Marquette Tribune I February 28, 2023

EagleExpress E-Hall crash

Van involved in a collision after a vehicle ran a red light late Friday night

Clinching Title

Men’s basketball earns first share of Big East regular season title since 2013 SPORTS, 16

MUSG candidates campaign to Marquette

Students to vote for a presidential ticket this coming Thursday

By Julia Abuzzahab julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

The Marquette University Student Government Presidential Debate was hosted Feb. 26 and featured two tickets: Abbie Moravec and Tommy Treacy, as well as Christian Golden and Sherlean Roberts.

The debate opened with both tickets making their opening

statements. Golden and Roberts, the second all-Black ticket in MUSG history, gave their statement first.

“Dear Marquette community, it is with great honor that we stand before you today to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing our campus: food insecurity, the need for more social events, more inclusive spaces for all organizations and programs, adding students to the hiring process, campus security and the need to support our LG-

BTQ+ community,” Golden, a junior in the College of Communication, said.

Golden went on to state that they will build a community that is “inclusive, equitable and fair.” Golden said achieving these goals will require the entire university to work together through open conversations, engagement and listening and learning from everyone.

Treacy, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said their campaign is largely fo-

cused on three topics: social justice, health and wellness and sustainability.

“For social justice, we want to amplify student voices and raise our campus organizations. For health and wellness, we want to promote mental health resources, aid in sexual health and provide greater access to menstrual products. For sustainability, we want to create a new committee and host a variety of green events,” Treacy said.

The first question of the de-

bate asked was why they were ready for this managerial role while maintaining a positive environment within the organization and working with administration. Treacy and Moravec answered first.

Moravec, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said throughout her experience in the programs department of MUSG, she’s been able to work with the executive board and had to take on responsibilities that she nor-

MUSG page 2

Students to vote on ‘Day Off for Democracy’ referendum

MUSG will gauge MU community on Election Day holiday

By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu

In addition to voting on Marquette University Student Government leadership positions this week, students can also vote on a resolution to suspend classes on

election days.

“Day Off for Democracy” is a resolution authored by Robert Miller, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Nicole Laudolff, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. It’s a suggestion to the university to cancel classes for the presidential, midterm, statewide and local elections.

Marquette’s chapter of

Young Americans for Freedom, NAACP and Marquette College Democrats endorsed the legislation.

Laudolff said that Marquette students should not have to make the decision to be a good student for the day or be a good citizen.

“Most of the arguments point towards the fact that a lot of students have very busy schedules,

whether they juggle not only classes but internships or jobs. Some of them are commuters, so getting to campus and back home can be inconvenient,” Laudolff said.

The bill passed unanimously through the student senate and will now become a referendum. A student referendum is a public question that would gauge student support on whether or

not “Day off for

Results from the referendum could be used for a proposal or recommendation to the university administration.

“MUSG doesn’t have any jurisdiction over the academic calendar, so the best we can do is issue recommendations. And this way, all students have the opportunity to make their voices

Democracy.”

Illustration by Lily Werner elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu

From left to right, Christian Golden, Sherlean Roberts, Abbie Moravec and Tommy Treacy debated Sunday Feb. 26. The debate was televised by Marquette University Television.

MUSG: 2nd all-Black ticket in MU history

Continued from page 1

mally wouldn’t do because of staffing issues.

This past fall, previous leaders of MUSG had to step down from their positions after participating in a demonstration during the New Student Convocation. It led to those students going through the student code of conduct process. Students placed on probation likely have to step down from their leadership role.

Treacy said although he hasn’t been part of MUSG, he is a national director for College Democrats of America, which gave him experience in

consensus building and advocating for groups that he might not be a part of while still supporting these groups.

On the other hand, Golden said he was the president of the Urban Scholars program, so he said he understands how to work with administration.

He said he was also a College of Communication ambassador so he’s helped develop events which he had to work alongside staff to do. Roberts, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, added on by saying she’s had lunches with University President Michael Lovell this school year

to come up with new ideas to better the university.

Both tickets went on to discuss diversity and inclusion and how they will ensure accountability in gender, sexuality and race through their hiring process and within MUSG.

“I feel bringing everybody to the table is the first step. How can we get the students involved, how can we get students from diverse backgrounds involved, so with my administration hopefully I would like to pull everybody from the community. A lot of people ask me, ‘Hey what’s your vision,’ but I reply to that

with ‘What’s your vision,’ because as a president I want to know how I can support you,” Golden said.

Roberts added to Golden’s point and said their campaign wants to include students in the hiring process at Marquette in hopes of bridging the gap between faculty and students.

Treacy said it’s important to be constantly advocating for a better world and campus and said he and Moravec have three ways they want to tackle diversity and inclusion: recognizing their limitations, promoting diversity in their hiring process and ensuring they are fully funding their committees.

“Within MUSG, as long as I’ve been there, I’ve seen … a very diverse background of people in leadership spots and they’re taking on the roles of committee leads and even on the executive board, so I’ve really been able to see how we’re able to bring in student voices from many different backgrounds, organizations and how that’s able to impact some of the policies and legislation that has gone through,” Moravec said.

After more rounds of questions including a segment for audience questions both tick-

ets were asked to make their closing statements.

“We wanted to work on the rebuilding and reformation of MUSG and the Marquette campus as a whole. We sat down and looked at what needed to be changed on campus and we saw a variety of issues that could be improved. We reviewed the policies of Marquette and the resources that are available to the community and as students we knew that there was a change that had to be made,” Moravec said.

Moravec closed by saying they want to ensure Marquette is a safe, welcoming and comfortable home for current and incoming students.

“I want to emphasize the importance of coming together as a community to tackle the challenges that we face,” Roberts said. “And closing, let us remember that our greatest strength lies in our ability to come together as a community. We are faced with many challenges but we have the power to make a difference.”

Roberts finished their closing statement by reminding people that everyone has a role in making Marquette inclusive, equitable and fair.

EagleExpress collision after vehicle runs red light

Vargas said. “My nose is broken, I have some kind of injury in my

neck and I’m pretty sure I have or had a concussion.”

Pictures from the incident show Vargas with a bruised

By Skyler Chun skyler.chun@marquette.edu

A collision involving a vehicle and an Eagle Express van occurred around 1 to 2 a.m. at the intersection of 16th St. and Wisconsin Ave. Saturday.

The vehicle ran past a red light, hitting an Eagle Express and damaging two windows in Marquette’s Engineering Hall. The Office of Marketing and Communication said the driver of the vehicle was found at fault and one person was treated for minor injuries.

This is the third time a car has ran into the College of Engineering.

JP Vargas, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, was a passenger in the Eagle Express van at the time of the crash. He was sent to the hospital after hitting his face on the seat in front of him.

“I don’t think I’m okay,”

face and blood splattered across the seats next to him. He said the first responders were not very helpful.

“I just wanted to contact my family back in Panama to let them know what was happening, and my friends here so they could help me in case it was really bad,” Vargas said. “I would ask (one of the first responders) questions about the ambulance and stuff and he would just respond in the rudest way possible.”

Vargas said the first responder kept insisting that he had been drinking. Vargas said he was feeling dizzy and felt like passing out, but he was not drinking.

The incident also damaged a street light and a tree. A man working to repair the windows in E-hall said it will take some time for the windows to be replaced due to needing a special order for the glass. He is unsure how long the order will take.

This is now the second crash this month involving an Eagle Express van after an Eagle Express was rear-ended Feb. 6.

The vehicle hit an EagleExpress and damaged two windows in Engineering Hall and injured a student.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Chicks

Three cars have hit the Engineering building since 2021

Presidential tickets Golden and Roberts (left) and Moravec and Treacy (right) debated Sunday Feb. 26.

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

VOTE: YAF, College Dems, NAACP endorse

Continued from page 1

heard,” Laudolff said.

Miller contributed to the resolution by looking into what other universities do with election days. He found that in states such as Illinois and West Virginia, election days are a state holiday, so a lot of universities in these states suspend class.

“There are two reasons as to who having a day off is necessary: One it’ll be beneficial to both sides because they’ll be able to mobilize their voters, and also voting in general is a basic principle in which our nation was founded and participating in civic engagement is very important,” Miller said.

Amber Wichowsky, professor in political science and director of the Civics Dialogues program, has done research on voting participation and the obstacles people face in the voting process.

“I like to think about ‘Day Off for Democracy,’ not as a day off, but rather kind of elevating the importance of educating students for the demands of democracy,” Wichowsky said.

Wichowsky poses an option for the university to host events for students to come talk about the election or hold panel discussions on campus on Election Day and the days leading up to the election.

Miller and Laudolff also think the university can improve the resources they provide for students during election seasons.

Laudolff said there are organizations at Marquette that help students with the voting process, but a lot of those organizations are funded by grants and other sources, so it’s not guaranteed

that these resources will be available for students year to year.

“Voting works best when universities have a really robust civic culture. What does that look like? That looks like information on how to register to vote as part of student orientation, where faculty are sharing information about how to vote and what’s needed to vote, but it’s also be-

FAST FACTS

yond that. It’s about a campus where students are really talking about important social, political and economic issues,” Wichowsky said.

Laudolff worked as a poll greeter this past November, and she noticed how many students had issues with the voting process. She helped an individual get his documentation set up to vote, but he couldn’t make it to the polls before he had to go to class.

“Marquette is an institution that celebrates service, and in the 21st century service requires par-

Marquette Cash is now accepted at Fiserv Forum. Students can use their MU ID for purchases at Canal Pizza (section 108) and MECCA Burger Bar (section 117).

There will be two dual port electric vehicle charging stations added on the lower level in both parking structures on campus. The Level 2 AC charging stations will have the capacity to charge four vehicles at a time. The installation is expected to occur later this semester.

Beginning March 8, Marquette’s password policy will change. The new policy will eliminate the current 180 day password expiration policy and will increase minimum password length from eight to 16 characters.

Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, and Daniel Kelly, a conservative were the two top vote getters in the Wisconsin Supreme Court primary election. The two will face off in a final election April 4.

ticipation in the democratic process,” Laudolff said.

Miller said this is the first time a referendum has been authored to propose something like this.

“’Day Off for Democracy’ is highlighting and creating opportunities and spaces and making it visible on campus that being civically engaged is part of what it means to be the difference,” Wichowsky said.

The MUSG ballot will be emailed out to every student on Thursday.

“In order for democratic processes to be healthy, participating in them should not only be possible but practical,” Laudolff said.

The MarqueTTe Tribune

Executive Director of Marquette Wire

Andrew Amouzou

Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Megan Woolard Content Coach TJ Dysart

Editor of Diversity and Inclusion Hope Moses

NEWS

Executive News Editor Julia Abuzzahab

Assistant Editors Hannah Hernandez, Sophia Tiedge Reporters Clara Lebrón, Erin Howard, Trinity Zapotocky, Uzair Qhavi Kevin Fitzpatrick

INVESTIGATIVE

Executive Investigative Editor Skyler Chun Assistant Editor Jolan Kruse Reporter Briana Nelson

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Executive Arts & Entertainment Editor Izzy Fonfara Drewel

Assistant Editors Phoebe Goebel, Lauren Puthoff, Reporters Isabella Flores, Aiyona Calvin, Sofía Cortés, George Kane

OPINIONS

Executive Opinions Editor Kirsten Lyons

Assistant Editor Laura Niezgoda Columnists Krisha Patel

SPORTS

Executive Sports Editor John Leuzzi

Assistant Editors Ava Mares, Kaylynn Wright Reporters Trevor Hilson, Jack Albright, Jackson Gross, Benjamin Hanson, John Gunville

COPY

Copy Chief Emily Reinhardt

Copy Editors Jack Connelly, Maeve Nolan, Briana Nelson

VISUAL CONTENT

Design Chief Lily Werner

Chief Photographer Isabel Bonebrake

A&E Designer Serena Pace

Opinions Designer Erin Schneider

Sports Designer Kendal Bell Photographers Keifer Russell, Alex DeBuhr, Katie Craig, Forster Goodrich

ADVERTISING

margaret.kemp@marquette.edu

Sales Manager Maggie Kemp

Assistant Sales Manager Henry Bridgeman

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, Feb. 28

U.S. Bank female leaders panel by women in business in O’Brien Hall 436AB at 5:30 p.m.

For BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Students: Exploring the ‘&’ Holthusen Hall 205 from 2 – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, March 1

Black Brown Get Down: understanding each other at the 707 Hub from 5 – 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 5

Black Women Rock brunch by the Center of Engagement and Inclusion in the AMU ballrooms at 12 p.m.

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

MUPD provides update on Presidential task force

Robberies decreased 46% on MU’s campus since team’s inception

By Trinity Zapotocky trinity.zapotocky@marquette.edu

Since University President Michael Lovell introduced the President’s Task Force on Community Safety and Security a year ago, the Marquette University Police Department is reporting lower crime rates on campus.

Six months after the implementation of the task force, the university reported a 46% decrease in robberies, as well as a 26% decrease in vehicle thefts.

The Task Force, was created to establish solutions regarding campus safety and security concerns. The force focuses on strengthening the community partnerships and student security.

Some members of the force include: Edith Hudson, chair of the Safety Task Force and chief of MUPD, Rick Dillon, a member of the Marquette University Board of Trustees and Stephanie Quade, dean of students.

The Force has installed more security cameras, added more EagleExpress drivers, increased security access at residence halls and has extended safety text alerts to parents.

Out of the 12 initiatives brought on by the force, four are still in the works.

The initiatives still in progress

include completing a campus lighting assessment, expanding the MUPD police aide program, increasing “under surveillance” signage on campus and the Marquette University Enhancing Safety Through Environmental Design Committee.

“The Safety Task Force brought a diverse set of eyes on the issue of safety on campus. It was good to see the many perspectives because as cops, we can look at issues from our police view and can miss other concerns that are important to the community we serve. There were a number of initiatives that came as a result of the Safety Task Force,” Jeff Kranz, assistant chief of MUPD, said in an email.

Initiatives such as: improving campus transportation into the “EagleExpress,” establishing a Behavioral Health Unit within MUPD, creating a holistic safety website and expanding safety text availability have already been completed. The Eagle Express’s recent implementation however has faced criticism from students.

Kranz said MUPD’s biggest effort right now is in hiring, and that they have a candidate for a Police Aide position alongside continued officer recruitment.

Joaquin Lopez, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said that while he has not directly had safety issues on campus, he knows other students who have had problems with safety.

“I had a friend back from Puerto

Rico who transferred out of Marquette the year before I came here due to an incident, and that kind of scared me away before I came here,” Lopez said.

The safety text system, is where students can put in a phone number to receive texts from MUPD when there are threats and occurrences on campus.

Lopez said that the safety texts

are reassuring and that the Eagle Eye app combined with the blue lights makes him feel safe.

“The LIMO and MUPD circling around campus 24/7, I always see their presence. It’s not like ten minutes go by without me seeing like an MUPD officer,” Lopez said.

“Every time I am walking out, I always kind of know where the

nearest blue light is and it gives me a sense of security for sure,” Kaden Moss, senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Kranz said that because crime is ever-changing, the department’s strategies have to be flexible and that a big focus of their initiative currently is expanding data collection to best use available resources.

“Any time you bring a community together to focus on a problem it increases your chances for success. In my opinion, that is what the Safety Task Force did,” Kranz said in an email.

Kranz said that more collaborative work is being done between MUPD and the greater community, to further community partnership and communication. For Moss, the safety text alerts keep him in the know of what is going on around campus.

“Since it has not impacted me personally, my only gage of how often crime on campus is happening is how often I get text alerts, and what MUPD reports as the crime statistics,” Moss said. Moss said actions the MUPD is taking, such as security cameras is definitely a step in the right direction.

“The biggest boost to safety is making people aware. The recent focus on campus safety has everyone contributing to the discussion, With everyone working together I know we can create a safer community,” Kranz said in an email.

Engineering students challenged to bake an MU-cake

accurate as possible.

By Andrew Hubbuch andrew.hubbuch@marquette.edu

Inside the walls of Engineering Hall, teams of future engineers gathered to challenge their dessert decorating skills. While they might usually be working together to learn how to create remedies to the world’s problems, this time something sweeter was being built.

In celebration of National Engineering Week, the College of Engineering and the Marquette Engineering Student Council hosted a building challenge named “Cake Wars.” Four teams competed against each other to construct the most creative structure built out of store-bought cookie cakes. The teams had an hour and a half to create their delectable designs.

While the competitors decorated, judges Kristina Ropella, dean of the College of Engineering, and Matt Curran, College of Engineering senior communications specialist, began their rounds and noted the enthusiasm of the students.

Teams were divided into groups of four for the competition.The winning cake resembled an EagleExpress van.

“I’m very grateful for the time, the energy, and the enthusiasm of our students for making this happen. It’s a lot of work especially as we’re going into midterms, they’re busy with studies and class, and yet they take the time to do this kind of activity that builds community,” Ropella said.

The judges took a few criteria into account, including how appetizing the cakes looked, whether the cakes had a Marquette theme and the ingenuity of the tools used. One rule had to be followed at all costs— all tools used must be created by the teams from scratch.

The four teams had some

different approaches how to create their tools. Two groups took a rigid route, one using duct tape and wire to cut the cakes, and another using folded paper to spread the frosting. However, two other groups used the college’s resources and 3D printed their tools, creating spoons, knives, and even piping ends with which to frost their cakes.

“It’s just wholesome. To see people that you see in the classroom in a different setting,” Marian Fonseca, junior in the College of Engineering and president of the Engineering Student Council, said.

“I think there’s such a stereotype around engineers on every college

campus that they’re the kids who sit in the building and study for hours on end and as an engineer myself I can say that’s not the case. We like to have fun; we like to goof off and I think that this week really celebrates that.”

All four creations included prominent Marquette school spirit themes, but the winning team of the competition created an EagleExpress van by layering their cake and adding Marquette’s blue, gold and white colors. Making sure to be as detail-oriented as possible, the team used their final 60 seconds of time to quickly craft a light to

put at the top to make the van as

On the line for the winners was a coveted cooking class with Mark O. Federle, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and the associate dean for academic affairs.

Member of the winning team, Serena Determan, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, shared that the competition wasn’t solely about the prizes.

Determan said teamwork and good communication were the main skills that allowed her team to bring home a first-place win.

“It’s just a time to be fun with engineering, it’s not just the grind all day, it’s just kind of fun to do something different,” Determan said.

Erin Whalen, a sophomore in the College of Engineering and member of the winning team, said the group of four bounced ideas off each other and adjusted their plan when told that they would be using cookie cakes rather than the sheet cakes that were expected.

“The whole time everyone was supportive of everyone else’s ideas, and I also think we did a really good job of looking at the different pieces we had and figuring out what to do,” Whalen said.

The safety task force is comprised of Marquette and Milwaukee leaders.

Photo by Forster Goodrich forster.goodrich@marquette.edu

Photo by Forster Goodrich forster.goodrich@marquette.edu

The teams had to 3D print their tools or use household items

TRIO day awards students, praises campus programs

Congresswoman

Gwen Moore spoke at the weekend event

By Hannah Hernandez hannah.hernandez@marquette.edu

After being established on Marquette’s campus in 1969, TRIO programs continue to fulfill their mission of supporting first-generation and low-income students from pre-college through graduate education.

The Educational Opportunity Program was established in response to the civil rights movement. At Marquette, EOP is comprised of five programs: Student Support Services, McNair Scholars, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math & Science and Educational Talent Search.

The college division programs are SSS and McNair Scholars. SSS offers a network of supportive services, financial aid assistance, academic counseling and other services to students.

McNair Scholars prepares participants for graduate school. Scholars attend monthly seminars and participate in student and professional conferences.

The pre-college division programs include Upward Bound, Talent Search and Upward Bound Math & Science. UB and UBMS assist and educate low-income and first-generation high school students in their goal of becoming college graduates.

METS works to increase the

number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education.

Students, staff and faculty joined together for the National TRIO Day Celebration Feb. 25. As people walked into Weasler Auditorium, they were welcomed by Dj Zach, the official DJ of the Milwaukee Bucks and a TRIO alum.

To begin the TRIO Day event, people were welcomed by a celebration video showcasing students in the different TRIO programs. Laiya Thomas, executive director of EOP, then welcomed everyone.

“TRIO programs here on MU’s campus have been around since 1969, over 50 years, and have made a difference in some many students’ lives and families, I’m excited to see what the next 50 years will bring. Thank you to all those who support TRIO programs,” Gregory Griffin, Student Support Services counselor, said in an email.

Throughout the event, there was dancing, raffles and awards. One of the awards, which was given to multiple students, was the Annual TRIO Student Achievement Award. This award recognizes the accomplishments of students in the areas of academic achievement, community involvement and leadership.

“TRIO programs provide opportunities to those who are facing many close doors. TRIO programs are one way that those doors can be open through education,” Griffin said in an email. “It offers us, yes

me included exposure and provides direction on how education can enhance our life. Without TRIO programs many students wouldn’t be able to not only get to college but get through college. The value of TRIO programs is priceless.”

Griffin said nothing is more rewarding than seeing students share how important and impactful EOP is in their educational journey.

“This is my life work! The benefits of EOP are life-changing for all those who participate. Growing up I wasn’t aware of programs like TRIO’s EOP so with that I wanted to make sure every young person I’m in front of I would promote EOP as a life-changing opportunity,” Griffin said in an email.

Also at the event was U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Marquette TRIO alumna, spoke to the students about how TRIO impacted her and reminded students to take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the programs.

“I want you to know that as hard as we fight for money there are so many eligible, wonderful young people that we are not able to give an opportunity because we don’t have the resources,” Moore said. “So when you start feeling lazy, when you start saying I can’t do it. I want you to think about whose seat you’re taking.”

Jaylin Rivas Rodriguez, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and student speaker for TRIO Day, spoke about how much the TRIO programs mean to her. Rivas Rodriguez said that she has been able to thrive in her college experience because

of TRIO.

“I’ve been a part of Marquette TRIO Programs for the past seven years of my life,” Rivas Rodriguez said. “Ever since I turned 16, TRIO has been on my side and I usually get emotional because this is awesome.”

Aesha Adams-Robert, EOPSSS writing specialist, is a pipeline student, which means that she went through every TRIO program. She was a part of Upward Bound, Student Support Services and McNair.

“I believe it’s really important for students to be able to have a vision of what’s possible for them because when I was an Upward Bound student, I had no idea that I could be a professor and that I could do the

type of work that I ended up doing. It also I think helps to have staff that looks like you, you know, and who believe in you who push you,” Adams-Robert said. The event ended with the TRIO Choir performing the TRIO song, which was written by AdamsRobert and Debbie Duff, EOP-SSS financial aid counselor. Duff said that the words of the song were inspired by speaking with students and staff about what TRIO means to them.

“TRIO’s a family like a giant tree branding out towards the sky, TRIO’s a family we are so much more than just you and I. We are growing, we are growing, we are a family,” the song said.

New biomedical masters program coming to Marquette

By Erin Howard erin.howard@marquette.edu

Marquette University’s College of Health Sciences has a new program for biomedical students in the works.

Beginning in the summer of 2024, Marquette will offer a Master of Science degree program in biomedical sciences. Interested students will be provided the opportunity to enroll in a 15-month course that will earn them a total of 30 credits. Applications for students to enroll in the master’s program will open in Fall 2023.

David Baker, chair of the department of biomedical sciences, said that the master’s program was developed with the hope of further enhancing the experiences of students who completed undergraduate careers in biomedical sciences, which is the university’s largest academic major.

“Marquette feels as though it is our responsibility to provide

all of our biomed students with the best education possible,” Baker said. “For many, this could include extending their Marquette experience beyond an undergraduate degree to benefit from the advanced skill development and education offered by this upcoming program.”

Once enrolled in the program, students will have the option to specialize in either anatomical sciences or neuroscience throughout the course.

Laurieann Klockow, associate chair for instruction in the department of biomedical sciences, said that the university selected these specializations based on careful consideration of its resources, as well as its urge to build on the foundation of the department.

“Anatomical sciences and neuroscience are both strengths of our department,” Klockow said. “We have funded researchers who are conducting research on neuroscience, and we are also one of the few departments in the country that offer cadaver-based gross anatomy to undergraduates.”

Specifically for anatomical

sciences, Klockow said that there is a nationwide need for

health professional programs are really desperate right now to find people with the expertise to instruct anatomy,” Klockow said. “We designed the anatomical specialization really for students to strengthen their anatomy knowledge so that they could go on to a healthcare professional program, or for students who are interested in a career in anatomical instruction.”

As far as what students should expect to gain from the master’s program, Klockow said that the program will aid students in preparing to transition into their professional careers, by providing them with hands-on training. Klockow said that the program aims to mirror what it would be like for students to work in a research-based contract organization.

are becoming so important in the biomedical field,” Klockow said.

SuJean Choi, associate dean for research in the department of biomedical sciences, said she believes that this new master’s program is sure to make a difference in the lives of more than just the students.

“We want to also benefit the research faculty involved in this program, by allowing their work to be translated into an application,” Choi said. “We hope that both the faculty and the students will be able to benefit greatly from this very unique and very first of its kind endeavor.”

Choi also said that there is much to look forward to in regard to the future of this program.

Laurieann Klockow Associate chair for instruction in the department of biomedical sciences

individuals with experience in anatomical sciences.

“Medical schools and other

Klockow also said that students will become accustomed to using tools and devices that they can expect to work with in the real world.

“We’re going to be using innovative technology such as augmented technology and virtual reality so that students learn how to use these new technologies that

“The anatomical sciences and neuroscience specializations are just the beginning for this program,” Choi said. “Eventually, we hope to develop other specializations that would bridge more biomedical sciences professions that involve data analytics and computational neuroscience, just to name a few.”

Timothy Littau contributed to this report.

TRIO programs were first established on Marquette’s campus in 1969.

Photo by Alex DeBuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Degree builds on university’s largest academic major

Medical schools and other health professional programs are really desperate right now to find people with the expertise to instruct anatomy.”

Bringing attention to earthquake relief challenges

MSA hosts fundraiser for victims of Syrian

natural disaster

By Uzair Qhavi uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

The Muslim Students Association hosted an event to bring awareness to the earthquakes that occurred within Syria and to work to be able to fundraise toward the relief efforts on the ground. Last Friday’s event presented the lives of those suffering on the ground in Syria, and the struggles many face when it comes to receiving aid in the region.

In the past two weeks, there were two earthquakes of high magnitude of 7.8 and 6.3 that hit Syria, Turkey and Lebanon — affecting many families.

“Overnight and unexpectedly people’s lives were changed forever,” Leen Mortada, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

The United Nations High Commissions for Refugees, reported that the two earthquakes that took place on Feb. 6, killed over 4,500 individuals and left 8,300 injured in Syria. Over 11,000 people have become homeless due to the destruction of buildings.

During the event, Dr. Mohammad Eyman Mortada, a physician in the Milwaukee area and a board member of IMI Zaynab, highlighted the organization he founded in 2021

with other physicians, IMI Zaynab. The organization provides resources such as food, tents, clothes and medical supplies for those suffering in Syria.

Mohammad Eyman said that people are forced to live in tents during the cold winter after the recent destructions. He said that the people are lucky that others have opened their homes, shelters, schools, church and other existing infrastructure to accommodate those who have lost their homes.

“The most shocking part is how devastating the impacts were and how little people interacted with them. The sanctions were not all lifted, and [the Syrian] government

took no extra precautions to help the people of Syria,” Abdallah Qasem, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said.

Mohammad Eyman said that the due to the sanctions in place, IMI Zaynab needs to use loopholes to work around these issues. He said that direct capital cannot be sent to Syria, and with the lack of trustworthy organizations on the ground, it is hard to send direct efforts.

These sanctions were placed by certain nations and groups in order to prevent the Syrian government from exercising violence on their citizens and to bring political reform in the nation. On Feb. 9, the United

States Department of Treasury lifted some sanctions off of Syria for a 180-day temporary order.

“Unlike Turkey, Syria doesn’t have planes flying in, cranes being brought, and floods of available food, clothes and medical supplies. Instead, everything must go through a slower process where both the United States and Syrian government must approve of the aid being provided,” Leen said.

Instead, organizations like IMI Zaynab send resources to other nations that are not under the sanctions, and from there, work to distribute the needed items. Lawyers screen every step of the process, whether that be donors, the equipment sent, or the individuals working on the ground. This allows humanitarian support to continue under the rules of the sanction.

“I believe that this fundraiser and awareness is my duty first as a human and second as a leader on campus. My hope for this event wasn’t to change anyone’s mind necessarily but to enlighten those about what is happening, build empathy for the cause, and make people aware of the projects they can get involved in to help those in Syria,” Leen said.

Qasem said that he feels that there is hope when it comes to the recent crisis.

“I have seen a few fundraiser events going on, but I wish it would be more. I think it’s awesome that there is a lot of people very passionate about helping people

suffering in Syria which does give me hope that enough aid is being sent to Syria,” Qasem said.

Leen said that she hopes the Marquette community will come together to support these refugees and, more broadly, those suffering worldwide.

“While the situation seems dismal globally at best, it is beautiful to be a part of a society that come together to help those in need, even strangers,” Leen said.

Qasem said that he is impressed by the unity of the Muslim community during this time and that regardless of a person’s race or background, people are willing to come together for a common cause and help those in need.

“I wish Marquette would have spread more awareness about the tragedy that occurred and potential ways people can help through donations. I feel that a lot of people do not fully understand the negative state Syria is in so spreading awareness would be great for the cause,” Qasem said.

Leen said that while the situation has worked to highlight those willing to take the call to action, it also has worked to showcase those working to make the relief effort more difficult in Syria.

“This is your responsibility, my responsibility to let people know about the path how we can teach people where is the bridge to let them help out brothers and sisters in Syria,” Mohammad Eyman said.

Over the past two weeks, two earthquakes of high magnitude occurred.

Photo by Keifer Russell keifer.russell@marquette.edu

MUR RADIO SHOW FEATURE

On Sounding Out Sofia, Sofia Cortes plays a variety of songs and genres that surprisingly work well together. Tune in Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Find her on Instagram @soundingoutsofia

CELEBRATING GIRL SCOUT CROSSWORD

ACROSS

2. These citrus shortbread Girl Scout cookies aren’t Limeades, they’re _______.

3. The color of the girl scout uniforms.

4. A Girl Scout cookie some prefer to eat frozen

7. Before they were deLite-ful, these caramel & coconut cookies were called _______.

8. After earning certain skills, a Girl Scout earns this.

9. Peanut butter cookies that inspire you to come with them!

DOWN

1. These brownie-inspired Girl Scout cookies debuted in 2022.

5. A type of square dance and name of this Girl Scout cookie

6. The Girl Scout motto encourages you to be _________.

LAST WEEK

ACROSS

5. Jumbalaya

7. Glass

8. Bourbon Street

11. Baby Jesus

12. Crown

13. Lundi Gras

14. Pancakes DOWN

1. King Cake

2. Beads

3. Mask

4. Fat Tuesday

6. Ash Wednesday

9. New Orleans

10. Lent

15. Colors

16. Krewe

Comic by Marquette professor Dave Hanneken david.hanneken@marquette.edu

& eNTeRTaINmeNT

Ebony Ball 2023: Celebrating Black History Month

Event featured food, speakers, dancing and community

By Rashad Alexander rashad.alexander@marquette.edu

When members of the Black Student Council lost their leadership due to the events of the New Student Convocation, questions came into play as to what would happen with an annual event that is important for many Black Marquette students: Ebony Ball. The annual event is held to highlight Black excellence on campus during Black History Month. BSC was the group that helped put the event together.

Despite the circumstances at hand, that wasn’t going to stop Olivia Ford, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as a BSC member, from putting on the event this year.

“We don’t really have much space or representation on campus. So it’s great to see us all come together and be able to love on each other and appreciate each other, while also looking good,” Ford said.

To keep the show going, Ford sought help from various organizations on campus that provide support for students of color at Marquette, including members of the Center for Engagement and Inclusion, the National PanHellenic Council and others.

“It wasn’t going to happen, but I was very interested and I love Ebony Ball. And I love being Black here at Marquette, so I wanted to make sure I put it on,” Ford said. “We officially got the green light to put on Ebony Ball on Jan. 20. We only had a month, so we had to make sure everything got done as quick as possible, because we want our students to be able to come together.”

Ebony Ball featured a poem read by Tamra Keith, assistant director for the CEI, and words from keynote speaker Kenneth Lock, the Pastor for

Evolve Church. Lock is also the barber and chaplain for the Milwaukee Bucks.

“He is very influential here in Milwaukee, everyone knows his name. Being able to have him meant a lot to me,” Ford said. “He was so ecstatic about helping and coming to Marquette to talk to the Black students here. He was just so amazing.”

Ford noted someone who was a big contributor to this year’s Ebony Ball was Darrell Campbell, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences.

“Our focus was really just trying to come up with a committee to form Ebony Ball. We formed the committee, set a date, and just started planning right away,” Campbell said.

This year’s Ebony Ball had a sold out attendance with lots of dancing, music from DJ Todd and food.

“A lot of people showed up, we had enough food, there was still food left over. So we over planned, and it’s actually a good turnout,” Campbell said.

Christian Meyer, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, didn’t attend last year’s Ebony Ball, but was very glad to make it this year’s.

“I got peer pressured into coming, and I’m glad I did. It’s just a bunch of beautiful Black people doing their thing, and I love that,” Meyer said. “You don’t get too much of this at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution), so I’m glad I’m getting this here.”

For Meyer, events like this are important for the Black community at Marquette, especially when events like the Ebony Ball are not often given to the community.

“We’re always spread out, but it’s good to have a lot of people in the same room cause it makes you remember that you got a support system,” Meyer said. “And that you’re doing what you’re doing for a cause that’s bigger than yourself.”

Photos courtesy of The Center For Engagement and Inclusion Kenneth Lock, barber and chaplain for the Milwaukee Bucks, was the keynote speaker for the event.

The Laughing Tap: Stand-up comedy in Milwaukee

Jokes, punchlines and laughs at local open mic night

By George Kane george.kane@marquette.edu

What do you call a graphic novel with legs?

A stand-up comic.

On a weekly basis, different venues around Milwaukee come together to offer free open mics. These events serve as an opportunity for comedians and customers to get together, have a good time and tell a few jokes.

Matt Kemple, co-owner of Milwaukee’s only comedy club, The Laughing Tap, said that an open mic is helpful to comedians because stand-up is a difficult art form to master. Kemple said that these shows provide a way for comics to test their material in front of a live audience, which is essential to becoming a skilled comedian.

“An open mic, in the simplest form, is rehearsal for comedy. Typically an open mic is a vein for comics to work on their material in whatever way that means,” Kemple said.

Every Wednesday, The Laughing Tap hosts an open

mic starting at 8 p.m. Upon the inception of their comedy club, Kemple said that he and his co-owners wanted to curate an atmosphere that was different from others.

“We’re very comic-focused, so what that really means is that we put a lot of thought and effort into the kinds of lineups that we do, we’re not just throwing names together and putting shows on,” Kemple said.

At many comedy clubs, there is a two-drink minimum, so if customers would like to order a beverage, they have to purchase at least two. At The Laughing Tap, this is not something they enforce. Kemple said that the absence of this rule has made The Laughing Tap an inclusive atmosphere with comedy as its focal point.

“One, we’re in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, people are going to drink just fine. We didn’t want the emphasis to be on drinks first. A lot of that comedy club model across the country is they’re more interested in selling drinks and nachos,” Kemple said.

One of The Laughing Tap’s goals is to be a place where stand-up comics want to perform their comedy. Kemple said

that the way they construct their shows is designed to be both beneficial to the customer and performer, prioritizing the experience of everyone involved.

“It feels really wonderful when all the local comics come out to the open mic and they want to be here and they want to perform here and they enjoy what this place has become,” Kemple said.

A stand-up comic’s material can frequently involve taking the negative experiences from their lives and turning them into positives. Because of this, Kemple said that people are often drawn to stand-up because it provides an opportunity for them to deal with and confront personal issues. “There’s a lot of mental illness in this industry and I think it attracts a lot of people in that way because it is a way to take all of that from your world and make something positive out of it,” Kemple said.

A comic’s material can sometimes directly involve making jokes out of the worst things that have happened to them. Kemple said that it’s impressive to him when he sees people use comedy to move forward from their personal issues, and that comics

using the stage to tackle these problems can be very inspiring.

“The metaphor of the sad clown is so true. There are so many comics that are dealing with things in their own lives, whether it was physical or mental abuse earlier in their life, whether it was poverty, whether it was drug or alcohol abuse … it’s incredible to see comics that have had incredibly horrible things or incredibly bad abuse

that they have been able to overcome, and then they put that material onstage,” Kemple said. Kemple stressed that anything could be turned into a joke and emphasized that time can cause something to be viewed in a different light. He said it’s important to not let bad experiences drag you down and to keep going regardless of what happens. “Tragedy plus time equals comedy,” Kemple said.

REVIEW: Gorillaz latest album ‘Cracker Island’

Project features

artists Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny and more

By Sofía Cortés sofia.cortes@marquette.edu

British musician Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett are known for combining visual artistry, music and production to create their iconic and fictitious band, Gorillaz.

Formed in 1998, the Gorillaz story has progressed in “phases,” much like seasons of a TV show or series. The band is made up of four animated characters, each with extensive backstories and intricate personas of their own. Pieces of the band’s wide-ranging narrative are told through their expressive music videos, visual and auditory projects. Even some of the most devoted listeners have trouble keeping up with the details of the band’s imaginative world.

Their most recent release

and eighth studio album titled “Cracker Island” featured artists Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Tame Impala, Romye Robinson (Bootie Brown) of the Pharcyde, Beck and Bad Bunny. Gorillaz fuses the genres of electronic, funk, reggaeton, dub and hiphop elements which yields the band’s distinguishable sound and style.

The opening track “Cracker Island” featuring Thundercat, delivered a perfect introduction into the overall, greater meaning of this project. Through Gorillaz’s darker and more calamitous writing, the album serves as a comment on society, capitalism and human nature.

“To grow a made-up paradise where the truth was autotuned (forever cult) … But it’s sadness I consumed”

The intricate lyricism used, along with the different allegories in place here are classic for the Gorillaz as their songs usually allude to something greater, in this case, a withering, crumbling society.

The album ends on a lighter, but still thematic and expressive line from the track “Possession Island” featuring Beck, which reads, “Where things, they don’t exist and were all in this together until the end.” This track is a captivating balance between soft vocals and a lighthearted piano melody accompanied by the strumming of an acoustic guitar, definitely the slowest track, but a perfect one to end on.

“Tormenta” featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny was an enjoyable listen overall. It felt different from the other tracks songs on the album as it combined multiple elements of reggaeton, funk and electronic sounds that gave the track a unique and experimental sound. I loved the unexpect-

ed collaboration and thought it contributed greatly to the album overall.

Unexpectedly, my favorite track overall was “Skinny Ape.” As far as production goes, I enjoyed the combination of melancholy, dark writing fused with electric, lively instrumentals, with the track starting out soft, then slowly building into a fast-paced, electrifying listening experience. Gorillaz is known for their use of repetition and alliteration in their lyrics, and on this track, it’s perfectly placed and quite effective in relaying a deeper meaning in their lyrics.

The album’s expressive production and instruments along with its lyrical tone truly made this a unique listening experience. I find myself seeming to enjoy an album more when it

requires multiple listens to understand everything the artists are trying to portray. Gorillaz has layers to their music, and sometimes hidden meanings and messages throughout their projects, and I appreciate their art because their combination of visual art and music is uncommon in the music industry today.

Listening to this entire project all at once was an experience, but probably not one that I would necessarily have again as some of the tracks from the project lack replayability. On the other hand, a few tracks really stood out for me. I liked seeing Gorillaz branch out a little bit, especially with the songs “Tormenta” featuring Bad Bunny and “Oil” featuring Stevie Nicks.

I rate the album 3.8 out of 5 stars.

The new Gorillaz album features 15 tracks including popular songs “New Gold” and “Tormenta.”

Photo by George Kane george.kane@marquette.edu

Open mic night offers comics the opportunity to practice new material.

ediTOriaL bOard

STAFF EDITORIAL

Students should prioritize local journalism

In a world where misinformation spreads like wildfire on social media and local news is vanishing faster than ever before, college students should be more cautious in choosing where they obtain their information.

Given the decline of local news, in recent years, many young people have increasingly been relying on social media sites such as TikTok, Instagram or Twitter for their news.

A study from Ofcom, a communications regulator in the United Kingdom, discovered that teens are increasingly preferring to stay informed via social media rather than journalistic media. It found that Instagram is the most common way for young people to get their news with TikTok and YouTube being used prevalently as well. Another study discovered that 70% of Reddit users, 66% of Facebook

users and 59% of Twitter users get their news on each respective social networking site. Solely relying on social media for new only breeds misinformation.

People enjoy those punchy headlines and hard-to-believe stories that can be found on social media. A study from the University of Southern California found that, when exposed to fake news, users’ social media habits doubled or tripled based on the amount of fake news they shared.

It’s not only users who are to blame for the rapid proliferation of misinformation online. This type of behavior is rewarded by social media algorithms. The more clicks something gets, the more people it gets pushed to. Users are exposed to conspiracy theories, clickbait, hyper-partisan content, pseudo-science and at times “fake news” reports, all

of debatable validity. This type of content that garners extreme reactions is often prioritized. Social media reinforces an echo chamber of confirmation bias that leaves us vulnerable to misinformation. It creates “filter bubbles.” Filter bubbles are a term coined by Internet activist Eli Pariser. Pariser describes them as intellectual isolation which can result from when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information it’s collected about the user. This phenomenon is what contributes to the proliferation of misinformation on social media.

Social media distorts the reality of what is really going on and creates a feeling of being overwhelmed by the state of the world. With the decline of local news social media has created a

vacuum where misinformation is able to thrive.

For these reasons, young people must support and consume our local news. Local news is much less susceptible to misinformation because it lacks the algorithms which escalate it. The collapse of local news would only serve to increase the spread of dangerous misinformation.

Research in recent years has found that local news encourages social cohesion and political participation. Local news organizations are intrinsically linked to the communities in which they serve. This makes it a much more trustworthy source of information than news on social media which is completely disconnected from us and the issues we face. It allows community members to stay informed about issues that directly impact them and creates a shared culture

Prevalence of website tracking

internet to track how you use the site.

you should have been doing something productive.

beyond political beliefs.

As citizens, we are provided with agency and power from the information that local news provides. It allows us to connect to and advocate for our communities and make informed decisions regarding the community.

It is particularly important for those of us at Marquette who are not native to the Milwaukee area to consume local news in order to participate in the community.

Many students are uninvolved in the greater Milwaukee community. Students should resolve to be more involved in Milwaukee affairs. As college students, we have a responsibility to stay informed and engaged in our communities. By supporting local journalism, we can ensure that our communities remain vibrant, informed and connected.

This story is all about cookies!

But these cookies aren’t quite your grandma’s cookies. Unless of course, your grandma enjoys disguising oatmeal raisin cookies as chocolate chip. Cookies, as we will be discussing them, are little bits of data that websites leave on your computer, phone, tablet or wherever you browse the

There are a lot of harmless uses for cookies, but when used for advertising, cookies are intrusive. Cookies are still completely unregulated in the U.S.

The simplest cookies track how long you remain on a page. Some more obvious uses for cookies are remembering your username and password for websites so you don’t have to log in again, or remembering the items you left in your shopping cart from the last time that

Targeted ads, that are curated specially for you, sound intriguing at first. You stop getting ads for things that you wouldn’t ever buy and start getting ads for things you do want. It all works great until you spend a little bit too much time looking up James Patterson books to get your mom something for her birthday and every single ad you see for the next week is a Barnes & Noble ad with the same three books.

In order to make those targeted ads happen, advertisers leave cookies on your computer that track your activity across all the websites you use. Some cookies can stick around in your browser for years collecting data about the websites you visit, purchases you make, your IP address and your geographic location.

This data can be sold to other groups, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft, scams and hackers.

At first, advertisers were able

to do this completely without users’ knowledge. Now, in some cases, they have to at least get users’ permission.

In 2011 the European Union passed a directive that gave users the right to refuse the use of cookies by a website. This directive brought cookies into the light and forced websites to get users’ consent before tracking their data.

In January 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act went into effect and has a similar requirement for gaining users’ consent as the EU directive.

There are three criteria, of which a business must only meet one to be subject to the CCPA: have a gross annual revenue over $25 million, participate in the propagation of data of over 50,000 California devices or have 50% of revenue come from the selling of Californian’s data.

These criteria limit the scope of California’s legislation to just California. The internet doesn’t follow our arbitrary political boundaries, so California can’t

make a law that affects people outside their borders even if that law is good for everyone.

Anytime you see a banner asking you to accept or reject cookies, it probably came out of one of these two pieces of legislation.

Too often our online data gets collected and then sold to random companies across the internet. None of us have any idea the amount that the internet knows about us. Your behavioral profile created by cookies using your usage patterns and location could be anywhere.

In an era where nearly every person uses the internet, to the point where numerous different industries and jobs are built around it, the United States government should protect its internet users with legislation similar to the CCPA or EU directive.

Cookies aren’t inherently harmful, secrecy about cookies is.

Kirsten Lyons, Executive Opinions Editor TJ Dysart, Content Coach

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

John Gunville

John Gunville is a sports reporter at the Marquette Wire. He can be reached at john.gunville@marquette.edu

My boyfriend used to live in an apartment building where there was a dinky little elevator with flowers, initials and other nonsense scratched into the back of the door. Whenever we would take the elevator up to his apartment, the door served as a backdrop to us and several others who had traveled up the floors, a physical reminder of who had been there.

Eventually, I’m not quite sure how, but there was an L + A scratched into the elevator door by the time he moved out of the building.

People want to leave their mark on the world and the evidence is all around us.

The tables in the Brew Bayou have messages like Bible verses or “Same-Sex Dorms Suck” as a physical remembrance of those who sat staring out the same windows I look out. There’s an exhibit in the Milwaukee Art Museum where if you stand long enough on the tiles, your shoes will imprint on the metal as you literally walk across the footsteps of another person.

Humans have the will to live forever. Yet there is no mythical alchemy that will promise us a fate extracted from death, and

We have a will to live forever

there is no philosopher’s stone. We already possess the ability to immortalize ourselves.

It is through the physical mark we can leave on the world — a testament to our own humanity. Making our mark has been around for thousands of years, back to before we even started writing down our history. My favorite manifestation of our immortality is the Lascaux Cave in Southern France.

The Lascaux Cave was found by accident by four teenagers and a dog named “Robot” in 1940 who entered the cave, finding prehistoric cave paintings that were mostly of animals like oxen and horses. However, there was one cave painting comprised of hand stencils.

There’s much debate over the hands that remain in Lascaux and what they truly mean, and like all art, it’s up for interpretation. I believe that when the person imprinted their hand, not yet knowing that it would be there for thousands of years to come, the message they were sending said “I was here.”

In the novel “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab, the titular character is cursed to never be remembered once a person turns away from her in exchange for immortality. Yet, her existence is still documented in artwork.

Her seven freckles,

reminiscent of a constellation, appear on various artistically interpreted women over three hundred years, yet her face is never recognizable. Addie existed and was documented, but she was unknown.

Like many of the marks that I have left, whether it be in a geocache off of 76th Street or an Oscar Wilde quote that I wrote on the bathroom stall of Mayfair Mall?’s Barnes & Noble, I will not be remembered.

I think that’s one of the most intriguing parts about our immortality that I would argue — the mystery of it all. We may

never know exactly why the people 17,000 years ago in the Lascaux Cave chose to paint their images and I may never know why there are photos of Baby Keem posted all around Schroeder Hall like a hidden scavenger hunt. The speculation doesn’t matter though, because it exists and it’s a mark of who was there before us.

It is utterly sublime to be in a world where our work and our creations may be lost to all memory, yet it still exists. Humans have a desire to be remembered, but I don’t think it is the person that would be remembered.

No silver lining to abuse

Megan Woolard

In some of the most beautiful places in the world, you’ll often find people claiming that the “veil is thinner,” which means the place is so beautiful that it actually brings you closer to God and subsequently heaven.

However, I’m more interested in places where the veil is thicker, places where you’re furthest from God. For me, I find the veil to be thickest in Marquette’s very own O’Donnell Hall.

Prior to last week, the last time I was in O’Donnell was in late January of 2021 during the second semester of my first year on campus. With the help of my roommate I hurriedly packed everything I owned within the span of 10 minutes and moved out.

The month prior I had gotten out of an abusive relationship with another O’Donnell

resident and I’ll spare you the details but it was a rather ugly situation that met a violent end.

As my abuser was still at Marquette, the entirety of that semester, I stayed clear of O’Donnell. But earlier this semester when O’Donnell was converted into a gym space due to construction on the Rec center, I was intrigued.

After avoiding O’Donnell for the past few years, I was hoping that by returning I’d have some cathartic moment where I “reached the top of the mountain” and be able to reclaim the sense of safety that was taken from me.

That’s not what happened.

I felt uncomfortable as soon as I entered the building. Instead of feeling some sense of accomplishment, I just felt immense sadness.

The thing about abuse that makes it so damning is that you feel a deep sense of shame for things that you didn’t do. It often feels like you’re paying the price for other

people’s sins.

Thankfully I had a support system that helped me further understand what happened to me once I got out of that relationship. Yet, a lot of the support that I got didn’t quite line up with my experience.

A common thing that was said to me was that although the abuse was horrible it “made you who you are” or “it taught you a lot.” These sayings never sat right with me and it wasn’t until my return to O’Donnell that I was able to piece together why.

First off, the abuse did not make me who I am. I’d argue that it made it incredibly hard to become the version of myself that I am today and I would have been much better off without it.

A good abuser will take your deepest insecurities and maximize them to their fullest extent. They’ll then make you believe that everything is your fault, and if your abuser does anything wrong it was your actions that prompted the

behavior. It feels like you’re going crazy because you can’t find any truth in your reality. All the while you have no idea that you’re actually being abused.

How the hell does that help me in any way? Abuse has deeply impacted the way I view myself and the world around me. It’s difficult to trust myself and trust other people. I often say that I view the world through “abuse-colored glasses.”

When people say that while the abuse was horrible but “at least it taught you something” it feels like I’m somehow expected to be thankful for the abuse.

As if I’m somehow supposed to be enlightened by treatment so damaging to my soul. Even the growth I’ve had throughout the healing process wasn’t dependent on the pain and suffering that I experienced throughout the relationship. People don’t need abuse to grow or become a better person.

I’ve begun to realize that there is no silver lining to

Instead it will be our physical remembrance, whether it be painted on canvas, etched into stone or carved into wood.

I will personally not be remembered and that’s okay. Because my mark will be. My mark will still be there.

You can paint over writing, you can sand down a table, you can fill in scratches. Whatever was covered up though still existed and therefore will be immortal.

Laura Niezgoda is a junior studying communication studies and criminology and law studies. She can be reached at laura.niezgoda@marquette.edu

abuse. The reason I haven’t been able to find some greater meaning in the abuse I experienced is because there isn’t one.

Abuse is tragic and no one deserves it, and that’s all there is to it.

Megan Woolard is the managing editor of the Marquette Tribune. She can be reached at megan.woolard@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: kirsten. lyons@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.

Laura Niezgoda

Illustration by Erin Schneider erin.schneider@marquette.edu

MEN’S TENNIS

Roegner following in older brother’s footsteps

First-year brings ‘silent killer’ mentality to Rodecap’s squad

By Kaylynn Wright kaylynn.wright@marquette.edu

Despite his long history with the sport, first-year Blake Roegner didn’t always want to play collegiate tennis.

“I’ve always been playing tennis since I was three years old,” Blake said. “I never really decided until my sophomore year of high school that I really wanted to commit to it.”

But after seeing his brother play, he decided to take the plunge.

“He’s always just been an incredible example for me,” Blake said. “I’ve always looked up to him. (He’s) been my role model for sure. Looking at him, I knew that I was capable of doing the same thing.”

Ryan graduated from Butler University this past May, where he played tennis for four years. He said that being able to watch his brother play collegiate tennis was a dream come true.

“We always both had that goal of playing in college however that ended up looking in terms of what schools we went to,” Ryan

said. “I’ve been living vicariously through Blake these last few months getting to watch him play college tennis given that I just graduated and miss it a little bit.”

With both playing at Big East schools, Ryan said that, despite the rivalry, he knew that Blake made the right decision to play at Marquette.

“We were always, back when I was playing, big rivals with Marquette,” Ryan said. “It’s funny to give him a hard time about it sometimes. But it’s also rewarding to watch him go through and play on at what I know is a good school from a third-party perspective.”

While Ryan was still playing, Blake took the first step by approaching Marquette head coach Steve Rodecap to see if he could play at Marquette.

“Blake came up to me,” Rodecap said. “He was actually watching his brother play at a fall tournament and came up to me and introduced himself with his mom. That’s kind of how it got rolling a little bit, that initial introduction.”

Rodecap said that one thing he noticed first about Blake was his composure on the court.

“What I liked about Blake instantly was that he’s got a court

presence to him,” Rodecap said. “The way he handles himself on the court, he always came across as being very mature. He’s very analytical about how he approaches the game.”

Blake’s analytical and reserved mindset towards the game has become one of his best assets on the court.

“He’s always been not one of the more outspoken and excited players on the court and similar to me in that way,” Ryan said. “(It’s) definitely not a bad thing. He’s more of that silent killer type of guy and keeps his emotions under check throughout the match. That really benefits him.”

When Blake arrived at Marquette, Rodecap had planned to have him play primarily in singles.

“When we first got rolling, I wasn’t for sure counting on him in the doubles,” Rodecap said. “I felt like his singles game was a little bit further ahead of his doubles game.”

But when Rodecap saw Blake’s talent, he knew he wanted to give him a shot to play in doubles matches.

“One of the pathways for success for us this year was going to have to happen through doubles,” Rodecap said. “When I started looking at Blake and his ballstriking skills, it was just someone that I wanted to give a chance to. Then I’m like, ‘Who can I put him with?’”

The answer to that question comes in the form of junior Tin Krstulovic, a Slovenian native.

Rodecap said that the partnership formed between Blake and Krstulovic was a stroke of luck.

“Tin, his brain works very similar to Blake’s,” Rodecap said. “The doubles point can get

rowdy and vocal, which is fun. Both those guys don’t fit that mold extremely well because they’re so internal and focused on what they’re doing. It was a little bit (of) luck when I put them together.”

In his first year, Blake has appeared in every single match and has started as high as No. 2 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.

Blake said that Krstulovic has been a big part of his personal growth so far this season.

“(He’s) a great role model on the team,” Blake said. “I’ve looked up to him since I’ve gotten here. He’s an incredible player. I have learned so much in doubles specifically and I feel like personality-wise, that we really work well together.”

From Krstulovic’s perspective, their partnership has continued to develop through the many challenges they’ve faced on the court.

“With every game, you earn more trust,” Krstulovic said. “We’ve been through a lot of adversity. You’re put in different

situations every single match, and we just grow dealing with everything together.”

Krstulovic said that despite the initial struggle, Blake has adjusted well to the atmosphere of a college tennis match.

“It’s very loud, competitive and stressful. He, same as pretty much every other freshman is struggling with that at the beginning,” Krstulovic said. “But he’s doing way better now... especially in doubles, he’s making big progress and contribute from the first point to the last.”

As Blake continues to improve, Rodecap said that his confidence will be the main factor in the rest of his career.

“The one thing that I like about him (is) he’s a pretty confident kid,” Rodecap said. “He’s going to be really successful as long as he has the right mindset, which I think he does. He’s pretty confident when he takes the court and believes in what he can do. He’s going to continue to get better.”

2/28

MUBB at Butler Hinklefield House Indianapolis, Indiana

Marquette men’s basketball moved up to No. 6 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll. It is the highest the Golden Eagles have been ranked since the 1977-78 season.

Men’s golf is tied for second at 9-under par (287-280--567) after 36 holes at the Loyola Intercollegiate at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Arizona.

Mason Woodward MLAX No. 77

Mason Woodward was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week. In Marquette’s win over Michigan, Woodward had seven ground balls and two caused turnovers.He leads the nation in ground balls per game

amongst non-faceoff specialists.

A childhood photo of Ryan (left) and Blake (right) Roegner.

Photo courtesy of Ryan and Blake Roegner

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s basketball secures senior night victory

Karlen leads Golden Eagles with 26 points and 14 rebounds

By John Gunville john.gunville@marquette.edu

It wasn’t a normal Monday night in the Al McGuire Center, it was a little bit more than that.

Before Marquette (20-9, 13-7 Big East) took down DePaul (15-16, 8-12) 98-80, senior forward Chloe Marotta was honored in traditional senior night fashion: a standing ovation from the crowd and a slow lap around hugging family and friends.

“Coach asked me ‘If you’re gonna cry’ and I was like, ‘No coach, I’m not gonna cry. We got a game to play, I’m not gonna cry,’” Marotta said. “All of a sudden they did the video, I saw my teammates and they call my name out and I was like, ‘Oh, God it’s all hitting me right now right before the game.”

It was Marquette’s highest scoring game of the season.

“I can’t say enough about a lot

of people tonight,” head coach Megan Duffy said. “Chloe sent herself out of the Al the right way. She was tremendous.”

Marotta’s Moment

After five years playing on the Al McGuire court, Marotta finished with 22 points and six rebounds in her final showing.

“Since I walked in the door at Marquette, Chloe been an incredible role model for me,” junior forward Liza Karlen said. “She’s the hardest worker I’ve ever met. Whether the lights are on, whether it’s completely dark, or no one’s in the gym, she’s gonna have the same mentality to get better.”

Marotta is the seventh player in program history to record at least 1000 points and 800 rebounds.

“Chloe taught me what Marquette was all about,” Duffy said. “I said ‘Give me your story,’ I hear all this stuff about your dad, your mom and your brother but you know what, what is it about you on the women’s side that you want to build’ and that’s kind of how our

relationship started.”

Marotta wasn’t the only only one wearing No. 52 tonight as her jersey was worn by fans throughout the stands.

“It’s really cool. I was looking around and a couple of my brother’s jerseys, couple of my jerseys,” Marotta said. “I was like, ‘Man this is awesome.’”

Statistical Leaders

Karlen led the way for the Golden Eagles with 26 points and had a team-high 14 rebounds.

“Look at that stat line. 26 points, 14 rebounds. That’s huge,” Marotta said. “Especially against DePaul too. Liza always has good games against them, so coming out she took her shots.”

First Half Fire Marquette kicked off the game with a 34-point first quarter, it’s the best offensive quarter of the season. Marotta hit the first bucket of the game for Marquette and didn’t stop there, as she had 13 points by the end of the quarter.

Before halftime, DePaul

MEN’S LACROSSE

brought the lead down to just eight points before a King 3-pointer launched a 12-0 Marquette run. The Golden Eagles took a 53-35 lead into the break.

“Our game plan was: trust the offense, trust the ball movement and let it fly,” Duffy said. “I thought Liza and Emily got off to a great start and Chloe had a couple of shots early. Surprising that we scored 34 because we don’t score that in three quarters sometimes.”

Closing out the Al

In the third quarter Marquette fended off a 5-0 DePaul run by managing to extend its lead to 20 points. At the end of the

quarter the Golden Eagles led 74-54.

DePaul closed the gap to just 11 points with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Marquette was able to fend the Blue Demons off by going on one last extended run to seal the victory.

Marquette ends the regular season with a 12-3 record at home.

Up Next:

Marquette now shifts its focus to the Big East Tournament later this week at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Golden Eagles will face off against St. John’s March 5 at 1:30 p.m. CST in the 4-5 game.

Childhood friends join together at college level

East Coast natives bring lacrosse skills and culture to MKE

By John Gunville john.gunville@marquette.edu

Four fourth-graders join a club lacrosse team and become friends. Add a fifth to the mix in sixth grade and eleven years later they are juniors playing Division I lacrosse at Marquette.

“The fact that we all ended up in the same place is really special,” junior defender David Lamarca said. “We’re just trying to live it up.”

The five players — Lamarca, Ryan Kilcoyne, Jamie Grant, Pierce Washburn and Justin Mintzer — all played for the same club lacrosse program: Looneys 2020 Orange.

All the players lived within a short distance of each other back home in Maryland.

“Dave lives 10 minutes away from me. Jamie lives another 15 minutes away. Pierce 15 minutes away and then Justin lives a little bit further away from us, he lives about like 35 or 40 minutes away,” Kilcoyne said.

Assistant coach Jacob Richard said that the group be-

ing close was an important recruiting factor.

“Lacrosse is a really small community, so everybody knows everybody already. Word-ofmouth is a really helpful tool when it comes to recruiting,” Richard said. “It just so happened that we unknowingly tapped into a really tight group when we started recruiting one of those guys.”

The recruiting process varies for everyone, and Lamarca said his class was no different.

“Mintzer and Jamie Grant were the first ones to go, it was close to 8th or 9th grade. Pierce followed shortly behind. I was about junior year and then Kilcoyne was right next to me,” Lamarca said. “It was all different. It was all spread over a certain period of time, but it was crazy how we all ended up on the same team.”

Lamarca said that he and the other guys convinced Kilcoyne to commit to Marquette.

“It wasn’t really that hard,” Lamarca said. “We already had four guys from our team and we’ve been best friends forever.”

With Maryland being a hotspot for lacrosse, Richards said to have a group of guys all from that area is beneficial for recruiting for the Marquette staff.

“We continue to go back to Baltimore and those guys are leaders in their communities at home, which allows our brand to carry to the east coast,” Richards said.

Kilcoyne said bouncing between high school lacrosse and club lacrosse helped the group prepare for their transition to college.

“We had to do something similar in high school and go to a new team and play with new players,” Kilcoyne said. “That definitely prepared us coming in here because we played in a pretty good high school league, so we’ve been facing good competition for most of our lacrosse lives. Having to adapt to a new style, new scheme and new competition in general, we’ve been accustomed to that.”

Lamarca said, when the group first got to Marquette, they quickly gelled with the rest of the team

“Rather than us just separating ourselves and hanging out with the five of us we’ve ordered, we’ve really accepted everybody else and tried to build connections right away,” Lamarca said.

It was easier to adjust to college lacrosse, Lamarca said with his friends by his side.

“Let the stress of Division One lacrosse go out the window.

And just remember that we’re playing here with our friends,” Lamarca said.

Head coach Andrew Stimmel said the wide variety of positions within the group breeds competitiveness within the program.

“It’s a collection of offensive and defensive guys, with a goalie as well. There’s some inherent competitiveness because they have known each other that long,” Stimmel said. “They’ve been a core piece of continuing to move our program forward.”

The competitiveness didn’t start at Marquette. Lamarca said it started when the players played on different high school teams.

“We spent the summers playing together and in the springs competing against each other,” Lamarca said. “It’s definitely a

really cool dynamic, getting to go against each other and then strapping up together in the summer.”

Stimmel said their ability to challenge each other helps to build the team up.

“Their connection to each other allows them to showcase the kind of brotherly love that they have for one another,” Stimmel said. “They can challenge not only themselves but challenge each other in those moments.”

Kilcoyne said that the group is ready for their connection to start to shine on the field.

“We’re all starting to become upperclassmen,” Kilcoyne said. “We’re all starting to get the sense of ‘we need to win now’ and we can win now because we’re definitely talented enough to.”

Photo by Katie Craig katharine.craig@marquette.edu

Senior forward Chloe Marotta poses with her family on senior night

Balancing academics and athletics on and off the track

Okwaramoi stresses time management and work ethic

By Benjamin Hanson benjamin.hanson@marquette.edu

Juru Okwaramoi is more than just a hurdler on the women’s Track & Field team.

In fact, she is part of the honors pre-med track program while also being a teaching assistant for biology classes as well.

“Everyone always says I have a very determined work ethic, but it’s never really been anything special to me. It’s more of just setting a routine, sticking to it and making sure I don’t overwhelm myself,” Okwaramoi said.

“I am a go-getter and I like things to be done exceptionally, but at the same time, I do allow myself some leeway.”

Track & Field head coach Bert Rogers said though Okwaramoi lives a not-so-easy college life, she prevails nonetheless as someone deeply involved in both academics and athletics.

“She always has a lot of irons in the fire. Sometimes, life gets especially crazy for her, but we always work through it,” Rogers said. “For her, it’s not mutually exclusive. Whatever she’s doing, she’s going to work hard at it and do the best she can. It’s just her personality.”

Okwaramoi’s daily schedule

consists of being a teacher’s assistant for General Biology 2 and having about four to five classes a day.

“I wake up at 6 a.m. every single day to either life or practice,” Okwaramoi said. “After working out, I’ll go to the class I TA for and then after that it’s just a lot of classes, meetings and office hours that are back to back on each other until about two o’clock. On top of that, I’ll have to be in the gym for about 2 to 3 hours every single day which can get to be a lot.”

Okwaramoi says that she uses breaks and giving herself leeway to get through her schedule. She said that without that, she wouldn’t be able to do what she does.

Additionally, Okwaramoi said she still has to travel every weekend which is always at different times. She said that the consistency in her academic schedule makes it easier.

“I have to balance practice and traveling every weekend and sometimes that schedule changes as well, so that means I always have to work my academic schedule around that,” Okwaramoi said. “Because of that, I’d say my academic schedule is a bit easier to balance rather than my athletic schedule.”

Sophomore hurdler Julia Beck said that even though Okwaramoi structures her day, some things have to

be compromised.

“I think she does a great job with her schedule by prioritizing,” Beck said. “She manages her schedule very well, but I don’t think she sleeps that much. I’m not going to lie. Last year, she had a great relationship with Red Bull.”

Rogers said that even with unpredictable schedules, hard work and time management in academics and athletics are two essential skills to have.

“It always comes back to that idea of working hard and seeing those results come out of it,” Rogers said. “It works both ways. If you’re working hard on the track and training hard, you start to see those results. That will encourage you to better in academics with studying and getting good grades and better things will follow.”

Even if an athlete struggles to follow this mentality, Okwaramoi said the most important thing you can do is try to live and learn from your mistakes.

“I run into troubles all the time, but the thing you have to focus on is forgiving yourself.

It’s such a huge thing,” Okwaramoi said. “You have to remember you’re not a perfect human being. So being able to say ‘Okay, let’s get up and get back on track tomorrow’ is really all you can do.”

In addition to the obligations

MEN’S BASKETBALL

that come with being a college athlete Okwaramoi also had to have knee surgery last year.

Rogers said that with her persistence, he often had to remind her to take it easy.

“The injury has been a big struggle. She just wants to work so hard, so there were a lot of days where I just had to shut her down,” Rogers said. “She lost a lot of time from the sport and she’s even still dealing with it a little bit. Though, some of her times are starting to come back around.”

Beck said she knows how devastating a surgery like that can be, specifically the difficulties in the recovery process.

“When you have a physical surgery like that, the mental toll that it takes is huge,” Beck said. “Being out of your sport for almost a year and then having to come back is very challenging in regard to the mental aspect.

Though, she’s been able to grow a lot during that time too.”

Through this adversity, Okwaramoi said she is most inspired by her mother, who she has learned a lot from.

“She’s my best friend,” Okwaramoi said. “She works so hard and I see so many of her qualities in me. I just want to be more like her. She really helps calm me while always reassuring me I’m doing fine and that everything will work itself out.”

Rogers said that Okwaramoi’s success correlates to her being a well-rounded person.

“She’s a perfect mix of outgoing, hardworking and talented. All that stuff comes together nicely,” Rogers said. “Personality-wise she has a great ability to be outgoing and connect with people, which is why I think she’s able to balance all these things in her life.”

TITLE: Blue Demons late comeback falls short

Continued from page 16

today would clinch the outright regular season title for the Golden Eagles.

But due to not securing the outright winner of the title Saturday, there were no postgame celebrations other than high-fiving fans from Marquette.

Smart said it was a decision made earlier in the week from a conversation he had with Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro.

“They said, ‘Let’s try to win more,’” Smart said. “It’s a good time to be greedy in a good way. We don’t just want to share. We want to win outright so that’s the way our guys felt.”

Statistical leaders

Jones led the Golden Eagles on the night with 22 points. He went 7 -for-12 from the field, setting a new career-high with seven 3-pointers.

Kolek added 22 points himself on 5-for-9 shooting and an effi-

cient 11-for-12 from the charity stripe. Additionally, he finished with 14 assists and two steals.

Umoja Gibson did some damage for the Blue Demons, finishing with a team-high 20 points. DePaul shot 51.7% as a team on the night.

Finding a groove early Jones set the tone from the opening jump for Marquette as he connected on three of his first four attempts from beyond the arc to give the Golden Eagles an early 11-6 advantage.

Ighodaro went to the bench early in the first half as he picked up two personal fouls. With Ighodaro’s absence on the floor, it opened up the opportunity for the Blue Demons to stay within reach of the Golden Eagles.

The final seven minutes of the half showed why Marquette once held the No. 1 ranked offense on KenPom.com.

Ighodaro sparked a 9-1 Golden

Eagle run with three-straight layups forcing the Blue Demons to burn a timeout trailing 30-17.

Marquette also picked up its defensive presence down the stretch. Sophomore guard Stevie Mitchell racked up two steals before coming up with a block on the other end when DePaul’s Eral Penn went up for a dunk.

Jones would hit two more triples before the half ended. He tied his career-high of five 3-pointers when Marquette went up 43-27.

Then in the winding seconds of the half, Jones hit his third halftime buzzer-beater of the season to give the Golden Eagles a 21-point halftime advantage.

Kolek comes up short again Earlier this season, Kolek came close to Tony Miller’s singlegame assist record with 15 assists against Georgetown Jan. 7. Saturday, Kolek looked to be on pace to break it as he had 11 assists in the first half.

“Tyler passes the ball at a high level all the time and they’re (assists) dependent on someone making a shot,” Smart said. “You have No. 1 (Kam Jones) bombing them in at high level, even that last play from almost half court, so that helps your assist numbers. But you got to make a good pass as well.”

But with the Golden Eagles having a sluggish second half offensive performance, he came three assists short of tying Miller’s record of 17.

Holding onto win

In the first half, it was all Marquette, the second half not so much.

DePaul woke up in the final 20 minutes as it outscored Marquette 41-29 in begin the half. But the Blue Demons still trailed by nine with 3:44 to play.

Smart said his team didn’t come out with the same edge and urgency as they showed in the

first half.

“Mindset comes first and what comes after the mindset is either the appropriate violence, multiple efforts, energy or below the line,” Smart said. “Thought for most of the second half on defense, we were below the line in those areas.”

Javon Johnson brought DePaul within six with 2:20 to go but it wasn’t enough to mount the comeback. Kolek scored 15, nine of which came off free throws, of Marquette’s final 16 points to hold onto the win.

Okwaramoi (left) serves as a teaching assistant for General Biology 2.

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

B-Ball: : honoring dad’s legacy in fundraising campaign

Continued from page 16 awareness and raise as much money as I can for the research of it,” Chloe said.

Chloe used the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules to collaborate with The Winning Way Foundation, an organization that partners with collegiate athletes to raise funds for causes that matter to them.

“This foundation reached out to me, and they’re like, ‘Hey, I see that one of your interests is charity, would you like to work with us?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this would be amazing,’” Chloe said. “When you think about NIL, you don’t necessarily think about these types of opportunities. But I think that these opportunities are the best of NIL.”

The only person that knew of the campaign before it was announced was Chloe’s brother, Cam Marotta. Because Cam is the Program Support Director of Be the Difference NIL, Chloe had called him first to make sure the money was going to the right place.

Cam had confidence Chloe knew what to do, but he was still there to help her through the process.

“I just wanted to make sure that it was a legit thing that she was being offered and asked to do, when I did a little research on it and helped her write what she needed for her initial paragraph,” Cam said. “Basically being a big brother and making sure she’s going down the right path with everything she does.”

When Chloe’s mother Kim Marotta found out, she was proud but not shocked.

“Our family has always tried to instill in all the kids this nature, this idea and ethos of just giving back to the community and trying to do good,” Kim said. “I wasn’t surprised because hopefully, we’ve raised kids that think about community and others first and how you can make a difference.”

For Chloe, all her success inside the painted navy-blue lines on the Al McGuire Court is not the be-all end-all.

Making an impact beyond the basketball court is a priority.

“Marquette has helped me so much (to) build as a leader on and off the court, and that’s so important. Coach Duffy talks about it every single day, about how we can become the best version of ourselves off the court,” Chloe said. “I’d begun to use my title as (president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) but also just as a women’s basketball player to lead and become a better leader around the community.”

And the community she leads? It has banded together to support her cause.

Chloe’s original goal was $5,000, which was achieved in a day. Then, it became $10,000, which she earned a week later. Now, it is $15,000.

That’s $13,505 more than the number of rebounds Chloe and Marc have grabbed in the blue and gold.

Marquette University President Michael Lovell, Marquette vice president and director of athletics Bill Scholl, former teammate Lauren Van Kleunen and the King family are among the people that have donated.

“I was unbelievably shocked. I couldn’t even believe it,” Chloe said. “The amount of support and love I’ve gotten from so many different people all over the country, really, it’s just been just amazing.”

Contributors can donate outright, but some, like Lovell, have pledged a set amount of dollars per rebound Chloe earns.

But it is not only the Marquette faithful helping out.

Kim said her recently widowed 93-year-old great-uncle made a contribution.

“I got this handwritten letter from him about the importance of contributing to this research,” Kim said while holding up the scribbled-on check. “A personal check that he wrote out not knowing how to make a donation online or what the name of

the organization was. (He) said, ‘Please make this $100 donation in my wife’s name to do what you can to help bring out research and awareness around aneurysms.’”

The donations are also coming from Chloe’s Big East rivals.

The morning that Marquette played Georgetown, Hoya senior forward Graceann Bennett donated to the charity. That same week, Seton Hall women’s basketball head coach Anthony Bozzella donated with the message, “Admire your work ethic so much!!!”

“That just made me cry,” Kim said. “It just speaks volumes, that no matter how you compete on the court, in the game of life and in the game of giving back, everybody’s all in and needs to be there together.”

Chloe is aware the campaign ends April 4. As for the final count? That’s still unclear.

“We’ll have to see how quickly I can get to 15,000,” Chloe said. “April’s obviously a quite a bit of ways away. We’ll see how much I can continue to raise, I think it’d be nice to maybe get to the 20,000s.”

But to Chloe, the best part of the entire project is clear: the stories she’s heard about people also impacted by brain aneurysms.

“You don’t realize how many people it’s touched,” Chloe said. “So when people reached out to me through the donations, it’s just been amazing to hear about the community around this and the support that everyone has surrounding this situation.”

Photos courtesy of Chloe Marotta

sPORTs

Bigger Than Basketball

Marotta uses NIL to raise money

for brain aneurysm research

By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu

Rebounds don’t just get wins; they also get Starbucks. That is if you’re senior forward Chloe Marotta.

“My dad would be like, ‘Okay, you get 15 rebounds this game and we’ll go grab some Starbucks afterwards,’” Chloe said.

For as long as Chloe can remember, rebounding was emphasized by her dad as an essential part of basketball.

“My dad was a great rebounder in college and he knew the importance of rebounding,” Chloe said. “From a young age, as a coach, he was always coaching me to be the hardest worker on the floor instead of the person who scores the most or the flashiest player.”

Last season, Chloe used the lessons her dad taught her and passed him in all-time rebounds

at Marquette University, where he played from 1980-1984.

Now, she is using those lessons to honor him in a way that is near and dear to her heart.

She recently began a campaign called “Rebounds for Research,” a new initiative set to raise money and awareness for The Brain Aneurysm Foundation through what she is most known for: her rebounding.

The charity helps raise money and awareness about the cerebrovascular disease her father passed away from to fund re-

MEN’S BASKETBALL

money

can...”

Chloe Marotta Senior Forward

search and save lives.

When Chloe was 14-yearsold, her father Marc Marotta went to a local walk-in clinic with what he thought was nothing more than a bad headache and some neck pain. Then, only days later and unaware of the signs, he passed away from a brain aneurysm.

To Chloe, making sure this never happens to anyone ever again is what the campaign is all about.

“I want to be able to spread

See B-BALL page 15

Smart’s crew locks up Big East title with win

Golden Eagles look to secure No. 1 seed in conference tourney

By John Leuzzi john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

In the 44-year history of the Big East conference, no one has done what No. 6 Marquette did Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.

The Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3 Big East), who were picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches’ poll, claimed their first

share of the Big East regular season title since 2012-13 by defeating DePaul (9-19, 3-15) 90-84.

“Coach came out of the locker room like ‘Don’t take for granted we won. We (know) we play better than that. But we clinched a share of the Big East, that’s not what we want to do but that’s just the fact of the matter right now,’” sophomore guard Kam Jones said.

Previously, the lowest team picked in the preseason poll to win the conference regular season title was the 1989-90 UConn

Huskies, who were picked eighth out of ninth.

The Huskies shared the title with Syracuse and went onto win the Big Tournament.

Marquette now looks to do that itself.

What is needed to lock up the No. 1 seed Though Marquette secured a share of the regular season title, it did not secure the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament that begins in two weeks.

A Marquette win over Butler

Senior forward Chloe Marotta (52) has raised over $10,000 for The Brain Aneurysm Foundation in honor of her late dad Marc, who passed away when she was 14-years-old.

I want to be able to spread awareness and raise as much

as I

Kam Jones (1) led MU with 22 points in win over DePaul Feb. 25 at Fiserv.

Photo by Alex Debuhr alexander.debuhr@marquette.edu

Photo by Keifer Russell keifer.russell@marquette.edu