Marquette Tribune I October 4

Physical therapy on pitch

October 4,

MUHOMEC OMING

Marquette community shares thoughts on week of celebration

By Kiley Brockway kiley.brockway@marquette.edu

Marquette University’s cam pus was decked out in blue and gold as students prepared to “ring out ahoya” during Marquette’s

Homecoming week Sept. 25 to Oct. 1.

The celebrations for the school’s annual tradition includ ed Glow Bingo, two volleyball games, a men’s soccer game, a community engagement excur sion and the Homecoming con cert featuring Social House.

The #18 volleyball team swept both matches against the Uni versity of Connecticut Sept. 30

and against Providence College Oct. 1. The games gave some students a chance to reconnect with friends as they cheered on the team.

“It was cool to see people I don’t normally have the chance to see during the school week,” Lizzy Ibitoye, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. Ibitoye attended the game Friday night.

Adam Fredrick, graduate as sistant for campus activities, said this is exactly the goal of Home coming week.

“It can help build a sense of community … and celebrate what it means to be an eagle,” Fredrick said.

Fredrick was specifically ex cited for glow bingo, which took place Sept. 29. He mentioned how it’s Late Night Marquette’s

biggest event of the year. He was looking forward to giv ing out the Bingo prizes which included Carrie Underwood tickets, Marquette Cash, Buck’s tickets and more.

Bruce Deal, a senior in the College of Business Administra tion, said that he felt particularly invested in homecoming this

MUPD expands notification services to parents, guardians

New iniative part of President’s task force on community safety

By Skyler Chun skyler.chun@marquette.edu

The phones of many Marquette students, staff and faculty simul taneously light up, notifying them whenever a crime or safetyrelated incident happens on or near campus.

A typical alert reads something like this: “SAFETY ALERT: Marquette University Police De partment investigating a robbery

near 17th and Kilbourn. Use cau tion in the area. More info will be sent via email.”

Since last week, parents and guardians are now able to sign up to receive the same safety alert text messages that students do.

This new offering is a result of the President’s Task Force on Community Safety, along with feedback from parents, peer benchmarking and an assessment from MUPD.

While parents and guardians have always been able to receive safety alert notifications via the EagleEye app, Thomas Wich gers, an MUPD police officer,

said he knows people prefer dif ferent modes of communication.

“Over the years, we’ve heard parents and guardians ask for this,” Wichgers said in an email. “It’s really about the mode they prefer and giving them an option – app or text.”

Parents will just need the stu dent’s nine-digit MUID number to enroll.

So far in 2022, there have been 20 safety incidents reported on line: Eight with shots fired, eight armed robberies, two robberies or attempted robberies, one for a fire and one for a city curfew. Out of all 20 reports, two were reported

Camp Kesem

Student counselors serve children of cancer patients

to be resolved.

Additionally, four safety alerts were sent out via text message April 4, Aug. 23, Sept. 10 and Sept. 24, but were not recorded online. The text Aug. 23 was an “ALL CLEAR” alert to a re solved issue, but no warning of an incident was reported prior to this message and no further updates were posted.

An armed robbery July 27 was also reported online, but no text alert

& ENTERTAINMENT

MU Swifties

Q&A with anonymous campus instagram personality

Pink and Politics

Recent photos from construction site show progress on O’Brien Hall

14

Women’s soccer players share classroom knowledge with teammates

Columnist Grace Cady discusses femininty in political sphere

HOCO: students look towards National MU Day

Continued from page 1

year. He was very excited to see his friends.

Although the entire week is coined as “Homecoming,” cel ebrations only took place in the later half of the week, starting with glow bingo Thursday night. Fredrick believed that this is due to the division of student affairs being short-staffed this year.

“Hopefully next year things can go back to a week-long celebration. That’s the ultimate goal,” Fredrick said.

Ibitoye said the recent racial is sues personally surrounding the campus community impacted the celebrations.

“I think this year was a bit of a letdown in comparison to other schools. A big part of it for me is all the tension surrounding racial issues on campus,” Ibitoye said.

A walk was held Sept. 28 to show solidarity with the students who are being charged with stu dent conduct violations after the demonstration that took place

during the first-year convoca tion this year. Ibitoye specifi cally reflected on how the state ment “We are Marquette” might not have as much of an impact on students this year because of these current tensions.

Ibitoye also said she felt like the Homecoming concert Satur day night was set up to be a dis appointment.

“My first year Alessia Cara was the Homecoming concert artist and that was great. It was at Fiserv Forum. This year I didn’t go to the concert because I only know two songs by Social House,” Ibitoye said.

Some students also expressed a similar sentiment towards the headlining band.

“The fact that it was at the Alumni Memorial Union was a huge departure from what I experienced my first year at Fiserv,” Ibitoye said.

Nareh Vartanian, a first-year in the College of Communi cation, agreed with Ibitoye’s sentiments toward the head

liner.

“I actually don’t know what Social House is,” Vartanian said. “I feel like if it was some one who people know then more people would be talking about it.”

Vartanian talked about how

Homecoming at Marquette dif fered from what she experienced in high school. Vartanian said she missed having more organized community events, specifically the week-long spirit days where students dress up according to a certain theme. She also believes

that the Homecoming events at Marquette were lacking in pub licity.

“It would be nicer if I heard more about it. I feel like there hasn’t been an announcement made, or at least one that I would’ve seen,” Vartanian said.

An email describing the Home coming events for the week was sent out Sept. 26. Vartanian also said she believed that the lack of a big school sports culture in the fall semester took away from the traditional Homecoming experi ence.

“There would be a lot more ex citement about that [sport] and it would unite people. There’s a big sports culture at all the major col leges, including this one, just not right now,” Vartanian said.

Fredrick said that he sees Na tional Marquette Day, Feb. 26, 2023, as the day to celebrate school spirit and the school’s sport culture. He hopes it will make up for the lack of Home coming fun.

New Business building continues construction

Christian Cruz (above) was the host of the 2022 MU homecoming concert.

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Photos by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

O’Brien Hall will be open to the public by December. The building will house the business school and other Marquette classes. Public access to the building is expected sometime in December.

MUPD: students express mixed feelings

Continued from page 1

was sent.

While allowing parents to re ceive these safety alerts via text could be seen as a positive at tempt to keep family members in the loop about crime on campus, Salina Tummelson, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said she thinks this could cause more anxiety for those who live far away.

“I’m not sure if it has tons of value since they [my parents] aren’t close enough to react in my case,” Salina said. “I feel like my parents would text me all the time and worry when they are receiv ing the alerts instead of me being able to filter what they hear since I’m safe.”

Her mom, Angie Tummelson, said she usually worries about her daughter’s safety when she is away at college, especially since crime in Milwaukee seems to be more prevalent than their home in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

According to Neighborhood Scout, Milwaukee has a crime index of five, meaning that it is only safer than 5% of all cities in the United States. Grand Rapids, however, has a crime index of 17, and is safer than 17% of all U.S. cities.

“As a parent, I am very con cerned for her safety, however, I don’t see any value in me receiv ing these alerts as I am four hours away,” Angie said. “I find it very important that my daughter signs up for these alerts so it allows her to make well-informed decisions for her safety.”

Nevertheless, Salina said she does appreciate Marquette’s at tempts to keep students safe by providing the LIMO service and police presence on campus.

“The crime is a very scary thing and I think that Marquette tries to minimize the impact that has on campus. I am not always sure if we are more protected or not, but I think we have proto

cols in place to keep us as safe as possible,” Salina said.

She added that it is not all on Marquette to keep us safe, but that we all need to make smart decisions given the information we have.

“I have lived off campus for the last three years and have felt very safe on 15th Street,” Salina said. “I know that if I go much past my house, I risk being unsafe, but those are the decisions I have to make while living in a city.”

Anthony Limon, a junior in the College of Engineering, said while crime can be sketchy in some areas, it’s not always as bad as it’s made out to be.

“Just pay attention to your surroundings. If you’re walking outside at night and you’re really scared, just cross the street when ever a stranger is approaching you,” Limon said.

He also shared similar thoughts with Salina about the safety alerts potentially causing more harm than good.

“It’s a pretty thoughtful thing to do, but I feel like it will cause more worry than necessary for

FAST FACTS

CRIME ON CAMPUS

Graphic by Lily Werner elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu

parents back home,” Limon said. “Back home they can’t really do anything about the events de tailed in the campus safety texts.”

Limon said he thinks his par ents would sign up, but only if he asked them to.

“I think people exaggerate how bad it is sometimes. I know that my mom cares about me, but at the end of the day she knows I’ll be completely fine,” Limon said.

However, Luke Gustafson, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said he likes the idea of parents being able to re ceive the same safety alerts that students receive.

“I believe it provides peace of mind for parents to know what is happening on campus, especially student safety,” Gustafson said in an email. “Living in a city such as Milwaukee especially makes it important for parents to know if there is a threat on campus.”

Since Gustafson’s parents live downtown, he said he doesn’t think they worry as much as other parents might.

“I can definitely imagine that a parent living hours away from

Darrell Brooks, the man on trial for killing 6 at a Waukesha Christmas parade last year, will be representing himself. The trial began yesterday with jury selection.

October is Campus Sustainability Month.

Masks are no longer required on MCTS buses for passengers or operators. The policy change comes after the CDC lowered Milwaukee County’s COVID-19 transmission rate to “low.”

The Milwaukee Parks Department is partnering with The Ability Center to create the first universal park at Wisconsin Avenue Park in Wauwatosa.

Influenza vaccinations are being offered in the Alumni Memorial Union thirdfloor ballrooms every Tuesday from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. through the end of October. COVID-19 vaccinations are also available today from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

their child would be concerned for what is happening in and around campus,” he said. “Still, I think my parents would sign up for this program, I believe they already might be.”

Gustafson said crime around campus felt like more of an is sue last school year, with more frequent alerts being sent.

He added that living in Wells Street Hall, which is on the outer west side of campus, may have an effect on how safe he feels on campus.

According to the online reports, a large majority of the crime and safety incidents reported within the past year occurred near this area or further west of campus.

“A dorm such as Schroeder is surrounded by Marquette’s cam pus, and I think would feel a little safer,” Gustafson said.

However, Gustafson only had positive things to share about MUPD’s efforts to keep the Marquette community safe.

The MarqueTTe Tribune

EDITORIAL

Executive Director of Marquette Wire Andrew Amouzou

Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Megan Woolard

NEWS

Executive News Editor Julia Abuzzahab

Assistant Editor Hannah Hernandez

Reporters Clara Lebrón, Kiley Brockway, Erin Howard, Sophia Tiedge

INVESTIGATIVE

Executive Investigative Editor Skyler Chun

Assistant Editor Connor Baldwin Reporter Jolan Kruse

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Executive Arts & Entertainment Editor Izzy Fonfara Drewel

Assistant Editors Will Eikenbary, Phoebe Goebel

Reporters Angelina Galullo, Lauren Puthoff

OPINIONS

Executive Opinions Editor Grace Cady Assistant Opinions Editor Laura Niezgoda Columnists Krisha Patel, Trin Burgess

SPORTS Executive Sports Editor John Leuzzi

Assistant Editors Ben Schultz, Ava Mares

Reporters Catherine Fink, Trevor Hilson, Jack Albright, Jackson Gross, Kaylynn Wright, Ben Hanson, John Gunville

COPY

Copy Chief Emily Reinhardt

Copy Editors Jack Connelly, Cait Flynn, Maeve Nolan, Briana Nelson

VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief RJ Siano

Chief Photographer Isabel Bonebrake

Executive Design Assistant Lily Werner Opinions Designer Erin Schneider

Photographers Keifer Russell, Alex DeBuhr, Katie Craig, Forster Goodrich

ADVERTISING

margaret.kemp@marquette.edu Sales Manager Maggie Kemp Assistant Sales Manager Henry Bridgeman

THE MARQUETTE TRIBUNE is a wholly owned property of Marquette University, the publisher. THE TRIBUNE serves as a student voice for the university and gives students publishing experience and practice in journalism, advertising, and management and allied disciplines. THE TRIBUNE is written, edited, produced and operated solely by students with the encouragement and advice of the advisor, who is a university employee.

The banner typeface, Ingleby, is designed by David Engelby and is available at dafont.com. David Engelby has the creative, intel lectual ownership of the original design of Ingleby.

THE TRIBUNE is normally published Tuesdays, except holidays, during the academic year by Marquette Student Media, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881. Subscription rate: $50 annually.

3 “MUPD has a great presence on campus, and I see them at least once a day,” Gustafson said. “I still feel safe and protected.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, October 5

Donuts with Dr. Cole at the LGBTQ+ resource center 12:30-2 p.m.

Wednesday, October 5

Thursday, October 6

Ignite Marquette hosts s’mores night at the east side of the AMU 7:30 p.m.

SWIM hosts Dr. Nakia Gordon on emotion regulation in trauma 10 a.m-12 p.m.

Friday, October 7

Noche de Karaoke in room 163 of the AMU 6-8 p.m.

MU students provide council for kids at Camp Kesem

Services for children that have parents with cancer diagnosis

By Hannah Hernandez hannah.hernandez@marquette.edu

Camp Kesem is a week-long summer camp for children who have been affected by a parent’s cancer and supports the children through and beyond their experiences. The costs of the camp are completely free for the children and the money is raised throughout the year.

Kesem means magic in Hebrew, and it is used as an umbrella for all of the magic the organization creates for everyone involved or touched by it.

The support doesn’t just stop after the summer camp but lasts throughout the year. Camp Kesem has Zoom calls, cabin chats and other events for the counselors to offer their continued support to the children. They also send birthday cards and gift baskets for important events such as diagnosis days, anniversaries and the day a parent passed.

The camp counselors work alongside nurses and mental health professionals to give the children the best support possible.

Joseph Gottinger, a senior in the

College of Health Sciences, got involved with Camp Kesem because he said he felt like he could relate to the children on some level due to having a sister with a disability.

“I know what it’s like for someone to deal with a lot of adversity in their life and I really like spending time with those kinds of kids. All these kids at camp have been through so much in their life, and I figured it’s the least I can do to help them out a little bit and give them a good week,” Gottinger said.

For Gottinger, his favorite part at camp was the empowerment session. During empowerment, everyone talks about why they come to Kesem.“Why we Kesem” is one of the conversations that the counselors and children have at camp.

Although empowerment sessions are very emotional, he said it is inspiring to see the children come out of their shells.

“They all [the six to eight-yearolds] shared their stories about why they were there,” Gottinger said. “Although it’s really sad, it was probably my favorite part of camp just to see them all like that, see them all connecting with each other.”

Camp Kesem has chapters on college campuses. After watching her brother get involved with Camp Kesem, Emma Brown, a junior in

the College of Nursing, said she made it a requirement for any college she applied to.

“Once you meet the kids, you are hooked for life because they will change your lives in ways that no one will ever be able to impact your life. They just make such a huge difference in making you see things that you wouldn’t have seen and understanding points of view that you may never have to understand in your life,” Brown said.

Brown said she is taken aback by the strength of the children. Brown said during empowerment, a lot of

the counselors realized that they are doing this for the kids.

“You Kesem because you want to give them a place that feels like home to them, you want to give them in place that can be an escape for them,” Brown said. “A place where they can talk about things that they may be too scared to talk about at home and with their families.”

Brown said even if the counselors don’t fully understand what the children are going through, they can be there for them and be the person they need at the moment.

senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she went to a different summer camp herself. When she began working for summer camps, she realized that they are not always accessible.

“Knowing that coming to Kesem I was going to be able to provide this opportunity for these kids to connect through things like difficult home situations and giving them access to that same life-changing experience that I had was a big part of the reason ‘why I Kesem,’” Dooley said.

MU Career Closet helps prepare students for employment

Professional clothing wardrobe provided to community members

By Hannah Hernandez hannah.hernandez@marquette.edu

Some job interviews, internships and career fairs require professional clothing, but for Mayra Alaniz, a graduate student in the College of Business Administration, buying them was not easy.

When she arrived at Marquette, Alaniz searched for a program that addressed the lack of resources for students that struggle with purchasing career attire, but she said she didn’t find much. So, she created the Marquette Career Closet.

Marquette Career Closet is a nonprofit organization that collects professional clothing through donations for students.

As a first-generation student, Alaniz said she understands the challenges and worries of starting a career without a professional wardrobe or the means to purchase new clothes.

“The summer of my freshman year I landed an internship in the Mayor’s Office here in Milwaukee and although I was excited to have my first professional experience, I quickly grew worried about what I would wear to work,” Alaniz said in an email.

Alaniz received assistance from her university, Georgetown University, and from her mother to purchase her first suit and other clothing items.

“My mom helped me get a few pieces of clothes from her closet and from our local thrift shop, but I knew every dollar she spent was hard-earned and one dollar less for our large family,” Alaniz said in an email.

Alaniz said she first pitched the idea in the 707 Hub’s Brewed Ideas Challenge, and she won the challenge. With the help of Kelsey Otero, director of innovation at the 707 Hub, and Courtney Hanson, director of the Career Services Center, Alaniz launched Marquette Career Closet in the 2022 spring semester.

“Professional attire is our way of showing up as our best selves to work, but in this modern workforce it is also a way for us to show up as our authentic selves,” Alaniz said in an email. “Professional clothes also arm us with the confidence that we are moving one step closer to our goal.”

When Alaniz got her first suit, she said it gave her the ability to show up to her internship with confidence and the right attitude. Alaniz said that without professional attire, students might feel out of place and hinder their job opportunities.

“It is important to have this service on campus so that students have

quick access to formal clothes for career fairs, interviews, internships, and more,” Alaniz said in an email. “We place an emphasis on making sure graduates are thinking about what their next step after college is and it’s important, we give them the education through the career center they need as well as the tools they need to be successful.”

This program is not only about giving students professional attire, but also career development. There will be workshops leading up to the spring pop-up event that will get students thinking about using their wardrobes to showcase their personalities.

“We are also anticipating incorporating a career education aspect to the event, so students will not only receive clothing but have the opportunity to gain information about career-related topics,” Hanson said in an email.

Otero said that Marquette Career Closet is a great resource that was not previously in place on Marquette’s campus.

“It is great that this initiative is student-led. Mayra had a personal experience with this as an undergraduate and it informed the work that she has spearheaded at Marquette to help make professional attire more accessible and affordable, especially for first-generation and low-income students,” Otero said in an email.

Hanson said the program will

As a child, Miranda Dooley, a make professional clothing more accessible to students because it removes the burden of purchasing the clothing.

“There are many expenses to consider when in college and removing the burden of purchasing clothes to wear for an interview or at an internship or job helps alleviate stress,” Hanson said in an email.

To further assist students, Marquette Career Closet is offering the JC Penney Suit-Up event two times a year, which gives students 30% off career attire purchases, and students also have the option to apply for funding to cover the cost of this purchase.

Alaniz said she hopes students are able to save money on professional clothing through this program because college comes with other expenses.

For Alaniz, Marquette Career Closet is also a way of practicing sustainability.

“Our work of recycling professional clothes is also a way for us to keep clothes out of landfills and do our part in giving clothes a new purpose and new life,” Alaniz said in an email.

Marquette Career Closet will have a pop-up in the spring, and Alaniz said they have already received many donations.

Professional clothing wardrobe is available for Marquette students

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

The week-long summer camp takes place in Fredonia, Wisconsin. Some MU students serve as camp counselors.

Photo courtesy of Miranda Dooley

Campus walks in support of students facing sanctions

disciplinary charges.

Ventura also said faculty have tried to find a different and better path rather than going through the student conduct process.

By Julia Abuzzahab julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

A walk was held Sept. 28, at 11:50 a.m. to stand in solidarity with the students who were charged with student conduct violations. They were charged after conducting a demonstration at New Student Convocation Aug. 25.

The walk began outside of 1102 Wisconsin Ave towards the Alumni Memorial Union. The students accused of the violations turned in their hearing appeals at the end.

“We condemn these hearings and their outcome. We also stand in solidarity with amazing student leaders on campus demanding real action for racial justice on this campus, not mere words,” the Marquette Academic Workers Union posted in a tweet.

After the walk, there was a press release where faculty and staff members spoke out in support of the students who were charged.

Stephanie Rivera Berruz, associate professor of philosophy and co-director for the Center of Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies said she doesn’t believe the students’ penalties accurately reflect the student conduct process. She said that the university claims the process is supposed to create an “ethos of integrity and compassion” but in this case, it did not.

After the Black Lives Matter protest on campus in Fall 2020, University President Michael Lovell and Provost Kimo Ah Yun released a statement in response to the events stating that Marquette is committed to being an anti-racist institution.

Some of the goals the university said they were committed to included listening and answering with empathy when students discuss their experiences without being defensive, having staff go through anti-racist education, aiding their students in critically analyzing their own biases and behaviors and more.

The statement also said Marquette acknowledges the existence of systematic inequalities and noted that Marquette has participated and furthered these systems. The university then promised they would make changes to better students of color experiences on campus.

“And so we ask today, where is that change? Why have our students been forced to stage a demonstration — a demonstration that ended in their humiliation in order to spotlight the lack of resources on this campus?”

Rivera Berruz said.

Rivera Berruz said although they aren’t denying that the students might have broken student conduct policies, they were there today to emphasize attention that the student’s actions were sensible since the university hasn’t made any changes to support the diverse student body.

Julissa Ventura, assistant professor in the College of Education, said these students work hard to pay tuition and to afford books. She also said that some work multiple jobs just to be able to live on campus.

“And this university dares to fine them with $300 which to them might not mean a lot, but to our students it might mean rent, it might mean food, right? It might mean your bills that care for you and your livelihood, so tell me how that is educational?”

Ventura said.

There is currently a GoFundMe that was started by “Our Marquette” to help the students pay the fees.

A petition is also circulating Marquette’s campus created by the Instagram account @ supportstudentsMU to appeal their

“Yet we have been denied at every turn … The university leadership has said they will not change the student conduct process,” Ventura said.

Ventura said the students were traumatized by the way they were treated.

“They had to detail the racist incidents that they’ve experienced on this campus to justify why they were protesting in the first place, and basically they were told that your feelings are not going to be validated here,” Ventura said.

Not only were there students, faculty and staff present at the walk, but members from the Milwaukee community.

Deisy Espana, Milwaukee community member, said although she doesn’t go to Marquette, one of her friends is a student facing disciplinary action from the university.

“I don’t come to Marquette, and I don’t think that I would want to come to Marquette based on the events that have happened and the responses from the administration,” Espana said.

Similarly, Bailey Rutherford, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of the Black Student Council, said Marquette loves to talk about being an inclusive university that’s “super diverse,” when in reality she said she feels extremely isolated on campus.

“I don’t think I would be able to

recommend this campus to another Black student because I wouldn’t want to facilitate their experience in college being terrible,” Rutherford said.

Ah Yun wrote a statement in Marquette Today in attempt to address the concerns and information in regards to the student conduct process and demonstration at the convocation.

“Marquette senior leaders, starting with President Lovell and me, recognize the frustrations that have been expressed regarding our campus climate and seek to have ongoing conversations in the spirit of making our university better. It is clear we still have work ahead to foster greater inclusivity and belonging in our campus community,” Ah Yun said in the statement.

Ah Yun addressed “misinformation” in a question and answer section of the statement. One of those was in response to the student conduct process where he said that the university stands “firmly” behind the conduct process.

Ah Yun said the process has determined the outcomes for hundreds of cases every year and that the process is reviewed regularly.

The students were charged with suspension in abeyance and, although that isn’t in the student handbook, Ah Yun said in the statement this means that the suspension won’t take effect or appear on student’s transcripts as long as they do not violate any other university policies as well as finish all other consequences by their deadlines.

MU begins celebration of Jewish High Holidays

Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah among events observed

as well as the life and learning chair for Hillel Milwaukee.

Hillel Milwaukee is a non-profit organization that aims to create a welcoming community for students and young adults interested in exploring the Jewish culture.

about my own faith and allow me to

“

Bourekas, lekach and apples dipped in honey were a few of the traditional Jewish desserts served last week in Jewish households across the world for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish celebration of the liturgical new year. The sweet tasting food reflects the positive hopes one must carry into the new year.

Rosh Hashanah, the first celebration of the Jewish new year, began the evening of Sept. 25 and ended the evening of Sept. 27, kicking off the Jewish High Holiday season. Throughout the month of October, a variety of traditional Jewish holidays will also take place, such as Yom Kippur, a day of atonement, and Sukkot, a time for giving thanks.

Jane Blossom, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, is chair of culture and religion of Marquette’s Jewish Student Union

Marquette’s JSU on campus is also hosting a variety of events throughout the Jewish High Holidays this month.

Blossom said she joined the JSU her first year at Marquette and has grown fond of the community, as it gives her a place to celebrate holidays that Marquette does not recognize as a Jesuit institution. This often is a bummer to Blossom.

“It is hard to find Jewish students and connect with them, it’s nice because our faith is something that we all have in common,” Blossom said. “I have made so many friends, which is so eye opening because you would never think that there are as many Jewish students on campus as there are.”

Since becoming involved with Hillel and JSU, Blossom said she has come to know herself better.

“I have become more spiritual and less religious,” Blossom said. “These two organizations let me learn more

Anna Goldstein Koenig Assistant director of Hillel Milwaukee

define what being Jewish means to me.”

Blossom comes from a multicultural and religious background, with her mom’s side of the family being Jewish and her dad’s side being Episcopalian.

“I did not grow up in a Jewish household because my mom never practiced,” Blossom said. “When I came to Marquette, I was looking for that and some sort of connection that I could have within myself.”

Anna Goldstein Koenig, assistant director at Hillel Milwaukee, works

to plan and host Jewish events and celebrations, so students like Blossom can find cultural connection for themselves.

“We hosted a musical service that included guitar and singing and prayers on Sunday evening, followed by a dessert and tapas bar,” Koenig said. “You’re supposed to eat a lot of sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah to bring in a sweet new year … like apples dipped in honey and honey cake.”

The organization offers transportation to different synagogues across the city. They will also be building a Sukkah, a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot, but the plan is still underway.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing a lot of our returning students and new students,” Koenig said.

“Being able to bring our students together during the holidays is really important.”

Last week, Blossom helped to plan Hillel’s Rosh Hashanah services where she said the theme of forgiveness was prevalent.

“Unlike the American New Year, Rosh Hashanah is more focused on

accepting who we were in the past year and how we can improve in the upcoming year,” Blossom said.

She said one of her personal goals this year is to be less hard on herself, especially when it comes to school.

5 By Skyler Chun, Angelina Galullo skyler.chun@marquette.edu angelina.galullo@marquette.edu

“I get so stressed easily and I want to give myself bigger breaks and time to take care of myself,” Blossom said. “I also want to be more open-minded to different people and experiences.”

Last week, the JSU hosted a Tashlich Tabling, where students are invited to “cast off their sins” as part of entering the new year during Rosh Hashanah.

Benny Gustafson, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, is also active within JSU and Hillel, and said he enjoys keeping up with his Jewish traditions.

He said the ten days between Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, which we are currently undergoing now, are his favorite faith-related traditions.

“Growing up, I would always like the holiday because my extended family would come over, and we would pray together,” Gustafson said. “Praying as a family and eating and cooking together are special memories.”

Being able to bring our students together during the holidays is really important.”

MU community takes to streets, expresses frustration

Community members walked down Wisconsin Ave. to AMU Sept.28

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

MARQUETTE TRIBUNE COMICS

Games

Submissions can be sent to ryan.siano@marquette.edu

ACROSS

2. Lil ____ X is currently on tour

3. Red, ______, & Royal Blue is a popular LGBTQ novel

6. This woman married 33 couples at the 2014 Grammy awards

8. This month is LGBTQ+ history month

10. First major studio release with all LGBTQ+ principal cast

12. First openly gay American man to win at Winter Olympics

13. This Wisconsin Senator is a member of LGBTQ+ community

14. Oct. 11 is National ________ out day

DOWN

1. A famous drag queen from Wisconsin

LAST WEEK...

ACROSS

1. Gesu

3. Ahoya

Madness

Glow

Creighton

Ignatius

Butler

Marquette

Kingston

1. Gold

Alumni

Homecoming

McGuire

GRAND PRIZE

Submit finished crosswords to andrew.amouzou@marquette.edu by Dec. 19. Most accurate crossword submissions wins the grand prize.

Come back next week for solutions!

4. Transgender woman often credited with throwing first brick at Stonewall

5. Singer most famous for her song ‘Girls like Girls’

7. Ariana _______ was the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar

9. Oldest gay bar in Wisconsin

11. First openly gay NBA player

15. First openly gay man to be elected to public office in California

Social

Football

Backpack

Comics by Richie Lyons richard.lyons@marquette.edu

Tuesday, OcTOber 4, 2022

aRTs & eNTeRTaINmeNT

MU_Swifties tells all during exclusive interview

Learn everything in Q&A with secret account owner

By Randi Haseman randi.haseman@marquette.edu

Marquette Affirmations isn’t the only niche Instagram account Marquette students know “All Too Well.”

Through memes with a Marquette spin, @MU_Swifties on Instagram has been sending us a “Message in a Bottle” since March when they first posted. “The 1” and only MU Swifties joined the Marquette Wire for an exclusive Q&A interview to discuss their account, Taylor’s upcoming album “Midnights” and more.

To find even more Swiftie content, Marquette University Radio is hosting a listening party Oct. 26 at the Annex for Taylor’s “Midnights” starting at 9 p.m. Visit, and you may even discover who MU Swifties is.

Since MU Swifties’ account is anonymous, the Marquette Wire granted anonymity to the account owner.

What’s your favorite Taylor album if you had to choose?

This is so easy, and it’s “1989.” I know it’s a local album. But “1989” has such a special place in my heart because it was a pivotal moment in my life, like middle school. Pop Bible – that’s all I got to say.

What’s your favorite song?

I have to give you a top three because I can’t pick a favorite. Number one is “Style,” and that’s also a local song, and I promise I’m not a local. Number two is “august.” Number three is “The Archer.” And … number four is “Getaway Car.”

How long have you been a fan?

This is a bit weird. I’ve been a fan since “Red” came out because she released “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” on my birthday. I didn’t know that back then, obviously, because I wasn’t listening to it. I became a stan when “1989” came out. “1989” was like that girl. She was doing her thing.

Have you ever seen her in concert?

No. I really, really wish I had but

her tickets are really expensive. I watch online.

What made you want to start a Taylor Swift fan page?

This is back when Marquette Affirmations had just happened, it was brand new. I remember I was talking with one of my friends about making the affirmations page and then someone else made it. I was like “No!”

So, I decided to come up with something really niche and something that I was really into … something that my friends didn’t pick on me for, but knew about me. I was like, “There’s got to be more people like me.” And I love a meme that only five people get. Those are the best memes. So, MU Swifties was born.

Were you surprised by the amount of followers that you got? You have over 350.

Yeah, I was very surprised. I remember my first week I gained maybe 20, and then within the next two weeks, I had 100. I know that 300 is not that many followers, but it’s cool to know that 300 people here that get it.

What’s been your favorite post or submission?

That’s really easy. My favorite post is one that I made. I took a video of Taylor Swift in her “1989” era looking around a room very concerned. I put the Marquette fight song behind it. She’s looking around like “What’s happening?”

How often do you get submissions and how do you decide what to post?

Submissions happen all the time. I don’t post all of them because I think some of them, not to be mean, but they’re not as funny as I wish they were. Maybe that’s mean. I don’t know. I get them a lot. There have been some good ones that have been posted and I do tag the people when I get them.

When I think of ideas, it’s just random. I can be on Twitter scrolling like “Oh my God, this Taylor Swift meme is perfect! I’m going to put Iggy on it, so now it’s a Marquette one.” It just happens when it happens. There’s no specific time of the day or anything. I’m usually scrolling through Twitter and something pops in my head.

Do you think President Lovell or Shaka Smart is a Swiftie?

Oh, Lovell 100%. There’s no doubt he didn’t put any Taylor Swift on his playlist. I was a little confused there. But you know we’ll get him next time.

Shaka? I don’t know so much about Shaka. He knows probably “Shake It Off” but that’s probably it. That’s okay.

What are your thoughts on Taylor’s upcoming album “Midnights?”

She is going to give 100%. I’m so excited. The genre is the thing I’ve been thinking about the most. Because what can’t she do, but

also what hasn’t she done? I think she’s going to give us soft grunge. Ok, Stevie Nicks.

You think it’s going to be like Stevie Nicks?

I feel like she’s going to mix lots of rock with lots of pop. But not rock ‘n’ roll. It’ll be chill. My initial thought was “Reputation” but “Folklore” with it, but now I feel like she’s going to give us real instruments. I think she’s going to give us a guitar, maybe a little synth.

Taylor has lots of Easter eggs and hidden messages throughout her music and social media posts. What’s one theory you have about “Midnights?”

When she released “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” she posted a TikTok to it. In the middle of the TikTok, it glitches. I think that was an Easter egg because she is going through a lawsuit with “Shake It Off” right now. The glitch is a prediction that she’s not going to be able to release “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” right now, so the glitch is for “Midnights.”

You’re doing a listening party with Marquette Wire’s Marquette University Radio. How did that come about and what are you planning for the event?

This happened randomly. A while back, I posted a meme like “What if MU Swifties hosted a dance party and we all dressed up and just danced?” That was a

joke, but also not. Then, when “Midnights” was announced, I got a DM from MU Radio and they were like “So what if we did something?” And I was like “Ok.” That’s how it happened. I had this idea in my head but I didn’t think it would actually be even thought about happening. It’s still in the works. We’re hoping everything works out. Hopefully, it’s really good and the turnout is good as well.

How do we get Taylor Swift to perform at next year’s Homecoming?

I wish I could tell you. That’s all I wanted. If she came and spoke at my graduation, that would be great too! How do we get her to come? I don’t know. I think that if we come to the listening party, she’ll be a little bit more inclined to come visit the population of Swifties at Marquette’s campus.

Patrick Curran contributed to this report.

SCAN QR CODE FOR VIDEO

Graphic by Lily Werner elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu

Students jazzed about return of live music series

friends. You could make as much or as little of the experience as you wanted.”

By Will Eikenbary will.eikenbary@marquette.edu

It’s a cool September day in Cathedral Square Park. Gathered around a lively stage, thousands of patrons sit watching as musicians move rhythmically onstage. Music blares from the speakers around them and the atmosphere holds a frenetic sort of calm.

All the while, the sound of jazz echoes throughout the buildings of downtown Milwaukee.

For over 30 years, Jazz in the Park has been a staple of the Milwaukee music scene. Every Thursday night from July to September, a different musician or group is chosen to take the stage in a concert entirely paid for by the East Town Association, a Milwaukee nonprofit.

After it was canceled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert series returned this year in full swing, with its final performance Sept. 29.

Reece Bergeron, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she heard about Jazz in the Park from a friend and really

enjoyed going.

“She texted me and asked if I wanted to go because I ‘seemed like someone who would like jazz,’” Bergeron said. “I was expecting ‘saxophone jazz’ and instead they had a [talkbox] that made a really high-pitched noise. I listen to more Miles Davis, 40s and 50s jazz, so this was kind of new wave but still cool.”

While the concert was different

than she expected, Bergeron said she still felt like a part of a Milwaukee tradition.

“It was funny, everyone who was there seems like they go there a lot,” Bergeron said. “They all had their picnics, bottles of wine in glasses and fancy chairs set up. It’s a fun tradition, I think. It did not seem like it was the people there’s first rodeo.”

The concert also appeals to

those who might not be as into the music aspect as well. Bergeron’s roommate Britta Arends, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said that she enjoyed the social aspect of Jazz in the Park the most.

“I don’t really like jazz music that much, to be honest,” Arends said. “But, I liked it because you could sit close and really pay attention or sit at the back and talk with your

Despite any reservations she had before going, Arends said she’d likely go to the concert again in the future.

“I would definitely go again,” Arends said. “You can stay weeks on campus, but I try to get out into the city every weekend. This was a great way to do that.”

Arik Zintel, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he really enjoyed the concert because of his love for music and to get out and see Milwaukee.

“As somebody in music, all of the performers were at the top of their game for sure,” Zintel said. “It was a super fun experience. I think I’ll probably go back at some point. People should go just to get out of their comfort zones, to see Milwaukee a bit and break the ‘Marquette bubble.’”

While it might be intimidating to go to an event in the city at first, Arends said it’s much easier than you might expect.

“It’s just a bus ride down Wisconsin and really chill,” Arends said. “It’s just a nice study break with your friends. [I’d say] go for it, you might as well take every opportunity you can to go into the city.”

Singing to telephones: Art form dies in modern times

New songs lack intimacy, depth of their predecessors

By RJ Siano ryan.siano@marquette.edu

In today’s diverse music climate — between the vulnerability and honesty of Steve Lacy and the bitterness and self-loathing of Taylor Swift — it’s a travesty that the breakup song no longer mentions the telephone. As a matter of fact, the telephone used to be so detrimental to a relationship that it used to headline its own songs.

Maybe it was the obsolescence of the landline that made these ballads extinct. Or maybe it was the music industry itself.

There was a time when The Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was too graphic for the ears of young teens — fast forward to today where Dua Lipa’s “Good in Bed” is a household classic for middle schoolers and “cool moms” alike.

The music industry’s modernization is beneficial for artists since it allows them to express more unique and deep feelings through their craft. Deep down, however, I wish I had lived

in a time when the telephone line was still the source of longing.

Electric Light Orchestra’s 1976 hit “Telephone Line” is not only a perfect example of the villainization of the telephone but is also a beautiful song. When the song starts, it fades in with the synthetic beeps and tones of a dial-up from its respective decade, which to a modern listener may not even be recognizable.

The only modern equivalent to this masterful blend of ambient sound and melody is Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License,” which ties the “door open” sound from a car into the first notes of piano quite well.

ELO’s leading man Jeff Lynne’s first words of the song are muted and warbled, sounding almost identical to the quality of a recording of someone talking through a phone. As Lynne continues and the effect fades out, listeners have already been introduced to the topic without even hearing the word “telephone” yet instead through the audio aesthetic that is presented.

The chorus of the song is not to the individual on the other side of the line but to the telephone itself. Today, so much music is able to be traced directly to an ex-lover of the musician through news and lyrics

with artists such as Harry Styles leaving little room for the listener to imprint their own experiences on the song. In 1976, I can only imagine that many people had felt the pain of hearing ringing, ringing and ringing to no avail and cursed out the phone itself.

The second verse is introduced by a desperate cry to the telephone by Lynne: “Can’t you just let it ring a little longer, longer, longer / Let it ring forevermore.” The lyricism here is poetic, which is in part due to the vocabulary associated with the telephone. In 1976, a telephone’s ring was a monotone symphony conducted just for your lonely self. Today’s more common equivalent, getting “left on read,” not only sounds less romantic but does not lend itself to imagery such as this either.

The chorus, although somewhat repetitive, creates a source of pain from an individual relationship that is also relatable to millions of others: “Oh, telephone line, give me some time, I’m living in twilight.”

Nearly a decade later, New Edition’s 1984 hit “Mr. Telephone Man” turned the operator into the culprit instead of the phone itself.

The operator, a job that simply does not exist in 2022, becomes the receiver of pleading from the

bleeding heart in this case: “Mr. Telephone Man, there’s something wrong with my line / When I dial my baby’s number, I get a click every time.” This song is less of a ballad in its construction and tells a bit more of a narrative story that the listener can maybe even laugh at.

The dramatic irony in the song paints a picture very clear to the listener that someone is avoiding the calls of the singer. The verses are dialogue spoken to the operator insisting that the phone must be broken because “my baby wouldn’t hang up on me.”

I would even argue that narrative style is more tasteful than some of the smearing that modern songs do to their subjects. If not tasteful, it is at the very least unique to tell a story about being in denial about a relationship’s stability due to the ambiguity of a telephone than it is to say that “I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”

These songs created a new genre somewhere between

love and breakup — a limbo world in between where the telephone is hiding the truth from what’s really going on. A genre of pleading the telephone or operator to give us an answer instead of accepting the truth that lies deep down below.

Although the modern music industry produces great music and allows for artists to be as specific as they’d like, there is a charm to the songwriting that existed before everything became so personal. Even though there may not be a modern equivalent to such a perfect scapegoat, I only hope that, as listeners, we take time to go back and appreciate this subgenre that was made completely obsolete by the invention of the cellular phone.

Graphic by RJ Siano ryan.siano@marquette.edu

Jazz in the Park comes back after cancelling two years

Jazz in the Park held its last session Sept. 29 in Cathedral Square Park in downtown Milwaukee.

Photo by Sam Baughn sam.baughn@marquette.edu

Andrew Amouzou, Executive Director Megan Woolard, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune

OPINIONS

ediTOriaL bOard

Grace Cady, Executive Opinions Editor Laura Niezgoda, Assistant Opinions Editor Randi Haseman, Content Coach

STAFF EDITORIAL

Commend female leadership on campus

Having female leadership on college campuses is essential to keep women invested and active in higher education. At Marquette University, there are many student organizations, departments and resource centers that are dependent on the diligence and hard work of women.

One of the pillars of involvement for women at Marquette is opportunity – an organization that helps provide them with this ability to empower themselves and their peers is the Institute for Women’s Leadership.

The Institute for Women’s Leadership is a group that advocates for social justice, has a mission to advance women’s leadership and focuses on how far we have come and where we are going as women in what is still very much a “man’s world.”

Their mission statement notes that they aim to “engage, inspire

and transform.”

This organization hosts events discussing women’s issues, meets to discuss how to make effective change for women in leadership and invites students to join their advisory board to take an active role in shaping the program.

This is just one example of the many wonderful organizations on campus that are run by or aimed to empower women and their roles in both the university and society in general.

Chaarg describes themselves as an “empowering wellness community” centered around college-aged women’s health at over 115 college campuses – including Marquette University. The organization aims to provide young women with a community to feel safe and comfortable while exploring various exercises and also to help them

build friendships amongst their peers. It is such a powerful and dynamic organization that it has been recognized in major news networks including USA Today and The Washington Post.

Founder of Chaarg, Elisabeth Tavierne, said this about her mission: “My goal is to bring Chaarg to every university in the United States – if not the world. Ultimately though, my mission is to empower every Chaarg girl to be the best version of herself. I truly hope that all of our members find their passion for health + fitness – whatever that means to them.”

But Chaarg is not the only organization at Marquette that focuses on women’s health – or their strength.

Just this past school year, the Women’s Strength Club began at Marquette. This is a different kind of club, a different kind of

exercise program and a whole new community for women on campus.

The strength club promotes how capable women really are. It teaches them how to properly weight lift, how to supplement their fitness with nutrition and, overall, how to feel comfortable and confident in the gym surrounded by men. Adorned in their “Pump Cover” sweatshirts, you can be sure to find members of the strength club at the university’s recreation facilities.

Another overarching organization that showcases and strengthens the power of women at Marquette is the Association of Marquette University Women. This organization strives to “provide opportunities for service with peers” and “enhance women’s educational and cultural opportunities.” It also provides women with a variety

This is why we can’t have nice things

of scholarship and grant opportunities to fund their education and service.

The women that we have as students and staff and organization leaders on our college campuses are invaluable. We commend Marquette for making a conscious effort to include and promote women in higher education, to see their necessity and give them places to feel safe and empowered. But, the work is never done. We must continue to build off of what we’ve started.

Having female-run and centered organizations is wonderful, but it is not enough. Marquette has never had a woman as president – and this kind of leadership on campus is essential for our female students to feel represented. The university has made strides in the right direction, but we must continue the journey.

Society has a strange agreed upon resentment toward young women. If they simply like what’s popular, they’re basic. If they’re into things that are less mainstream, they’re trying too hard to be different. Wearing revealing clothing means you’re “asking for it” and covering up makes you boring. Prude or slut, madonna or whore.

The phenomena of young women being made fun of simply for existing is prevalent on all forms of social media. You can find videos making fun of them for dancing, for their bodies and even for how they speak. An array of comments can be seen under any video or photo of a young woman such as, “The f in women stands for funny” and “This is why I don’t want a daughter,” along with referring to women exclusively as females.

Many young women face ridicule for visibly wearing makeup, whether that be to express

themselves or to fit into the current beauty standard. However if you don’t wear makeup and simultaneously don’t fit into the beauty standard, you’re still ugly, which trumps all other aspects of your personhood. Then if you start wearing makeup, you’re trying too hard or lying. You must be beautiful with no, or at the very least undetectable, makeup.

Shockingly, this can be tracked to misogyny.

Misogyny can be difficult to spot outright, as it’s ingrained so deeply into our culture it can get lost in subtlety.

This results in the idea of not being like “other girls,” a phase which many women have gone through at some point in their lives. These other girls liked pink, makeup and attention. Basically if you were like these mythical “other girls” it meant that you were shallow and vapid, thus

undeserving of respect. This is a lose-lose scenario. You can either fit into the binary of femininity or exist outside of it. Either way you will face ridicule. This stereotype is extremely toxic and indicative of society’s infantilization of femininity.

It’s not just men who help to perpetuate these unfair standards, women too can be deeply cruel to one another and themselves. This is referred to as internalized misogyny.

Internalized misogyny is when women hold subconscious hatred

for other women or stereotypically feminine qualities. This can be seen in making negative remarks about your or other women’s bodies, slut shaming and comparing other women. Effectively seeing other women as a threat to yourself.

The never-ending cycle of young women just trying to do something they enjoy and being judged for it has permeated the lives of most women at one point or another.

The minds of young women are constantly being fed these ideas all while surviving the turbulent time that is adolescence. The effects of being ridiculed for what they enjoy doing and thus trying to fit into an impossible mold can weigh heavily on self-perception and esteem.

Over the past 50 years, with the advent of supermodels, beauty magazines and social media, eat-

ing disorders among adolescent girls has increased at a concerning rate. The rate for anorexia nervosa is 0.48% among girls from the ages of 15 to 19 years old and around 1% to 5% of girls are bulimic. Several studies report that media regarding physical appearance is linked to disordered eating behavior in girls. Young women are being fed the idea that they will never be good enough in their skin.

This is just one symptom of how young women will mold themselves based on society’s cues and who they can and cannot be.

The first step to stopping this issue of tearing women and girls down is to come to terms with how we personally perpetuate misogyny. Ask yourself what internal narratives you have that look down on women and feminine presenting people. Only by addressing our own shortcomings can we actually foster a

Kirsten Lyons is a first-year studying journalism. She can be be reached at kirsten.lyons@marquette.edu

Hope Moses, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

Julia Abuzzahab, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Izzy Fonfara Drewel, A&E Executive Skyler Chun, Investigative Executive

Emily Reinhardt, Copy Chief RJ Siano, Design Chief Isabel Bonebrake, Chief Photographer Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive

Sarah Richardson, General Manager of MUTV Emily Bittman, General Manager of MURadio Kimberly Cook, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

Kirsten Lyons

Graphic by Metea Media

Something I’ve learned about myself is that I strongly oppose the idea of being mutually exclusive in my identity.

I used to really believe that I had to exist in a box – that I had to be one thing and not the other. If I was sensitive, I could not be strong. If I was shy, I could not be bold. If I wanted to wear pink, I could not care about politics.

Now, as a twenty-year-old, more developed version of myself, I recognize the myth in that.

I actually can be a very sensitive and emotional person

Wear pink, care about politics

while being strong – in fact, I think you have to be. I actually can be shy and a bit introverted while also being bold, brave and going after what I want. I actually can wear pink, I can care about my femininity, fashion and pop culture, but also be invested in the political sphere and what’s going on in our world.

One of my favorite movies is “Legally Blonde.” The iconic fi lm features a woman who goes from being a fashion major to studying at Harvard Law School and pursuing her career as a lawyer. She struggles to be taken seriously because she also really cares about clothes, her appearance and being the typical “girly girl.”

The irony of it all is that

the exact reason people don’t take her seriously becomes her strength as a lawyer. She solves a murder trial based on her knowledge of hair care, and the people that once laughed at her sit back in awe that she was able to make such a roundabout revelation and come to really respect her.

But, why could they not have just respected her from the get-go? Why do women have to prove themselves because they are made into a stereotype by the perceptions of others?

In her documentary “Miss Americana,” Taylor Swift concludes with this quote that has left a lasting impression on me: “I wanna love glitter and also stand up for the double standards that exist

in our society. I wanna wear pink, and tell you how I feel about politics. I don’t think those things have to cancel each other out.”

Swift speaks from her heart in this – and that really resonates with me.

I want to be able to encapsulate all of myself. I want people to look at me and see me beyond my surface-level value. I want to be able to care about how I dress, paint my nails, do my makeup and still add value to society because of my passions. I want that for all women.

Women are judged far too harshly just for their existence. If you put too much effort into your appearance, you are vain or you are just something to look at. If they

I write my own identity

With skin that resembles coffee, the nighttime sky and tells the story of generations of women in my family, I am a Black woman. The smell of Red Door by Elizabeth Arden bounces off my skin, as it once did my mom when she was my age and I feel grounded in my Blackness and womanhood. Outside of school, I have studied Black history in all its tragedies and triumphs and spoken the language of many of my ancestors, but even before I am Black and a woman, I am Hope.

On Sunday mornings, I dance around my room to country music, waiting for the sound of my toaster waffles to be done. Ungracefully, I glide from one room to the other, without a care in the world that my interest in music may be unconventional.

When my feet stop moving long enough for me to sit, I’ll settle in front of the TV and watch “Gilmore Girls,” a 2000s classic about a mother and daughter who are friends first and then family. I often wonder what life would be like with my mother and sister in Stars Hollow, Connecticut even though the place doesn’t actually exist. I gawk over Dean and then remember from the hundreds of times I’ve watched the show before, he is not the one.

I hold my Sunday mornings close because I know that in my home, I am safe being Hope first because the way the

world perceives Black women, leaves little room for us to be individuals. If we do not fit into society’s idea of what being Black is and being a woman is, then we, ourselves, are not Black enough; we are not woman enough.

Growing up, I was called the “white Black girl.”

Although you will not find this in your standard dictionary, the implication is that I was not Black in the way the world desired me to be. I receive this comment from white and Black individuals even more

today, especially attending a predominantly white university like Marquette.

Typically, when someone says this to me, I remain silent, not because I do not know what to say, but because it doesn’t deserve a response. But for those that have unintentionally or intentionally diminished my Blackness, consider this the response: I can dance around my room to Luke Combs and Taylor Swift, but make no mistake, I am a Black woman.

I share the fears of many Black women around me – losing a child to gun violence, sex trafficking or childbirth, not be-

ing lovable or worthy, worries that I am seen as strong before I am seen as soft – and my music taste does not change that. I share the hopes and dreams of most Black women around me as well – access to equal education and better resources for our communities, a successful career and a long, healthy life with those I love – and my music taste, or my other interests, does not change that either.

Besides music, the notion of “sounding white” is one that I have been ridiculed for and many other Black women as well.

Purdue University conducted

don’t, they are lazy, they’re unattractive and they don’t appeal to the male gaze. If they care too much about their femininity, advocate for their womanhood and have streamlined interests, they are nothing special.

What a world it would be if we could look at women and see their hearts instead of stopping at the surface.

The idea that they have to fi nd a singular value and identity with that – that they can’t wear pink and care about politics, but rather have to wear pink or care about politics.

Especially for young women, it is so important that we erase this narrative.

Grace Cady is a junior studying journalism and political science. She can be be reached at grace. cady@marquette.edu

a study on the idea of “sounding white” by interviewing members of the Black community and concluded that for most, proper English was synonymous with whiteness and the opposite with Blackness. This idea that Black people can only speak one way is harmful and puts Black people in a box that considers us to be uneducated English speakers.

But no matter how proper I speak or even who I choose to love and how I choose to love my hair, I am a Black woman. I have skin that resembles coffee, the nighttime sky and tells the story of generations of women in my family. I’ve done much to ground myself in my Blackness and in my womanhood, but even before I am Black and a woman, I am Hope.

Hope Moses is a junior studying journalism and peace studies. She can be reached at hope.moses@ marquette.edu

Statement of Opinion Policy

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

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

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

Please e-mail submissions to: grace. cady@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.

Hope Moses

Grace Cady

Graphic by Vecteezy

Defensive specialist leans on faith to overcome obstacles

Naber finding herself in second year at Marquette

By Jackson Gross jackson.gross@marquette.edu

It was a whole new world for Samantha Naber when she stepped on foot Marquette’s campus ahead of her first fall semester of college.

Naber had just moved to Milwaukee for college from Burlington, Wisconsin, and had a difficult adjustment to both a higher level of academics and volleyball.

“I was like ‘Man this is hard. I have to travel this much, I have to be this good at volleyball, good at school and I have to figure out a way to connect with my family and friends. How do I do this?’”

Naber said. “Honestly I don’t think I handled it the best I could. I kind of shut down.”

After being named as the Racine County Player of the Year in 2019, Naber saw action in just 23 sets in her first season last season with the Golden Eagles.

With the changes in the speed of the game and the intensity of their practices, head coach Ryan Theis said that it can be hard for a first-year libero to make an impact.

“You go from a world of high school or club where there’s one or two aggressive servers on a team and they’re probably not serving you, so you’re not seeing a lot of aggressive serves,” Theis said. “Then you come in here and our goal is to try and get almost 200 passing reps on your forearms every day and that

tests you.”

Naber said what kept her afloat in her first year was her faith and the people around her.

“My real honest answer is the Lord. I had my identity in volleyball, school and my relationships with my family. And when all of that wasn’t going perfectly I didn’t know what to turn to and what I did was I turned to the Lord,” Naber said. “He became my strength, my stability throughout all of that and has really helped me pull through to this day.”

Despite all her struggle, Naber was inserted into the starting lineup from the beginning of the season for the now No. 18 ranked Golden Eagles and has played 49 of the 51 sets Marquette has played so far this season.

“In the spring she got to spend a lot of time working as a right back defensive specialist, which was completely new to her. So the angles are totally different and she did really well with it,” Theis said. “We have matches where she plays at a really high level at right back defense and then her serve-receive has continued to improve and both of those things added up to more playing time.”

For her teammate and senior Carly Skrabak, she said the biggest growth for Naber has been her confidence in herself.

“Just seeing her like on the court this year and kind of stepping into her new role, she’s in a really good job at that and I think a big part of that’s been her confidence,” Skrabak said. “In terms of her play, her defense has improved a lot. She’s like covering a lot of ground, her range is just really good.”

Behind Skrbak, Naber and the rest of the back row players for the Golden Eagles, they have held teams to just a .181 hitting percentage, good for second in the Big East. Skrabak said she credits part of that to the relationship between Naber and herself.

“I kind of balance her out I think,” Skrabak said. “There’s never any communication issues. She’s always knows what’s going to happen when she steps in. No balls really drop between us and that’s really important, especially since she’s in the back row of the whole time.”

Not only does Naber continue to grow and flourish on the court, she has also worked to create the same culture of growth within the

Milwaukee community.

Back in July of 2021, the volleyball team volunteered at the Miracle League of Milwaukee, an organization that gives people with special needs the opportunity to play all manner of sports including basketball and baseball. During the event, Naber made sure to pitch to every single player.

“That’s definitely Sam. She’s always trying to make people feel included and she does really well with younger children,” Skrabak said. “In those types of situations, she’s always awesome because she’s the first one to reach out her hand and help them any way she can.”

Naber said it’s in her nature to

not leave anyone out.

“It’s a gift that I can see when people are insecure or they’re getting left out. Just listening to them can go such a long way,” Naber said. “I want to give them confidence. Give them attention because that makes them more confident that’s what makes the experience.”

She said her faith and upbringing has made her who she is today.

“I learned from example (from those in my family),” Naber said. “But specifically I just have a heart for those people because I wanted to take care of the people who maybe are less fortunate or who don’t have that confidence.”

Big East Women’s Soccer

Samantha Naber (23) went from seeing action in just 23 sets last season to earning a starting spot this year.

Photo Courtesy of Marquette Athletics

THIS WEEK: PARISI ON NFL

Injuries. We all get them, we know how annoying they are. Some take a week at most to heal, some can kill you.

Athletes seem to always get hit the hardest, especially football players. Whether it’s an ACL tear, achilles tear or severe head trauma, there seems to be a strict protocol that NFL players have to go through to get cleared, including a five step process to be cleared of a concussion.

But this was not the case for Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa was having a great start to the season for the Dolphins, throwing six touchdowns against the Ravens in week 2, leading them to a 3-0 record for the first time since 2018, and becoming one of the last undefeated teams left in the NFL.

But suddenly his season took a sharp left turn.

During the Bills game Sept. 25, Tagovailoa took a hit late in

the first quarter forcing him to exit the game with a head injury. You could visibly see that he was not okay, as he was struggling to stay on his feet after the hit.

If the Dolphins had any common sense, they would make sure their player, especially their star quarterback, would not reenter the game and be tested for a concussion.

Apparently this was not the case for the Dolphins, as Tagovailoa took the field with his teammates and led the offense on their second-half opening drive.

As any human being might react, I was shocked and confused. How could someone go through concussion protocol in a twenty-minute halftime and be fine? Most importantly, why let him play?

The Dolphins claimed he passed multiple concussion evaluations after he was hit and that is why he was able to continue playing.

Not only did the Dolphins training staff let him continue, but four days later they let him play Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. Four days after what seemed like a pretty serious concussion.

Any type of head injury should be taken seriously, but especially for a football player, who takes sacks and likes to scramble/run.

Former WWE superstar and neuroscientist, Chris Nowinski, sounded off on the Dolphins prior to the Bengals game, stating the risks the Dolphins are taking letting Tagovailoa play and what could happen if he gets a second concussion in five days.

And then, not even six hours later, Tagovailoa was hospitalized for what looked like a very severe hit to the head, which caused a fencing response, a very serious response to a concussion.

We are lucky Tagovailoa regained feeling in his extremities after this hit and could fly home with the team. But even then should he have left the hospital so quickly?

That is beside the point. The Miami Dolphins organization should be ashamed of themselves for even allowing Tagovailoa on the field for Thursday’s game.

Even the tiniest hit to the head could have been catastrophic and here we are seeing his head slammed into the ground.

It’s not even the fact that they let him play Thursday, but the fact that they even let him back into the game against the Bills after he could barely walk straight after being hit.

We know how severe Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is and the long-term effects it can have on a person. So, knowing the chances of Tagovailoa getting a head start on suffering from CTE, why let him play? Why let such a young promising star risk everything just to play one game?

Would you rather have one game, or one half over what could be a decade of play with a long-term quarterback who has already proven himself to be a talented player?

The answer seems easy, but for the Dolphins, they chose the route that could very well end Tagovailoa’s career in one play.

One play was all former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier needed to end his career and temporarily paralyze him.

One play was all former Washington Commanders quarterback Alex Smith needed to almost lose

his leg and life forever.

Yet, Tagovailoa was given two opportunities to potentially make him walk away from football forever.

We saw what happened to former Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck, who was forced retire at 29 years old because of lingering injuries to his calf and ankle. And that was not even his head!

And then there was Demaryius Thomas, who was a prominent receiver for the Denver Broncos who recently passed away from a seizure, but was also found to have suffered from CTE.

So as you can see there is no secret to how bad injuries from the NFL can be, and how one play can change your life forever.

I hope this is not the end for Tagovailoa, because he deserves to have a long and successful career in the NFL, but we won’t know the effects these two hits will have on him for a while.

I hope he gets out of Miami before they let him take another blow to the head that will make him hang up his cleats forever.

Kristin Parisi is junior studying journalism. She is the MUTV Executive Sports Producer @kristinparisiMU

Bringing physical therapy school onto the pitch

Johnson, Lacey heading to Florida in summer for clinical

By John Leuzzi john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

College classes are time consuming. Add on the demand of being a student-athlete and you have a loaded schedule.

But that is the current lifestyle for Rachel Johnson and Bonnie Lacey, two senior defenders on the Marquette women’s soccer team whose time management skills have been tested to the max this year by balancing physical therapy school and soccer at the same time.

“With the amount of hours of class we have a day and then the studying we need to do on top of that, you really don’t have much more time other than to eat during the day,” Lacey said. “And then going to practice and making sure you’re in the right mindset is a big mental switch because you don’t have any downtime to reset.”

Johnson, who did her undergraduate in exercise physiology, said when she arrived at Marquette in 2017 she had an idea of wanting to go into health care but wasn’t quite sure on PT.

It wasn’t until Johnson suffered a torn ACL injury during her first year, that she said she knew she wanted to pursue it.

“It exposed me to PT firsthand for an extended period of time and what it is like in and out. It was a blessing in disguise,” Johnson said.

Lacey came into college unsure of what she wanted her future to hold.

“I came into college not really knowing what I wanted to do,” Lacey said. “I was a Biomedical (Science) undergrad so that gave me a lot of different options that I explored.”

She said it was through a shadow experience at Froedtert Sports Medicine Center during her sophomore year with one of her former teammates’, Kylie Sprecher’s mom, Susie, that made her fall in love with this career.

“A big thing for me in my job is, I want to be able to have relationships with the people around me and be able to form connections that last and go beyond just a one-time visit,” Lacey said. “(And) with PT, you can do that. You can make a meaningful impact, not only physically on them, but also in a caring aspect too.”

Balancing class and soccer Marquette’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program, which was ranked 13th in the country by “US News and World Report” in 2020, allows students to complete two degrees in a span of six years.

Both Johnson and Lacey are in their second year, or Year 5 as it is referred to, in the program and are expected to graduate in 2024.

The program is structured with at least four hours of lectures in the morning and then either a class or lab in the afternoon. Lacey said for Johnson and herself it could be anywhere from four to eight hours of class a day.

In terms of their labs this semester, Johnson said there are three: exercise physiology, orthopedic and kinesiology.

Lacey said the biggest transition from undergrad to physical therapy has been taking knowledge learned in the classroom and applying it to real-life situations.

“Physical therapy classes are very hands-on and that’s completely different from what I was used to in undergrad,” Lacey said. “It was more read the book and here are the lectures. Now we’re getting to the point in the program where we’re having practicals, touching patients and actually making an impact.”

When it comes to balancing both soccer and class, Johnson said it is nice to have someone like Lacey in her support system along with her coaches and professors.

“We support each other like 24/7,” Johnson said. “It’s been great helping each other and it does get tough, especially when we were traveling and missing a lot of classes. We’re able to run over things and study together and talk things through.”

For Lacey, she said having Johnson share the same journey as her “makes it so much better.”

“It’s so awesome,” Lacey said. “I couldn’t imagine going through it alone so having her doing it with me is honestly the best part about it.”

Assistant coach Erin Scott said she has “a huge level of respect” for what Johnson and Lacey are able to do.

“Both of them are so detail oriented about making sure they can be at training and when they’re at training they give their 100%,” Scott said. “Then when they are in the classroom they take any time that they have to get things done because soccer demands so much of that.”

But sometimes, due to classes, neither are able to attend a practice. Johnson said Lacey and her will pick up with the team in lifts in these situations.

One display of the coaches’

support, Johnson said, has been head coach Frank Pelaez advocating for Lacey and her succeeding in both the classroom and on the pitch.

“That’s been one of the coolest things,” Johnson said. “It is like a very tough curriculum and it’s very strenuous, but he is really good about checking in and making sure that we’re doing okay and the most that we can.

“Some days we can’t go to practice and it’s not like he’s punishing us. He’s like ‘You have to do things for your life outside of soccer because we’re here for school not solely just soccer.’”

Impact on the pitch

Both Johnson and Lacey said the information learned in the classroom has impacted their athletic careers.

“We were talking about a lot of recovery stuff that we had been exposed to through our athletic trainer,” Johnson said about one of her classes this summer. “It was called the Marc Pro, which is about stimulating your muscle without having to work your muscle voluntarily. That was cool to learn the science behind it all.”

Another example that Johnson mentioned is the treatment plan that team athletic trainer, Kenny Wilka and herself came up with as she is rehabbing from a sprained ACL/MCL injury that she suffered earlier this season.

“Going through treatment, he goes, ‘I’m going to have you try to make up your own treatment plan and I’ll prove it obviously before anything’ but he was trying to test me and help me out as much as possible educationwise,” Johnson said.

Johnson said teammates

will even come up to both asking questions.

“Some people will kind of make a comment and be like, ‘Rachel or Bonnie you would know this or should I take his medicine.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not a legit doctor’ but it’s kind of funny,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, for Lacey, she said it has made her look differently at the game.

“Sitting in class all day learning about injuries and impairments and how that affects people and how we want to treat them makes me really put perspective on the game that at any moment this could be the end,” Lacey said. “It really makes me appreciate soccer and it’s such a good place to release my stress and just enjoy it.”

As of right now, both said they are undecided on which area of physical therapy they would like to get into after Marquette.

Next up in their physical therapy program will be a four-week fall clinical in November after the conclusion of the season. Johnson will be in a hospital setting with Acute Care, while Lacey will head to Minnesota to do outpatient neurology.

“It’s a lot of different diagnoses and a lot of different patients,” Lacey said. “So I’m excited to expose myself to a bunch of different things.”

Once their fall clinicals end, both will return to campus for the spring semester before heading down to Florida together for a 10-week summer outpatient orthopedic clinic.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Lacey is heading to Minnesotta in November for outpatient neuro clinical.

MEN’S SOCCER

MILWAUKEE: Chasing dream miles away from home

Continued from page 12

to Accra, then England and then the United States,” Bennett said. “He’s adjusted really well. It’s not easy because he’s been in different places and in different countries, but because he has the best attitude and that allows him to be really open to everything.”

From one place to the next, Pare’s contagious smile is a constant.

“He always has a smile on his face,” Bennett said. “I think the only the only time I’ve seen him grimace is when he had a root canal, which was about three weeks after he came here (Marquette), that’s the only time I haven’t seen him smiling.”

The forward attacker’s pearly whites and happy attitude have influenced his teammates on and off the field.

“He definitely has a big impact in this team. Every time he walks into a large room, he has that big smile on his face, which always cheers us (the team) up,” junior forward Beto Soto said. “He’s a great player, but he’s an even better person outside the field. He’s funny, me and him have our own inside jokes, and it’s always exciting to see him with the ball, see what skills he’s going to pull on the defender.”

When it comes to handling the ball, Pare has quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

“He’s a street player,” Bennett said. “At times he does things that you think ‘oh man you only normally see that when you’re just knocking around the ball around with your friend‘, yet he does it as part of our system.”

Such street style elements are simply products of

childhood fun and neighborhood games, Pare said.

“Where I’m from, we play football in the street and we don’t have like grass, or that fancy grass. We play on hard surfaces where the ball bounces around most of the time so it’s very hard, but because of that I have more control of the ball,” Pare said.

Though Pare said he wouldn’t describe himself as a goal-scorer, he currently leads the Golden Ea- gles in goals.

“People think I’m a good scorer, but I don’t really like scoring goals. I like to assist my teammate, that’s what I’ve always done. I like to pass the ball to the

striker, and he scores a goal,” Pare said.

Through the eyes of Bennet, whether Pare is scoring in

games, freestyling the ball or at practice, he’s radiating joy.

“When we go to work, obviously many players are very upbeat and are very intense, but you can tell they’re really enjoying it (soccer). It makes it so much easier to coach because you know that these players are outwardly enjoying stuff,” Bennett said. “Pare is one of those guys.”

With Pare’s diverse playing style and positive outlook, Bennett said Marquette continues to benefit from his character. A character in which Pare himself said has been greatly shaped by RTD.

“One of the things that RTD emphasized was never to give up on your dreams, and that goes for achieving anything in life,” Pare said.

Club aiming to break weightlighting stereotype

Members help each other gain confidence in gym

By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu

Maddie Arnett, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, was working out in the gym in early spring. Allison Schmidt, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences walked up to her asking about a club for women to exercise together.

“She (Schmidt) was just going up to people like, ‘Hey, if I started a club that dealt with women and weightlifting, would you join it?’ I was like, ‘Absolutely,’” Arnett said.

The Women’s Strength Club is one of the newest student organizations at Marquette. The club was created less than a year ago, in March 2022, by Schmidt.

Arnett said the club was started to be an outlet for women at Marquette who wanted to learn more about lifting weights. She said one of the goals is to end the stereotype that weightlifting is only for men.

“There’s this big notion now that women can’t lift because, in the past, it wasn’t a very female dominant thing,” Arnett said. “We get to reshape mindsets and

help people put a more positive outlook on weightlifting rather than being scared or intimidated or feel like they’re going to feel judged.”

Despite being one of the newest clubs on campus, Arnett said club leaders have been impressed with turnout numbers.

The club has 375 members in its group overall, and around 50 to 75 people have attended the first couple meetings.

Arnett said the club emphasizes its initiative to make women feel welcomed, not pressured.

Keeping with that goal, the club does not force members to lift in the gym but instead wants members to be comfortable when they decide to go to the gym.

The club meets on Sundays at 4 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union, but the specific room changes depending on availability. The meetings are only informational as members of the E-Board lead a presentation on different workouts for the week.

“We usually go over a workout of the week, including proper form, sets, reps and techniques,”

Grace Bell, a junior in the College of Nursing said. “We also go over topics like protein, creatine use, workout splits and working out for specific goals. We had a nutritionist come in last semester to speak with the group.”

Along with the informational meetings on Sundays, members of the club can also sign up for lift sessions during the week.

Arnett said there are two types of lift sessions during the week, one is led by the club leaders and the other is for people who do not need instruction but want to exercise with someone.

“It’s basically just saying, ‘Hey, guys, I’m going to the gym at 5:30 on Monday. I’m going to be there, who wants to meet up with me,’” Arnett said. “Then you put your phone number down, make a group chat and meet friends that way.”

Arnett said she understands that everyone’s workout routine is different. Because of this, members can also choose to work out alone in the gym and inform the club leaders of what worked.

The mid-week group lift sessions are different than going to Helfaer Recreation Center alone because of the culture the group sessions create.

“Our group lifts are different from just going to the rec and lifting alone because we encourage and assist each other in everything we do,” Schmidt said.

Bell said the lift sessions provide the tools to help women lift on their own later in their life.

“We are focused on providing girls with proper form and

technique, as well as confidence so that they will eventually feel comfortable lifting on their own-especially in a very male-dominated gym,” Bell said.

Schmidt said the club has made it a priority to create a culture centered around support.

“If I could describe our club culture in a few words, I would choose encouraging, friendly and engaging,” Schmidt said.

Bell said an example of this is when members send each other updates when they achieve a new personal record or try something new in the gym.

Schmidt said the club offers flexibility for its members as

attending meetings and workouts not required.

“It is completely up to the members to choose if they go to meetings and if they do the workout,” Schmidt said. “We want to leave it up to them (members) to get that lifting discipline and commitment.”

Schmidt said the club teaches women valuable skills that will last a lifetime, but Arnett simplified the club’s purpose into one sentence.

Tuesday, OcTOber 4, 2022 The MarqueTTe TribunesPORTs 15 “We’re dedicated to helping women gain confidence, strength and healthy lifestyle habits through weightlifting,” Arnett said.

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

Women’s Strength Club began in the spring 2022 semester.

CLUB SPORTS

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

sPORTs

Bringing Street Style Skills to Milwaukee

First-Year midfielder leads Golden Eagles in scoring department

By Ava Mares ava.mares@marquette.edu

At the young age of 11 years old, Abdoul Karim Pare said goodbye to his family, friends and his home in the Ivory Coast to pursue a new opportunity with Right to Dream Academy in Accra, Ghana.

“It was very challenging because I went from being

one of the best players in my neighborhood to competing with all the best players in Africa,” Pare said. “When I left (Ivory Coast), I was very young, so I was obviously sad. My mom was sad as well, and (at) first she didn’t want me to leave.”

But even at a young age, Pare knew what he wanted.

“A lot of people in my family were like, ‘No, you can’t do this, you won’t be able to get anywhere with this’ or would say, ‘Just focus on your studies,’ but I knew I could do both at the same time and I

did what I wanted,” Pare said.

The manifesto of RTD is as stated: “If everything else fell away, this is what would remain. Whatever we achieve, this is the heart of it.” RTD also preaches the message to “rock the boat,” which symbolizes how soccer is a mirror to society, and to rock the boat is to challenge and disrupt common perceptions, to create a new normal.

Through RTD, Pare has not only learned valuable soccer skills, but life lessons as well.

“In my early time with RTD, people said, ‘Oh you’re

not very happy around here,’ I think one of the main reasons was because I missed my mom, so right away that taught me to be happy even when things are not going on well,” Pare said. “When things aren’t great and there’s nothing you can do about it, either you squeeze your face or smile. They (RTD) always taught me to be happy.”

Pare carried his happiness to the U.K. Alongside a handful of his RTD mates, Pare completed his high school education at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, all while

playing the sport he loves.

Before coming to Marquette, Pare had his first dabble with U.S. collegiate soccer at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. But when Pare entered the transfer pool, Marquette head coach Louis Bennett said he was eager to pick him up.

The sophomore attacker’s transition to the Midwest has been an easy one.

“This is a young man that’s been away from home since he was 11 years old, chasing a soccer ball from Ivory Coast

Marquette men’s soccer first-year midfielder Abdoul Karim Pare (17) brings up the ball in the Golden Eagles 3-1 loss to the Butler Bulldogs Sept. 30 at Valley Fields.

Photos by Alex DeBuhr