Marquette Tribune I March 7, 2023

Painting & Pizza for a cause

Students

“Stabs on Stage”

Title IX claims filed against Les Aspin founder

By Skyler Chun skyler.chun@marquette.edu

Around 8 p.m. one night in January 2022, David Chrisbaum, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, made the two-minute commute from his apartment to the Les Aspin Center in Washington, D.C. — and into Rev. Timothy O’Brien’s living room —to ask a question: “What is the essay about?”

But that night, Chrisbaum left with more questions than answers.

Chrisbaum said he had been sexually harassed by O’Brien, a Marquette professor, priest and founder of the Les Aspin Center program that night, though he said he did not realize it at the time. Chrisbaum said comments about his sexuality – and others –would later occur multiple times throughout the semester.

This event would lead to a Title IX investigation, part of a year-long process that Chrisbaum said deals with 23 witnesses and a 651-page document that transcribes the details of these cumulative experiences. It was also not the first – or last – case to be filed against O’Brien.

The Marquette Title IX office confirmed to the Marquette Wire on Monday that the investigation is still ongoing. O’Brien did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails requesting comment.

Spring 2022

That spring, Chrisbaum had been a student in the Les Aspin Center for Government, a program designed for Marquette students to live, study and work in the nation’s capital, gaining real-world experiences through internships on Capitol Hill or neighboring areas.

For nearly 35 years, more than 2,500 students have gone through the program, walking

the same path between the Marquette-owned apartment and the Les Aspin Center, just as Chrisbaum did that night.

Each semester, a cohort of about 20 students live in a gray three-story apartment with a royal blue door at 4 4th St. SE. They turn the corner and cross the street to 502 E. Capitol St. SE, a red brick building with a blue plaque that reads “The Les Aspin Center for Government” for any class and program-related events. The center also serves as a home for O’Brien, who has access to both buildings at all times.

O’Brien was teaching a course

on lobbyist and special interest groups that semester, but after confusion on the first essay that was assigned, Chrisbaum asked to meet outside of class. Chrisbaum said O’Brien scheduled a meeting for 8 p.m. in his living room one night.

“I was just trying to find out what the essay was about, but he kept going on tangents,” Chrisbaum said. “We were talking about the Church. I was interested in the priesthood at some point in my life … ”

Chrisbaum said that’s when a conversation about the Church led to one about sexuality. After mentioning the Church’s stance

on LGBTQ+ rights, Chrisbaum said O’Brien asked him if he was gay.

“I was taken aback by the comment because nobody, or no professor, has just outright asked or been so direct (about my sexuality) like that,” Chrisbaum said.

“It was just weird in that situation in his living room having a conversation about that. Just really weird.”

Chrisbaum said he did not think it was sexual harassment at first. To him, it was just a weird and uncomfortable situation.

But then Chrisbaum said he continued witnessing and experiencing other incidents that

he thought were weird or confusing, including discussions of sex in professional settings and inappropriate racial or degrading comments.

In one incident, Chrisbaum recalled O’Brien referring to an Arab woman on campus as “Saddam Hussein” in a joking manner. Chrisbaum also said another friend of his came home crying one night because of other racially degrading comments made by O’Brien.

“There were just a lot of things culminating,” Chrisbaum said. “I started talking to people and was like ‘Did he talk to anybody about this?’ I was like ‘I’m just going to leave it there, that’s fine,’ but then there was another incident with one of my friends and it just kind of continued.”

At the end of the semester, Chrisbaum said he had another one-on-one with O’Brien.

“(O’Brien) had gotten hundreds of Marquette students jobs in D.C.,” Chrisbaum said. “I wanted to ask him about next steps, jobs. But O’Brien went into an elaborate story about this basketball player that he helped get into Harvard Law School.”

But Chrisbaum said this story about law school somehow turned into a story about sex. And that’s when inappropriate comments came again.

Chrisbaum said that O’Brien made comments referring to the basketball player’s genitalia and oral sex.

“I was like ‘I asked you for professional advice. Why are you talking about this?,’” Chrisbaum said. “I thought ‘That’s really strange’ and I went back and asked everyone in the program ‘Is this weird?’ I initially played it off.”

Chrisbaum said he then

Students say they were sexually harassed by Rev. Timothy O’Brien in 2022

Photo by Skyler Chun skyler.chun@marquette.edu

The Les Aspin Center classroom is located at 502 E. Capitol St. SE in D.C. This is where Rev. O’Brien lived.

Marquette Wire Investigative Report

LES ASPIN: O’Brien continued attending events

reached out to a Marquette professor and the Burke Scholars director Carie Hertzberg back on Marquette’s campus April 28. They introduced him to the idea of filing a Title IX claim.

Chrisbaum is a part of the Burke Scholars Program, an intensive program that connects academics, career goals and engagement with the community. One part of the program is participating in 10 hours of community service per week during the school year.

“Then I just got really pissed off. I was like ‘I got sexually harassed by a priest, what the hell?,’” Chrisbaum said.

Chrisbaum said he filed a human resources claim in April 2022, during the last week of the program.

While he was not going to file a Title IX claim at first, Chrisbaum said he knew other peers with similar experiences who were not in a position to speak up about it.

“I’m hoping no one has to go through the same experiences I did or the things I witnessed,” Chrisbaum said.

Chrisbaum said he later filed a joint Title IX case with another student who had experiences with sexual harassment during their time at the Les Aspin Center in a previous semester. They filed for a joint Title IX case, and Chrisbaum said he had his first interview with the Title IX office May 3, 2022. He received a formal complaint from the Title IX office via email May 11, 2022.

“The Title IX Office oversees conduct that falls under Marquette’s Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Policy. The policy must comply with federal regulations that govern Title IX,” Kristen Kreple, Marquette’s Title IX director, said in an email to the Marquette Wire. “Marquette’s Human Resources Department handles employee conduct that falls outside the Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Policy. The investigative and adjudicative processes are different and unconnected.”

Fall 2022

While O’Brien was still in D.C. in the fall of 2022, the Marquette Wire learned he was not teaching any classes.

As a new semester rolled around, Amanda Schmidt, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she attended an alumni event at the Les Aspin Center Nov. 15, 2022, which O’Brien

also attended.

“I didn’t see O’Brien until it actually happened,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t see him until he had walked up behind me, slid his hand down my back and then rested his hand on the top of my butt.”

She said his hand stayed there for two or three minutes as he talked to everyone else in the group around her. But in the crowded classroom, Schmidt said it seemed like no one noticed.

The following morning Nov. 16, Schmidt arrived at her internship, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, where she said she told her internship supervisor about the incident.

“She was on a call when I walked in to work,” Schmidt’s internship supervisor said. “After, I remember she took her earbuds out and stood up and said ‘You are so happy you did not go to that event last night. It was awful’ and I grabbed my coffee and maybe I thought it was going to be like ‘tea time’ like ‘Oh what happened?’ She was shaking when I turned around.”

The supervisor, who wished to stay anonymous due to job safety reasons, said they recommended Schmidt file a Title IX case.

Similar to Chrisbaum, Schmidt is a Burke Scholar and reported it to Hertzberg back on Marquette’s campus. Because Hertzberg is a mandated reporter, she reported the incident to the Title IX office at Marquette.

November 17

Schmidt said she was able to speak with Kreple Nov. 17, two days after the incident. In the call, Kreple assured Schmidt that O’Brien would not be attending any more events.

But later that day — just a few hours after Schmidt’s conversation with Kreple — Schmidt said O’Brien made his way downstairs on a stair lift to join another speaker event in the Les Aspin Center classroom.

“I heard his electric chair coming down and I just left in the middle of a conversation I was having,” Schmidt said. “I just didn’t want to see him and I didn’t want to be there and I knew that was him coming down.”

After the event, Schmidt said she reached out to Kreple who tried to resolve the issue.

“Can you let me know whether Father O’Brien came down while the program was still going on, or was it afterward?,” Kreple wrote in an email to Schmidt Nov. 18.

“He is not supposed to be participating in university events at this time, so I’m trying to determine whether he did last night.”

November 28

Two weeks later, at another class event, O’Brien was there again.

The class was meeting with Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, on the main floor of the Les Aspin Center. Schmidt said O’Brien was there for the whole event.

“At the end we got up to take a photo with Dr. Fauci,” Schmidt said. “O’Brien was also in the photo and he would have stood right behind me if one of my friends did not switch places with me.”

However, while O’Brien was originally in the class photo, it appears he was cropped out in the university’s Instagram story post.

Schmidt said she reached out to Kreple after the event, and was reassured they would talk to O’Brien.

“Please know that I am advising Father O’Brien to not only stay away from university-related events but also to avoid contact with all students,” Kreple wrote in an email to Schmidt Nov. 28. “If you run into any additional issues with him, please let me know as soon as you’re able.”

Schmidt said she was concerned about how the process would be handled.

“There’s literally no one out there to enforce that,” Schmidt said. “Dr. Murray is under him, so there’s no one he answers to in D.C. It’s so easy to just ignore an email or not call people back or whatever.”

Christopher Murray, the co-

ordinator of student programs and instructor in the Les Aspin Center, teaches various political science and government courses for the program. He is currently serving as interim director of the program. Murray declined to comment to the Marquette Wire about the pending Title IX cases.

Schmidt’s internship supervisor later brought up the incident to Murray. Because they work for a humanitarian group, the internship supervisor said there are safeguarding policies that don’t

allow their organization to have relationships with institutions that don’t follow these practices.

“I was like ‘We need to make sure Amanda is safe this semester,’” the internship supervisor said. “I was very concerned about all these students. I wanted to get O’Brien out for the spring semester, and then I was concerned about what was going to happen to the program after he left. I had all these concerns, but I hadn’t really brought it to

Marquette posted these images of the Nov. 28 event on its Instagram story.

Rev. O’Brien (far right) was photographed at a Nov. 28 Les Aspin Center event with Dr. Fauci and MU students. Photos courtesy of Amanda Schmidt

Student body elects Moravec and Treacy

MUSG President, Executive VP to be sworn in after break

By Julia Abuzzahab julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

Marquette University Student Government president and executive vice-president results were announced March 3. Abbie Moravec, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, will become MUSG president and Tommy Treacy, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, was elected executive vice-president of MUSG.

Christian Golden, a junior in the College of Communication alongside Sherlean Roberts, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, also campaigned for MUSG president and executive vice president, but did not win the election. Golden said he was still thankful for all of the support they had received throughout their campaign.

“We are extremely grateful that we were even nominated for this opportunity! Although we didn’t bring home the victory, we are still dedicated to the mission of being advocates of the Marquette community,” Golden said via Instagram story.

Moravec described feeling “ecstatic” when she heard the results of the election.

“Abbie was so happy there might have been some tears even,” Treacy said.

Treacy said he had no idea what to expect walking into the press conference where they would eventually announce the results. He said hearing their ticket win the election was a great feeling that brought both of them a lot of happiness.

Moravec said one of the first things the ticket plans to do when they step into office is creating a relationship with the MUSG of-

ficers within MUSG and start making connections with student organizations.

Treacy said they also plan on trying to fill some of the vacant positions within the organization and sitting down with student organizations to have conversations on how MUSG can best support them.

Before Moravec and Treacy were elected, both MUSG president and executive vice-president were vacant alongside legislative vice-president, 14 student senate positions and the legislative clerk position.

“I’m really excited to meet with everybody — people I hadn’t really been able to work with before,” Moravec said. “Being able to branch out to more people in MUSG … and actually bringing ideas up to administration.”

Previously working within the programs department of MUSG, Moravec said it was difficult to bring ideas to administration because of the vacancies within the organization. So, Moravec said,

FAST FACTS

being able to bring these plans to the administration that MUSG has been working on for so long is “exciting.”

When Moravec first joined MUSG, she said she always wanted to eventually join a position within the executive board and decided she wanted the leadership role of MUSG president.

Treacy, however, had not been part of MUSG prior to this campaign but has had leadership experience being part of College Democrats of Wisconsin as well as College Democrats of America.

“This [MUSG] is such an important institution to all of student life that I wanted to get involved in any way possible. Before me and Abbie even talked about this, I was thinking about being the outreach director or something like that and apply, but when she brought this up I was like ‘this is such a great opportunity, I feel like I have a lot of skills that are applicable and I really do want to see this organization succeed,’” Treacy said.

A fire took place at the Coin Laundry on 16th Street last Saturday. This is the second fire at the facility within the past year.

The left westbound lane of Wisconsin Ave. will be closed from 16th to 20th Street through March 17. The closure is due to a WE Energies project that requires crews to excavate parts of the street. The crews will be working daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Memorial Library will begin construction to transform into the Lemonis Center for Student Success this month. The construction will impact one to two floors at a time and noise may disrupt regular library activities.

The first Marquette Tribune after Spring Break will be published March 28.

Moravec and Treacy based their campaign on three main pillars: health and wellness, social justice and sustainability.

During the MUSG presidential debate, the ticket elaborated on these points and how they plan on bringing each topic to life within the organization.

In terms of social justice, Treacy said they want to heighten student voices and promote Marquette’s student organizations. For health and wellness, the ticket plans on promoting mental health resources within the university, assisting in sexual health knowledge and providing more accessible menstrual products. Treacy said for sustainability, they plan on creating a new sustainability committee and hosting more green events.

“I’m just excited for this year. I think it’ll be really good,” Moravec said. “Me and Tommy have known each other for such a long time, and I’m so happy that we get to do it together. I think we’ll work really well as a team.”

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 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, Clara Lebrón

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, Katie Craig, Forster Goodrich

ADVERTISING

margaret.kemp@marquette.edu

Sales Manager Maggie Kemp

Assistant Sales Manager Henry Bridgeman

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, March 7

Chicharrones and Dorilocos bag sale by Marquette’s Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee at Lalumiere at 10 a.m.

Blue’s Birthday Bash at the AMU from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 3 – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, March 8 March Tea in the LGBTQ+ Resource Center from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Thursday, March 9

Department of English’s spring literacy reading at Marquette Hall 105 from 4 – 5:30 p.m.

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

Their campaign was focused around three main pillars: social justice, health and wellness and sustainability.

Deputy Secretary of IMF, Sabina Bhatia, returns to MU

International Affairs programs hosts talk on global economics

By John Gunville john.gunville@marquette.edu

Deputy Secretary of the International Monetary Fund Sabina Bhatia made the trip from the office in Washington D.C. for a talk about global economic fragmentation with Marquette students last Thursday.

Bhatia is a Marquette alum and was invited back by the international affairs department. The talk consisted of two parts, the first being more of a lecturestyle talk from Bhatia and the second being a discussion between Bhatia, political science professor Richard Friman and economics professor Grace Wang.

International affairs program director Brian Palmer-Rubin said the idea behind the topic of the talk comes from recent political history.

“Her presentation was motivated by the idea that the present period, the last 15 years or so since the global financial crisis, has been characterized by this increasing fragmentation and distancing of countries from one another,” Palmer-Rubin said. “Less interest in trade agreements, less interest in transnational financial institutions, less interest in collaboration even on human rights and democracy promoting treaties.”

Bhatia said that it was her goal to promote cooperation among countries.

“One of the things we’ve learned from the second world war and prior is that it’s important for countries to work together. That’s why institutions like the IMF, world bank and the UN were created,” Bhatia said. “We don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past. One message I would like to leave is that it’s really important for countries to cooperate with one another. Especially as we’re living in a very fragmented world.”

Jack Hammerton, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said it was important for him to be able to see a Marquette graduate in an industry he wants to be in.

“I’ve known about Ms. Bhatia for a couple of years now, knowing that she was a Marquette alum in the field that I wanted to go into,” Hammerton said. “So hearing that she was finally coming here and then getting the chance to meet her, to hear her speak here, her ideas being presented as well as hearing from some of my favorite professors. It was a fantastic event overall.”

Bhatia said the event allowed her to learn from students just like they learn from her.

“It’s an opportunity for me also to listen to what’s top of mind for students and youth,” Bhatia said. “And if they all have questions for me as coming from an international institution, I can share some of my knowledge and experience.”

In addition to educating students, Bhatia said one of her goals for the talk was to gain a different perspective on important issues.

“At the same time, the public has an interest in what we do. Civil society, labor unions, think tanks and youth, the next generation. As a public institution, we need to listen to various stakeholders not just our shareholders, and we need to learn from them,” Bhatia said. “They have very legitimate questions and interest in us, so it’s a useful dialogue.”

Hammerton said he was inspired by the talk and the opportunity to interact with Bhatia.

“It’s a really cool experience because you don’t get to normally meet people who are at that level of fame or have influence,” Hammerton said. “To have her come back and speak to students, it allows his connections to be made. It shows what we’re all capable of, it’s very inspiring.”

The event wasn’t only beneficial for students, Wang said the combination of her economics perspective with Friman’s political background led to her learning a lot.

“When Dr. Friman was talking about different political science theories over time to

conceptualize the fragmentation. I’ve never thought about this, I’m not familiar with a lot of those theories,” Wang said. “To me, it’s very eye opening. I learned a lot. At the end, I actually told Dr. Friman I learned a lot and he said the same.”

Palmer-Rubin hopes that events like these continue to arise from the International Affairs office. “We’re excited about the community in the international affairs program,” Palmer-Rubin said. “We’re excited to continue to grow to be a resource for all things international at Marquette.”

LES ASPIN: students hope for change, accountability

(my organization) because I was thinking Marquette would take care of it.”

That day, Schmidt was also told by Kreple that her case may not qualify for Title IX due to legal language changes. The U.S. Department of Education released an updated set of Title IX regulations under the Trump administration May 6, 2020.

“I know this may not be the news you wanted, but please know that I can continue to provide supportive measures as you need them. I am here to talk through what this means,” Kreple wrote in an email to Schmidt Nov. 28. “In the meantime, please know that I am advising Father O’Brien to not only stay away from university-related events but also to avoid contact with all students.”

December 1 and 2

Schmidt said she had a Teams meeting with Kreple Dec. 1.

“I had to really push them to consider it under Title IX,” Schmidt said. “I basically told

her that I thought it was pervasive because I had heard other students had brought cases as well. I basically argued that pervasive doesn’t have to apply just to one person. I don’t know if that’s what convinced her to move forward or if she just wanted me to be quiet about it.”

The following day, Schmidt received a “Notice of Formal Complaint,” notifying her that her case would be officially processed under Title IX.

December to February

O’Brien requested a delay in the grievance process due to a Marquette-approved and legally protected leave of absence Dec. 8.

“I have reviewed the information made available to me regarding the respondent’s leave of absence, and I find that it constitutes extenuating circumstances necessary to satisfy the ‘Good Cause’ standard for a reasonable delay,” Kreple wrote in an email to Schmidt Dec. 9.

Kreple said federal law governing Title IX and the policy recognize that delays may oc-

cur due to the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses and party, witness or advisor unavailability.

According to Title IX policy, the non-exhaustive list of factors that may constitute “good cause” for short-term delays or extensions of the recipient’s designated time frames relate to the fundamental fairness of the proceedings. Delays caused solely by administrative needs are insufficient to satisfy this standard. A respondent cannot indefinitely delay a Title IX proceeding by refusing to cooperate.

Schmidt said the delay was requested again by O’Brien, and officially granted Jan. 31, postponing both Chrisbaum’s and Schmidt’s hearings to May 19. Chrisbaum and Schmidt were notified about the extended leave of absence Feb. 1, the day O’Brien was supposed to return from his original leave.

Present Day

O’Brien is no longer living in the Les Aspin Center this semester. He is set to retire June 30 — Just over a month after the offi-

cial hearing date.

With O’Brien set to retire at the end of this school year, a search committee has been set up to hire the next director of the Les Aspin Center.

While this is still an ongoing case, Kreple said any formal complaints can continue until they are complete, regardless of whether an employee retires or leaves the university for any reason.

“If someone is found responsible for violating the university’s Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Policy, they can face a variety of sanctions,” Kreple wrote in an email to the Marquette Wire. “Someone who is no longer employed by the university could be prohibited from engaging in campusrelated activities in the future, as one example.”

Despite their personal experiences with sexual harassment in Washington, D.C., Schmidt and Chrisbaum both said the Les Aspin Center is a great program for Marquette students.

“I want to see the program

thrive. I have really high hopes for it,” Chrisbaum said. “I’m excited to see what the future of the program holds.”

For Schmidt, her biggest concern is that, up until this current semester, O’Brien has lived in the same places that students also live and work.

“I think it’s a huge violation of professional student boundaries that should exist,” Schmidt said. “Marquette knows there are complaints because the Title IX office is doing these processes, so the fact that they still (allowed) him to live there and teach and be around students, I can’t understand why they would allow that.”

Chrisbaum was asked to sit in on the search committee’s interviews for the top three candidates for the next director of the Les Aspin Center last week. He said he hopes they make a decision that will enact change in the program.

Deputy Secretary of the International Monetary Fund Sabina Bhatia visited Marquette to talk to students March 2.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Andrew Amouzou, Hope Moses and Megan Woolard contributed to this report.

Continued from page 2

“Paint night” brings awareness to Palestinian crisis

SJP honors victims of raid, through prayer, art and discussion

By Uzair Qhavi uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

Students gathered at the Students for Justice in Palestine’s “Paint Night” event to bring awareness to the recent raids in Palestine. The raids that occurred Feb. 22 killed 11 individuals and left more than 100 wounded and injured.

The Students for Justice in Palestine hosted an event last Friday, in the Alumni Memorial Union where students painted, consumed pizza and discussed the recent raid in Palestine.

“The goal of this event was to wind down before midterms, but we want people to constantly be reminded of the situation in Palestine, even if it is something as simple as a paint night,” Amani Dalieh, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said.

Out of respect to the 11 individuals killed, Dalieh mentioned each of their names and recited a prayer for them and their families. She said the recent crisis was unfortunate because as more happens in Palestine in regard to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, it starts being treated like a trend — talking about it for a week and then forgetting after.

“These types of events are needed to bring awareness to the

issues that are going on in Palestine. It gets people involved and allows for students to connect in a more pleasing way to discuss these hard-hitting topics,” Mohammed Ahmed, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

Ahmed said that the Palestinian cause is sometimes ignored or that some people do not have a full scope of the conflict. He said that young individuals, such as him, are responsible for learning and reacting to the ongoing situation.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a long-standing dispute between Israel and Palestine since 1948. The two sides have historical and religious ties to the region and have conflicting claims on the land. There have been attempts to resolve this conflict over the decades, but no lasting peace agreements have been set in place.

“I really enjoy these types of events that SJP holds. A lot of these issues I tend not to see in the media or on the front pages, so it is nice to see that students are gathering together to honor the individuals who were killed and to bring awareness,” Abdallah Qasem, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said.

Qasem said he was excited to be a part of an event that works to bring change and highlight the stories and lives of those who may be disregarded sometimes. He said that one of his favorite parts of the event was listening to traditional Palestinian music.

Dalieh said the event was a success last year, so they decided

to bring it back again this semester. She said that she had hoped that the circumstances would be better surrounding the event but that, sadly, some type of conflict is constantly occurring in the region.

“We get a very diverse mix of students. A lot of people who come aren’t necessarily Palestinian, but they are the students that know it’s a humanitarian issue,” Dalieh said.

Qasem said that he has been involved in SJP since his first year and is glad to see the progress that has occurred in educating others. He highlighted events such as the Palestinian Culture Night, where people came together for the Palestinian cause while still having a good time.

The event held last December was hosted by Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Students for Justice in Palestine. The event included things such as traditional Palestinian food, henna and a comedy show. The event aimed to celebrate Palestinian culture, raise awareness about the Palestinian struggle, and promote unity within the community.

“I believe that as more events are held, it will attract more people to come and allow us to inform them on the injustices going on,” Malik Said, a first-year in the College of Health Sciences, said.

Ahmed said that even if they start somewhere small, they can still

bring some change for the future. He said that he is excited about the future of SJP and the events they hold.

“I may not be Palestinian, but I believe in the Palestinian cause. Though I may be one voice, I hope to be able to join the voices of others in the cause,” Ahmed said.

Dalieh said that SJP does these events to keep spreading awareness about Palestine. She said that these events encourage others to have an opportunity to come together and educate even in the smallest ways.

“These types of events are always for Palestine and because of us, their stories will always be kept in mind. Because of us, Palestine will never be forgotten,” Dalieh said.

Marquette says goodbye to Sierra Mist and hello to Starry

PepsiCo’s new lemonlime soda formula comes to campus

By TJ Dysart theodore.dysart@marquette.edu

If you are an avid drinker of Sierra Mist, you might want to start stocking up.

Once Marquette runs out of their current shipment of Sierra Mist, it will no longer be available on campus. Instead, students will have to adjust to the new flavors and latest look of Pepsi’s “revitalized” lemonlime soda known as “Starry.”

“It is a completely new formula with new flavors and taste,” Daniel Braunsdorf, a customer development manager for PepsiCo, said. “We just wanted to completely rebrand the new lemon-lime soda for Pepsi and I think it was a new direction for Pepsi that is going well.”

Starry comes in two different options: regular and sugar free, both of which are caffeine free.

CNN found that Pepsi’s internal team conducted research that found “the demand for lemon-lime soda has never been greater,” leading the company to introduce Starry as

a new generation of soda following Sierra Mist’s 24-year career.

One of the reasons behind the move has to do with Pepsi’s biggest competitor: Sprite — which is a CocaCola brand.

Data from Beverage Digest showed Sierra Mist’s piece of the soda market barely even creeping up to a tenth of a percent and had been decreasing over the past five years.

On the flip side, in those same five years, Sprite rose to cover nearly 8% of the soda market.

This led Pepsi to not only rebrand the beverage and come up with a new formula, but to also market to a completely different audience.

The home page of Starry’s website reads “Starry hits different.”

Per the Urban Dictionary, the term “hits different” refers to anything that “is significantly better than usual or is way better under certain circumstances.”

For Pepsi, this marketing is rooted in reaching younger audiences to better increase revenue and sales.

“We wanted to reach a new generation out there, and the bright colors and crisp flavor really showcase the new brand,” Braunsdorf said.

Starry’s social media presence on apps like as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter also point to the new style

of marketing that has been at the forefront of the transition.

“You’ll see the Starry brand on a lot of socials and a lot of national commercials as well,” Braunsdorf said.

Starry also sponsored the 2023 three–point contest at the NBA AllStar Game.

For now, Sierra Mist is still available on campus, but Braunsdorf said that since Pepsi is no longer producing their former lemon-lime beverage, Marquette, and other universities that are under contract with Pepsi, will not be able to order more shipments. Marquette will continue to offer Sierra Mist in dining halls until they run out.

“It definitely tastes different than Sierra Mist,” Max Pickart, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “I taste the lemon a lot and it is way more citrusy.”

Pickart said he drank Sierra Mist “a lot in the past” and said that he enjoys Sierra Mist more than Starry because Sierra Mist is sweeter and less citrusy.

“I think if anything Sierra Mist will compete better with Sprite than this (Starry),” Pickart said upon tasting Starry for the first time.

Currently, Starry is already located

in some locations on campus. At the beverage center in the Marquette Office of Admissions, Starry cans are available for prospective students and tour guides. Additionally, the Alumni Memorial Union started housing bottles of Starry in their coolers after winter break, but it has yet to be installed in any fountain soda machines.

While Starry’s Marquette takeover is in the beginning stages, Braunsdorf said that the national marketing behind the new product has been a success and will hopefully ease consumers into the transition between the two sodas.

“People are loving it so far, and I think our goal with the rebrand is to have people think ‘oh I gotta give this a try,’” Braunsdorf said.

Despite the marketing push, some students are still standing by Starry’s predecessor.

“I just don’t see this competing with Sprite, Katy Permanente, a senior in the College of Education, said. “Nothing beats a McDonald’s Sprite.”

For now, Sprite statistically remains at the top in lemon-lime sodas, but Marquette students will have to decide what they like more.

Chloë Chowaniak (left) Jehan Khaled (right) participate in the SJP “Paint Night” in support of Palestine.

Photo by Forster Goodrich forster.goodrich@marquette.edu

Starry will replace all Sierra Mist on campus once the current shipment runs out.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

Alec Wons: From the pitch to the publishing world

By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu

When Marquette head soccer coach Sean Hughes saw Alec Wons, a kid from Kansas City, run from his hotel to their soccer camp in a cutoff T-shirt in the middle of February, he knew this player was going to be special.

“He always held himself to a really high standard, especially when you look at his work ethic and commitment,” Hughes said.

After graduating with a degree in exercise physiology last year, he worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the NFL. Recently, he’s decided to embark on a new adventure: writing a book.

The book is titled “Conquer Yourself,” and it’s about overcoming struggles and personal doubt to “become your best you.”

Wons said he wants his book to appeal to a wide variety of people from different walks of life. He said he hopes that his book can help people fighting their own personal battles.

“I never liked writing in school, but there’s something really therapeutic about it and I feel like I have a story to tell that a lot of younger people can resonate with,” Wons said.

When Wons was a year and a half

into his soccer career at Marquette, he got arthritis in his foot, which left him unable to kick a ball. He had to retire from the sport, and because of that, he had to face reality and re-evaluate his life. For the rest of his college career, he worked as a student coach.

“When you take a step back and look at things, you realize it’s okay if you take your foot off the gas for a little bit,” Wons said.

Hughes said that the special thing about Wons was his maturity and his ability to switch from an athlete to a great student coach and still be close with the team. He said the team still uses him as a “blueprint” to teach the team important lessons.

After graduating from Marquette, Wons said he liked his job as an NFL strength and conditioning coach. He

enjoyed the fitness and wellness lifestyle that went along with it, but through this experience, he learned he was interested in entrepreneurial ventures and wanted to become a creator.

“Once Alec puts his mind to something, he’s going to do it,” Hughes said.

Hughes said there haven’t been many people who’ve had the kind of impact on Marquette’s soccer program the way Wons did.

Dennis Dressman, the editor of Won’s book, said he encouraged Wons to shy away from making the reader think that his book is exclusively for athletes. Dressman said that the message Wons has can appeal to all people who are navigating their lives and dealing with obstacles and doubts.

“You read a sports book, and it’s almost the same these days as reading a leadership or business book. There’s times where we all face adversity and everyone has to have the same characteristics to overcome it,” Hughes said.

Wons said he wants the readers to know that anyone can benefit from this book even if they aren’t an athlete because everyone experiences their own personal struggles.

“He seems to take himself pretty seriously and strives to do well in whatever he undertakes. He’s serious about his book and willing to do what it takes to succeed,” Dressman said.

Through Wons’ book, he said he hopes to help people change their mindsets.

“I feel like a lot of younger people, and even older people as well, think of failure as this big scary thing, but really you’re learning while you’re failing. If you make a mistake, you just got one step closer to where you want to go. A lot of people take the initial failure as a step back and stopping,” Wons said.

Wons said his book teaches that the biggest factor in achieving your goals is self-growth, and comparing yourself to other people isn’t the way to make major life changes.

“If you’re the best version of yourself each day, you’ll blow away your competition,” Wons said.

Something Won’s said he has noticed is that a lot of people don’t

feel like they have their lives figured out. He wants his readers to know that not everyone has the same route in life.

“Have a couple end goals in mind and shoot for the stars, but at the same time realize your path might change a little bit, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the end result you want, but you might have to go through some dips and valleys to get there,” Wons said.

Wons said he wants his readers to know that selfishness isn’t bad when it’s done out of a place of personal growth. It’s a good thing to improve your mental health and make plans for how you want your life to look.

“You don’t have to necessarily rush and make changes today or tomorrow, you can make your changes in a couple weeks, months or even years. The book is more about changing your mindset to make the approach to achieving your goals more sustainable,” Wons said.

What pushed him through writing the book, Wons said, was focusing on the people he was trying to get his message to reach.

“One of my passions in life is helping other people and if this book can resonate with one other person, and maybe help them with whatever they’re going through, then that’s a win for me,” Wons said.

“Conquer Yourself” will be published in mid-May and available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.

Annual “Black Women Rock Brunch” empowers leaders

By Trinity Zapotocky trinity.zapotocky@marquette.edu

Food, juice and conversation filled the Alumni Memorial Union for the annual Black Women Rock Brunch hosted by the Center of Engagement and Inclusion last Sunday. The brunch was designated to celebrate and empower Black women in business.

Some women were able to highlight their businesses and their accomplishments to the brunch attendees.

Ramona Hallman, the founder of Ramonavation, traveled in from Green Bay to attend. Hallman coaches executives, entrepreneurs and experts on how to take their businesses and organizations to the next level.

“This event was so inspiring and empowering to be in a room full of women of color that are business owners and that are doing great things in their lives, so it is a great connection and I love the vibe, the feel and the love,” Hallman said.

Hallman said her mission is to love everyone, and show that one can show up uniquely as themselves.

“In my life, I have been a part of corporate America and so many times as a Black woman and as a woman of color, we have to almost be tight cast. I have to be this way at work, this way at home, this way here and there,” Hallman said.

Hallman said her purpose and passion are to bring everyone back to their center self.

business that sells clothing, jewelry and other accessories.

In her speech, Stowers played the song “I am Woman” by Emmy Meli and she said reciting this song speaks volumes about what it means to be a woman.

peace. The women come in and sit and have wine. It is a place for women to not think about work, kids or anything else,” Stowers said.

Throughout the years of having a business, Stowers said there are many things to be learned, including being committed to your vision and the long haul.

Stowers said to take care of your business first, and her seven tips of advice are commitment, consistency, connection, community, discernment, distraction and creativity.

While her business began as a side job, Stowers said it morphed into something more as it continued to expand into where it is today, where she has her own space for her business.

Jazzy Rae Jewels is a

Associate Director of Student Support Services in the Educational Opportunity Program, JohnRae’ Stowers, owner of Jazzy Rae Jewels, was the keynote speaker for the brunch.

“The women refer to [the JazzyRae Jewels store] as the women sanctuary, it’s a place of

“You have to have a positive community, and within the community your name is being said when you’re not there and it is being said in a positive way, that it is ringing bells and not setting off sirens,” Stowers said.

“Having a business you may have some of the worst days of your life, you may feel overwhelmed, but you have to remember to keep pushing, keep pressing, keep doing the things … because you are passionate about it. As you create your businesses and as you grow your businesses, make sure you stay committed to your why,” Stowers said.

Alec Wons graduated from MU last spring and is set to release his first book.

JohnRae’ Stowers (right) owner of Jazzy Rae Jewels was the keynote speaker at Sunday’s event. Business advice was shared between the attendees.

Photo courtesy of Alec Wons

Photo by Katie Craig katharine.craig@marquette.edu

Marquette graduate wrote his first book “Conquer Yourself”

Professionals dine while sharing career advice, milestones

MUR RADIO SHOW FEATURE

Tune in to Tetris Sounds with Shannyn

Donohue Tuesdays from 11 to 12p.m. She plays the music she loves while playing tetris. Find her on Instagram @tetrissounds

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

2. Your international I.D.

4. St. _______ Day is March 17

5. The Big East men’s basketball tournament is in…….

7. A Vacation at home

10. This state with a panhandle is a popular Spring break destination

11. Cabo ____ Lucas

12. Spring Break takes place during this month

DOWN

1. A desert vacation destination in California

3. NCAA basketball tournament is commonly referred to as March ______

6. General ______ Mitchell International Airport

8. Brewers Spring Training takes place in this state

9. Not O’Hare but….

LAST WEEK

ACROSS

2. Lemonades

3. Green

4. Thin Mints

7. Samoas

8. Badge

9. Tagalongs DOWN

1. Adventurefuls

5. Do si dos

6. Prepared

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

& eNTeRTaINmeNT

Sondheim and Me: MU Alum bonds with composer

Salsini’s memoir about relationship with songwriter

By Erin Howard erin.howard@marquette.edu

When he wasn’t in the classroom teaching journalism courses to Marquette University students, Paul Salsini was exchanging messages with Stephen Sondheim, a Tony award-winning musical composer.

Paul Salsini, a 1958 Marquette alum and former adjunct instructor in Marquette’s journalism and media studies, published a personal memoir titled “Sondheim and Me: Revealing a Musical Genius.”

In the memoir, Salsini detailed the personal relationship that he developed with Stephen Sondheim over the course of ten years.

Stephen Sondheim was an American lyricist and composer who is credited with composing the music for several Broadway productions such as “West Side Story,” “Into the Woods” and “Gypsy.”

Salsini said the two com-

municated with each other for a decade before Sondheim’s death in November 2021. It was after Sondheim’s death that Salsini became inspired to write the memoir and include the dozens of notes he received from Sondheim within it.

Before writing the memoir, in 1994, Salsini co-founded and became the editor of a quarterly magazine, The Sondheim Review, that was centered around Stephen Sondheim.

“I was always enamored of Stephen Sondheim’s works, so I decided to found a magazine that would be devoted to his works,” Salsini said. “It would not be a fan magazine, but instead a journalistic magazine with news, reports, interviews and essays.”

Shortly after the magazine came out, Salsini said he realized that Sondheim himself was one of his magazine readers.

“Sondheim and I started to develop a relationship during that time, over the phone and through notes back and forth,” Salsini said. “It became clear that he apparently would read the magazine cover-to-cover and send me notes commenting on it.”

Realizing that he could pro-

vide a deeper insight to the public about who Sondheim was as a person, Salsini said he started incorporating the feedback he received from Sondheim into the memoir.

“I had all of this material, so when Sondheim died, I thought that people would be interested in reading all of his notes about how he viewed our magazine, and even just learning more about how he worked and his thought processes,” Salsini said.

In October 2022, “Sondheim and Me: Revealing a Musical Genius” was released to the public.

Tim Cigelske, a Marquette graduate and adjunct instructor in the College of Communication, was introduced to Salsini during his college years when Salsini was working as one of Marquette’s writing coaches.

Cigelske said that Salsini’s unwavering dedication to crafting a story out of his decade-long communication period with Sondheim does not come as a surprise.

“Paul showed me how to look for the ‘relevant detail’ that other people may miss when writing a story,” Cigelske said. “He also taught me

how to be observant of everything and how to always write with purpose.”

Lawrence Baldassaro, professor emeritus of Italian at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and friend of Salsini, said that it’s also important to keep in mind that Salsini’s professional career is not the only admirable thing about him.

“Paul has pretty much excelled at everything he’s tried, yet he’s remarkably humble and unassuming,” Baldassaro said. “I would say Paul is as

good of a friend as anyone could hope to have.”

While Salsini said he is currently focusing his personal career on writing fiction novels, he still has advice for any journalist looking to improve their work and storytelling.

“Read and do your research,” Salsini said. “It’s very important to go into a story with background information and knowledge about the subject you will be writing about. Just do a tremendous amount of research for any story you write.”

Photos courtesy of Stephen Kitsakos

A former Marquette student and professor, Paul Salsini, created “The Sondheim Review” to promote Stephen Sonheim’s work and included essays, interviews and news.

Photos courtesy of Paul Salsini

REVIEW: ‘Cocaine Bear’ storms onto silver screen

Banks’ latest film features Ray Liotta’s final performance

By George Kane george.kane@marquette.edu

A bear … did cocaine.

This was the amazingly succinct tagline of the new fi lm directed by Elizabeth Banks, “Cocaine Bear.”

Exaggerated from a true story where an actual bear consumed close to 40 plastic containers of cocaine, “Cocaine Bear” postulates what may have happened in the few hours following this coke binge.

In its one-hour 35-minute runtime, “Cocaine Bear” offers a story told from the perspective of characters that seemingly cannot triumph against an insurmountable opponent. The carnage that ensued following this radical coke consumption could be compared to that of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 fi lm, “Jaws.” But, in this case, the predator was on drugs.

The movie begins with a drug dealer tossing cocaine

out of an airplane, making some sort of supply drop. After this dealer throws around 10 coke bags out of the airplane, he jumps out, bangs his head and falls to an untimely death.

Following this, by pure coincidence, a bear comes across the bags. And … the bear did cocaine.

One of my favorite parts about this movie was the dialogue. With expertly delivered lines like, “The bear … it loves cocaine,” and “Put the gun down and step away from the teenager,” “Cocaine Bear” writer Jimmy Warden was certainly committed to blending comedic action and spoken word into his script.

In one of Ray Liotta’s finals performances, he played “Syd,” a pessimistic drug dealer who sought to kill the bear. In his career, something that Liotta always did well was play a good scumbag. Whether it be through “Goodfellas” or “The Many Saints of Newark,” Liotta knew how to play a bad guy. His character was a terrible father, a scourge to society and a bearhater. And, eventually, he got what he deserved as one of

cocaine bear’s many victims.

The performance I enjoyed the most came from actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played an unwitting police offi cer that lawfully pursued Liotta’s character. His character, Bob, provided consistent comedic relief through off-putting dog-related questions and incompetence in regards to law enforcement. Bob was a simple man, and his dialogue was ingeniously funny because it played into exactly that.

The movie made me laugh out loud multiple times. “Cocaine Bear” seemed to suggest that a bear did cocaine then decided to go on a murdering spree, just because. It was an apex predator, like Yogi Bear, but instead of stealing pica-nic baskets, it was railing coke and killing campers.

While this movie was nothing close to realistic, I think “Cocaine Bear” could have benefi ted from being even more outlandish. A big theme was that the bear couldn’t be stopped, so I say, why not make the scale bigger? I would have liked to see the bear take over the White House. I think it would be cool to see cocaine bear trample Marquette

campus in a coke-fi lled rage.

Although, through these gripes, I appreciate this movie for what it did.

“Cocaine Bear” almost made more money in its opening week than “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” a fi lm produced by one of the biggest companies and movie franchises in the world. I like to see The Mouse go down every once in a while, and “Cocaine Bear” did just that.

It’s impressive that “Cocaine Bear” did these numbers, it shows that people want to see original ideas play

out on the big screen. “Cocaine Bear” exemplifi ed that movie-goers do not want to solely see the same recycled action movie every time they go to theaters.

I believe “Cocaine Bear” was successful because it was simple, funny, bloody and coke-fi lled. If people wanted to turn their brains off and have a good laugh, they could watch this movie. I think, going into this fi lm, many knew that they weren’t going to have their minds blown. A bear … did cocaine, and that’s what this movie gave us.

Latino Dance Club: New addition to campus life

Organization created to appreciate and share Latin culture

By Hannah Hernandez hannah.hernandez@marquette.edu

Estefany Ubca Villa, a firstyear in the College of Health Sciences and president of the Latino Dance Club, has been dancing since she was five years old. When she came to Marquette from Venezuela, she wanted to continue her passion.

“I was in the gym dancing and then someone just turned their eyes on and said ‘oh my god, you have to create a club, your dance is so magical, you have to do something.’ I was like, ‘Can I do that?,’” Ubca Villa said.

Ubca Villa gathered all of the information needed and then created the Latino Dance Club in this semester.

“My purpose is not just like dancing. For me personally, I use dance for my mental health. It helps me with my anxiety, helps me to express my feelings and my emotions. I want

to express that you don’t need any experience to be in the club,” Ubca Villa said. “It’s just a club to pull all the communities together and help with mental health.”

The club meets every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Straz Yoga Room. Each week Ubca Villa, or anyone else who volunteers, teaches the dance to the participants. They have previously learned bachata, salsa and cumbia. To begin the meetings, they do activities, like karaoke, to relax and bring people together.

Bachata originated in the Dominican Republic and is danced from side to side. Salsa was developed from Latin dances and is known for its expressive sensual dance moves. Cumbia originated in Colombia and it began as a folk dance that blended the culture of native Colombians and the enslaved Africans.

Natalia Zuniga, first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, joined the club when Ubca Villa told her that she wanted to create a Latino Dance club as a way to bring

different Hispanic and Latino cultures together.

“I love that in our club we get to meet so many new people and see the more fun and relaxed sides of everybody compared to when we all are always hurrying to get to class and busy studying. It’s also nice learning each person’s different culture and their dance style,” Zuniga said in an email.

Although Zuniga has no dance experience, she said it is exciting and to learn new dance moves and exercises.

“With the club and our events I know it’s my form of self-care and getting my mind away from school to de-stress because we all get a chance to hang out, sometimes play games and win prizes, and of course dance!

With that, I hope other members who have joined or people who are interested in joining get a chance to stop by and also get to relax, exercise and have fun,” Zuniga said in an email.

Jazmin Muro, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, joined the club because it she enjoys dancing and wanted

to use the time as a break from school and studying.

“After coming to our events, I hope that people can leave feeling less stressed, content and aware of the different kinds of Latin dances there are. Our goal is for people to have a good time and for them to feel comfortable regardless of their dancing skills. We hope that new friendships and memories will be made within this dance club,” Muro said.

Muro said what she enjoys about dancing is learning new

steps and techniques about dances that she didn’t know about.

“What I like most about the club is that there are different cultures, backgrounds, and dancing levels that come together to have some fun by dancing,” Muro said.

Ubca Villa said that although there are different dance clubs on campus, she is not here for competition but for the community.

“I hope they feel good in the club. I hope they feel comfortable,” Ubca Villa said.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake

The new MU club has already learned bachata, salsa and cumbia.

Illustration by Serena Pace

ediTOriaL bOard

STAFF EDITORIAL

Holding MUSG executives accountable

With the newly announced Marquette University Student Government President and Executive Vice President Abbie Moravec and Tommy Treacy, it is important that we as students hold them accountable to their platform and to communicate their accomplishments with the greater Marquette community.

They’ve been elected to this position by the students and should be expected to carry out their campaign.

In their campaign platform, Moravec and Treacy emphasized their commitment to social justice, health and wellness and sustainability. They expressed their desire to promote mental health resources, aid in sexual health and

especially to provide greater access to menstrual products on campus.

During the MUSG debate Treacy said that he and Moravec planned to promote diversity in their hiring process and ensure that their committees are fully funded. Moravec said, “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.”

These are all great ideas, however, to guarantee that they are implemented it is up to students to hold Moravec and Treacy accountable.

If the two are to be held accountable for their promises it is necessary that greater transparency is cultivated between the MUSG executives and Marquette students. In the past, it has been hard for students to get a good grasp of what MUSG has been doing. Moravec and Treacy should make it a priority to communicate with the community. This could be in the form of social media, newsletters or any other medium that could inform the community and provide updates about what is

really being done.

We, the Marquette Wire, also have a responsibility to hold MUSG accountable. As journalists, it is our job to update and inform our community on the issues that affect it.

The MUSG president and executive vice presidential ticket are meant to serve the Marquette undergraduate community. They are expressly supposed to benefi t the students.

According to MUSG this includes, “fostering an organizational environment that aligns with the MUSG mission and values, innovating internal and external processes, leading multiple teams and committees and

building those within MUSG to become future leaders.”

Actively communicating with students is vital in order to understand what needs to be done. The MUSG president and executive vice president are some of the only students who have the direct ear of Provost Kimo Ah Yun and President Lovell. Because of this, it is extremely important that they advocate for students who don’t hold the same power.

In order to promote Moravec and Treacy’s goal of Marquette being a “safe, welcoming and comfortable home for current and incoming students,” communication and transparency must be prioritized.

Fearfulness as a Result of Mass Shootings

close to the doors, but close enough to where we could make a run for it if we needed to.

If you asked my friend Kennedy what she was afraid of, she would give you the standard answers you would expect: spiders, heights and really anything that crawls.

Kennedy is also afraid of movie theaters.

A shooting just over a thousand miles away from Kennedy’s home in Indiana has left a mark on her life that she carries with her every day.

The 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado at a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” is one that this generation remembers well. It was one of the fi rst instances in which we as a collective nation realized that mass shootings can truly happen anywhere.

I have only been able to convince Kennedy to go to the movies with me once, back in 2019 for “It: Chapter Two.”

Before we even stepped foot into the theater, she chose our seats ahead of time: not too

When we got to our seats, I took notice of her uneasy demeanor and shifting eyes. She practically froze every time the doors opened, keeping a careful watch of the steady stream of patrons that would be joining us.

We have entered an age where we need to be as prepared as possible in the event of a mass shooting. Gone are the days when we had the luxury of slim-to-none chances that this could happen to us, our families or our friends. No longer should we expect to be safe in our shopping malls, our grocery stores, our local parades.

As long as there are guns on our streets and inconsistencies in our gun laws, we will never be completely safe in our communities.

For as long as I can remember, the phrase “If you see something, say something” has been plastered to nearly every airport terminal, bus

advertisement and train platform that I have come across.

The phrase has instilled in me the idea of situational awareness and to constantly be on the lookout for any sign of danger or threat to my personal safety.

The steady uptick of mass shootings in my lifetime has done nothing to ease the nervous pit in my stomach in a crowded room or open area.

The toll that mass shootings have taken on mental health cannot be overstated. A study by Evolv Technology found that 44.9% of Americans report being anxious about gun violence in America and 31.3% list “large gatherings” as the top answer for where they have increased anxiety as a result of gun violence.

Being a Chicago native, Lollapalooza has always been considered a staple of my summer activities, but after 2017, I started having doubts.

The Las Vegas music festival shooting is considered the deadliest of its kind, leaving 58 dead and hundreds more injured. The devastation was

made even more profound by the news that the shooter had booked two rooms overlooking Grant Park at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, two months before the shooting in Las Vegas.

This past summer was the fi rst time I had attended Lollapalooza since 2018. Kennedy and I were going together, along with a few other mutual friends.

We sat in my bedroom the night before and formulated a plan for the entire day, including meeting points in case we got separated. With more expected attendees this year than in previous years, I was on edge. On top of worries about COVID-19, I tried to rationalize the idea of something happening; that if a shooter were planning anything, it would be on the last day of the festival.

From high noon to sunset, I made a routine of scanning the tall buildings that served as the background for the various stages, making note of any open windows or suspicious objects in the distance.

Living through countless mass shootings has taught me to prepare for and expect the worst in the worst possible way. It has made me more aware of my surroundings, but also exponentially more anxious in public settings.

No one should ever have to miss out on experiences or opportunities for fear of being caught in the midst of a mass shooting, like nearly one in three adults in the United States. This constant worry and persistent exposure to traumatizing events have also been linked to declines in mental and physical health, according to the American Psychological Association.

The longer mass shootings continue to go unchecked, the more frequent they will become. Stricter gun laws and a more thorough process as to how such high-powered weapons can be acquired would not only save lives but also protect the mental health of this generation and future.

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

Student loan forgiveness is neccessary

The United States has changed a lot in 40 years. Globalization has led to a new era, where people are more easily informed and able to access the information they need. It has also led to a decrease in American jobs, an increase in illnesses traveling from country to country and a need for stronger social programs in order to promote growth. However, the United States higher-learning system has not adapted to the wants and needs of the American people.

Currently, the Supreme Court is deliberating as to if Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is constitutional. I believe that not only is the bill constitutional, but necessary in order to ensure that college remains accessible to those who want to attend.

The bill gives the Secretary of Education the power

to waive or modify student loans in order to make sure that debtors are not worse off due to a national emergency. As the United States is still recovering from a pandemic-induced recession, the bill would seek to help lower the current $1.6 trillion dollars in student debt that currently exists.

I believe that as a past presidential administration was responsible for the now insurmountable cost of university education, and subsequently the amount of debt related to university costs, a new administration should be able to counteract the damage done.

Although for most people in the United States today, the exorbitant cost of college does not come as a shock, it has only been an accepted reality since the 80s, when Reagan’s economic plans for the United States began to take form.

Currently, out-of-state tuition in the United States averages around $27,279, a cost that is supremely high in

comparison to other developed countries. Additionally, these costs continue to rise when looking at private institutions like Marquette University. With an average tuition cost of $47,690, and tuition spikes constantly increasing the already high cost of tuition, Marquette is just one of the many higher learning institutions that has to con- tinue raising costs in order to keep up with the market. Additionally, although 83.8% of students receive some form of fi nancial aid, the national average aid is $11,836, which does not cover even half of the tuition at most higher-learning institutions in the country. The push for less regulation of the free market and the belief that decreasing social spending and implementing tax cuts would inevitably increase economic growth would become synonymous with the Reagan administration, and so would many of the effects of Reaganomics

that continue to persist today.

The London School of Economics conducted a study to estimate the causal effects of major tax cuts on the rich using data from 18 countries spanning more than 50 years.

Not only did this study conclude that implementing tax cuts on the wealthiest residents of a country increased income inequality, but it also provided data that corroborates that there were no correlational benefi ts in employment or GDP. This substantiates the fi nancial realities of America currently, as Reagan’s “trickle-down economics” have only left an obstacle behind for those who are not almost exorbitantly wealthy.

Globalization has made job searches almost impossible for anyone without a college education, as exporting labor and automation become increasingly accessible options for organizations. As such, young people feel forced to attend university in order to be able to become hopeful successful members

in society.

Instead, they are often left with a debt that fi nancially sets them back before they’ve even had the chance to establish themselves in their fi elds of work.

These fi nancial stressors might be increasingly commonplace in the nation, but that doesn’t mean that they should be. The people who carry these debts will undoubtedly continue to be negatively impacted by them, especially as national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic continue to arise, and the ongoing fi nancial situation of the country continues to evolve.

In order for the United States to move into a more prosperous period, legislation that lessens fi nancial inequality and increases access to resources such as education needs to continue and undo the damage made by past administrations.

Our bodies are not fashion trends

36% agreed that they would do “whatever it took” to look good.

One of my fi rst experiences with diet culture was when I stood on the weight scale in my dance studio, proving to my instructor that I was “overweight.” The digitized numbers showed eighty pounds and I remember thinking to myself, “How can my instructor lift me when I am so heavy?” I was eight years old.

This is not an uncommon experience for adolescents as 53% of American girls reported being unhappy with their bodies. In one study,

Now, if you’re rich, you can do so by abusing a medication.

Ozempic is a diabetes drug that has become controversial over its usage within the online environment. While this drug helps to control high blood sugars and also lowers the risk of death for those who have type two diabetes and heart disease, people have been searching for a prescription without having a medical reason, such as type two diabetes or obesity, in order to lose weight.

This interest has caused a shortage of the drug,

limiting access to people who are using this drug for legitimate health concerns.

As “heroin chic” has slowly resurfaced alongside the “y2k” fashion movement, being extremely thin is highly desirable yet again and shows our societal fascination for a quick fi x to being thin. This attitude is highly apparent in celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian who lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fi t into Marilyn Monroe’s dress. A quick fi x such as this led to a lot of speculation that these 16 pounds cost more than a good diet and 21 one-day exercise plans.

Though some celebrities are dubious with their cosmetic procedures or weight loss, Elon Musk fully admitted to using Ozempic along with fasting to lose over thirty pounds.

There’s an apparent reason why many people believe this option for weight loss is only accessible to celebrities: The cost. Ozempic costs $1,200 for a month’s supply without any insurance aid, which is the cost of a quick solution. This has not stood in the way of people attempting to get a prescription, as the drug went viral for its weight loss effect. Abusing the drug and

creating a shortage after realizing that this drug has a weight loss effect is a humiliating testament to what we view as attractive in our culture. We have an overt fascination with being thin that we make the drug inaccessible for those who truly need it, while also creating a class divide of who can afford this drug to become thin quickly versus those who cannot.

Ozempic is not without side effects, either including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea which can lead to dehydration and kidney damage. This drug’s weight loss effect is not permanent, as the weight can be gained back as soon as the person stops taking the medication.

Ozempic’s usefulness is about as fl eeting as our fashion trends, but a much bigger problem exists far beyond this. We shouldn’t be looking at weight as a fashion trend.

The implications surrounding viewing weight as something desirable to achieve in order to fi t into a dress or have a skinny waist is not healthy and that’s demonstrated by numerous concerns regarding body image and mental health.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to

look good and lose weight if it makes you feel better. However, a quick drug to help you lose weight is not healthy, nor sustainable. A balanced diet and a consistent workout plan are.

We need to shift our focus to seeing our weight as a refl ection of our health and only determine if we need to change it due to health concerns. Our bodies are not fashion trends.

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

Clara Lebrón

Laura Niezgoda

Clara Lebrón is a sophomore studying journalism. She can be reached at clara.lebrón@marquette.edu

Illustration by Erin Schneider erin.schneider@marquette.edu

Blee’s leadership brings out team success in draw control

up.”

Blee wasn’t always in the starting lineup though.

By Emma Kroll emma.kroll@marquette.edu

Before the start of every play, senior defender Mary Blee is supported by her teammates as she takes the draw and passes it off to either of the two waiting around the circle.

“I will 100% start every game with my righty pull,” Blee said. “Our entire draw team is connected the entire game no matter who’s in no matter who’s out.”

As the starting draw specialist for the team, Blee has taken on a leadership role in the unit.

Something of which senior defender Ellie Henry said has translated into Marquette’s success this season.

“Blee holds everyone around her to that standard of excellence,” Henry said. “Our draw team is number one in the country and that’s by no accident. Just the hard work she puts in, on and off the field, both studying and just the work of doing the job and continually getting

Coming into her first year, Blee was considered a defender, but once the coaching staff found out about her previous experience with the draw team, they started to build her skill set.

“I’ve been taking draws ever since I was in high school,” Blee said. “They automatically started considering me for it. I learned a lot from Emily Cooper, who was the draw specialist before me, and so my sophomore year I spent just learning from her and trying to fit into the draw team.”

Assistant head coach Caitlin Wolf said that growing her in that aspect has been a goal since she arrived at Marquette.

“She came in as a defender with a draw specialist, so throughout her four years, we’ve kind of pulled her from the defensive side and have solely focused on her draw skill and made that her main focus,” Wolf said. “That really benefited her and benefited our team.”

Marquette is ranked first in draw controls per game amongst Division I schools through its

first four games.

Blee said it is something that she hopes to continue throughout her senior season.

“To continue finding success as a team and as a unit on the field,” Blee said. “Right now, our draw team is number one in the country, but I would love to stay at least top five.”

There’s no lack of pride in that nationally-ranked draw team either.

“There’s a joke that everyone wants to be on the draw team,” Wolf said. “Everyone’s always trying out for the draw team, they want to be part of it because of how much pride it has in the group and how much importance it has on the team.”

With the hard work she put in, Blee has become more consistent to the point where Henry described a time every draw landed in the same spot.

“It was SDSU game, I remember going out for several and the ball was consistently going to the same place,” Henry said. “The SDSU girl looks at me, she goes, ‘I have no idea where the ball is gonna go.’ And

I remember looking at her and being like, ‘oh, yeah, okay.’ Are you kidding me? It’s going to the same place every time.”

Last season, Blee recorded 74 draws after only posting seven her sophomore season. Wolf credited the stat to Blee’s extra practice throughout the summer and season.

“Mary put in a lot of time off the field, a lot of individual work with me working on different draws,” Wolf said. “She puts in a lot of work on the offseason

at home. On her own time, she studies the draw, she’s very passionate about the skill set, and how much of an impact she can make on your team.” Blee has four different draws, but the most skilled is the selfdraw.

“It’s really impressive to be able to get a self-draw and get it so cleanly and Bree has been absolutely killing it in that aspect,” Henry said. “Get this ball cleanly and safely. And then we can push the ball and score. That’s always the goal is how to get the ball off the field as fast as possible to get a goal off.”

The passion Blee has for the draw team is what makes the team stronger and the trust instilled in that unit has spread to the entire team.

“You see people who believe in each other and will have each other’s backs,” Blee said. “We’ve created a culture on our team where it’s a lot more we over me. And that’s how we find success is when we’re all connected and playing together.”

Golden Eagles rank first in the nation in stat category

Blee (19) runs through starting lineup introductions March 5.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Blee holds everyone around her to that standard of excellence...”

Ellie Henry Senior Defender

“

Fencing club hosts inaugural ‘Stabs on Stage’ at Varsity

Practices take place Monday, Wednesday, Friday in Humphrey

By Andrew Hubbuch andrew.hubbuch@marquette.edu

Varsity Theatre is often home to musical performances and movies, but on Sunday morning, the performers wore all white and their instruments were their fencing blades.

The Marquette Fencing Club’s “Stabs on Stage” event brought together Marquette fencers and students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Marquette Fencing Club

president Anthony Om said that it wasn’t hard to welcome in their guests from Whitewater.

“A lot of the clubs I talk to all have very small communities, so it’s nice to be able to foster that one big community,” Om said.

The tournament consisted of a series of scrimmages in an elimination bracket format. All participants filled a variety of roles when they weren’t competing in their bouts. They all took turns filling the role of judge, who kept track of the score and the timing in each individual contest. After group play ended and the tournament bracket began, other fencers acted as line coaches, who helped

give strategic tips and encouraged the competitors.

The Marquette Fencing Club participates in local tournaments and practices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The team recently made a transition changing from classical fencing to electrical fencing. Classical fencing uses a system in which the points are tracked through an honor system. Introducing electrical fencing allows for a more precise scoring system.

The club now hopes to join the Midwest Fencing Conference and Ibanez-Baldor believes that it’s just a matter of time until the club joins the conference.

“The biggest thing is just people. I know recruitment hasn’t always been the best, just the more recruitment we can get is really what we need to get us to the next level, or practice space too,” Ibanez-Baldor said.

Om said spaces for practices and tournaments are a primary concern for the club. Marquette’s fencers currently practice in Humphrey Hall after the closure

of the Helfaer Tennis and Recreation Center at the end of 2022. Ibanez-Baldor hopes for a larger space when the new Rec Center is completed in late-2024.

“Almost no one knows where to find us. So usually when people are like ‘we wanna join,’ they don’t even know where to find us,” Ibanez-Baldor said.

Along with new facilities, the club hopes for more funding as they grow. Club member Eric Nassos, a senior in the College of Business Administration, thinks that money is the main way to help grow the club.

“We don’t have a lot of access to coaching, but in order to entice a coach, we have to arrive. We don’t have a lot money to raise funds for travel, to getting into the conference, there’s a fee to be a part of it. Marquette’s been great at giving us refunds, but we haven’t received any outright investment, we have to raise the money and hope that we get it back later,” Nassos said.

The tournament’s final was between Nassos and Brady Joyce, a

first-year from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Nassos took the win, but right afterward, Joyce approached his opponent and asked what he could do next time to be better.

“That’s how it is with just niche sports in general, but the fencing community especially. Everyone’s in a different place in where they are in fencing, so they might as well give some advice and give some pointers. Better competition means you get better,” Nassos said.

Many of the fencing club members don’t have any experience competing in the sport before college, Om said.

However, that lack of experience doesn’t stop them from showing up for more.

“I just like the community we have, it’s like a small group, but I feel like I really mesh with everyone. We have this aspect of coming together. I think it’s just the people we have, I just love being with these guys all the time,” Om said.

Golf team joins Journey 21 to create unique experience

Waukesha County and surrounding communities.

By Trevor Hilson trevor.hilson@marquette.edu

Matt Frisinger and his friends may not be on the official Marquette golf roster, but they are squad members nonetheless.

It started with a call between Frisingers’ mom, Sheila, and Marquette head coach Steve Bailey, inquiring about creating an environment where Matt and his friends could golf with their peers with no competitive edge attached.

“I called Steve and said, ‘I would love to be able to start something where we could have this peer mentoring. It would give our young adults an opportunity for social engagement and allow them to do what they love: play golf. Steve thought about it for literally a minute and wanted to get involved,’” Sheila said.

The Frisinger family is one of the founding members of Journey 21, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organization that provides safe, supportive and enriching living and learning options for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in

Journey 21’s goal is to provide a community for people with IDDs after the high school transitional programs are used to their full extent. Upon completion, the community will house 44 people and offer job opportunities in Oconomowoc, WI.

“They share a passion for the game and there is no great outlet for adults with disabilities to go out and compete. So we wanted to partner with the Frisinger family,” Bailey said.

The team has met with Journey 21 on several occasions.

The Golden Eagles first brought program members out to Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin to play a practice round with the team before their tournament the weekend of Sept. 3.

Sheila said that the event had a significant impact on the program.

“The team could have used that time to work on their game, but they decided to include us in that practice round. It was a wonderful opportunity for the participants, including my son Matt. One of them said that it was a chance of a lifetime for them,” Sheila said.

Matt said he had a ton of fun playing with the college players.

“I liked riding in the golf cart

and playing with the guys on the team,” Matt said. “They helped coach me and helped with my game.”

Then, the team invited the group to the University Club of Milwaukee, the team’s practice course, for a nine-hole round on a short game course. Journey 21 members also got to cheer the team on at their intercollegiate tournament at the Milwaukee Country Club Oct. 2-3.

Sophomore Max Lyons said that Journey 21’s support has benefited the team in multiple ways.

“It was cool seeing those guys at our home event at Milwaukee Country Club. It has allowed us to take our minds off the tournament and reflect on the bigger picture and what matters,” Lyons said.

Bailey said working with Journey 21 has impacted his team and those they’re working with through the lessons they are taught.

“Some of the people that are coming out playing with us, it doesn’t matter if they have a four or a ten on the hole; they’re happy to be out there,” Bailey said. “It gives our guys a great perspective for their games to see the joy regardless of the score on the card.”

Lyons said that he has wid-

ened his perspective on the bigger picture.

“We FaceTime them at tournaments and text back and forth before and after rounds. All of us know that we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves. It’s not ultimately about golf; it’s about sharing relationships with them and seeing how we can pour and invest in them. Our whole team culture has shifted to cater to those guys and do what we can to make them feel like part of the team,” Lyons said.

Matt, who works at the Naga Waukee Golf Course in the summer, said his favorite part about working with the team is being able to fire the team up.

“I tell them to play hard, stay focused and have fun,” Matt said. The benefits that her son Matt has been able to receive from this partnership is more than Frisinger could have imagined.

“The relationships he has built with the team are the most meaningful part of this experience.

Golf is just an additional benefit to what we have with Marquette,” Frisinger said. “Matt talks about his Marquette golf friends every day. Opportunities like this disappear after high school, and it is great to have this continuation of inclusion and building relationships with his peers, who are now his mentors.”

MEN’S GOLF

Photo courtesy of Sheila Frisinger Matt (third from right) poses with the Marquette men’s golf team.

Photo by Katie Craig katharine.craig@marquette.edu

SHORT: Duffy’s crew shifts focus to March Madness

Continued from page 16

intensity turned up,” Duffy said. “Their tenacity, their fight, they’re slapping the ground, trying to get our little crowd involved. That energy fed off one another and that’s been our staple all year. It’s really good to see it when it matters the most.”

Senior forward Chloe Marotta netted 14 of her 18 points in the second half alone, while pulling down a total of 14 boards on the day. This marked her ninth double-double of the season and the 15th of her career.

“I knew it was going to take a lot of rebounding ability,” Marotta said. “Coach talked about it, we were only up by two in the first half on the boards. ... For Liza and I to do that in the second half was really important.”

Duffy spoke on how much Marotta has grown throughout her

five years in the program.

“One of the most improved players in the country,” Duffy said. “Chloe was always that bulldozer. Now, she’s settled into a go to player role, which has been really cool to watch her grow and take advantage of every opportunity she has here especially in March.”

As a team on the NCAA Tournament bubble, Saturday’s 57-47 win over St. John’s helped Marquette’s NCAA Tournament picture.

Prior to Saturday, ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme had the Golden Eagles in the “Last Four In” portion of the bracket, but the win over St. John’s moved them up to the “Final Four Byes.”

Marquette is currently projected as a No. 10 seed facing No. 7 Florida State in Salt Lake City in the First Round.

Sunday’s matchup was a

rematch of last year’s Big East semifinals with No. 1 seed UConn.

Marquette was unable to replicate its performance against UConn back on Feb. 8 when it picked up its first win against the Huskies in program history.

Foul trouble and offensive inconsistency were too big to overcome for the Golden Eagles as the Huskies single-handedly took this one 81-52.

UConn’s offense found its spark immediately as it went on a 7-0 run that put Marquette down 9-2 and forced Duffy to call a timeout.

In the second quarter, Marquette went on an 8-0 run of its own to cut its deficit to five points, but UConn put its foot on the gas and didn’t look back.

“We made a nice little run in the second quarter, and I thought the momentum was turning a little bit, but that’s what we’re seeing now,” Duffy said. “Their (UConn’s) depth in 10 available people is very different than it was a month ago.”

The second half was more of the same as the Huskies outscored the Golden Eagles 24-14 in the third quarter. They led by as much as 33 in the fourth quarter when sophomore guard Azzi Fudd made a jumper.

UConn’s defense also proved to be an issue for Marquette as it forced 17 Golden Eagle turnovers on the afternoon.

“Give UConn a lot of credit (with) their big bodies, their physicality,” Duffy said. “Some of our cuts and movement, we just couldn’t do anything. Forced us to take some difficult shots and we got rattled.”

Every UConn starter scored in double figures, while King and Marotta were held to just seven points on 3-for-24 shooting.

Karlen was a bright spot in Marquette’s offense, scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The St. Paul, Minnesota native averaged 17 points in two tournament games.

“She (Karlen) got off to a great

start just playing some great basketball,” Duffy said. “She had a heck of an injury this year. Now, she’s getting her legs under her, steady with her shooting. Just really happy for that kid to find some positive basketball here late in the season.”

The Golden Eagles now look ahead to Mar. 12 as they hope to hear their name called during the NCAA Selection Show. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN.

“We’ve had a really good season,” Duffy said. “This is the best this league has been in a lot of years. We’re trying to get more recognition and attention to be in that NCAA tournament. I hope the body of work outside tonight’s game will be recognized.”

NIXON: “You can just feel her energy and it spreads...”

Continued from page 16

football for our junior football program,” Nevin said. “She walked right up to me and said ‘Hi, I’m Brynna Nixon and I’m going to play for you when I get to Fife.’ I’ll never forget that.”

Then during her junior year, Nixon made history.

In a playoff game, Nixon became the first woman to throw a touchdown pass in Washington state history, with a 25-yard pass that landed in the breadbasket of the receiver’s hands.

“I’m still wrapping my head around it even though it happened four years ago,” Nixon said. “Part of me feels like a trailblazer, but at the same time, I also did the same thing that every other guy has done.”

Nixon earned the starting spot her final season, leading the Trojans to a 4-2 record.

“She ran our offense better than any of the other guys, she been in it so long and done it so well, she was so meticulous and she’s such a competitor,” Nevin said. “Her senior year we had a younger

quarterback and so it was a competition and she won.”

Despite that success, it wasn’t all positives for the senior signal caller.

“Once they said I couldn’t do it, I was like yeah, I’m not quitting (and) I’m proving you wrong,” Nixon said.

Sophomore midfielder Lorelai VanGuilder knows what it was like to play a sport with guys as she played hockey at Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minnesota.

“Being a woman in sports is hard enough as it is and playing with guys is tough mentally and physically,” VanGuilder said. “She took it like a boss because she is one, she’s awesome.”

over into her college career.

“She lives with integrity, and she does what she says she’s going to do,” Rizzo said. “She’s definitely taken on that ‘I’ll prove you wrong’ type of attitude and make a lot of changes in a positive direction.”

Rizzo said that this behavior has started to spread to the rest of the team.

“You can just feel her energy and it spreads (to) everybody, from our defense all the way down to the attackers,” Rizzo said. “She is just so contagious

with her love and her energy.”

After proving everybody wrong up to this point, Nixon said she wants to prove a few more people wrong with the Golden Eagles.

“A lot of teams count us out because we have Denver and UConn in our conference, so they take up a lot of the spotlight in the Big East,” Nixon said. “I think we have a great team this year and we can go really far, so it’s proving people wrong in an aspect of counting us out a lot of the times (and) I like doing that.”

“The biggest obstacle I had was I was a girl playing football; Other teams I would play against would take cheap shots at me to try and get me out of the game,” Nixon said. “It was that kind of stuff that made it the hardest because if I was a guy this wouldn’t be happening.”

While going through those challenges, Nixon fell back on one aspect she has carried her all this way.

While playing for the Trojans football team in the fall, Nixon would also play lacrosse in the spring starting in fourth grade.

Once she reached high school, Nixon led Fife to three league titles across her four years (2018, 2019, 2021). After finishing as the all-time career save percentage leader, Nixon came to Marquette heading into the 20212022 school year.

Assistant coach Jill Rizzo said she has seen that same attitude Nixon had in high school carry

King (23) goes up for a layup in Saturday’s quarterfinals win vs St. John’s.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Once they said I couldn’t do it, I was like ‘I’m not quiting..”

Brynna Nixon Sophomore Goalkeeper

“

Photos courtesy of Brynna Nixon

Continued from page 16

All-Big East First Team (unanimous selection) while both Oso Ighodaro and Kam Jones were tabbed All-Big East Second Team. David Joplin earned the Big East Sixth Man Award.

Head coach Shaka Smart and Kolek are expected to win Big East coach and player of the year honors respectively as well but that won’t be announced until Wednesday.

But again something is still missing in this: a win in March.

Even though the Golden Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament this week at Madison Square Garden, they aren’t the favorites to earn the conference’s automatic bid for the big dance. DraftKings Sportsbook currently lists UConn as the favorites at +190 with Marquette and Creighton tied for second at +320.

Don’t get me wrong, Marquette is talented and has exceeded expectations all season, but the team isn’t talented enough to win the Big East Tournament.

At least not this year. And here’s why.

Assuming Marquette takes care of business on Thursday in the quarterfinals against either

St. John’s or Butler and UConn takes care of its own business against Providence, the Golden Eagles will match up with the Huskies in Friday’s semifinals.

That’s a matchup that is not favorable whatsoever for Marquette on paper.

All you need to know is how the Feb. 7 game between both teams went.

UConn looked like the team that began the season 14-0 in the first half that night — especially on the glass, finishing with a 4019 rebounding edge.

But if Providence takes down UConn Thursday, I could see Marquette playing under the lights in the World’s Most Famous Arena come Saturday night.

Regardless of what happens at Madison Square Garden, the Golden Eagles will make their second March Madness appearance under Smart.

Currently, Marquette is listed as a No. 3 seed in ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s March 5 bracket projection. That would be the highest NCAA seed for the Golden Eagles since the 2012-13 season.

If you asked me at the end of January, I would have said the

ceiling for the Golden Eagles would have been borderline

Final Four, a projection solely based on how their offense was humming and how they were playing at that point of the season.

But a month later, it is Sweet 16 or Elite 8. Why the change?

First, Marquette has seen a decline in offense efficiency since the start of February as it has dropped to the No. 4 ranked offense on KenPom.com after sitting at No. 1 for weeks.

Secondly, since Feb. 1, Marquette ranks 38th overall in the country, 33rd in offense and 68th in defense according to T-Rank.

And then there is the inevitable Achilles heel that Marquette brings with itself: lack of size and height. For example, if Marquette has to play teams like Arizona, Kansas or Kentucky that have elite forwards, it won’t stand a chance.

But what do I know? Maybe Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles will “Shaka the world” like Smart did in 2011 at VCU bringing the Rams to the Final Four. Time and matchups only will tell.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MUBB Nuggets

Smart’s squad heads to Big Apple as No. 1 seed in league tourney

By John Leuzzi john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

A historic and surprising regular season is in the book for Marquette men’s basketball.

With its nail-bitting 96-94 win over St. John’s Saturday, Marquette joined the 201112 Syracuse Orange as the lone two teams in the history of the Big East conference to win 17 league games in a singular season.

Where is Marquette ranked in AP poll this week?

The Golden Eagles remained at No. 6 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

Four members earn postseason awards

Tyler Kolek, Oso Ighodaro and Kam Jones were all named to All-Big East teams Sunday afternoon.

Kolek, an unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team, ranks amongst confer-

ence leaders in five categories and tops the conference in assists per game (7.9).

Ighodaro and Jones were named to the All-Big East Second Team. Ighodaro ranks third in the league in field goal percentage (.656) while joins is second in 3-pointers per game (2.8).

Sophomore forward David Joplin was named Sixth Man of the Year Monday. He is the third Marquette player to claim the award. Davante Gardner and Andrew Rowsey previously won the award.

Next stop: MSG

For the first time since joining the Big East in 2005-06, Marquette has earned the top seed in the Big East Tournament. The Golden Eagles are 12-16 all-time in the Big East Tournament.

Marquette will play at 11 a.m. CST on Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York against the winner of the No. 8 St. John’sNo. 9 Butler matchup.

Success in the classroom leads to poised play on court

Junior earned team’s Most Improved Player award last season

By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu

Playing collegiate tennis was not always on the table for junior Lara Kaiser.

Despite having a successful junior career in Austria, Kaiser did not consider playing in college until her final year of high school when she was competing on a professional circuit.

“I was in Egypt at that time, by myself and I was just like, ‘This is so lonely,’ because it’s tennis, you’re by yourself,” Kaiser said. “I got sick of that. Then my friends started to look into playing college tennis. I wanted to do the same thing and then I started looking.”

Before Marquette, Kaiser was a three-time doubles champion on Austrian courts and ranked as high as No. 1 in Austria at the junior level.

This success as a youngster led her to have offers from multiple colleges in the United States, but she chose Marquette because of Dusan Medan, the

associate head coach of the women’s team.

“Dusan and I actually hit it off pretty quick. He was one of my first calls,” Kaiser said. “I was so nervous because I had to talk to people I didn’t know, language I didn’t really speak. But the thing was, Dusan is also not from here, he’s Serbian. So, we hit it off pretty well.”

Even though Medan was not able to travel to Austria to recruit Kaiser because of COVID-19, he had a positive feeling about her.

“I wasn’t able to make an inperson contact — which I usually do with international recruits — and make a visit to Austria, but obviously used our connections (and) then we heard a lot of good things about Lara,” Medan said. “The first impression was that she was very excited about coming to the US and playing college tennis. And number two was she wanted to get better.”

Medan said he did his due diligence on Kaiser during the recruiting process. But the actual offer came down to how she would fit in at Marquette.

“It was obviously talking to her the most, making sure it’s

the right character (and) right personality to join our program, which 100% she met that expectation,” Medan said. “The deciding factor is definitely the personality and character of the person that you’re trying to bring in, because if that doesn’t fit the program that’s a problem. She was a great pick for us and she met all of our expectations.”

When she arrived on campus, the coaching staff made it a priority to develop her into a more aggressive player through drills that made her go past the baseline and up the court.

“One fall, we had her serving and volleying and returning and coming in (to the net) pretty much nonstop,” director of tennis Steve Rodecap said. “We didn’t care about her results. We didn’t care about anything.

We just wanted her to get more comfortable doing that (going to the net).”

But what didn’t need to be changed was her character. It is what made her not only a Golden Eagle but also a leader.

During the 2022 Big East Tournament, Marquette struggled in its quarterfinal match against Creighton. Everything came down to Kaiser, the lone Marquette player on the court by the end. She was able to get the win for the Golden Eagles, sending them to the semifinals.

At the end of the season, Kaiser was named the Marquette women’s tennis program’s Most Improved Player, an award that is voted on by the players and coaches of the team.

Kaiser said the award gave her reassurance in her abilities coming into this season.

“I just came into the fall season super confidently. That’s also why I got the opportunity to play the bigger tournaments,” Kaiser said. “I got a lot more confident playing up in higher spots in the lineup because I proved my point last year that I deserve to be in the lineup.”

Senior Elizabeth

Ferdman said that Kaiser’s mental strength helped her achieve success.

“She got over so many obstacles that she had to go through. Not even tennis wise, (but) with her mind. A lot of tennis is about just getting over mental blocks,” Ferdman said. “She started clinching matches and that’s an insane amount of pressure. The fact that she could get over it, first of all, and then to actually come out on top too just shows how tremendous her growth mentally (and) physically.”

But she isn’t just securing matches; she is also securing good grades.

Kaiser has been on the Big East All-Academic Team in both of her years at Marquette. Additionally, she most recently was named to the AD Honor Roll for the 2022 Fall Semester. She said her success in the classroom manifests itself in poised play.

“I feel like if I have good grades, my head’s just clear and I can focus on tennis more,” Kaiser said. “Whenever I’m feeling confident with school, I’m confident on the court too.”

sPORTs

Coming up short

THIS WEEK: LEUZZI ON MUBB

This. Is. March. These three simple words have become three famous words tweeted out repeatedly by national college baseball insider Jon Rothstein during the month.

It’s a time that college basketball fans often coin “the best time of the year.”

That is unless you are a Marquette fan.

Marquette enters March as one of the more surprising teams this season but the narrative still remains the same, the Golden Eagles haven’t won anything in the postseason since 2013.

King, Marotta held to 3-for-24 shooting in semifinals loss

By Kaylynn Wright kaylynn.wright@marquette.edu

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Marquette women’s basketball headed to Mohegan Sun Arena looking to hoist its first Big East Tournament title since 2017.

But much like the last two seasons, the Golden Eagles missed out on reaching the title game to test those chances.

Following a 6-2 record in the month of February, which included a win against then-No. 4

UConn, Marquette earned the No. 5 seed and a first-round bye heading into the tournament.

Marquette’s first opponent was No. 4 seed St. John’s in the quarterfinals. Both teams split the regular season series, with the home team each winning on its home court.

But in March, anything can happen.

Both teams exchanged their own runs in the first quarter. St. John’s went first, going on a 6-0 run right out of the gate. At the time, the Golden Eagles were shooting 25% from the floor, while the Johnnies were shooting 50%.

Then, it was Marquette’s turn to dominate offensively.

With 3:47 left to play in the first frame, the Golden Eagles went on a 12-0 run that extended into the second frame. Senior guard Jordan King was responsible for eight points within the run that put Marquette up 16-9.

King finished with 16 points and five assists in all 40 minutes of the contest.

“She’s been our starting point guard since the day she walked on campus,” Marquette head coach Megan Duffy said. “Her greatest strength across the totality of her career has been her steadiness. Yes, she can score, yes, she can

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

play make, but the way she really doesn’t have a bad day. She takes my role sometimes, that’s how good she is.”

Marquette remained in control through the rest of the half as it led 26-24 heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was tight between the two foes, but the fourth quarter was when the game started to break open for the Golden Eagles.

Marquette’s persistent defense made its presence known in the final 10 minutes. It held St. John’s to just six points and 30% shooting in that frame.

Picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason coaches poll, Marquette (25-6, 17-3 Big East) entered the season with the fourth-least experienced power conference team in the country according to KenPom and least experienced in the Big East.

Marquette then took down then-No. 6 Baylor Nov. 29, its highest-ranked win under Smart. Since Jan. 1, the Golden Eagles have gone 14-2, which included three Quad 1 ranked wins.

With its win over Butler Feb. 28, Marquette became the lowest Big East preseason picked team to claim the league’s regular season title in its 44-year history.

Four different players have already received Big East postseason honors.

Tyler Kolek was named

“I thought our defensive See B-BALL page 15

See SHORT page 15

Nixon started athletic career on football field

Washington native became first woman to throw TD pass in state

By Jackson Gross jackson.gross@marquette.edu

Growing up in Bonney Lake, Washington, sophomore goalkeeper Brynna Nixon would spend her Sunday afternoons watching Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks with her family.

Nixon said she admired and looked up to Wilson for the fact that he was proving his

doubters wrong.

“I did look up to him a lot because he was short and so everyone said he couldn’t play in the NFL,” Nixon said. “He took that in stride and said ‘I’m short and I can’t change that, but I’m still going to be a great player.’”

Nixon has now taken that same mentality now as the starting goalkeeper for the Marquette women’s lacrosse team.

But for Nixon, her athletic career began on the football field in the second grade.

“I asked my mom and dad if I could play football because I

saw this flyer for a junior football league,” Nixon said. “They didn’t say no, but it took some convincing for them to let me play because they were scared I was going to get hurt. But, they have been super supportive and were never like ‘You can’t play football because you’re a girl.’”

After starting in the Trojans junior football program in second grade, Nixon eventually made the Fife High School roster, led by head coach Kent Nevin.

“(I met her) when she was in fifth grade, she was playing

Marquette women’s basketball went 1-1 at this year’s Big East women’s basketball tournamnet at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

Nixon (left) meets Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (right).

Photo courtesy of Bryanna Nixon

See NIXON page 14