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Searching for space
Fewer resources influences nonCatholic groups By Alex Groth
Students speak on campus harassment, microaggressions
alexandria.groth@marquette.edu
When the Rev. Jessica Short wheeled a Crock-Pot dinner to Lutheran Campus Ministry’s reserved study room, she wasn’t expecting a locked door — again. “No one can open them, because that’s past business hours,” she said, adding no one knew why the doors were locked. Short, the director of LCM, made the best of it — she didn’t complain. The group moved outdoors, eating together as usual. Locked doors aren’t new for Short, who’s served as the part-time Lutheran pastor on campus for nine years. Every year, LCM files a request for a weekly time slot in a study room. She said the study room was unavailable about six times this year, and locked without warning about three other occasions.
By Clara Janzen
clara.janzen@marquette.edu
facing eviction. Marquette law students volunteer for the Eviction Defense Project where they work alongside staff from Legal Action of Wisconsin and other volunteer attorneys from the Milwaukee area. As student volunteers, they work side-by-side supervising attorneys to understand a client’s immediate housing situation and try to determine what options are available to them. Volunteers
often go with their clients to their hearing with the Commissioner or try to negotiate a resolution with their landlord or opposing counsel. The Eviction Defense Project, started in late December, aims to ensure that low-income residents don’t lose their housing unfairly. “Our main goal is to improve housing stability,” Raphael Ramos, director of the Eviction Defense Project, said.
Frequently, landlords do not follow proper procedure with book keeping and allow tenants to live on month- to-month oral agreements. “The condition of housing can be deplorable,” Carolyn Garski, a Marquette law student who volunteers at the Eviction Defense Project, said. Garski had a client who was
The Islamic Prayer Room in the Alumni Memorial Union has been vandalized twice, once in November after the presidential election and once in the days following the release of the second travel ban. While the damage was not permanent or large-scale, it was noticeable and highly upsetting to students. A Muslim student, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being harassed, said, “I use the prayer room often, and so do some of my friends. It was hurtful to know people would vandalize that space. We don’t deface any of the Christian symbols that are on campus.” The Islamic Prayer Room incidents led to the installation of a security camera in the hallway. It is unclear if those responsible for the vandalization can be seen on tape or if they have been caught. The original instance of vandalization did go to Marquette University Police Department, but no charges ever came out of it. Mary Sue Callan-Farley, director of Campus Ministry, said, “After the first vandal-
See EVICTION page 7
See MUSLIM page 2
INDEX
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MARQUEE
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Tour of Wild Hall
50 years of music
Democracy Project
Photo courtesy of Yana Rawinski
A lack of gathering space makes it hard for groups like Lutheran Campus Ministry (above) to meet.
When the room isn’t available, LCM gathers at restaurants, coffee shops or student apartments. They are never in a space they call
solely their own. On the surface, the issue appears to be related to space, but Short said it’s begun to symbolize something more:
the lack of a voice, especially in the relationship between religious groups on campus. See RELIGION page 4
Law students give back to community Volunteers help tenants facing eviction in MKE By Madison Marx
madison.marx@marquette.edu
More than 12,000 eviction suits are filed in Milwaukee County every year. And some Marquette students are giving hope to those low-income tenants
Muslim prayer space tarnished
CALENDAR......................................................3 MUPD REPORTS.............................................3 MARQUEE.......................................................8 OPINIONS......................................................10 SPORTS..........................................................12 SPORTS CALENDAR .....................................13
An inside look at what goes into building residence hall
PAGE 3
Local venue near Mashuda Hall hopes to attract students PAGE 8
EDITORIAL: Interdisciplinary course sets excellent example PAGE 10
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
MUSLIM from page 1
New security cameras placed outside Campus Ministry ism of signage, we created banners to identify the hallway and adjoining prayer spaces as sacred space in which all are welcome and free from violence.” In a letter released Feb. 15, Campus Ministry condemned the recent hate speech and the vandalization of the prayer room. “Events of recent weeks have cast light on divisions in our country and among our faith communities. In the AMU hallway leading to the prayer spaces and offices of Campus Ministry, we have observed two such examples of this distress on hallway signs defaced with
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messages which targeted our Muslim community members. The words written can only be understood as hate speech,” the letter said. Muslim students have reported growing microaggressions, as well as direct vocal harassment. Most of the harassment incidents reported have been studenton-student, occurring on or near campus. Reports say phrases such as, “Go back to your own country,” are used, as well as profanity like “F— Muslims.” The letter also said, “Affiliated Ministers and campus Ministers come from
These actions are deeply disturbing, and we know it is important to protect our Muslim students. ” BLAKE HARTMAN MUSG, Academic Senator
various backgrounds. As individuals we do not agree on all issues. We do agree that hateful words targeted at one person or group injures the entire community.” The recent upswing in incidents has raised discussions in the latest Marquette University Student Government and Academic Senate meetings. Blake Hartman, who serves as a senator for both MUSG and the Academic Senate, said there is consensus among members in both groups that these actions are wrong. “These actions are deeply disturbing, and we know it is important to protect our
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Muslim students because they add so much to our campus,” Hartman said. The Academic Senate put a resolution on its agenda March 20 that would “condemn violence and hate speech, express support for Muslim students.” Hartman said the Academic Senate is looking at the resolution, which would take about two to three weeks to pass. “Basically, a resolution passed would denounce the actions that have taken place lately, and make a reinforced statement that the university stands with Muslim students,” Hartman said. While a resolution does not directly affect university policy, when a resolution is passed, it goes to the Academic Senate’s department of communication. Then the department would work on raising awareness. In the past, they have accomplished this by putting up posters and sending out emails with the goal of raising awareness and support for the resolution.
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The Marquette Tribune
Walking on the Wild site Inside look at what goes into building new residence hall By Matthew Martinez
matthew.martinez@marquette.edu
The sound of hydraulics is constant and deafening. Gravel is moved and removed as needed. Thirteen bulldozers and other heavy equipment are working throughout the day. It’s safe to say there is much more to the Wild Hall construction site than the hole in the ground it looks like. On a cloudy day, floodlights illuminate the pits where the workers are hammering walls into shape and placing wooden pallets so that a fulfilled structure can take its place. Workers with tool belts from several different trades and crafts are constantly going down into the pit to install paneling. Building a residence hall is no small task. That is why the team from J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., the company responsible for building the Rev. Robert A. Wild Hall, begins every morning with a stretch and flex to stay limber and have a quick meeting. “We review what the day’s goals will be,” Sporelli said. “These can be safety goals, production goals, anything. We’ll say the iron workers need to get from one point to this point. Carpenters need to get this done. The plumbers are going to be here, so here’s what we need to have done.” The 50-man crew then disperses into their work areas. While each area has its own foreman, they often work together on the site. Findorff project manager Mike Stern said the
architects and project managers use state-of-the-art architectural models to make realtime changes to the “living document” by projecting it on the Marquette Visualization Lab at the Engineering Hall. “Last week, we involved all of the foremen on site to walk through this model,” Sporelli said. “We were able to show them what kind of finishes we need done on certain areas, so it really helps the carpentry foreman, the labor foreman and things like that.” Stern explained how Wild Hall is being constructed. “The building is a cast-inplace concrete structure,” he said. “All the floors and the columns are concrete. The upper levels are post-tension concrete, so that puts cables within the slab, and then it’s poured and those cables are tensioned. That helps transfer the load from the slabs to the columns to the tension. This is used in a lot of high-rise buildings for residential use.” About 13,000 cubic yards of concrete will go into the building, Stern said. The average concrete truck carries 10 cubic yards of concrete, meaning that 1,300 truckloads will be used on the site. Other materials, such as brick and composite metal, will also be utilized. “The outside of the building is going to have a masonry exterior,” Stern said. “There are some pieces of accenting on the top and down the faces (of the building) that are metal panel, and a lot of windows to let in some natural light.” Marquette vice president for planning and strategy Lora Strigens said the color of brick was chosen to aesthetically complement other buildings on campus. Strigens also said the university helps provide
Unknown person(s) removed an estimated. $400 from coin boxes in a laundry room inside an apartment building in the 2100 block of W. Kilbourn Avenue between Monday, Feb. 6 and Thursday, March 23.
MARCH 29 A person not affiliated with Marquette was causing a disturbance in an apartment with possible gunshot sounds reported in the 500 block of N. 20th Street between 3:23 p.m. and 7:26 p.m. MUPD and MPD responded. The subject was taken into custody by MUPD and transported to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility. No firearm was found and no injuries reported. Unknown person(s) damaged two vending machines in Straz Hall between Thursday, March 23
The Marquette Tribune EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Patrick Thomas Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Amy Elliot-Meisel NEWS News Editor McKenna Oxenden Projects Editor Devi Shastri Assistant Editors Ryan Patterson, Maggie Cannon Reporters Alex Groth, Abby Ng, Camille Paul, Clara Janzen, Matthew Martinez, Leah Harris, Madison Marx, Maredithe Meyer, Eliana Reed MARQUEE Marquee Editor Jennifer Walter Assistant Editors Rachek Kubik, Kaitlin Majeski Reporters Hailey Richards, Kelsey McCarthy, Brendan Attey, Mac Vogel, Katie Hauger OPINIONS Opinions Editor Elizabeth Baker Assistant Editor Mike Cummings Columnists Morgan Hughes, Ryan McCarthy, Caroline Kaufman SPORTS Sports Editor Jack Goods Assistant Editors Grant Becker, Matt Unger Reporters Brian Boyle, John Hand, Brendan Ploen, Thomas Salinas, John Steppe, Nathan Desutter COPY Copy Chief Emma Nitschke Copy Editors Sydney Czyzon, Sabrina Norton, Gina Richard, Kaelyn Gray, Emma Brauer VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Anabelle McDonald Photo Editor Austin Anderson Opinions Designer Chelsea Johanning Marquee Designer Hannah Feist Sports Designer Molly Mclaughlin Photographers Yue Yin, Andrew Himmelberg, Matthew Serafin, Stacy Mellantine, Helen Dudley ----
Photo by Helen Dudley helen.dudley@marquette.edu
The project is on track to be completed by August 2018.
Findorff the materials needed for the project. The site uses electricity from Marquette’s main power grid. “It’s all done so that we have a quality level for a building that is going to last a long time,” Strigens said. “We make a very thoughtful investment up front in the materials and the way we construct a building so that it’s all quality.” The workers are currently working on the basement, but this week the site will look much different.
MUPD REPORTS MARCH 31 A student-employee reported that unknown person(s) removed her unsecured property and used her credit cards at off campus locations without her consent between 2:21 p.m. and 3:27 p.m. estimated loss is $150.
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“One of the big milestones for these guys will be when we lay down the table slab,” university engineer Mike Jahner said. The table slab will be placed on top of columns that run 30 feet into the ground. It is implemented in segments and will become the foundation for the first floor. “After that, things really start to move and take shape,” Jahner said. The project is currently on schedule to be completed by August 2018.
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EVENTS CALENDAR at 9:30 a.m. and Monday, March 27 at 9:30 a.m. Unknown person(s) damaged two vending machines in Lalumiere Hall between Thursday, March 23 at 9:30 a.m. and Monday, March 27 at 9:30 a.m. MARCH 28 A student reported that unknown person(s) used his credit cards without his permission in a business in the 1600 block of W. Wells Street at 3:47 a.m. estimated loss is unknown at this time.
APRIL 5 “Populism in Europe and the Americas: What Does it Mean for Democracy?” 1-2:30 p.m., AMU 227 APRIL 5-7 Art, Aesthetics and the Future of City Life East/West Raynor Memorial Libraries APRIL 6-9 Marquette Theatre Presents: “Anything Goes” 7:30-10:30 p.m., Helfaer Theatre APRIL 7-9 Lil’ Sibs Weekend
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
RELIGION from page 1
‘It’s just we’re working with what we have to work with’
Photo courtesy of Yana Rawinski
Lutheran Campus Ministry meets weekly for Crock-Pot dinners as a part of their fellowship, sometimes in restaraunts or on campus.
“You have to be in the same space together,” Short said. “You have to be running into each other, but there’s not that kind of interaction.” LCM is one of the religious groups affiliated with Marquette Campus Ministry, which supports unity for Christian believers and interfaith dialogue between religious groups. It includes Cru, Hillel Milwaukee, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, LCM and Orthodox Church in America. They share a small office in Campus Ministry. Short does not keep her supplies — including the Crock-Pot — in the office, citing that she doesn’t want to take space from others. LCM does not put anything in the office symbolizing their group, because it might offend others who use the space. Yana Rawinski is a peer minister of fellowship for LCM and junior in the College of Engineering. She called the space a closet. “There’s not a desk that has locking drawers,” Rawinski
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said. “(Short) can’t put anything in there.” Rawinski compared the office to the space for the LCM branch at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They have a house. It’s called The Corner House, and it holds weekly events centered around education, Bible study and meals. “They have the space to be together,” Rawinski said. “The hardest part about my job — which I absolutely love my job — is where are we going to fit?” As an affiliated ministry, LCM is not funded through Campus Ministry. It’s mainly supported by the Greater Milwaukee Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which funds Short’s position. Rawinski said funding from Campus Ministry would give affiliated ministries like LCM a voice. “I’m not saying Marquette needs to buy us a house,” Rawinski said. “That’s ridiculous, but if we had a space where we could keep our Crock-Pot.”
Short, however, isn’t quick to blame Campus Ministry for the lack of a designated space on campus. She said solving this problem is a two-way street. “I need to show more often and be there,” Short said, shrugging. There just isn’t enough time in the day, she said. You are welcome Tucked on the right side of the hallway before Campus Ministry, the Interfaith Prayer and Meditation Space is small and cozy, with cushions polka-dotting the floor. It’s here that affiliated ministries meet each month for 90 minutes of dialogue with other religious groups. A representative of each group, often the president, attends. It’s a check-in. Bernardo Avila-Borunda, who works with multicultural ministry, said the monthly interfaith meeting provides a safe space for minority religious groups to recognize someone coming from a different faith background.
News
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 “In finding out about one another, we find out about ourselves,” Avila-Borunda said. According to the Marquette campus climate study published March 2016, surveyed students stated it was difficult for religious groups to find space for interfaith dialogue and events, specifically citing Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Lutheran groups’ struggle to find space and work with the majority Catholic population. Short said it gets even more complicated when looking at the demographics of the Campus Ministry office. Every employee in the office is Catholic, which Short said can make non-Catholic students feel they can’t speak to Campus Ministry about their experiences. “Do we fall on the side of being Catholic and being a Catholic institution?” Short asked. “Or do we fall on the side of being a diverse community where 35 percent are not Catholic?” It’s a learning process, Avila-Borunda said, especially in understanding how to create open dialogue and serve the needs of religious groups on campus. “We’re going to make mistakes and catch up and fall back,” he added. Rawinski said she wouldn’t outrightly discuss problems, instead focussing on building a positive community. “I don’t want people to see the problems, because we make sure they’re not problems,” Rawinski said. “Someone shouldn’t come to a church mad that we don’t have a space — that’s not the point.” Wyatt Meyer, peer minister in charge of service of LCM and senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said while he understands the challenges, it’s more important to recognize the positive aspects of the group. “We don’t have space, but what that’s done is made us rely even more heavily on community,” Meyer said. Sundus Jaber, president of the Muslim Student Association and senior in the College of Health Sciences, said even when solutions are proposed, challenges regarding space don’t simply go away. Marquette’s Islamic Prayer Room used to be tucked away on the fourth floor of the Alumni Memorial Union. Jaber said the room was too small for the number of Muslim students, faculty and staff who wished to use the space. In the summer of 2015,
the Islamic Prayer Room moved to the second floor of the AMU on the right side of the hallway before Campus Ministry. The room is larger and accommodates more people. Though Jaber recognizes the improvement, she points out that the room is still too small. “I wish we could get a bigger space,” Jaber said. “It took them many years to even get the other slightly larger room, so it would take a journey of a couple more years to get an even bigger room.” For Friday Jumu’ah prayer, the weekly congregational prayer, MSA files a request to rent a larger room that can accommodate about 30 people. It can be difficult to coordinate the prayer, making sure everyone knows where it’s located, Jaber said. Even then, nothing is guaranteed, she said. The room has been overbooked on a few occasions. “Confusion can happen,” Jaber said. “Usually we’re able to fix it pretty quick, but I guess because it’s not our own space, we do have to worry about a lot of other things.” Mary Sue Callan-Farley, director of Campus Ministry, recognized the obstacles faced by religious groups in regards to space, but she said there just isn’t the room to meet all spatial needs on campus. “What we’re struggling with is one: resources, and two: letting students be who they are,” Callan-Farley said. Thinking bigger Down a flight of stairs from Campus Ministry, Cru, an affiliated Christian ministry, meets once a week Tuesday. Like LCM, Cru is not funded by Campus Ministry. They are primarily supported by Cru, which is a national organization that receives monetary support through central fundraising efforts. Cru’s weekly meetings are typically too large to fit in the Campus Ministry office, so they meet in a rented space in the AMU, usually room 157. They utilize the affiliated ministries’ office space for smaller, one-on-one meetings if needed. Carly Bausch, co-leader of women’s ministry in Cru and senior in the College of Health Sciences, said it hasn’t been a large issue finding space and funding, citing that individuals who work for Cru are available and willing to work to solve any problem. “I think that they’re always very willing to be available to us, and there are a lot of
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spaces,” Bausch said. Christopher Gregorio, peer minister in charge of worship of LCM and junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said that is because Cru is a national organization with more funding power. It supports multiple full-time individuals to work with branches of Cru throughout the Milwaukee area. “If I wanted to reserve a space in Joan of Arc chapel … people at Cru, because they have full-time, multiple fulltime staffers … can reserve Joan of Arc at a certain time for every Sunday for the entire year before the year even starts,” Gregorio said. For smaller groups like LCM, which are based locally and have part-time staff, it can be difficult to find resources. Some religious groups
apply for funding from Marquette University Student Government, categorizing as a student group. One of those groups is MSA, who receives the majority of its funding through MUSG. Jaber mentioned she doesn’t view Campus Ministry’s role as providing direct funding. “We see them as friendly neighbors and not as some overarching thing that funds us,” Jaber said. Rawinski said becoming a student group in order to receive funding is an option, but decided not to because she thinks the transition would be unnecessary and complicated. “Then we don’t have the backing of, or credibility of, an organization behind us,” Gregorio added. “So we’re just on our own.” For Meyer, the concern is
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less about changing status and more about making the best of the situation. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to realize the inner workings and why this is what it is, but that hasn’t made me be like, ‘Oh man, I feel like they’re pushing down on us and we’re oppressed,’” Meyer said. “That’s not what it is; it’s just we’re working with what we have to work with.” However, the members of LCM said they feel optimistic about the future, and recognize that despite obstacles, community is most important, and they’re going to move forward together. “I feel like it could definitely change for the good,” Gregorio said. “I know people in Campus Ministry are doing their best to do the right thing.”
Incoming freshman class religion statistics Catholic
Other Christian
No religious affiliation
Religion unknown
Other World Religion
2016
2015
2014
2013 Infographic by Anabelle McDonald anabelle.mcdonald@marquette.edu Source: Marquette Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Incumbent falls to new MUSG ticket Ben Dombrowski, Allie Bitz elected president, EVP By Camille Paul
camille.paul@marquette.edu
Ben Dombrowski and running mate Allie Bitz were elected as Marquette University Student Government president and executive vice president, respectively, with 61 percent of the vote. “It feels unreal,” Bitz said. “I kept trying to tell myself this week to not get my hopes up, because I didn’t want to be shattered, but when we heard our names I almost didn’t know how to react.” The pair received nearly
double the votes of incumbent MUSG President Adam Kouhel and running mate Reba Streightiff. The team was penalized five percent of the vote for violating campaign rules, finishing with 28 percent of the vote. “It’s overwhelming,” Dombrowski, former communications vice president for MUSG, said. “More than anything it’s just a sense of relief. It’s very exciting.” Both tickets accused each other of violating campaign rules. “There are rules to the elections committee and how you are supposed to campaign,” Dombrowski said. “We and other people called them out on it.” Kouhel and Streightiff were
charged with three different campaign violations involving mass distribution of campaign material in apartments on Kilbourn Avenue and in the Raynor Memorial Libraries. The ticket was found guilty and received a five percentage point reduction of their votes. Former president Adam Kouhel said he respected the election results and wishes the best for everyone in MUSG in the future. “It has been a privilege and honor to work on behalf of the undergraduate students at Marquette and I will continue to work on behalf of the Marquette community in new capacities. The alleged violations have already been addressed by the MUSG
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elections committee and settled as it relates to the MUSG election rules,” Kouhel said in a statement Monday evening. Kouhel and Streightiff were not at the press conference announcing the winners of the election in the AMU Friday, March 31. Dombrowski and Bitz were inaugurated Monday. Kouhel was not present. “Right away we have already got pulled aside and it’s like, ‘Alright, this is what we got to do,’” Dombrowksi said. “I’m ready to get started.” Kouhel declined to comBEN DOMBROWSKI ment further at this time. Newly elected MUSG President Student turnout was 23 percent, lower than previous years.
There are rules to the elections committee and how you are supposed to campaign. We and other people called them out.”
Innovation hub replaces standard 707 building New space with Kohler Center, Social Innovation By Eliana Reed
eliana.reed@marquette.edu
A new innovation hub was unveiled last week, powered by the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and the Social Innovation Initiative. The Kohler Center focuses on funding student planning programs and fostering for-profit business, while the Social Innovation Initiative manages non-profit businesses. Both have teamed up over the last year to provide Marquette a space to
unleash creativity and work on business prototypes. The new Hub is on the first floor of the 707 Building and is packed with resources available to students, faculty and staff. The space is available for anyone to come with business ideas, meet with mentors and work on different prototypes. The Hub is used as a social space as well. There are different collaborative areas for various types of work throughout the Hub, including meeting spaces and a small kitchen to help facilitate social interaction. A swing room is also included. Megan Carver, associate director of the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship, said different
programs are offered each month, including workshops, formal programs and casual programs featuring different guest speakers. “There’s really a broad range of opportunities available,” Carver said. She also added the Kohler Center holds funding programs to assist students with getting their businesses started. Kaivahn Sarkaratpour, the Kohler Center’s innovation design coordinator, works on the creative side of things. He assists students and faculty who take advantage of the new space by working with their visions for new businesses, and advising them on how to best represent those ideas. Sarkaratpour said the best part of his position is the students
he works with. “What’s great about the students that come through here is that you can tell they have a lot of ideas and a lot of passion,” he said. “They really want to get the most out of their experience here.” As far as planning, Carver said the idea for the Hub came from Sam Wesley and Creighton Joyce, both seniors in the College of Business Administration. The idea came to Wesley and Joyce two years ago after a leadership conference they both attended. The experience of collaborating with students from different disciplines was so impactful, it sparked the idea to create a similar environment on Marquette’s campus.
They ran into a few rough patches throughout the process. Wesley said the most difficult part for him was not being able to serve every need for every kind of student. “It was really difficult dealing with a finite number of things that we could do,” he said. Now that the project is complete, both Wesley and Joyce said they are excited to see the finished product, and are grateful for the support they received from the university. For Joyce, the best part is the legacy he is leaving behind with Wesley. “The real exciting part is that even though Sam and I will be done at Marquette in a few months, (the hub) will foster the needs of Marquette students for years to come,” Joyce said. Leigh McGiurk, a senior in the College of Communication, said she would consider using the Kohler Center because of the resources, location and how helpful it seems to be for students. “It’s super helpful to have that (right on campus) because going somewhere else can be expensive,” she said. “It would probably save time and energy, which, as a college student, is very important.” Over the last year, the Kohler Center has worked with Marquette architect Kurt YoungBinter to find the best space for the expansion project. Carver said the goal was to make a space that is inspiring and innovative. All of the desks, whiteboards, tables, and furniture in the Hub can be easily adjusted, which Carver said was part of the plan. “We wanted to maximize flexibility,” she said. “We’re going to continue to learn and adjust accordingly.”
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The Marquette Tribune
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Luck of the Irish: McMahon elected Irish-loving teacher named president of ACIS organization By Eliana Reed
eliana.reed@marquette.edu
At age 12, associate professor of history Timothy McMahon started asking his grandmother for stories about his deceased Irish grandfather. McMahon was inspired to look into his family history after reading the book “Roots,” by Alex Haley, about a man who was able to trace his family history all the way back to his ancestors in Africa. His interest in Irish culture became a lifelong passion. Last weekend, McMahon was named to serve a two-year term as President of the American Conference for Irish Studies, the largest academic organization devoted to Irish studies in North America. McMahon previously served as ACIS vice president for two years. He will be replaced by Professor Kathleen Costello Sullivan from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. The vice president position is a two-year term and the person who holds this position is automatically president-elect. Now as president, McMahon hopes to expand communication with scholars in Ireland and
Australia. Because everyone that attends the conference is one of very few Irish scholars at their university, McMahon believes it’s important that everyone stays in connection to remind them that they’re not alone. McMahon is very passionate about his work and seems excited to continue making improvements to the conference. McMahon studied German at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He considered studying German again in graduate school, but after his first trip to Ireland for his honeymoon, his mind changed due to the impactful experience. While on his honeymoon, McMahon and his wife traced his grandfather’s footsteps through Ireland. McMahon met family friends and second cousins he didn’t know about. After the trip, McMahon said he turned to his wife and said, “Honey, I need to go back to school.” He received his Ph.D. from the University of WisconsinMadison, working closely with James Donnelly, a history professor at the university specializing in Irish studies. Now at Marquette, McMahon teaches history focusing mostly on 19th-century Europe. He teaches Irish history, the history of the British Empire, nationalism and national identity. Throughout his time at Marquette, McMahon
Photo by Matthew Serafin matthew.serafin@marquette.edu
Timothy McMahon decided to focus his studies on Ireland after his honeymoon with his wife.
has worked with English professors Leah Flack and Tyler Farrell to promote Irish studies. Last year Flack and McMahon organized a series combining Flack’s literature class and McMahon’s history class. “We designed it so that his history class and my literature class would overlap with one another,” Flack said in an email. “We brought some very distinguished speakers to campus. Students really enjoyed it.” Flack said she and McMahon are hoping this offers a springboard for more Irish studies programs at Marquette because, based on their programs last year, it seems to have an audience. This past weekend, Farrell and
McMahon attended the National ACIS conference, where representatives from all over the world gather to celebrate Irish history, literature and art. Farrell said during the conference he had the opportunity to read poetry, some of it is his own, which he said is influenced by classic and contemporary Irish writings. He also had the opportunity to present academic papers at the conference, which he said have lately been centered on Irish poetry. McMahon, Farrell and Flack are working together to advance Irish studies at Marquette. They each have their own vision of what they’d like to accomplish during their time here.
Flack said because she’s seen such a large interest in Irish studies, she knows there’s more to be done. “I am hoping that we can launch a platform for this interest to get students really excited about studying literature, history, culture and politics,” she said. Farrell takes a small group of students to Ireland every summer and is hoping to expand that program to include more classes that will broaden students’ understanding on Irish art and literature. Both McMahon and Farrell are hoping to see an Irish studies minor and eventually a major come out of their work.
EVICTION from page 1
EDP teaches students what it’s like for evicted MKE families renting an apartment with no heat, no hot water and the septic tank was backing up raw sewage into the basement of the apartment building. When tenants complain or threaten to complain about these problems to the Department of Neighborhood Services, the tenants are frequently threatened with eviction or the landlord will begin the process to evict the tenant. Tenants generally aren’t aware that this practice is prohibited by law. “Many tenants can’t afford to move or can’t have an eviction on their record, at risk of not being able to find new housing,” Garski said. “Tenants also find themselves with less power when trying to negotiate their housing.” In Wisconsin, little to no public dollars are allocated toward civil representation, creating a massive need in the Milwaukee community. The Wisconsin Bar, nonprofits and attorneys are left to fill this gap. The Eviction Defense Project has become another way to help those in the Milwaukee community facing eviction.
Volunteer lawyers, like Garski, help tenants avoid an eviction or attempt to find alternatives to evictions through payment plans, time to find new housing or general negotiations between landlords and tenants. The help that the volunteer lawyers give to tenants gives hope. The Eviction Defense Project peaked Garski’s interest to volunteer for the program after previously interning with Legal Action of Wisconsin in the housing division where she handled similar cases. “There I really learned about what it would mean for many of Milwaukee’s families to be evicted from their home,” Garski said. For families with children, this often means their child’s education would be disrupted and forced to transfer schools. Many times, tenants cannot afford to move out of their current housing, and even if they could, renters are left with an eviction record that’s easily accessible on Consolidated Court Automation Programs, which provides some of Wisconsin’s circuit court
records. This means tenants will have an increased difficulty finding a new place to live. This can directly contribute to someone becoming chronically homeless. “Being involved with this project has allowed me to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” Garski said. “For many of our clients, it’s their first interaction with the legal system, or it’s the first time they’ve had someone advocate for them. You’re giving someone hope that they aren’t overlooked and someone cares about what happens to them and their family.” JJ Moore, a Marquette law student volunteering with the project, grew up in a low-income area in Massachusetts. Now that Moore has knowledge of the laws landlords need to follow, he is thankful he can provide help and assistance to those who need it. “When a tenant thanks me at the end of a negotiation or after a stipulation to a move out date, I feel like I have given back,” Moore said. Those involved in the Eviction Defense Project hope it will
continue to expand. The project has already increased from one day per week to two.
“We are giving a fighting chance to those who are often voiceless,” Garski said.
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The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Marquee
Page 8
Coffee for causes Local music venue prepares for 50 year anniversary By Jennifer Walter
jennifer.walter@marquette.edu
Across the street from Mashuda Hall, a neon sign flashes in the dark. Hanging at eye level is the word open, glaring against the ominous backdrop of Redeemer Lutheran Church. It is Saturday night and The Coffee House is open for business. Instead of brewing up cups of artisan-roasted beans and freshly foamed lattes, visitors pay five dollars at the door for hot drinks from a stainless-steel serving container. The focus is on live music — not coffee — and has been for the past 50 years. At 18 years old, Sandy Weisto was hired as a manager at The Coffee House. Over three decades, she is still involved — this time as a director. “It’s a good place to hear music,” Weisto said. “I made a lot of my best friends (here).” The atmosphere draws singer-songwriters and folk artists from all over southeastern Wisconsin. Young and old, experienced and inexperienced, the community welcomes anyone with an open ear and appreciation for live music. A performer herself, Weisto said the small, concertoriented venue is one of the most unique in Milwaukee. “There’s a difference between (performing) somewhere where you’re just kind of background music and somewhere where people are paying attention,” Weisto said. In the mid-1960s, when the
venue was just getting started, events would take place Thursday through Sunday nights and feature more than music. Poetry slams, discussion groups and monthly jazz nights took place. Marquette’s Lutheran Campus Ministry was part of the committee to launch the venue. They remained closely connected until the early 1980s, when the original committee disbanded. The Coffee House now operates under Redeemer Lutheran, though it has no religious ties. What was once a place for youth to gather, perform and listen now sees a dwindling population of student visitors. Weisto remembers a group of Marquette students who would visit frequently back in the ‘80s, but there have been few student visitors since. David Drake, a singer-songwriter who helps with promotions for the venue, is a regular who observes the sparse student population. Youth visitation is usually the result of word-of-mouth from an older musician who is a regular at The Coffee House. “The audience in part are the Coffee House regulars who come and support whatever is being played. They’re music lovers,” Drake said. “The lines really blur out folk, acoustic … whatever you wanna call it these days.” The organization has difficulties advertising on campus. The main problem is a lack of manpower, as the shrinking number of regulars don’t have time to hand out flyers during the day. “It’s a volunteer-run organization, (so) sometimes it’s hard to get everything done,” Weisto said. Before becoming a regular
Photos by Jennifer Walter jennifer.walter@marquette.edu
David Drake and John Higgins perform at The Coffee House’s monthly open mic night March 26.
volunteer in 2016, John Higgins said The Coffee House made an impression on him because of its genuine charm. “It’s such a wonderful place for people to gather, to share their feelings, music, poetry … (to) get up front and try their stuff,” Higgins said. Notable performers are drawn to the space, such as Lil Rev, who authored several books for Hal Leonard on how to play ukulele. The late Larry Penn, revered by the folk community, recorded an album to benefit the Coffee House. Charity also plays a big role in The Coffee House story. Living Activism concerts happen the second Sunday of every month, when a designated charity benefits from concert proceeds. Some shows, according to Weisto, have raised as much as $3,000. When Drake needed emergency gall bladder surgery in 2003,
The Coffee House put on a show to raise money for his medical bills. The three-hour show raised enough money to cover the cost. The very nature of folk music, Drake said, encourages one to be an active member of the community. “You can’t be a folk singer and not walk the talk,” Drake said. “I don’t think anyone in The Coffee House would give a damn what the brand of your religion is. That you care is important. In what fashion you care is irrelevant.” Donations are strongly encouraged, but no attendee will be turned away if he or she cannot afford the suggested five dollars. The Coffee House will celebrate its 50th anniversary in May with a whirlwind of performances by over 20 artists in a nine-hour time span, with the suggested donation remaining the usual price for an
average weekend concert. Because The Coffee House relies so heavily on volunteers, regulars are a staple in the crowd. Higgins compares the atmosphere to a family. “We all have a combined love for performance and music and sharing with other people because we know what it does for us, spiritually and emotionally,” Higgins said. “So if we share that with other people, it just becomes a beautiful thing.” Drake recalls an episode when one performer broke a guitar string on stage, passed the instrument to an audience member for repairs, and continued singing a cappella to kill stage time. “It really is the place to get started,” Drake said. “(This) is probably the safest, friendliest environment … the crowd is sitting there going, ‘You can do it, you can do it!’”
Marquee
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The Marquette Tribune
Impersonator resurrects comedy legend
‘An Evening with Groucho’ at Rep gets positive review By Rachel Kubik
rachel.kubik@marquette.edu
When I received a mysterious postcard in my mailbox that was not addressed to my roommates or me, I didn’t think much of it. However, when I scanned over the advertisement, something caught my attention: A Groucho Marx impersonator was performing a comedy show in Milwaukee. Writer and performer Frank Ferrante brought together all aspects of Groucho’s personality, taken from films and TV shows, and created one hilarious spectacle called “An Evening with Groucho,” that impressed me beyond belief. Groucho Marx was a famous comedian of the early decades of the 20th century. He starred in 13 films along with his four brothers, and branched out afterwards to host his own game show that aired in the 1950s, “You Bet Your Life.” I grew up watching some of the Marx brothers’ famous 1930s films such as “Duck Soup,” “A Night at the Opera,” “Monkey Business,” “Horse Feathers,” “A
Day at the Races” and “Animal Crackers.” I also saw countless episodes of “You Bet Your Life.” Still, I wasn’t sure what to expect or how similar the impersonator would be to the actual comedian. Complete with the famous grease-painted mustache and eyebrows, round glasses, black tuxedo and red neck tie cut off at the bottom, it was almost as if Groucho Marx had come back to life and was standing right there on the stage at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Ferrante had all the energy that Groucho did. He ran around the stage animatedly kicking his feet, and when he made a joke the actor looked up to the ceiling, quickly raised his eyebrows a few times and grinned widely. Many classic Groucho jokes were used, including one of Groucho’s most famous: “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I’ll never know.” Even though a lot of the jokes Ferrante used in the show were originally from other places, it was different hearing them live from Ferrante, and still elicited many chuckles. I was one of the few audience members there under the age of 50, but everyone seemed to have a rib-tickling good time regardless of age. Groucho stepped into the seating area numerous times as
Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Frank Ferrante draws from Groucho’s brash, unapologetic humor.
part of his routine to talk to audience members and show off his brash, offensive humor. He asked a woman what her age was and kept petting and ruining the hair style of a man. He got a young Milwaukee Repertory Theater intern up on the stage and asked for a kiss on the cheek. She went in for the kiss, but at the last moment, Groucho turned his head and it ended up being a fullout kiss on the lips. The intern was laughing, but wiped her mouth vigorously when walking back to her seat.
He asked a woman if she was in show business, and when she said no, told her rudely to take her resting foot off the stage. I felt like I was transported to the set of “You Bet Your Life.” Audience members did not need to have an extensive Groucho background or even be a Groucho fan to enjoy themselves. Ferrante was highly knowledgeable, teaching the audience some history of Groucho’s life and family, including the rest of the Marx brothers. It was delighting to hear the story of
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how each of the brothers got their nicknames: Their manager had a knack for coming up with names based on unique personality traits. Chico was named because he was always chasing after the women, or “chicks.” Harpo was named because he was talented at playing the harp. Groucho was named because, “well, I can’t figure that one out,” Ferrante said. It also was great hearing some musical numbers in the show. The songs were taken from Marx movies and Ferrante even performed a song that was written and intended for “A Day at the Races” but was never actually included in the film. I caught myself knowing most of the words to “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” and tapping my foot along with the show’s piano player, Gerald Sternbach. Sternbach accompanied all of the songs and soloed on a few, including the “You Bet Your Life” theme song. He also used his piano to mimic sounds, such as a ringing telephone, as a part of Groucho’s routine, which was impressive. Overall, seeing “An Evening with Groucho” was a fantastic way to spend my Sunday night and wrap up my weekend. I would highly recommend seeing the show. The show runs until May 28 in the Stackner Cabaret.
Grad works to craft his way out of office life Alumnus creates clothing line, hopes to expand business By Brendan Attey
brendan.attey@marquette.edu
Peder Cho didn’t want to picture the rest of his life inside a cubicle. Using a sewing machine his grandmother gave him, Cho decided to create his own clothes and sell them. What started simply as a hobby to pursue outside office work turned into an expanding small business. “My brother tells me all the time that if you stay in on a weekend and you’re up until 2 or 3 AM searching something online or doing some craft and all your friends are out, then you have found something that is your ticket out,” Cho said. Cho experienced months of leaving stores dissatisfied with the options inside. Whether he wanted the sleeves to be red, or a shirt to have a denim pocket in a certain place, he thought
he could make it better. Cho graduated from Marquette in 2014 after studying finance and got a job in downtown Milwaukee. After three years of working, he found that while his job paid the bills, he wasn’t sure he could sustain office life. In September 2016, Cho began producing his own clothing. He named the company BIYU products, which stands for “Believe In Your Utopia.” After a while, his friends were interested in his designs. “They told me I should start selling my clothes, but I didn’t know how that was going to work, because I had no money. I had a job, and all my money was spoken for,” Cho said. He decided to start by making and selling a single shirt a week. But because he was starting on such a small scale, he needed a unique selling point. “I’ll make this shirt exclusive, one of a kind, hand-made, where if you buy it, you’re going to own the only shirt like that, ever,” he said. Cho stands by two principles with everything he makes. His
hands must alter the product, whether it is sewing, painting or embroidering something. Secondly, whatever he makes will never be duplicated. There might be different renditions or versions, but it will never be the exact same colors or stitching. What first limited him eventually attracted people. It also helped that everything he was making sold immediately. “All of a sudden, it was real. Not only are my friends saying it’s cool, but (other) people are buying this stuff,” he said. Colin Eschweiler, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said Cho basing his clothing line in the Milwaukee area was admirable. “To have a bunch of Marquette graduates making an impact in the surrounding community would be really exciting,” Eschweiler said. As excited as Cho is to be making progress toward his vision, he is even more excited by the feedback from others. “The most meaningful thing would be when people would reach out and say that my clothes had inspired them to do their own
thing, because I was just a normal guy working some job with no plans to do myself better,” he said. “And I think that people can relate to how real it is to just start one day and follow your dreams.” Cho still works his nine-tofive job, but hopes to work at his clothing line full-time by 2019. “(My clothes are) mainly street wear. They’re something that
you could see a celebrity wearing on a night out. There is always a unique touch and they are always hand-made,” Cho said. Because Cho makes every product individually, he can’t afford to hold clothes and build up a large inventory, but his recent products can be viewed via the Instagram account or his website.
Photo courtesy of Peder Cho
Peder Cho wears a shirt from his line, “Believe in Your Utopia.”
The Marquette Tribune
Opinions
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Environment matter of national security
Editorial Board
Elizabeth Baker, Opinions Editor Mike Cummings, Assistant Opinions Editor Patrick Thomas, Executive Director Amy Elliot-Meisel, Managing Editor Marquette Tribune Stephanie Harte, Managing Editor Marquette Journal McKenna Oxenden, News Executive Emma Nitschke, Copy Chief Casey DiNicola, Online Editor of Marquette Wire Austin Anderson, Photo Editor
Jennifer Walter, A&E Executive Jack Goods, Sports Executive Anabelle McDonald, Design Chief Lily Wellen, Station Manager MURadio Hannah Kirby, Station Manager MUTV Brian Georgeson, Video Editor
STAFF EDITORIAL
Marquette Democracy Project sets excellent example for future classes
International affairs, digital media and journalism students have been working together this semester to bring globally renowned social activists to speak on campus as part of the Marquette Democracy Project. An excellent collaboration of academic expertise and interdisciplinary learning with the mission of spreading social awareness, the Democracy Project is a near perfect example of how a Marquette undergraduate career should culminate. New to campus this year, the project allows students to engage in global activism and promote the Jesuit ideal of social justice. The focus of the project is student collaboration. The international affairs capstone researches and writes reports on the speakers prior to their visit, and the students in the international reporting, video production and digital media capstone courses conduct and record interviews when they arrive. This project allows communication students to work within a certain political and global context they otherwise may not have experienced, and international
affairs majors learn the technical aspects of the interviewing and reporting processes. The Democracy Project provides a new and valuable academic experience to students who probably take few courses outside their specific majors. By working with people in other areas of study, these students get practical, hands-on experience before they enter the real world. They gain new critical thinking and problem-solving skills and an increased appreciation for the knowledge of their fellow students. The advantages of the Democracy Project go far beyond just this group of students. The entire Marquette community benefits when these social activists come to campus to share their experiences. Of the four speakers the Democracy Project plans to bring to Marquette this semester, Fray Tomas, a Franciscan friar who founded a migrant shelter in Mexico, and Clare Byarugaba, a civil rights activist from Uganda, were the first two. Hundreds of students, faculty and other community members
attended these events. With the goal of educating all of campus on social issues, the Democracy Project epitomizes Jesuit education. The rights of those who are suffering all over the world, from migrants in Central America to the LGBTQ community in Uganda, are at the forefront of the discussion, and hundreds of people gain awareness of these issues. The four pillars of a Marquette education — service, leadership, excellence and faith — are all highlighted in this project. Students take an active leadership role in interacting with the activists and organizing the events, while bringing real issues into discussion beyond the classroom. The well-rounded, faith-based education on which Marquette prides itself manifests for the students participating in this project. Students put to use a skill set they have molded for up to four years, while working with other students and serving the greater community. Other courses would be wise to note these benefits and use the Democracy Project as a model for future projects.
Statement of Opinion Policy
Photo courtesy of Joe Brown
Journalism, digital media and international affairs students interview Fray Tomas during his visit to campus earlier this semester.
PAGE 10
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: elizabeth.e.baker@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.
Morgan Hughes My family and I lived on the West Coast for a short time. I remember very little of our life there, but the memories I do have are mostly of the ocean and the California redwoods. When we moved from the West to the Midwest there were still beautiful sights to be seen, and while coastal elitists may argue that Wisconsin’s environment pales in comparison to mountains and beaches, there is so much here that deserves to be awed and protected. But even if you’re a city slicking anticamper who would rather watch HBO than spend a night in the woods, you still must recognize the opportunity cost for the comforts we enjoy. Because it’s about more than nature hikes and sunsets. The quality of the environment plays directly into our quality of health and sustainability. Industrialization, factory farming, urbanization and the like have all contributed to the rapid decline of our environment. This is a fact. With that said, we’ve committed to our lifestyles, and these industries won’t be going away. But we need to find a balance. For the past century, the U.S. government has promised to work toward that balance, and the Environmental Protection Agency has been the vehicle by which this promise was delivered. When the current administration proposes cutting that agency’s budget by a third, it should give us pause. For clarification, the EPA isn’t a group of tree-hugging hippies laying down in front of bulldozers. These are
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scientists, scholars and health professionals whose purpose is to protect us from ourselves. When companies don’t follow emissions guidelines, it impacts the air we breathe. When companies dump waste into oceans and quarries, it impacts our water supply. The EPA’s role is to prevent companies from doing these things. Trump’s eagerness to abolish the EPA should worry all of us. This goes for the people in my hometown with souped-up trucks that get 8 miles to the gallon, and for the people who conscientiously ride their bikes to work in order to limit pollution. This is an issue for everyone regardless of politics, background, upbringing or residence. W e should be looking at climate change and environmental instability as a threat to national security. Changing weather patterns will bring more natural disasters, loose emissions regulations will bring smog and eventually, no matter where we go, the tap water won’t be suitable for drinking. There are costs for the way we live, but honestly, it’s not that difficult to recycle and to turn off the tap when we’re brushing our teeth. For all the good we do as individuals, we need to hold our government to the same standard. What good is thriving industry if all the world’s people are too sick to work, or all the earth’s resources have been dried up?
Trump’s eagerness to abolish the EPA should worry all of us. ... This is an issue for everyone regardless of politics, background, upbringing or residence.”
Morgan Hughes is a junior studying journalism and political science. She can be reached at morgan.hughes@marquette.edu
Opinions
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The Marquette Tribune
11
Current privacy laws Local media vital to community do not go far enough Ryan McCarthy Many people are surprised to learn that the United States doesn’t have an explicit constitutional right to privacy. Sure, the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from illegal searches and the 14th Amendment’s due process clause has been interpreted to protect privacy in specific circumstances, but these amendments are subject to varied interpretations by judges. Instead, a lot of the privacy protections we enjoy come from Congress and regulatory agencies. One of the consequences of the recent congressional gridlock is that our current privacy laws and regulations have failed to adapt to the internet. With the average age of a member of Congress at 57 and the Senate at 61, it’s not difficult to understand why the government is slow to adapt. Last Tuesday’s vote to block a key internet privacy regulation should come as no surprise. The measure undoes an Obama-era bill that would prohibit the sale of customers’ browsing data starting this December. Essentially, your data is no longer your data. It is a commodity owned by the people from whom you buy your internet. Before you grab a hammer and go smash your modem, most internet service providers won’t take advantage of this any time soon. They have self-regulation in the form of legally binding privacy policy agreements with their customers. Some of these agreements even place limits on the data they’re able to collect and the information they can sell. The obvious problem is since these are self-imposed regulations, the companies can change or amend the policy almost at will. This worry is exacerbated by the current lack of consumer choice in providers. Many Americans live in
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areas where there is only one company that provides internet access, so providers have little pressure to cave to consumer demand. After all, what are we going to do, stop using the internet entirely? We can’t ignore that the vote was nearly a perfect party line split, with every single Democrat and just 15 Republicans voting against the resolution. We also shouldn’t ignore the average Republican “yes” voter received $137,908 from the telecom lobby.Even House Minority Whip Rep. S t e n y Hoyer (D4-MD), who has received $1.3 million from telecom companies in his political career, voted against the bill. So why would Republicans, whose ideology (allegedly) supports individual liberties, vote in near lockstep unity to weaken them? I suspect they would argue that the federal government should not be involved in telling a company what they can do with information they legally own. We need to take Europe’s lead on internet policy. Recently, the European Union enacted significant internet privacy protection, giving its member citizens the “right to be forgotten.” In essence, the statute allows citizens of the 28 member countries to request that search engines like Google delist and remove search results that reference them. I wouldn’t hold my breath for Congress to get its act together. If you’re concerned about the safety of your data, the easiest thing you can do is pay for a good VPN. The country desperately needs a debate on how we want to regulate the internet. Until we do, corporations and interest groups will continue to decide for us.
The country desperately needs a debate on how we want to regulate the internet.”
Ryan McCarthy is a senior studying journalism. He can be reached at ryan.w.mccarthy@marquette.edu
Caroline Kaufman Within the last year, I have developed a serious addiction. The culprit? Podcasts. The biggest gem I have found in my audio storytelling journey hits surprisingly close to home. It’s a podcast called “Bubbler Talk” from WUWM, Milwaukee’s local public radio service. I was initially drawn to this series because I shared some of the questions about Milwaukee that the podcast seeks to answer, such as, “What’s the origin of the word Milwaukee?” and “Why do Bloody Marys come with a beer chaser in Wisconsin?” However, I think that the most important takeaway I have had from “Bubbler Talk” is my increased appreciation for local media outlets and the important role they play in our community. The investigative reporters that comprise the “Bubbler Talk” staff use local resources, such as the archives from the Milwaukee Public Library and local historians and experts throughout the area. I have found that I am not only interested in the content of the show, but that I am becoming more informed as a local resident, hearing stories and news I may have missed if it weren’t for this unique local news source. During a segment about journalism, John Oliver, host of “Last Week Tonight,” reiterated the importance of local newspapers. He shed light on the fact that many national media outlets repackage the work of local newspapers, and without that information, the quality of national news stories
Tune in to “You Can’t Handle the Truth” Opinions desk radio show Thursdays 6 p.m.
marquettewire. org/listen
Photo by Helen Dudley helen.dudley@marquette.edu
City media outlets like Shepherd Express inform and bring together the local community in ways national news cannot.
would significantly decrease. If we only focus on national news sources, we miss the important stories and voices of the community around us. Now more than ever, it is crucial to know where your news comes from, and I truly believe that having a good balance between national and local news sources is key. Listening to “Bubbler Talk” has reminded me just how important local content is, and that news not only informs, but also entertains. Because this Milwaukee-centered podcast caters to such a niche audience, listeners experience a common sense of appreciation and understanding of the content. In a similar way, publications like Shepherd Express
focus on hitting a small readership, fostering a shared excitement for Milwaukee culture. They broaden our knowledge of the place we call home and the people within it while sparking our curiosity to explore this city we share. Exposing yourself to these local media outlets offers a greater awareness of the people and places around you and nurtures pride in your city. Media organizations’ passion for local stories has the power to bring people together and strengthen the community.
Caroline Kaufman is a junior studying corporate communication and writing-intensive English. She can be reached at caroline. kaufman@marquette.edu
Sports The Marquette Tribune
Men’s lacrosse sputtering offensively in second halves in their losses this season
SPORTS, 14
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 PAGE 12
Fischer crucial to transition
Photo by Austin Anderson austin.anderson@marquette.edu
Luke Fischer throws down a ferocious dunk against Georgetown at the BMO Harris Bradley Center this season. The center averaged 10.9 points per game this year.
Senior bridged gap between Williams, Wojciechowski eras By Matt Unger
matthew.unger@marquette.edu
Luke Fischer’s route to collegiate success followed an unusual path, spanning three different head coaches with two different teams. Still, Fischer eventually made Marquette his home, bridging the gap between former head coach Buzz
Williams and current head coach Steve Wojciechowski by filling a roster hole at a program that was going through a transition period. When Fischer arrived at Marquette back in January of 2014, he was heralded as the big man of the future for the Golden Eagles. Now just over a month away from graduation, Fischer will leave Marquette as the program’s all-time leader in field goal percentage and as a member of the illustrious 1,000-point club.
After declaring his intentions to leave Indiana in December 2013, it was obvious Marquette would be a frontrunner for his services considering Davante Gardner and Chris Otule were set to graduate in the spring. The Germantown, Wisconsinnative and Marquette seemed like the perfect match. “Being back in Wisconsin is great … only 30 minutes away from Germantown,” Fischer said during his introductory press conference Jan. 14, 2014. Although the move made
sense logistically at the time for Fischer, things changed quickly. By March of 2014, just two months after Fischer came to Marquette, Williams left the program. In came Wojciechowski, Fischer’s third head coach in just four months. “You don’t really know what’s going to happen when that happens,” Fischer said. “You come in here, and you think you have a set feeling of what your next (three) years are going to be like. Obviously that changed abruptly, but having
coach Wojo come in here has truly been a the biggest blessing in disguise we could have asked for.” After being forced to sit out two semesters of play due to transfer restrictions, Fischer finally made his Marquette debut Dec. 16, 2014. He totaled 33 minutes in his first game in the Blue and Gold, logging 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds and five blocks, giving Marquette fans a taste of what to expect going forward. Due to his size and skill set,
Weekly staff picks
WLAX vs.
Goods
Unger
Becker
Hand
Boyle
Salinas
21-19
23-17
18-22
19-21
20-20
23-17
Ploen
Steppe
DeSutter
23-17
5-5
Florida 4-5-17
MLAX vs.
St. John’s 4-8-17
Record
22-18
Sports
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 his role on the team was clear from his first appearance as a Golden Eagle. He was truly the only legitimate post presence Wojciechowski had at his disposal. This abundance of in-game experience has helped
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To say that for my senior year we were able to bring this back out, we were able to change it all, is really something I will cherish forever.”
Luke Fischer Former men’s basketball center
him grow into the player he is today. “I definitely have been able
to get more confident, be stronger, more explosive … all that stuff. I’ve just grown as a person on the court,” Fischer said. “My IQ I think has gone up a lot with the whole game of basketball.” While Fischer’s individual game continued to improve from year to year, Marquette men’s basketball also continued to show improvements, moving from Marquette’s lowest total win output since 1990-’91 his sophomore year to an NCAA Tournament bid this year. “Being able to say that we were the team to bring back Marquette to the tournament, to bring it out of such a dark place of things that we’re not used to here, (is great),” Fischer said. “Losing seasons, not making postseason play, that was really hard for us. To say that for my senior year we were able to bring this back out, we were able to change it all, is really something I will
Photo courtesy of Maggie Bean Marquette Athletics
Luke Fischer talks with Steve Wojciechowski during a game in the 2014-’15 season. Fischer made his Marquette debut Dec. 16.
FRIDAY 4/7 Track Marquette Duals All Day
Luke Fischer watches as his fiancee Payton Brock puts on her ring after he proposed on the court.
cherish forever.” However, an NCAA Tournament appearance was not the only highlight of Fischer’s senior year. After shooting 6-for-8 from the field and hauling in eight rebounds on a Senior Day victory against Creighton, Fischer grabbed the microphone and asked his girlfriend to come down to the floor. Then, in front of the entire BMO Harris Bradley Center, he got down on one knee. With his teammates beside him, Fischer proposed to “his biggest supporter,” Payton Brock. “To have that memory and to have so many awesome pictures and videos of that mo-
SATURDAY 4/8 Men’s tennis at Xavier 12 p.m.
Women’s tennis at Creighton 1 p.m.
Men’s soccer vs. UW-Parkside 7:30 p.m.
Men’s lacrosse vs. St. John’s 1 p.m.
SUNDAY 4/9 Women’s tennis at Nebraska-Omaha 11 a.m.
Women’s lacrosse at Denver 2 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. UW-Green Bay 6 p.m.
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Photo by Brian Georgeson brian.georgeson@marquette.edu
MARQUETTE SPORTS CALENDAR WEDNESDAY 4/5 Women’s lacrosse vs. Florida 12 p.m.
The Marquette Tribune
Men’s tennis at Butler 12 p.m.
BIG EAST STANDINGS MEN’S LACROSSE (BIG EAST, Overall)
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (BIG EAST, Overall)
Denver 1-0, 7-2 Providence 1-0, 7-3 Villanova 1-0, 6-4 Marquette 1-1, 5-3 St. John’s 0-1, 1-8 Georgetown 0-2, 2-8
Florida 3-0, 9-2 Temple 2-1, 9-2 Denver 2-1, 8-2 Vanderbilt 2-1, 5-4 Georgetown 2-1, 4-7 Marquette 2-1, 4-7 Cincinnati 1-2, 5-6 Villanova 1-2, 3-7 UConn 0-3, 3-7 Butler 0-3, 1-10
ment … we are truly blessed to have that,” Fischer said. “Marquette basketball has been our lives for the last couple of years. She’s been to almost every one of our home games, tons of road games. To be involved like that, it was, I think, the best way we possibly could have done it.” It is memories like this that will make leaving Marquette so hard for Fischer. “I mean, this place is seriously so special to me,” Fischer said. “Eventually I want to give back to Marquette what they’ve given to me. It really is such a special place here, and I’m really going to miss it. Now just over a month away from graduation, Fischer, just like every other college senior, has to figure out what’s next in his life. April 12 he will compete in the Portsmouth Invitational, a showcase senior tournament with an abundance
of NBA and overseas scouts on hand. “Hopefully I can play at the highest level, wherever that takes me,” Fischer said. “It’s exciting. It’s scary, but I am really excited to see where basketball can take me from here on out.” While his future path may not be clear at this point, Fischer said he is excited for the upcoming process. For now, he can relish his final few weeks as a college student and look back upon a successful senior year, both on and off the court. “I’m really going to miss it (Marquette),” Fischer said after his final game as a Marquette Golden Eagle. “It’s been a heck of a two-anda-half years playing here, and I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”
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The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Second-half scoring droughts hurt MLax in losses
Golden Eagles have scored 16 goals less in second halves By Jack Goods
jack.goods@marquette.edu
Defense was the biggest question mark going into the season for men’s lacrosse, but surprisingly it’s been the offensive production stalling Marquette in big games. Once the team goes into the locker room for halftime, it often feels as if the offense never comes back out. Second half goal droughts marred all three of Marquette’s losses this season. The most drastic came against Richmond, where the Golden Eagles were held scoreless in the second half in a 9-2 loss. The 12-6 loss to Ohio State saw only one second half goal from the Golden Eagles, which came with 2:11 remaining and the game all but over. In their loss this weekend to Villanova, the Golden Eagles failed to find the back of the net in the final 19 minutes and 57 seconds of action, allowing the Wildcats to
Photo by Austin Anderson austin.anderson@marquette.edu
Men’s lacrosse celebrates a goal, something they haven’t done often in the second half this season.
go on a three-goal run and win the game in overtime. Marquette has scored 45 goals in the first halves of games this season, but only 29 in the second. The dry spells have pushed the Golden Eagles to 50th among 71 DI teams in scoring offense. “I think it’s maturity,” head coach Joe Amplo said. “It’s these kids’ ability to sustain their confidence, success. They can’t sustain their good play for 60 minutes. … It’s frustrating.”
“I think we have a lot of energy and excitement, and we’re relying a lot on that energy to bring us some power behind our offense early on,” attackman Kyran Clarke said. Besides the Ohio State game, the drop-off isn’t simply caused by a lack of opportunities. Marquette had 10 shots in the second half against Richmond, but all were handled by Spiders’ goalie Ben Pugh. Marquette missed the net six times in the second half of
the Villanova game. The Wildcats’ Nick Testa made a couple impressive saves, but Marquette was forced to take multiple lowpercentage looks, including Ryan McNamara’s shot in the final seconds of regulation. In Marquette’s three losses, the Golden Eagles shooting percentage is a low 12 percent. “It’s nowhere near where we want it to be,” Clarke said. “A lot of our shots, even though they aren’t turnover shots, we’re not
hitting the shots where we need to score. … When we get shots within 10 yards, we can’t have those missing the net.” However, the offense isn’t panicking. The team hasn’t deviated too far from the original game plan, especially since the Golden Eagles have been always been a methodical offense to begin with. Marquette finished last season just 42nd in scoring, and that was good enough to make the NCAA Tournament. An extra goal here and there, and Marquette could be in a very different position. If you play the law of averages, the shooting percentage should return to normal with some resume-building opportunities still remaining on the schedule. “We’re playing pretty good team offense still, even though we’re not hitting the shots,” McNamara said. “We’re getting looks, so if we start canning a couple extra shots we’re not panicking as much and we play a much more free-flowing offense.” “I think the shots will start to fall, and once they do we’ll find that rhythm,” Clarke said.
Elliott’s recruitment geographically significant John Steppe Last November, Marquette men’s basketball head coach Steve Wojciechowski had a rare luxury. After having to rely on the later signing period the previous two years to complete recruiting classes, Wojciechowski only had one spot to fill after signing Ike Eke, Jamal Cain and Theo John for the Class of 2017. Marquette could then sit back and look for recruits without needing another signee. Four months later, the recruiting picture is far less picturesque. After losing Sandy Cohen and Traci Carter via midseason transfers and graduating Luke Fischer, Jajuan Johnson and Duane Wilson (who will finish his career Texas A&M as a graduate transfer), Marquette still has three open scholarships with the regular signing period looming eight days away. While graduate transfers like Katin Reinhardt last summer and Matt Carlino in 2014 are increasingly available and would fill immediate team needs, it’s hardly a perfect source to fill multiple scholarships. Based on ESPN’s list of graduate transfers from last summer, out of the 14 Division I schools to bring in multiple graduate transfers, only seven were Power Six schools and one made the NCAA Tournament. The lone school was
Iowa State. Fortunately for the blue and gold, Marquette’s increasing need for another 2017 recruit conveniently coincides with the rise of 2017 combo guard Greg Elliott. Elliott entered the season as the Detroit Free Press’ 13th-best high school basketball player in the state and wasn’t even ranked on 247Sports but finished as a finalist for Michigan’s Mr. Basketball. Additionally, he finished in the Mr. Basketball voting above Cain, who chose Marquette over Florida State, Michigan and Georgia. Elliott would step in and take some of the minutes lost from Wilson’s decision to graduate and transfer. He would also provide some insurance to Marquette in case Haanif Cheatham does not bounce back from his subpar sophomore season. Marquette has the benefit of recruiting Elliott before other major programs. Prior to Marquette’s offer, Elliott’s only Power Six offer was from DePaul, which has not made the tournament since Elliott was in preschool. The other major advantage involves Marquette’s other signees from Michigan. Eke and Cain play on The Family, a Nike EYBL travel team Elliott also played for. Aside from his obvious impact on the court, Elliott’s recruitment has additional importance as a testing ground for whether Wojciechowski can consistently recruit in Michigan. Signing
Elliott would mean that three out of four signees came from the state of Michigan while turning down at least one of the two perennial powerhouses in the state, Michigan or Michigan State. At the same time, Elliott signing elsewhere would be a
significant blow to Wojciechowski’s plan to emphasize the Wolverine State. Marquette has already lost Xavier Tillman, and earlier in Wojciechowski’s tenure, Cassius Winston to Michigan State. If Marquette cannot successfully recruit a player that
has two AAU teammates already signed and a longer relationship with Marquette’s staff than any other high-major, it would be a definite blow. John Steppe is a freshman studying journalism. He can be reached at john.steppe@marquette.edu
Sports
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
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After two close calls, Quidditch makes nationals Club heading to Florida for first time since 2013 By Nathan Desutter
nathan.desutter@marquette.edu
When Marquette Quidditch clinched a trip to nationals in November, it brought back memories of heartbreak from two years earlier for club president Nathan Digmann. With harrowing, blizzardravaged roadways, power loss at their hotel and a number of crucial injuries, it was a miracle Marquette Quidditch, or any of their midwestern foes, made an appearance at the regional tournament in fall 2015 in Macomb, Illinois. Some teams, fearing the below-freezing pitch packed with snow and enveloped by a 30 mile per hour whipping wind, requested the games not be played. The officials, after long consideration, ruled the players must mount their broomsticks and take flight. It didn’t worry Marquette. After winning their inaugural home tournament against similar competition just two weeks prior, they were heavy favorites to survive the tundra and earn a trip to the World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida — something that had evaded them for three long years. But when the snowflakes settled, the favorites were surprisingly sent packing and forced to kiss their dreams of Nationals goodbye. “It felt awful,” Digmann said. “It hurt the club, in the short term. The rest of the spring semester, for the first few months, everyone was really demoralized.” They eventually regrouped, found success in a Quidditch “NIT tournament” of sorts down in Texas, and rallied around their passion for the sport in a quest to return to this year’s regional tournament with a vengeance. “We took on a more serious nature,” Brandon Kwak, one of the five seniors on the team, said. “We’re running practices in a more efficient way and we have a concrete game plan.” With heavy roster turnover following the 2015 defeat, they were no longer the favorites going into the 2016 Regional. Many considered them big underdogs, but they easily cruised to the semifinal, when another brick wall hit. After two straight losses, they again stared down defeat and heartbreak as the scoreboard ticked toward eventual demise. Third time was the charm for the Golden Eagles, and the clinching game played out like a movie script. The now-graduated Jahi Brown caught the match-ending 30 point snitch
Photo by Austin Anderson austin.anderson@marquette.edu
Quidditch captain Nathan Digmann competes in Marquette’s home tournament against Minnesota.
against Twin Cities-based TC Frost. It was just enough to give Marquette the lead and secure their first trip to Nationals since 2013, but referees paused to deliberate whether or not the catch was clean. “It felt like it was about two minutes,” Kwak said. “You could hear a pin drop. Even the people in the stands watching were dead quiet.” But when the ruling was made official, the emotions swelled and tears began to flow. “A bunch of us started crying, we were so excited,” Melissa Kurtzweil, a senior in her first year on the team, said. “This tournament says we worked so hard to get to this point. It feels like all the work has paid off.” “Even Nate (Digmann) walked off the field crying after that game,” Kwak said. But Digmann’s tears symbolized something different: relief.
“The one word that came to mind was ‘finally,’” Digmann said. “We’d been waiting for so long, and really this year at regionals a lot went wrong again. There was a thought of ‘here we
go again.’” The emotions stemmed from the long, winding road Digmann, Kwak and fellow senior, Christian Van Scoy, have ventured down since they first gave that
“goofy thing at O-fest,” as Kwak put it, a chance. “Freshman year, there was a lot of drama and debate about the leader of the team,” Van Scoy said. “There was a real lack of organization and communication.” Seventeen of the 21 players were freshmen, and most, including Digmann, considered not coming back. But, instead of giving in, they buckled down and took Marquette Quidditch to the next level. Now, the team kicks off the nationals competition April 8, the first time any of the players will participate. “I expect it to be a really special experience.” Digmann said. “We can win, it’s not totally out of the realm of possibly, but, and this might surprise some people, it’s not totally about winning. It’s about seeing people perform and growing together as a team and family.”
Photo by Austin Anderson austin.anderson@marquette.edu
The entire Quidditch roster will make its first nationals appearance April 8 in Kissimmee, Florida.
ART, AESTHETICS AND THE FUTURE OF CITY LIFE East/West
Scholars, professionals, students and others interested in exploring the future of the arts in city life are invited to attend the interdisciplinary conference and participate in discussions with the 10 invited scholars. The conference will take place in Raynor Memorial Libraries and other locations in Milwaukee near campus.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The aim of this conference is to bring together a select group of interdisciplinary scholars and other professionals to examine this topic from their respective disciplines — including aesthetics, urban planning, and related professional fields — to explore the common ground that might emerge.
April 5 – 7, 2017
Please direct any questions or special needs to Marquette University Special Events at universityspecialevents@marquette.edu or (414) 288-7431.
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY Raynor Memorial Libraries 1355 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee REGISTER AT muconnect.marquette.edu/art-conference-2017
Thank you to our hosts: Marquette University Office of the Provost, Marquette University Philosophy Department, Anonymous Benefactor, and International Association of Aesthetics.
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The Marquette Tribune
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Versatile Felix jack of many trades for track & field Sophomore has top 10 marks in four different events By Brendan Ploen
brendan.ploen@marquette.edu
For the better part of two seasons, sophomore Monique Felix has been breaking school record after school record, and not just in one event, either. Felix has dominated the field in numerous events and holds program top-10 marks in the heptathlon, long jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles. This past weekend at Southeast Missouri State University, Felix set a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.58 seconds, which was good enough for seventh-best all-time in the event. Additionally, Felix set another program mark in the triple jump with a jump of 39 feet, 10.75 inches, good enough for the third-best mark all-time in that event. Head coach Bert Rogers said
qualifying for nationals in both the pentathlon and heptathlon is a possibility. “For someone to qualify to nationals in the multi-events at the NCAA DI level is quite a feat,” Rogers said. “It basically means that you are competing at a world-class level. Monique has the ability to be that.” Although she has set program records, it has not always been easy for Felix. During this past BIG EAST Conference meet, many members of the team became ill with a bout of food poisoning. She had to fill in for multiple people and compete in events that she may not have otherwise. “I feel like it added even more pressure to the meet because we won the outdoor as well, so we had a target on our backs and the illnesses were going around,” Felix said. “We knew that Omo (Tseumah) was out, and so we knew we needed to step up together. And we all did a fantastic job, and despite all of our obstacles, we still came out and won.” The day of the meet, Felix is all
Photo courtesy of Marquette Track & Field
Sophomore Monique Felix jumps over hurdles during the BIG EAST Championship this season.
business. While she is all about cheering her teammates on, she mainly focuses on her events because the team is very strong at the senior level. Coach Rogers is not worried because he knows Felix will step up in the near future. “She is certainly very supportive of her teammates and cheers them on, but we have such strong
leadership in our current seniors that Mo is able to go about her business, work and compete hard and lead by example. She is definitely one we will look to in the coming years and I have no doubt will be a great leader for us.” In the meantime, Felix will continue to keep an all-business mentality and strive for another
BIG EAST team title. Her goal is simple: go about her business and get better day by day. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘today I’ll do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what they can’t.’ And to me, knowing all of those hard workouts and my dedication, at the end of the day, it will set me apart.”
Ewing hiring more than just big name for G’Town Jack Goods When Georgetown tapped Patrick Ewing as its next head coach yesterday afternoon, it created a splash as big as the 7-foot, 240 lbs. former center would make cannon-balling into a pool. With multiple other coaches already turning down the job, including Xavier’s Chris Mack, Ewing was by far the biggest
name tied to the legendary program. He is Georgetown’s most famous basketball alumnus, an NCAA champion with the school in 1984. He was taken first overall in the NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and went on to have a Hall of Fame career. He will immediately be one of the most marketable coaches in college basketball, both for television and getting in the door with recruits. Who is going to say no to talking to Ewing? It’d be easy to focus on Ewing as a celebrity, the former player
who was an instrumental member of the Dream Team. On the surface, this could be viewed as an underachieving program looking to boost morale by hiring someone already beloved by its fan base, or someone former coach John Thompson Jr., who is an incredibly powerful figure in the program, approves. All of that diminishes what Ewing has done as a coach. Ewing has served as an NBA assistant coach since 2002 and has been on Steve Clifford’s staff in Charlotte since 2013. He is the
Hornets’ associate head coach, has coached the team on multiple occasions in summer league and has been a candidate for NBA coaching jobs. He most recently was a finalist for the Sacramento Kings’ opening this summer. “I think that he’s attacked the coaching profession in the same work manner that made him so successful as a player,” Clifford said to The Vertical Monday. “He’s a nuts and bolts coach, detail-oriented and constantly looking for ways to make himself better. He’s going be a big loss here.”
“Very few who have been a top50 player of all time has ever invested more into a second career than Patrick has into coaching,” Stan Van Gundy, who coached Ewing on the Knicks, said to The Vertical. He’s gone through the grind at the NBA level but never got an NBA head coaching opportunity despite being well thought of as an assistant. Both Thompson and Ewing said it could be because the general perception of centers as simply physically dominant players. “He’s a smart player. He’s a great leader. But you very seldom hear intelligence associated with height in the NBA or in college. Therefore, they think that the people who are thinking on the floor all the time are guards. Patrick is suffering from that,” Thompson Jr. said to The Washington Post in 2015. His big break is coming at a new level, and The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Ewing has already studied all the requirements of running a college basketball program in preparation for this job. Ewing’s fame will obviously have its benefits. Look at what Chris Mullin has been able to do in recruiting at St. John’s, despite never coaching before taking over in 2015. Ewing combined that acclaim with high-level coaching history, which should keep Georgetown fans optimistic. Jack Goods is a senior studying journalism. He can be reached at jack.goods@marquette.edu