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Students demand ‘Killed for profit’ change, justice Members of the Marquette community host ‘die-in’ to protest reopening Campus calls for institutional revisions following shooting By Beck Salgado
beck.salgado@marquette.edu
More than 60 students gathered Aug. 27 to protest the recent racial injustices in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times in the back by a police officer. The protest, organized and led by Black students, started at the Alumni Memorial Union. Students then crossed the street to stand in the intersection between Olin Hall and the Alumni Memorial Union. Marquette University Police Department blocked off the intersections of 13th and 16th St. of Wisconsin Ave. Koby McEwen, men’s basketball redshirt senior guard, was among the students protesting. “We see injustice and inequality in our police system and beyond and that is what we are here to protest today … I can’t think about school and I can’t think about basketball because a lot of my teammates and myself are
fearful of the fact that we could be next,” McEwen said. McEwen said he, as well as other members on the basketball team, are committed to using their platform to bring awareness to the injustices that Black individuals face “because it’s something that is bigger than basketball.” Vice President of Student Affairs Xavier Cole was also at the protest. He said he thought it was wonderful to see students in a peaceful protest and allyship. “Our students are being a voice for the voiceless and are amplifying voices that need to be heard,” Cole said. Breanna Flowers, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, stepped onto the median to address the crowd. She told the crowd that she can never escape her race and should not have to. Flowers said she was tired of living in fear in the country, state, city and campus that she lives in. “I’ve been dealing with the same stuff since I got to Marquette and nothing has changed. I feel more at home on other campuses than I do at Marquette and that is not right,” Flowers said.
By Alexa Jurado
alexa.jurado@marquette.edu
“We are not going to stay quiet.” Temperatures rising above 90 degrees didn’t stop the Marquette University Workers Union from organizing a “die-in” demonstration Aug. 26, the first day of classes. Makeshift gravestones decorated the lawn in front of the building, See CHANGE page 3 reading “If I die I want our admin to
Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu
dig the hole” and “Killed for profit.” Nearly 30 community members — many of them graduate student workers — gathered outside of Zilber Hall to protest the university’s reopening plan for the fall semester. Those present had several main requests. First, to give instructors the choice to teach classes online. Second, for union recognition. Third, to involve professors in the
decision process regarding budget cuts and furloughs. Fourth, that the university lives up to its plan for racial justice. Melady Elifritz, a graduate student worker in the philosophy department, called Marquette’s reopening plan an “institutional failure.” COVID Cheq, Marquette’s See PROFIT page 2
Academic Senate reflects on hybrid learning Administration, faculty review new procedures By Shir Bloch
shir.bloch@marquette.edu
The University Academic Senate met Monday to review COVID-19 procedures and their effectiveness as the
university began its second week of in-person, online and hybrid learning. Xavier Cole, vice president for student affairs, said that some adjustments need to be made now that the COVID-19 Response Team has seen the practical applications of its initial plans. “There are going to be things we are going to need to shore up,” he said. “We are
going to need to account for human behavior.” Cole said that Joya Crear, assistant vice president for student affairs, is now helping manage some components of campus operations, such as coordinating communication with the medical team, since the addition of COVID-19 testing and tracking has proven a challenge. He also said that Marquette has partnered with Froedtert
INDEX
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Telehealth options
Movies relating to 2020 U.S. must prioitize health
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COVID-19 TRACKER........................................3 MUPD REPORTS.............................................3 A&E..................................................................8 OPINIONS......................................................10 SPORTS..........................................................12
Counseling Center to offer virtual services for fall 2020 semester
Medical College to implement its GetWell Loop, an app which will allow quarantining students to check in daily with health professionals. Such students will be able to track their symptoms with a care package they will receive, which will include a pulse-oximeter that measures pulse and blood oxygen levels. Keli Wollmer, executive director of the Marquette University Medical Clinic, said that
Three pandemic thriller movies seem similar to COVID-19
students who have tested positive and are in isolation will have a meal delivery service and around the clock access to nurses. It is unclear whether the services Cole and Wollmer mentioned are only accessible to students in residence halls who need to isolate. She also said that these students will be sent support See SENATE page 2 OPINIONS Sick leave is necessary to ensure safety, well-being of Americans PAGE 11
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Tuesday, September 1, 2020
PROFIT: Rally hosted Continued from page 1 mandatory symptom tracker and self-assessment tool, puts responsibility on individual students rather than the university itself, Elifritz said. “I fear they are going to use that to later blame students when we have a big outbreak,” she said. Bentley Kennedy-Stone, a PhD student, pointed out that COVID Cheq may not be what it seems. “Every single morning we sign away our right to operate a classaction lawsuit against the university,” he said. “It basically transfers the liability ... onto ourselves as individuals.” Tyler Reaker, a graduate student and teaching assistant in the College of Engineering, said instructors should have the option to choose between online and in-person classes. “Ask grad students and as nontenure track professors, we have very little choice (as to) whether we teach in the classroom and online,” Reaker said. “Since we are the ones being put at risk for catching coronavirus ... we should have that choice.” Graduate students are given a $375 stipend per semester to cover health care costs. Juniper Colwell, a graduate student worker in the philosophy department, voiced concern for the well-being of the Milwaukee community, which doesn’t have a choice when it comes to interacting with students on the street and at bus stops. “(The university) doesn’t have to bear any responsibility for anything
that happens to anyone not directly related to the university, despite the fact they are bearing a lot of the harm,” Colwell said. “It shows a lot of irresponsibility ... the university has completely ignored the fact that we are not the only ones affected by this.” “I hope (administration) sees they are putting people’s’ lives at risk by doing this,” Reaker said. “There is a consequence for their actions.” Elifritz also said Marquette’s reopening plan contradicts its Jesuit values. “If ‘cura personalis’ is about caring for the whole person, the whole person should include their health and safety and well-being,” she said. “(Marquette) claims to be all about the people and putting the community first ... they are putting profits before people,” Reaker said. Jonathan Jimenez, a senior in the College of Education, said he attended the protest to show his solidarity. He called Marquette’s actions “despicable” and “heartbreaking.” University spokesperson Chris Stolarski sent a statement regarding the protest. “The health, safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is of the utmost importance to Marquette. To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we are opening in a hybrid learning model with fewer students living residentially. Our reopening plan – developed in close coordination with public health experts – was approved by the Milwaukee Health Department,” the statement said.
It cited precautions such as daily symptom screening, mandatory mask-wearing, free on-campus testing for students without symptoms, enhanced cleaning protocols, de-densification efforts, a community pledge and “a mixture of face-to-face, hybrid and online instruction.” “Our phased approach provides the flexibility to continuously monitor the latest developments and guidance while still providing the personalized, on-campus academic and cocurricular experience that is foundational to our Catholic, Jesuit education.” Prior to the Aug. 5 announcement that Marquette would be reopening for the Fall 2020 semester, the Marquette University Workers Union sent out a survey to grad student workers and NTT faculty. Sarah Kizuk, a graduate student worker, shared some of the results. Many expressed that they did not feel safe returning to campus, and did not feel like they were given the opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions publicly and directly to administration. Some said they’d like to see unionization, health insurance for NTT and graduate students, and the option to choose to teach remotely, among other things. “People will die,” Elifritz said. “Whether it’s us, whether it’s Photos by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu our families, (whether) it’s the Members of the Marquette community protest reopening and request Milwaukee community.” changes such as allowing professors to choose to teach online classes. Benjamin Wells contributed to this report.
SENATE: Crucial turning point approaches Continued from page 1
literature and other mental health support systems, such as phone apps. “We know isolation can be very trying,” she said. Wollmer said that quarantining students will also receive support. They will be allowed to leave their rooms for limited reasons, such as to pick up food. Those in quarantine have possibly been exposed to the virus but are not in isolation because they have not tested positive. She said that Marquette’s COVID-19 dashboard will improve now that the university is doing its own, on-campus testing. “Faculty members are encouraging students to report (their symptoms),” Wollmer said. “We do want them to get tested and call to make an appointment.” Wollmer said she thinks that fewer students are coming to the clinic than she expected, and thinks more students should get tested. Laurie Panella, chief information officer, said that COVID
Cheq is a symptom-monitoring and case-tracking tool that the university is using to identify members of the Marquette community that might be sick. It is a daily survey powered by Qualtrics through which students self-report symptoms by checking off which ones they have. Panella said that all faculty, staff and students have been required to monitor their health through COVID Cheq, though some staff and at-home students have been allowed to opt-out as of this week. She said that 75% of students participated last week, but that participation declined this past weekend. She said the university is hoping to get 80% participation. It is unclear what the consequences are for not filling it out. The university is launching a contact tracing form next week, Panella said. Jeffrey Kranz, assistant chief of the Marquette University Police Department and co-head of
the Recovery Team, said that the team is troubleshooting issues as they come up. “We were flooded with work up until about two weeks ago with the wrap up of campus operations,” he said. “We are taking a look at how recommendations are working now that they’re out in the field.” Kranz said that the LIMO service, which used to transport students in small shuttle-buses around campus, has now been replaced with two large buses that run a fixed route. “We took our Limo drivers and put them out on foot as a door-to-door foot escort,” he said. “We just can’t do smaller vans anymore.” Kranz also said that MUPD has seen a marked improvement from last weekend in terms of on-campus parties. “We definitely saw less attendees at parties, people wearing masks, but not all of them,” he said. “We’re seeing a change in culture, and let’s face it, we’re
trying to change culture.” Kranz said that MUPD officers are taking an education approach rather than a punishment approach at parties around campus. “I think we have to convince our students that reporting violations is the socially responsible way to go even if it means risking social stigma,” Joshua Burns, associate dean for academic affairs, said in the chat section of the Microsoft Teams meeting. John Su, vice provost for academic affairs, said that the university is working on several next steps, including the spring 2021 course schedule and fall 2020 contingency plans. “Normally we would already have the course schedule largely well underway,” he said. “The goal is to have the first round of that done by September 21.” Su also said that the university is planning on releasing faculty and student checklists for transitions to online learning in order to prepare for a possible
shift online. “The coming weekend will represent a likely inflection point for this semester and we need to be prepared for this possibility that this inflection point may go in an undesirable way,” he said. “We will discover this together in the next week or so.” In a follow up email, Su said that he believes the Marquette community can be different from other college campuses. “What happened at Notre Dame and UNC is not destiny, but the accumulation of individual decisions by good people – our friends, our students, our colleagues,” Su said in the email. “On behalf of President Lovell and Provost Ah Yun, I would express deep gratitude to all the students, faculty, and staff who have been keeping our community pledge, wearing masks (and) maintaining social distancing. We will get through this together.”
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Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Marquette Tribune
CHANGE: Leaders challenged Continued from page 1 After chants of ‘Black lives matter’ and ‘no justice, no peace’ rang out, Flowers said that being a student on Marquette’s campus can make Black students feel ‘othered,’ to which others in the crowd agreed. Lonny Clay, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, shared his own experience where he felt threatened by cops. Clay then listed the names of numerous Black men and women who had been killed by police. He said that this is why he “can’t feel safe around cops.” After more than an hour of speeches and chants in the crosswalk, the crowd marched to Zilber Hall to enact a sit-in. The crowd of students were met by multiple Marquette administrators once they were inside, including
Provost Kimo Ah Yun and William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence. The group of students said they felt like the administration’s response was underwhelming, as they repeatedly alluded to previous documents that they gave to administration about demands that were never met. Flowers told the administrators that Black students on Marquette’s campus have been working for years to make change and yet nothing has happened. “We gave you a list (of demands) last year, and the year before that, and the year before that,” Flowers said. The demands were requests to the university, asking for more inclusivity on campus for students and faculty. Later, Marquette University President Michael Lovell
addressed the group. Upon his arrival, the group insisted that Lovell put their demands into a legally binding contract that he and other staff members would sign to ensure that change would come. Lovell responded that he would be willing to establish a memorandum of understanding of the group’s demands stating that such a document was “legally binding.” The group members found that memorandums are not legally binding through searching the document type on the internet. The group also brought up Lovell’s son’s remarks on social media, Lovell’s salary and how “that money could be going toward helping Black students.” After calling for Lovell to take notes, the crowd expressed
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a list of 20 separate demands they had for Marquette administration, including increasing Marquette’s Black population by at least 50% to reflect the Marquette community that surrounds campus, to hire at least five more Black counselors and therapists, to place more Blackowned businesses on campus and provide the Black Student Council an ongoing and direct line of communication to the university’s administrators and police department. The group insisted that each demand be placed into a legally binding contract that would then be signed by Lovell. In response to these demands, Lovell said that he would be happy to discuss them Sept. 3.
EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Natallie St. Onge (414) 288-1739 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, Joceline Helmbrek ----
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THE MARQUETTE TRIBUNE is a wholly owned property of Marquette University, the publisher. THE TRIBUNE serves as a student voice for the university and gives students publishing experience and practice in journalism, advertising, and management and allied disciplines. THE TRIBUNE is written, edited, produced and operated solely by students with the encouragement and advice of the advisor, who is a university employee. The banner typeface, Ingleby, is designed by David Engelby and is available at dafont.com. David Engelby has the creative, intellectual ownership of the original design of Ingleby. THE TRIBUNE is normally published Tuesdays, except holidays, during the academic year by Marquette Student Media, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881. Subscription rate: $50 annually.
Photo by Joceline Helmbrek joceline.helmbrek@marquette.edu
Students hold a demonstration amd give university demands in response to the recent Kenosha, Wisconsin, police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.
COVID-19 TRACKER
MUPD REPORTS AUGUST 25
AUGUST 28
Multiple MU students were caught with possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and fraudulent drivers’ licenses around the 700 block of 13th street. MUPD confiscated the items.
An unknown individual entered an MU affiliated individual’s place of residence in the 900 block of 15th street and removed property without consent.
AUGUST 27 An individual unaffiliated with MU intentionally struck a glass door of a business located in the 2300 block of Wisconsin Avenue, causing property damage. MUPD cited the subject.
Two MU students used Fake IDs to purchase alcohol from a business located in the 700 block of 13th street. MUPD located and cited the students. AUGUST 29 One MU student was caught with possession of Marijuana
in O’Donnell Hall. MUPD cited the student. AUGUST 30 An individual unaffiliated with MU stole merchandise from a building located in the 1600 block of Wells Street. MUPD cited the individual.
CUMULATIVE CASES - MARQUETTE:
123 NEW CASES - 8/21 to 8/30:
15 CUMULATIVE CASES - MILWAUKEE:
24,016 SEVEN DAY AVERAGE - WEEK OF 8/23:
60.6
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The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Organization encourages younger poll workers Volunteers needed to replace elderly managers at risk By Shir Bloch
shir.bloch@marquette.edu
As the November election looms over the nation, campaign projects such as the Campus Compact Safe Elections Project are urging students to replace the elderly workers who usually man the polls as they are at greater risk for COVID-19. Liz Wiltgen, sophomore in the College of Nursing, is a student recruiter for the Safe Elections Project, which is a 3-week-long paid commitment entailing recruiting young election workers. “Campus Compact partners with universities around the nation to educate students about civic engagement and social responsibility, and is also partnering with Power The Polls on this specific project,” she said. “Since Marquette is a partner school, I was informed of the job opportunity through the Center for Community Service and work specifically to recruit our students and alumni. “ Power the Polls is an initiative which aims “to recruit poll workers to ensure a safe, fair election for all voters,” according to its website. “The goal of the Safe Elections project is to register 6,000 new poll workers to work in
November, so that our elections remain safe and fair,” she said. “We are in a nationwide critical poll worker shortage, as 56% of poll workers have historically been over the age of 60. That demographic is not as willing and able to work elections this year due to the pandemic, and young people need to step up and take their places.” Wiltgen encouraged those not at increased risk for COVID-19 to go to PowerThePolls website to sign up. Workers will be paid around $250 for the Nov. 3 election. “I care deeply about democracy and the right to vote, so ensuring our elections can run safely and fairly is of course of utmost importance to me,” Witigen said. “Everyone should have a voice in their government, and if polling sites are forced to close, access to voting in a timely and socially distant manner becomes difficult or even impossible.” In an Aug. 15 recorded discussion, “Wisconsin: The State of the Race,” Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law Poll, and Mike Gousha, Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy at the Marquette Law Poll, spoke about the importance of Wisconsin in the coming election. “In 2016, we had a race that was decided in the electoral college by the three states: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania,” Franklin said in the
discussion. “With those three states, Donald Trump took an electoral college majority but he won the three states by a total of 77,000 votes, 23,000 here in Wisconsin.” Gousha said that other “battleground states” have also emerged since the previous election, such as North Carolina, Florida and Arizona. “The battleground seems to have expanded a bit,” Franklin said. “Polling is showing either a tight race or Biden leading by a little bit.” The latest Law School poll, released Aug. 11, showed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump by five points in Wisconsin. However, neither candidate has more than 49% support in Wisconsin, reaffirming the state’s status as a battleground state. Amelia Zurcher, director of the honors program, emailed honors students to reinforce Wiltgen’s call for student poll workers and to encourage students to get out the vote. “Consider working with Common Ground or other (organizations) this fall to be part of the difference for democracy,” she said in the email. Common Ground is a nonpartisan organization from Southeast Wisconsin that identifies issues in its members’ communities and implements creative solutions, according to its website.
“We believe that people working together have the power to improve our community and our world,” the website said. “We challenge ourselves to imagine positive changes. We set bold goals, we create realistic strategies and we are willing to face powerful interests. We mobilize thousands of people so that our voices can be heard. We get results.” In order to vote, Marquette students must register, and Wiltgen said that the university’s voter information website is the best way to find out how to do so. She said the website is regularly updated to reflect changes due to COVID-19 and has tips to walk students through the process of voting. Witigen said there are four ways for Marquette students to vote. They have the option to vote online, through mail-in ballots, in person at their Municipal Clerk’s office or in-person on election day. She said that students who choose to register online can do so at the MyVote Wisconsin website. Wiltgen also encourages students to vote by mail if they can to relieve the burden on poll workers. Additionally, she said that students should mail in their ballots early in case of USPS delays. “Since we are in a shortage of poll workers, if polling sites are forced to close or reduce
capacity, having as many absentee voters as possible will help those unable to vote by mail to participate in our democracy,” she said. “It’s also important in terms of COVID-19, as it’s one less way to potentially expose yourself or others to the virus.” Wiltgen said that students should educate themselves before heading to the polls, since the presidential election is not the only one on the ballot despite being the most heard about. “This year, Milwaukee’s ballot includes state representatives, the district attorney, as well as members of the House of Representatives” she said. “These positions make laws and decisions on all levels of government, and it is so important that you choose officials who will best represent your needs.” Wiltgen suggested Ballotpedia or candidates’ websites as possible sources for students to find out about candidates’ positions. “This issue is incredibly close to home for all of us at Marquette, as we saw the disastrous results of the April election in Milwaukee,” Wiltgen said. “Partially due to a lack of poll workers, the city reduced its 180 polling sites to only five. The result was long lines, lack of social distancing, and many eligible voters not being able to cast a ballot. It has happened here before, and we have the power to stop it from happening again.”
First week presents unique difficulties MU struggles to find footing with online education By Matthew Choate
matthew.choate@marquette.edu
Marquette officially started in-person classes Aug. 26 after being forced to end in-person instruction last semester early due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, students returned to campus under many new guidelines, such as social distancing. “This definitely isn’t a regular semester for me,” Kelly Tite, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said in an email. “I feel like everything I would normally be doing has changed.” Tite said a majority of her classes are online, with one hybrid class meeting in person once a week every other week. “In addition, some of the classes that I was supposed to have synchronous lectures for have been canceled or changed
to pre-recorded lectures where no real ‘class’ is required,” Tite said in an email. “I think the classes will still be rigorous, but it is unfortunate to keep getting less and less class time while paying full price and being on campus.” Tite said she believes that her learning has been compromised with all the changes to her classes and campus because it’s “not the same experience.” “I think I learn differently in a live classroom versus online through a computer,” Tite said in an email. “Either way I am learning but I would definitely say for me being in a classroom is better since I am more alert and driven, versus sitting in my house or dorm and doing school via my computer.” According to data from the Chronicle of Higher Education, which has tracked the reopening model for 3,000 institutions, 2.3% of schools are fully in person, 19% are primarily in person, 16% are hybrid, 27% are primarily online, 6% are fully online, 6% are other and 24% are are to be determined.
For example, Boston College another Jesuit university, is currently holding primarily in person classes. Tite said the residence halls are very different with the restrictions in place due to Coronavirus. “The way the dining halls work is very different, with not being able to dine with friends and clubs and other extracurriculars are all online,” Tite said in an email. Zoee Arreguin, a sophomore in the College of communication has been trying to find her footing since getting back to campus. “It’s been a little challenging trying to balance everything because it’s been so long since I’ve had so many responsibilities,” Zoee Arreguin, a sophomore in the College of Communications. Arreguin feels that her professors have been well prepared, despite the pandemic, which has been a major help in adjusting to this new learning format. Ethan Jacoby-Henrickson, a first-year in the College of Communication, said the semester will be unique not only due to
online classes, but social distancing as well. Jacoby-Henrickson said he has a hybrid mix of classes. “Most of my theatre major classes are in person, which makes sense and my ‘core’ classes are mainly online,” JacobyHenrickson said in an email. Jacoby-Henrickson also said he believes his learning is being compromised. “I know at least in my Acting 1 class, we will have to social distance on the stage, so that might be detrimental to our class,” Jacoby-Henrickson said in an email. “Another thing is there have been some technical difficulties in classes that have delayed class, but just minimally.” Tite is living on campus in Eckstein Hall. She said the move-in process was very quick and easy. Jacoby-Henrickson described move-in as “very streamlined.” “It was nice to quickly get my stuff to my room and I was able to unpack in about the allotted time,” he said. So far, Tite said she believes students are following the social
distancing guidelines that have been put in place and are being responsible in regards to all the COVID-19 precautions. “I do think that some of the precautions that Marquette has put in place are actually making students choose other avenues which could easily spread to a breakout, but there is no other choice if students want to socialize with their friends,” Tite said in an email. “For example, many of the students have been eating their meals outside on the grass with larger groups of people because of the one person seating limitation in the dining hall.” Tite believes all the rules that have been put in place are great, but they can also lead students to make “potentially worse decisions to get out of their dorms to socialize and live somewhat of a normal college life.” Jacoby-Henrickson also agrees students are following the social distancing precautions. “As far as I know, everyone is wearing their masks and social distancing,” Jacoby-Henrickson said in an email.
News
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Marquette Tribune
Trump gives final Concerns rise regarding speech at RNC continued gatherings Incumbent criticizes Democrat Joe Biden, accepts nomination
By Grace Dawson
grace.dawson@marquette.edu
As President Donald Trump began his second address at the Republican National Convention Aug. 27, he sent his thoughts to those who have been impacted by Catagory 4 Hurricane Laura, which made landfall in Louisiana, emphasizing that “we are one national family.” He addressed a crowd of 1500 people, mostly unmasked and not socially distant, at the White House Thursday night. Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination on August 24, the first night of the RNC. “We will rekindle new faith in our values, new pride in our history and a new spirit of unity that can only be realized through love for our great country,” Trump said. He said America is not a land that is cloaked in darkness, instead it is “the torch that enlightens the entire world.” Referencing numerous past presidents and events like Pearl Harbor and the Civil War, Trump said that like Americans before, “we are meeting this challenge.” Trump carried his speech by criticizing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the Democratic party. “This election will decide whether we save the American dream or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny,” he said. Trump told attendees about his “pro-American immigration” policy, taking on Big Pharma and passing Veteran Affairs Accountability and Veterans Affairs Choice. He discussed the 300 federal judges and two Supreme Court justices he will have appointed by the end of the term. Trump went on to say that he has brought prosperity to inner cities, claiming that he has “done more for the African American community than any president since Abraham Lincoln, our first Republican president.” Trump also said he has done more for African Americans in the past three years than Biden has in the last 47 years. Trump focused
on the Middle East, where he said he achieved the “first Middle East peace deal in 25 years” by moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. He also discussed “rebuilding” the military and the creation of the Space Force. Space Force is a newly-founded branch of the United States Military dedicated to the protection of the United States and its allies in space, according to the Space Force website. He talked of the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, thanked first responders and Vice President Mike Pence’s response team and discussed national efforts such as the production of ventilators and the financial relief package that was enacted. Trump said the U.S. will have a “safe and effective vaccine this year.” “Over the past three months, we have gained over 9 million jobs, and that’s a record in the history of our country,” he said. The United States’ current unemployment rate is at 10.2% according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, Trump vocalized his support for law enforcement by condemning riots, looting, arson and violence and criticizing leadership in Democrat-run cities. He also referenced his executive order to create a 10-year sentence for taking down monuments or statues. “As long as I am president, we will defend the absolute right of every American citizen to live in security, dignity and peace,” Trump said. He also touched on “cancel culture,” stating that the goal of it is “to make decent Americans live in fear of being fired, expelled, shamed, humiliated and driven from society as we know it.” Trump went on to outline his campaign platform, including his support for the Second Amendment, strong borders and reduced taxes. He also mentioned supporting Medicare and Social Security, as well as an increased presence in space. “Our country wasn’t built by cancel culture, speech codes and soul-crushing conformity. We are not a nation of timid spirits. We are a nation of fierce, proud and independent American patriots,” Trump said. “Together we are unstoppable. Together, we are unbeatable, because together we are the proud citizens of the United States of America.”
Pledge does not deter individuals seeking parties By Ben Wells
benjamin.wells@marquette.edu
Marquette University students signed a pledge at the beginning of the fall semester in order to maintain the best possible response to the coronavirus pandemic. A line within the pledge stated that students would “refrain from organizing, hosting or attending events parties, or other social gatherings off-campus that may cause safety risks to (them) and other members of the community.” All students were required to read and sign the pledge before returning to classes. But before classes started, multiple large social gatherings had already occurred despite the university’s guidelines prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people. One of these gatherings was last week around 17th St. and Kilbourn Ave., where several members of the Marquette community attended a party outdoors without social distancing or wearing masks. Jonathan Jimenez, a senior in the College of Education, said that he has seen these large gatherings on Kilbourn Ave. happening daily with no masks, which leaves him to have low hopes for the fall semester continuing inperson instruction. Jimenez has been on campus for the whole summer, and he said it was quiet when classes were not going on. “It seems (like) everyone got back into the routine of, ‘alright, let’s go back to normal,’” Jimenez said, “I’ve seen groups of 10 to 15 people on every other block just walking and going in and out of houses.” C e c e Starks, a sophomore in the College of Communication, who is immunocompromised felt that the parties were
extremely irresponsible. Starks said, “It shows me that not only do my classmates not care about human life on a global level but that on a personal level. They don’t care about my life as an immunocompromised person. Essentially, I am worth less to them than one night of partying.” As of this week, the university has seen 11 positive cases, nine of which are students, a growth of seven cases from the week of Aug. 20, according to Marquette’s coronavirus dashboard. Milwaukee has seen over 1,800 cases in the last week. “Helping to reduce the spread of the coronavirus is a responsibility that falls on us all and one we must all take extremely seriously,” university spokesperson Chris Stolarski said in an email. “(Marquette’s) students must take great care to follow the university’s policies and procedures and public health guidance, which includes wearing masks, physically distancing and not participating in large, face-to-face gatherings, particularly indoors.” Stolarski said that other coronavirus outbreaks at universities across the nation have occurred in part due to large student social gatherings, like at the University of Alabama, where over 1,000 students have tested positive, which is about three percent of campus. Administrators and other health experts have expressed their concerns about the ability to control such off-campus social gatherings. “We ask our students to make smart, responsible decisions in the best interest of protecting themselves, their friends and classmates, and the entire
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Marquette community,” Stolarski said in an email. Stolarski also said that any student who hosts any large social gathering or event without university approval is in violation of Marquette’s Student Code of Conduct and will be subjected to disciplinary action based on that policy. It is unclear what that disciplinary action is. However, Tom Hansberger, a lecturer in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of the Academic Worker’s Union, said that the fault doesn’t fall on students, but instead on the university itself. “While parties without masks and social distancing have been linked to coronavirus transmission, we shouldn’t let administration shift the blame for their policy failures onto individual students,” Hansberger said in an email. Marquette’s Step 4 Recovery Plan discourages any in-person social gatherings and will “enforce the City of Milwaukee’s current guidelines related to gatherings in homes or public venues” regardless of whether or not they are on or off campus. The Step 4 Recovery Plan overlays the protocols and regulations for having students return for the fall semester. “In bringing students to campus, the administration has already signaled to students that they are safe here,” Hansberger said in an email. “If students receive that message, the problem is not with the students but with the Lovell administration for designing a policy that does not fit the circumstances.”
Photo by Joceline Helmbrek joceline.helmbrek@marquette.edu
On campus, students must wear a mask, social distance and adhere to Milwaukee guidelines. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
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News
The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Counseling Center offers virtual services Telehealth sessions have unexpected problems for some By Matthew Choate
matthew.choate@marquette.edu
community,” Jenkins said in an email. Zebrowski also said plans are being developed and may change as the response to COVID-19 changes. The Counseling Center will likely follow basic pandemic work responses such as continued use of telebehavorial health and work from home, minimal staff in the office and strong protocols about social distancing and COVID-19
video counseling/tele-behavorial health through Microsoft Teams. “We have taken steps as to make sure that Microsoft Teams is HIPAA compliant and that counseling via this platform can remain confidential,” Jenkins said. HIPAA required the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop regulations protecting the privacy and security of
The Counseling Center will primarily offer virtual services in the fall semester, to continue to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, Mark Zebrowski, director of the Marquette counseling center, said in an email. Zebrowski, who offers counseling services and provides administrative oversight of the counseling center, said in an email “in order to 50 continue to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, the 40 counseling center will mostly offer virtual services in the fall.” 30 Nick Jenkins, a counselor, and coordinator for 20 the Counseling Center, said traditionally students 10 would meet with a counselor or in a group in an in per0 son setting. However, Jenkins said traditional options may not be safe at this time, and the Counseling Center 50 wanted to still provide resources for students concerning mental health. 40 Jenkins said they plan to follow national, 30 state, city and Marquette guidelines. 20 “As of right now, the majority of services 10 will be provided via telebehavorial health for coun0 seling and there may be staff available in the Counseling Center for crisis services,” Source from CDC. All percentages out of 100. Zebrowski said. Zebrowski also said the Counseling Center is still mitigation in the office. certain health information considering in-person services Zebrowski said the Counseling “Many regular modes of comfor emergencies. Center began offering telebehav- munication, such as Skype or “We will re-evaluate the situ- ioral health in June and students Apple’s FaceTime are not sufation if we hear any new in- are finding it an easy transi- ficiently confidential. We have formation about COVID and/ tion. Jenkins said the Counsel- spent a fair amount of time with or once the semester starts and ing Center has been working ITS determining what is the best we have a better understand- with the IT department at Mar- and safest confidential process ing of the needs of our campus quette to be able to engage in to offer virtual counseling,”
or have the technology to engage in telebehavorial health counseling in their home or on campus,” Jenkins said, “I can say that I have been providing counseling via telebehavorial health this summer at the Counseling Center and it feels very similar to when I was providing in-person therapy. Brittney Sockwell, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, went to the Counseling Center from November 2018 to April 2019. She said her time at the Counseling Center was very helpful. Sockwell said that based off her experiences, a “lack of in-person April counseling could be a factor”, but July doing counseling online could be more convenient and doing it from the comfort of home could be helpful. She believed in some situations online counseling could be better. Jenkins also said the university is bringing an app called SilverCloud to campus, which Zebrowski said is an online mental health intervention that offers education about issues such as depression and anxiety and teaching By JK skills on how to james.re manage them. Jenkins and Zebrowski both said Silvercloud has added a COVID-19 module that will help address the current issues we are facing with COVID-19 and quarantine as well as life after the pandemic. Zebrowski said all students will have access to Silvercloud and a public relations campaign will be launched to enGraphic by Shir Bloch shir.bloch@marquette.edu courage students created protocols as to determine to use it. Zebrowski said students the if someone is appropriate for telebehavorial health as well as to Counseling Center is here to make sure that the person has support them, and students can the technology and privacy to call at 414-288-7172 to access engage in this type of treatment. help or to ask any questions. “We have been working on alternatives as well if students wouldn’t have a private space Zebrowski said in an email. Both Zebrowski and Jenkins said research has shown telebehavorial health is as effective as in-person counseling for most issues and circumstances. However, Zebrowski also said that telebehavirtial health services leads to other complications needing accommodations such as regulating private space and a good internet connection. Jenkins said they have
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Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Marquette Tribune
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Alum highlights conflict of interests in event Briggs & Al’s Run and Walk accused as part of broken system By Matthew Choate
matthew.choate@marquette.edu
The Briggs & Al’s Run and Walk is a fundraising event that has been put on by the Children’s Wisconsin Hospital for the past 42 years. Despite being one of the longest-running fundraising events in Wisconsin, an organization called Casa Maria has been protesting against it in recent years. Casa Maria is a ministry that focuses on opening their home to women and children in need of short-term housing, refugees and asylum seekers, and families with longer-term needs, according to its website. The ministry also participates in protests and other social justice campaigns. One issue Casa Maria has been focusing on is a contract between Child Protective Services and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, which has lead to protesting at the Briggs & Al Run. Lincoln Rice is an alum of Marquette and has been volunteering at Casa Maria since 1998. Rice said at first he wasn’t very interested in the CPS issue until he saw a mom staying at Casa Maria lose her triplets because she had fed them a small piece of chicken when they were sick. The mother was eventually forced to take the triplets to the doctor. At the doctor’s visit, the mother said
she had fed the triplets the chicken and the doctor felt obligated to call CPS because the triplets were not supposed to have solid food. As a result, CPS determined that the children should be removed and the mother ended up losing her children. “The mom eventually got her kids back, but it raised questions regarding race,” Rice said. Children of color are labeled victims of abuse at twice the rate of white children, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau. He also found that children of color are four times more likely to be removed from their families. “A unique issue in Milwaukee compared to the rest of Wisconsin is that in the other 71 counties, CPS is run by the county,” Rice said. “In Milwaukee, it’s been privatized.” Rice said he believes CPS has over 200 private contracts, the largest being with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. “The conflict of interest is not only does Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin deal with cases of the families and placing children in foster care, but if a child is about to be adopted out they also have the CPS contract,” Rice said. “If they can get a kid in the adoption line, they’ll make more money.” Rice said he feels that Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is part of a broken system. “We don’t see them doing enough to correct it,” Rice
said. “I think part of that is because they make so much money off it. Things like the run become a way for them to get more donations and receive even more money which makes them more powerful.” Amada Morales and Michael Komba are both volunteers at Casa Maria. Komba said that being a court support volunteer, he saw parts of the child welfare system in Milwaukee that were “immoral” and “problematic.” He saw situations where he felt like homeless families were unfairly being targeted for child removals and he also witnessed similar situations with families of color. “I felt like they were being looked at in a different light than white families,” Komba said.
Komba also said children of color are more likely to be named a victim of abuse than white children, even though there’s no static difference in abuse. Komba said it’s “purely a racist system” and that the hospital contributes to this racist system. Morales said Casa Maria has been urging the hospital to drop their contract with CPS because the system is prejudiced against the homeless and poor. “We are making our presence at the Al run to bring awareness,” Morales said. They have been protesting this issue at the Briggs & Al run for the past three years. Morales said she wants to encourage people to urge Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to drop their contract with CPS. “We don’t want to be critical of
the hospital or the clinics, but there is a conflict of interest,” Morales said. “The community is worried the CPS contract is a risk when families visit the hospital.” She said they don’t agree with the fact there’s money tied to child removals. “Every child the hospital removes, they’re given about $1300 a month per child,” Morales said. Morales said the good reputation of the hospital along with the contract allows CPS to pass legislation that promotes the adoption of inner city kids to the suburbs. “We want to be able to use the hospitals, but we can’t use the clinics and hospital in good confidence until the contract is dropped,” Morales said.
Marquette Wire Stock Photo
Casa Maria, a ministry that focuses on opening its home to people in need, is protesting family separation and the Briggs & Al’s Run and Walk’s involvement and potential conflict of interests.
MUSG, clubs find different ways of connecting
Groups rethink plans for coming together, having fun By Ben Wells
benjamin.wells@marquette.edu
Certain protocols — outlined in Marquette’s Phase 4 recovery plan — have forced student organizations to reconsider how they’ll be able to host meetings and events this semester. Some of these restrictions on gatherings include an event cap of 50 people, a university approval requirement for campus events and a general encouragement to hold meetings virtually whenever possible in order to de-densify campus. A clause within the Marquette University Student Pledge and community standards states that students who participate in any events that aren’t virtual vouch to “observe the physical distancing guidelines and other COVID-19
Safety Protocols adopted by the university.” The university is also not allowing events sponsored by “outside groups” on campus, according to the Phase 4 recovery plan, such as when personalities Danny Pudi or Antoni Porowski came to campus last year. “After the university announced their decision to limit gathering to 50 or fewer people, we needed to adjust some of our plans for programming,” Marquette University’s Student Government Programming Vice President Alex Schmidt said. Marquette University Student Government has had to shift its senate meetings to an entirely online format in order to comply with the university guidelines. The only time MUSG will be in-person interaction will be during office hours for one on one interactions. MUSG’s President Sara Manjee said the club’s elections this year will look a lot different from last year. Debates this year will occur
without a live audience, however, she encourages all students to attend virtually whenever they are announced. Another group that has been affected by the recent guidelines has been the Marquette University Players Society. MUPS is the university’s oldest student-run organization, which hosts events like student-run theater productions available for students. However, due to the restrictions on gatherings of groups of 50 or more, the organization had to figure out workarounds in order to abide by the university’s new rules. “Our main priority right now is keeping our peers safe,” Maaz Ahmed, a junior in College of Communication and artistic director of MUPS, said. “Our goal is to spend this time trying to bring Marquette’s theater community together by finding socially distant ways to connect with each other.” Ahmed said MUPS’s production
work this semester will be based online. One idea that is being pushed is virtual stage readings of original student plays. Despite the challenges and unprecedented times the organization faces, Ahmed is optimistic in the organization’s ability to continue with its shows and adjust accordingly. “The uncertainty is difficult, but I’m certain our community will thrive in spite of it,” Ahmed said. Intramural sports were also affected by the guidelines put in place by the university. They were not only required to follow the university’s guidelines but the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Administration’s as well. NIRSA is a group that supports collegiate recreational and intramural sports for universities across the country, according to its website. The guidelines set will suspend the play of high contact sports for the fall semester, including basketball and soccer, but will still allow
other sports such as bags, kickball and singles tennis leagues. “I hope students getting together socially distant to play a game of pickleball or tennis will relieve some of that tension and make life seem a bit more normal,” Anne Pufhal, assistant director of Intramural Sports, said. Despite the unforeseen circumstances of the semester, Manjee said to lean on all appropriate resources at the time, like the Office of Engagement and Inclusion and other upperclassmen to help adjust to the online model most clubs are undertaking. “You’re going to have to take a little more initiative to find organizations that fit your interests, but once you do, you will have another place to call home on campus,” Manjee said.
The Marquette Tribune
TUESDAY, September 1, 2020
Arts &
Entertainment
Page 8
STEBNITZ: Three movies that predicted a pandemic World War Z, Contagion, Outbreak mirror real world By Mason Stebnitz
mason.stebnitz@marquette.edu
With a new semester beginning and strict social distancing rules being enforced around campus, some students are using movies as a way to spend time with others and stay safe. There are very few movies more relevant right now than those centered around worldwide diseases, and it can be difficult to choose which ones to watch with so many options. Three pandemic thriller movies have predicted a disease outbreak like the coronavirus. “World War Z” 2013 This disaster movie follows a retired United Nations officer as he searches for answers regarding a worldwide zombie apocalypse. This fast-paced story details his journey to find the source of the outbreak and potentially a workable cure. This movie is extremely entertaining as the zombie virus infects more than half of the world’s population and cripples all national governments. This Photo courtesy of Flickr is the most dire situation of the The plot in the movie “Contagion,” which follows CDC workers as they search for the cure to the MEV-1 virus, shows similarities to COVID-19. three movies as earth is driven to anarchy. Nonetheless, the movie is “Outbreak” a 100% mortality rate, and is so citizens to practice social four months. packed with non-stop action, and “Outbreak” is centered aro infectious that the government distancing and mask-wearing. Although “Contagion” is I would certainly recommend it und the efforts of CDC predicts that everyone in the Health experts warn those with extremely accurate at predicting just for this alone. It does a great workers trying to contain a US will contract it within 48 underlying conditions. Funeral the circumstances pertaining job at accurately predicting deadly airborne virus running hours. It also has an unrealistic arrangements are put on hold. to the 2020 pandemic, it is not a vaccine timetable, as the rampant in a small California vaccine timetable, as the Doctors go on the hunt for extremely entertaining. The plot Centers for Disease Control and town. The workers constantly scientists secure a vaccine in antibodies wherever they can is centered chiefly around the Prevention admits a vaccine for clash with military officials who only a week. “Outbreak” earns find them. They also try to virus, and there are not really the zombie virus is months away are secretly planning to blow up a B- for entertainment, and understand why some victims any main characters. Instead, the at the end of the movie. There is the city and harness the disease a C for its prediction to real don’t show symptoms while movie focuses on about 10-15 a temporary fix however, as it as a chemical weapon. The world circumstances. I would others do. side characters that get decent is discovered that using deadly CDC workers must find a viable not recommend watching it Another accurate prediction screen time. Because of this, diseases as a vaccine keeps vaccine before it is too late. because it is middle of the pack is that Conspiracy theorists it gets a C- for entertainment, away zombies, because they “Outbreak” has the most heart in both categories, and you could recommend that they claim kill but an obvious A for how only seek young and fit hosts. out of the three movies, as it is probably find a better use of the virus. This is similar to some realistically it reflects current This is an interesting inverse of as much about the character’s two hours. online theorists who encouraged world conditions. I would the coronavirus, which is known relationships with each other as “Contagion” the consumption of disinfectants definitely recommend watching to be most harmful to the weak it is about the pandemic. It is After a woman contracts a flu- like Lysol to combat the virus To it because you’ll be shocked and elderly. also the type of movie in which like virus from a Chinese meat nitpick slightly on the accuracy, at how accurately it is able to “World War Z” earns an A for the characters are constantly market, the world is introduced the mortality rate of the MEV- predict details of our pandemic. its entertainment, but suffers overcoming impossible odds, to the MEV-1 virus. Schools shut 1 virus is very high, around “Contagion” would be my top an F for its prediction of the which can be very entertaining. down, millions become infected, 25%. But that’s still pretty solid choice for a pandemic movie, pandemic. The zombie virus has Some elements of the movie there is public backlash, considering this is a movie, and and I promise it will live up to completely different symptoms, most accurate to current world conspiracy theories and so on - a movie virus with a mortality the hype. is far more contagious, and circumstances are the citizens’ Does this sound familiar? rate as low as the coronavirus, While the virus has taken so causes much more destruction resistance to quarantine, as This movie is eerily similar 3.1% in the United States many things away from us, it can than our pandemic I would well as the fact that the virus is to current world circumstances, according to a mortality analysis also shed new light on a genre of suggest watching it if you are initially an issue of little concern which makes it sometimes scary by Johns Hopkins University, movies we would not normally interested in turning off your to the general public, but comes to watch. It nearly checks all simply would not be compelling. watch. From grounded realism brain and watching Brad Pitt to quickly take over their lives. the boxes, with references that The vaccine timeline is also a to over the top special effects, kill zombies for two hours. Just Some of the things the movie will make you do double takes. bit fast compared to COVID-19, these films can satisfy any mood. don’t take it too seriously. gets wrong is that the virus has The head of the CDC implores as there is a solution within
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Arts & Entertainment
The Marquette Tribune
9
Syllabus week brings mixed feelings, nostalgia Preparation for both in-person, online classes begin By Ariana Madson
ariana.madson@marquette.edu
The first week of classes at Marquette has finished, which also marks the end of syllabus week, commonly known as “sylly week.” This is the week where professors hand out syllabi and go over what the semester will look like. For many students, it can be a week of fewer responsibilities before all the assignments start to kick in. Isabella Serafino, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, reflected on her syllabus week and said she felt more stressed this year than in previous years. “My first year it was nice because it was just an entire week of nothing and now I’m stressed,” she said. “I already had homework due for classes already and I didn’t even know … there’s so much more and professors are like ‘you’ve already been through this so we’ll just throw things at you right away,’” Serafino said. Serafino also said she is taking classes where the student population is a mix of firstyears and upperclassmen, and
professors tried to take more time on the syllabi. Serafino said she thinks this week is overwhelming because of everything she has to get done. Serafino said she looks at it like as we get older, “sylly” week isn’t so “sylly” anymore. Ellie Marino, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said
“I feel like it’s gotten easier (in these classes) because I know what to expect,” Marino said. “I feel like the professors are more relaxed and more easy going with us.” Marino said she is taking this week to celebrate the last fall syllabus week with her roommates, specifically because
week is easier, she still has professors that jump right in. Marino said she thinks this week is an important transition for students. “It sets the tone and it’s a good opportunity to transition back,” Marino said. “However, I don’t feel like I’ve had a syllabus week since my professors just
Arts & Sciences, said this week has always been a time to get prepared. “(It’s) a lot of time to get my routine down, get my classes organized and Google Calendar updated,” Drechsler said. Drechsler said she specifically remembers hanging out with friends every day of syllabus week, especially those she met as a first-year student. Drechsler said she has seen her friends this past week, but amidst the pandemic, they have been in smaller groups and outside. Concerning actual classes, Drechsler said she feels less stressed overall. “I would say (I’m) less stressed because I have done it one time so I knew which systems work for me,” Drechsler said. For first-year students who just completed their first syllabus week, Serafino said it is important to get organized, even though it is tempting to go out and socialize. Marino also said her biggest piece of advice following syllabus week is for students Photo by Claire Gallagher claire.gallagher@marquette.edu Marquette’s campus becomes busier with students returning for the start of a new school year. to trust themselves, especially academically, as she was very doubtful in the beginning of she thinks this years’ syllabus it feels nostalgic from all her jump right in.” her first year. week was actually the easiest years of school. Arianna Drechsler, a one she’s had. Though she said this syllabus sophomore in the College of
Students reminisce after furry friends leave and improve mental health. the opportunity to interact with “It’s a shame that they’re gone,” Nattie, he heard plenty about her said Eric Hoyerman, a sophomore from other students. in the College of Engineering, “I’ve heard people talk about Cu said. “I think (Cu) was good for and Nattie all the time,” Hoyerman the students.” said. “It’s always positive thoughts By Charlotte Ives Hoyerman said whenever he saw when they talk about those dogs.” charlotte.ives@marquette.edu Cu, his day got a little bit better. Hoyerman is not alone in his The Marquette community He also said Cu supplied comfort attitude about the former furry said goodbye to two beloved to others on campus, especially friends at Marquette. furry friends this summer: Cu, during finals week, as it can be the Katherine Lesavich, a first-year formerly the Counseling Center’s therapy dog, and Nattie, formerly the Marquette University Police Department outreach dog. Both dogs have officially retired from their jobs on campus. Nattie left Marquette at the end of last school year to return back to life as a pet, according to an announcement on Nattie’s Instagram account April 22. Cu also recently moved to the East coast this summer with her owner, retired Counseling Center Director Marquette Wire Stock Photo Mike Zebrowski, where she will Nattie brings comfort to Marquette community members. most likely spend the rest of her retirement. The former MUPD outreach dog most stressful time of the semester student in the College of Arts & had a somewhat unusual role for for students. Sciences, said after hearing about a police dog — she was trained Now that Cu is retired, Hoyerman Cu and Nattie, she feels a little to be a source of comfort and said he is a little disappointed. upset that she never had the chance support to students. Cu had similar “I wish we had another dog like to meet them. responsibilities and was trained to that,” Hoyerman said. Lesavich said she believes trained perceive and help relieve anxiety Although Hoyerman never got dogs like Cu and Nattie can be good
Campus dogs retire from jobs, start new life outside of MU
outlets for stress. “I personally would love it because I’ve always loved dogs,” Lesavich said. “I think it’s a great way of relieving stress and they’re just wonderful, happy animals.” She said she would have gone to visit either one of the dogs if they had not retired. While attending high school, Lesavich said she would interact with an off-duty service dog on a daily basis, petting and playing with him during free periods. She said these interactions were always positive parts of her school day. Others who have been on campus longer than Lesavich have had similarly positive personal experiences with trained helping dogs. Lisset Perez-Jaramillo, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said the first time she saw Cu was when she visited the Educational Opportunity Program center during exam week while Cu was there. Since then, she said they have had several positive interactions. “One day I was very stressed, very anxious, and I was just walking around,” Perez-Jaramillo said. “Cu had other kids with him, but it seemed like he knew I really needed him because he walked away from
them to just put his paw on my knee and that was really comforting.” She said Cu is a very perceptive dog and that he will be missed on campus. Perez-Jaramillo said just because she had fewer interactions with Nattie, it does not mean she cares any less about the dog’s retirement. “Nattie is a very beautiful dog and very comforting as well. Just because I didn’t have my own personal relationship with her doesn’t mean her presence won’t be missed,” Perez-Jaramillo said. “What I had with Cu, I’m pretty sure other students had with Nattie.” Perez-Jaramillo said there is a wide consensus that both Cu and Nattie were well-loved icons on campus, but she also accepts that they had to leave eventually. “These dogs will definitely be missed, but there comes a time when they need to retire just like any other job,” Perez-Jaramillo said. “I can’t be upset about that.” Perez-Jaramillo said she hopes the university will try to find other dogs or helping animals — not to replace Cu and Nattie, but to help bring the idea of family and community to campus.
The Marquette Tribune
Opinions
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
PAGE 10
Editorial Board
Natallie St. Onge, Executive Director Annie Mattea, Managing Editor Marquette Tribune Kelli Arseneau, Managing Editor Marquette Journal
Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Aminah Beg, Assistant Opinions Editor
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
COVID-19 survey insufficient, required testing necessary
With insufficient COVID-19 selfassessments and 11 positive COVID-19 cases since the first day of classes, Marquette University needs to require COVID-19 tests for students, faculty and staff, whether that means carrying out random tests on campus or providing resources on where and how to get tested. Currently students are not required to be tested for COVID-19. Students were also not required to receive testing before returning to campus, though they were encouraged by Xavier Cole, vice president of student affairs, to self-quarantine for two weeks in a message sent out to students Aug. 10. Before coming to campus each day, students are to complete a “COVID Cheq” symptom self-assessment survey. The survey asks students if they will be on campus at any point during the day. Students have the option of saying yes or no. If students select “yes,” students must
take their temperature and report any symptoms that they’ve had, including chills or fever of 100º F or greater, cough, shortness of breath or difficult breathing. Students must also report if they have symptoms of fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. A note at the top of the page says that students can exclude symptoms that a “medical provider has previously attributed to a condition other than COVID-19.” Students also have to report if they’ve been in close contact with someone or potentially exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days. Though students must complete this survey every day — regardless of whether or not they plan to come to campus — it is unclear whether there will be any repercussions for not completing it truthfully. Once cleared by the tracker,
students will receive a message that says they are cleared to be on campus and will receive a QR code. Some buildings, like Raynor Memorial Library and dining halls, require students to show their clearance results before entering, meanwhile, many buildings do not require students to show their clearance. The university should require students, faculty and staff to get tested for COVID-19, as the self-assessment survey is not adequate for tracing COVID-19. Solely relying on students to self assess for COVID-19 is not sufficient, as students may be unable to detect any symptoms or may lie about their results in order to return to campus. Additionally, students were supposed to receive welcome packs that included a mask, hand sanitizer and a thermometer last week, but if some students didn’t receive a pack because they forgot or couldn’t find where to pick one up and don’t have
access to a thermometer, it will be difficult for them to accurately report their temperatures. The university must require students to get tested at least once a week for COVID-19, considering that young adults are more likely than other age groups to be asymptomatic. If the university does not have the necessary resources or capacity to test all students, it should provide students with information about where and how to get tested near campus. With no physical expression of COVID-19 symptoms and cleared “COVID Cheq” results, students could unintentionally or intentionally be worsening the spread on campus. The university is asking students and university employees to fill out a voluntary disclosure form if they are self-quarantining or selfisolating. Giving students, faculty and staff the option to not disclose if they have COVID-19 could
potentially endanger other members of the Marquette and Milwaukee community if they choose to come to campus sick. Requiring everyone to receive COVID-19 testing would ensure mandatory disclosure as well as protect and prioritize the safety and well-being of every person on campus. It would also assist with COVID-19 contact tracing. If the university truly wants to prioritize and protect its students, faculty and staff as well as Milwaukee community members, it cannot rely on a self-assessment survey to replace testing. While students must also do their part to keep themselves and others safe — such as wearing masks, social distancing and gathering only in small groups — the university must ensure that campus is adequately equipped for students returning to campus each day.
Human rights, lives must come before professions Max Pickart What we do as Marquette students, staff and alumni in a professional setting must parallel the way we are called to approach life, as men and women emphasizing and adopting Jesuit educational values, committed to justice and fiercely loving every individual we interact with. Coming from a Jesuit high school, I have been fortunate as to experience this aspect of the Jesuit education that we must put others before our own needs when they need it most. Our life, therefore, should be a life lived for others. We, as men and women for others, must speak up in our classrooms, workplaces and social settings against discrimination, racism and injustices occurring across the nation. Marquette University cites four key characteristics as the most foundational keys to success in this world: excellence, faith, leadership and service. Though I believe these four aspects can lead to success in the
classroom setting and professional setting and surrounding community, they are key to the development of the human being in everyday life. Most importantly, we must be human first. We are humans before we are employees, students or professors. Humanity comes first, always. Thus, our passion and drive for human rights should always come first. Far too often, we throw away our humanity and our hearts in order to remain “professional.” We throw away our passions and our hopes for a better world to protect our own financial, educational and societal well-beings. However, now more than ever, action is obligatory. In the professional world, we must speak up. Recently, there has been a massive influx of support for social justice, especially the Black Lives Matter movement that has gained support following the death of George Floyd. Even more recently, the death of Jacob Blake has illuminated the severity of police brutality against Black indigenous people of color. More opportunities have since been available for individuals who
have not experienced racism to learn, listen and educate themselves due to the universal call for justice, such as through television, film, social media and literature. Although much information has been provided, there has been a few things that I find most important and universal: Silence can no longer be permitted and action is a necessity. Conversations, unlearning and relearning must occur, but they are not sufficient. With injustices in our world occurring, the silence of the professional world causes even more damage to people of color. The marginalized cannot create change alone, as the systemic issues are too far embedded in our society. All of us are responsible for promoting equity, equality and change. Action is key. Now is the time for our society to step up and do its part. In professional and educational settings, we owe it to our peers to speak up about injustices of racism and sexism. It is important to call out discrimination and educate ourselves and check in with our colleagues that could be experiencing any sort of injustice.
To put it simply, if speaking up and supporting movements that promote justice for marginalized communities means a potential risk of job loss, a difficult conversation in class or an argument between peers, it is a risk worth taking. It shouldn’t be considered a “risk” at all. It should be our duty and passion to stand up against injustices, no matter the setting. We, as Marquette students, as Americans, as educators and as human beings, should be proud to combat oppression and prejudices. Our world should not, cannot and will not be fully formed until we recognize that human lives must come before economic prosperity, personal power and individual success. Marquette University, as a predominantly white university, must do its part to live up to its values and ideals. Students, peers and educators must do their part. Anti-racism education must occur. As we grow older and learn more throughout our time at Marquette, we must be prepared to be real “men and women for others.” On our campus and in our societies, we must listen to the voices of people of color,
amplify them and do our part in our professional settings. Without doing so, injustice and inequity will continue. Max Pickart is a first-year student studying accounting. He can be reached at max.pickart@marquette.edu
Statement of Opinion Policy
The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board. The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a four-week period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration. Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 500 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 250 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content. Please e-mail submissions to: alexandra.garner@marquette.edu. If you are a current student, include the college in which you are enrolled and your year in school. If not, please note any affliations to Marquette or your current city of residence.
Opinions
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Marquette Tribune
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Attitudes toward sick leave have negative impact on society Lucia Ruffolo If someone were to show up to work or school with a fever, a sore throat or a violent cough in 2020, the public would say that that behavior is both inconsiderate and dangerous. The caution around sickness has heightened amid the coronavirus pandemic. The concept seems simple: If you are sick with any type of contagious illness, you should avoid people. After the pandemic ends, we must continue to allow and promote workers and students to stay home if they are sick. Calling in absent for school or work was somewhat of a taboo in the past, as there was a pervading idea that sickness should be ignored. When people take sick leave for their job, some assume that they are lying and lazy. Children are given perfect attendance awards when they go an entire year without missing a day of school. But not missing a single day of school seems unrealistic. According to the University of Utah, school-age children usually develop a cold between five to six times a year, and awarding them for coming to school miserable and acting as a source of further contamination seems counterintuitive.
Elementary schools must stop requiring doctor’s notes every time a child is absent, as it disadvantages 4.4 million children who are without health insurance because they do not have access to a doctor that can evaluate their health issues and provide them with a note. Colleges and universities also need to be more lenient when it comes to students missing class due to illness. Students should not have to be afraid of potentially receiving poor grades because they are ill and cannot go to class. Employers, especially those who employ minimum wage workers, should also not threaten termination when their employee falls sick. Only 13 states mandate sick leave in the United States, and the average private industry worker only gets seven sick days a year. Additionally, almost 34 million people show up to work sick each year because they do not have access to paid sick leave, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Once these days are used up, a worker may feel forced to go to work even when they develop an illness, as they are financially dependent on that income. Without sick days, people are forced to go to work ill and further danger their health and the health of others. Though it may be difficult to
remember these days, the coronavirus is not the only virus somebody can contract. It shouldn’t have taken this long for our society to realize that allowing people to stay home when they’re sick is the responsible thing to do. In addition to wanting to keep ourselves protected, it is also vital to promote the health and wellbeing of others. Imagine how many cases of the flu, pink eye and strep throat could have been avoided if we had recognized this norm from the beginning. This is particularly important for kids and adults with compromised immune systems who develop illnesses more frequently and with more severity. Compared to other developed countries, the U.S. lags behind when it comes to sick leave. This includes most countries in Western and Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the U.S. is the only country out of 22 rich countries that does not provide paid sick leave for a worker undergoing a 50-day cancer treatment, and one of only three countries that does not provide paid sick days for a worker missing five days of work due to the flu. This isn’t surprising, considering that the U.S. is still one of the only countries with private
Graphic via Center for Economic and Policy Research
health insurance. When health care is for profit and not universal, the working class is not able to receive the diagnoses that allow employers to take their medical absence seriously. Health care is either tied to employment paid for out of pocket. The average cost for health insurance is $462 a month in the U.S. for one person. Our society carelessly forces people into work when they have the possibility of spreading disease to others. After the pandemic ends and a sense of normalcy returns, the emphasis on attendance at work and schools in the face of illness should not be reinstated.
Attendance awards must become obsolete to prevent students from coming to school sick. The government must prioritize health by mandating sick leave, and employers must abide by this order. If this shift in prioritizing health does not occur, the U.S. could jeopardize the safety and well-being of Americans again, and we could find ourselves in another pandemic soon in the future. Lucia Ruffolo is a first-year student and is undecided. She can be reached at lucia.ruffolo@marquette.edu
Eurocentric beauty standards damaging to Black people Hope Moses To be a Black woman in America is to be ugly. At least that is what we are made to believe. We do not fit the typical standard of beauty; therefore, we are not beautiful. With my fingertips lightly tracing my facial structure — my nose, my lips, my cheeks — I try to understand where God went wrong when He created me. Unfortunately, I am not the first or last Black woman to consider herself less than beautiful due to a beauty standard Black women are often excluded from. It is clear that deeply rooted Eurocentric beauty standards that value whiteness and have a negative impact on Black people. Black women feeling less than beautiful compared to their white counterparts is not new. In the 16th century, as the transatlantic slave trade expanded and the New World became reliant on the life and labor of enslaved African people, Europeans created theories that rejected Africans as beautiful to justify the enslavement of them. The
classification of cultural differences such as skin color and hair textures existed to show that African people were ugly, disgusting, worthless and naturally suited for slavery. e masters would also often cut or shave the hair of Black women and men because slave owners were repulsed by the sight of Black hair. Often times, Black women and men were not allowed to even refer to their hair as hair. Words like “wool” or “cotton” were typically used to describe black hair by European men and women. Slurs like “nappy,” which has been reclaimed by the Black community, initially started off as a racial slur against Black women and men in order to dehumanize and embarrass them publicly. This dehumanization of Black people has also influenced the way Black skin color is valued in society. Colorism is the practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin, according to the National Conference for Community and Justice. The origins of such colorism can be traced back to the enslavement of African people as well. As slavery became normalized, a clear distinction was made between lighter skinned and
darker skinned Africans. Lighterskinned women and men were given privileges that their darker-skinned counterparts were not. The saturation of colorism in the Black community allowed for highly divisive techniques to keep us separated, such as the brown paper bag test: If a person’s skin was lighter than the paper bag, they would be more likely accepted than a person with a darker skin tone. This tactic was used in African American clubs and social organizations to determine the validity of membership from the early 1900s through the 1950s. Our society has put an emphasis on whiteness being the epitome of beauty, so much so that Black girls and boys have grown up in a world that has constantly told them they are not beautiful. Black girls and boys have stared in the mirrors for hours — picking at their cotton-like hair, wondering why it always defies gravity. Using their fingertips, they trace their facial features—their nose, their lips, their cheeks — trying to understand why their Black is not beautiful. In order to combat these stereotypes and negative assumptions, the Black is Beautiful movement focused on empowering both women
and men — inside and out — and combated the stereotypes that were commonly expressed in minstrel shows and books. The Black is Beautiful movement started in the early 1960s, encouraged millions of Black women and men to reclaim their culture and identity and embrace their natural beauty and reject any westernized beauty standards. Even with the Black is Beautiful movement striving to empower both women and men, Black women are still faced with the challenge of accepting our natural beauty. Embracing our natural beauty is difficult especially when there is a lack of representation in the media. Mainstream media idolizes women who are white, thin and tall. Black women are excluded from this standard and even if they fit it to some degree of being thin or tall, they are just classified as the exception. There is much pressure to reflect these beauty ideals because they are everywhere. This beauty standard is exemplified in movies, shows and magazines, serving as a constant reminder that we will never be beautiful in the way society expects us to be. While there has been a push for more diversity in mainstream media, there is still not enough. According
to the African American Policy Forum, representation of Black women in media is “dis-proportionally sparse” and when Black women are incorporated into mainstream media, they often regulate negative stereotypes. Personally, every time I watched films with conventionally beautiful white woman, I felt worse about myself. I knew I did not look like them and therefore, I was ugly. Lack of representation takes a toll on self-confidence and can even affect an individual’s mental health. While we have all contributed to the false narratives surrounding beauty, only certain groups of us are affected more harshly by it. Moving forward, it is essential to understand how you as an individual play a role in this and the changes you can implement in your daily life that will both encourage and uplift women of color around you to be themselves without subconsciously bringing them down. Hope Moses is a first-year student studying journalism. She can be reached at hope.moses@marquette.edu
Sports The Marquette Tribune
ESPORTS GIVES MONEY TO GEORGE FLOYD’S DAUGHTER’S CHARITY SPORTS, 15
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 PAGE 12
Milwaukee teams speak out against racism
Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu
This mural is on the side of Fiserv Forum. The arena is home to Marquette men’s basketball as well as the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers both boycotted their games Aug. 26.
Bucks refuse to attend Game 5, Brewers cancel Reds matchup By Jackson Gross
jackson.gross@marquette.edu
Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers canceled their games Aug. 26 following the Aug. 23 shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake. Blake was shot in the back seven times in Kenosha, Wisconsin by police while trying to enter his vehicle.
The Bucks were scheduled to play in Game 5 of the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Orlando Magic, but they boycotted their game. In response to this, the NBA decided to cancel the remaining games for the evening, which included an Oklahoma City Thunder game against the Houston Rockets, and a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers. In a postgame press conference Aug. 25, Los Angeles Clippers head coach and Marquette alum Glenn “Doc” Rivers responded to the shooting of Blake and the Republican National
Convention. Rivers said the Republicans are spewing fear too the American people. “We’re the ones getting killed. We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones that are denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung, we’ve been shot,” Rivers said in an ESPN interview. “It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.” In a statement, the NBA announced the cancellation of all games and said that Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled. In a report from Shams Charania, an NBA reporter for The Athletic, the NBA is now in talks with its
players this evening to determine the “next steps.” Around two hours after the news of the Bucks boycotting their game , the Brewers cancelled their regular season game against the Cincinnati Reds. Brewers reliever Brent Suter made a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Our team and the Reds felt that with our community and our nation in such pain, tonight we wanted 100% of our focus to be on issues that are much more important than baseball,” Suter said in Sentinel article. Closer Josh Hader also spoke with MLB.com in the wake of
this decision. “It’s more than sports. This is a time where we need to really not stay quiet and (to) empower our voices,” Hader said. This decision to boycott games has reached other teams as well. The Seattle Mariners have cancelled their matchup against the San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants also postponed their game. The NBA has now decided to resume to their regularly scheduled postseason games after their twoday boycott. The Brewers continued their scheduled series against the Cincinnati Reds Thursday.
Sports
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Marquette Tribune
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ATHLETICS
Student athletes to receive required COVID-19 testing Athletics begins voluntary workouts, new safety protocol By Zoe Comerford
isabel.comerford@marquette.edu
After Marquette delayed the start of voluntary workouts July 14, the athletics department implemented new protocol that includes mandatory COVID-19 testing and a seven-day monitoring period for all student athletes who returned to campus, Deputy Athletic Director Mike Broeker told Paint Touches, a Marquette basketball analysis and opinion blog Aug. 26. Broeker said baseline testing began last week for every student athlete. These protocols follow NCAA and BIG EAST regulations relating to non-competition testing. Broeker said the protocol is on a sport-bysport basis and explained the NCAA defines each contact sport at either a low, medium or high risk. Low contact sports include golf, tennis and track and field. Medium contact risk sports include cross country. High contact risk sports include basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. Athletics began voluntary
Photo by Zach Bukowski zachary.bukowski@marquette.edu
The Al McGuire Center is the home for Marquette Athletics. It has study rooms for student athletes and also all coaches offices reside in the building.
workouts Monday as facilities became available. Following this testing period, Marquette plans to surveillance test
50% of the athletes on high-risk sports teams every two weeks. Non-student athletes and faculty at Marquette were not required to get
tested for COVID-19 before return- they are,” Broeker told Paint Touching to campus. es. “That could change as guidance “Our own medical folks ultimate- is in flux one way or the other.” ly have to be comfortable with it, and
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Squad deals with adversity after Bronson’s retirement Steve Rodecap becomes director of tennis programs By Matthew Valente
matthew.valente@marquette.edu
The 2020-2021 women’s tennis season is going to be much different from previous years. The COVID-19 pandemic has postponed many fall collegiate athletics, and women’s tennis is no exception. The Golden Eagles will not be playing in any tournaments this upcoming fall, which will help them prepare for their spring BIG EAST competition season. Even more different, for the first time in 35 years Jody Bronson will not be leading the program after athletic director Bill Scholl announced her retirement which went into effect June 18. She was the longest-tenured varsity head coach in Marquette’s history. “I want to thank Jody on behalf of the entire University for her 35 years of service to Marquette,” Scholl said in a statement June 13. “She has been a tremendous ambassador for the department
and her dedication to the program has, and will continue to, leave a lasting impact.” After becoming the head coach in 1985-86, she has led her teams to a combined 440 wins, three BIG EAST championships and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Bronson guided the tennis team to a national ranking of 25, which was the program’s highest. “Hank Raymonds and Tat Sheily gave me the opportunity to coach the Marquette women’s tennis team in its inaugural year in Division I,” Bronson said in a statement. “This opportunity proved to be more than I could have ever imagined. It’s been an honor to be able to coach and mentor so many incredible young women, who today continue to use their whole Marquette experience in their daily lives.” The tennis programs’ staffs were reorganized when Steve Rodecap, the men’s coach, was named Director of Tennis. Rodecap will be oversee both the men’s and women’s teams and men’s assistant Jud Shaufler and women’s assistant Dusan Medan were promoted to associate head coaching positions. Shaufler and Medan will report to Rodecap.
“I have been fortunate to work alongside Jody the past 17 years and have seen her pour her heart and soul into the program, while transforming the lives of so many young women,” Rodecap said. “She consistently represented the department and University in a first-class manner. ... Although her daily touch on the program will be greatly missed, she will always be a part of the Marquette Tennis family.” Redshirt junior Natalija Popovic said the program will miss Bronson deeply. “It was really sad to hear and we were all got pretty emotional,” Popovic said. “We wanted to win the BIG EAST championship under her coaching before she left. Due to COVID canceling the spring season, that was unable to happen this past year.” Rodecap is no stranger to the women’s team and already has relationships with some of the players through coaching last season. “I have been involved with the women’s tennis program for years,” Rodecap said. “I already have great relationships with some of the returning players.” With all fall collegiate activities being canceled for the time being, offseason preparation for the team
will be unique. Even spring seasons are up in the air at this time. “We are optimistic, but anything is possible,” Rodecap said. Although Bronson’s head coach title might not be there anymore she is still seen as a leader to the women and will always be someone special to the team.
Popovic said Bronson has pushed the team to their full potential. “The best advice coach gave me was ‘Never give up, there is always a chance to come back.’ She would never let you give up,” Popovic said.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Jody Bronson coaches back in 2019. She was head coach for 35 years.
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Sports
The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
CROSS COUNTRY
Moravec, Peterson reflect on postponed fall season Seniors concerned with overlap of spring track and field By Sam Arco
samuel.arco@marquette.edu
When the BIG EAST canceled fall sports with potential to resume them in the spring, Marquette women’s cross country senior Emma Moravec wasn’t surprised. “I can’t say I wasn’t expecting the decision, but ultimately I believe it’s the best for everyone,” Marquette women’s cross country senior Emma Moravec said. This reaction was common among many seniors whose last seasons are now in jeopardy. Moravec is one of three seniors on the women’s team that must now wait to see if she will have a cross country season in her last year at Marquette. On the men’s side, the Golden Eagles have five seniors on the roster who were poised to build off of last year, where the team finished fourth at the BIG EAST Championships, tying the team’s best-ever finish.
“We had a lot of goals for the upcoming season, so it was very disappointing to hear about the news, but there are a lot of other things that are more important right now which includes keeping us safe,” Marquette men’s cross country senior Danny Peterson said. Peterson was set to be one of Marquette’s top returners and leaders for the 2020 season after last season’s team saw five seniors graduate. “The silver lining is that I’m still able to run after college for fun if we end up not having a season,” Peterson said. Seniors Paolo Tiongson is trying to look at the positive side throughout times like these. “I was very sad to hear the news, but there’s nothing you can do,” Tiongson said. “I’m just trying to look at the positive side as things could be worse, but right now I’m still working out with a few of my teammates as we’re looking forward to a hopeful season in the spring.” According to early reports, the BIG EAST is planning to hopefully play all fall sports in the spring of 2021, which could be difficult for athletes who participate in both the cross country and
track programs as the seasons may overlap. “I would love to see a season for us in the spring, but I could see a lot of issues that would eventually come up with that,” Marquette head cross country coach Sean Birren said. “I would love to see my team compete in the spring, but then you’re getting to the point where they’re competing too much, which could result in injuries, so there’s still a lot to be worked on.” Although having a cross country season in the spring looks good in theory because they can compete outside, the problem is that indoor track season is scheduled around the same time, which would cause a lot of athletes to compete in two different seasons very close to each other. “Ultimately, I’m still hoping for a spring competition, but in the event that we are not given one, I am really grateful for everything at Marquette so far,” Moravec said. While the team is prohibited from practicing together at the moment, Birren is still having his athletes work out on their own in the hopes of getting ready for a potential season in the spring. “Our team is motivated to keep
running and getting back to competing as soon as possible,” Birren said. “I tell them to take advantage of every day they’re given. I would love to see my team compete in the spring, but then you’re getting to the point where they’re competing too much which could result in injuries, so there’s still a lot to be worked on.” Last year the NCAA granted spring sport athletes another year of eligibility due to their seasons’ cancellations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which raises the question if the NCAA will follow the same path for fall athletes if fall sports are not able to resume. Many seniors may already have their plans for graduating next year, but for those who are still undecided and are given an extra year of eligibility, it could change their initial decision. “It would be a great offer for all fall sport athletes if they were given the opportunity to have an extra year of eligibility,” Moravec said. Tiongson said everyone deserves another year. “I would certainly look at coming back being a fifth-year if I was given the choice,” Tiongson said.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Emma Moravec runs in 2020.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Jacobson plans for attack to get back on soccer field At-home training prepares team for returning to pitch By Kristin Parisi
kristin.parisi@marquette.edu
For many college coaches this summer, their focus was on helping their athletes prepare for the fall season. When the BIG EAST decided to postpone fall sports for 2020, some of the coaches had to quickly come up with a new training plan. “We obviously had a shift in preparation, knowing that now, instead of a fall season, we (are) preparing for a spring season,” assistant strength and conditioning coach Emily Jacobson said. “And my job as a sports performance coach is to help prepare the student athletes for the demands and rigors of competition and training, and to support the coaching staffs with any type of information from practice plans to technology, to help plan and prepare the student athletes again for those competitions and trainings.” With the student athletes returning to campus, Jacobson
and the rest of the Marquette women’s soccer staff are gearing up for training and practices to start. The women first have to undergo a first round of COVID-19 tests required for all Marquette student athletes. After they are cleared for action, the players still have to go through a series of paperwork regarding if they have been feeling symptoms before returning to their regular training in order to ensure a safe return for not just the athletes, but the entire women’s soccer program. “We obviously want to keep everyone involved as healthy and safe as possible,” Jacobson said. “The first part of it is to make sure it’s a safe return to campus, so within that safe return to campus, they have their normal medical work that they have to go through, and paperwork and appointments.” Since the athletes were training by themselves this summer, coming back to campus will definitely be an adjustment. The coaching staff wants to assess the fitness levels of all the players, to establish a baseline for the level of intensity for each practice and also figure out how they can slowly ramp up the pace.
Jacobson said if the players are cleared medically, the sports performance staff will run through a short phase of assessments. “We want to get where they are right now. Is it good or bad?” Jacobson said. “We have time right now and we’re going to start slow to then make sure everyone’s in an appropriate spot to start, and then gradually increase their workloads, whether that’s what they’re doing on the soccer field or on the court. And then obviously gradually increasing what they’re doing in other capacities in the weight room.” To keep the athletes on top of their training this summer, Jacobson sent out summer workout packets with training plans to each of the players, and some, like sophomore defender Addie Shock, used those workouts to focus on getting stronger. “I’ve been given specific workouts by Emily and Kenny that really helped me get back on track. The break has helped a lot and allowed me to get stronger,” Shock said. “I just kind of saw it as a time to get better.” Shock believes the team is in good hands with Jacobson and
the rest of the training staff to get back in game-shape this fall. “Emily, Kenny, and Frank have learned a lot from other universities and they’re going to ease us back into it for sure,” Shock said. “Hopefully we can stay safe and keep following the protocols and then eventually get back in the team trainings and stuff.” The coaches know that the transition from fully remote training to getting back in the weight room can be difficult for some, but redshirt senior defender Maura Weaver has previously dealt with having to adjust her fitness levels after being away from the game over quarantine. “I’ve had my trials with injuries and having to come back from some pretty serious injuries where my fitness level was essentially zero,” Weaver said. “So, I know kind of what to expect from a difficulty level in some ways. So you know, I think at the beginning of whenever you’re coming back and trying to get your fitness level up, it’s always a little bit of a shock to the body.” Even with these protocols and a summer away from campus, Weaver seems confident that her and the rest of the team will
be able to stay focused through training and get back in shape. “We (have) to stay focused. You got to keep your head on straight,” Weaver said. “Even with all these changes, and I think for the most part right now, the girls have been doing a great job with that. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and we just got to be ready to storm through the tunnel once we get there.” As Weaver is a veteran on the team, she feels that she has the opportunity to be someone that her teammates can look to for guidance. She knew what she needed to focus on while being at home and now is ready to preform with her team once again. “Being an older player, now I’ve gone through summers. I usually live at home, so I’m trying to do workouts on my own at home. So, having that experience of going through a summer, trying to get my fitness up and get touches on the ball, that for the most part was pretty normal for me,” Weaver said. “As far as being on your own and working out this summer, you just got to keep your mind straight, (and) focus on the end goal.”
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Sports
The Marquette Tribune
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MEN’S SOCCER
International players struggle with travel restrictions back home this past March when the I could fly back home to Sweden. So pandemic started rapidly spreading it was a long trip for sure.” across the globe. Upon return to the U.S. this fall, “All the flights got cancelled, so it Sunesson had to quarantine himself was like one flight per week when for two weeks prior to making his I first left in March. So when I got return to campus. He also had spent to the Chicago airport, I had to wait more time in Sweden than expected By Nick Galle there for 13 hours before I could get due to the fact students were not yet nicholas.galle@marquette.edu on my flight,” Sunesson said. “I flew able to fly back to the United States As the COVID-19 pandemic has to Copenhagen, had to wait in Co- until earlier this summer. made its way into the United States penhagen for seven hours, and then However, other players did not this past spring and summer, travel restrictions were implemented in attempt to limit the spread of the virus. For international players on the men’s soccer team, these changes made the journey home and back to campus very difficult. Coming into the season, 26 of 29 players on the squad are from out of state. Of those 26, 11 came from a different country. This season’s team features players from Germany, England, Italy, Brazil, and Sweden, but a new 19-man roster has been created for the potential spring season. While many team members come from over 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, junior forward Lukas Sunesson said traveling through the air is usually a relatively easy task without a pandemic to account for. “(Travel’s) pretty smooth,” Sunesson said. “I usually take like one flight from Chicago O’Hare straight to Stockholm, just nine hours. Super simple — and smooth.” Marquette Wire Stock Photo Sunesson, who is from Taby, Junior Lukas Sunesson (9) battles for the ball against a Creighton Bluejay. Sweden, had a difficult time getting
Stern, Thornton stay in United States due to pandemic
even have the chance to make a trip home this summer due to the outbreak. “I actually never went home this summer because of the pandemic,” junior goalkeeper Cedrik Stern said. “I had flights booked, which I cancelled because I didn’t want to take the risk of first of all giving the virus to my grandparents, who live in the same house as I do, and second of all, we were still assuming that we were going to have a season, so I didn’t want to risk that.” With more and more things shutting down, including the cancellation of his summer team and travel home not being advised, Stern said he found other ways to stay busy here in the US. “I needed something to stay busy, so I did a lot of stuff with my roommates,” Stern said. “We went on a road trip and I took a job. I got a job, which was good, which gave me a regular schedule, kept me busy, gave me something to do for sure, so that was good for me.” Stern does not have an exact timetable of when he will be home next, but said he hopes to get home as soon as in-person classes (are expected to officially) end — around Thanksgiving. He said he is trying to have some more time at home this winter to make up for the time that he missed this summer. Meanwhile, redshirt junior forward and Rotherham, England
native Sam Thornton also spent the entire summer in the United States. “I stayed in Minnesota ever since spring break,” Thornton said. “I essentially stayed here the whole summer, worked out, and trained.” The team’s international players are not only used to traveling between Marquette and home, but also for games during the course of the season. Even after conditions improve with the pandemic, travel for BIG EAST athletic teams still might look a bit different. “For our schedule, we do tend to travel (or) take flights to a few games, so I think (the pandemic) might change the dynamic a little bit,” Thornton said. “We could change the mode of transportation — driving to places, places that we can drive, that are a reachable time and distance away. ... Just trying to limit the actual distance in traveling — I think that’ll probably be one of the biggest changes.” No definite plans have been made yet, but both the men’s and women’s soccer teams may be able to have a season in the spring. While travel restrictions are still not advised and traveling is starting to be allowed with restrictions, flying will still look different for the months to come as staffing and airport operations have been altered, and masks must still be worn throughout the travel experience according to the Transport Security Administration.
ESPORTS
Esports team manager hosts live-stream charity event Miguel Melchor donates money to Gianna Floyd Fund By Bryan Geenen
bryan.geenen@marquette.edu
One of the unique opportunities the gaming world offers is the chance for any individual to share their gameplay with a live audience. Twitch, a live video streaming service, has somewhere around 3.8 million monthly broadcasters and partnerships with over 41,100 streamers, according to a Business of Apps article. The app allows individuals to stream their gameplay and receive donations from their viewers. Miguel Melchor, a junior in the College of Engineering and Esports team manager, hosted his own live stream this summer. He hosted a match of Marquette Esports Counterstrike: Global Offensive on Twitch and included an option for players to donate their money for a good cause. Melchor donated the balance of the stream to Gianna Floyd, the
daughter of the late George Floyd. or individuals. The charity stream raised $145 that “At Twitch, community is at the was directly donated on stream to center of everything we do. Whether “OFFICIAL Gianna Floyd Fund in support of current cultural events, (George Floyd’s child).” in relief for national emergencies, George Floyd was the victim of or to provide funds to ongoing a police brutality incident this past summer in which Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking protests worldwide. “The stream was shortly after the George Floyd incident happened and as a club, me and the rest of the officers decided, we’re a club that’s very diverse with the amount of people we have and we stand behind the entire movement that’s going on,” Melchor said. The stream took place June 8, two weeks after George Floyd’s death. “It’s really important that we as a Photo courtesy of Miguel Melchor club and as individuals on campus are united. People need to be to- Melchor is the Esports team manager. gether so in my opinion, it was an amazing thing for him to do. A lot of community needs, the Twitch comrespect,” Nati Monosov, president munity has shown to be a powerful of the esports team and sophomore force for good to provide financial in the College of Engineering, said. support to non-profit organizations, Charity streams are not unheard according to Twitch’s website. of in the gaming world as many Melchor mentioned his decision individuals have hosted streams to to send the raised funds to Gianna help raise funds for specific groups Floyd was related to his family. In
total, Gianna Floyd has received around 2.3 million dollars in a GoFundMe. “I have two younger sisters and the youngest of two is around Gianna Floyd’s age. I love my sisters to death and with how close of a relationship we all have with my dad, how that would feel for somebody like Gianna to not have her dad there for her anymore?” Melchor said. “Just the idea of losing a parent and not having that backup as you grow up is something that really stuck out to me.” “Of course, it’s not as much because it was a last-minute thing but anything to help was enough for me. It was something positive for awareness and raising money for Gianna Floyd,” Melchor said. Melchor said he received lots of positive feedback from Marquette Gaming & Esports and his friends. “For the Counterstrike guys, as soon as I pitched the idea to them, ‘would you guys be down for that’ and of course, all of them agreed immediately. Just all of the positivity from whether it was MGE, my friends back home, my family; all that just seeing I was doing something positive for the community.
A lot of people had texted me and were proud of me, but they really thought it was a positive thing like that,” Melchor said. The club board was overwhelmed by his positive impact on the community. The club is thinking about doing something in the future pertaining to an event were money can be raised and donated to charity. “We would like to sponsor any sort of streams in that manner, especially donation streams, so anyone in our community who wants to do something like that, we would promote,” Michael Hendrickson, a senior in the College of Health Sciences and esports vice president, said. Melchor said that there was something that felt different about this stream compared to the usual ones. “Throughout the stream, it was a mix of emotions. At the start, I was just choked up because I had this monologue where I was just talking the awareness and I was just moved throughout the entire night. It was not breathtaking, but I just sat there after the stream and even though it wasn’t a ton of money, it was something that felt like we could have a positive impact,” Melchor said.
16
Sports
The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
WOMEN’S SOCCER
M Club Hall of Fame inductee finds success in NSWL Maegan Kelly remembers years competing for Pelaez By John Leuzzi
john.leuzzi@marquette.edu
For most college athletes, getting the opportunity to play the sport they love at the professional level is rare. It is even rarer when they win a championship with their new team. For former Marquette women’s soccer midfielder, Maegan Kelly, that experience came to fruition this past summer when she played with the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League. “It was a really cool experience,” Kelly said. “We all were just on the same page, and we all wanted to win and we all wanted to prove people wrong. To be a part of that, to know every person had their role and were willing to do whatever they had to do for us to win, you don’t see that on every team.” Though he believes the television coverage of the tournament was “screwed up” due to the games not airing live, head coach Frank Pelaez sat back and was able to watch his former player succeed. “We sat, we watched and to be honest with you, did she play much? No, but here is Maegan Kelly. They win and she’s the first one sprinting out there to celebrate,” Pelaez said. “I was in tears, because look how happy she is.” The relationship between Pelaez and Kelly dates back to before Kelly joined the Golden Eagles in 2010. “She would come to Marquette when her older sister (Katie) was playing for us and she would sit in the office with me,” Pelaez said. “I remember her being younger, junior or sophomore in high school, and she just has this edge like, ‘oh, I’m gonna play here one day and I’m gonna break records one day,’ and I was like, ‘Really? I love that about you. You know that your older sister is pretty darn good’ and she was like, ‘I am better than her.’” The first-year head coach recalls a photo of Kelly and him from the team’s preseason trip in 2013, Kelly’s senior season. The picture consists of Kelly having her arm around Pelaez as they are walking back towards the lodge to pack up and head back to Milwaukee. It is what Kelly says in response to something Pelaez said to the NCAA Division I All-Northeast Region First Team honoree. “I get kind of emotional (because) I tell them, ‘These are the
best days of your life and you are a senior. Enjoy it,” Pealez said. “She is like, ‘Why are you sad’ and I’m like, ‘Because that was my last preseason with you.’” For Kelly, the relationship with her then-assistant coach still remains a special one. “It’s been six years since I’ve left the program and I still feel part of that family of Marquette and they do a really good job of
had fun, we were laughing, we were enjoying the process and enjoying what we’re doing on the field,” Kelly said. “When we get older and we get more competitive, we kind of lose sight of that kind of thing, so I try to remember to bring that into the environment that I am in because you also play better when you’re happier and when things are more enjoyable.”
passing the ball off tomorrow, then that’s what I had to do.” Growing up in a family where her dad, sister and younger brother all played soccer, and her mom played collegiate tennis, competitiveness became almost second nature for Kelly. “I’ve always been competitive. I mean, like, I never want to lose when one of my siblings and I would play in the
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Maegan Kelly holds the women’s soccer program record for assists, is second in points and third for goals scored.
just you know, allowing alumni to come back into the family that they had and just continue that whole big family thing,” Kelly said. “I love that Frank is back because it just keeps that whole family bond within the program of the 25 years that they’ve been doing this.” Kelly said playing with laughter and energy remains an important part of her style of play today. She said the reason she plays the game is because she loves playing the sport. “When we were younger, we
During her time with the program, Kelly experienced a stretch where MU won four BIG EAST regular-season championships, two BIG EAST Tournament championships and made it to the NCAA Tournament all four years. The Golden Eagles went a combined 70-15-6 over that span. “I never really looked at the accolades and the goals and all those things. I just wanted my team to be the best we could be and win,” Kelly said. “So, if that meant scoring a goal today and
backyard,” Kelly said. “ We actually do stupid two-on-two tournaments over Christmas holidays and like, on Christmas Day, we go to the field and play two-on-two and my dad’s like the neutral player. Girls versus boys. You know, you never want to lose, so I’ve always had a competitive mentality.” It is that competitive ferocity in the 2010 All-BIG EAST Rookie Team Honoree that made Pelaez realize Kelly would play professionally one day. “She’s the kind of kid that will
do anything in their power to put it in the back of her neck,” Pelaez said. “She can get cut, she can get beat up, she can get thrown around and it doesn’t matter, she gets back up.“ If it wasn’t for her older sister, Katie, Kelly said she might not have thought about playing at the next level. “My sister went over and played overseas so I just knew that if she could do it, I could do it,” Kelly said. “To be honest, if my sister didn’t go overseas and I probably wouldn’t have thought about it.” Looking back, Kelly said she grew through the program, but two teammates in particular served a major role in helping her grow: goalie Natalie Kula and midfielder Ally Miller. “The way (Kula) just was able to hold herself and be the role model for everyone on the field even though she was a goalkeeper. She was able to relate even to the field players which I found amazing because that’s a hard thing to do and be able to do two jobs like that,” Kelly said. “(Miller’s) work ethic was always on point, like, she never gave up. She was always a worker during training so she would give her all every practice and you would never see a change.” This past year, Kelly received one of the highest honors from Marquette Athletics, induction into the M Club Hall of Fame. Typically six players receive induction each year. “I’m incredibly grateful and proud because it’s not something that many people get,” Kelly said. “I’m just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be able to be put up (there) with those names and to do it with several people that I went to school with as well.” Kelly ranks first in program history in assists with 37, third in goals with 39, second in points with 115 and tied fourth in match-winning goals with 11. The Kansas City, Missouri native holds the record for most goals and points in a game when she scored four goals and collected 10 points against North Dakota on Sept. 4, 2011. The three-time ALL-BIG EAST First Team honoree has one piece of advice for current and future women’s soccer players. “Enjoy every moment because I always wish I could go back because I loved it so much,” Kelly said. “Just enjoy every single moment with the people you have around you because each year the team changes, you get new people and new people out, so just cherish those moments that you have with your teammates.”