The Marquette Tribune
MU puts 15 programs under review
keifer.russell@marquette.edu
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
Across seven out of Marquette's 11 colleges, 15 programs were recommended by the Marquette 2031: Securing Our Future steering committee to be cut or modified due to low enrollment trends.
The recommended programs have not been released to the Wire at this time, as the process for review is ongoing.
What to know right now:
Kevin Conway, university spokesperson, said the programs, if cut or modified, will instill a "teach-out plan," so students who are currently enrolled in the program are offered the classes they need to finish their degree.
“The majority of the 15 programs recommended for modification or closure have enrolled 10 or fewer students per year over the last five
years,” Conway said in a statement. "This evaluation is about how to best utilize resources to serve as many students as we can.”
Announced last academic year, the Securing Our Future plan aims to reduce Marquette’s spending by $31 million by 2031 and reinvest 40% back into the university.
The Securing Our Future steering committee is comprised of 26
faculty members and co-chaired by Jill Guttormson, dean of the College of Nursing, and Ralph Weber, vice president and general counsel. The committee went to the deans of each college to ask for potential ways to reduce the $31 million goal set by the board of trustees. Paul Gasser, chair of University
Trump tests presidential power in first week
By Sahil Gupta sahil.gupta@marquette.edu
The president wasted no time getting to work on several campaign promises
ceremony Jan. 20 featuring some of the world's richest men along with all the living former U.S. presidents and an a cappella performance from country singer Carrie Underwood, Trump declared that “the Golden Age of America” had begun. Trump wasted no time issuing executive orders on a slew of issues from immigration to energy. Less than 24 hours in, he issued pardons and sentence commutations for over 1,000 Jan. 6 rioters, including those convicted of violent crimes.
Trump said he believed the rioters were serving sentences that were "ridiculous and excessive."
The move was met by outrage from members of the U.S. Capitol Police, with one officer calling it a betrayal and a stab in the back.
Trump also announced sweeping measures on his key campaign promise of immigration reform. He began by signing an executive order ending birthright citizenship. The move was immediately met by
four separate lawsuits challenging it, claiming blatant unconstitutionality. A federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked the order; However, the order is now on track to face the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Trump administration is also cracking down on illegal migration, shutting down the app "CBP One," which allowed migrants to make appointments to apply for asylum remotely. Trump has also deployed U.S. troops to the southern border and the
administration is using military planes to deport undocumented immigrants. This move is already causing some challenges for the administration. On Sunday, Trump announced 25% emergency tariffs on Colombia after its president, Gustavo Petro, blocked a U.S. military plane carrying Colombian migrants from landing. Trump declared that those tariffs would be raised to 50% one week later. Colombia responded by announcing its own 25% tariff on all U.S. imports,
Photo by Keifer Russell
President Donald Trump has finished the first week of his second tenure in the White House.
PROGRAMS: Changes will begin next year
Continued from page 1
Academic Senate, said the deans could submit ideas for increases in revenue and/or budget cuts.
"However, the steering committee was 'skeptical' of ideas for increased revenue," Gasser said. "They were more open to budget cuts than to ideas for increased revenue because they didn't want to rely on increases in revenue that might not pan out."
Gasser said if deans submitted lists of mostly or all ideas for increased revenue, they were told to resubmit a list of more budget cuts.
What's next in the process:
After the 15 programs were identified, faculty from each of the 15 departments could submit feedback with their opinions and thoughts on the potential cuts through CourseLeaf, a curriculum management software.
That feedback is sent to the University Board of Undergraduate Studies and University Board of Graduate Studies, where the program review process is happening right now. The board will vote on the pro-
posal for each program, then if passed, it will move to UAS.
UAS consists of 38 members, including faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students, and acts as an advisory body for the university leadership. According to the faculty handbook, they are given the proposals, and in this case, can vote on them.
Gasser said at the Jan. 27 UAS meeting that materials about the proposal will be given to senators with time to review before the meeting. At that meeting,
UBUS and UBGS chairs will present the process that identified the program for closure, rationale for closure, data collected to evaluate the closure and a summary of the committee's discussions.
UAS senators will be given time to discuss and deliberate how they want to vote over the next few UAS meetings. The outcome of the votes from UBUS, UBGS and UAS are sent to the provost's office next. Acting Provost Sarah Feldner, University President Kimo Ah Yun and
the Board of Trustees make the final decision.
Gasser said there is not a hard deadline for when a decision has to be made, but the deadline for changes in the class bulletin is in April.
This is not the first time Marquette has made cuts in the past five years. In the spring of 2021, Marquette laid of 39 staff members in response to a drop in enrollment due to COVID-19.
TRUMP: Executive orders and confirmations
Continued from page 1
saying that they would only accept deportees on civilian aircraft.
An agreement was reached between the two nations late Sunday night, averting a trade war that could have led to increased prices on items such as coffee, bananas and flowers right before Valentine's Day.
Trump also fired over a dozen inspectors general, independent watchdogs within federal agencies who investigate and disclose waste, fraud and abuse, at various government departments. As many as 17 were let go by email, despite a federal law requiring a 30 day notice to Congress for the firing of inspectors general.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate will continue working to confirm Trump’s cabinet nominees. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, was narrowly confirmed with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie breaking vote after 3 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting against his confirmation.
Other nominees con-
The university Board of Trustees also approved a 3% increase in food and housing for the 2025-26 academic year
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
Marquette University announced Jan. 23 that they will be raising undergraduate tuition 4% and housing and food rates by 3%. They will also be adding a fee of $210 per semester for student health and mental health services.
firmed this past week include John Ratcliffe as director of the CIA and former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security, a key role in the administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration.
Trump also announced a $500 billion investment in private sector AI infrastructure. He was joined by the CEOs of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, along with Softbank and Oracle as he made the announcement the day after his inauguration in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.
On the world stage, Trump has faced pushback from Arab nations after he suggested moving Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and building housing in a different location. Countries including Jordan and Egypt have rejected the proposal, with some people accusing Trump of promoting ethnic cleansing.
Trump also held a phone call with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the weekend. The two leaders discussed the recent ceasefire between Israel
The Board of Trustees approved an increase to undergraduate tuition smaller than last year's 5%, but the number still follows the trend of the around $2,000 increase that has been happening for the past three academic years.
2023-24: $47,690
2024-25: $50,070
2025-26: $52,070
"Our goal is to make a Marquette education accessible," The announcement on Marquette Today said. "Even as we face the same economic pressures that so many other organizations are experiencing."
The price of tuition came up at a UAS meeting about possible increases to teaching workloads for faculty in accordance with the Mar-
and Hamas and the importance of maintaining the strategic partnership between the two nations.
On Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to speak before both chambers of Congress on March 4, asking him to outline his vision for the future of the country.
quette 2031: Securing Our Future plan, which aims to reduce the university's spending by $31 million and reinvest 40% back into the university.
Although the Board of Trustees approved the tuition increase, University President Kimo Ah Yun said at the November UAS meeting that he did not want to make increases to tuition.
“We want to make sure students can come here," Ah Yun said. "It’s one of the many things I look at and ask, ‘How are we ensuring that we’re keeping a price point that’s appropriate for a student?'...We know we have an important strategic plan, we know we have to invest in the strategic plan. We’re not going to do that
on the backs of students, so what will we do differently as a university?”
The Wire reached out to the university to see if Ah Yun wanted to include a statement about the increase and his prior comments about keeping tuition affordable. Marquette responded with the following statement: "As the costs of many goods and utilities rise year-over-year, the cost of providing a truly transformational education rises, as well," Kevin Conway, university spokesperson, said in a statement. "It is because of this that the Marquette community has worked to identify new cost-savings and revenue-generation opportunities in order to
keep a Marquette education accessible, even as we face the same economic pressures that so many other organizations are experiencing. This work led the Marquette University Board of Trustees to approve a smaller tuition and housing and food increases than last year."
At the University of Loyola Chicago, a Jesuit school similar to Marquette's size, they have vowed not to increase tuition more than 1.5% from year to year for the past 10 years. However, another Jesuit institution, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, increased their tuition by 2.7% for the 2025-26 academic year.
President Donald Trump has finished the first week of his second tenure in the White House.
Photo courtesy of Free Malasia Today
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VISUAL CONTENT
How executive orders impact MU
By Mia Thurow and Sophia Tiedge mia.thurow@marquette.edu and sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
In the week following the start of President Donald Trump's second stint in office, his administration has issued over two dozen executive orders, many of which have the potential to impact colleges and universities across the nation.
Ralph Weber, vice president and general counsel at Marquette, updated University Academic Senate on Monday about four of Trump's executive orders and their possible impact on the campus.
The university released a statement on Marquette Today responding to the federal actions and listing resources available to students, but Weber provided more information on the discussions about the following ways the Trump administrations executive orders could impact campus.
1. Termination of federal DEI
2. Ending birthright citizenship
3. Visas and travel bans
4. NIH meetings and grant work
The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is in Washington, D.C., tracking the orders, and Marquette's public affairs department
is communicating with the groups.
Weber said Marquette has a small group that is assessing which orders are going to impact the campus, and they will take these orders to a larger group to discuss next steps.
DEI order:
One of Trump's executive orders is the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” which bars federal DEI efforts and creates new restrictions on certain policies.
"Going forward, contracts and grants will require Marquette to certify that it does not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination law," Weber said.
Weber said DEI remains important in Marquette's culture and mission as a Jesuit institution.
Marquette's DEI statement:
Grounded in our Catholic, Jesuit mission and Statement on Human Dignity and Diversity, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at Marquette University actively works to promote a more diverse, welcoming, equitable, and inclusive campus community.
Birthright citizenship order:
A slew of Trump's executive orders targets immigrants and international students, citing some individuals as threats to national security and public safety.
The president's administration issued an order attempting to limit birthright citizenship, a legal principle stating that citizenship is automatically granted to individuals born in the United States such as children of immigrants. The order was already blocked by Federal Judge John Coughenour on Jan. 23.
The Department of Homeland Security revoked a policy that considered schools, hospitals and churches to be “sensitive locations” where immigrant enforcement actions could not be taken. Now, these locations, which also include college campuses, are no longer considered sensitive by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, meaning immigrants can be targeted for raids in those areas.
"We have a protocol in place in the event that happens (ICE comes to campus), which is to refer people to MUPD," Weber said.
The Marquette University Police Department would determine if there is a valid warrant and if it is an administrative warrant or judicial warrant.
"We're being careful about the extent to which we can give advice, which is pretty limited, but we've identified some high quality third-party sites," Weber said.
Visas and travel bans:
The executive order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” will tighten vetting and screening for anyone applying for a visa.
The order also requires that those currently living with a visa in the U.S. cannot advocate for or support foreign terrorists and threats, which could possibly affect international students protesting on college campuses.
By March 21, a list of countries that are found with deficient vetting procedures will be compiled. The Trump administration said they will not allow visas from these countries, which Weber said could impact graduate students and faculty who are at Marquette on visas. Weber said the university will be monitoring this closely.
National Institute of Health suspension of operations:
A Trump administration appointee administered a freeze to NIH's communications, hiring and travel until Feb. 1. This impacted grant review boards and other operations that are necessary for university research.
"We're evaluating what the impact will be on our grant work and how we try to mitigate this," Weber said. Weber said that overall, protecting Marquette students is guiding their decision-making.
"It's essential that we continue to act in accordance with our mission, so how do we do that in a way that complies with the law?" Weber said. "It's important for us to be thoughtful so we can be effective."
Marquette has a small group that is assessing which orders are going to impact the campus
Photo by Jack Belmont jack.belmont@marquette.edu
Q&A: Lubar Research Fellow John Johnson
By Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
The Marquette Wire had the opportunity to sit down with John Johnson, a research fellow in the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Alongside Charles Franklin, professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law School Poll, Johnson works on all of the polling projects done by the Marquette University Law School, including polling for the 2024 presidential election.
Johnson was recently named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list for his work in analyzing housing, demographics and political trends. The list recognizes rising stars in local professional settings for their current impact and the outlook for future influence.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Your areas of interest are housing, demographics and political trends. What about those areas stands out to you and how did you become interested in looking at them?
The election stuff is what I'm formally trained in. I studied political science in grad school [and] was originally hired here to work on the poll, which I still do. So that's always been a great interest of mine. Then, I got very interested in understanding the housing market in Milwaukee when I realized that the data we have in Milwaukee about homes and homeownership is quite good for American cities, but not a lot of people were using it.
There was a great deal of interest in housing issues, particularly following the publication of “Evicted” by Matt Desmond, but also from many organizations working on those issues and in Milwaukee. So, I did an early project with my colleague Mike Gousha looking at how the end of the residency requirement in Milwaukee had affected neighborhoods.
The residency requirement was a rule that if you worked for the city of Milwaukee, you had to live in city limits. This was struck down— a law was passed and there was some litigation ending that rule in the mid-2010s, and so we were looking to see what had happened in the neighborhoods where lots of city employees had left. Through that project, I realized that there were all kinds of interesting questions we could ask from some of that data, and so that was really the genesis of that project.
I would say, in contrast to some researchers [that] have one burning question
that they spend their career trying to answer, I'm more motivated by answering the questions that other people come to me with, and housing stuff is of great interest to a lot of people in Milwaukee. Then, the demographic piece of it came out of that. You can't understand demand for housing without understanding how household sizes and general population stuff has changed.
We just came off of an election season. How much information were you swimming in and what was that period of research like for you?
There were three really big projects with the election last year. The first was the poll. We do national polling now as well as state polling. We're a very small operation— It's really just Charles [Franklin] and I, so that was a lot.
At the beginning of the year, if you follow politics, you might recall that the state Supreme Court at Christmas a year ago threw out the existing state legislative maps and created this process by which new maps were chosen and convoluted. I won't get into it now, but I did what I believe is the only real-time, independent analysis of the various maps that were before the court in the state. That drew a lot of interest and took a lot of time for about two months.
Then, around the election in November, I did a project where I collected all of the ward-level election results from every county on election night and over the following days and published those, which was a pretty large undertaking, but ended up creating a data set that wouldn’t exist otherwise of those granular election results. Actually, if you go on the New York Times website now, where they have a nationwide precinct election map, that Wisconsin data is mine to that project. That was a nice thing to be able to do.
Something else that we did, mostly last year, was publish this website where you can look up any rental property in the city of Milwaukee: MKEpropertyownership.com. This might be of interest to some of the students here if [they’re] moving off-campus, moving out of the housing that Marquette owns. But if you're renting from a private landlord, that's a good way to learn more about who that landlord is, what other properties they have, how frequently they receive code violations and file evictions and that kind of thing. There was a study published in December gaug-
ing the perception of Donald Trump by asking participants open-ended questions about liking versus disliking him. In studies like that one, where does the research go once it’s completed? Does that information get funneled into another outlet or is it just an independent study?
We share that. We have a pretty large mailing list that we share our work with, largely of journalists— locally, nationally and some international. One of the big audiences that we see for the work that we do here are journalists and policymakers at other outlets, less sort of the public directly, although we do that too.
There were many, many, many editorials and think pieces being written about why people did or did not support Donald Trump. The great thing about polling is that we can just ask people, and then we can represent those people in a statistically proportionate way to the share of the population that they represent.
My goal with that piece was to encourage people to really spend some time reading what people say in their own words about, in this case, Donald Trump. We'll do that kind of open-ended question and answer format more over the coming year because I think the results are really interesting.
Now that we deliver more and more surveys through the internet, that gives us the ability to ask those open-ended questions in a way where it's less practical to do it in a phone call. I really enjoy the open-ended stuff. I think they're more interesting than some other kinds of polling, so I'm looking forward to doing more of that. It is pretty time consuming because we have to read all the responses carefully to make sure there's nothing terribly offensive that we need to redact before we put it up for the public.
Local news stations repeatedly cited the Marquette Law School Poll to forecast results during the latest election season. How has the polling done here acquired such substantial credibility?
It’s something we’ve had to earn. I started on the poll in April of 2016. The poll was launched in 2012, and the poll correctly anticipated Scott Walker winning his recall in 2012 and then a few months later, Barack Obama winning re-election in Wisconsin. That was a good start, getting those two races correct and the other in opposite directions.
Over the course of poll’s
history, it’s certainly had its share of misses, but less than most polls have. We've been pretty accurate. In FiveThirtyEight’s rankings before the most recent election (the new ones aren't out yet), we were ranked third for accuracy in the country and first for transparency, which is something that we take a lot of pride in because we can actually control that. We try to get every race right, but that's not entirely in your control. But you can control how much you explain about how you're doing the polling.
We release an extensive methodology statement and then other documentation around each poll, complete results to the questions, those kinds of things. Then, Charles in particular, spends an enormous amount of time meeting with community groups and journalists to explain to them exactly what we're doing.
I think that open-door policy helps a lot, too. If people have concerns, we're happy to discuss the data and implementations with them to help make they’re reporting as [accurately] as possible. It also helps that Wisconsin is a pretty small state, and most states our size don't have a dedicated polling operation, of course.
As someone from Illinois, what else do you think to be unique about Wisconsin?
The first presidential election between the Democrat and Republican [parties] was in 1856 and if you look over the history of the country since then, no state has been as closely divided in three consecutive presidential elections as Wisconsin in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Nowhere has ever been like this before. If you're interested in American politics, this is the place to be.
Beyond politics, I love Wisconsin for a variety of reasons. I love the outdoors here, I think people are very friendly, and I think that the state's mix of one big city in Milwaukee, but then a lot of small cities and a lot of, frankly, pretty thriving small towns in
contrast to Illinois, is really cool.
Your research has appeared in publications such as The Atlantic, The Economist, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Financial Times and, as you said, The New York Times. Did you have a moment in this journey where you saw your work somewhere and thought, “I made it?”
I remember, when I was pretty early on in the job, the first time I helped a reporter from The Atlantic on a story. It wasn’t an important story or anything like that, but I remember that I was like, “Wow. This is the first time I’ve worked with a national journalist.” Now, that's fairly routine. Now, I've worked with enough journalists that my opinions about news outlets are based on specific interactions with reporters.
I think really highly of The New York Times because the data journalists they employ there care so much about getting it right that they're a real pleasure to work with. And there's some other outlets that you work with sometimes where you can tell that they're just looking for somebody to give them a quote that's consistent with the narrative they've already decided to tell. That's much less fun for me.
The Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list selects honorees based on "the impact they've had in their jobs in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall.” Beyond being validated for the work being done, what does it mean to be specifically recognized for making an impact on the local community?
It was gratifying to know that people are reading and valuing what I do, because we're not selling subscriptions or something like that. Sometimes when you write something, build a tool to explore some data, something like that, and you put it out in the world, you don't always know if it's finding the audience that you want it to. So this was a nice validation.
A night of scorching hot shooting
By Max Mullin maxwell.mullin@marquette.edu
Marquette led by Volker's 20 points
Lee Volker, Skylar Forbes and Halle Vice combined to score 57 of Marquette’s 75 points in the Golden Eagles's (13-6, 5-3 Big East) route of Georgetown (10-10, 3-6 Big East).
Sharing is caring
Marquette had 21 assists on 27 made field goals, marking the season's second-highest assist rate (Assist/Field Goals made) and the best in Big East play at 77.7%.
“We are a much better team when we move and share the ball,” Consuegra said. “We get multiple actions within our offense, and we did that really well today.”
The Golden Eagles aren’t known as a 3-point juggernaut, but when the looks are open, uncontested shots created by unselfish passing can be dangerous from the outside.
Marquette shot 6-for-9 (66.6%) from beyond the arc, their best shooting percentage from deep this sea-
son.
“We want to be able to share the ball because it is really hard to guard when you can break teams down by passing it around,” Vice said.
Stars Shine
Vice’s efficiency was on full display as she had 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting. She affected the game with eight rebounds, three steals and five fouls drawn.
“I try to take shots within the offense,” Vice said. “I never try to force anything, just taking rhythm shots within my role.”
Forbes dropped 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and contributed five rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.
Volker added a team-high 20 points on 8-for-15 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the outside. Volker also had a team-high six assists to go along with five rebounds.
“Those three are settling into their roles,” Consuegra said. "They know what they do well, and they know what spots they need to get to on the offensive end.”
Georgetown’s leading scorer, Kelsey Ransom, had herself a day scoring
25 points on 9-for-21 from the floor. Ransom did her best to keep the Hoyas in the game, but Marquette forced Ransom into eight turnovers.
The Golden Eagles show their H.E.A.R.T
Marquette's core values are heart, effort, accountability, respect and toughness. The Golden Eagles try to live by this mantra every day.
“I think it’s something our program lives by. Every day in practice, we do multiple toughness drills and give out hearts,” Vice said. “I think that translates over to games, as we always try to be the tougher team.”
On the court, it showed up through hustle and toughness.
The Golden Eagles had 12 steals, forced 21 Hoya turnovers and out-rebounded Georgetown 34-to-33.
“I thought our effort was great today,” Vice said
Up Next
Marquette has four days off to grow as a team before traveling to Cincinnati on January 29th to take on Xavier (6-14, 1-8 Big East) at 6 PM CST.
The start of a new era
By Trevor Hilson trevor.hilson@marquette.edu
Mike Broeker promoted to AD after 21 years at MU
It was a day full of emotion and gratitude for Mike Broeker as he was introduced as Marquette's next vice president and director of athletics at the Alumni Memorial Union on Thursday.
"Today is a great day for Marquette," Dr. Kimo Ah Yun, Marquette University president, said.
"When we began this search, we began at a place where we said, 'We know
By Ben Hanson benjamin.hanson@marquette.edu
we are a national university, we know we are competitive, we know that we are known for our student-athletes,'" Ah Yun said. "'How do we keep that momentum?'"
The answer came within the Al McGuire Center's walls and carries with him 21 years of experience working in athletic leadership roles with the university, including 18 of which came as deputy director of
athletics.
"He knows the recipe for success," Ah Yun said. "He's already been connected to our campus, and when you think about securing our future or safety on campus, he's already deeply connected of all the things we need to do to make sure Marquette is successful."
Broeker said the oppor-
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
WLAX garnering
Bireley named preseason Offensive Player
of the Year
Marquette women's lacrosse senior attacker Meg Bireley has been chosen as Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, the conference announced Wednesday. The Glenview, Illinois
native was selected as a member of the First Team All-Big East in 2024: a season in which she wrapped with a conference-leading, twelfth in the nation and Marquette single-season record-setting 69 goals. Additionally in her junior season, Bireley received the most Attacker of the Week accolades (3) out of any player on the Big East.
"I’m sure it’s frustrating to play against her," women's
tunity he has been given is about more than just a promotion.
"For me, it's about being in a position to make impact at a place you believe in," Broeker said. "There's no place I believe more strongly in than Marquette University."
Marquette women's basketball head coach Cara Consuegra has worked alongside Broeker not only since rejoining the program as head coach, but in her time as an assistant under Terri Mitchell from 2004-2011, as well.
"What I told Kimo is that I want to work for somebody that this is more than just a job," Consuegra said. "I believe that this is his calling to want to be here at Marquette, to help continue to elevate us to do it within our mission and our values. That's the type of leader that I wanted to work for."
Attacking a newer age Broeker takes the reins during a new era of collegiate athletics.
With Name, Image and Likeness still in its infant years, he said he wants programs to stay grounded during the changing landscape.
"I think it's more about being strong in your convictions, being committed
to the things that are committed to you and more than ever having a real understanding of who you are and what you are capable of doing," Broeker said. He said he believes Marquette is qualified to take on the challenges that this new world presents.
"Cura personalis runs through the body of every person in our department," Broeker said. "Our community is incredible. The pieces are there. Why wouldn't you not want to be a student-athlete here?"
Consuegra said she believes Broeker and the coaches of Marquette's athletic programs, including herself, are ready to work as a team.
"I want to be the best teammate I can be for him, with him and for the rest of the coaches in our department," Consuegra said. "He's taking a big step as a leader, but he wants to do it with and for each other."
Broeker was introduced at the AMU amongst family, friends, coaches and student-athletes.
"I cannot tell you how deeply grateful our family is for the experiences of the 21-year journey we've been on," Broeker said. "We look forward to the ones yet to come."
recognition
lacrosse head coach Meredith Black said. "It’s not like she has one move; that’s why you can’t stop her. She can do everything — she can drive herself, she can cut well, she can read the defense, she can score well in transition."
Last season, Bireley led the team in shots on goal (113) and was third in the nation in that stat. She even marked a career-high and single-game program
"I'm sure it's frustrating to play against her. It's not like she has one move..."
record eight goals on the team's March 12 matchup against Ohio State.
Also receiving some praise is junior attacker
Tess Osburn — who earned a spot on the Big East All-Preseason Team. The Castle Rock, Colorado native, who was voted to the All-Big East Second Team last year, netted 32 goals in her sophomore season.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Meredith Black Marquette Women's Lacross Head Coach
Broeker was officially introduced Jan. 23
Photo courtesy of Matthew Baltz
SPORTS COLUMN THIS WEEK: PEACOCK ON Men's Basketball
A second-half comeback is thrilling to watch, but constantly leaning on the hope of one isn’t something fans or players should settle for. The narrative of being a second-half team isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, it creates a standard that allows motivation to fluctuate when it should stay steady. With March Madness right around the corner, relying on the status of being one is a habit that Marquette basketball has to break.
Marquette basketball faced its first conference loss by two points against Xavier on January 18, a result that unsettled students and fans alike. At the half, many were hoping to continue the pattern of being a second-half team that can miraculously come back from a bad start, something that’s resulted in success in the past.
But as a top-10 nationally ranked team, relying on a miracle shouldn’t be necessary to win a game.
The game against Xavier didn’t have the best start and despite clear effort and determination going into the second half, Marquette fell short by just a layup. Between turnovers and a low scoring percentage throughout, Marquette finished the first half with 24 points and an 11-point deficit, its largest this season.
Marquette has been deemed a second-half team in the past, with many games ending in an exciting comeback after concerning first halves. It’s something fans have grown accustomed to, making it through a rollercoaster of a game and still somehow leaving with a win. This
wasn’t the case against Xavier, and hopefully, it’ll be a huge motivator as the NCAA tournament grows closer.
Head Coach Shaka Smart even addressed this pattern post-game, saying that despite the determination shown in the second half, the team had to show up in the first and remain resilient throughout.
This is common sense: A strong start leads to a strong finish, but, Marquette has gotten away with having a weaker start while still managing to pull the win several times. Every game should be played like a second-half comeback; the resilience and motivation demonstrated by the players in a moment such as this must be present from tip-off.
Valuing early possessions and making careful decisions in the first half sets up a winning second half, but obviously, the correct mindset is also necessary.
Marquette’s roster has incredible talent and skill, it’s just a matter of finding rhythm earlier in the game. Second-half teams don’t win national championships, and following a loss in the Sweet Sixteen in last year’s tournament, motivation is likely at an all-time high.
Every team wants to win the trophy, the team who ends up with it in their possession has to want it more than anyone else. With that comes the necessity of increased determination throughout the entirety of the game, not only during a specific part. A championship isn’t won in 20 minutes. It’s won in 40.
Lilly Peacock is a sports columnist. He can be reached at lilly.peacock@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @LillyPeacockMU. The MarqueTTe Tribune
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Breaking the slump
Marquette and Jones rebound from Xavier loss
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
After coming up short in its first home loss of the season against Xavier last Saturday, Marquette men's basketball is up a spot to No. 9 in the latest AP Poll after a 2-0 week.
Here are my thoughts from the Golden Eagles' bounce back week:
Kam Jones starting to repossess his shooting stroke
Going into Tuesday's game against Seton Hall, Kam Jones had been held to under 40 percent shooting from the field in each of Marquette's previous four games.
Although the Golden Eagles were 3-1 in those games, Jones was missing shots that he didn't usually miss — which led to uncharacteristically low field goal percentages from the senior guard.
After Jones' 11-point performance against the Musketeers in which he shot 5-for-13 from the field, head coach Shaka Smart offered a suggestion as to why he thought Jones' struggles had been persisting.
“This is Kam Jones man, this guy is special,” Smart said. “This guy’s out of this world, but he’s also a human being and he’s feeling a lot of pressure I would imagine.
“He hasn’t verbalized that, he’s been great in practice, he’s been an A plus teammate, A plus plus and leader. But man, it’s just a lot expected from him on his shoulders, and I think right now when he rises up from outside, he’s feeling the weight of some of that.”
Heading into Tuesday, Jones was shooting 9-for46 (19.6%) on 3-pointers in Big East games. For a guy who has made 37.5 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc during his career, it was an unusually poor stretch of shooting.
But Jones turned it around at Prudential Center, scoring 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting and, most importantly, went 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
“This was one of Kam’s better games all around,” Smart said after the game.
“I thought offensively, he did a nice job managing the game, got going and made some threes, which was nice because he’s been cold from out there the last few games. And then
again, his defensive activity was impressive.”
Jones also shot above 40 percent from the field for just the second time since the start of the new year in the Golden Eagles' 8774 win over Villanova. The Memphis, Tennessee native finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting. He also claimed five boards and dished out five assists — marking the seventh this season time he's scored at least 15 points, snagged
"This is Kam Jones, man, this guy is special."
five rebounds and had five assists. Marquette is 6-1 in those games.
Jones was announced as Big East player of the Week Monday morning, his third time receiving the award this season.
The Golden Eagles keep the nation's leading scorer at bay
Villanova's Eric Dixon has been one of the best scorers in the country this season. The senior forward came into Friday's game at Fiserv Forum leading the nation in scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game.
Marquette was able to limit Dixon's isolated possessions, while also keeping the ball out of his hands all together — especially in the first half. The Golden Eagles were able to hold the 6-foot-8 star to just three points in the first 20 minutes.
"We just wanted to do what we do," Smart said. "Our game plan is such that, as we like to say, if we're going to put two on the ball, then put two on
the ball. We don't want to be halfway with that.
"We want to be aggressive. Villanova, every time we play them they have a great attack against some of our traps where they've been able to pass the ball out and find open guys on the perimeter.
"They made some threes, but they also made probably seven or eight jumpshots after we kind of ran them off threes. They shotfaked, put it on the floor. Usually we're okay living with those, but, man, they made a lot of those. Our game plan was to really be as tough-minded as we could be as a group of five guarding their best guys. Just so we didn't put anybody on an island."
Dixon finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting. A usual 46.2 percent shooter from deep, he shot just 3-for-8 from beyond the arc. It marked just the fourth time this season that Dixon has scored less than 20 points.
What's on Tap?
Marquette is back on the road to take on Butler (911, 2-7 Big East) on Tuesday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST. The Golden Eagles have won eight of their last 10 games against the Bulldogs, including four of its last six inside of Hinkle.
After that, it's the highly anticipated National Marquette Day game against back-to-back defending National Champion UConn on Saturday. The Huskies are down to No. 25 after dropping their sixth game of the season at Xavier Saturday night.
Tip-off for NMD is set for 7 p.m. CST. The Golden Eagles will look to pick up their first win against UConn since March 10, 2023, after losing to the Huskies three times last season.
Shaka Smart Marquette men's basketball head coach
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics Kam Jones leads the Golden Eagles in scoring this season.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Stevie Mitchell's career night
The senior guard tallied 21 points in the victory
By Mikey Severson michael.severson@marquette.edu
No. 10 Marquette men's basketball (17-3, 8-1 Big East) capitalized off turnovers, Stevie Mitchell tying a career-high in scoring and complementary shooting en route to an 87-74 victory over Villanova (129, 5-5 Big East) at Fiserv Forum Friday night.
In the Golden Eagles' first home game since their 5957 loss to Xavier, Marquette continued its momentum stemming from Tuesday's win over Seton Hall, winning the turnover battle by seven and being able to turn that into a 14-point advantage in points off turnovers.
Head coach Shaka Smart said that setting the tone at home was at the top of the list for today's matchup and keeping leading scorer Eric Dixon at bay.
"Even though we won at Seton Hall, we had a little bit of a bad taste in our mouth just from the last time we played here at Fiserv; we wanted to be better, and I thought we got really good contributions from everybody that went in the game," Smart said.
"Royce Parham was phe-
nomenal on the offensive end in his minutes, Zaide Lowery making two threes is as big, but David Joplin is up there even though he didn't make shots from the outside."
With Marquette keeping a two-to-three-possession lead for much of the contest, prompt shooting
"I shot it, felt great, then the crowd went crazy, it really boosted our team after that."
Royce Parham Marquette first-year forward
was critical to ensure the Golden Eagles remained in front. As the clock ticked down at the end of the opening period, Parham drained a corner 3-point shot to put Marquette ahead by 10 points at the halftime buzzer.
"Kam (Jones) made a great pass to me, I was open, and I was like 'why not?', I shot it, felt great, then the crowd went crazy, it really boosted our team after that," Parham said.
Senior guard Stevie Mitchell led Marquette
with 21 points, tying a career-high set on Nov. 19 against Purdue. He also amassed three steals, including ripping the ball away from Dixon and turning the opportunity into a layup on the other end, with 13:35 left in the second half.
Chase Ross, Kam Jones and Parham also finished
in double figures for Marquette, while Dixon finished with 18 points, but Villanova senior Jordan Longino led all scorers with 27 points, a career-high, and seven assists.
Smart said that Mitchell's energy is a building block of which the rest of the team feeds off.
"Stevie's always high-
ly motivated, I think that he just had such a level of pride, it's special, his pride in Marquette and his teammates," Smart said.
Up Next Marquette is back on the road to face Butler (811, 1-7 Big East) at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CST.
Reaching new heights
Player
of the Week
By Kaylynn Wright kaylynn.wright@marquette.edu Grad Andie Weise named Big East Singles
Marquette women's tennis player Andie Weise has been named the Big East
Singles Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
The graduate student earned two victories in singles play this week, defeating University of Illinois-Chicago's Edit Cosmo at No. 2 Tuesday and Providence's Flora Eison at No. 1 Saturday — her latter performance clinching Marquette's first win of the
season. Weise also earned a win in doubles action with senior Tiera Jarmond to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead heading into singles play against the Friars. Marquette (1-2) will face Illinois State (2-2) Saturday at 2 p.m. CST at the new Sprovieri Tennis Complex.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
The MarqueTTe Tribune
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
MEN'S BASKETBALL
PREVIEW: MU travels to Indy
By Max Mullin maxwell.mullin@marquette.edu
Before National Marquette Day on Saturday, Marquette (17-3, 8-1 Big East) will travel to Indianapolis Tuesday night to take on the Butler Bulldogs (9-11, 2-7 Big East) at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The first matchup
The Golden Eagles took down the Bulldogs 80-70 at Fiserv Forum on Dec. 18 behind a strong performance from senior guard Kam Jones, who scored 23 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists.
In their first meeting, Marquette attempted 28 more shots than Butler (75-47), its season-best in out-attempting the opponent. It was also Butler’s season worst in getting out-attempted.
Marquette won the turnover battle 14-2, a season-low in turnovers for the Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles outrebounded the Bulldogs 38-27 and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to Butler’s 23 defensive rebounds, good for a 46.5 (20/43) offensive rebounding rate (season average of 30.5 offensive rebounding percentage).
Butler’s record is deceiving
Butler has lost 10 of its last 12 contests, including
seven of nine losses in Big East play. However, eight of the Bulldogs’ 11 losses have come by single digits and four by four points or less.
Even though Butler has a losing record, it still ranks 83rd in online computer rankings like KenPom.
The Bulldogs' roster is constructed with big scorers like 6-foot-7 forward Jahmyl Telfort, 6-foot-6 forward Pierre Brooks and 6-foot-9 forward Patrick McCaffery, who combined to score 40 of the Bulldogs' 70 points in Milwaukee.
Butler uses its size to create fouls with 17.5 free throw attempts per game. It is also among the nation’s best at keeping its opponents off the foul line, giving up 11.2 opponent free throw attempts per game.
What to watch for
While Butler has size, it lacks lateral quickness, which makes the Bulldog defense vulnerable. Look for Marquette to exploit 1-on-1 matchups with Kam Jones, Chase Ross and Stevie Mitchell to get into the paint and create open shots for others or quick baskets for themselves.
The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles have similar shooting percentages, both averaging 52.5 effective field goal percentage.
Marquette will look to
create extra possessions and shot attempts by winning the turnover margin (+7.1 season average) and by outrebounding Butler, who has a slight edge on the glass over the Golden Eagles this season.
Butler will look to get Marquette’s best players in foul trouble while simultaneously getting free points at the charity stripe (74.4%).
Implications
Marquette is in the hunt for the Big East regular season title, currently tied at the top of league 8-1 with St. John's, whom the Golden Eagles have yet to play. The Golden Eagles are looking to get a top-2 seed in the NCAA tournament in March.
Meanwhile, Butler sits at ninth in the conference, and a win against a top-10 team would be ideal for its lacking resume.
Where to follow the game Watch: Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CST. Fox Sports 1 will have the national television broadcast with Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellie (analyst) calling the matchup.
Live updates: Follow @ MatthewBaltzMU and @ MUWireSports on Twitter/X.
Listen: 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee and Sirius XM.
Making history
Attacker Bobby O'Grady is Marquette's all-time scoring leader
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
Senior attacker Bobby O'Grady has been named to the Preseason All-Big East for the third consecutive year, the conference announced Thursday.
Previously a three-time All-Big East postseason choice, O'Grady scored a team-high 26 goals in 2024 and became the programs all-time scoring leader in an eventual loss then-No.
12 Michigan.
O'Grady was the only Golden Eagle recognized on the preseason list. Marquette received seven votes in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, leaving them in a tie for fifth place with St. John's.
BIG EAST Preseason
Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
First-place votes in ( )
1. Georgetown (5) 25 pts.
2. Denver (1) 20
3. Villanova 16
4. Providence 15
T5. Marquette 7
T5. St. John's 7
The Golden Eagles open the season on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Michigan.
1/22
Xavier 71 St. John's 79
1/24
Villanova 74 Marquette 87
1/25
G-Town 68 Providence 78
1/25
Seton Hall 54 Creighton 79
1/31
MTEN vs. Drake
1/25
DePaul 69 Butler 86
1/25
UConn 72 Xavier 76
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics Stevie Mitchell attempts a layup against Butler
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Opinions
Milwaukee, don't uphold Act 12
By Joey Schamber joseph.schamber@marquette.edu
Since the start of last year, Milwaukee Public Schools have been required to maintain 25 police or school resource officers inside buildings during school hours. MPS has ignored this state law, known as Act 12, but a judge ruled Thursday that they must comply by Feb. 17.
Proponents of Act 12 argue that school police are necessary to ensure the safety of students, however this is not the case. Data shows that the presence of officers does not decrease instances crime. Instead, it contributes to over-policing in minority communities and wastes tax dollars.
MPS has had officers present in their district between 2005 and 2020, but they terminated their contracts with MPD following concerns about police brutality after the murder of George Floyd.
Police brutality is a reality that people of color in this country have been forced to face. Increasing students’ exposure to officers will only increase fears and anxieties in an
environment where they should feel safe to learn and grow.
Ben Fisher, Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was the lead author of a study that reviewed strategies to reduce crime and increase perceptions of safety in schools.
“When we have police in schools, they’re not providing benefits for school safety, they’re not reducing crime, they’re not reducing violence — but they are escalating the punishment of students, especially through things like suspension,” Fisher said in a Q&A about the study.
Milwaukee is a heavily overpoliced city. We have more than 28 officers per 10,000 residents, which is a larger presence than 81% of other departments across the country. We do not need to let our over-policing problem bleed into the classrooms where the consequences can ultimately destroy the futures of hundreds of MPS students.
Fisher warns that we spend way more money on policing than we should, because when we spend
taxpayer money on programs, we expect them to be effective.
Act 12 came with zero funding attached, leaving the burden on MPS and the Board. In order to ensure 25 officers are present in schools, the program is estimated to cost at least $2 million a year. Furthermore, MPS does not have the ability to hire and train officers in the first place.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the lawyers argue: “the Board is entirely dependent on the City to implement the school resource officer program.”
Why should we spend taxpayer funding and city resources on a program
that does nothing to benefit the Milwaukee community and only perpetuates systemic racism within our school buildings?
Mayor Cavalier Johnson says he is interested in restoring police presence in schools and he is simply waiting for MPS to comply. However, Act 12 comes with no penalty for non-compliance, besides the threat of lawsuit, so I urge the mayor to reconsider. Regardless of this judge's ruling, the city should not uphold Act 12 to keep police out of our public schools.
Trump is not our savior
By Rachel Lopera rachel.lopera@marquette.edu
On the day of his inauguration, Donald Trump signed an executive order to reprieve the popular social media platform, TikTok, of its federal ban. The app went dark for about 14 hours starting on Saturday, Jan. 18, which sparked numerous outcries from users and influencers. However, with the newly signed executive order, the app’s ban has been delayed for 75 days. While the decision had users excited, we should note that Trump has contradicted himself.
During his first term, Trump started the effort to ban TikTok, because he believed it posed a threat to U.S. national security. What is even more ironic is the fact that he joined the platform shortly after he left office, and he currently has over 15 million followers.
Now, he is the one credited with reviving it and bringing relief to millions of users. TikTok even gave him a shout-out in a pop-up message once the platform was restored, stating, “Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
Trump playing both sides of a legislative issue as a former and current president is deceitful and not what U.S. citizens deserve in a leader. His conflicting behavior benefits only him in order to appear as a savior.
This happened in another instance with the bipartisan border security bill in May of 2024. During Joe Biden’s presidency, Democrats proposed an immigration bill worth $118 billion that would have funded 1,500 personnel at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It would have become the most aggressive border security bill with its goal of reducing the number of migrants crossing the border.
However, the bill failed to pass through the Senate as nearly every Republican voted to filibuster it. Trump convinced the Senate Republicans to vote against the bill because he did not want to give a political victory to the Democrats on one of his key campaign issues. He then announced a new border plan to monitor undocumented immigrants at one of his campaign rallies in October. He claimed that he would hire 10,000 new U.S. agents and provide them a 10% salary raise as
well as a $10,000 retention and signing bonus. He is also continuing his previous plan of building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. What was a perfectly effective border security bill became a futile proposal. Trump prevented an important bipartisan agreement just to paint himself in a favorable light even though his proposition is less impactful.
One of the spokespeople for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Matt Corrido-
ni, stated, “Trump doesn’t care about solving problems, he only wants to run on one.”
Our current president exploits important issues that have a substantial influence in our country. He did it with the TikTok ban, he did it with immigration and he will continue to create problems in order to sell the solution.
Editorial Board
Joey Schamber
Executive Opinions Editor
Izzy Fonfara Drewel, Executive Director
Clara Lebrón, Print Production Manager
Trinity Zapotocky, Assistant Print Production Manager
Shannyn Donohue, General Manager of Marquette University Radio
Mia Thurow, Executive News Editor
Sophie Goldstein, Executive A&E Editor
Matt Baltz, Executive Sports Editor
Emma Fishback, Copy Chief
Online Exclusives
Find more Marquette Wire opinion columns online by going to www.marquettewire.org or scanning this QR code!
Statement of Opinion Policy
The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.
The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a fourweek period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration. Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 600 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 300 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content. Please e-mail submissions to: joseph.schamber@ marquette.edu. If you are a current student, include the college in which you are enrolled and your year in school. If not, please note any affliations to Marquette or your current city of residence.
Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0
Graphic designed by Joseph Schamber
Joey Schamber is the executive opinions editor. He is a sophomore studying journalism.
Rachel Lopera is the assistant opinions editor. She is a freshman studying journalism.
Photo courtesy of (vincent desjardins) on Flickr CC BY 2.0 Graphic designed by Joseph Schamber
The MarqueTTe Tribune
Fun & Games
Follow the QR code to view the Spring 2025 radio show application. Applications are open to any current Marquette University students or staff.
Design by Ellie Nelsen-Freund elizabeth.nelsen-freund@marquette.edu
CROSSWORD
Marquette Celebration
Across
4. Last name of Marquette Alum who acted on SNL
6. Weeklong celebration of an old Marquette tradition
9. Marquette’s iconic Golden Eagle mascot
10. Month National Marquette Day falls in
Down
1. When Marquette basketball wins they ring out ____
2. First name of Marquette Alum who attended Marquette in the early 2000s
3. Previous Marquette attendees who visit for Marquette Pride
5. Home state of the team facing Marquette basketball on National Marquette Day
7. Where Marquette Basketball plays
8. Last name of Marquette basketball player recently drafted to the Knicks
Last Tribune’s answers: 1 (down) Kiss, 2 (down) BlackFriday, 3 (across) Christmas, 4 (down) reindeer, 5 (across) Kwanzaa, 6 (down) turkey, 7 (down) dreidel, 8 (down) SantaClaus, 9 (across) tree, 10 (across) Thanksgiving, 11 (across) Hanukkah, 12 (across) NewYears
Submit finished puzzles to clara.lebron@marquette.edu by December 6. Most accurate crossword submissions wins the grand prize.
REVIEW: 50 years of SNL documentary
Peacock released this four-part series
By MaryKate Stepchuk marykate.stepchuk@marquette.edu
For the past 50 years, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) has been the landmark of late-night television.
“SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” captures everything that went unsaid, unheard and unseen in these past 50 seasons. This four-part documentary series on Peacock answers questions long-time viewers have been asking — but somehow, it still left many viewers wanting more.
Part One: “Five Minutes” Anyone in show busi- ness knows that it all starts with an audition. The first episode, titled “Five Minutes,” details the audition stories of some of the show’s most famous actors and actresses, including: Tracey Morgan, Pete Davidson and Amy Poehler — and even those who never made the cast, including: Stephen Colbert and Jennifer Coolidge.
In this episode, the audience finally gets a look at the formerly secret audition process. Every person who auditions for SNL receives five minutes to impress the casting directors, who are infamously known for never laughing. The traditional expec- tation for the auditions is that those auditioning present five impressions, one for every minute. Some of these impressions eventually even made it to the show, as seen with Kate McKinnon’s “Penelope Cruz” impression in her audition video, which was first used in Sofia Vergara’s season 37 episode — this audition is a bit infamous within the SNL world, even before the documentary, as Bill Hader was kicked out of the audition for laughing too much. We see similar stories with Bill Hader’s audition,
'I'm
The album was released back in 2005
By Sofía Cortés sofia.cortes@marquette.edu
where he did an impres- sion of an Italian man doing impressions, and although these stories were amazing to learn, they were not what made the documentary great.
This is where I want to give a shoutout to the editors of this documentary. I have never watched a documentary that so perfectly weaved the different stories of some of the most famous people in Hollywood into one. Each actor, actress and writer had their own story of being cast on SNL, but the cuts from each individual interview to the next showed how similar they were in the end.
Every person felt as if they were going to throw up before their audition, and some people did. We learned how Andy Samberg and Bill Hader ran into each other in the elevator before their respective auditions and felt extremely intimidated by each other for different reasons.
The first episode started off strong, and my expectations were high for the next one… spoiler alert: they were exceeded once again.
A common misconcep- tion about SNL is that some of the skits are improvisational. Less than one percent of the show is improv, and that is thanks to the wonderful writers of the show, who often go unrecognized. Part two: “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room”
Part two takes viewers through the intensity of a week as an SNL writer, specifically during Ayo Edebiri’s episode in February 2024.
The writers follow a very strict schedule throughout the week: Monday is when they meet the host for the week, familiarizing themselves with their personality and interests; Tuesday through early Wednesday morning, the writing happens, leaving Wednesday during the day for the table read.
After the table read, Lorne Micheals and the head writer (currently Streeter Seidell) pick about 12 sketches to be prepped for the show, but not all of them will make it.
For the next few hours, the writers will nervously wait to find out if their sketches have been chosen. If their sketches are chosen, the hard part is just beginning.
They inform set design what sets need to be built, if anything is required of the special effects crew, what costumes are needed and how the sketch will be staged. In short, if the sketch fails it is on them.
The second episode gave the writers justice they had not received over the past 50 years. They are more than just writers—they are producers and directors for their sketches and deserve acknowledgment for their work.
Part three: “More Cowbell”
In this third episode, viewers see the history be- hind one of the most iconic sketches in SNL history, “More Cowbell.”
“More Cowbell” was written by Will Ferrell and depicts the half-factual recording of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult. Ferrell plays Gene Frenkle, a fictional man who passively aggressively plays the cowbell in the song’s background. Christopher Walken plays Bruce Dickinson, the fictional music producer who insists on more cowbell against the rest of the band’s wishes.
As the sketch goes on, Frenkle continues to play the cowbell more aggressively and suggestively, creating an iconic American pop culture moment.
The phrase “More Cowbell” and clips from the sketch have been used at sporting eventsand have even entered the dictionary.
Throughout the episode, Ferrell shares how he has heard the cowbell in the
song since he was a kid and has always wondered who played it, which initially inspired the sketch. After writing the sketch, it was read at the table almost seven times before Walken’s episode, when Lorne Michaels finally passed it for the show.
Ferrell shares how he knew in his gut that this sketch was good, so he kept pushing for it. It worked because the cast — which included Jimmy Fallon — could barely keep a straight face in rehearsals, which led to Fallon breaking during the live show.
The “More Cowbell” sketch has become one of the most popular sketches in SNL history, and I respect the documentary’s choice to make an episode of it.
Although it was my least favorite of the series, I still find it incredibly impressive that such a relatively simple sketch greatly impacted American pop culture. The story deserved to be told, and it was told very well, even if I felt it dragged on at specific points.
Part four: “Season 11: The Weird Year”
The series ends with “Season 11: The Weird Year,” the season in which Lorne Michaels returned with a brand-new cast.
The year is 1985, and SNL is on the verge of can- cellation. Lorne Michaels had not even left the show for five years but decided to come back to revamp the show.
That year, with a brand- new cast — which included Robert Downey Jr., Terry Sweeney and Nora Dunn — there was a new dynamic and energy for the cast. Terry Sweeney was an openly gay man, providing a more diverse aspect to the show, as did Danitra Vance, the first black woman on SNL.
Everyone was doing something new, and everyone knew the consequenc- es that awaited the show if it did not work.
With these expecta-
tions, tension between the writers and actors/actresses grew quickly, and it reflected.
Some actors, like Downey Jr., only knew how to act if a detailed script was given to him. On the other hand, Dunn, who was more of a comedian, wanted more control over writing her characters. It led to much debate on how the writer/ actor relationship should be handled.
In Chevy Chase’s episode, there was tension between him and many of the actors/actresses, as mentioned in the documentary. After the episode, people were unsure if they would even make it through the season before it was cancelled.
Nevertheless, Tom Hanks came in to host the show, and it offered a “Hail Mary” for the cast. They knew they would get through the season but with many more ups and downs.
After the final episode of the season, as the credits rolled, a question mark was put after each person’s name, knowing that the show’s future was up in the air.
Brandon Tartikoff, pres- ident of NBC Entertainment, had the final say on whether SNL would be cancelled or not. At the end of April 1986, he stat- ed that the show would be cancelled, but he ultimately decided to give Lorne Michaels one more year. Lorne Michaels went into season 12 with another brand-new cast, Madonna hosting the first show, a running start and nothing to lose. He did not disappoint.
The rest is SNL history.
The world would be different if Lorne Michaels had failed that season. How would we know Maya Rudolph, Bowen Yang, Tracey Morgan, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, Leslie Jones and so many more.
Wide Awake, it's Morning' turns 20
ics, “Oh my morning’s coming back, the whole world’s waking up. All the city buses swimming past, I’m happy just because I found out I am really no one.”
Bright Eyes opens “I’m Wide Awake, it’s Morning” with a story being recited by Conor Oberst about a woman who’s a passenger on an airplane, sitting next to a stranger, when all of a sudden, the plane begins to plummet down towards the Earth. She asks the gentle- man next to her “Where are we going?” and he replies, “To a birthday party, your birthday party, we love you very much.” Strangers suddenly become friendly and interested in conversation when you share something in common, like being on the verge of death. What has become one of my personal favorite openings to my favorite album of all time, “At the Bottom of Everything” feels like the band’s manifesto for the album, ending in lyr-
“I’m Wide Awake, it’s Morning,” Bright Eyes’ most tragic and possibly their most universally loved album turned 20 on January 25. Formed in 1995, hailing from Omaha, the band’s primary members include Oberst, Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott and some other rotating mem- bers.
“Lua” is one of the softer, more melodic pieces that was for me at first, hidden in the middle of the project but has easily become my favorite and most revisited track.
I first listened to Lua while walking to one of my classes a few winters ago. I remember hearing Lua a couple times before in some unspecified base- ment or a restaurant but on this day, I decided to revisit this entire album by my- self. When Lua came on, I was hit with a moment of
realization and my eyes began to well. I had to stand still in the cold weather for a few minutes, almost late.
On Lua Oberst writes “the love I sell you in the evening by the morning won’t exist,” — referencing Oberst’s addiction. Sometimes things have a tendency of looking more inviting in the nighttime only to wake up afraid or rattled by decisions you’ve made in the dark. Lua picks apart and references the challenges of being in love while in active addiction, not remembering moments, decisions made or even a lover’s face.
On, “First Day of My Life,” the song that got me into Bright Eyes originally, the narrator’s perception of the morning and the daytime changes. The morning becomes a place in time where parts of his life can be changed, symbolic of a nihilistic view on the world in Lua; on “First Day of my Life” the sun instead becomes a symbol of hope.
“This is the first day of my life swear I was born right
in the doorway I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed. They’re spreading blankets on the beach.”
All hope seems to be momentarily lost in “Landlocked Blues,” referencing heartbreak and similar feelings of seeking solace.
On the track, Oberst has it all, almost. He has a house, a wife or girlfriend (described as Laura) but is missing a sense of his identity and a sense of adventure.
Through lyrics Oberst explains he is dreaming of sailing away on a boat somewhere new and surprising but is landlocked, resorting to drinking to mask this need. He says things will get better if he leaves his home and relationship, although not knowing where he’s meant to go, having hope that something in his life will change if he decides to be alone and get lost some- where new.
“Road to Joy,” the final song on the 10-track album, referencing Beetho-
ven’s “Ode to Joy,” ends on a more positive note, sonically, while lyrics still lie somewhere in between. The concluding track once again references the morning, with a melan- cholic feel. “The sun came up with no conclusions, Flowers sleeping in their beds, The city’s cemeteries humming, I’m wide awake, it’s morning.”
On “I’m Wide Awake, it’s Morning” Oberst moves from referencing scenarios where these feelings seem to be a product of his en- vironment or actions and moments where they are a fated product of life itself. At times, I am unsure of which is which – but this makes the album all the more meaningful to me. It’s hard to pin down an overall feeling behind this but I understand it as a road that leads somewhere in between pessimism and hope.
Bright Eyes is currently on tour, stopping in Madison on April 3 and Chicago on April 5.
Tuesday, January 28 , 2025
Eight movies coming in February
Stream them or watch in theaters
By Sophie Goldstein sophie.goldstein@marquette.edu
Somehow January has already come and gone. And despite entering the shortest month of the year, movies coming to streaming services and theaters this Febraury are nothing short of entertaining.
“Diddy: Monster’s Fall” — Feb. 1
Coming to Amazon Prime, this documentary follows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs when a grand jury indicted Combs on a racketeering conspiracy including sex trafficking, forced labor and bribery. The search for the truth behind the allegations continues.
“Becoming Led Zeppelin” — Feb. 5
This documentary, com-
ing to theaters Feb. 5, follows the journeys of the four members of the Stairway To Heaven rockers during the music scene of the 1960s — and their meeting in the summer of 1968, culminating in 1970.
“Kinda Pregnant” — Feb.5
Lainy (Amy Schumer) begins to wear a false pregnant belly after being jealous of her best friend’s pregnancy — but accidentally meets the man of her dreams. “Kinda Pregnant” is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
“Love Hurts” — Feb. 7
In theaters on Feb. 7, “Love Hurts” follows a realtor who is pulled back into the life he left behind after an ominous message resurfaces. He must confront his past and the history he never fully buried.
“Captain America: Brave New World” — Feb. 14
This is the newest superhero film based on Marvel Comics Captain America. Directed by Julius Onah, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a global plan. According to Deadline, the movie hit a three-weekend tracking of $95 million-plus over four days. The film will open in theaters Feb. 14.
“The Gorge” — Feb. 14
This Apple TV+ film follows two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) who become close after being sent to protect opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil emerges, they must work together to survive what lies within.
“Verona’s Romeo & Juliet” — Feb. 14
Based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “Verona’s Romeo & Juliet” follows the greatest love story of all time, set as an original pop musical. Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, this film comes to theaters Feb. 14.
“The Monkey” — Feb. 21
This horror film, written by Stephen King, follows twin brothers Bill and Hal when they find their father’s old toy monkey in the attic. Suddenly, a series of gruesome deaths start; however the siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives — growing apart over the years. “The Monkey” is in theaters Feb. 21.
REVIEW: Ethel Cain's newest album
'Perverts' was released Jan. 8
By Allison Scherquist allison.scherquist@marquette.edu
Throughout her career, indie artist Ethel Cain has proven she’s unafraid to take musical risks.
Known for her hauntingly atmospheric music, blending elements of dream pop, alternative rock and Southern Gothic influences, her sound immersed listeners in raw, emotionally charged narratives exploring themes of identity, family and faith. With a distinct sound and persona, Cain cultivated a devoted, cult-like fan base after the massive success of her 2022 album “Preacher’s Daughter.” With dark-ambient chords and buzzing distortions littering the release, it perhaps hinted at the melancholic and experimental turn Cain would then take with her newest album, “Perverts.”
Released on Jan 8. 2025, “Perverts” mainly consists of 10–15-minute songs drenched in reverb, droning and the themes of gothic-horror that have become the defining characteristic of Cain’s work.
At an hour and 29 minutes, “Perverts” successfully masters the art of ambient storytelling. Cain’s turn into more despondent instrumentation and macabre lyricism might alienate some of the singer’s audience, but that’s exactly the point. When speaking on the
success of “Preacher’s Daughter” in a 2023 interview with The Guardian, Cain stated she was tired of playing “Miss Alt-Pop Star and … parading [herself] around,” saying it made her feel like a performing monkey. She expressed her desire to “push [her music] farther into the direction that [she has] always wanted to go” on her next release.
And push it she did.
While “Perverts” continues with the religious and gothic theming present on “Preacher’s Daughter,” it manages to push the envelope further, delving into even darker waters. Throughout the record, Cain solely uses lo-fi-recording techniques and a drone — a sub-genre of music that focuses on sustained harmonic sounds — in combination with Cain’s lyrical prowess results in a 9-track long record that’s as terrifying as it is affecting.
The album begins with its title track, a 12-minute experience in ambient music. A distorted buzzing appears — a musical element that becomes an omnipresent force over the album’s run-time, and after several minutes of nothing but that eerie droning, Cain’s vocals come in as she repeats the lines to the prayer “Nearer, My God, To Thee,” the buzzing becomes louder and overtakes the prayer as a mumbling Cain now repeats the line, “Heaven has forsaken the masturbator/ It’s happening to ev-
erybody.”
The album is deeply uncomfortable, and when listened to in its entirety the long stretches of quiet droning forces listeners to sit in that discomfort. Yet when you push past those stretches of near-silent buzzing and droning what you’re left with is incredibly dynamic instrumentation.
The second track “Punish” epitomizes this. A slowcore song at just unader seven minutes long, starts with a despondent piano accompanying Cain’s voice as she laments “I am Punished by love.” As one of few tracks that includes string-instrumentation, guitars cut in through the fog of buzzing as the song crescendos Cain cries out “Nature chews on me.”
Sure, it’s not a clear picture she’s painting, but as the oozing buzzes and warbling piano swell around Cain’s voice, it makes nearly everything she says sounds profound.
The same can be said for the rest of the tracks on the album, all of which find themselves baked into that constant droning, a force that swells and pulls over the entirety of the album.
“Housofpsychoticwomn” is another drone-leading track consisting of Cain’s staple growl-whisper. “I love you,” she hums in a way that’s hard not to take as a threat.
“Vacillator” is much the same thematically, with the notable inclusion of
a repetitive snare-beat. Cain’s beloved buzzing sweeps in as she garbles “if you love me, keep it to yourself.” The song is a 7-minute-long grappling of domestic abuse. The bare bones production heightens the terror of Cain murmuring “I like that sound you make / when you’re clawing at the edge / and without escape.”
“Onanist” exists over similar instrumentation as Cain muses about the possibilities of hell. Warped wind sounds pull around the ever-present buzzing as Cain’s high-pitched and ethereal vocals fade in before distorting beyond recognition, the track’s electric bass builds and then crashes alongside Cain’s distorted voice leading to one of the most memorable moments on the album.
“Perverts” is a lot to take in one sitting. Nearly every song on the album follows the same thematic beginning, slow droning fades in as Cain mutters about some terrifying thing. The sheer repetitiveness of the pulling and droning is a lot to sit through and stomach at times, but when you push past the slower more uninviting moments on the album, you’re left with a refreshingly vulnerable and unique piece of work.
Cain manages to capture the feeling of both pleasure and perversion, exposing the darker desires of human nature. The grandeur of the album’s production holds a mirror
up to its equally haunting lyricism. The instrumental moments on the record peel away at our fears, immersing listeners in a truly terrifying world, while the lyrical moments on the record force us to confront our rawest feelings.
“Perverts” is nowhere near the relatability and appeal of “Preacher’s Daughter,” Sure both are moody, wholly atmospheric and caked in reverb. But while the latter lyrically dealt with the corruption of the church, the dark side of nuclear families and romance, “Perverts” mulls over the darkness present in ourselves, obliging her fans- once eager to condemn the evil and hate surrounding them to turn their pitchforks to themselves and confront the sins happening in ones on body and mind.
Now, it might not be what Cain’s fans wanted from her, but at a time where music has been commodified to a 10-second clip, it might be just what they needed — a fully-formed piece of art to grapple with and internalize. And as Cain herself said, “If nobody likes it, it means I’m doing something right. I’m making something interesting.”
“Captain American: Brave New World” will open in theaters Feb.
Photo via Marvel Studios Press Kit