.

As a former Marquette alum, Tracy said Marquette prepared him for a career in journalism in a lot of ways.

As a first-year student at Marquette, he said he already knew he wanted to go into television news.

In his first year, he lived in O’Donnell Hall, and right across the street from O’Donnell is the ABC-affiliated Milwaukee Channel 12, WISN. “I remember walking over there the second semester of freshman year and I said ‘Can I have an internship?’ and they said ‘You’re a freshman.

We don’t give internships to freshmen,’” Tracy said. “I just kept going back and finally one night they said fine, we’ll let you sit on the assignment desk and you can photocopy the newspaper and collect faxes.”

Tracy ended up staying at Channel 12 for three and a half years, where he eventually got a paid job as the producer of their investigative unit while he was still at Marquette.

After graduating in 1998 and taking various jobs around the midwest, including at Marquette and WCCO TV in Minneapolis, Tracy said he was hired by CBS in 2008.

As a correspondent for CBS, covering politics is still relatively new to him. Tracy

said he has traveled to and reported in 18 countries and five continents so far, and has covered a wide range of stories.

“I was living and working in China and covering all of Asia so I was constantly traveling,” Tracy said. “I’m very grateful. (CBS) has taken me to a lot of interesting places everywhere, from North Korea to Cuba to Indonesia, New Zealand, all over Europe. It’s a great gig.”

Tracy said he is still not completely used to covering politics, as he has been covering so many various stories across the world. He said he loves the range of stories that he gets to cover and the experiences he gets to have.

Tracy mentioned one experience that continues to stand out to him in particular, where he spent 16 hours on a train each way to North Korea’s nuclear test site two years ago.

He recounted being among other journalists invited by North Korea to a location

where the country was dismantling a nuclear weapons test site.

“Spending that amount of time on a train in North Korea with armed North Korean soldiers outside your cabin was a very unique experience,” Tracy said. “Those are moments where you kind of just pinch yourself, and you say ‘I never thought I’d visit North Korea,’ and before you know it, you’ve been there three times.”

For Tracy, being a correspondent for the White House was a “full circle moment” in his journalism career.

After being an intern at the White House in college, he said he aspired to be a White House correspondent one day, but his career took many different paths.

“I remember the first day walking down the driveway there. It was the first time I had been back to the White House in 22 years,” Tracy said. “It was a really cool moment to be there again.”

Photo courtesy of Ben Tracy

Tracy reports from the nation’s capitol for CBS after daily White House briefings.

News

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

7

Travel bans worry international students Some stay in home countries amid coronavirus fears

By Matthew Choate

matthew.choate@marquette.edu

With issues such as travel bans due to the pandemic, international students who attend Marquette have expressed concerns about the upcoming semester.

Henry Yang, a senior in the College of Business Administration came to Marquette from China. He said that for international students, COVID-19 and the political situation are the “two biggest concerns, especially for Chinese students.”

Yang previously spoke to the Wire about a policy put in place by the Trump administration that would ban international college stu-

dents from entering the U.S. if they were only taking online classes.

However, that policy was reversed on July 14. At the time, Yang also spoke about his concern with traveling between the U.S. and China during the pandemic because of interaction with others and the high cost of traveling.

“The international education community was very pleased and relieved that the guidance that was issued on July 7 was rescinded,” Ellen Blauw, associate director of the Office of International Education, said in an email.

The guidance she referred to was the Trump Administration’s original ban on international students “After the rescission, there again was confusion about appropriate policies for new and returning international students,” she said. “On July

24, further information was issued which provides guidance.”

Yang said he has expected the government to change the international student ban and didn’t expect it to last long. However, Yang said that despite the lack of policy, there are still political issues between the U.S. and China that make being an international student difficult.

Michelle Gomez, a sophomore in the College of Communication, is an international student from Guatemala.

“I really don’t even know how to explain how the ICE/ SEVP visa policy news back in July made me feel,” Gomez said in an email. “I was shocked, confused, and my stress levels were just on another level.”

Gomez said she believed the policy affected her on a more personal level because it made her feel like she was not welcomed in the United States.

“There’s been a lot of uncertainty and confusion and even though Trump’s administration dropped the policies, to this day, many of my friends and I fear deportation,” she said in an email.

Yang also talked about his concern with the U.S. government placing travel restrictions on certain countries and said international students can’t enter the U.S. if they’re coming from a country on the travel ban list.

As of Aug. 18, the travel ban list due to the coronavirus includes China, Iran, European Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil. Yang said a student Photos courtesy of Henry Yang would have to

Henry Yang traveled home to China this summer, where he will take online classes.

stay in a country not on the travel ban list for 14 days before they would be allowed to enter the U.S. Yang was also worried about getting sick while in the U.S. and the possibility of not getting good medical care because of high costs and poor insurance.

Yang said he hopes the travel ban can be removed in the future. He is planning on staying in China for the fall semester and completing his classes online and will try to return to Marquette after the semester or in a few months.

Gomez said she believes travel bans will have a negative impact on not only her, but international students overall.

“I know of people, back home from Guatemala, Marquette, and other schools in the U.S. that are staying in their homes for several reasons. Either their countries are banned from entering the U.S. or the borders of their countries are closed,” Gomez said in an email. “But mainly because they are afraid that if they come back to school, they won’t be able to go back home if we go online during the middle of the semester.”

Gomez said the unpredictability of government policies jeopardizes international students’ ability to enter or leave the U.S. “I think that right now I am more concerned about the travel bans of my own country than the travel bans of the U.S. Guatemala still has its borders closed and if we go online within a few weeks, I don’t know if I will be able to fly back home,” Gomez said in an email.

Gomez said COVID-19 has affected her as an international student in many ways.

“My country, Guatemala, has had its borders closed since mid-March and I was afraid that I was not going to be able to fly back,” she said in an email. “I even got to the point of driving to Mexico and flying from there to the United States, because to this day, the airport back home is closed and there are no commercial flights yet.”

Gomez said she was able to get permission from the U.S. embassy and her country’s

government to fly back in a United Airlines repatriation flight from Guatemala to Milwaukee. She returned to campus around Aug. 13.

Gomez said the whole time she was traveling back to Milwaukee she was afraid of getting sick.

“I was all over the place all day, Guatemala, Washington D.C., Chicago, Milwaukee, and I was paranoid,” she said in an email.

Gomez said while she was traveling she was wearing two facemasks, a plastic face shield, 20 pairs of hand gloves that she was constantly changing, glasses, plastic boots for her shoes, and had hand sanitizers and wipes.

She described her fears about going to the airport too — from touching her suitcases to using the bathroom.

Blauw said the Office of International Education has been in “continuous contact with students about many issues related to visas, travel, health conditions, self-quarantine, and online classes for the fall semester.”

“All of us in the Marquette community are concerned about the health and safety of our students,” she said. “I have particular concern for our international students who are far away from family and their home cultures.

We are making every effort to ensure that students feel the support of the MU community during this time.”

For the fall, Blauw said international students who were at Marquette for the spring semester can choose online, hybrid or in person classes.

She said that if the student is living in the U.S., they must enroll in at least some in-person or hybrid classes.

“I know that if we go online, I will not have a problem with it. I have learned throughout my life to take on the challenges that are presented to me and adapt if needed. It’s just that I would rather be on campus, going to class, going to work, and staying active, than staring at my computer screen for hours in my room,” Gomez said in an email.

The Marquette Tribune

TUESDAY, August 25, 2020

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8

Murals around Milwaukee tell stories of change Public sculptures, artwork highlight social injustice

By Skyler Chun

skyler.chun@marquette.edu

While exploring downtown Milwaukee, it is pretty easy to spot various sculptures, colorful murals and unconventional buildings around the city. These pieces of art have developed into landmarks that remind us not only of the direction we are traveling, but of our past and the fight for equality that still hovers over us today.

This is especially true now in 2020 as political tensions and movements for justice have swept across the nation.

Sculpture Milwaukee Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual art exhibition that showcases various pieces of artwork around the city of Milwaukee. According to its website, Sculpture Milwaukee is a “non-profit organization galvanizing Milwaukee’s place among the Midwest’s robust arts industry.” Each year they introduce a new exhibition of public artworks from both internationally and regionally acclaimed artists.

In a press release, Sculpture Milwaukee announced its plans for its annual 2020 exhibition on July 27, which will be held throughout most of the year. The free, outdoor exhibition will allow people to get fresh air and enjoy the artwork displayed downtown, while also wearing face masks and social distancing.

Marilu Knode, director of curatorial affairs and education for Sculpture Milwaukee, said the organization specifically looks for artists of different generations, genders, ethnic backgrounds and conceptual groundings to bring to Milwaukee.

“Any piece of public art is made by an artist who is reacting to the world in which they live,” Knode said in an email. “Even the most abstract piece of art has associations and we try to figure out what their work means just as we try to figure out our political world.”

Knode said Sculpture Milwaukee has been working to address the current issues of

Photos by Claire Gallagher claire.gallagher@marquette.edu

Paintings, installations inspired by Black Lives Matter and key figures in the Civil Rights Movement line streets around city neighborhoods.

racial injustice across the nation.

“Critique of our cultural environment is not new in the visual arts, and there have been many works in Sculpture Milwaukee that have explicitly addressed the ethnic, racial and gender disparities of our country,” Knode said in an email. “If democracy means working towards a more just and equitable world, what is more democratic than critiquing things that fall short?”

So far, two works have been purchased and are being installed permanently in the community.

The first is a piece by Sanford Biggers, which will be available to the public once America’s Black Holocaust Museum opens to the public. The opening date will be determined once it is safer for people to gather together and COVID-19 cases die down. The second is Radcliffe Bailey’s work, titled “Pensive,” which was installed at the new BMO Harris Tower south of City Hall.

Other artworks that will be a part of the 2020 exhibition include Carlos Rolón’s “Gild the Lily,” located at the Chase

Tower at the intersection of North Water Street and East Wisconsin Avenue, Beverly Pepper’s “Curvae in Curvae” and Tony Tasset’s colorful “Blob Monster.”

Riverwest Murals With the Black Lives Matter movement bringing increasing transparency to the current state of our nation, many artists have turned to painting as a way to express their values and spread awareness. Recently, there have been new murals popping up around Riverwest, including the statements “Black Lives Matter” and “no justice, no peace,” pictures of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor as well as fists, the reoccurring symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Some artists include Justin Stone, Jaqui Tavares, John Fleissner and Chloe Higgins.

Julia McNeil, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she enjoys seeing people starting to take action, even if it is just creating artwork around the city.

“The injustice has been right under our noses our entire lives, yet many people are only just

now taking action and beginning to hold themselves and their friends and family accountable,” McNeil said. “We need to do better and we need to not sit idly by just for the sake of preserving our own comfort ... We need to be allies for our black and brown classmates, teachers and neighbors.”

Peacemakers Located next to a bus stop at the intersection of Mitchell Street, Kinnickinnic Avenue and First Street, the “Peacemakers” mural features Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Shaka Zulu, Father James Groppi and other key figures in the Civil Rights movement. This piece was painted in the late 1980’s by Milwaukee’s NAACP Youth Council and continues to serve as a reminder of those who have fought for peace in the past.

Mural of Peace The Mural of Peace was originally painted in 1993 on wood panels by artist Renaldo Hernandez. In 1999, when a storm knocked it down, a campaign was put together to restore it. Numerous local groups, businesses, schools and

churches came together to help fund its restoration. “’Sculpture creates community’ is a phrase I’ve been using for two decades now,” Knode said. “Since public art is a marker of a place, and of the history of the time the work was commissioned or installed, these art works become part of our cognitive map of our cities. With public art, we shake up how folks see their community by challenging them to see it anew through the questions posed by contemporary artists.”

Going to see these murals and various artwork can be a good way to get to know the city of Milwaukee, but be sure to take the necessary precautions of wearing a face mask and social distancing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

Returning students provide tips for first-years Suggestions include staying safe, getting to know one’s floor

By Charlotte Ives

charlotte.ives@marquette.edu

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students will be experiencing a very different academic lifestyle. Bearing in mind these changes, as well as the general first year college experience, returning students offer advice to incoming first-years.

Be safe “Be safe and don’t try to rush into your college experience, especially now,” Simran Armstrong, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said “It’s gonna be a really weird semester for everyone but the more we comply with maskwearing and social distancing, the better it is going to be for us next semester.”

Armstrong said some students may be disappointed about not getting a true college experience due to COVID-19. But Armstrong advises incoming students to take some time and ease into their college experience a little bit first.

Be yourself This may seem like a cliche, but Armstrong said it was one of the most important pieces of advice she ever received.

“It’s a fresh start, but it’s a good chance to just be whole-heartedly, fully yourself, which is advice that I took and I think it paid off,” Armstrong said.

Photo by Claire Gallagher

Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu

University move-in begins Aug. 21, undergraduate in-person classes for fall term resume Aug. 26.

Take advantage of office hours Whether in-person or virtual, Armstrong said professors’ office hours can greatly improve your learning experience.

“I did not really go to office hours for half of first semester,” Armstrong said. “Once I started going, my grades and even just my confidence in the classes skyrocketed. It also helped me develop super close bonds with my professors.”

Join clubs Even though many clubs may not be operating as usual, it is important to get involved.

Armstrong said reaching out to different organizations and “just knowing what’s going on around campus can expose you to so many different types of people.”

There are nearly 300 student organizations to get involved in, ranging from sororities and fraternities to Marquette University Student Government and even the Live Poets Society.

Kaitlyn Hill, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said

she would advise all students to “attend O-fest in whatever capacity the university can offer it this semester.”

O-fest, or organization fest, which is typically held in the beginning of the school year, is an opportunity to see all the different clubs, organizations and volunteer opportunities that Marquette has to offer.

“O-fest gives you a chance to learn about a club or organization on campus you may have never heard about before,” Hill said in an email.

Join the Milwaukee community In addition to getting involved on campus, Hill advises incoming students to become active members in the city of Milwaukee as well.

“O-Fest also showcases some really cool opportunities to get off of Marquette’s campus and engage with the wider Milwaukee community, which is another thing I think every Marquette student should do at least once during their four years on campus,”

Hill said.

Community events in Milwaukee are not limited to those sponsored at O-Fest.

A more comprehensive list of events students can get involved in can be found at the VISIT Milwaukee website.

Ask for directions “I was late for classes and meetings more times than I care to admit during my first year,” Hill said in an email. “I was embarrassed to ask how to get to a new building or where to find a certain room in the library.”

Despite her own concerns about asking for help, however, she said there is nothing to be worried about.

“If you are lost, just ask for some help! We’ve all been there,” Hill said in an email.

Get to know your floor Hill said her best piece of advice in lieu of the changes being made to Marquette is to “try your best to get to know the other people on your floor in your dorm.”

Ja Vaughn Guadalupe, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences,

9

offered incoming students similar advice.

“Get to know the people on your floor because most of the organizations aren’t going to be meeting this first semester,” Guadalupe said.

Do not over-pack Guadalupe encouraged new students to practice minimalism, saying that many of the things students think they need to bring are often unnecessary.

“Don’t bring a lot of formal clothes because you won’t wear it, don’t buy a lot of food, we have dining halls open, don’t bring a ton of Tupperware or plates because you aren’t gonna use them,” Guadalupe said.

Guadalupe also said he thinks things like TVs and PlayStations are not, and should not, be considered necessities.

Separate work and pleasure “You are going to be stuck in your room and your common room for a lot more time than you will other years,” Guadalupe said.

“You are going to want to have a place where you are able to leave all of the stress of the day. Just try and separate your business from your pleasure activities.”

Guadalupe said incoming first year students should consider compartmentalizing their rooms so that certain spaces have specific purposes.

School may be back in business for the semester, but it will not be business as usual. As such, it may be useful for firstyear students to take the advice of returning students and practice a few lifestyle changes in order to accommodate to the pandemic in a safe and productive way.

Friends struggle to connect during times of social distancing Groups make use of Zoom, social media to keep in touch

By Ariana Madson

ariana.madson@marquette.edu

and just hang out in the common spaces,” Smith said in a phone interview. “We would also do homework together and be at the library.”

Smith said the stay-at-home orders made it a bit harder to stay connected since they could not see each other face-to-face anymore.

Smith said.

Nick Burriesci, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, said he had a similar way to stay connected with his friends, although it was difficult sometimes.

“Obviously when you are not able to see people, it is difficult to

Many students are returning to campus for the start of a new school year, hoping for a fresh start after the abrupt change to distance learning last semester.

But this time the rules will be different, and many groups of friends will need to find new ways to spend time together.

Maggie Smith, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, Photo by Katerina Pourliakas katerina.pourliakas@marquette.edu shared what she and her friends Some say it is difficult to remain in contact using online platforms. did together prior to the pandemic.

Smith said she had two different friend groups: one that she had “Once we found out (staying stay in contact with everybody,” since freshman year, and the other home) was going to be a consistent Burriesci said. “We Snapchat and including friends from her major. thing, we started to make the we Facetime a lot to check up on “(We would) watch movies effort to Zoom once a week,” how my friends are doing.”

Burriesci said prior to COVID-19, he and his friends would go out to eat or go to someone’s apartment and then explore downtown Milwaukee together.

Though technology proved to be helpful in staying connected, Natalie Roh, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said she would send care packages and write letters, also known as “snail mail,” to both local and school friends.

She said she also put in time to schedule Zoom calls with friends.

Roh said she had not been back to Milwaukee since spring break, and during that time, she has thought about some of the things she took for granted.

“Giving people hugs is something I took for granted,” Roh said. “I feel like I’m a hugger and now I’m thinking, ‘Should I hug this person? Should I wait?’”

In returning to campus, Roh

explained how she thinks the pandemic will affect her time with friends.

“My friends and I have talked a lot about that and it is going to change how we hang out,” Roh said. ” We will try to plan activities revolved around being outdoors like going to a park, hammocking or going on a walk.”

Burriesci said he also thinks the outdoors will be a good place for his friends to hang out. “(We could do) grill outs, finding open space or go to the park,” Burriesci said.

He emphasized being out in an open area and allowing for a lot of space to move around.

Smith also brought up the idea of going to the lakefront, as there is a smaller possibility of spreading germs.

Smith said one of her friends has health concerns, so whenever they are together, masks will be worn.

The Marquette Tribune

Opinions

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

PAGE 10

Editorial Board

Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Aminah Beg, Assistant Opinions Editor Natallie St. Onge, Executive Director Annie Mattea, Managing Editor Marquette Tribune Kelli Arseneau, Managing Editor Marquette Journal

Shir Bloch, News Executive Zoe Comerford, Sports Executive Skyler Chun, A&E Executive Lelah Byron, Projects Editor

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

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

STAFF EDITORIAL

Are we next?

Marquette University has run out of time to prepare students to safely return to campus for the fall 2020 semester.

Spikes in COVID-19 cases at Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have forced these universities to move classes online after just one week of school.

The steep increase in cases can be attributed to large social gatherings and parties at off-campus locations. While residence halls and on-campus buildings are adhering to COVID-19 health safety guidelines, students are finding ways around the rules.

The university must provide clear communication and take necessary precautions to ensure that we are not the next university to shift to online teaching after only a few days of in-person classes.

As many students moved in this past weekend and undergraduate classes are to resume Aug. 26, Marquette needs to provide clearer communication about its actions moving forward.

Though the university required all undergraduate, graduate and professional students to complete a COVID-19 training course before classes resume, it is difficult to gauge how effective this will be on campus. Students may not practice or use the information provided to them. Additionally, it is unclear whether or not there will be consequences for students who do not take the modules.

While there will be reminders posted around campus for students to wear face masks, wash their hands and stay six feet apart when possible, there is no punishment or enforcement for not wearing masks or social distancing.

Marquette students are simply asked to sign a pledge, promising administrators that they will keep the campus safe. This is not enough.

As countless college students across the country have demonstrated their unwillingness to do adhere to necessary safety measures, following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines must be mandatory, not optional.

There should be no debate. After months of careful planning to bring students back, both by administrators and faculty, students need to be held accountable for their careless actions if they choose to party or attend large gatherings near campus.

There have already been parties seen in off campus apartments and classes have not even started yet.

Students are coming into direct contact with each other, faculty, staff and members of the Milwaukee community, and by not following the necessary guidelines of wearing a face covering and distancing, they put themselves and others at risk for contracting and spreading the disease.

They are endangering the lives and health of so many.

Regardless of Marquette’s policy, wearing a face covering in public spaces in Milwaukee is required as of a July 16 mandate.

Wearing a face covering is also a mandate in Wisconsin as of Aug. 1.

Individuals caught violating state and local face mask mandates could risk paying a $200 fine, and Milwaukee businesses repeatedly failing to enforce face coverings could face fines up to $500.

Having no enforcement of social distancing not only goes against city, state and national health safety guidelines, but it continues to put members of the Marquette and Milwaukee communities at risk. Moreover, not holding students accountable off campus is counterintuitive to the precautions and protocols being upheld and practiced on campus.

Universities like Indiana University and Purdue University are suspending students after being

caught partying, as this breaks school bans on partying in large social gatherings in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

It is unclear how students will be held accountable for not complying with COVID-19 safety measures at Marquette. Students may go through the Student Conduct system, or could be charged with failure to comply with university officials, violating local mandates or endangering the health and safety of community members, dean of students Stephanie Quade said.

With people’s health and lives on the line, it is imperative now more than ever to be clear and communicative with the campus community on how students will be held accountable for being reckless and acting irresponsibly.

Moreover, the university said there will only be one COVID-19 testing site on campus. Marquette faculty and staff can only use the on campus testing site if they have a doctor’s referral and are symptomatic.

Additionally, the university informed students in the COVID-19 training that they will be receiving a “Welcome Kit” with hand sanitizer, a thermometer and a cloth mask, which is the second most effective type of mask, according to a Duke University study.

Students, faculty and staff will also have to fill in an online questionnaire before entering campus buildings or class.

If students are asymptomatic, it will be impossible for them to know whether or not they have COVID-19. As seen around the world, young adults are contracting and spreading COVID-19 at higher rates than any other age group.

With the lack of testing capacity on campus and the inability to detect if they have the virus or not, students could be unintentionally spreading the virus.

Additionally, with a rise in CO-

VID-19 cases, in-person classes could be moved online, potentially forcing students to return to hometowns.

If Marquette truly believes in cura personalis, that must extend to our families as well. It is unclear how the university is caring for us if it does not take the necessary precautions to ensure we are not spreading the virus to our home communities and thus destroying the foundations from which we have come.

Marquette has obligations to its students, faculty and staff, but also to Milwaukee. Allowing the spread of the virus to go unchecked will only worsen the communities it claims to support.

All of us, Marquette included, have a responsibility to do better.

The most outrageous request made by Marquette was to return to campus in-person with no testing requirement before moving in.

Students had the option to move all of their classes online and opt out of the semester, but other universities like Purdue University, Indiana University and University of Alabama who offer in-person classes provided their students with required tests before moving in to further ensure the environment on campus was going to be safe. Some colleges and universities are also testing students multiple times a week.

Though Marquette opened up residence halls early for students to begin moving in Aug. 23, it did not require students to selfquarantine or get tested upon arriving on campus, though it did recommend students get tested.

Additionally, the university has not shared information as to whether or not Marquette University Police Department will be involved in stopping the spread by enforcing face coverings on campus as well as preventing students from gathering in large groups at parties.

Though there is adherence to

COVID-19 safety guidelines in classrooms, dining halls and residence halls, it is difficult to monitor student behaviors in on and off campus apartments.

There is not enough time to self quarantine for two weeks, and the COVID-19 testing site does not have the capacity to test all students within the first week of classes. Vice president for student affairs Xavier Cole sent out an email to students Aug. 18 asking them to stay as home as much as possible before arriving on campus, but gave no instruction to quarantine once being on campus.

The university should have better prepared for students returning to campus.

But now it is too late. Students have moved in. Parties have begun. Marquette University will most likely be next to transition to online classes because we were not prepared.

Moving forward, the university needs to provide clearer information to both students and faculty to mitigate the spread on campus.

With Marquette’s campus being in the middle of the Milwaukee community, it is disrespectful and not fair for the university to put citizens’ lives in danger because students are on campus.

Statement of Opinion Policy

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

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

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

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

Opinions

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

11

Failure to accurately teach history leads to division, tension in U.S.

Hope Moses

In the United States, there is widespread tension and racial division that has persisted since the founding of our nation. This division is very prevalent in 2020, and it is clear that the current method of teaching history has contributed to this divide more than we acknowledge.

Within the education system, the information taught to students tells a half truth, in which the stories told often do not accurately depict the historical events. History is often simplified to names, places and dates, which can some times be useful, but it should not encompass an entire curriculum. This simplification creates a divide between American students and American history, further disconnecting those negatively impacted by our country’s past, such as people of color.

For example, many Civil Rights activists and events are whitewashed, or not accurately depicted. This whitewashing does not address the entirety of an event and invalidates the history of the people involved.

A classic example of whitewashing history is the story of Rosa Parks. Students are often taught that Rosa Parks was an older lady who did not give her seat to a white man on a bus because she was exhausted after work. While it is true that Parks did not give her seat up, the reason behind the idea is dangerously false. She was not exhausted from work but rather the oppressive systems that have made life harder for many minority individuals. Also, Parks was not an elderly woman like stories suggest. In actuality, Parks was only 42 years old. Failure to explore her activism beyond the word “no” is intentional and is meant to invalidate and discredit her life’s work.

Martin Luther King Jr. has been whitewashed in multiple ways as well. King’s history of peacefulness and non-violence is often used against people of color when protesting issues within their communities. The whitewashing of his history makes it seem as if peace brought about change and while it did have positive effects, King was still met with violence and discrimination. Things were not easier

for him because he decided against taking violent measures. In fact, his actions were seen as radical and dangerous during his time.

Stories like Parks’ and King’s makes it much harder to see the problems America is facing because often history does not address them. Instead, false narratives and whitewashing history distract from the actual issues of racism, inequity and inequality, which can create more tension and widens divisions between white communities and communities of colors.

This is when relearning the past is essential to moving our country forward. We should never be satisfied with not knowing accurate information from the past. It should make us uncomfortable that we have to question whether or not a historical event happened in the way it is being taught to us.

Unfortunately, our relationship with our history tends to be an unending one. An unwillingness to learn — or relearn — the history of people different than us is ignoring the value of their presence.

Acknowledging that history has negatively affected those around

you in ways you may never understand is an important part of human connection. The existence of this country is inherently racist but each individual, if properly educated, can assist in the efforts to move our country forward.

Learning the history of our country’s past accurately not only improves the social condition of our country, but also helps us learn from past mistakes. The failure to learn from mistakes can be felt deeply, especially from those watching history being repeated.

Continuing to watch the final moments of numerous of Black Americans is not something I can do. It paralyzes me. It makes me not want to leave my bed because some days I do not think I will return. I stare at my reflection and I see history staring back at me.

Mistakes are not just mistakes.

They aren’t something we can or should ignore. Addressing mistakes effectively ensures that I, and so many others, do not have to watch our history be repeated for the entirety of our lives.

We all must relearn our nation’s history in order to understand

one another and move away from hostility and hate.

The prayer of St. Francis reminds us to “seek to understand rather than to be understood.” Listening to the experiences of others is an effective way to relearn history.

Though listening to others experiences may not feel helpful, it is.

Many individuals who are a part of marginalized groups want to feel heard — even if that is by a peer.

Moving forward, we need to do a better job at hearing each other out instead of automatically assuming what kind of experience an individual has had.

It is clear that we are not just living in history but that we are history. Everything we are is a product of our past which is why understanding where we have been can help us better understand where we are headed.

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

White men must use privilege to make difference Max Pickart I make up 31% of this country’s population. I hold 65% of all elected offices. I have eight times as much political power as women of color. I am 90% of all Fortune 500 CEOs. I am a white man.

This is America. To be more exact, this is the white man’s America.

These are just a few examples of the privileges that white men hold in today’s American society. White men must hold other white men accountable and work towards a common goal: justice, equity and equality for the under-represented and underserved.

In reality, the list of privileges of white men are even greater and seemingly endless.

According to PayScale, the wage gap for white men compared to any other race or gender highlights the privilege of white men, as American Indians and Alaskan Natives make 75 cents for every white man’s dollar, Black or African American individuals make 75 cents for every white man’s dollar and Pacific Islanders make 80 cents for every white man’s dollar.

Additionally, when considering median salary, women earn 81 cents for every dollar men earn, and when women and men have

the same qualifications for a job, women earn 98 cents to every man’s dollar.

In May of 2019, 25 white males in Alabama’s state senate banned almost all abortion options in the state, while the most severe consequences of this ban fall exclusively on women. Men make up more than 70% of college presidents, and 80% of those college presidents are white, according to the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit newsroom that specializes in education reporting.

The ratio of white men in power, whether it be government or corporate levels, compared to their percentage of the United States’ total population ultimately comes with a large amount of responsibility. Any person holding power in the U.S. must promote, create and inspire change around the injustices in this country. The dire need for change lies in the hands of the most privileged: white males.

Ultimately, it is in white men’s hands to promote diversity in the workplace, our government and our education system, as these are all necessary to better this country, its values and the future of our society.

Until the 1960s, white men were usually unchallenged in the United States’ cultural and economic pyramid, as women and Black people were not able

to be in the workplace. Many laws and legislation led white men to sustain these privileges in the workplace, politics and even at home. Though certain legislation has since been created to promote equity, equality and diversity, the underserved are still clearly underrepresented in today’s positions of power. White men believed that the American culture prior to the 1960s was fair and even drove our successes, triumphs and progress. In a place that served them so well for so long, they saw no need for change.

A combination of the recent push for diversity and confrontation of the disproportionate economic struggles underserved individuals face ultimately lead to a response by white men that embraces a brew of resentment and victimization. A survey conducted by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that non-college educated white individuals feel forgotten by the government, resent immigrants and fear for their children’s social status in this country more than any other demographic group.

This response to increased efforts of diversity, inclusion and progress must be condemned. There can be no compromise. Thus, conversation is necessary.

Straight, white males founded this country, formulated legislations, education systems and workplace agendas. We have systemically oppressed all other individuals. Thus, we are the most privileged demographic group in America, and we must hold ourselves accountable in an attempt to undo the patriarchy we set in place.

White males must listen to, learn about and amplify underserved voices. We must educate ourselves on the systemic and disproportionate injustices that impact Black and other underrepresented communities across the nation.

The systematic racism that this country was founded on has been highlighted by COVID-19.

Black Lives Matter’s #WhatMatters2020 focuses on issues that concern racial injustice, police brutality, reform of the criminal justice system, Black immigration, economic injustice and LGBTQIA+ rights.

The ratio of white men in power compared to our makeup of the whole population is quite irrational. This is yet another example of the privilege this country was founded on, as white men formed it, shaped it and did as much as they could to remain atop the economic, governmental and educational hierarchy.

Today, white men have the

opportunity to be a part of a movement led by underserved and underrepresented communities across the nation. This would allow the nation to improve, grow and change the way that today’s society, rightfully so, is asking it to.

Rather than compare our struggles and successes to underserved individuals white men must listen to their concerns and struggles, as we will never understand what it is like to be systemically oppressed. White men have to listen, learn and educate themselves on the systemic oppression of almost all individuals. After learning and educating themselves, they must put their new knowledge to action.

We, as white men, must inspire and motivate other white men to fight for justice among all people, not just objectives that benefit our population. Until progressive conversation and constructive criticism is happening consistently among white men, this nation will fail to reach its full potential, and the underserved will continue to suffer.

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

Sports The Marquette Tribune

ATHLETICS ACKNOWLEDGES LACK OF DIVERSE COACHES SPORTS, 15

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 PAGE 12

BIG EAST cancels 2020 fall sports seasons

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

The Al McGuire Center is the home for Marquette volleyball and women’s basketball. The building also contains study rooms for athletes, the coaches’ offices, and a practice basketball court.

Conference follows Ivy League, Atlantic 10 in decision to suspend

By Zoe Comerford

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu

Fall sports will not be held this semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement released Aug. 12 by the BIG EAST. Sports affected include men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country. Golf, tennis and lacrosse’s fall competition seasons will also not be held.

The conference said it will consider moving fall sports to spring 2021. Decisions for basketball and other spring sports are unaffected at this time and will be made “at a later time.”

“This very difficult decision came after an exhaustive review by our presidents and athletics directors and followed consideration of NCAA guidance, COVID-19 case counts and trend lines nationally and in BIG EAST communities, and the many unknowns surrounding testing availability, turnaround time and travel restrictions in our 11 locales,” BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman said in a statement. “We take pride in the high-level competition and experiences we provide to our fall sports student-athletes, and we share their deep disappointment that this will not be a normal year.”

The BIG EAST is allowing student-athletes to participate in activities like practices, strength and conditioning sessions and team meetings, which are all consistent with the school’s

campus policies, public health ultimate decision,” Scholl said guidelines and both conference in a statement. “While this is a and NCAA regulations. crushing decision for all of us, I “While I am sure many of us feel particularly heartbroken for to varying degrees saw this com- our seniors.” ing, it doesn’t hurt any less to Scholl said that everyone finally know with certainty what within the Marquette adminiswe are looking at,” cross country tration is supportive of finding a head coach Sean Birren said in solution that would allow teams an emailed statement. “Regard- to play this spring. less, I am excited to get our kids Frank Pelaez, who is in his back into training and to look first season as head coach for opportunities to measure the of the women’s soccer prosuccess of our training through- gram, said the priority is out the fall.” the safety and well-being of For athletic director Bill the student-athletes.

Scholl, he said that even though “We are thankful for the things this decision is devastating, it that we do have — health, our was the right one. families and the individuals on “From the very start of this this team. It is important not to pandemic, we have vowed to dwell on what we don’t have have the health and safety of our and invest in deepening our restudent athletes and staff drive lationships during this unprecour decision-making process. edented time,” Pelaez said in a Without question, that focused emailed statement. priority did, indeed, drive this Head men’s soccer coach

Louis Bennett said the decision has been difficult for the conference to make, but he supports it.

“I know that we’ll make this fall as safe and productive as possible for our student-athletes and staff,” Bennett said in an emailed statement.

The statement said that the BIG EAST COVID-19 Task Force “will continue to monitor COVID-19 conditions across the country and in BIG EAST communities” for decisions concerning winter and spring sports.

“Obviously we want to play volleyball, but the health and safety of our students, coaches, families and everyone around us is more important. We have a very good team with a lot of seniors that will hope to compete this spring,” volleyball head coach Ryan Theis said in an emailed statement.

Sports

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

13

SOCCER

Bennett, players cope with reality of coronavirus Sunesson, Wegner remain optimistic of possibility for spring

By Matt Yeazel and Sam Arco

matthew.yeazel@marquette.edu samuel.arco@marquette.edu

When Marquette men’s soccer head coach Louis Bennett heard the news of this season’s cancellation, he was upset to find out their return to Valley Fields had to wait a few more months.

“I was obviously disappointed and concerned on how we’re going to navigate our way through the semester after hearing the news about our season,” head coach Louis Bennett said. “After my initial reaction, I felt supportive and confident that our university was making the right decision. I don’t think there

is any easy option, but I think this was the most positive decision at the time that could’ve been made.”

One reason that the cancellation of the fall season came as a disappointment is because the college soccer season is already short to begin with, consisting of just under 20 games. Going off of the BIG EAST’s recent decision, the men’s team faces many unanswered questions and their potential season in the spring is still up in the air.

“At this time we don’t know what a potential spring season would look like in terms of how many games they’ll play,” junior forward Lukas Sunesson said.

The team is still prohibited from practicing together, so most of the team is working out on their own in the midst of preparing for a spring season.

“Our coaches gave each of us

a workout schedule to do while we’re at home, so we’re staying fit throughout all of this,” redshirt junior midfielder Zak Wegner said. “I’ve just been trying to go on runs at home as well as trying to get back on a field as much as possible, but it’s been hard to get on (the soccer field) because of the virus.”

Most student athletes were disappointed hearing the news of the postponement, but are hopeful they will get another chance in the spring.

“I was sad and it was very unfortunate for myself and my team,” Sunesson said. “I am hopeful however that we will get to play in the spring and I’m going to just see it as the same thing as playing in the fall.”

In terms of what a season in the spring may look like, it will depend on the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is

currently in the developmental stages according to the Center for Disease Control. Sunesson and Wegner both talked about how professional soccer leagues are handling their seasons and how they can bring certain aspects to the college level.

Professional leagues employed tactics such as isolation and a mandatory 14-day quarantine for those that tested positive. The German Bundesliga, English Premier League and Spanish La Liga were among the leagues that saw success using these methods.

“Limiting or not allowing any fans and having everyone outside of the pitch wearing masks,” Sunesson said. “Those simple things are going to be the key to having a season eventually.”

Wegner talked about how regulations made by the organizations are important, but with

that, a lot of responsibility falls on the players. There is only so much one can do on the field in a sport that does not make it easy to distance oneself from others.

“It’s important to do all the right things outside of playing on the pitch,” Wegner said. “Making sure you’re surrounding yourself with people that are healthy is what will keep yourself and your entire team safe.”

As for what’s next for the Marquette men’s soccer team, only time will tell. For now though, the team is optimistic for a future season.

“I’m an optimist,” Bennett said. “I always try to find positive ways of getting stuff done, focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. If we’re just doing training six feet apart, that’s what we’re doing.”

Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu

Valley Fields is the home for Marquette men’s soccer and women’s soccer in the fall. In the spring, the dome is put up and is the home field of Marquette men’s and women’s lacrosse.

Golden Eagles change mindset to 2021 training Hess, Sprecher stay motivated to play senior year

By Kristin Parisi

kristin.parisi@marquette.edu

Athletes often compare working out and playing their respective sport as a way to escape from the outside world.

This has been the exact case for Marquette senior forward Abby Hess.

“In the first month of quarantine, my mom wanted to go on a lot of walks,” Hess said. “I never thought of a walk as an actual workout, but also just as a time to clear your mind and get away from the media and the news because I was watching a lot of it.”

Although there was so much

conversation around whether fall sports would happen as planned, Hess never got distracted and was able to stay motivated, not just for herself, but for her team as well, even in the wake of the cancellation of the season.

“I haven’t really touched weights that much. It’s been more bodyweight and cardio workouts,” Hess said. “There has been a strong emphasis on easing back into muscle strength and cardiovascular-like fitness. I think that working my way back up to those high intensity workouts is like baby steps.”

In a time where all of the world seemed to be at a halt, the Marquette women’s soccer team took it as an opportunity to condition and get to full playing potential.

“This spring was the first time that I was 100% healthy since coming to Marquette,” senior forward Kylie Sprecher said. “I

was really especially looking forward to this fall because it is the first time that I had been able to have spring and summer to prepare. Unfortunately, I’m not going to get this fall. I’m still excited that I’m healthy enough right now to condition so I am prepared for whenever we will be allowed to compete.”

Sprecher was not the only member of the team who thought this offseason was great for rehabbing from injuries. First-year head coach Frank Pelaez also saw this as an opportunity to aid the injured back to good health.

“It’s an advantage for them because they were able to take a couple steps back so they could heal,” Pelaez said. “I feel very good for them.”

Pelaez even feels confident for the incoming first-years who have lost their ability to compete over the spring and summer.

“I don’t feel bad. I feel kind of

blessed that we’re able to take this time, these next two or three months, to really focus in on what we want to do this season,” Pelaez said.

Although offseason training for the team was different, they were fortunate enough to have technology such as Zoom that allowed them to still be united as a team.

“We’re used to having our teammates to push us and compare each other to,” Hess said.

“We’re all competitive, so I think doing it individually also gave us a better mental workout too. For me, I know that I thrive in a group environment, so being on my own was a bit harder.”

Being away from the team was motivation for Sprecher as well.

She saw training on her own as a great way to get better before the team is back together again.

“I definitely am motivated by the fact that I know if I’m doing

my part to get better, it’s going to help contribute to our team when we are back together,” Sprecher said. “I’m just excited to be able to look forward to the day when we can compete and I want to be as ready as I can for that day.”

Even if the athletes will not be competing with other teams this fall, the BIG EAST has allowed teams to hold activities that include practices and team meetings under the NCAA regulations. Pelaez and his team will take full advantage of the opportunity to practice together again.

“The plan of attack is to get through the (COVID) medical phases; physicals,” Pelaez said. “Then get through the strength and conditioning part to see where everyone is at with strength, agility and speed. I want to challenge, teach and look at their soccer IQ.”

14

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

VOLLEYBALL

Theis, Konovodoff adjust to new protocol limitations Squad prepares for inevitable end to competition

By Jackson Gross and Molly Gretzlock

jackson.gross@marquette.edu molly.gretzlock@marquette.edu

Marquette women’s volleyball became one of the many fall sports that were postponed by the BIG EAST due to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases Aug. 12.

Women’s volleyball head coach Ryan Theis saw that with the everchanging schedule and adjustments, it was only going to be a matter of time before the season was shut down completely.

“It was a long time coming,” Theis said. “We wanted to hold out if possible, but when the numbers started spiking it kind of sealed the fate of the season. It doesn’t make sense to have (the) teams traveling.”

Even though team members have been in frequent communication with each other since students were told not to return after spring break, Theis spoke with the team after the news came through. “(There was) no sense of

outrage,” Theis said. “Our team is very understanding ... The numbers (of cases) are high and it’s not in the best interest (to play).”

For senior libero Martha Konovodoff, it took some time for the news to sink in.

“At first it didn’t hit all of us too hard because we saw it coming (and we) had time to mentally prepare for it,” Konovodoff said. “I was sad and it was hard for us seniors, (but we) understand that eventually (we are) going back to win a championship.”

Last season, the Golden Eagles went 26-6 overall and proved themselves as a tough team to beat. They tallied wins over other nationally ranked teams such as No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 9 Brigham Young University and ended ranked No. 20 in the Division I coaches poll.

In the BIG EAST alone, Marquette faced numerous challenges against Creighton and St. John’s, the 2019 BIG EAST champions.

In conference play last season, the squad put up 16 wins and only two losses, both of which came against Creighton.

Using regular season play as momentum, the Golden Eagles were able to make a successful postseason run in both the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments. At the

conclusion of the regular season, MU ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 2 in the BIG EAST. Marquette’s schedule for the upcoming season would have been just as competitive as it was in 2019, as

times due to the realignment of the conference schedule. The Bluejays ended the season at No. 16 in the coaches poll.

Konovodoff explained that matches are always exciting with how competitive teams are in the BIG EAST. “After every single season, after every Zoom call, our goal is to win a championship,” Konovodoff said.

“We have a strong team and we knew it was going to be competitive, and (I) looked forward to putting on my jersey for those games.”

Theis said he was looking forward to the weekend series-type environments for these games, where the Golden Eagles would have played two teams in the span of three days.

“I kind of like a weekend series.

I kind of like that as a coach,” Theis said. “You make some tweaks (after one game) and as a coach it makes you feel like as a coach you’re doing Marquette Wire Stock Photo Martha Konovodoff serves the ball. something (to change the game).”

Besides playing volleyball, Theis the team looked for redemption in will miss the fun activities the team the BIG EAST Championship. Last partakes in while on the road. season, the Golden Eagles were “(We were) starting with Central able to make it to the BIG EAST Florida, and we were going to spend final against St. John’s, falling 3-1. a day at Disney while we were down This season, though, MU would there,” Theis said. have faced volleyball powerhouse Wherever the team was traveling and conference rival Creighton four for matches, they would often find

places to go in their free time. For Konovodoff, that will be one of the things that she is going to miss most.

“Wherever we go, we fully experience that place,” Konovodoff said. “(For example) we got tickets for Wicked in New York. (I’m) going to miss those things, but you’ve got to look at the big picture and I am excited to see my people (on campus).”

According to Theis, it will take a while before the team will be able to start practicing with each other again. “(We have to) work through a four-stage program to practice, but (we’ve) got to be safe as a program, university and city,” Theis said. “We will need guidance from the NCAA, get back to practice for 16-20 hours a week. Then the question will be, ‘Are we having a condensed or modified season?’ But for now, we are focusing on being healthy and smart and getting back together, but it will take time.”

Theis is still keeping a positive mindset during these questionable times and cannot wait to be back on the court with fans in stands.

“We hope to see them this spring,” Theis said. “The fans, band and community support. We are dying to get back out there and make Marquette look pretty good.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Pelaez’s message extends to entire student body Team deals with adversity of no in-game action

By John Leuzzi

john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

It’s not often you hear Marquette women’s soccer head coach Frank Pelaez use the word “challenge.” When it came to the news that their fall season had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no exception.

“You have to live that way, you have to truly believe in it,” Pelaez said. “This is an opportunity to get to know (the players) emotionally, get to know them personally and get them to know me. You know, you get to see (the players) sweat, you get to see them go through the hard things and work through those things. My staff and I like to be very involved particularly because we love the game. It’s our way to relive what we used to do, at least I do, and we missed out on that opportunity (with no preseason).”

For senior forward Kylie

Sprecher, it is important to build off the work the team has done this summer.

“Even though we can’t play right now, we still are hopefully going to have the spring if that works out,” Sprecher said.

“Right now it’s our offseason, and in our offseason, we’re doing stuff every day to prepare for the next chance that we get to compete against someone else. So (when we found out the news), we wanted to make sure that everyone was still doing their part as best as they could with the environment that they were in at home.”

The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin native and her teammates have been faced with adversity in the past. Within the last year, there was the abrupt stepping down of Markus Roeders in November, a new coaching staff and now COVID-19 taking away their fall season.

“The adversity that everyone’s dealing with right now all over the world, but especially within our team — I think we have done a very good job of being there for one another and supporting one another through this unknown time,” Sprecher said. “As a team, we’ve really

leaned on each other to appreciate the platform and opportunities that we have, even though they’re kind of postponed right now.”

During Pelaez’s 19 seasons from 1996 to 2014 at Marquette

a positive side to it all thanks to a saying from a longtime friend.

“A coach that used to coach at Marquette, Brian Mugford, used to say, ‘Out of adversity comes strength,’ and it stuck to me 20 years ago,” Pelaez said. “With adversity comes strength and I see a lot of strength, even if it’s just via Zoom in their (the players) eyes. I see that they want it so bad and I truly believe in that.”

As students are returning to campuses all over the country, Pelaez said he has taken notice of students going out at night to large gatherings. This has happened at a fellow BIG EAST school, Villanova, where firstyears gathered during a noncampus sponsored event during orientation two weeks ago.

“The biggest challenge is the next two weeks to be honest with you. I’ve talked to a lot of (players) just in the last Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics week alone and I’ve said, ‘EvPelaez is in first year as head coach. erything you’ve done these next as an assistant coach, the Golden two weeks are crucial,’” Pelaez Eagles went 282-104-39 overall, said. “I don’t like to sugarcoat and had an impressive stretch things, but we’ve got to look at from 2010-13 where MU went these next two weeks as our first 39-1-1 in BIG EAST play. He game. ... The last thing we want knows the adversity his new to do is have to go online and go squad has dealt with, but found home. So, as a team and as an

athletic program, we’re all doing our best to make these next two weeks the biggest games of our careers right now.”

As classes are set to resume tomorrow at Marquette, Pelaez said it is the fact that university students are still college kids is what worries him during this two-week test.

“It scares me, it really does.

You’re coming back and everyone’s going to think it’s kind of the same, but it’s really not,” Pelaez said. “But I’m really confident that our players are being responsible and they know they can’t control what’s around them, but they can control themselves and they can influence others.”

During this extended offseason, in hopes of a spring season, Pelaez said he has one idea for how the team can stay in shape mentally.

“I want to make them coaches. I want them to start thinking about what we can’t do together right now on the field, (instead) let’s do it in our head,” Pelaez said. “If we can do it in our head, I think it’s going to be such a great advantage.”

Sports

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

15

ATHLETICS

University fails to represent diversity in leadership roles Historically, currently head coaches fit similar profile

By Nick Galle

nicholas.galle@marquette.edu

The head coaching position across Marquette athletic teams is filled by personnel with relatively similar characteristics. Men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and volleyball all have white, male head coaches. The directors of men’s and women’s tennis and track and field/cross country also fit the same profile.

The only head coaches that stray away from the norm are women’s basketball head coach Megan Duffy, women’s lacrosse head coach Meredith Black and women’s soccer head coach Frank Pelaez.

Duffy and Black are the only female head coaches, while Pelaez is a native of Cartagena, Colombia. Duffy and Pelaez are recent hires, as both stepped into head coaching roles in 2019.

The head coaching trends are not just a product of the present, but have appeared in the past as well.

Men’s basketball has had 17 head coaches dating back to the 1916-17 season, none of whom have been women or people of color. Men’s soccer has had three coaches since

the 1982 season, and all have been white males. Despite being a women’s team, Marquette volleyball has not had a female head coach since Pati Rolf in 2008.

Athletic director Bill Scholl said a lot goes into the hiring process to ensure that the right candidate is selected for a head coaching position.

“We start with a list of defining or describing what the right candidate would look like,” Scholl said.

“Things like a great fit at Marquette, a great compliance background, certainly a good win-loss record if they’re a head coach, or you know, all the right coaching experience.”

Search firms can also aid with the process to hire a head coach. Scholl said Marquette also typically works through a committee made up of athletics department personnel and other key decision makers. Studentathletes on a given team are also involved in the search. While they are not necessarily part of the committee, Scholl still meets with them to let them know how the search is progressing.

Scholl said diversity is something that Marquette is always looking for during the hiring process.

While the majority of Marquette’s head coaches are white men, coach Black and coach Duffy have not only been able to bring a new perspective to their teams, but have also served as great mentors to look up to.

“I’m always struck by how often - when there’s a woman head coach of a women’s team - in exit interviews I’ll hear from the student-athletes what incredible role models those coaches are,” Scholl said. “And that certainly fits with both Meredith and Megan. I’m not sure that’s something you necessarily get if you have a male coaching a women’s team.”

The lack of head coaching diversity is not only evident at Marquette, but also throughout the BIG EAST as a whole. Securing a head coaching position as a person of color has been especially hard.

Marquette is one of five schools in the conference with no Black head coaches. The other four schools are Creighton, Xavier, Villanova, and UCONN. Among these five schools there are 88 athletic programs, none of which have a black head coach. In a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association webinar hosted by ESPN’s LaChina Robinson on Aug. 20, Providence men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley talked about his journey prior to his coaching days.

“I’ve had a lot of practice being one of very few minorities in situations. I went to college where I was one of maybe three or four in the college for a two-year period and I knew I was different,” Cooley said.

“Coming out of the inner city I just wasn’t there yet. I still was very

urban and I had my own biases, and I had my own insecurities.”

After college, Cooley worked his way up to a head coaching position at Fairfield University, but it was difficult due to the color of his skin.

“I had a really good training ground with coach (Al) Skinner, as we were the first black coaching staff at Boston College, so I saw what coach did,” Cooley said. “I am someone who learned by looking, listening and not saying a word.

I saw what he did and I said, ‘You know what, I can do that.’”

Cooley also shared a story about his time at Boston College that showed the type of prejudice coaches of color faced. Cooley and other coaches of color were walking around Chapel Hill and as they walked by residences, they could hear the sound of doors locking.

Despite not having a diverse head coaching staff, Marquette has been able to hire a wide range of assistant coaches that have brought a lot of new knowledge into their respective programs.

“The assistant coaches tend to come from all over and they come with a variety of tremendous experiences,” Scholl said. “We really have an opportunity where we make those hires to get people with some really exciting backgrounds who can provide not just a diversity of viewpoints to our student-athletes, but also to our head coaches.”

The hiring process starts with the pool of candidates. In order to have a diverse head coaching staff, the pool of candidates has to vary.

There is more success in some searches as opposed to others, but Scholl has been comfortable with the personnel that they have hired so far.

Some of the candidate pools are harder to balance due to the level of diversity in the specific sport.

For example, sports like lacrosse do not have nearly as many options as a sport like basketball. This is due to the fact that lacrosse has a much less diverse player pool than basketball. Often times former players become coaches, and therefore head coaching candidates often represent the demographics of their respective sport. It is important to have a process in place in order to try and create the ideal search pool.

As issues regarding racial justice and equality have become more prevalent throughout sports, the NCAA, and even the BIG EAST itself, Scholl said he will be looking to further diversify the head coaching staff in the future.

“We have to do better,” Scholl said. “If openings present themselves, which they inevitably do over time, we do need to work harder and be better. And yes, I would love to see, someday, a more diverse head coaching staff at Marquette.”

ESPORTS

Online gaming faces minimal impact from COVID-19 Funding, facilities remain unfinalized, club continues

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the sports industry to struggle. There have been cancellations across the board from the lowest levels of sports to professional leagues.

However, one area that remains semi-untouched during this trying time has been the world of video gaming competitions, known as esports.

Prominent athletes who compete at the highest level have started streaming their video games and there has even been tournaments on ESPN. Marquette’s esports team finished competing last semester despite the pandemic.

While the team cannot meet in person, Nati Monosov, president of the esports team at Marquette and sophomore in the College of Engineering, said the situation is not

all negative.

“We have the unique advantage of not necessarily having to do everything in person,” Monosov said.

“We can still operate pretty efficiently. I can look to expand more from the business side without having to worry as much because the club won’t have to change as much as other clubs might have to.”

The club will continue to compete in the upcoming fall semester and Monosov said they do not plan to make any drastic cuts to the program.

“For this year, we have no plans to cut anything or anyone. We were actually looking to expand our teams, so we might be adding teams for newer games that just came out or for some older games,” Monosov said.

The team competes in several smaller teams that are competitive in a single game. If there are two individuals who play for Marquette esports, one might compete for the Overwatch program while the other could compete for the CounterStrike: Global Offensive team.

Marquette’s CS:GO captain spoke about the situation Marquette esports is dealing with as they

transition from a club sport to a varsity program, a team change that has been delayed from fall 2019, to spring 2020, to fall 2020.

Miguel Melchor, a junior in the College of Engineering and esports team manager, explained that due to esports being so new, a lot of people don’t know very much about them and promoting their work is very helpful as they continue to grow.

“The funding is there, in some aspects, but I think it’s more just the recognition that we’re not getting even though we are techniPhoto courtesy of Marquette Esports and Gaming cally deemed a varsity sport,” Esports has faced three semesters of pushback in becoming a varsity sport.

Melchor said.

Michael Hendrickson, a senior esports social media manager, has mostly using our online base to in the College of Health Sciences high hopes for more exposure in the connect with people and still run all of our club teams,” Monosov said. and esports vice president, said the upcoming semester.

“We’ve already been online for Melchor also hopes to maintain search for sponsors needs to be a so long and there are more people their normal routines as a group little more coordinated.

“The process of finding sponsors online, so they can see our live through their online presence.

“We’re used to it. We are using needs to be more of a joint effort. I streams and our posts. For our playthink a lot of it has been put on the ers, it is not going to be much of a what we are used to already and club,” Hendrickson said. “We’ve change, but to get our community going to try to build on top of it. gotten some really great spon- to grow is a good opportunity,” There’s not really much change to our practices being online or talksors, but I think the conversations Gaffney said.

Monosov also talked about con- ing online, so we’re already used between us and Marquette could tinuing to create a community dur- to an online virus,” Melchor said. be improved.”

“I don’t really see the pandemic Despite the slow transition, Keen- ing the pandemic.

“The current plan is to maintain changing any of that going into an Gaffney, a senior in the College of Business Administration and the most of our online events, while the semester.”

16

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

BASKETBALL

Black Lives Matter patches added to MU’s uniforms Val Ackerman advocates for social justice, racial equality

By Nick Galle

nicholas.galle@marquette.edu

The BIG EAST announced in a statement Aug. 19 that it will be adding Black Lives Matter patches to all men’s and women’s basketball jerseys for the 2020-21 season.

The conference also officially supported the efforts of Coaches For Action, an organization consisting of 21 BIG EAST assistant coaches that aims to educate and bring awareness to social injustices. In addition to a scholarship fund and voting awareness, adding BLM patches to jerseys was one of three main initiatives of CFA. Men’s basketball head coaches Justin Gainey and Dwayne Killings are both members of the organization. Killings is entering his third year with Marquette, while Gainey will enter his fourth.

“For all of us in the extended BIG EAST family, ‘Black Lives Matter’

is not a political organization or ideology, but a fact,” BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman said in a statement. “For us, BLM means that the safety, dignity and well-being of all black people are non-negotiable rights and that intolerance and repression because of skin color cannot be tolerated in our world.”

The addition of the patches is just one of the many actions taken by the BIG EAST to raise awareness of social inequality. The conference recently announced a partnership with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a leading provider of educational programming that gives student athletes and administrators the chance to create a positive impact on matters of social justice.

BE the Change was also established, an advocacy platform that allows student athletes, coaches and administrators to “engage in a wide range of racial and social justice issues.”

Men’s basketball head coach Steve Wojciechowski showed his support for the BLM patches that will be added to uniforms this season in a statement on Twitter

Aug. 19.

“I salute our conference and campus leaders for their decision to put Black Lives Matter patches on our uniforms this season,” Wojciechowski said in

the statement. “I will do everything within my power as the leader of our program to pursue positive change.”

Wojciechowski also posted on Instagram about how proud he is

Photo courtesy of Jamal Cain

of the leadership that Killings and Gainey have shown. He also stated that he is “honored to stand with players, coaches, administrators and those within our communities to continue the great work we are all trying to do.”

Women’s basketball head coach Megan Duffy also expressed support for the decision.

“Wearing the Black Lives Matter patch this season on our uniforms will be another step towards keeping social change at the forefront of our minds,” Duffy said in a statement on Twitter.

“The work has just begun, but we look forward to wearing the BLM patch as we stand united with our black communities.”

Forward Jamal Cain and guard Koby McEwen have also been pleased by the decision, sharing their thoughts on Twitter.

While BIG EAST fall sports were recently cancelled, a decision has not yet been made regarding basketball. If the season starts as planned, the Golden Eagles will begin nonconference play in early November.

Senior forward Jamal Cain posts picture on his Instagram Aug. 20.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Alumni roster wins The Basketball Tournament Chapman, Diener reflect on journey to TBT championship

By Zoe Comerford

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu

When Marquette’s alumni team appeared in The Basketball Tournament in 2016 for the first time, the Golden Eagles were eliminated 89-81 in the quarterfinals. As a No. 1 seed in the Midwest region the following year, they fell once again in the quarterfinals. The next year, as the No. 3 seed in the Northeast region, the team was eliminated 85-60

by Overseas Elite, the No. 1 seed in the South region.

Then in 2019, as the No. 1 seed in the Wichita Regional, the Golden Eagles made their debut in the championship game. This time, the team lost 66-60 to Carmen’s Crew, the Ohio State University alumni team in a thrilling Elam Ending finish.

“We all knew that we should’ve won that game last year and we were that close to winning it,” Golden Eagles head coach Joe Chapman said.

“Everyone was real motivated to make a point that it was a fluke last year and we wanted to put a statement to the TBT and to everyone else who was watching that we’re here to stay and we’re not just a team that’s going to continue to lose.”

But in March when everything started shutting down and the NBA suspended its season, Chapman

feared TBT would also be canceled.

“Even a day before, two days before we left for Columbus, collectively we thought, ‘This isn’t going to happen,’” former Marquette basketball guard Travis Diener said.

Instead, TBT was the first event to restart using “the bubble” format, which placed 24 teams in Columbus, Ohio for two weeks to complete a tournament.

“They did their job keeping everyone safe and keeping everyone inside so we could play,” Chapman said. “Yes it’s a sacrifice, but at the same time, there was an obligation and responsibility to bring sports back professionally.”

The TBT was also used as an escape for sports fans who were not able to watch basketball for the past five months.

“Watching that TBT game was an excitement that we haven’t had for a very long time and I just think 2020 has been a crazy amount of emotions,” Marquette women’s basketball forward Chloe Marotta said. “I know I woke up in the morning and I looked at my brother and I was like like, ‘Oh my God, we have a basketball game tonight.’ It was just like, you’re back into it.”

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the No. 4 Golden Eagles found their redemption, becoming TBT champions with a 78-73 win over Sideline Cancer to take home the $1 million cash prize.

“Every year you just get a step closer,” Chapman said. “We knew

we had the roster to compete to win every year because we always made it to the elite quarterfinals.”

Diener said he did not even register that there were no fans cheering at the end.

“When we won that game and we were celebrating, we didn’t know that there was nobody in there because we were just running around, yelling and screaming,” Diener said.

“It became a little more normal as the tournament went on.”

Even though it was Elam Ending for the second year in a row — where a target score is set rather than letting the game clock run down — Chapman expected it.

“We went through it last year so everyone was kind of poised when it happened this year. We kind of knew that might be the case,” Chapman said. “When things got tough this year, no one panicked. Everyone just stayed the course.”

Both Chapman and Diener said the Elam Ending makes for a more exciting game for fans and players.

“Every game ends in a game-winning shot,” Diener said. “If you’re losing, even by a large amount, you can always come back. In a regular game, if you’re down 10 to 12 points with three minutes left, first off that game is probably over, and second off, the game takes forever to end because there’s so much fouling. With this ending, it creates a lot of drama.”

Chapman said this championship can be used as a recruiting tool because the team “showed a product

out there what Marquette basketball is about — toughness and gritty guys (that) play hard and play together.”

“It’s so cool because you have guys from many different eras of Marquette basketball coming together, putting the Golden Eagles on their chest and representing our basketball family in the best possible way,” current Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “Obviously the championship was incredible, but those guys represented the university and our basketball program in a first-class manner all the way around.”

Wojciechowski said even though he can only speak for himself, he said it was exciting to have live basketball on his TV screen again.

“It made it even better that I was watching guys that have represented and worn the jersey and do it in such a fine fashion,” Wojciechowski said.

Ultimately, the TBT gave professional and collegiate sports a model to follow in order to make a return back to normalcy.

“With the TBT and with the NBA restarting, it gives us as the college basketball community a chance to witness and understand what works, how it works and then use that information to decide if it can be executed at the college level,” Wojciechowski said. “The NBA and TBT is much different than coaching 18 to 22-year-olds who aren’t professionals, but it does give us a window into strategies that we may be able to use to provide an atmosphere where first

of all it’s safe and healthy for guys to compete, and then execute a college basketball season in some shape, form or fashion.”

Not only did the TBT maintain safety, it also created a connection between the Golden Eagles.

“We have a core group that’s always coming back and committed,” Chapman said. “Now we’re like family. ... We’ll go to dinner, we’ll hang out in each other’s rooms, we’ll play video games, drink beers. It created a bond inside of that bubble that we’ll always have now.”

The alumni team’s roster has had some changes over the years, but Chapman and Diener have remained as two constants. Even though Mo Charlo, Elgin Cook and Jarvis Williams didn’t go to Marquette, Diener said they’re honorary Marquette alums because of this tournament.

“Winning bonds you forever,” Diener said. “They’re part of the Marquette family. They’re part of our team. We don’t win without them.”

After winning the title in 2020, the team has a lot more confidence for next year’s TBT. “We’re setting ourselves up to make a good run at least the next two or three years now that we’ve got the monkey off our back a little bit,” Chapman said. “We understand what it takes and how hard it is to win every year. We’re prepared for it and we’re going to try and make our run now.”