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‘ANOTHER ONE’ Mass shooting in Texas church draws student reactions

By Grace Connatser

sarah.connatser@marquette.edu

Wire stock photo

The Marq Apartments overbook rooms after a change in ownership.

Marq oversells units as result of booking overlap Some tenants asked to relocate to different rooms

By Sydney Czyzon

sydney.czyzon@marquette.edu

Concerns surrounding university apartments arose last week, after some students received emails saying The Marq apartment building oversold 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom units.

Kelsey Stockton, assistant director of university apartments and off-campus services, said the 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom units were not oversold by the university, but rather The Marq’s previous ownership.

“From the information we received, those units were already overbooked by the time the transition happened, and so (the previous ownership) had already been in touch with tenants about trying to shift people into different unit types that were similar but agreeable to them,” Stockton said.

She added thatThe Marq is

Though Marquette’s campus is a thousand miles away from Sutherland Springs, TX, the effects of the shooting that killed 26 people are being felt around the nation.

The Texas church shooting tragedy outside of San Antonio has deeply affected some students, regardless of which Texas city they come from.

An estimate of 56 current

undergraduate Marquette students originate from Texas, according to the First-Year Student Profile Interactive Report for all four current classes currently enrolled.

Aidan Miano, a freshman in the College of Business Administration and a Dallas native, said he had been through Sutherland Springs, where the shooting happened, and New Braunfels, the hometown of shooter Devin Kelley.

While Miano and his family live nearly five hours away from the area, he kept up to date with the news. Miano said he eared for his family’s safety because he was unclear on the exact location when the news first broke. He knew they

working through the process to make sure everybody has a space accounted for.

Some students signed leases with The Marq before Marquette purchased the building from its previous owners in mid-October. Natalie Waltz, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said she signed early to secure a desirable room layout.

“I think my roommates and I were kind of shocked to receive (the email) because we had been very proactive signing our lease in early September, wanting to get on top of things and making sure that we were done with it,” Waltz said. “We had chosen that unit for a specific reason and weren’t really willing to switch.”

The university reached out to students in the 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom units and found that some had already been moved to different units by the previous ownership, Stockton said.

“We do have some kind of flexibility of looking at where space See CONFUSION page 2

INDEX

CALENDAR......................................................3 MUPD REPORTS.............................................3 MARQUEE.......................................................8 OPINIONS......................................................10 SPORTS..........................................................12 SPORTS CALENDAR .....................................13

would have been at church at the same time as the shooting. His own parents told him to be careful while attending mass in Milwaukee.

“Glancing at it from the highway, (Sutherland Springs) looks like any other small town,” Miano. “(It’s) just a great community. It’s like nothing bad could ever happen here. But then the unthinkable happens.”

He adds; his sense of Texan pride makes it hard for him to be far away from home during the aftermath of the shooting. He said that he wishes he had the power or resources to do something about the situation.

While Texas is the second largSee COMMUNITY page 2

Photo by Matthew Serafin matthew.serafin@marquette.edu

Brendan Patnode, a freshman from Dallas, TX, said he has friends who attend school near San Antonio.

NEWS

MARQUEE

OPINIONS

Film festival returns

Baby gorilla, Zahra

WBB deserves glory

GLEFF’s third year tackles regulations in mining industry

PAGE 3

Newborn Central African lowland gorilla at Milaukee Zoo PAGE 8

Low attendance at women’s games despite high ranking PAGE 11

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2016

Miscommunication creates housing confusion See MARQ page 1 is right now to make sure that everybody at least who had something in plan there is still able to have a space at The Marq, but it might change exactly what that unit type is,” she said. “We’re reaching out to people to see who already had been moved or who voluntarily may want to move to a different unit type.”

The roommates replied to the

email with a request to remain in the 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom unit they originally agreed to, and they got an email days later confirming their spot.

Waltz said she appreciated the university reaching out, asking if they were willing to move and confirming they did have the unit, but that she is still confused about pricing.

Mike Thayer, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, and one of his roommates, Dhruva

Murali, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, also received the email.

“We were a little concerned about whether our lease would change at all,” Murali said.

“When we went to The Marq, they actually told us that they were locked out of the system now, and that it’s all through Marquette housing, so we didn’t get any confirmation from them.”

Murali said they eventually got confirmation from Marquette

housing that their lease would stay the same.

“We had to do some work on our part, especially because they didn’t have our roommate assignments, and they didn’t know whether they were going to be able to get us the room we signed up for,” Murali said.

Like Waltz and her roommates, Murali, Thayer and their third roommate replied to the email saying they wanted their original room layout. A couple

Graphic by Sydney Czyzon sydney.czyzon@marquette.edu

days later, they received their official room assignment.

“It was confusing at first, but we got it figured out,” Thayer said.

Next year, The Marq will be part of the standardized university housing selection process instead of signing tenants on a rolling basis, Stockton said.

She said having The Marq under the university’s system will prevent double-booking.

Although there has been some confusion about students’ original lease prices with The Marq, Stockton said students’ lease prices will not change.

“Anything that was formally executed by the previous group before the sale will continue to be honored as it was signed,” she said.

During sign-up times, The Marq was the only university-owned apartment with 2018-2019 rates posted online for students to see.

Samia Haseeb, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences who plans to live in Campus Town East next year, said she was unable to compare apartment rates.

“It was definitely kind of frustrating just because my parents are the ones paying for my rent or helping me pay for it,” Haseeb said. “So it’s just frustrating not having all the information for them because that’s a key factor of me choosing where I can live.”

The apartment rates are set in line with other aspects of the university budget, Stockton said.

“The rates typically are in the process of being set now and then are finalized and confirmed through the Board of Trustees and announced by the president,” Stockton said. “We’re just waiting for the president’s letter which would confirm that, which typically comes out by January.”

Although students reserved a spot in an apartment unit during their designated online sign-up times, students are not legally bound to a lease if they are unhappy with finalized apartment rates, Stockton said. Lease-signing will be held off until rates are posted.

“That way they can tour the unit, know what the rates are and just know fully what they’re agreeing to before they sign anything,” Stockton said.

Strong sense of community vital for recovery See TEXAS page 1 est state in the country, it has its own community through which everyone feels connected, especially in hard times such as this shooting, Miano said.

“It affects your community, so you definitely feel the ripples,” Miano said. “It almost brought me to tears.”

Brendan Patnode, also a freshman

in the College of Business Administration and Dallas native, said he has friends that attend schools near San Antonio and Sutherland Springs.

Patnode said the geographical proximity of the shooting scared him, and that while he was concerned, he was overall also not emotionally affected due to the rising regularity of

mass shootings in the United States.

“This is unfortunately becoming such a regular occurrence,” Patnode said. “It’s just another one, not necessarily a special one.”

Patnode said he believes many people are not giving victims and their families the right kind of support. Instead of calling for political

change, he thinks people should take a step back and give families time and space to cope.

Timing is paramount for shooting issues like this, Patnode said. Calls for political action should not be immediate, so that victims’ families have the chance to cope.

“One of the arguments coming out

of this is politicians and media saying we need to stop saying thoughts and prayers, and for me, that’s not something that needs to be said right now,” Patnode said. “They’re viewing it as a political type of thoughts and prayers, and that’s not what (prayers) are for. They’re for the mental states of the people.”

News

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

Timely features at GLEFF’s third year Scrutiny of mining companies in focus during film festival

By Josh Anderson

joshua.e.anderson@marquette.edu

Legislation to lift Wisconsin’s “prove it first” law passed the state Senate on a 19-14 vote Nov 7. The law required mining companies to prove that a sulfide mine can run for 10 years and be closed for an additional 10 years without polluting any nearby water sources with drainage.

The day of the repeal, the Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival screened Back Forty, a documentary on the state of the proposed Back Forty Mine on the Wisconsin/Michigan border.

This year marked the third annual Great Lakes Environmental Film

Festival at Marquette. GLEFF is one of three environmental film festivals in the country located at a university.

This year, GLEFF showed five films chosen from over 250 submissions.

“Maybe it’s a little ironic to connect to nature through film, but I think it’s important that we’re all sitting here tonight and thinking about the environment,” said Joe Brown, an assistant professor of digital media and performing arts and GLEFF director.

“I see film as a starting point, a place to start discussions about issues that are important to us.”

Mark Doremus is the director of Back Forty. A former reporter for WFRV in Green Bay and current Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service affiliate, Doremus said he approaches the controversy surrounding the Back Forty Mine with a journalist’s point of view.

The proposed site of the mine is

located on the Menominee River which divides Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. According to Back Forty, opponents of the mine say runoff from the mine could find its way into the river and ultimately Lake Michigan. Doremus said a catastrophic accident that pollutes the river, while possible, is unlikely.

“They don’t mine these projects like they used to,” he said.

“It’s kind of like nuclear power: there’s a low probability (of an accident happening), but with very high consequences.”

Brown said he is conflicted about the mine because the issue of mining isn’t always black and white.

“It’s a difficult situation because in my heart, as an environmentalist, I say no mine, but I’m walking around with a cell phone that has all sorts of heavy metal in it,” he said.

Doremus pointed out the

mine would likely have positive economic impacts on the Menominee River region.

“As mine advocates point out, people need work,” he said. “There are a lot of miners who are laid off and are looking are looking for something to do to support their families.”

Though the Wisconsin state senate voted to repeal the “prove it first” law, Doremus said the controversy surrounding the mine is far from over.

Now that the Senate nixed these regulations, the time for activists to speak up is now, according to Brent Ribble, the campus sustainability coordinator.

“We should shift our attention to the local level and start appealing to counties, cities and municipalities,” Ribble said.

The Marquette Tribune EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Patrick Thomas (414) 288-1739

Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Rebecca Carballo NEWS News Editor Jennifer Walter Projects Editor Matthew Unger Assistant Editors Clara Janzen, Rachel Kubik Assistant Projects Editor Alex Groth Reporters Sanya Sawlani, Sydney Czyzon, Josh Anderson, Sarah Lipo, Jenny Whidden, Caroline White, Jenna Thompson, Natallie St. Onge, Grace Connatser MARQUEE Marquee Editor Aly Prouty Assistant Editors Nathan DeSutter, Mackane Vogel Reporters Brendan Attey, Kelli Arseneau, Noelle Douglass, Mikala Hershman, Dan O’Keefe OPINIONS Opinions Editor Morgan Hughes Assistant Editor Caroline Kaufman Columnists Reilly Harrington, Maya Korenich, Jackson Dufault SPORTS Sports Editor Andrew Goldstein Assistant Editors John Steppe, Brendan Ploen Reporters Brian Boyle, John Hand, Sammi Alexander, Zoe Comerford, Chris Reisner COPY Copy Chief Gina Richard Copy Editors Emma Brauer, Kaelyn Gray, Ritika Rajappa, Ingrid Olson VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Hannah Feist Photo Editor Andrew Himmelberg Opinions Designer Chelsea Johanning Marquee Designer Anna Matenaer Sports Designer Molly Mclaughlin Advertising Designer Ava Heiniger Photographers Helen Dudley, Matthew Serafin, Olivia Qualls ----

ADVERTISING (414) 288-1738 Sales Manager Adriana Bonilla

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 Jordan Johson jordan.johnson@marquette.edu

GLEFF Director Joe Brown (left) and Back Forty film Director Mark Doremus spoke at the festival about Great Lakes environmental concerns.

MUPD REPORTS Nov. 7 A subject not affiliated with Marquette posted illicit photos of an underage person on a website without consent. The incident occurred Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 11 p.m. and was reported Thursday, Nov. 2 at 3:30 p.m.

Nov. 8 Two subjects were in possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia in the 1500 block of W. Kilbourn Avenue. MUPD cited one subject and transported the other subject to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility. The incident occurred Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:12 p.m.

A student acted in a disorderly manner and made threatening statements toward his roommate in the 800 block of N. 14th Street. MUPD

took the student into custody and transported him to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility. The incident occurred Saturday, Nov. 8 at 4 a.m. and was reported Sunday, Nov. 5 at 4:19 p.m.

Nov. 9 MUPD cited an individual for indecent exposure and defecating on private property in the 1600 block of W. Wells Street. The incident occurred at 2:46 a.m.

Nov. 13 An unknown person(s) removed an unattended vehicle in the 800 block of N. 20th Street. The incident occurred between Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2:30 a.m. The incident was reported Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2:43 a.m.

MUPD took a student into custody for an active warrant and transported him to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility. The incident occurred Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10:21 p.m.

A student reported sustaining minor injuries after a subject with an unknown object assaulted him in the 900 block of N. 17th Street. The incident occurred Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:40 p.m.

An underage student was in possession of liquor in the 1400 block of W. Wells. The student gave MUPD false information and then fled the scene.

MUPD located the student and cited him. The incident occurred Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:47 p.m.

EVENTS CALENDAR Nov. 14 Private Investigator Presentation 7-8 p.m., Lalumiere 232

Nov. 18 Dance Inc. Fall Showcase

Nov. 16 World Pancreatic Cancer Day Interfaith Prayer service 6-7:15 p.m., Westowne Square

1-3 and 6-8 p.m., Weasler Auditorium

Nov. 17 Fugees November show 8-9 p.m., Marquette Hall 100 Gold ‘n Blues Fall Concert 7-9:30 p.m., Varsity Theatre Hype Marquette Hip Hop Dance Company Showcase

6-8:30 p.m., AMU Ballrooms

6:30 - 10:30 p.m., Weasler Auditorium

Bayanihan Presents: Masquerade

Nov. 19 Pure Dance Marquette Fall Showcase: Broadway Bound 12-1:30 p.m., Weasler Auditorium Wind Ensemble concert 2-4:30 p.m., Varsity Theatre

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Former Pentagon official to visit for Q&A event Non-partisan group to touch upon foreign issues

By Jenna Thompson

jenna.thompson@marquette.edu

Marquette’s Alexander Hamilton Society is hosting a Q&A event with resident expert scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former Pentagon official, Michael Rubin.

The event, which will be held Nov. 28 in the Olin Engineering Center in room 170 at 6 p.m., will discuss the recent independence movement in Kurdistan and other complicated issues of the Middle East.

Rubin focuses his research on the Middle East, Turkey, Iran and diplomacy. He teaches regional politics and terrorism to senior military officials.

The Alexander Hamilton Society’s overall mission is to inform students about foreign policy, national security and economic statecraft from a strictly non-partisan angle. To achieve this, they host different events and speakers throughout the semester.

Co-president Justin Oliden, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said the club “provides readings and material for members to look over before a speaker event,” so a background in political science or international affairs is not needed.

“It’s a great way for people to learn and discuss foreign policy,” Claire Guinta, society co-president and a senior in the College

Photo by Matthew Serafin matthew.serafin@marquette.edu

Justin Oliden, the co-president of Marquette’s Alexander Hamilton Society chapter, said his club is not just another political group on campus.

of Arts & Sciences, said.

Guinta said she was interested in hearing Rubin’s expertise on the middle east, specifically about the Kurds role in the Syrian Civil war.

Like their other nationally recognized speakers, this month’s event will offer a unique opportunity for students involved, but is also a great place for other students to get more involved with the society.

According to the society’s listed principles, they believe “the

American political system … profit from vigorous public discussion has proved its worth; and that, at this moment in our history, our public discussion of foreign, economic, and national security policy stands very much in need of renewal.”

The club prides its non-partisanship and finds that many students appreciate the neutral outlet.

Thinking back to O-Fest, Oliden said, “We were placed right in between the College Democrats and

Republicans, and so many people thought we were another political group on campus.”

However, just recently the club has been re-categorized by student affairs as a special interests club as opposed to a political group. The co-presidents said they think this change might help the group to appeal to more students who are not overtly interested in politics.

Co-president Natalie Bednarek, a senior in the College of Arts &

Sciences, said she is looking forward to learning about Kurdish people and their recent fight for independence.

“It was in the headlines, but many people don’t know what happened or why it happened,” she said.

The co-presidents said everyone is welcome to any of the group’s events, and those interested are encouraged to come back to other events the group will hold in the future.

Dose of Reality: MUPD fights opioid epidemic Dept. installs drug drop box, supports DOJ movement

By Sanya Sawlani

sanya.sawlani@marquette.edu

The Marquette University Police Department installed a prescription drug drop box in the lobby of their office in support of the Dose of Reality initiative from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Combatting the opioid epidemic is a focus of the DOJ under Attorney General Brad Schimel.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner has confirmed a total of 309 overdose deaths from drugs, including opioids and heroin, as of an Oct. 27 report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Opioid abuse has become an epidemic, both locally and nationally,” MUPD Chief Paul Mascari said. “Since opioid addictions often stem from prescription drugs,

providing a means to safely dispose of expired or unused medications is just one way MUPD can make a difference in our local community.”

The campaign also offers advice for students and young people.

Some examples include such as saying “no” when someone offers pills that were not prescribed for them, encouraging correct disposal, never offering painkillers to others, locking up prescriptions safely and warning friends of the dangers of abusing prescription painkillers.

Unused or expired prescription medications should not be flushed or poured down the drain, as they may contaminate the water supply.

When used incorrectly, prescription opioid killers have a high risk of addiction. Four of five heroin addicts start by abusing prescription painkillers, according to Dose of Reality. In Wisconsin, more people die from painkiller overdoses than all other drugs. “(The drop box) is a good idea and step in the right direction, as there

is a huge issue of doctors over-prescribing painkillers,” Grace Goebbert, a freshman in the College of Nursing, said. “This allows anyone to get rid of the extras before it gets in the wrong hands, plus it’s a safer alternative for the environment than just throwing them out or flushing them down the drain.”

The Dose of Reality campaign won awards such as the Business Marketing Association’s Bell Award and a Gold ADDY by the American Advertising Federation of Madison.

“Since Dose of Reality’s launch in September 2015, it has shattered the myths about prescription drug abuse and raised awareness about the dangers of drug overdose,”Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a press release. “I am proud that Dose of Reality is being recognized by subject matter experts for the prevention tactics we have used to bring attention to one of our state’s most pressing public safety challenges.”

Photo by Matthew Serafin matthew.serafin@marquette.edu

The prescription drug drop box collects old medications for disposal.

News

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

5

Journalists present year-long reporting projects O’Brien conference highlights impacts of disease outbreak

By Jenny Whidden

jennifer.whidden@marquette.edu

Topics of disease and climate change collided last Thursday at the fifth annual O’Brien Fellowship conference. The College of Communication sponsors the conference each year to exhibit and discuss the fellows’ projects.

The Perry and Alicia O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism is a program which funds professional journalists for an academic year. The fellows work on a single, longform project during that time, and they are provided with university resources such as faculty experts and student interns.

Hosted in Eckstein Hall, the conference focused on Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Johnson’s series “Outbreak,” which he worked on with Marquette students as part of the fellowship.

In the past the conference allowed every fellow to present their project. But this year each fellow will present their project in their home city.

“Outbreak” explores diseases that jump from animals to humans.

“These diseases aren’t just Africa’s problem, or Asia’s or South America’s. They’re our problem, too,” Johnson said.

“Now, more than ever before, a virus that brews thousands of miles away can reach the U.S. in a day, even less.”

Johnson interviewed Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Jonathan Patz, who serves as the director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about the relationship between animal to human diseases.

The second half of the conference presented a panel of the journalists behind “Outbreak.”

The panel included Mark Johnson, Marquette alumni Devi Shastri and Ryan Patterson, senior in the College of Communication McKenna Oxenden and photojournalist Mark Hoffman.

They reflected on their time working on the project, as well as the fellowship itself.

“O’Brien is an opportunity unlike any other. There’s literally not another program in the country that’s like it,” Oxenden said. “You’re getting paired with a working journalist in the industry. No matter what, you’re going to gain a mentor.”

The fellowship began in

Photo by Helen Dudley helen.dudley@marquette.edu

Mark Johnson, left, and Jonathan Patz, right, engage in conversation at the annual O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism conference.

2013, when Peter and Patricia Frechette gave over eight million dollars to the College of Communication. This enabled the university, in conjunction with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, to found the fellowship.

Patricia Frechette died last fall, and Peter Frechette died this February. The Dean of the College of Communication Kimo Ah Yun dedicated the conference to the couple, praising them for their passion for public service journalism and commitment to the fellowship.

“What the O’Brien Fellowship does is present an incredible blessing in the world of journalism,” Greg Borowski, deputy managing editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said. “It gives you the time away, it gives you access to the resources and researchers and professors at Marquette and it gives you the students. Mark couldn’t have done the project in a year on his own.”

Dave Umhoefer, Pulitzer Prize winner and the interim director of the fellowship, said he remembers being an O’Brien fellow two years ago as a transformative time in his career.

“I learned that just having that time to think and having the resources allowed me to take my journalism to a whole other level,” Umhoefer said. “It’s exciting to see that happen with the other fellows and to see the students really mature and take on these really high standards.”

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News

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Course evaluation change proposed to MUSG Survey results may affect which profs receive tenure

By Sarah Lipo

sarah.lipo@marquette.edu

A new form for students to give feedback on professors was introduced to MUSG at the weekly meeting Nov. 13.

The University Committee of Teaching has been considering implementing IDEA, a student rating of instruction system, since spring 2016. Cynthia Ellwood, a clinical associate professor in the College of Education, spoke to the MUSG senate about the proposed survey.

The current system in place is the Marquette Online Course Evaluation System, and has raised concerns since its implementation in fall 2008.

MOCES has been under review along with other course

evaluation surveys, including nine of the most commonly used systems at various institutions, according to a brief sent out by the University Committee on Teaching, This new course evaluation system could be included in a dialogue involving the tenure process. Because of this, Ellwood said, “Faculty members get pretty anxious about this assessment.”

If implemented, these new surveys could impact professors’ professional standings. The survey will not directly lead to any actions regarding teacher tenure but will be taken into account when making a final decision.

The University Committee on Teaching is gathering input and reactions about the proposed system. They will report their findings to the University Academic Senate, whose job is to make recommendations by spring 2018. If all goes well, IDEA would replace MOCES by 2019-’20.

Ellwood said she is excited tives for their students. about the prospect of the new The survey also allows stuplan. She said the committee dents to provide personalized seeks “university wide input into feedback, according to the brief. this decision.”

The survey has an optional “inThe questions on the IDEA stant feedback” feature, which survey would be more focused, would allow students to offer leading to a detailed evaluation feedback as frequently as on a of the professors’ teaching abili- weekly basis. ties, according Instructors have to the brief. Its access to resourcsole focus es including vidis learning eos and illustraaligned to the tions that center purpose of the around certain overall course. education goals.

“IDEA asks Ellwood called students to rethese resources a port how much “wealth of inforprogress they mation.” felt they made Although IDEA toward specific is the most widelearning objecly used and retives,” accordsearched program ing to the brief.

Ben Dombrowski in the United Depending MUSG President States, Ellwood on the subject does acknowledge matter, faculty some downsides. members may She said the new identify different learning objec- survey would contain 36 ques-

“

This survey is great because it’s so rich in data ... The way I see it is the more questions, the more data”

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tions and one open response question. This is different from MOCES, which contains 15 multiple choice questions and two open responses.

Some members of the MUSG senate were uncomfortable with the removal of one of the open response sections. Allie Bitz, the executive vice president of MUSG, said that she feels that the open response sections are often where students can elaborate on their concerns.

“Taking away an open response may be detrimental,” Bitz said.

As for the added questions, MUSG President Ben Dombrowski said he feels the added length will provide more needed data.

“I don’t think most people would mind a slightly longer survey,” Dombrowski said.

“This survey is great because it’s so rich in data ... The way I see it is the more questions the more data.”

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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

7

Lovell hosts podcast ‘Marquette in Milwaukee’ Project focuses on university’s role in greater community

By Sydney Czyzon

sydney.czyzon@marquette.edu

Every so often, University President Michael Lovell pays a visit to Independent Studios downtown. But he’s not recording a movie or an album — Lovell’s latest project is a podcast about Marquette’s role in the Milwaukee community.

Titled “Marquette in Milwaukee,” the podcast started this semester as a collaboration between staff members in the Office of Marketing and Communication.

The first one was released Nov. 1, via marquette.edu/podcasts.

During each recording session, Lovell is joined by guests from the community to tackle specific topics.

So far, these talks have included the Marquette athletics game plan and education in Milwaukee.

“In the past, people have referred to the ‘Marquette bubble,’ and it’s really important for us to highlight the ways that Marquette is trying to make our community better and interfacing with our community,” Lovell said.

Chris Jenkins, the podcast’s moderator and senior writer and editor at OMC, agreed that the podcast goes against the notion of a Marquette bubble.

“Our students do such a good job of community service; our faculty do, too. We just want to — without bragging — tell some of those stories and make the case that we’re connected to Milwaukee in hundreds, maybe thousands, of ways,” Jenkins said.

Although podcasts are new for

Lovell, he said his experience with radio as University of WisconsinMilwaukee’s chancellor helped prepare him for the hosting role.

Lovell said what spawned the idea for a podcast was getting the story out. “If I’m interviewing for the news or newspaper, it’s just in sound bites.

It’s very short things,” Lovell said. “I miss the idea about telling the longer stories about ways that things are going on with the university.”

Lovell said he hopes the podcast makes listeners excited about the community they live in. He said he hopes listeners take away ideas to explore amazing things going on in Milwaukee.

“I’ve been here 10 years ... I’ve never seen as much growth as

we’re seeing now,” he said. “I also want them to realize how Marquette is also making a difference.

The people on our campus are committed to making the city and making the region better.”

Tim Cigelske, the producer of the podcast and OMC’s social media director, said his experience as a journalism major at Marquette — paired with his self-characterization as a “podcast nerd” — got him into the producing role.

“We live in a world where you try to get seconds of attention before people scroll by and just quickly click through, and it’s just such a luxury to be able to tell your story in a half hour,” Cigelske said.

Jenkins has worked in sports

journalism, does some broadcasts for Marquette’s soccer teams and was previously co-host of another podcast.

Jenkins said he admires the podcast set-up at Independent Studios, where the Marquette in Milwaukee podcast is recorded.

“It’s more informal. You’re not sitting in a conference room,” he said. “I think just the space and kind of the beat-up old chairs, it kind of convenes a more … casual conversation.”

There will be a total of four podcasts this semester, with two already posted and two coming up, Jenkins said. The third podcast was recorded Nov. 9 and is expected to be released sometime before Nov. 28, Cigelske

said. The last podcast of the semester will be recorded Dec. 1.

“We’ll assess how those went, and we’ll look at it again next semester,” Jenkins said.

The upcoming episode’s working title is “Transforming the Near West Side,” Cigelske said. Jenkins and Lovell were joined by Ted Balistreri, the family co-owner of Sendik’s Food Market, and Keith Stanley, the executive director of the Avenues West Association and the non-profit Near West Side Partners.

“You heard both of them talk about our students and how amazing they are,” Lovell said. “And I see it every day, so it’s just a matter of getting that message out.”

Photo by Matthew Serafin matthew.serafin@marquette.edu

President Lovell launched a new podcast this fall, which focuses on Marquette’s relationship and role with the surrounding Milwaukee community

Fellowship invites all Christians to worship Episcopalian prof opens service for all denominations

By Caroline White

caroline.white@marquette.edu

Rev. Michael Cover, a theology professor, began the Canterbury Fellowship through Campus Ministry as a resource for Anglican and Episcopalian students.

The daily fellowship takes place in the Joan of Arc Chapel at 4:30 p.m. and seeks to include everyone interested, not just those of a certain denomination.

“Jesuit colleagues have come to the service. Catholics and Protestants have come. It’s an ecumenical space. I didn’t want it to be a Eucharistic service,” Cover said. “It’s a service of the word to include everyone.”

The service is 25 to 30 minutes long and is centered mostly around scripture and song. “(The Canterbury Fellowship is) very much a ministry of presence

… I often talk to my students about the Episcopal church, and I feel like the Anglican tradition has something to offer to compliment Jesuit spirituality,” Cover said.

Hannah Fouks, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, and

Sebastian Becerra, a senior in the College of Communication, have attended the services intermittently because they are students of Cover, who encouraged them to attend.

“I think it’s a good time to take out of your day and just spend half

an hour to reflect on why we’re here in college and refocus after a long day of classes. (The service has) a very somber, reflective attitude, so it allows you to have the same,” Fouks said.

Becerra said the service is a new

Photo by Andrew Himmelberg andrew.himmelberg@marquette.edu

Rev. Cover started the Canterbury Fellowship for Anglicans and Episcopalians through Campus Ministry.

experience for those who aren’t Episcopalian, but it is definitely worth checking out.

“It’s very heavy on prayer and singing hymns, and I think it’s a great way to take a 30-minute break from your day and connect with God,” Becerra said.

Cover encourages attendees to gather for fellowship on Thursdays to get to know each other better and build a community.

He is also working with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church to get a ministry started at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In the future, he said he hopes for the community to grow and bond. For now, the focus is on holding the services daily and encouraging people to come.

“I’m very grateful to be able to use the beautiful space in Joan of Arc. I’m a guest in a Jesuit space. It’s a great sign of hospitality from the Jesuits. Not all Catholic universities are so open to other Christian denominations having ministries,” he said.

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Newborn primate Zahra, member of endangered species

By Mikala Hershman

mikala.hershman@marquette.edu

The Milwaukee County Zoo recently announced the birth of a new baby gorilla, Zahra, which is Swahili for “blossom,” that made her way into the world Sept. 9th. She was born to mother Naku and father Cassius. Zahra is a healthy, 4-pound newborn that spends her day nursing, sleeping and clinging closely to her mom’s stomach as all newborn gorillas do for their first six months of life, according to zoo reports.

“Births are great for the zoo as well as the animals in the collection,” said Dawn Kruger, the ape and primate zookeeper at the zoo. “The birth of Zahra is allowing us to exhibit a very natural gorilla family group. In the wild, gorilla groups generally consist of a silverback male, several females as well as their offspring.”

This type of lifestyle should help visitors to understand the family dynamic more clearly.

Currently, Zahara and her gorilla family can be seen on public exhibit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day of the week except Monday and Thursday.

It’s the Zoo’s hope that this time will be gradually extended as Zahara and her family become more comfortable being watched. Besides Zahara and her parents, the family also includes female Shalia and her offspring Sulaiman, a 3-yearold male. Cassius is protective of Naku and the baby, while Sulaiman is curious, excited and eager to interact with the new addition.

Kruger notices an increase in zoo visits when there is a newborn.

“Both children and adults enjoy coming out to see the newborn, and they enjoy watching them as they grow up,” Kruger said.

And that audience includes

Marquee plenty of Marquette students.

“I’ve never gone to the Milwaukee Zoo before, but I love baby animals, so hearing about this definitely made me put this as a future activity,” said Krissie Sullivan, a sophomore in the College of Communication.

Jennifer Diliberti-Shea, the Milwaukee Zoo’s public relations coordinator, said that attendance is especially high for Zahara in comparison to other newborn animals because she is an endangered western lowland gorilla.

“This might be the only time visitors will be able to see such a precious newborn outside of traveling to Africa,” Diliberti said. “She will serve as an ambassador for her wild counterparts educating the public about the conservation of this species.”

Western lowland gorillas such as Zahara live in the tropical rainforests of Central Africa and are critically endangered.

The species faces increasing threats from disease, wildlife trade, poaching and human encroachment. Over the past 20 years, more than 60 percent of western lowland gorilla populations have seen a marked decline.

There are many threats facing gorillas including human population growth.

“Some gorillas are being exposed to diseases, such as Ebola, due to their close proximity to humans,” said Kruger. “Other issues they face include the loss of habitat due to the mining of the metal coltan, which is used in electronics, such as cell phones and laptops.”

When Zoo guests come to visit Zahra, it is the hope of the zookeepers that visitors will make a connection to gorillas and want to learn more about their species, as well as the challenges that endangered gorillas face in the wild. The zoo’s hope is that this will cause people to act, and do what they can to help endangered species of all kinds.

Page 8

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County Zoo

Newest lowland gorilla looks up at her mother innocently while nursing during her first days at Milwaukee County Zoo.

Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County Zoo

Baby gorilla Zahra will join a relatively small family in comparison to gorillas that live in the wild in Central Africa.

Marquee

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

9

The Bang Bang on their second album, ‘Bridges’ Blues-rock band members talk new release, future shows

By Mackane Vogel

mackane.vogel@marquette.edu

Marquette Radio sat down for an interview with local band “The Bang Bang,” who plans to release a new album called “Bridges” this Friday. The band will be hosting a release party at Company Brewing alongside other bands “Ako” and “Tigernite.”

What genre do you categorize yourself as? Has this evolved over time or stayed the same?

I think it has definitely evolved. With the first album, a lot of the songs were written before we were a band. Now I think all the songs are written as a band. So we kind of come into the practice with a part of a song or a couple parts of a song and the group kind of makes the song. This album showed a bit more depth and uniqueness in what we can do than just in your standard blues rock song.

What other upcoming shows do you have besides the release party?

Well coming up we are actually doing another bill with our buddies Tigernite, making Jeff over here on the bass work double duty because he plays in both bands. And we are playing a show put on by FM 102.1 on the 24th at The Dugout 54 with Tigernite and Ian and The Dream which should be a stacked bill.

It’s a free show, too. Our CD release show is also light on the wallet, as it’s a $5 show and you get a free CD with admission.

Do you guys feel that because you are a local band, you are more interested in listening to local bands?

For sure, y’know (sic), we are exposed to a lot of local bands just by playing with them and stuff like that, so when you hear a lot of local bands, you are gonna draw influence from them, and you’re gonna find bands you like and bands you don’t like. And you’ll be drawn more to the bands you like and hopefully try to play shows with them. The thing that is a little harder is that we don’t have a very specific genre, like we

are not very niche, and so I feel like sometimes it’s harder to branch out to some of those other bands, because you wanna play with bands you sound similar to. So this is an open invitation to any bands that we haven’t played with, even if you think our sounds are different, I’d like to reach out and play with some new bands that are different.

What is one song that gets you pumped up either before a show or before anything?

Well in college mine was N’sync “Do Your Thing,” I think it was off

their “No Strings Attached” album.

It goes, “Are ya doin’ your thing and doin’ it well?” It’s a great song.

And I was like, “Yeah I’m doin’ my thing, well I’m gonna ace this test.”

And I don’t wanna lie, I still listen to it sometimes.

The band said that if there is one thing they want listeners to know, it is about their upcoming album, “Bridges,” which will be available Friday, the same day as the release party at Company Brewing. Stop by for food, drinks and an album release show from The Bang Bang.

If you guys could play at any venue, where would you want to play the most?

I’ve always wanted to play Turner Hall, and I know Jeff has, too. Also, more realistically, there is a venue in Chicago called Thalia Hall, and it’s gorgeous and has great sound, and I would love to play there. It’s a dream but it’s realistic, y’know (sic). It’s this gorgeous old building with tile, and it’s not too big, it’s just the right size.

Photo via Fecebook

The Milwaukee-based, blues-rock band, The Bang Bang, answers questions and promotes their sophomore album “Bridges.”

Savvy students spruce up dorms with succulents Potted plants warm up chilly winter with indoor greenery

By Kelli Arsenau

kelli.arsenau@marquette.edu

In the middle of a bustling city, in the dreary weather, healthy plant life is few and far between.

Yet, a peek in the window of many shops, cafes and homes will reveal a miniature jungle of thriving greenery.

Recent years have seen a growing trend of decorating living spaces with small indoor plants. The plant trend has especially found enormous popularity among college students. Many of whom are decorating their own living spaces for the first time and take inspiration from Pinterest.

“I think it makes the dorm feel more homey,” Kat Christian, a freshman in the College of Business Administration, said about why she thinks the trend has persisted. Christian and her roommate have a total of 15 plants in their dorm room.

The types of plants grown in dorms, apartments, and houses vary from succulents to ferns to air plants, grown in pots, terrariums, recycled containers and more. These petite plants, which

are perfect for decorating an indoor windowsill, can be bought at popular, specialized shops (like Mod Gen) in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, as well as large supercenters like Wal-Mart.

Of all plants, succulents and cacti are especially popular dorm decor due to their low maintenance, relatively low cost and aesthetic appeal. Roommates Caitlin Graeber and Meghan Conroy, sophomores in the College of Engineering and Business Administration, respectively, find that succulents are easier to care for than other plants. “We water them every two weeks, and it’s like a ritual that we have,” Graeber said. “We get all of our plants, and we water them with our Brita.”

Christian has a plant-watering routine as well. “We water the succulents with an ice cube every Friday, and the air plant we stick in a bowl of water,” she said.

Mitchell Oddo, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, recommends that for those looking to add some life to their dorm room with plants, don’t forget to water them and make sure to keep them on the windowsill where they can get adequate sunlight.

Special soil for succulents can also be bought at any gardening store. Plants can be overwatered

as much as they can be under-watered, so it is important to know the type of plant and its needs.

Despite effort put toward caring “sometimes they just die,” Oddo said. Not all plants will thrive in a dorm room, and a lot of being a successful plant owner comes from learning from experience.

With a dying succulent, however, there can still be hope through propagation. Propagating a succulent is a fairly simple process: Just trim off the healthy leaves

and cuttings of a plant, allow them to dry out for a few days and then set them on top of shallow soil. Regular watering allows cutting to sprout roots, from which eventually a new succulent plant can grow.

In general, the addition of life to a dorm room or apartment throughout all seasons can help uplift students’ spirits and provide a sort of therapeutic outlet as students get to take care of something and watch it grow.

“Plants are just fun to have around,” Graeber said. “We’re outdoorsy people, so it’s nice to have a little bit of the outdoors inside the dorms. It’s not as stale in our dorm room. We have some life in here.”

By caring for them on a regular basis and watching them grow, many students sometimes grow attached to their plants.

“It’s the second best thing to having a pet,” Oddo said.

Photo by Helen Dudley helen.dudley@marquette.edu

Succulents and cacti are among the most popular plant dorm decor items that students use to bring the outdoors in in the winter.

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Opinions

Editorial Board

Morgan Hughes, Opinions Editor Caroline Kaufman, Assistant Opinions Editor Patrick Thomas, Executive Director Rebecca Carballo, Managing Editor Marquette Tribune McKenna Oxenden, Managing Editor Marquette Journal Jennifer Walter, News Executive Gina Richard, Copy Chief Andrew Himmelberg, Photo Editor

Aly Prouty, A&E Executive Andrew Goldstein, Sports Executive Hannah Feist, Design Chief Ian Schrank, Station Manager MURadio

Phil Pinarski, Station Manager MUTV Matt Unger, Projects Editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Women’s basketball deserves equal praise to men’s team

Marquette women’s basketball won the BIG EAST tournament for the first time ever last year.

Marquette basketball is preparing for another record-setting season this year. With a cohesive roster, an enigmatic head coach and an exciting progress streak, Marquette women’s basketball will almost assuredly be among the best teams in the country this season.

The women’s basketball team has made great strides over the past few years. The Marquette community should be excited about the tangible progress being made and the team deserves more student support.

The 2014-’15 season was Marquette women’s basketball’s worst season in two decades. Now, two years after that brutal season, the women’s team is ranked number 17 in the country, while the men’s team isn’t ranked at all. This is actually the first year the women’s team has been ranked before the start of the season, so to be in the top 25 is outstanding.

To go from a 9-21 season to being in the NCAA tournament and winning the BIG EAST tournament is a monumental achievement. Not only has the women’s team never been

ranked, but prior to last year they had only been in the NCAA tournament a couple times, so this is the best they’ve ever been as a team. If students were going to start supporting women’s basketball, now would be the time.

Men’s basketball has been emblematic of Marquette. But the men’s team is not the only exciting component of Marquette Athletics. Statistically, the women’s team is dominating.

The women’s team was seeded fifth in the NCAA Women’s tournament last year, while the men were seeded 10th in the men’s tournament.

There was no question of whether the women would make the tournament, while it was unclear if the men would be given the opportunity.

The women ended their 2016-’17 season with 25 wins and only eight losses, while the men ended with 19 wins and 13 losses. If students want to see a team statistically likely to win, they should look no further than the women’s basketball team.

Not only is the women’s team

Wire stock photo

talented, but they’re fun to watch.

They play fast, they move the ball around and they make an effort to be exciting. Head coach Carolyn Kieger has become a kind of icon, always eager to rev up the audience and her team. She is always maintaining the energy of the event.

Another reason to more heavily consider women’s basketball is that they play at the Al McGuire Center, which is right on campus. The games are also free and the team often hands out free merchandise. And because the games are free and on campus, they feel like less of a commitment than men’s games, which require a ticket and transportation.

It is a common occurrence for women’s teams to be taken less seriously than their male counterparts. It would be a lapse in judgment to subject the Marquette women’s basketball team to the same inequity. This team deserves to have the support and affection of the college they represent. The Marquette student body must give the team the support and respect it deserves.

PAGE 10

Cyrus should recognize mistakes Aminah Beg Last month, Miley Cyrus came out with her album,” Younger Now.” It was accompanied by a music video for the titular song, where Cyrus is in colorful dresses and singing about how she feels like she just woke up from a “dream.”

Audiences can see the stark difference between this video and her infamous “Wrecking Ball” music video, where she swings nude on a huge wrecking ball. The song talks about how she underwent a change.

Now that she’s clean from drugs and alcohol, there’s a new wholesome image around Cyrus.

She took her audience by shock when she completely changed her Disney star persona and twerked on the MTV stage in 2015. Her songs had also shifted in tone and style.

Songs like “We Can’t Stop” referenced drugs and partying, a subject that was different from her previous tracks. She was the topic of many discussions and was able to stay relevant through her “rebellious” move. The problem is that during this “rebellious” move, Cyrus used hip-hop and black culture to stay relevant in the entertainment industry.

There is an upward trend of hiphop and rap songs integrating into pop culture through artists like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nicki Minaj and many more. Rap songs top the Billboard and iTunes charts and can now be easily heard on mainstream radio channels. With this observation, Miley Cyrus changed her style to stay popular and at the top of the music charts.

For her song “We Can’t Stop,”

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: morgan. hughes@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.

Cyrus told famous songwriting duo Timothy and Theron Thomas, “I want urban, I just want something that just feels black.” During this Cyrus era, she wore cornrows, dreadlocks and Jordans, all traditionally symbols of hip-hop culture.

She used this image to completely separate herself from “Hannah Montana” and to be seen as an edgy, adult celebrity.

Another problem comes from the fact that after appropriating black culture, Cyrus threw it under the bus with such ease. In her Billboard debut, she said she “can’t listen to certain rap music anymore.

It was too much Lamborghini, got my Rolex.” She completely wants to detach from that image. She criticizes the very thing she used to gain popularity.

She explains her want for separating herself is because of the misogynistic trends in hip-hop music. Even though this is true, artists like Nicki Minaj and Queen Latifah have been exposing this behavior throughout their careers. It is insulting for Miley Cyrus, who used this same type of degradation during her MTV performance, to claim the same and revert back to a “cleaner” image.

This comes from an overarching industry problem where white artists can always rely on their “pure whiteness” as written in the Huffington Post, but black artists cannot do the same. The black culture was basically a shortcut for Cyrus to achieve the type of edgy image and success she wanted. The least Cyrus can do is recognize this problem in the industry and address what she did.

Miley Cyrus does produce some quality songs that can be appreciated. She also actively campaigns and works for people in need, specifically the LGBTQ community, which can be recognized and applauded.

In no way is my claim trying to diminish the work she does, but it is something that people should acknowledge and discuss when audiences are praising this new Cyrus as better because she does not have this sense of black culture around her.

The fact that she used the culture and left it when she thought it was time for a change degrades and devalues those working hard in the hip hop industry.

Aminah Beg is a freshman studying public relations and cognitive sciences. She can be reached at aminah.beg@marquette.edu

Opinions

Tuesday, November, 14, 2017

Weapons regulations currently too loose Jackson Dufault Another month, another tragedy. A gunman in Texas shot and killed 26 churchgoers, Nov. 7.

The gunman, Devin Kelley, went on to shoot and kill himself.

Kelley was not rational, to say the least. He escaped from a mental institution in 2012, brutally assaulted his ex-wife and stepson and was sentenced to serve 12 months in confinement. Kelley was a former member of the United States Air Force and was dishonorably discharged after he was convicted of these charges.

So the real question is, how did this clearly delusional man obtain automatic weapons? The U.S. Air Force failed to report Kelley’s domestic violence conviction to the FBI, which is something that is required by federal law, according to a report by the Telegraph. The report would have prevented the shooter from purchasing weapons.

This is an absolutely shameful display by the United States Air Force. The lives of 26 individuals could have been saved if someone at the Air Force decided to follow their own law. An investigation is needed to uncover who was involved in this failure of communication.

However, it would be foolish to just put all of the blame on the Air Force. This instance also proves how ineffective mental health screenings and background checks are in preventing the purchasing of weapons. Apparently, the shooter was able to acquire weapons at a San Antonio sporting goods store prior to the shooting.

How he was able to pass the background check is unknown. It is likely that whoever was selling the guns simply slacked off with the background check. No one in their right mind would sell weapons to a person with Kelley’s record. An internal investigation of the store that sold the weapons is completely necessary.

There are other factors that need to be considered in this case as well, such as the state of Texas’ notoriously loose gun laws. Even if Kelley failed his background check at the store, he still would have technically been able to obtain weapons under state law. Texas does not require background checks for private sales of weapons, meaning Kelley could have obtained weapons from a source that was not a retail store.

This law is absolutely one that needs to be addressed.

Background checks should be required for every single gun transaction, private or not. Texas, along with the 31 other states that have this same law, need to consider an adjustment to this extremely loose sanction.

This country should impose much tighter sanctions on gun sales. After 9/11, airport security made massive adjustments in an attempt to prevent a tragedy such as that from occurring again.

From the perspective of U.S. law, plane security sanctions are about as tight as laws can possibly get.

This country needs to be implementing these same kinds of tight sanctions for weapons.

With the influx of tragedies in these past few years, it’s hard to believe that the country hasn’t implemented more laws that have the ability to prevent travesties such as this. My hope is that after these events, state legislatures will heavily consider adjusting loose gun sale laws.

Additionally, as with any other mass shooting, there comes the ultimate issue of gun control sanctions. There are people and politicians that argue that automatic weapons should be illegal in the United States, as people have no need to own them. Others say that it is a second amendment right to own firearms such as assault rifles.

On one hand, I believe that the second amendment is quite convoluted. Like many amendments created by the founding fathers, it’s hard to discern what they actually meant by it. On the other, I would disagree with the notion that the American people have absolutely no use for automatic weapons when there are plenty of citizens who use weapons simply for recreational use.

Regardless of a person’s opinion of the second amendment, I don’t think anyone can deny that our mental health and background check laws need significant improvement.

There are a lot of questions that need answering in the Kelley case, and more investigation is needed into both the U.S. Air Force and the store that sold the guns. How this, as well as the Las Vegas tragedy, will impact U.S. gun laws is left to be seen. These events are horrific, but they bring increased urgency and awareness to the necessity of tightening gun laws to prevent future tragedies from occurring.

Jackson Dufault is a sophomore studying journalism and political science. He can be reached at jackson.dufault@marquette.edu

The Marquette Tribune

11

Brazile memoir exposes DNC

Photo via wikimedia

Donna Brazile published a memoir that alleged the DNC primary was rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton.

Reilly Harrington The Republicans did not win the 2016 election, the Democrats lost.

Running against Donald Trump should have been a cakewalk for the Democrats. All the Democratic National Convention had to do was not nominate an extremely controversial candidate who could easily hijack the interests of the party.

Shockingly enough, that is exactly what happened.

Donna Brazile, former chair of the DNC, recently wrote of her experience with the Clinton 2016 campaign. The backlash she has since faced is highly indicative of the horrific cult of personality that surrounds Clinton.

After a section of Brazile’s new book highlighting how the Clinton campaign hijacked the DNC and its fundraising efforts before she was even locked in as the nominee, was published on Politico Brazile was hit with a wave of hostility from many Clinton diehards. The most visible of these critics was Peter Daou, an advisor to both the John Kerry campaign in 2004 and the Clinton campaign in 2008.

In a comically predictable fashion, Daou unleashed the standard set of Clinton defense mechanisms. He invoked Russian interference, called opponents of Clinton “Bernie Bros,” and claimed Hillary only faces scrutiny due to sexism inherent in politics. These answers and counterpoints are so ingrained into Clinton supporters’ minds that any logical or outright factual points against Clinton are totally disregarded.

Dismantling these flawed sentiments is incredibly easy from an outside perspective. In the area of Russian interference, there is a high chance of legitimate inference

by the Russian government in our 2016 presidential election, with a major event being the hacked DNC email leak to Wikileaks. These emails, largely centered around shady or immoral actions taken by the Clinton campaign and in some instances, Clinton herself, are frequently cited as potential elements of Russian meddling to de-stabilize support for the Democratic party and to stoke the flames of insecurity surrounding Clinton following her controversial time as the secretary of state in the lead up to the 2016 election.

While the potential interference of Russia in our election is a legitimate issue, the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” mentality of some Clinton supporters makes the meddling seem like a cartoonishly exaggerated scheme. Criticisms of the very real statements, stances and activities presented in the leaked emails are met with responses claiming the critic is some kind of Russian drone or agitator.

The constant blaming of Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters for the failures of the Clinton campaign in 2015-’16 are a personal issue for me. I was, and continue to be, an ardent supporter of the Vermont senator’s campaign. The claims that Sanders’ campaign as an outsider was the reason Clinton lost in November are just plain ridiculous. Votes for the Libertarian and Green Party candidates combined with those who wrote in Sanders would not have made a difference in the final electoral college vote.

Another common critique is that Sanders shouldn’t have attempted to “divide” the Democratic Party, seeing as he “isn’t even a real Democrat.” This rejection of new ideologies by establishment Democrats is exactly what leftists are trying to do, which is revitalize the left by appealing to voters and areas that

have been ignored by politicians such as Clinton.

There’s a long list of factors that lead me to view Clinton in a negative light, but her gender has never affected that opinion. I applaud her for fighting for gender equality. She has inspired many women, both at home and globally, which is commendable. However, I have been called a sexist for expressing my dislike of Clinton’s policies and behaviors. I’ve been called a bad feminist for supporting Sanders rather than former Secretary of State Clinton in the 2016 primaries.

That very behavior discredits the principles Clinton herself stands for as a representative of gender equality. By labeling her critics and detractors under the blanket of sexism damages the ideals of fear and balanced discourse. A woman’s place can be in the White House, but that woman should not be Clinton.

Clinton should be viewed as a flawed candidate whose time as a prominent figure in politics is over, but some of her most fervent supporters refuse to live in this reality.

In the politically charged climate that exists in America today, with more and more grassroots political movements and third-party candidates gaining seats in office, the specter of Clinton looms over the Democratic Party and its base.

The DNC bet on Clinton and lost spectacularly, however, her failures and flaws are being denied by a fervent and vocal support base that is slowing the Democrats from progressing. Unless this kind of hero worship is curbed, the failures of 2016 will manifest themselves in future elections.

Reilly Harrington is a junior studying digital media and peace studies. He can be reached at reilly.harrington@marquette.edu

Sports The Marquette Tribune

CATALONIA’S SECESSION MOVEMENT IMPACTS MEN’S TENNIS PLAYERS SPORTS, 16

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 PAGE 12

WBB trains with Navy SEALs

Wire Stock Photo

Over the offseason, head coach Carolyn Kieger brought in former military personnel, including Navy SEALs, to do specialized leadership training as part of “The Program.”

‘The Program’ teaches women’s basketball leadership

By Andrew Goldstein

andrew.goldstein@marquette.edu

Last August, women’s basketball junior shooting guard Natisha Hiedeman found herself standing on a mat in the Kasten Gym, sparring a former Navy SEAL. “It was really tiring,” Hiedeman said. “I give wrestlers a lot of credit, fighters a lot of credit. It was hard.”

This exercise was part of “The Program,” a two-day training regimen run by former Navy SEALs and military members that combines leadership exercises with intense workouts. It’s the second year head coach Carolyn Kieger has welcomed “The Program” to the Al McGuire Center.

“They come in for a couple days and teach toughness, teach discipline and accountability,” Kieger said. “Its been very helpful over the last two seasons for us and we refer back to that quite a bit.”

While Hiedeman fought, her teammates ran around the exterior of the ring, completing various physical challenges. Until all 13

teammates completed each station, Hiedeman had to stay in the ring and continue to fight a man trained for war-zone combat.

“If you wanted to be lazy with the exercise and take forever, then you’re leaving your teammate to die out in the ring,” junior Allazia Blockton said.

Staff Sgt. Sam Cila taught the session. He has finished the Ironman World Championship, climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains and competed in countless CrossFit competitions. He also doesn’t have a left hand, which he refers to as “an inconvenience.”

Cila lost his hand the morning of July 4, 2005 — Independence Day — while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq. While approaching a bag on the side of a road that appeared to be a sack of grain, a hidden remote-control bomb under it detonated, instantly shredding his left hand and almost the entirety of his arm. Two platoon members pulled him to safety, and a medic clamped a severed artery just minutes before he would have bled to death.

“Most people think I woke up and decided I was going to be an endurance athlete and a leadership instructor,” Cila said. “The truth is, I struggled for the better part of two years with depression,

addiction to pain medication and trying to re-identify myself.”

After overcoming that struggle with the help of his friends, fellow soldiers and colleagues at “The Program,” Cila visits collegiate programs across the country applying the lessons he learned in the military to sports.

“The scoreboard is different. It’s points vs. life or death,” Cila said.

“But the lessons are the same. The preparation is the same. Prepare for any basketball game with less than 100 percent, be undisciplined, be selfish, you’re going to have zero success.”

That attitude meshes well with the “we, not me” motto Kieger instituted for her team.

“We’re all sisters,” point guard Danielle King said. “We all had to go through it together … It even strengthened our team chemistry.”

Sparring might have been a step down in intensity from last year’s experience during its first year with The Program. That particular session involved swimming in a 12foot pool with heavy sweatpants and a sweatshirt over their workout clothes. Each participant needed to take the sweatshirt off in the water below a certain time threshold to pass the drill.

The activity was especially challenging for juniors Danielle

King and Natisha Hiedeman, who couldn’t swim prior to the session.

“Natisha actually learned how to tread water during this time. It’s just about survival, basically,” King said.

While lifeguards were on site for the pool exercise, Cila and other instructors made it clear they won’t jump in to help anybody that struggles. All the players in the deep end had to rely on their teammates to get them through.

It’s a parallel experience to the one Cila went through after he returned from Iraq. Cila said he might not have made it through his post-war struggles had it not been for people who cared about him.

“Your teammates, they hold you to a standard,” Cila said. “They understand what’s best for you and they don’t allow you to make mistakes, take shortcuts or be lazy.”

When players arrived on the first day, there was a reluctance to trust the instructors or do the exercises as they are told, a challenge participants faced regardless of prior experience. The instructors had to break through a natural resistance to change.

Marquette started to come around at about the same time most programs do: the morning of the second day. That’s when players typically start to realize how

the drills benefit them and start to build trust. By the end of the two-day session, players feel more connected to their teammates.

“We really felt good as a team and closer as a team after that,” Blockton said.

There are two standards each “leader,” as Cila calls the players, should have understood after completion of the course: Accomplish the mission, and take care of your people.

“I want them to understand that the burden of leadership … is you get held accountable for whatever happens or fails to happen in your organization,” Cila said. “When you have that burden on you, the easiest way to mitigate failure is simply staying true to accomplishing the mission and (taking) care of your people.”

Hiedeman, who might be moving into more of a leadership role as she assumes some point guard duties this year, already sees a difference in the way the team interacts.

“They kind of pushed us to levels we didn’t think we could reach,” Hiedeman said. “With them just showing us and proving to us that we can go an extra mile, it kind of just carried over to the basketball court.”

Sports

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

13

Joey Hauser handles recruiting with rare modesty Future Marquette forward boasts versatility, humility

By John Steppe

john.steppe@marquette.edu

Joey Hauser’s road to signing his national letter of intent with Marquette last week was unconventional in an era of recruits garnering celebrity-like attention. Instead of announcing official visits and publicly narrowing his list of schools like most recruits do, he took a much simpler approach.

After a few phone calls and a long drive back from a summer basketball tournament in Kansas this July, Hauser tweeted his verbal commitment without any warning.

That humble approach epitomized Hauser throughout the recruiting process and his on-court persona.

Ranked 37th at the time by 247Sports, Hauser could have easily waited until the fall to commit, drawing in bigger schools like Kansas or Duke.

Kansas head coach Bill Self expressed interest the previous week, per a source. Michigan State, who had sent coaches to Hauser’s games for over a year prior, was also in the running.

However, Marquette was the only school to have at least one coach at every game of the second evaluation period, July 19 to 23. K.C. Schmitt, Hauser’s AAU coach at Iowa Barnstormers, views this as part of a trend in the recruiting landscape.

“If you’re anywhere in the top 30, most schools are getting to be that way. You’re so wanted that schools want you that bad,” Schmitt said. “But it was nice to see Marquette go all out for Joey. “ Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski has recruited

hundreds of prep standouts in his two-decade long coaching career, but the Hauser family stands out for dealing with the taxing process.

“They should write a handbook on how to deal with attention in the recruiting process,” Wojciechowski said. “They have done it as well as any family that I’ve ever recruited in 20 years of recruiting high-level players.”

Scott Anderson, Hauser’s high school coach at Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH), had a front-row seat to the 6-foot-8 forward’s recruitment. Anderson has brought the Division I state championship trophy back to Stevens Point in each of Hauser’s first three years.

“He handled it really well,” Anderson said. “That’s never an easy thing for a 17-year-old, 18-year-old kid to go through that kind of stuff.”

“He’s a fun-loving kid,” Anderson continued. “He can also keep things inside at times, so he dealt with it in his own way.”

Many Wisconsin fans ridiculed him for his choice of schools on

“

They should write a handbook on how to deal with attention in the recruiting process. They have done it as well as any family that I’ve recruited.”

Steve Wojciechowski Marquette head coach

Twitter, but Hauser kept quiet and let his athletic ability speak for itself.

“Sometimes people that have

Photo via twitter.com/jjhouz24

Joey (second from right) poses with family and his brother Sam, who is now at Marquette, after winning a state title.

this kind of success and have had that kind of recruitment showered on them want everybody to know about it,” Anderson said.

“But he doesn’t do it that way.

Let your play do the talking. Let the scoreboard do the talking.”

One of the calls before his commitment was to his brother Sam, a sophomore forward and one of the team’s leading 3-point shooters.

“He called me on the phone and asked me a couple things and then he said he’s coming here,” Sam said. “And I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s awesome.’

Caught me off guard a little.”

On the court, Joey’s quickness and size will give Wojciechowski some lineup flexibility.

“He’s one of those few guys around the country in his class that I think can really play with

anyone,” Wojciechowski. “He can play on the perimeter if you have a bigger lineup, he can play on the interior if you have a smaller lineup and he has the skillset to exploit both of those types of matchups.”

This versatility shined in Adidas Uprising, the top Adidas summer basketball circuit that draws elite talent from all over the country.

“One guy that worked for Adidas out in Las Vegas told us he’s basically like granite,” Schmitt said. “He’s big, he’s smooth and he’s polished. And that’s very, very rare to find that.”

Sam has seen Joey’s danger in the post firsthand. The brothers won two state titles together at SPASH. “He’s pretty creative down there, pretty crafty and he’s

really tough to guard because he’s 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9 and can handle the ball like a guard,” Sam said. “So that’s going to put a lot of teams into tough positions.”

“That’s important to how we play (at SPASH),” Anderson said. “We really don’t talk about positions and never have. That’s what makes him such a great fit for our program and our style.”

In the meantime, Joey Hauser and Anderson will pursue a fourth state title to finish his high school career.

“They aren’t going to hear me talk about going for a fourth one,” Anderson said. “It would be kind of neat to put a fourth one on there, but this is maybe the last time I’ll talk about that is with you right now.”

14

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Gavitt Game showdown tests men’s basketball’s defense Purdue’s height, shooting pose big challenge for MU

By Brendan Ploen

brendan.ploen@marquette.edu

Golden Eagle fans may want to forget about the last time Marquette played in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, a series of contests between the BIG EAST and Big Ten conferences.

It was two seasons ago that Iowa drubbed Marquette, 89-61, in the worst home loss ever suffered at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Golden Eagles committed 19 turnovers, shot a woeful 38.6 percent and freshman star Henry Ellenson only had three points, going one of eight from the field.

Marquette will try to put that memory behind them as the No. 19 Purdue Boilermakers come to town Tuesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. It’s a game that will serve as Marquette’s first real test and reveal a lot about the team’s potential for national relevance.

The Boilermakers are a balanced, senior-laden squad and could be a dark horse to make a run deep into March. Purdue head coach Matt Painter knows senior players are valuable. It will show tonight, as four of Purdue’s starting five players are in their final year of eligibility.

“People always talk about experience, but I think what’s more important than that is the experience of having success together,”

Phtoto by Jordan Johnson jordan.johnson@marquette.edu

Haanif Cheatham attempts a shot in Marquette’s season opener against Mount St. Mary’s. He’ll likely play a large role against No. 19 Purdue.

Painter said at Big Ten Media Day. “That’s more important. People will say, ‘We’ve got a bunch of seniors.’

Yeah, but have you won with them?

They’ve had a lot of success together, and I think that’s more important

than anything.”

One of those seniors is center Isaac Haas. The 7-foot-2 center is going to be a mismatch, no matter who is defending him. Marquette junior Matt Heldt is the tallest player on the

Golden Eagles’ roster at 6-foot-10.

Stopping Haas will be essential; last season, the Boilermakers went 18-5 when he scored more than 10 points.

However, Haas is not Purdue’s only weapon. Sophomore guard Carsen Edwards is a menace on both ends of the floor, averaging 10.3 points per game last season and recording 36 steals in conference play.

Senior forward Vincent Edwards had 14 points in Purdue’s season opener against SIU-Edwardsville and senior sharpshooter Dakota Mathias went for 18 points and four rebounds.

Redshirt sophomore Sacar Anim will likely guard Vincent Edwards, as the senior recorded a doubledouble performance against Chicago State last Sunday. Purdue passed the 100-point mark for the second straight game, the first time the Boilermakers have accomplished that feat since 1974. Marquette’s chances of winning the game will depend on Anim’s length and defensive

instincts. Anim will have to slow down Edwards and the Big Ten regular season champions.

Both squads relied on shots from beyond the arc in their season openers, as Marquette attempted 21 while Purdue had 19. With Sam Hauser, Markus Howard and Andrew Rowsey all healthy, Marquette fans should expect a lot more attempts from Marquette’s firing trio.

However, the difference could be in the paint, where Purdue ranked eighth among NCAA Tournament teams in fewest fouls committed.

The Golden Eagles committed just seven fouls in their opening game, but averaged 18.9 fouls per game last year. Without many options to stop Haas down low, Marquette may have to foul him to prevent easy buckets.

If Marquette can limit Haas and get some easy treys on the other end of the floor, this Gavitt Game should be less cringeworthy than the last one for Marquette fans.

MARQUETTE SPORTS CALENDAR TUESDAY 11/14

SUNDAY 11/19

Men’s Basketball vs. Purdue 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Baskeyball vs. Loyola Maryland 3:00 p.m.

SATURDAY 11/18

MONDAY 11/20

Volleyball at Depual 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. VCU 1:30 p.m.

Sports

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Marquette Tribune

15

King improves leadership at ‘Point Guard College’ Training academy adds new skills to potent point guard

By Brian Boyle

brian.boyle@marquette.edu

Women’s basketball point guard Danielle King enrolled in another college between her freshman and sophomore seasons, although she quickly returned to Marquette. And though she did not have any transfer credits to show for it on her academic transcript, King’s newfound knowledge translated perfectly to her on-court game.

During the summer of 2016, King attended Point Guard College, a basketball camp. The national program is designed for elite guards, with a syllabus stressing advanced X’s and O’s, angle seeking and pace-setting skills. It’s like getting a Ph.D. in playmaking.

“I had never been in anything like that,” King said. “It was like a school, a classroom thing, but just for basketball and point guards. It was really deep, and I really learned a lot.”

A year removed from the summer schooling and an offseason after a BIG EAST championship, King is ready to return to the court and be a leader once again for the Golden Eagles. On a team known for a blazing-fast

Wire Stock Photo

King shares a special relationship with head coach Carolyn Kieger, who was a point guard at Marquette.

offense, filled with a bevy of offensive stars, King is the piece that makes it go, the combustible catalyst that can rocket the offense from zero to 60 in just a couple dribbles and a quick, creative pass.

“Coach always tells me ‘attack first, attack first,’” King said.

“I’m always in attack mode, and once you draw people to you, it opens up the floor for everyone

else. I don’t have to score 20 points a game, but did I put my teammates in the right position?

I’m happy as long as team did good as a team, and it translates to a good game.”

King led the team in assists last season at four per game, a stat that accounted for roughly a quarter of the team’s assists and was good enough for fifth overall among BIG EAST players. The

point guard was tied with fellow junior Natisha Hiedeman for most minutes played per game at 32.9 last season. It’s a testament to her skill, and it’s indicative of the extent to which head coach Carolyn Kieger trusts her floor general.

During an open practice held for media Nov.1, Kieger bemoaned the clunky offense as King was off the floor with the

training staff. Kieger, a prolific point guard when she played at Marquette from 2003 to ’06, shares a unique connection with her starting point guard.

“I think, from a point guard’s perspective, I see the game from how (the position) plays it,” Kieger said. “We do a lot of film work, a lot of communication lessons. We’re trying to make (our guards) the best possible vocal leaders they can be.”

For King, having a former point guard as a coach is like having a professor from Point Guard College around full-time.

“Actually, we think a lot alike,” King said. “Sometimes in practices, we find ourselves saying the same things to the team because we see a lot of the same things … When we’re watching film, she’ll pause it and we’ll say the same thing and notice the same thing at the exact same time. It actually happens a lot.”

Though classroom settings and the film room have taught King a lot about how the game works, Kieger’s presence has brought out one set of intangibles King says is the most valuable of all: leadership.

“She’s really helped me grow as player and as a person in a leadership role,” King said.

“She’s a really aggressive leader, and I was kind of in my shell when I got here, and she’s really brought me out to another level.”

Valentine takes leadership role despite less minutes Team’s lone senior embraces role as seasoned veteran

By Sammi Alexander

samantha.alexander@marquette.edu

Shantelle Valentine’s freshman year was bleak, to put it bluntly. The Golden Eagles went 9-22, and it appeared that there was no end to the losing in sight.

Two years later, Marquette is the unanimous choice to win the BIG EAST and Valentine is the team’s lone senior. The center from Brampton, Ontario has seen the program’s younger players mature, particularly juniors like Allazia Blockton and Natisha Hiedeman.

“I was a sophomore when they came in, so we all lived together in the dorms,” Valentine said.

“They have grown a lot since freshmen year.”

During Valentine’s sophomore year, the team was the youngest in the country; eight of 11 players were freshmen. Valentine and now-graduated forward McKayla Yentz were the only players that played any minutes for Marquette the prior season.

Despite that, head coach Carolyn Kieger expected excellence out of her players.

“There’s a standard of greatness and there’s a standard of championship level,” Kieger said. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it demanding, it’s just the standard here at Marquette.”

Although Valentine doesn’t put up major numbers, averaging 11.8 and 2.5 points per game, Kieger still views Valentine as an asset to the Golden Eagles.

“She’s a great leader; she leads by example but gets vocal when she needs to,” Kieger said.

“I’m really proud of the player she’s developed into, but more so, the leader and the character she’s been able to enforce with our team.”

Valentine knows her role as leader is an important one, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to help Marquette.

“It’s really whatever is best for Marquette,” Valentine said.

“I think everyone has their role at Marquette, and if my role is going to be defense and it’s going to be rebounds over a total amount of points, then I’m completely fine with that.”

Kieger expressed the need for

Wire Stock Photo

Center Shantelle Valentine goes through lineup introductions. She averaged 2.5 points per game last year.

communication during practice.

She showed frustration as the team turned the ball over repeatedly and fell silent at crucial times during possessions.

Afterward, Valentine admitted she needed to do better in that respect.

“I think I need to do a better job of being vocal 100 percent

of the time because I think I’m a vocal leader,” Valentine said.

“I can talk and lead by example, but I think I need to be more consistent with that, and vocally that’s going to set us apart from other teams.”

Talking is a crucial component of the thing Kieger preaches most and that Valentine

exemplifies: selflessness.

“We have a saying on our team, it’s ‘We over me,’” Kieger said.

“It’s about the name on the front versus the name on the back, and it’s about Marquette.”

John Steppe contributed to this report.

16

Sports

The Marquette Tribune

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Spanish tennis players react to Catalan referendum Independence vote stirs strong emotions for men’s players

By Zoe Comerford

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu

Ask junior men’s tennis player Alvaro Verdu, who lives in the small, Spanish coastal village of Elda, what he thinks about the recent Catalan independence referendum, and he responds without any hesitation.

“I’m totally against (Catalonian independence), because one of the beauties of Spain is that we’re such a diverse country,” Verdu said. “Every region has its own traditions, its own gastronomy, its own … culture.

(The seperatists) are trying to end it in Catalonia and build up new walls and new borders.”

Freshman men’s tennis player Luis Heredia Gomez, who is from the Spanish capital, Madrid, concurs with his teammate, but not everyone agrees. Some residents of Catalonia, a region attempting to declare independence, say the region has a right to hold a referendum on separating from the country and have the results legally recognized. Supporters of the Spanish government, including Heredia Gomez, assert that Catalonia does not have the constitutional authority to hold such a vote.

“If you want to do something correctly, you need to go through certain processes,” Heredia Gomez said. “But

Wire Stock Photo

Junior Alvaro Verdu is one of two Spanish players on the team, along with freshman Luis Heredia Gomez.

I think (the referendum) is not a way, you don’t have a majority of people that want that,” Starting with an independence referendum in 2014, Catalonia has repeatedly tried to break away from Spain. People from Catalonia speak Catalan, as opposed to the Spanishspeaking majority. The province makes up approximately 20 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product and is one of the country’s wealthier regions. In addition, the region boasts Barcelona, a city renowned for its architecture and culture that is unique to the rest of the country.

Supporters of Catalan independence will point to the disparity in wealth between the region and others in Spain as a reason for independence, while opponents make the argument that this is only because of Spanish investment in the region.

Verdu holds the latter opinion.

“I think they used that now as like, ‘Oh, we are such a powerful region, so we’re going to break out of Spain so we have our own rich country,’” Verdu said. “But they are rich because they’re part of Spain.”

Both players asserted their opinions reflect the majority of Spanish thinking on the issue.

Staff Predictions

“I think it’s a common thought about what’s happening in Catalonia. It’s not a majority of the population in Catalonia,” Heredia Gomez said.

The most recent survey from the Catalan government conducted over the summer showed 35 percent of Catalans supported independence.

One of the most controversial aspects of Catalan independence is a prospective customs system. Every time a Spanish citizen wants to go visit a family member, he or she would have to clear customs.

“I don’t think that’s fair for us,” Verdu said. “My family is from

Valencia, but I have family in Catalonia. I don’t see myself going through (customs) every time I have to go see my family in Barcelona.”

Although Catalonia is one of the most economically prosperous regions in Spain, it’s also deeply in debt. Catalonia has a public debt of its own and is also responsible for shouldering a share of Spain’s $1.2 trillion debt. Recent estimates for the size of this debt range between $50 billion and just shy of $90 billion. The share of that debt that Catalonia will take on is one of the key controversies surrounding the independence movement.

“They say they wouldn’t pay the debt because they wouldn’t be in Spain anymore,” Verdu said.

Every day, Verdu feels the desire to fight for what he believes in at home. Not being able to is the toughest part about living in the United States.

“I’m not there to live there and experience it,” Verdu said. “I’m trying to support my family in Catalonia or talk to my friends … It’s hard to be so far away and I can just text them.

I cannot see them and support them the way I should.”

Gomez and Verdu played countless tournaments in Catalonia. After participating in a tournament in Lleida, a city two hours west of Barcelona, both players said they felt alienated for no other reason than their place of birth.

“They treated (us) like a foreign (sic), which is not fair because technically we’re in the same country,” Verdu said.

Staff Predictions

2017-’18 Women’s Basketball

2017-’18 Women’s Basketball

Postseason

Postseason Andrew Goldstein, Sports Content Executive

1st

Sweet 16

1st

Sweet 16

1st

Final Four

John Steppe, Assistant Sports Editor

1st

Sweet 16

Sammi Alexander, Staff Writer

1st

Elite 8

Zoe Comerford, Staff Writer

1st

Round of 32

Brendan Ploen Assistant Sports Editor

Kevin Wells, Wire Sports Director

1st

Round of 64

Nathan DeSutter, Assistant Sports Director

2nd

National Champs

Dean Bibens, Assistant Sports Director

1st

Sweet 16

Chris Reisner, Staff Writer

2nd

Round of 32

John Hand, Staff Writer

1st

Sweet 16

Connor Basch, Audio Producer

1st

Sweet 16

Brian Boyle, Staff Writer