The Marquette Tribune
"Bee" the difference
By Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
While students walk through the halls of the Wehr Life Sciences Building, above them on the roof sit colonies of bees doing work of their own. Through all hours of the day, the bees spend their time growing their population, producing honey and providing insight for research.
Underneath the building and within the corridors of the basement lies The Cook Lab, a center of research in entomology, the study of insects. Specifically, the lab focuses on bee populations and the social behaviors that govern them.
"Social insects have some of the most complex behaviors that rival human societies.""
Chelsea Cook Primary investigator of
the lab
“Social insects have some of the most complex behaviors that rival human societies,” Chelsea Cook, an assistant professor of biological sciences and the primary investigator of the lab, said.
The lab takes pride in looking at behaviors with ecological relevance, investigating behaviors and then putting them back into the field to research further. The goal of such a process is “to understand the social, environmental, and physiological contexts that shape behavior.”
“You zoom in and you look at phys iology, ge netics, gene expression, things like that, and then you zoom out,” Cook said. “What is the impact on ecology and evolution of that behavior? So, we try to tell the whole story, not just one component of the story.”
The Cook Lab focuses its research on social behavior, specifically in regard to fanning, a thermoregulatory behavior in bees. When fanning, bees flap their wings from the entrance of the colony, which helps to create airflow and bring down the temperature of the colony and the larvae inside of it.
“They have to do this because their babies only develop at a certain temperature, so it’s super important for them to circulate air in order to keep the colony cool,” Justine Nguyen, a graduate student in The Cook Lab, said.
The action of fanning provides an opportunity for advanced research questions, which the lab asks to gain a better understanding of social behavior.
“Throughout the day, bees have to be able to sense the environment and then do this job,” Cook said. “And so that’s kind of where
we intersect, and what questions we ask is, ‘How do the bees sense the environment and how do they know what the temperature is?’ And then, ‘How does that change their physiology to make them do the behavior?’”
The answers to such questions work to provide further insight into the social reasoning behind the behavior.
“We’re trying to get these little snapshots to try to answer that question: how do they actually as semble and know how many are needed to do this job?” Cook said.
While the lab approaches bees scientifically by nature, there is also a personal interest in the research being done and its subjects.
“[In a lab at Arizona State Uni versity], I was exposed to learning
and memory in honeybees,” Rachael Halby, a graduate student in The Cook Lab, said. “It was a lot of fun, and I fell in love with them and how social they are and the way that they take care of their sisters. I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so much better than humans. I love you!’”
In addition to growing internally, the lab works to grow
Historic moment for Lemonis
By Gabriel Mannion gabriel.mannion@marquette.edu
The Marquette community gathered to dedicate the Lemonis Center for Student Success with a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 13.
The dedication ceremony for the Lemonis Center had over 150 people in attendance, including Marquette students, faculty and members of the Milwaukee community. Also in attendance was Kimo Ah Yun, acting president, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
The creation of the Lemonis Center was made possible by a $15 million donation in February from Marcus and Bobbi Lemonis. Marcus Lemonis is a star of HGTV’s “The Renovator“, CNBC’s “The
Profit“, and chairman and CEO of Camping World and a 1995 alumnus of the Helen Way Klinger College of Arts and Sciences.
“This is a historical moment. President Lovell had a vision for the student success initiative to make it easy for students to access support and for services to be better in terms of resources that can be offered,” Marilyn Jones, director of the Lemonis Center for Student Success, said. “And, today, that vision came to fruition with the ribbon cutting and dedication of the Lemonis Center. He [Lovell] was there in spirit.”
Marcus was introduced to speak on the opening of the center and what it meant to him.
“Marcus gave a resonating speech on how Marquette helped
him understand who he was as a person and how to be his authentic self,” Jones said. “He touched on how Marquette helped [Marcus] realize success is about the whole person, and it is something he is able to give back through the Lemonis Center.”
Jones said Marcus mentioned mentors who helped him achieve success during his time at Marquette and beyond, including Rev. Andy Thon, S.J., who was present to provide a blessing for the dedication of the center. After Marcus gave his remarks, Thon shared how much he was touched by the fact that Marcus mentioned him and then proceeded to bless the Lemonis Center.
Sebastian Rios, a junior in the College of Communication and
Lemonis Center desk receptionist, said he got to meet Marcus at the ceremony.
“It was surreal seeing everything come to fruition, and seeing the impact and meaning it holds on campus is amazing,” Rios said. “No one realizes the impact it has until they see it.”
Marcus Lemonis, Bobbi Lemonis and Rev. Andy Thon cut the ribbon in front of the main staircase to officially mark the opening of the Lemonis Center.
“It was really a day for Marcus, highlighting the work and donation he gave to make this space possible,” Jones said. “It was their moment [Marcus and Marquette staff]. They have been working
Photo by Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
Chelsea Cook uses her lab to investigate bees and their social behaviors.
Continued from page 1
efforts. Included in those pursuits are beekeeping courses taught at Sturtevant Transitional Facility, a work-release prison.
“These men had a blast and learned so much and asked really great scientific questions about bee behavior,” Halby said.
The lab also works with local elementary and middle schools, teaching bee-
LEMONIS: Offers resources for students BEE: Lab helps research grow
Continued from page 1
on this for a while, and it was beautiful to see it all come together.”
Jones said the ceremony was a full circle moment for herself as a two-time Marquette alumna who used to study in the section of the Memorial Library that was transformed into the Lemonis Center. She said the area is different now but has become an amazing space that can be utilized by other students.
“The Lemonis Center really elevates student experience on campus,” Jones said. “Not a lot of places have a space where they can centralize academic and non-academic resources, but we do and that is something to celebrate.”
Jones said tours were given after the ceremony that showed all floors of the center. The tours showcased various spaces such as the multi-purpose room with a fireplace that hosts class sessions,
keeping classes as well as coding in efforts to encourage scientific discovery and enthusiasm.
“All of us in the lab have participated in some sort of community outreach events,” Nguyen said. “We bring [a frame of bees] to elementary schools or to middle schools of underrepresented communities to try and get some positive
nine interview suites, 16 tutoring spaces, the commuter lounge, lockers and noise-cancelling sound booths for phone calls.
Other services found in the Lemonis Center are the Ask Me Desk, tutoring, career guidance and exploration, academic coaching and spaces for collaboration.
The Ask Me Desk is a point of first contact when students enter the facility.
“We [Ask Me Desk] provide an outlet for students to ask any questions no matter how broad or niche they are,” Rios said.
Rios said it’s great to keep in mind that practically everyone working at the Ask Me Desk is a student just like “you” and the student receptionists are there all day to connect and help.
“As someone who was a transfer student, I feel I can connect and resonate with lots of students who come through the Lemonis
exposure to science and try to inspire the next generation of scientists.”
The combination of scientific and community impact is a focal point of the lab’s mission.
“We try to do some fun stuff and try to ‘be the difference’, not only with our science, but also we think it’s our responsibility as scientists to give back to the
community,” Cook said.
As The Cook Lab grows in its outreach, it also aspires to grow inside of the lab environment, investigating questions that will impact the future of entomology, even if they are difficult to answer.
“Research is not just about reducing uncertainty, like we’re never going to just know the answers,”
Halby said. “But it is about the fun of trying to do that and knowing that you’re not ever going to be perfect, and there’s always going to be more to learn. And I think that that’s a really cool thing about our jobs here.
Center, and help them with any needs,” Rios said. Additionally, after passing the Ask Me Desk, students can get professional headshots taken for free behind the main staircase with the headshot photo booth.
Andrew Dobek, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said he is already making use of the Lemonis Center.
“My favorite part has to be the study rooms,” Dobek said. “It’s a nice quite space where I can lock in with other students and really focus on my studies using the whiteboards and other resources in there.”
Additionally, Dobek said he enjoys working at any of the open table spaces.
“I feel that when students come here, they meet friends, tutors, mentors,
faculty and staff that they develop meaningful connections with. And, those connections transform lives,” Jones said. “That’s what Marcus Lemonis wanted, and that transformation helps students to ‘be the difference’.”
Students can learn more about the Lemonis Center by visiting its website.
Extensive civic engagement at MU Law
By Sahil Gupta sahil.gupta@marquette.edu
Marquette’s very own law school served as a destination for local political enthusiasts twice within 24 hours.
It began Tuesday night with a watch party for the presidential debate between Democratic nominee current Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump. The Lubar Center hosted 172 people for the event, dubbed “Debate and Converse,” allowing members of the Marquette and Milwaukee communities to observe a milestone moment in this unprecedented 2024 presidential campaign.
A panel of local state leaders including State Assembly Representative Robyn Vining (D) and State Senator Julian Bradley (R), along with Marquette’s director of undergraduate political science, Dr. Philip Rocco, commented on the presidential debate. Panelists took questions from the audience before and after the debate, and both local representa-
tives spoke about the issues that they wanted the candidates to address.
Senator Bradley was clear in his assessment of issues important to voters: “The economy, economy, economy.”
“The state of Wisconsin has collected far too much of your money, and we’re sitting on it in Madison. Regardless of what side of the aisle you’re on, you should be outraged about the fact that we are sitting on billions of dollars in Madison that is not doing anything,”
Bradley said.
Bradley concluded his speech by talking about the importance of the country’s tax code.
“We need to redo our tax code… The more money you have in your pocket, the better you can spend it to address the concerns of your family budget,”
Bradley explained.
Representative Vining talked specifically about the proposed Child Tax Credit in the Wisconsin State Legislature. She highlighted how the Harris campaign plans to cut tax-
es for the middle class and also shed light on the importance of helping those who live paycheck to paycheck afford childcare.
Students also voiced their views and concerns.
“There’s almost been despair about the American Dream, and I want to see how that will be restored for people,” David Wagener, a first-year in the College of Business Administration, said.
“Actually seeing the two [presidential candidates] interact with one another is what is going to show me their true character,” Lexi Childers, a first–year in the College of Arts and Sciences, noted.
About 14 hours after “Debate and Converse,” the Lubar Center hosted an event to commemorate the release of the latest Marquette University Law School Poll survey. Students and community members alike gathered in the same space to learn the results, which were presented by the director of the Marquette Law School Poll Charles Franklin.
This latest survey finds that Harris is supported by 52% of registered voters in the state of Wisconsin, while Trump is supported by 48%. The choice among likely voters in Wisconsin is the same, with 52% saying they would support Harris and 48% saying they would support Trump.
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin maintained a similar margin against her Republican opponent Eric Hovde, with 52% of registered voters saying they support Baldwin and 48% saying they support Hovde.
The survey was conducted between August 28 and September 5, during which 822 registered Wisconsin voters were interviewed with a margin of error of +/- 4.6%. 738 of the registered voters surveyed were considered “likely voters”, with their group having a margin of error of +/- 4.7%.
According to the Marquette Law School Poll, the results of the poll included “initially undecided voters who were then asked whom they would vote for if they had to choose.”
Community members met at Lubar Center to watch the debate.
Photo courtesy of Sahil Gupta
Marcus Lemonis returned to his alma mater to dedicate the Lemonis Center with a ribbon-cut.
Photo courtesy of Marquette University
The marqueTTe Tribune
Production
Assistant
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Executive
By Mia Thurow mia.thurow@marquette.edu
As the autumn sun dipped below the horizon behind the St. Joan of Arc chapel, nearly 100 Marquette students, staff and family members covered the grass with their blankets and lawn chairs and gathered in evening outdoor worship.
The Office of Mission and Ministry hosted their second annual Mass on the Grass on Sept. 14 in the Gratitude Garden, one of Marquette’s several sacred spaces on campus.
“The idea was to do a kind of special Mass at the end of fall as the sun was setting in this beautiful space, and to take advantage of the sacred space in front of our Joan of Arc chapel,” Rev. John Thiede, Vice President of Mission and Ministry, said.
Students made up a significant portion of the audience at the Mass, coming in groups with their friends to enjoy the unique outdoor worship atmosphere together.
“With fall right on the precipice, it’s very nice to just enjoy the rest of the summer weather, especially in a good way, full of faith,”
Mass on the Grass
Jack Kubacki, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said. Mass on the Grass mirrored the structure of a typical Mass at Marquette. It began with a Liturgy of the Word, where scriptures are read and the homily is preached, followed by a Liturgy of the Eucharist, where the altar is prepared for communion. Thiede explained to the crowd in his homily that the word eucharist means “to give thanks,” which is why it was especially fitting for the Mass to be held in the Gratitude Garden.
Toward the beginning of his homily, Thiede offered churchgoers a moment of silence in nature to reflect on what they were thankful for in that moment. After that, he spoke about the concept of believers taking up their crosses and following Jesus.
“It might be hard for some of our undergraduates to imagine a big dilemma at this point in their lives or a cross that’s something they can’t bear, but at some point, we may be called to a test,” Thiede said. “We might have a family member who’s battling cancer.
News Briefs
RFK on WI ballot
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s trial about taking his name off of the 2024 presidential ballot took place Sept. 16. Back in August, the third-party candidate ended up dropping his campaign to instead endorse Donald Trump, after already filling out nomination papers that put his name on the ballot.
Kennedy previously filed a lawsuit in Wisconsin at the beginning of this month to withdraw his name from the ballot, a practice typically done when a presidential
candidate dies. At the last week’s trial, Dane County Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled against Kennedy stating that Wisconsin law will not remove the name of a candidate who already filed nomination papers.
A third-party candidate being on the ballot could greatly affect the winning margin in the Badger State since, in the past, Wisconsin voters have chosen the independent candidate over Democrat and Republican candidates.
We might have a personal issue that we think is hard to overcome, but Jesus calls us tonight to take up that cross and to follow him.”
When reflecting on his favorite part about preaching at a special service like Mass on the Grass, Theide brought up the Jesuit apostolic preference of “Care for our Common Home” written by Pope Francis in his second encyclical titled “Laudato Si.'”
“Anytime you can have a Mass in a setting like this, it just reminds us of how beautiful our world is and the call that we have to care for God’s creation,” Thiede said.
Last year’s inaugural Mass on the Grass was canceled due to poor weather. This year, with the weather cooperating and the service taking place as planned, Thiede said he looked forward to having a good turnout of students.
“We don’t do this all the time,” Thiede said. “We were hoping that we might attract some people that might not normally come to mass and might enjoy something like this.”
Addison Pischke, a sophomore in the College of
Business Administration, said she saw an Instagram story promoting Mass on the Grass and thought it looked fun. She said students might find worship services to be more enjoyable when they are held in nature
“Changing the atmosphere to an outside experience definitely changes the horizon of things here and makes [Mass] more exciting,” Michael Luiso, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said.
The Office of Mission and Ministry’s theme for the 2024-25 academic year is “Imagine.” Ignatian Imagination was one of St. Ignatius’ themes throughout his spiritual journey, as he called believers to reflect and serve those around them. Mass on the Grass served as one of the events promoting this idea
Harris visits WI
As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, it has become apparent that seven swing states, including Wisconsin, will be the deciding factor in the decision of the presidential race for the United States.
Because of this, Kamala Harris is shifting her focus to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, hoping to gain support for her campaign. Last week marked Harris’ fourth visit to Wisconsin since Biden announced he was dropping out of the
a rally in Madison this past Friday, Sept. 20. The Harris campaign said that the venue where the rally was held was at maximum capacity with over 10,500 attendees. Madison, Wisconsin is a primarily democratic city with a rapidly growing population. Wisconsin’s voters can potentially turn the tide of the election, so every rally and event held is crucial in the decision of the president.
Sept. 25
Ignite with Dr. Krisina Ropella
Details: -Ropella, Dean of the Opus College of Engineering
Sept. 26
Pi Beta Phi
Continuous Open Bidding Event
Details: -Sorority is hosting COB event for sophomores + upperclassmen in the Pi Phi house
Recovery Month Picnic & Social
Sept. 27
Concealed Language: A Plea for Help
Details: - 5-6 p.m.
- A concert by the Marquette University Chorus
Marquette Sales Leadership Program Keynote & Networking Event
Details: - 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sept. 28
The Big 4-0
Details: - 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- An exhibition celebrating the Haggerty Museum of Art’s forty years
Lovell Strong Legacy Run
Sept. 29
Annual Family Weekend Band Concert
Providence Friars at Marquette Golden EaglesVolleyballWomens
Details: - 1-3 p.m.
Annual Family Weekend Mass
Details: - 10:30 a.m.
- Church of the Gesu
The marqueTTe Tribune Tuesday, sepTember 24, 2024
Sigma Kappa raises awareness for cause
By Ruby Mulvaney ruby.mulvaney@marquette.edu
On Sunday, Sept. 15, Marquette’s Sigma Kappa chapter participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The walk raised $647,261 dollars with Sigma Kappa contributing $18,959 dollars towards Alzheimer’s research. The walk took place at Henry Maier Festival Park.
At the walk, there were girls from Sigma Kappa, community members and caregivers of those who are living with Alzheimer’s. Many of the Sigma Kappa girls expressed how emotional the day was, as many of them have a personal connection to the cause.
Alivia Sobon, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, shared her story about losing her grandfather to Alzheimer’s.
“It was very hard, and not something I would ever want anyone else to go through,” Sobon said.
Sobon says the reason she participated in the walk is because she is a member of Sigma Kappa.
“It’s really nice being able to be with a group of girls who have gone through similar situations, really nice to have that community around you, especially when it feels like you’re the only one going through this,” Sobon said.
Mary Polking, a thirdyear PhD student studying memory retrieval, spoke about how Alzheimer’s affects people.
“Alzheimer’s is a specific, and the most common, kind of dementia that is as-
sociated first with memory deficits and then more cognitive deficits, and also with some cellular dysfunctions in the brain,” Polking said.
Polking said that the disease can cause mental and emotional deficits.
“Most older adults can be forgetful, but in Alzheimer’s these deficits can get worse and it becomes less and less easy to encode new memories…as Alzheimer’s progresses you tend to see more emotional deficits, its very frustrating to not be able to orient yourself properly,” Polking said. While there is still a lot of work to be done, Polking is hopeful for the future. She said that early detection plays a vital role in ending the disease. She also stressed the importance of exercise in keeping the brain healthy.
“People who exercise, especially elders who exercise, are using simple ways to mitigate the ef-
fects of cognitive decline,” Polking said.
While the disease currently doesn’t have a cure, many of the Sigma Kappa sisters share Polking’s hopefulness for the future.
Gwyneth Medlock, a senior in the College of Nursing and the president of Sigma Kappa, described the walk as a place where everyone feels like family.
“It’s a time where I really see our sisterhood come together to support each other,” Medlock said.
The girls are there to individually support one another, but also to raise awareness about Alzheimer‘s.
“Having that sadness take over your family is a sadness that I never want to see one of my sisters go through. But unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease and that’s why we are doing this walk,” Medlock said.
She describes the walk as empowering, saying that Sigma Kappa is able to work
with this organization to really make a change.
“It’s really an opportunity to build a community with the people there, share your losses, and at the same time realize that you’re not going through that alone,” Medlock said.
At the walk, each person is given a flower representing their connection to Alzheimer’s. There are flowers that symbolize people who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s, someone currently caring for a loved one, a supporter of the cause and someone who is living with Alzheimer’s. There is one white flower reserved for speeches, which symbolizes hope for a cure.
According to Madeline Brantman, a junior in the College of Communication, the event is an exciting time full of community, who serves as the Sigma Kappa Vice President of philanthropic services.
“You get to hear sto-
ries from other people, and share your own,” Brantman said.
She said that Sigma Kappa has been participating in the walk for many years now, and Sigma Kappa is one of the foundation’s biggest donors. This year, Sigma Kappa set a goal of raising $10,000 dollars for the association, a number which they almost doubled.
Not only is the event significant for the greater Milwaukee community, but Brantman says that philanthropy is a huge part of her sorority experience.
“Sororities were built because they were a group of women who wanted to come together and create something bigger than themselves,” Brantman said.
To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association you can visit their website.
Career center connects community
By Bridget Lisle bridget.lisle@marquette.edu
Anticipation and excitement filled the air as Marquette students filed into the Alumni Memorial Union in their best business attire to meet future employers at this year’s fall Career Fair. The room was filled with conversation from the many students who attended as well as over 100 booths. The event was held on Wednesday and Thursday in the AMU Monaghan Ballrooms from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Career Fair is hosted by the Marquette Career Center, which recently opened its new office in the Lemonis Center. This event allows students to reach out to possible future employers and build their network. It also helps to connect with alumni in the area. The event is held annually in September and is the largest recruiting event of the year at Marquette, lasting two days.
The first day, Wednesday, was dedicated to nontech jobs such as business,
communications, government, non-profit, healthcare, social services and post-grad/year of service. Thursday featured tech-related jobs such as engineering, IT and other technical fields.
Courtney Hanson, a Director of the Marquette Career Center, explains why students should want to take advantage of the many opportunities the Career Fair has to offer.
“The great thing about career fairs is even if a company is not actively recruiting for the type of job you want, it is a great opportunity to talk to company representatives and explore leads within companies for the kind of job you seek. Career fairs are really the only time of year when we have hundreds of employers on campus, wanting to meet as many Marquette students as possible, and all students should attend,” said Hanson.
Some students might think it is too early for them to attend a career fair. However, Hanson says that attending
is always a good idea, no matter what year you are.
“It is a great opportunity for younger students to experience a career fair while the stakes are low,” Hanson said. “That way when they are attending with goals of securing an internship or job, they know what to expect at the event. The Career Center staff ask employers who are open to helping students learn and explore to wear a colored dot sticker on their name tag so students can feel confident approaching employers.”
Students were also given the opportunity to learn how to prepare for a career fair and what to expect. DJ Quam, a representative from GE Health Care and alumnus of Marquette, spoke about what good practice looks like when preparing for the event.
Quam gave students tips on what to expect and how to set themselves up for success. He also showed students what stands out to recruiters when looking for candidates.
“The biggest way for me
to lose interest in talking to you is if you ask me questions that are on the GE Health Care home page. If you come in and show that you have had no pre-work and you actually want me to think about giving you a job, you just dropped to the bottom of the list,” Quam said.
He said that many students have access to mobile devices and that it is important to spend at least 15 – 20 minutes researching a company that you are considering a job for.
The Career Fair had over 100 employers in the Ballroom and over 100 students attending. Marin Pechota, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, was one of
these students, and she said it was her first career fair.
“I’m just kind of seeing what’s available to me in the area. Especially because I’m going to be a junior next year and I need to get those jobs on my list. I have my resume printed out and this is the first career fair I’ve ever gone to so I’m hoping it goes well. I’m just going to try and be confident and introduce myself,” Pechota said. If students could not attend this fall’s career fair, another opportunity is still available. The Wisconsin Private College Career Consortium (WIPCCC) also hosts a career expo in February.
Marquette’s Sigma Kappa chapter walked at Henry Maier Festival Park in an effort to raise towards Alzheimer’s research.
Photo courtesy of Antonia Bareford
More than 100 employers set up booths for the fall Career Fair.
Photo by Bridget Lisle bridget.lisle@marquette.edu
WRITTEN IN THE SAND
Ella Foti heading to Pepperdine in spring to play beach volleyball
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
The first time Ella Foti played sand volleyball, she hated it.
The limited movement?
Not a fan. The difficulty of playing in the sand compared to on the hardcourt? No chance. Having to play in the sweltering heat of a Milwaukee summer? That was the worst part.
“I was in third or fourth grade when I did a tournament at Bradford Beach,” Ella said. “You’re in the
sand, you can’t jump as high. I think I got a little bit heat sick, it was not a good experience.”
But even with all the difficulties she faced that day, Ella was drawn to the sport. As the years went by, she kept her main focus primarily on playing indoor volleyball.
Now, over a decade after that dreadful day at Bradford Beach, she is getting set to embark on a new journey — playing sand volleyball for
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Pepperdine University.
What led to the change of heart you might ask?
For starters, Ella had some pretty knowledgeable resources to lean on as she grew older.
Her older sister, Samantha, spent four seasons playing volleyball at Xavier. Samantha’s collegiate career started while Ella was in sixth grade and ended in the winter of her first year of high school.
“I basically got to see what it was like to be a
college athlete,” Ella said. “Both of my parents were college athletes, but that was like 25 years before that, I wanted to see what it was like now.”
The Foti sisters grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where as you can probably guess — it’s all about the Big Ten. But when Samantha went to go play for the Musketeers, it opened up a new door of possibility for Ella.
“It’s been really cool to
Leadership council improves team culture
Teammates elected seven members to serve on board
By Kaylynn Wright kaylynn.wright@marquette.edu
This past spring, recently hired head coach Chris Allen sat down with six of his players, and together, they laid out the foundations for a new era of Marquette women’s soccer.
A seventh player was added in the summer, and that group of Golden Eagles formed the team’s first-ever leadership council. The group meets with the coaching staff biweekly to discuss any general concerns that other members
of the team might have.
“We have a saying in our program that in order to lead, you must first serve,” Allen said. “In order to serve the team, you need to know the necessary needs of the group and individually, so we wanted to put the leadership group in place as a little bit of a link between the team and the coaching staff.”
Each player on the team voted for two teammates in their grade to represent their class. Seniors Maggie Starker and Alexa Maletis, juniors Adrianna Alberts and Cate Downs, sophomores Emily Fix and Kiley McMinn and firstyear Lilly Coats, who were
Marquette women's soccer head coach Chris Allen meets with leadership council biweekly.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics See TEAM page 7
Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics
SPORTS COLUMN THIS WEEK: PEACOCK ON The WNBA in MKE
Bucks and their extensive fan base that could easily translate to enthusiasm for a women’s team.
MU
From coast to coast, the WNBA is continuously expanding, with the 13th franchise debuting in the Bay Area next year. Toronto and Portland, numbers 14 and 15, will follow shortly after in 2026. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is optimistic that the franchise can add another team by 2028, and Milwaukee is a perfect contender.
The WNBA began its 2024 season with the highest franchise attendance rates in 26 years and shattered viewership records with an average of 1.32 million viewers across multiple platforms, the average last season being 462,000.
Ion’s media partnership with the WNBA showed a 133% increase in viewers compared to 2023 when the collaboration began.
This growth is attributed to Ion’s cable streams, but also the streams from free services such as Tubi, where games were aired on the Ion channel every Friday throughout the season. If these statistics continue throughout the upcoming playoff season and into the new 2025 season, it’s possible that enough excitement and commotion can be generated to maintain a successful expansion here in Milwaukee.
When the 13th team, to be located in the Bay Area, was announced as the first new franchise since 2008 last year, there was a precise rollout of brand identity, including the color way, logo, and team name, that followed. This occurred about seven months after the initial announcement of the expansion and directly corresponded with the commencement of the 2024 season.
Generating excitement in this manner provides a team with an established fan base before they even make their debut on the court, and there’s no doubt that Milwaukee’s sports culture wouldn’t hesitate to welcome a new team to the city.
While no future sports teams have been explicitly planned, the location and convenience of Fiserv Forum in the renowned Deer District has made Milwaukee a hotspot for sports, fueled by the Milwaukee
Commissioner Engelbert stated that determining the location of an expansion is dependent on access to venues that could serve as arenas and practice facilities, while also requiring a proposed long-term owner. In the case of the Golden State Valkyries, they will be directly affiliated with the National Basketball Association, owned and operated by the Golden State Warriors.
Alongside GSV and five other current teams in the WNBA, the Toronto team announced in May of this year, will be owned by Larry Tanenbaum, and will be the league’s first international team. Portland, the most recent addition, will not be affiliated with the NBA.
This doesn’t require the Bucks to take on ownership of a team if one ever does make it to the city, however, having the affiliation would further intertwine a new team into an already established community and cement the fact that women’s sports belong. Growth within the Deer District community combined with the expansion of a league that is rising in name at great proportions can only fuel the conversation and efforts to uplift women’s sports.
Milwaukee itself is a prime midwestern location, located close to Chicago, which serves as an epicenter for midwestern sports. Indianapolis is closely following, both cities with a WNBA team of their own. As a city comparable to one like Minneapolis, which also has a team, there’s no reason to leave Milwaukee out of the consideration for a new expansion city.
The WNBA is a rapidly evolving landscape, but Milwaukee is a viable contender for the next expansion. With a deep-rooted basketball culture surrounding the Bucks, there’s a clear enthusiasm for sports throughout the region, one that could sustain the introduction of a new team. Women’s sports should continue to be embraced by the world, and with the current pace of things, it’s without question that they will continue to be uplifted. There’s no better time to bring women’s basketball to Milwaukee — and no better city for the WNBA to call home next.
Lilly Peacock is a sports columnist. He can be reached at lilly.peacock@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @LillyPeacockMU.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
A sport on the rise
vs UW draws 15,084 fans to Kohl Center
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
MADISON — Tuesday’s trip to the state capital was a full circle moment for Marquette head coach Ryan Theis.
After opening in January of 1998, the Kohl Center played host to the 1998 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball Final Four.
The Madison Final Four would set attendance records that wouldn’t be broken until 2005, with a semifinal game drawing a crowd of 12,327, and the championship game bringing an astounding 13,194 fans.
The popularity of collegiate volleyball was starting to rise, and Theis — then a junior in college — was present to witness it.
“Being there, I didn’t think 25 years later I’d be coaching here in front of 14,000 people,” Theis said after the game Tuesday night.
Theis’ estimate was actually selling the crowd a bit short, as just over 15,000 volleyball enthusiasts alike packed the Kohl Center Tuesday night to watch Wisconsin’s 3-1 win over Marquette.
Those fans did more than pack the place though — they set history.
The official attendance for the in-state rivalry game was announced at 15,084, making it the fourth most attended regular season game in DI history.
Despite the second biggest crowd to ever grace the bowels of the Kohl Center for a volleyball game cheering largely against the Golden Eagles, they were able to come away with the first set 25-22.
“We could’ve came out and pee’d down our legs and got (beat) 25-15, because your in front of (15,000) people,” Theis said. “We just played in front of 3,000 screaming children down in Western Kentucky. We played in front of 18,000 last year, I don’t think these guys are to concerned.”
The atmosphere in Madison Tuesday was just another strong showing in what has been an earth shattering last couple of years for volleyball attendance records.
"Being there, I didn't think 25 years later I'd be coaching here in front of 14,000 people."
Ryan Theis Marquette volleyball head coach
Last August, Nebraska welcomed a crowd of 92,003 — a record that seemingly won’t be touched anytime soon — to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The game not only holds the record for the highest attended college volleyball game of all time, but is also the most attended women’s sporting event in world history.
Just over three months later, the previous indoor attendance record of 18,755 — held by the 2021 national championship between Wisconsin and Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio — was broken twice in the span of three days at the 2023 women’s volleyball Final Four.
“I’d love to see it be the number one female sport in the country,” Theis said.
“Certainly things are tracking that way, but we need a lot of people’s help and a lot of people on board to make that happen.
“No discredit to any of the other women’s sports, but we I think we have a game that is the best one to watch.”
While the Final Four continues to set records for attendance almost at a yearly pace, the state of Wisconsin has done its fair share of work to grow the game too.
In 2022, Wisconsin lost in five sets to Florida at the Kohl Center in front of 16,933 people. The Badgers were also apart of the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase earlier this month that had a crowd of 14,035 show out to support on the first day of the event.
In the past three seasons, Wisconsin has played in four of the five most attended regular season women’s volleyball games of all-time.
Just last year, 17,037 fans helped Marquette and Wisconsin set the record at Fiserv Forum for the most-attended regular season indoor volleyball match of all-time. The game also drew the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s sporting event in the state of Wisconsin.
Theis, who is from Middleton, Wisconsin and has been a Milwaukee Bucks fan his entire life, isn’t minding all the newfound publicity that the sport is getting.
“I grew up here. I’ve been a Bucks fan my whole life. It’s phenomenal for our sport, and for me, part of it’s like you’re having the time of your life.”
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo by Jack Albright
Reitsma gets ready to serve in front of 15,084 volleyball enthusiasts packed inside the Kohl Center.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
TIME: Theis helped Foti continue journey
Continued from page 5
see how Big East volleyball has gotten better each year and how it’s evolved,” Ella said. “It was awesome to be able to see what it might be like to play in the Big East, and as it turns out that’s where I ended up, so it was cool.”
Ella wasn’t sure if she was going to get the chance to be a Golden Eagle.
Early on in her high school playing days, she received news that no athlete ever wants to hear — she had torn her ACL playing basketball.
Along with the torn ACL, came the subsequent consequences.
At the time, Ella’s final two schools were Marquette and another school. After the other school learned that she had torn her ACL, they decided to offer someone else.
A week after the injury, Foti traveled down to Marquette for an unofficial visit with head coach Ryan Theis. She was prepared to hear the worst.
“I was super nervous because I’m like ‘Oh my god, they aren’t going to want me anymore, this is super scary,'” Ella said. “I remember being in his office and Ryan says to me, ‘Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room.’ I thought he was going to say something about my ACL.”
Then Theis flipped the script.
“Then he says, ‘I wanna offer you a scholarship to come play for us,’ and I was like, ‘what?,'” Ella said. “I
was pretty shocked.”
Two Big East Championships, three tournament wins and 472 kills later, Theis doesn’t seem to be regretting the decision one bit.
“I just knew that she was the right kind of kid, the right kind of fit, and sure she had suffered an injury, but in one way, shape or form, she was going to help us,” Theis said. “And she sure has.”
Despite all the success she’s had with Marquette, Ella has always had it in the back of her mind that her last year of eligibility might be used somewhere else.
COVID-19 struck during the spring of Ella’s junior year in high school. Because of all of the shutdowns and mandates during the pandemic, the
only place she could play volleyball was outside.
“That basically got me thinking about (sand volleyball) again,” Ella said. “It was (Samantha) and her now-husband (PJ), and then I would bring whatever volleyball player would want to come, and we’d go play doubles.”
They would repeat the same routine weekly on Thursday nights for the entirety of the summer.
“There was a beach court at the park, and that where I started to realize that I actually enjoyed the sport, and it was also the moment where I was starting to think, ‘Oh, maybe I could do this,'” Ella said.
Early in her Marquette career, Ella communicated her plans of playing sand to Theis.
“I was way open to it, and
WOMEN'S SOCCER
would help in any way possible,” Theis said. After playing two seasons with Marquette, Ella decided to hop in the portal to look for a sand volleyball home at the completion of the 2024 spring semester. However, because sand volleyball is played in the spring, it meant Foti could stick around for one last ride with the Golden Eagles.
“I was proactive with it, I had an email ready to go,” Theis said. “(Ella) has a very specific academic interest, so she gave me a list of like 11 schools that had it, and right away I reached out to all 11 and was like ‘Hey, Ella Foti’s getting on the portal. Here’s some indoor aspects of her, she’s working on a beach video. Just so you know, she’s amazing.'”
Of the schools that got back to her, it was Pepperdine that Ella decided was the best fit for her. She announced her commitment via Instagram on July 21.
“We’re just so incredibly proud of her on and off the court,” Samantha said. “I always joke around that I had a big impression on her, and at times I felt like I helped parent her and shape her into the person she is, so we often joke around about how I take a little bit of credit for her success.
“Just really excited to see her go chase her dream of playing beach.”
Ella — who is just recently coming off an ankle injury she suffered during the preseason — plans to finish the season with Marquette before heading to the warm weather of Malibu, California in January.
“I’m gonna miss being close with 16 other people,” Ella said. “It was awesome to be able to grow up with each other, because this is the only time in your life where you get to do that.
“How the coaches have made it more about us and our lives, and not just volleyball. I think I’m gonna miss those things the most.”
It wasn’t originally in the plans, but Ella Foti is now preparing for the next chapter of her life. A decade later, all the blood, sweat and tears poured into the sport, that dreadful day at the beach will now be reflected on as nothing short of a hatred that was just misunderstood passion.
TEAM: Squad's standards come from within
Continued from page 5
selected later, were the seven players elected.
Fix said it felt much more special to be handpicked for this role by her own peers.
“The team is so close together and we all want the best for each other,” Fix said. “It really just makes me feel even more inclined to just reach out and ask how everyone’s doing, make sure that they’re okay. Since I’m put in this role, I really want to make sure that what the team is feeling is voiced to the coaches.”
First-year defender Kiara Clarke — a transfer from Arkansas State — said she appreciates the way the committee is structured compared to other schools.
“At my previous university, it was always just two seniors (who) would do things,” Clarke said. “I’ve
heard that most programs are administrated that way. I think it’s pretty cool that there’s no hierarchy between classes. Everybody’s pretty equal. Whoever works hard gets the recognition. It doesn’t matter what class you’re in.”
Allen said the group was created as a part of his initiative to identify as a “bottom-up” organization, rather than a “top-down” one.
“Everything that we’re doing from a cultural standpoint, from a leadership standpoint is either the ideas that they came up with or we have crafted and worked together with the input of the team because it’s very important for me that they feel ownership in this and that they know that this is theirs and not simply mine,” Allen said.
Because of that direct ownership, Starker said
the team is more invested in everything they do since the messages sent and the expectations set come from within.
“We make the standards,
"I think it's pretty cool that there's no hierarchy between classes... Whoever works hard gets the recognition."
Kiara Clarke Marquette women's soccer first-year defender
and we set the standards that we all agree on, so when those standards are broken, it’s like a loss of trust,” Starker said.
“Instead of it just coming from the coaches, it comes from us, which is more powerful.”
Although the team has not seen ideal results on the pitch yet, Allen said he has seen glimpses of the competitive culture they are creating shine through in matches. He described one of these moments from Marquette’s 4-0 win over Mercyhurst Sept. 12.
“There’s this awesome moment where the ball goes out of bounds last night, and our entire bench and 10 of our 11 players on the field are pointing in the direction that it is our throw,” Allen said.
“It was absolutely not our throw, but because we had our entire bench all the sudden competing
because every moment begins to matter, the referee is like, ‘Oh, they want it more. It’s a 50/50 call. I’m going to upset a lot of people if I don’t call it Marquette’s way.’
“And so they just gave us throw… It’s just little moments like that you see what looks to be a little bit different than the way it was in the spring.” It may have started as Allen’s idea, but Starker said the creation of the council speaks volumes about how much the entire coaching staff values the players’ thoughts and ideas.
“They always talk about how it’s our program and we run the program how we want it run,” Starker said. “It’s a cool collaboration between players and coaches to get our opinions across and hear from both sides how we want to move forward and make this a winning
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Ella Foti talks with head coach Ryan Theis, someone who helped her transfer to Pepperdine.
MEN'S SOCCER
How Korn reconstructed men's soccer roster
Squad made up of 15 newcomers and 18 returners
By Raquel Ruiz raquel.ruiz@marquette.edu
Marquette men’s soccer looks a little different this season compared to last. Not only has a new head coach been brought on, but 45% of the roster are new additions to the Golden Eagle family.
After completing 18 seasons, head coach Louis Bennett announced his decision last November to step away from the program. This meant that a national search for a new coach was underway.
In came David Korn, Marquette’s seventh head coach for the team. Korn had previously coached at Maryville University, a Division II school, for eight years before taking the opportunity at Marquette. In his time at Maryville, he had led the team to three Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championships and a GLVC regular season championship in 2022.
When he was first contacted by Marquette, Korn said he was attracted to the community that the program had.
“I think the culture and
the people were something I was drawn to,” Korn said. “It makes it really exciting to get to go to work with those folks and feel supported as a coach.”
After getting hired, Korn had two days before the transfer portal closed. He only had a day and a half to meet with the current players before they were off for winter break and had one full-team meeting.
"To be able to win, we need to be doing this together. It's important to be on the same page to progress as a team."
Adam Mekrami Marquette men's soccer first-year forward
He felt that due to the limited time that he had to get to know the team, it was beneficial to bring in two transfers from Maryville. Graduate student forward Tim Smith and sophomore
midfielder Clayton Hamler were those players who followed Korn to Milwaukee for the opportunity to play at the Division I level.
“We felt like they fit in with the team,” Korn said. “We knew their personality, they add to our culture, [and] because you’re bringing in people, you’re bringing in their habits, their experiences, and that’s hard to learn in a short span.”
At the beginning of his senior season, Smith had aspired to transfer out of Maryville and play at the next level. Without knowing that his coach was considering a different job, he entered the portal. A week later, Korn had made the announcement he would be leaving.
After Korn had met with the Golden Eagles, he told Smith that there was an opportunity awaiting him at Marquette.
“Of course, I love coach Korn, so I was going to take that,” Smith said.
Players from all over slowly started to fill the roster. Korn believed that by not rushing the signing process, it would allow them to find the right fit for the team.
There are now 15 new players and 18 returners who make up the 2024 roster.
Among those 15 is Adam
WOMEN'S
SOCCER
Mekrami, a first-year forward who traveled from Sweden to play for the Golden Eagles. Over the past few months, he said he feels that the team has become a family, which helps them set team goals for the season.
“To be able to win, we need to be doing this together,” Mekrami said. “It’s important to be on the same page to progress as a team.”
In Marquette’s season opener against Drexel, fans gave the newcomers a huge welcome as they were able to make it the largest crowd the Valley has seen since
2014 with 1,787 attendees. For Smith, he believed that it was the biggest crowd he had ever played for in his career, and Mekrami said he felt that the team was able to feed off of the crowd’s energy to clinch the win.
As non-conference play comes to a close and Big East play begins, the team hopes to push to achieve their goals to compete hard.
“The goal is we want to improve every game, we want to win every single game,” Korn said. “I think we have the quality to do that and we have to do it in a lot of different ways.”
MU starts Big East play with a loss
By Kaylynn Wright kaylynn.wright@marquette.edu
Marquette women’s soccer were overwhelmed in its Big East opener.
Butler outshot Marquette 17-5, putting 11 of those shots on target compared to Marquette’s one. The Bulldogs also earned seven corner kicks — one of which they converted into
a goal — while the Golden Eagles did not tally any. Marquette committed 11 fouls and went offside five times.
It all culminated into the Golden Eagles’ sixth loss of the season as Marquette (36-2, 0-1 Big East) fell 1-0 to the Butler Bulldogs (6-2-1, 1-0) Sunday afternoon at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Marquette has now lost eight of its last nine matchups against Butler.
Butler grabs an early lead
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs — who came in averaging 16.5 shots per game — to get settled.
Just eight minutes into the match, graduate student forward Abigail Isger fired her team’s second consecutive corner kick into the box, and it was junior defender Amelie Darey who headed it home for her second goal of the season.
Butler kept the offensive
pressure on, outshooting Marquette 13-3 in the first half alone. Its work in the first 45 minutes was enough to keep the Golden Eagles from scoring an equalizer in the rest of the match.
Krone shines in first start since Aug. 25
In her first start in a month, sophomore goalkeeper Elise Krone made her presence known.
Despite letting in an early goal, the Wilmette, Illinois
native became a brick wall after that, earning seven saves in the first half and keeping her team within striking distance. In the second half, Krone tallied three more to earn a new career-high of 10 saves, which marked the 10th-highest single-game total in program history.
Up next
The Golden Eagles face the Creighton Bluejays (22-1, 0-1 Big East) Sunday at 1 p.m. CST.
9/29
WSOC vs Creighton Valley Fields 10/01 MUVB at Creighton Omaha, Nebraska Al McGuire Center
David Korn had limited time to build his team once he was hired.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Opinions
Can't bring back DOMA
By John O'Shea john.oshea@marquette.edu
Conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation, founded in 1973, has received extensive media coverage this election season over its controversial mandate for leadership, Project 2025.
The foundation has been proposing policies since 1981, as instructions for a conservative administration to strengthen their power and have their ideals represented in government.
Despite not being directly linked to the presidency, these mandates have played a critical part in conservative policy over the past 40 years, with Ronald Reagan heeding to the 1981 mandate attempting to adopt two-thirds of the foundation’s proposals.
Similarly, the Trump administration also paid very close attention to the group’s policy recommendations, adopting close to 64% of the policies suggested in the Heritage Foundation’s 2015 mandate for leadership.
In its most recent mandate, the foundation has suggested policies that are the most conservative they have ever been, some of which are blatantly unconstitutional. The foundation’s suggestions for the Department of Health and Human Services found in section three of their mandate, are some of the most egregious.
This chapter is authored by Roger Servino, who served under President Trump as Director of the Office of Civil Rights within DHHS. Apart from the controversial policies on healthcare, the chapter’s most alarming goal is undermining the Respect for Marriage Act.
The chapter shares the goals and language of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. According to them, the institution of heterosexual marriage is under attack by the federal and state governments, and to protect the American nuclear family, policies must be enacted to ensure its defense.
In 1996, DOMA received overwhelming bipartisan support in both the house and senate, including then senator, Joe Biden. The act proclaimed that states did not have to recognize marriages legally performed in other states if same-sex marriage was illegal in their state. It also defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Apart from moral objections, the act was immediately called into question for violating the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, and was subject to many lawsuits in the following few years.
The first successful suit was United States v. Windsor in 2013, in which the court found that the federal
government could not deny the recognition of same-sex marriages. This affected federal policies such as estate taxing, benefits and citizenship through marriage.
Although this was a landmark case in proving DOMA unconstitutional, Windsor only partially overturned the act. It stated that the federal government’s definition of marriage was in violation of the constitution, but failed to overturn the section giving the states the right to refuse to recognize samesex marriages performed in other states.
It would not be until Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), that DOMA would be completely repealed, requiring all 50 states to permit and recognize samesex marriages.
DOMA was a legal nightmare from the beginning of its enactment and serves as proof that attempts to put forward a policy that treats married same-sex couples differently than married opposite-sex couples is unconstitutional.
It is also important to note the majority of its architects and supporters have since reversed their positions on it.
Former President Clinton, who signed it into law, has disavowed the act. The original drafter of DOMA, Republican Bob Barr, supported the
first version of the Respect for Marriage Act in 2009. This act would eventually be signed into law by President Biden in 2022, officially overturning DOMA by codifying same-sex marriage into law.
With it officially codified into law, Project 2025 has no hope of bringing back DOMA, but it does seek to undermine the Respect for Marriage Act through alternative means. It calls to prioritize grants for organizations that strictly define marriage as between a man and a woman.
This would include organizations such as adoption which were specifically mentioned by Project 2025. They want to provide incentives for adoption agencies to discriminate against samesex couples.
The rise in far-right rhetoric pushed in this election cycle is extremely dangerous.
The Heritage Foundation must not continue down this path in pushing extreme and unconstitutional policies in its mandates.
If they are to continue operating they must do so while respecting our constitutional ideals that guarantee each American their inalienable rights.
Politics' new digital battleground
By Clara Lebrón clara.lebrón@marquette.edu
As the Presidential race began heating up in the spring, I noticed that U.S. political parties are having a “branding issue”. Although young voter turnout reached an all–time high in 2020, candidates’ campaigning strategies did not seem to account for the wants, needs and media preferences of these audiences.
Even as President Biden stepped down from his campaign on July 21st, it seemed as though voters were stuck between a rock and a hard place. This was, however, until the appointment of Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, as the presidential candidate sparked one of the most mainstream uses of political memes that has been seen from political campaigns as of yet.
This might seem like an obvious development for some, as Harris’ younger age and voter base creates a larger opportunity to use these newer types of media, but this skew in propaganda is not unfounded and is not without itsunintendedconsequencesand divisive nature.
Vice President Harris’
appeal to young voters arguably started with the resurfacing of a clip from more than a year prior to her historic rise to the presidential election. The small fragment of video comes from a Swearing-In Ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. Only 10 of the words within her speech would resound throughout the nation, “Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”
Ironically, the rest of the video that encompasses the clip consists of the current vice president speaking about society at large and how young people live in bubbles of information and experience. Nevertheless, the small part of that message that could be encompassed in the five-second clip has resounded throughout the phones and minds of young people around the country. As the internet makes media more expansive, these small fragments become identifiers for many. Sometimes, these identities can be playful. For example, the
Harris campaign announced that Kamala is a ‘brat,’ referencing Charli XCX’s hit summer album “Brat” and its cultural significance to young adults. This came after the album’s singer endorsed her on her X account. Although there is no actual definition for what a “brat” is in other terms, one thing is evident; To be ‘brat’ is to be cool and on trend.
Other times, the use of new technologies and inaccuracies can present a dangerous and false narrative to those who are less media savvy. The Trump campaign has been using AI to make deep fake images of himself, his political opponents, and even of people who do not exist.
One such post on Truth Social showed a gaggle of electronically generated women wearing ‘Swifties for Trump’ shirts and smiling. Others show fictitious events such as Kamala Harris leading the ‘Communist National Convention’ in Chicago or former president Trump riding a lion.
As a major candidate who looks to represent a country of diverse people internationally, this type of AI
Editorial Board
Joey Schamber Executive Opinions Editor
Izzy Fonfara Drewel, Executive Director
Clara Lebrón, Print Production Manager
Trinity Zapotocky, Assistant Print Production Manager
Shannyn Donohue, General Manager of Marquette University Radio
Mia Thurow, Executive News Editor
Sophie Goldstein, Executive A&E Editor
Matt Baltz, Executive Sports Editor
Emma Fishback, Copy Chief
Online Exclusives
Find more Marquette Wire opinion columns online by going to www.marquettewire.org or scanning this QR code!
content shows an ineffective social media strategy that undervalues the intellect and opinions of the American people.
The ever–present use of memes and short-form content in the creation of political materials is irreplaceably changing the way that we see politics and politicians. This means that as voters and citizens, we should begin being more critical of the information that political candidates give us and the propaganda that they use to try and pander to our communities.
Misinformation can be a powerful tool and according to a study from Cornell University in 2023, 32% of people cannot tell AI from reality. That might not be the majority of people, but it presents a sizable risk for people who might not be as digitally literate as their peers. This shows that there needs to be a larger focus on the candidate’s policies, morals and proven statements. Social media can be a powerful tool, but it‘s one that has no comparison to the words and actions of those behind the screen.
Statement of Opinion Policy
The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.
The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a fourweek period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration. Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 600 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 300 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content. Please e-mail submissions to: joseph.schamber@ 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.
John O'Shea is the assistant opinions editor. He is a sophmore studying history
Clara Lebrón is the print production manager. She is a senior studying journalism and health studies.
Fun & Games
CROSSWORD
Beginning of Autumn
Across
2. Abbreviation for iconic fall drink at Starbucks
4. What starts to trinckle off the trees in waves of orange and yellow?
5. What sport is well underway?
7. Month fall starts
8. Event for a lot of Schools where family visits
10. Refreshing beverage served iver ice or hot
11. Something you carve and put on a porch
Down
1. Genre of scary movies
3. Popular clothing item typically worn in fall
6. An activity filled with red and crisp fruit
9. Another word for the season of fall
Last week’s answers:
4 What starts to trickle off the
5 What sport is well underway?
7. Month fall starts
8. Event for a lot of Schools where family visits
Refreshing beverage served over ice or hot
1. Labor Day, 2. Brat Summer, 3. August, 4. Taco Pros, 5. Gordos 6. Syllabus Week, 7. Lemonis, 8. Family Weekend, 9. Straz Hall, 10. Computer
Comic by Adriana Vazquez Herrero adriana.vazquezherrero@marquette.edu
y worn in fall crisp fruit of fall
tion for iconic fall drink at Starbucks
trees in waves of orange and yellow?
Tuesday, sepT 24, 2024
Arts & Entertainment
Falling into the A&E desks autumn playlist
Check-outthe story on the Marquette Wire website
By Mimi Sinotte huamae.sinotte@marquette.edu
As the leaves change, and Milwaukee weather turns crisp and cold, the A&E desk has you covered with our Fall Playlist. Featuring the desk’s top songs to set the fall vibes, here are 12 songs you should consider adding to your fall playlist. To listen to the playlist on Spotify, click here.
Allison Scherquist – A&E Reporter
“The Smashing Pumpkins” by Mayonaise “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood I like the coziness of the songs. I’ve been listening to them for so long and I always associate them with the fall, especially “Sweater Weather”.
Sofía Cortés – A&E Audio Producer, Assistant Journal Director
“This is the first day of my
life” by Bright Eyes
I love this song yearround, but during the fall it feels like it takes on an entirely new meaning for me. I find the song to be refreshing, like the title says, it always inspires me to start over and look at situations with a fresh lens.
“Creature Fear” by Bon Iver
This entire album is a project I revert to whenever it starts to get cold outside. Something about this track specifically makes me feel warm inside. If winter was an album for me, it would be this one.
Sophie Goldstein – A&E
Executive Editor
“Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers
“Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone
These are definitely my go-to songs for getting into the fall vibe. To me, fall is getting into the more lovey-dovey & emotional songs; not too upbeat, windows-down vibe. I have this whole playlist dedicated to the fall and winter seasons, & as soon as we hit September I start playing it. I do have to say I love the win-
dows-down summer music, but something about listening to music on a fall day just can’t be topped.
MaryKate Stepchuk –A&E Reporter
1. “How to Dream” by Sam Phillips
“How to Dream” by Sam Phillips is the epitome of fall for me. I associate so much of fall with Gilmore Girls, and with this song being a constant in the show, it’s hard not to love it. It encapsulates the feeling of going on a walk with a slight breeze while the leaves are changing, and it is perfect.
2. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac
Although many people may consider this a basic fall song, there is such a strong sense of nostalgia associated with it. It reminds me so much of sitting in my kitchen with the windows open, watching the leaves fall while baking something pumpkin-based. It’s such a classic that you can’t really go wrong with it!
Maeve Nolan – A&E Reporter
“Age of Consent” by New Order I just like to listen to new
wave in the fall and that’s my favorite.
“When I’m Thinking About You” by The Sundays I like how chill it sounds and the singer’s voice.
Mimi Sinotte – A&E Assistant Editor
“Minetta Creek” by Blood Orange
I am a fan of Blood Orange’s music, but this song has an upbeat tempo that I can’t get enough of whether I am walking to classes or studying at the library. I like the mix of funky instrumentals, and the vocals send a great message to listeners.
“Meet Me in the Woods” by Lord Huron
This song illuminates the epitome of fall vibes within the first few seconds. The initial instrumental has a nostalgic sound, and the lyrics evoke the vision of fall colors.
Matthew Poulton – MUR Technical Director
1. “Residential Love Song” by K.C. Accidental
If you close your eyes, this song will let you become one of the leaves, blowing with the wind on an autumn morning. The ambi-
ance from this track transforms me and is the perfect tune for staring at blank Midwest landscapes on a long drive back home.
2. “The One With the Wurlitzer” by American Football.
I can still recall the first time I ever sat down with this album and decided to listen to it front to back. It was a cool evening in the fall of my first year of high school, I had just got back from walking my dog. I remember it being the first time in my life that I could articulate the feeling of autumn in my head. The pure nostalgia of the guitar parts and the dreamy Wurlitzer line droning throughout the song perfectly personify what I know fall to be. So killer.
Previewing Wisconsin’s 2024 Harvest Fair
Fair will take place in West Allis.
By Maeve Nolan maeve.nolan@marquette.edu
Harvest Fair will return for the 31st year from Friday, Sept. 27 until Sunday, Sept. 29, where they will serve up fall-themed entertainment, food and attractions.
It is located at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis and will feature autumnal-themed fare with local favorites like the classic cream puff.
“While the Original Cream Puff Pavilion and Bakery is closed for renovations, the Cream Puffs don’t stop,” said Paula Hare, director of Marketing.
This state fair favorite continues in a new fashion with build your own cream puff kits.
“[Customers] will fill their light, delicate, crunchy pastry shell with real dairy cream, whipped to perfection. The kits also include a small container of powdered sugar to gently dust the filled Cream Puffs for a sweet, festive finish,” Hare said.
The kits will be available for pickup in the Central Park located within the fairgrounds and will come
with enough ingredients to make three cream puffs. Customers will get to pick between chocolate or pumpkin spice flavoring.
Food is only the tip of the iceberg during the fall festivities. The fest also offers unique activities like
“Build your Own Scarecrow” which consists of picking jeans and a flannel shirt and filling your scarecrow with straw.
Tess A. Kirksen, director of PR for Wisconsin State Fair Park, said the event offers a new spin on bowling.
“I would recommend Pumpkin Bowling, presented by Universal Window Direct in Central Mall. You get to bowl with a mini pumpkin and then you can take that pumpkin home with you pumpkin bowling.”
Other activities include the carpet ride down the 200-foot Giant Slide. The slide is located on Second Street and Central Mall within the grounds and costs four tickets.
West of the Giant Slide are the pony rides, available for 12 tickets. There’s also a variety of amusement rides, for five tickets, available on South Grandstand Avenue.
For $1 dollar each, the Giant Slide, pony rides and amusement rides are all open until 9 p.m. on Friday
and Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Besides the food and fall activities there is plenty of live entertainment available including racing animals, live bands and a particularly popular pick, the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show.
Myra LeCaptain of the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, says the show has been performing since 1988 across five different continents, performing at Harvest Fair for the last five years.
“[It’s] an incredible na-
tional act featuring incredibly talented Lumberjacks and infused with funny antics and great humor,” Kirksen said.
The show lasts 25-30 minutes and features log rolling, wood chopping, axe throwing, crosscut sawing and a dragster chainsaw competition.
LeCaptain said that logrolling is a crowd favorite, especially when the lumberjacks fall in the water. A few other honorable mentions go to Farmer’s Market which will be located on Grandstand Avenue
and the local shopping that takes place in the Central Marketplace and throughout the fair grounds. Both shopping areas are open all day during the fair’s hours. If you haven’t picked your pumpkin yet, make Craigland Farm’s pumpkin patch the last stop at the fair. Located within the grounds, the pumpkins will cost $5 each or two for $8. Admission to this event is $5. More information on the event can be found on the Wisconsin State Fair website.
Photo courtesy of Tess Kerksen
The 31st annual fair will feature local Paul Bunyan Lumberjacks.
Tuesday, sepT 24 , 2024
Haggerty Museum unveils anniversary exhibit
Collection includs two- part special.
By Allison Scherquist allison.scherquist@marquette.edu
The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University is celebrating a huge milestone—its 40th anniversary—with a special two-part exhibition titled “The Big 4-0: New Views of the Collection.”
John McKinnon, the museums director said the new exhibition reflects on the museum’s journey and growth over the past four decades.
When established in 1984, the museum was envisioned as the home for Marquette University’s art collection and as a center for learning through the visual arts,” McKinnon.
Over those four decades, the Haggerty Museum’s collection has grown to encompass over 10,000 art objects. “The Big 4-0″ exhibition highlights major works from nearly 40 artists, representing the museum’s dedication to preserving art from various periods, regions and artistic movements.
The show — held in two parts — the first installation showing in fall 2024
and second in spring 2025, featuring over 100 works from the museum’s collections. The exhibition features a diverse range of works, spanning various styles, mediums and eras.
In one of the exhibits galleries, the emphasis is on texture, form and physical interaction with space, inviting viewers to engage with the materiality of the art. In other rooms traditional paintings are juxtaposed with sculptures, while torn canvases sit alongside three-dimensional works.
The two-part exhibition is divided into six themed galleries each semester, with a focus on modern and contemporary art alongside select pieces from other periods. Themes range from modern artistic materials to political satire, kinetic art, migration and post-war representation. The first installation features renowned artists such as Keith Haring and Diego Rivera. In one striking example, Keith Haring’s 1983 untitled piece is displayed near sculptures depicting the Lewinsky-Bush sex scandal. This deliberate juxtaposition challenges conventional expectations of how art is typically or-
ganized, offering visitors a fresh perspective.
At first glance, the organization may seem disjointed, but this is intentional. Curator Dr. Kirk Nickel has taken an innovative approach to organizing this milestone exhibition. He deliberately avoided focusing on the most well-known “masterpieces” of the museum’s collection, opting instead to explore broader themes and ideas that have shaped the museum and artistic expression in recent decades.
“He used novel ways to organize the exhibition, most notably finding a way to showcase collection highlights without a predictable art historical approach or organizing the works the way they may have been put together previously,” McKinnon said.
Nickel encourages visitors to explore the thematic connections between the works, rather than relying on traditional historical or stylistic classifications.
“The exhibition is organized into themed galleries, each focusing on different aspects of art history, from the migration of artists and ideas to the impact of new in-
dustrial materials,” Nickel said.
A key feature of “The Big 4-0: New Views of the Collection” is its emphasis on the role of museums in society. McKinnon highlighted how museums like the Haggerty are no longer just vaults for artwork but active participants in cultural discussion around art.
“We are constantly seeking ways to remain relevant and responsive to the communities we serve,” McKinnon said.
The exhibition, with its thematic focus and unconventional presentation, is a testament to that mission—inviting visitors to reconsider their relationship with art, not as static objects, but as complex elements of the ongoing cultural conversation.
Nickel said he hopes that the new exhibition
will ignite a deeper interest in the artwork itself by recontextualizing the artworks in new ways.
“I hope it gets them excited about art as the object itself. Fundamentally the actual art object and engaging with it in person is fascinating. I would love it if [the exhibit] sparked that curiosity in students,” Nickel said.
The first part of the exhibit, which opened on Sept. 12, will run until Dec. 21, after which it will be replaced by the second installment in this Spring semester. The exhibit is free and available to Marquette students and the general public alike.
Marquee: Hayden Pedigo opens for Schauf
Musician performed at Turner Hall Ballroom.
By Shannyn Donohue shannyn.donohue@marquette.edu
By Sofía Cortés sofia.cortes@marquette.edu
Hayden Pedigo, acoustic musician and composer born and raised in Amarillo, Texas performed at Turner Hall Ballroom on Sept. 10 as the opening act for Andy Shauf.
Each one of Pedigo’s instrumental songs tell a story through precise timing and ever-changing sonic tone throughout each piece. Complete with frequent near silence pauses throughout, alluding to the rolling planes of the Texas panhandle. With all members of the audience seated and engaged, Pedigo’s solo guitar set delivered an intimate performance.
Pedigo said it happened suddenly when it came to recording his live album “Live from Amarillo, Texas.”
“I was playing this show in my hometown at this
place called Globe-News Center, it’s the home of the symphony and I really wanted to play there because it was kind of ambitious,” Pedigo said.
The day before the live recording, Pedigo impulsively called and asked if he could record the performance and from there, his first live album was in the works.
“Most of the challenges faced with recording the album were my nerves.
I thought there was a lot of pressure with it being a hometown show,” Pedigo said.
Pedigo has never released singles or EPs, only full albums. His upcoming album will complete a trilogy following his most recent studio release
“The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored” and the first “Letting Go.”
“I want people to hear the new album in context of the other two. Once it comes out, I think the story will be revealed, even for me,” Pedigo said.
“The titles will tell the whole story.”
While on stage, Pedigo mentioned his dream is to score an apocalyptic
western film and told the audience to close their eyes and imagine what that would look like accompanying the song. He also played his song “Elsewhere,” but decided to mix the main theme from the film Brokeback Mountain into the beginning.
“I only treat albums like films, you know. I used to always say that no one ever asked Stanley Kubrick to put out short films in between his movies,” Pedigo said. “I feel like I’ve been on a creative streak the past couple of years, a lot of ideas are coming to me.”
When it comes to writing his instrumental pieces, Pedigo says he feels as if the meanings that accompany his songs and album covers always come afterwards.
“It allows you to do this Rubik’s cube puzzle with your own work where it’s like, oh okay, that’s what it was about and I didn’t even know it,” Pedigo said. “I think it’s really fun not to assign meaning to your art while creating it and discovering it later.”
During his set, Pedigo played two new songs, “Smoked” and “Long Ponds
of Lily.” He often thanked the audience for their respectful manner and for arriving early to hear his music. After the show, he could be found at the merchandise table talking to the audience before Schauf’s set, who could also buy the limited pressing of his live album, which sold out online in just 12 hours.
Pedigo recently announced his first solo east-
coast tour starting Nov. 12, immediately following his shows with Andy Schauf and upcoming shows with Hiss Golden Messenger in October.
Photos by Shannyn Donohue shannyn.donohue@marquette.edu
Musician's opening included intimate solo guitar performance.
Exhibition is titled "The Big 4-0: New Views of the Collection."
Photos by Allison Scherquist allison.scherquist@marquette.edu