Marquette Tribune I April 25, 2023

Convocation aftermath

Students continue to feel the impact of demonstration eight months later INVESTIGATIVE, 1A Volume

Breaking and Recording Records

MARQUETTE WIRE SPECIAL REPORT EDITION

Title IX allegations against O’Brien spark debate

Community shares mixed reactions to the news of cases

By Skyler Chun skyler.chun@marquette.edu

A previous Marquette Wire investigative report published March 7 found that multiple Title IX cases dealing with sexual harassment had been filed against Rev. Timothy O’Brien, a Marquette priest, professor and founder of the Les Aspin Center program. The Marquette Title IX office confirmed that two cases are still ongoing today.

“I emphatically deny these allegations,” O’Brien said in an email. “While this matter is pending, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further as I do not wish to influence or impede the efforts of Marquette University in its investigation. Due to ongoing complications from a recent accident, I am currently on medical disability leave consistent with my doctor’s recommendation.”

But while these allegations have been denied by O’Brien, the cases have sparked change and surprise for many Marquette students, staff and faculty, especially those in the Les Aspin program this spring.

Until the morning of March 7, the students in the Washington D.C. program were not aware that O’Brien had been living in the Les Aspin Center.

“No one knew in terms of no one said anything about it to us,”

an anonymous student in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

“We had assumed, but it had never been confirmed. No one ever came out and told us who O’Brien was, that he was living here, that he was on medical leave, anything like that.”

The student wished to be anonymous, as they are in the

Les Aspin program this semester. While they said the class could sometimes hear when people were upstairs or in the living room area of the center – and would occasionally see O’Brien walking his dog – they were not sure who he was or where he was living.

“They never told us that any

of this was happening when we came to D.C., and obviously they couldn’t because of some confidentiality reasons, but it would have been nice to know that he is still living there, because he is still in the building and students still occasionally see him around,” they said.

Christopher Murray, interim

director of the Les Aspin Center, sent an email to the spring cohort, responding to the report.

The statement read:

“I imagine there may be feelings of frustration, anger and sadness among the group. I want you to know that I am available

Marquette professor Todd Hernández dies unexpectedly

Campus community to remember him in vigil this Friday

By Izzy Fonfara Drewel isabella.fonfaradrewel@marquette.edu

Professor Todd Hernández died Sunday due to unexpected complications with a minor routine surgery. He is survived by his wife, Paola, and two daughters, Camila and Sofia.

Hernández joined Marquette in 2004 as a faculty member before becoming a full-time professor in

2019. He was a professor of Spanish and applied linguistics in addition to being the Language Program Coordinator for Spanish courses 1003 to 2003.

Faculty remember Hernández as a generous person with a kind heart.

“I remember when I first came here in 2014 and I was fresh from

grad school when he was here and he was so generous and helped me along the way, very supportive. I only have good things to say about Todd honestly,” Michelle Medeiros, a professor in the Spanish department, said.

In addition to his generosity, Medeiros also said he was dedicated to

Father Michael Zeps has been a part of

group since its inception

the education of not only himself but his daughters and his students. He organized research studies and study abroad opportunities to help the students become more immersed and learn more about Spanish culture.

A vigil will be held to honor Hernández in Lalumiere Language Hall Friday at 4 p.m.

Opinions Diversity in Higher Ed

Rev. Timothy O’Brien, founder of the Les Aspin Center has had multiple Title IX claims filed against him by students in the D.C. program last year.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Archives

Students look to find itemized cost of college attendance

Housing,

food, among financial concerns for MU

By Briana Nelson briana.nelson@marquette.edu

When Mercy Egbuikwem made the decision to come to Marquette, she was immediately drawn to the sense of community.

While traveling from Nigeria to Milwaukee for the first time, Egbuikwem’s flight was delayed at the O’Hare International Airport. She told her graduate assistantship supervisor, who then made the hour-and-a- half drive out to pick Egbuikwem up and ensure she made it to campus.

Egbuikwem chose to live in Mashuda Hall, the only dorm at Marquette that offers grad student housing, as it was the most reasonable price at around $350 a month. Everything seemed to be going well and August 2022 marked the beginning of her graduate journey at Marquette.

“When I was preparing to come, they had to send a flier about the housing here, and that Mashuda is the housing for grad students,” Egbuikwem said. “I was already thinking, ‘Wow, $350, I can stay here until the end of my program.’”

After living in Mashuda for several months, Egbuikwem received a notice that she would no longer be able to live in the dorm next year, as the space was needed for incoming first-years. She said that the information was a surprise and didn’t make much sense.

“Most grad students in Mashuda are international students and when that information came in, some of us were just confused. I’m still confused right now,” Egbuikwem said. “You don’t push people out like that without giving them better options of where to stay. That’s just too much to worry about.”

Egbuikwem said that when talking to other students, they were also concerned about meeting payments and living arrangements.

“A student came to me and was like, ‘Mercy, have you found where you’ll live next year?’ I said no and he said he doesn’t really want to think about it because he has all his classwork to think about. He can’t be thinking about where to stay and be worried about that,” Egbuikwem said.

When Marquette initially gave Egbuikwem an estimate for costs, she said that looking back she was unaware of how much these costs would fluctuate.

Along with the uncertainty surrounding housing, other costs soon began to pile up. Egbuikwem was required to pay semesterly insurance to Marquette due to her international student status, something that can cost over $1,000. The insurance also didn’t cover everything that Egbuikwem needed, as she experienced some issues with her eyes and contacted

the university clinic but was told that her insurance doesn’t cover eye-related problems.

“There’s an increase in the cost of credit now, and it is so unimaginable why there should be a change in tuition cost in such a manner. I discovered recently that the cost of credit has increased, and I don’t know how low-income students can navigate this,” Egbuikwem said.

Graduate students work 20 hours for the university in exchange for free or reduced tuition prices. However, graduate students who are American citizens have the choice to work more outside of the 20 hours if they want or need to. International students such as Egbuikwem are not granted that opportunity due to immigration laws and visa status.

With insurance, tuition and now an apartment that Egbuikwem said may cost double what she paid for Mashuda, Egbuikwem said that making ends meet will be challenging for the next academic year.

Egbuikwem is not the only student who has been affected by the changing costs at Marquette.

Just last November, Marquette University’s Board of Trustees approved a 4% increase in undergraduate tuition for the 20232024 school year. This will increase the undergraduate tuition rate from $45,860 to over $47,000. Less than a month after this announcement, an article was published about a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, stating that only 9% of institutions accurately reported tuition costs to students.

Because of this, the GAO recommended that Congress pass a law to force higher institutions to meet certain criteria and include specific information in offers for financial aid. As of now, no law has been passed to combat this issue. Instead, more information on the 2022 GAO report has come to light, as an April 4 statement from the GAO said that there are attainable ways for colleges to report net prices, but they are simply not being met as there are no legalities holding these colleges accountable.

Susan Teerink, associate vice provost for financial aid and enrollment services at Marquette, said that it is hard to predict what any particular student will pay for

“We do provide the direct cost of Marquette, minus any free money, which is grants and scholarships, and then we show it again. Here’s what you would owe, here’s your free money and again do the math, and then if you decide to take loans here’s what your bottom line would be if you choose to take loans,” Teerink said.

books, student fees, personal and transportation, other schools are going further in order to be wholly transparent with their students. A report from uAspire, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing students with financial information, suggests that schools should further itemize these lists, even to include smaller items such as laptops.

tuition because financial aid and scholarships are so individualized.

“When a student receives a financial aid offer, it is broken out by tuition, fees and then housing and meals if a student is planning to live on campus,” Teerink said. “And then from that total grants and scholarships are subtracted off from that, so somebody can see what they might owe after any free money they might receive, and then it provides the option to consider loans.”

One concern brought forth with the GAO report was that 50% of the colleges investigated understate the net price to students. This means that when they provide the cost of attendance, they leave out various factors such as living expenses, or fail to factor in loans. Teerink said that Marquette counters this by showing the cost at each step of the process.

While half of the colleges are understating costs, 41% of colleges do not provide an estimate at all. The last 9% are the only schools that fall into the “best practice” category, where they are the clearest and most concise when reporting costs, leaving out only grants and scholarships. Teerink said that having a place on campus like Marquette Central to help reach out to families and explain costs and work through barriers has been very beneficial. Marquette Central is a building located on Marquette’s campus that combines several financial-based offices into one area.

“We try very hard to be as clear and concise as we can be for families. That’s one of the benefits of having a unit like Marquette Central. Often, particularly in the spring, when prospective students are making their decision to come to Marquette, there are many phone calls every single day with families stepping them through so that they understand exactly what they will owe to the university,” Teerink said.

Although Marquette provides costs of attendance broken down into tuition, housing, and food,

Although there are cost differences between public and private universities, there does not appear to be a specific discrepancy when comparing the two. Melissa Emrey-Arras, director of education, workforce and income security at GAO, said that schools across the board struggle with this.

“We found that the vast majority of colleges were not following best practices for presenting key information in their aid offers. Therefore, I think it is safe to say that this is a problem at colleges across the board,” Emrey-Arras said.

Egbuikwem also said that, despite the rising costs, she still loves the staff, faculty and overall sense of community at Marquette and hopes that Marquette will take the opportunity to grow.

“Since the cost of the meal plan has increased also, the dining hall should ensure inclusivity of food. Some international students may not find the type of food they like at the dining hall. So they should put that into consideration as the cost is increasing, for the betterment of international students,” said Egbuikwem.

Mercy Egbuikwem (pictured) works in the Center for Community Service.

Photo courtesy of Mercy Egbuikwem

Muslim students celebrate end of Ramadan

Community gathers to pray Eid al-Fitr in Wisconsin Center

By Erin Howard, Uzair Qhavi erin.howard@marquette.edu uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

After a month of fasting from dawn to dusk, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid-alFitr. The holiday, marked by the sighting of the new moon, includes exchanging greetings and gifts, praying the Eid prayer as a community and preparing traditional dishes.

Some Marquette University students belonging to the Muslim community took part in Eid-alFitr festivities at home with their family and friends, as well as locations near campus.

Yusra Khaja, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences and treasurer of Marquette’s Muslim Student Association, said she is grateful for the opportunity to commute to Marquette. This year, Khaja was able to spend Eid-alFitr alongside her family at home.

For Khaja, Eid-al-Fitr is all about the sense of unity that is felt among the Muslim community during this time.

“To me, Eid-al-Fitr feels like something I earned after this long month of fasting,” Khaja said. “It’s just a big celebration that the Muslim community can all take part in together because Ramadan is something that we all went through and participated in together.”

Khaja said there were a few things she learned this past Ramadan while on Marquette’s campus.

“This Ramadan really taught me how to manage my time between my religious life and my daily life as a Marquette student,” Khaja said. “I had to learn how to make my two different worlds work.”

Lema Elkhatib, a first-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences, attended the Eid prayer hosted by the Islamic Society of

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INVESTIGATIVE

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Milwaukee April 21. The prayer hosted by ISM took place in Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Center.

Members from the Muslim community gathered togehter to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, April 21. it and look forward to the next Ramadan and Eid to come,” Rabeeh-Musaitif said.

The Eid prayer which is a special prayer performed by Muslims consists of two units, which are called rak’ahs, and is led by a male who is titled “Imam.” Once the prayer is completed, it is followed by a sermon and then Muslims greet each other and exchange hugs as a sign of joy and unity.

Elkhatib said that the service brought Muslims from all across the city to join together to share in the happiness that Eid brings. For Elkhatib, she said dressing up for the occasion and seeing the outfits that others in attendance were wearing were one of her favorite parts.

“Culturally, Eid is my favorite time to represent my beautiful country,” Elkhatib said. “Wearing

FAST FACTS

the traditional Palestinian attire makes it feel like I’m in my homeland.”

Elkatib said she discovered a lot about herself during this year’s Ramadan.

“Being surrounded by so many Muslims during this time has brought me a lot closer to God,” Elkatib said. “I think I was finally able to feel that connection with God again that I had lost a little bit.”

Abd-Alrahman RabeehMusaitif, a practicing Muslim from the Milwaukee area who attended the prayer service, said the service helped him to appreciate both the past and future of his religion.

“Eid-al-Fitr is a crucial part of my faith, as it marks the end of Ramadan. Though I am sad to see Ramadan go, it’s great to celebrate

Marquette alum Jimmy Butler scored a franchise playoff record 56 points for the Miami Heat in last night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tucker Carlson parted ways with Fox News and Don Lemon was fired from CNN yesterday.

Marquette is planning a service for Kamrin Ray next week, the student who passed away April 17.

Myles Cosgrove, the Louisville police officer who shot and killed Breonna Taylor in 2020, has been rehired as a deputy in a nearby county.

As someone returning to the Eid prayer after not going for several years, Elkhatib encouraged all those considering attending to give the Wisconsin Center prayer service a chance.

For Marquette students who may not personally celebrate Eid, Khaja said there are still ways they can show their love for Muslims on campus that do.

“I think that the best thing someone could do to show support is to just educate themselves,” Khaja said. “Researching the religion and educating themselves on what Eid actually is and why we fast during Ramadan can go a very long way, and I just really would appreciate anyone who does that.”

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THE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, April 26

Soul food discussion by the Committee on Social Justice and Welfare at AMU 127 from 5 – 7 p.m. Denim Day across campus from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27

College Democrat-Republican debate at Varsity Theater at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, April 28

Students for Justice in Palestine farewell dinner at AMU 157 at 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Uzair Qhavi uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

Baldwin runs for reelection in battleground state

Senator enters 2024 race with key issues on the ballot

By Uzair Qhavi uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

Amidst the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections, politicians are beginning to gear up for the near-distant 2024 elections.

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced April 12 that she would be running for a third term, entering her into what some pollsters and political operatives consider a close race.

“I’m committed to making sure that working people, not just the big corporations and ultra-wealthy, have a fighter on their side,” Baldwin said in a press statement announcing her campaign. “With so much at stake, from families struggling with rising costs to a ban on reproductive freedom, Wisconsinites need someone who can fight and win.”

Baldwin won her first election to the Senate in 2012, defeating former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson with 51.4% of the vote.

In 2018, she defeated Wisconsin state Senator Leah Vukmir by over 10 percentage points.

“2024 is my first time being able to vote, and though there also is a

presidential election going on, it is crucial to recognize the importance of the other branches of government, especially during a time when there is a very slight majority for each party in the Congress,” Mohammed Ahmed, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

In 2024, there are 34 seats up for reelection, of which 23 seats are caucused by Democrats and 11 Republican-held seats.

Currently, in the Senate, there is a Democratic majority with 51 seats, making Baldwin’s seat vital for the Democrats to maintain their majority. Other critical states include Arizona, Ohio, West Virginia, Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan for Democrats to win to maintain the majority within the Senate.

“2018 was a good year for Democrats, and Baldwin ran ahead of other statewide Democrats. 2024 is sort of unclear — Biden is unpopular, we don’t know for sure who the Republican nominee will be, the economy is always a wild card,” Julia Azari, a professor in the department of political science, said.

With a slight majority in the Senate, Baldwin’s announcement comes at a time when there is great uncertainty in American politics regarding key issues such as immigration and inflation present

to the American public.

“One of the key issues that I am currently eyeing is inflation and how people such as Senator Baldwin plan to take on the issue. It is something this is affecting college students and families today, so candidates that are working to take on these issues are important to look at,” Ahmed said.

Baldwin is seeking reelection during a presidential election year, when turnout is high, and the margins for presidential victory tend to be slim such as in 2016 and 2020. Additionally, the reelection of Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) in 2022 may present a more difficult race for Baldwin compared to 2018.

In 2022, Johnson beat Barnes with a majority of 50.4%.

“Wisconsin voters clearly split their ballots sometimes, alongside our friends in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and a few other competitive states. Baldwin has the advantage of having a political reputation in the state separate from President Biden. It’s not difficult to imagine her outrunning him,” Azari said. At this point in the campaign, there are no Republican candidates declared to run against Baldwin. Still, other candidates have not ruled out entering the race. The list includes U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Scott Mayer, Eric Hovde and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI).

Azari said that Baldwin will have to position herself for victory by returning to her approach in 2018, where she worked to stay out of nationalized politics and instead focus on state issues.

“This means you can politically distance yourself from the president, from any unpopular bills the president has signed, and from any tricky culture war issues. Baldwin has been a vocal supporter of abortion rights, but that seems to be a fairly popular position in Wisconsin, and the ground on that issue has shifted since 2018, in a way that has thus far been favorable for Democrats,” Azari said.

In 2021, Baldwin sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, which helped guarantee equal access to abortion across the United States. Additionally this April, Wisconsin elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz, a pro-choice candidate, to the Wisconsin State Supreme Court with 55% of the vote.

“Though the election cycle may be tough for candidates across Wisconsin, I am excited to see what the candidates have to offer for a better America and how they can work for the people of Wisconsin,” Ahmed said. “It’s going to be a thrilling ride for all the candidates in the next year.”

MarKept Move-Out seeks a more sustainable campus

until May 14, and after that, the donations will be collected, counted and stored over summer break until they can be resold during move-in.

By Izzy Fonfara Drewel isabella.fonfaradrewel@marquette.edu

In an effort to be more sustainable, Marquette is rolling out a new initiative: MarKept Move-Out. The program will offer students a chance to dispose of clothing, unopened non-perishable food items, small appliances and other objects they won’t need for the coming year while also giving back to the campus community.

Chelsea Malacara, sustainability and energy management coordinator, has been working on this initiative for a little over a year. She said she coordinated a comparable program at her previous job with the University of Southern Maine.

“It’s a similar concept but a different twist on it in that it’s very Marquette-branded and follows Marquette ethos [being] related to our mission of giving back to people,” Malacara said.

Since this is the first year of the program, it will only be available in four select residence halls. The project will officially start May 1 when donation bins will be placed in the pilot dorms: Schroeder, Abbottsford, Carpenter and Cobeen. The bins will be there

The initiative sparked from a competitor in the 2021 Brewed Ideas Challenge. Marquette alum Carlos Gonzalez won the competition in the social innovation category, and he pitched an idea to find a more sustainable way for students to dispose of or reuse their items.

“After he pitched his idea, Chelsea reached out to me and said, ‘I love this, I know Carlos is graduating, how can we help make this a reality?’” Kelsey Otero, senior director of community

engagement and mentor to Gonzalez, said. “Chelsea and I, and Carlos continued to stay involved in the conversation, and others started talking about a plan for how we could launch a prototype.”

Malacara brought in Otero and Sarah Knott, a sustainability student manager and a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, to help get the program started.

“[Kelsey] focuses on the marketing and communications side, and Sarah and I focus on the logistics and operations of carrying the program out,” Malacara said.

The MarKept team will organize the products to resell during the move-in period for the fall

semester. International, graduate and first-generation students will get priority shopping at the resale event. Malacara mentioned that they are hoping to sell things at a lower price point along with having a free section.

While the initiative is focused primarily on the pilot dorms this year, students from other halls are also welcome to drop their donations in the bins. Additionally, if students who live in apartments want to participate, they can bring their objects to a storage unit in Lot D. However, the lot is only accessible on foot and will not allow cars to be driven in.

MarKept has recently started more outreach and marketing of their program, and it’s generating talk amongst students.

“I think it’s a great program and a great way to get items for people who needs things next year but possibly aren’t willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money,”

Jakita Fleck, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

“I thinks it a great way to minimize the waste because people are going to just throw away things that are still good when they could be thinking of how to reuse them.”

Knott also said that students are excited because it will help ease the move-out process, especially by preventing the clutter that comes with packing up.

Otero has seen an increased focus

on sustainability and “going green” within the student body, and she hopes it bodes well for the program.

“I think our students who are coming in now care a lot about the environment, and they want to be stewards for how we think about Marquette as a sustainable university and the role that individually we can all play,” Otero said.

To ensure the continuation of this program, the team is hoping to meet its set benchmarks and goals.

“We’ll be counting how many items we have … We’ll also be looking at the pickups for the dumpsters at the dorms. Every year we track how many trash and recycling pickups, so I’ll be looking to see if it was at the same as last year or did we actually reduce the amount of pickups because of this program?” Malacara said.

Otero also explained that one of the goals is to make the program self-sustaining which will help for the continuation of the initiative throughout the years. The funds gained from the resale event will be put back into the initiative and pay for an expansion of the program, better resources and other costs.

MarKept will be accepting donations May 1-14 through the bins located in residence halls. For more information about what can be donated and how to get involved, check the MarKept Move-Out website.

Tammy Baldwin (left) is running for reelection as a Democratic candidate.

Photo courtesy of Tammy Baldwin’s campaign

Donations will be collected in four pilot MU residence halls

Malacara said this initiative has been in the works for a little over a year.

Photo by Keifer Russell keifer.russell@marquette.edu

Academic Senate to vote on potential AIM major Professors working

to establish deep dive into finance

By Uzair Qhavi uzair.qhavi@marquette.edu

The Marquette University Undergraduate Curriculum is set to vote on a potential new major in Accelerating Ingenuity in Markets May 3 under the College of Business Administration.

If passed by the UCC, the decision will be passed on to the University Senate where they will vote May 8.

The major, which has been in the works for the past few years, has begun to come to fruition with this vote and the addition of Accelerating Ingenuity in Markets classes being offered next fall.

“The major is designed to help students be careers ready. The applied major of it is to help students, so they can walk in on the first day prepared and employers want students that can start working the day they show up to hit the ground running,” James Valentine, a professor in the College of Business Administration and director of the AIM program, said.

With the establishment of the new major, the existing Applied

Currently, finance majors can apply to the Applied Investment Management program as sophomores.

fall under the same AIM acronyms but instead represents Accelerating Ingenuity in Markets.

The major will be established as a secondary major, meaning students cannot enter Marquette solely with the intention of only being an AIM major. Additionally, Valentine said there will not be a minor offered in AIM and a 3.0 is required to enter the major unless an exception is made.

“I feel that the AIM major will open up the program to allow the student to really know the benefits of the program. I believe it will allow students like freshmen and sophomores to open up their eyes

he has been a part of the current AIM program at Marquette, he has enjoyed the relationships he has made with others on not only a professional level but also a personal level.

“It feels good, this major is something that really interests me, and I hope to pursue in the following years,” Shayyan Rasool, a firstyear in the College of Business Administration, said.

Rasool wants to use this major to gain hands-on experience in things such as research within the financial industry or working with colleagues as he advances in his career.

With the establishment of the

the same.

“This is going to be about how do we get students prepared to work in any kind of market-based industry, and that would include things like stock market, financial technology, or working any markets,” Valentine said.

The AIM program will continue to allow students to follow three tracks. The first is the Charter Financial Analyst track which will focus on banking and equity research. The second is the FinTech track which helps students analyze and research up-and-coming markets, along with the ability to analyze disruptive markets. The last

away from the academic side and establish a more practical version of the major, which employers want to see. He stated that AIM members have had a 100% employment rate over the past 10 years, so it is essential for students to have handson experience the day they start the job.

Though Fouad is graduating in May, he said he is excited about this major and hopes to add more to the major as an alum by helping build the tracks and providing feedback.

“I believe that they planned the program really well, and I can’t wait to see the progress students, Dr. Valentine and Dr. Wall [AIM executive director] make over the coming years,” Fouad said.

Rasool said that he can’t wait to see how the program works to benefit students such as him during their time at Marquette. He knows that with the experience and knowledge he will gain over the years, he will be able to delve into the workforce feeling that he is making the correct financial decisions.

“I left Wall Street because I want to help students build user skills and attain the best job they can. I want them to do well in their careers and that’s why I’m here, and Dr. Wall, my executive director, as well. The two of us stopped working and

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

Marquette University Radio hosts 2023 Spring Concert

Photos by Keifer Russell keifer.russell@marquette.edu

Marquette University Radio hosted a spring concert with MKE music collective Spider Creek who opened the show, followed by Micah Emrich,Duwayne and headliner Ric Wilson.

MUR RADIO SHOW FEATURE

Tune in to 5c00b3at [Radio FM] with Sebastian Locke and Michael Donato Tuesdays from 4 to 5p.m. as they play obscure electronic music.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

2. The ____ tree is the national tree of the United States

3. In the springtime, trees may carry _______ which could kickstart spring allergies

4. J. Sterling _____ founded Arbor Day

5. Arbor Day celebrates

6. Arbor Day is celebrated during the last _____ of April

7. The part of a tree that collects water

9. Arbor translates to “trees” in what dead language?

10. What state did Arbor Day originate in?

11. Trees provide this commonly used item for us

CELEBRATING ARBOR DAY

DOWN

1. Trees may provide ______ in the hot weather in the summertime

3. The process in which trees and plants collect energy to turn to oxygen

6. Fall ______ may effect some trees in early to midOctober

8. A common phrase said when cutting down a tree LAST WEEK

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

aRts & eNteRtaINmeNt

Marquette priest plays violin alongside students

Father Zeps is a staple of orchestra since 1981 creation

By Megan Woolard megan.woolard@marquette.edu

There has never been a Marquette orchestra without Father Michael Zeps, Cobeen Hall’s Jesuit in residence.

Zeps has played violin with the Marquette orchestra since its inception back in 1981 when a group was put together for a production of “West Side Story.”

“It was so successful that they extended the run for several more performances. Then, they just decided to keep the orchestra going. There was no tradition of string music here. There were no scholarships of course, it was all extracurricular,” Zeps said.

He’s been at Cobeen for even longer than he’s been in the orchestra. With the exception of one year on the second fl oor, Zeps has been in the same room on the third

fl oor of Cobeen throughout his time at Marquette, which began in 1979.

“You know, freshmen especially are very pleasant. They’re just out of high school, and they’re all wide eyed and interested and so students are just so alive. You walk into Cobeen and it’s bubbly, though it does get a little noisy at two in the morning on Saturdays,” Zeps said.

Zeps is originally from Milwaukee and attended Marquette High School. Prior to his return to Milwaukee, Zeps spent time in Europe working on a PhD and at several other universities such as Stanford and Santa Clara.

Zeps started playing the violin back in middle school, though he said he knew he wanted to be a priest as early as grade school.

“I was always gonna be a priest, but I was never gonna be a Jesuit because I hated school. But then it came time to decide what kind of a priest you want to be (and) the only person I knew of was a Jesuit.

But I just know that if I go, if I become a Jesuit, I’m going to end up teaching. And sure enough, I did,” Zeps said. Though he is now retired from teaching, Zeps spent over 40 years teaching in the history department. There is a retirement community for older Jesuits at St. Camillus, but Zeps said he doesn’t anticipate leaving Marquette anytime soon.

“I would just stay right here. Because it’s exciting. I like being around young people. I live in a dorm. I sure like the basketball games,” Zeps said. Though he’s spent decades at Marquette, Zeps said one of his favorite moments came this year when the women’s basketball team upset then No. 4 UConn at home Feb. 8. While Zeps loves basketball, that’s not the only reason he continues to stay at Marquette.

“I enjoy playing with the students. We put together a quartet every year for the business school graduation in December. So I just go around, I try

to get the very best people in the sections each time and we’ve got some very good players,” Zeps said. Hope Johnson, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and fi rst chair of the cello section, is one of the students that has played with Zeps in a quartet.

“Father Zeps is always offering kind words of encouragement in the orchestra. I have played with him a few times now for a Marquette graduate school ceremony. It’s a nice change of pace to play music with a small group. It’s another excuse to get together to do what musicians love to do, which is play music,” Johnson said.

Zeps said that though music is a big part of his retirement, he also makes time for other things such as gardening. The Jesuits have a place out in Holy Hill where Zeps can grow his favorite crop; tomatoes. Last year, he grew 14 different types of tomatoes.

“I start them from seeds, in March, and I watch him grow

that so much from my transplant a couple times and put them in the ground and watch them grow. You know, God does the work,” Zeps said. While parts of Zeps’s life have stayed consistent throughout his time at Marquette, his relationship with God has changed.

“(My relationship with God) is very different now. God is just always there and it’s very easy to pray whereas before I had to put myself into a situation of prayer. Now, I know him pretty well, that’s just my buddy God,” Zeps said.

But Zeps love of music hasn’t changed much in his time at Marquette.

“He just likes to play, it’s an outlet for him. And he said to me one time that he’s having so much fun, he doesn’t want to stop,” Erik Janners, Director of Music, said.

Zeps will be performing with students once again this Saturday, April 30 at 2 p.m. in Varsity Theatre for the spring orchestra concert.

Photo by Isabel Bonebrake isabel.bonebrake@marquette.edu

In addition to playing in orchestra concerts, Zeps has also organized quartets between him and MU students for university events.

Phoebe the Phoodie: Ballpark bites return for season

American Family Field features classics like hot dogs, nachos

By Phoebe Goebel phoebe.goebel@marquette.edu

As the sun starts to shine more and temperatures are creeping up in Milwaukee, the warm weather brings in one of my favorite parts about being a Marquette student: Brewers season. Not only are the games fun to watch and the fans rowdy, but being in Wisconsin means that the food will be fried, cheesy and delicious.

Last Saturday the Brewers faced the Boston Red Sox at American Family Field. While I do love watching the game, I must be honest in saying that my favorite part about baseball games is the food.

With the game starting at 6 p.m., I made sure to save up my appetite throughout the day so I could splurge at the game.

Upon arriving at the stadium, I had to pick up my first snack of the day, one that I have started every baseball game in my life with: peanuts.

Peanuts are the perfect snack

to enjoy the pregame festivities for many reasons. First, it is perfectly normal to make a mess with them, which is right up my alley. Next, they don’t require much effort and allow you to sit back and relax. Lastly, they start to warm up your tastebuds and prepare them for the rest of the food to come.

With some peanuts to hold me over, I enjoyed the first couple of innings watching the game. It was a slow start for both teams and there wasn’t much action, so I was able to enjoy just being back at American Family Field. Once the fifth inning hit though was when my stomach began to growl.

While I love the variety of options the stadium has to offer, it is so difficult to choose one entrée. I ended up walking around the entire ballpark just to make sure I was aware of all my options. After much consideration, I decided to order some chicken nachos to take back with me to my seat.

The nachos were customizable, and I went with pulled chicken, queso, tomatoes, sour cream and shredded cheese to accompany the bed of tortilla chips.

The first thing that I look for in my nachos is chips. Are they fresh? Are they already soggy from all the toppings? While these chips needed salt, they were not stale and kept crunchy through the entire experience, which is key to having a good bowl of nachos.

As for the toppings, there was definitely a lack of flavor going on, and after dissecting each component, I determined the culprit was the chicken. The chicken lacked seasoning and didn’t really have a taste to it, and the dish definitely could’ve done without it. Overall, I thought the nachos were good for a typical ballpark meal, but would leave off the meat the next time I get them. Because the nachos didn’t fulfill my ballpark cravings, I decided to rely on a stadium classic to better the meal. This is, of course, the hot dog, a baseball and Milwaukee staple. In terms of condiments, I used ketchup, mustard and sauerkraut to spice up the plain hot dog.

For me, you can never go wrong with a simple hot dog. All the flavors were spot on and gave me such nostalgia about going to baseball games with

Phoebe’s favorite snack is the stadium staple of shelled peanuts. chip cookie dough sweet was the perfect way to end my night at the ballpark.

my family when I was younger. I am so glad that I got to go with my college friends that day, and the fact that the hot dog has continued to stay consistent in these memories is special.

While I was stuffed from all the food, my sweet tooth kicked in and led me to the Dippin’ Dots stand on the way out of the park. Once again, you can’t really go wrong with this classic ballpark treat. The chocolate

Getting to go back to the ballpark after a long winter in Wisconsin is such an exciting experience. Being surrounded by my close friends and other Brewers fans was just what I needed as finals are approaching, and the food at American Family Field made my experience even better.

REVIEW: VIP Theatre’s production of ‘Detroit ‘67’

Show featured clothing and music from ‘60s and ‘70s era

By Nancy Flaherty nancy.flaherty@marquette.edu

From the moment you lay your eyes on the open stage at the Helfaer Theatre, the atmosphere instantly transports you to Detroit in the summer of 1967. Graffiti art pieces with words like “soul” and “power to the people” frame a basement set that has been built and assembled with incredible detail to the time period, accented by mid-century furniture and Motown music.

“Detroit ‘67” is the second installment of the Voices Included for People of Color (VIP) Theatre at Marquette and caps off the Marquette Theatre season. I had the opportunity to watch and usher this performance thanks to THAR 2020: Theatre Appreciation, a course I’m taking taught by professor John Schneider.

The play takes place in the basement of Chelle (Martilia Marechal) and Lank (Deshawn

A. Thomas), two siblings who have recently moved into their childhood home with a small inheritance after the passing of their parents. Lank balances the sharpness and sensibility of his older sister Chelle with his big ambitions to own a business.

Bunny (Lauryn Middleton) and Sly (Joseph Brown, Jr.) bring a constant friendship to their lives, serving both as comedic relief and a stalwart source of support to both characters when things turn for the worse.

The siblings run an after-hours joint out of their basement with dancing and alcohol, a setting that never moves as the audience watches the play unfold.

Once the story begins to take shape, the audience is hit with the vision of Lank and Sly carrying in the body of a battered white woman named Caroline (Naomi Kriege) onto the basement couch, having saved her from collapsing on the streets.

Caroline stays with the siblings to get on her feet, offering no details of her life and past, only a mystery to be unraveled later. Meanwhile, Lank and Sly buy a real bar and come face-to-face

with the race riots of 1967 Detroit and police brutality.

Motown music runs like a river through the performance, weaving between the dueling personalities of carefree Lank and sensible Chelle, and in crucial moments such as when Lank offers his feelings to Caroline through a song he chooses to play on the 8-track player.

In my opinion, the stand out

ence in Lank and Chelle’s lives and helped to serve as a juxtaposition alongside Lank to the no-nonsense attitude of Chelle.

performances of the evening had to be Bunny and Lank. I thoroughly enjoy it when an actor utilizes movement in their acting to further their character’s presence. From the way she sat in her chairs, flicked her hands to make a point, and danced with Lank, Bunny took the stage and made it hers. It made for a captivating performance that accentuated the character’s pres-

The comfortability of the relatively small cast in covering varying interpersonal relationships was organic in every pause and every glance. Notably, the scene between Chelle and Sly pushing and pulling away as Sly lays out his feelings had the audience on the edge of their seat. We watched the careful dance of romance and emotional walls Chelle protects herself with for the better of a reality that only exists to her. There was no formula or pattern to be found in the acting, the choices in movement, or the presence of the characters. All of the actors clearly spent time developing their craft in both individual performances and the differing interpersonal relationships we watched unfold on stage.

But the performances weren’t the only aspect worthy of praise, with the costuming and lighting design shining through the production. I had previously watched Marquette Theatre’s production of “The Importance

of Being Earnest” and was impressed by the tailoring and costume design to fit the time period, and “Detroit ‘67” was no exception. The colors and cuts of the outfits between Bunny and Chelle were as different as their personalities, succeeding in establishing their varying presences on stage. While Bunny sported bright reds, bold prints and glitter accents in fit and flare jumpsuits and jean skirts, Chelle kept to conservative puff sleeve tops, ankle jeans and canvas sneakers, only breaking the mold at one of the basement gatherings in a red velvet dress. The lighting design made the audience feel they were in the basement with the characters. From the red and blue lights somehow driving by the basement windows to imitate a police car to the panels of light illuminating Caroline’s face the moment the coat falls away to reveal she’s a white woman, the lighting pushes the boundaries of reality to the audience.

Unfortunately, “Detroit ’67” ended its run last Sunday. Fortunately, there will be more VIP performances in the next season.

Photo by Phoebe Goebel

Photo courtesy of Charlie Waitkus

Andrew Amouzou, Executive Director

Megan Woolard, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Hope Moses, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

Many people are forced to walk through life being constantly reminded that they are not accepted. It’s important to be an ally to those who experience discrimination on the basis of their identity.

Marquette’s vision statement for diversity and inclusion on campus, grounded in Jesuit ideals, is to promote a more diverse,

ediTOrial bOard

Kirsten Lyons, Executive Opinions Editor TJ Dysart, Content Coach

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

Chun, Investigative Executive

Emily Reinhardt, Copy Chief

Werner, Design Chief

Bonebrake, Chief Photographer

Flaherty, Social Media Executive

STAFF EDITORIAL

How to be an ally

welcoming, equitable and inclusive campus community. Effective allyship from students, faculty and staff is necessary to achieve this goal. This is why the university and community members themselves must make a commitment to being allies to marginalized communities.

Being an ally can look like a lot of things. While it can be

large gestures, what really counts and makes a difference is the little things.

The BBC lists a few ways people can be allies such as being an upstander, scholar, amplifier and a confidant.

An upstander is basically the opposite of a bystander. An upstander will see something wrong and take action to correct it. When people in your life say or do something problematic, it’s important to stand up even if a member of the community they are insulting isn’t there. An effective ally recognizes and corrects exclusion and moments of bigotry in themselves

and others.

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

Taking personal accountability is also vital to allyship and not being a bystander. An ally examines their own prejudice and preconceived notions about marginalized groups as well as holding others accountable.

A big part of good allyship is being willing to listen and learn. This is where the scholar comes in. The scholar seeks to learn about the group that they are an ally to. This can look like reading books or articles by someone of a marginalized group writing about their experiences, going to lectures or even having conversations with people of different groups. Learning from a member of a marginalized group is much more effective and powerful than listening to someone not from that group. A good ally should listen more than they speak.

A large part of listening, as well, is being someone that is there to support others. This form of allyship is called a confidant. A confidant creates a space where individuals can feel safe expressing their frustrations, fears and needs. Sometimes all someone needs is to have someone to hear them and to talk to.

A good ally is committed to change, learning and standing up for what is right.

If the Marquette community truly wants to support and empower underrepresented members of its community as it says it does, students, faculty and staff must take greater steps towards allyship and creating a welcoming space at Marquette. We have a duty as individuals a part of a larger community to call out instances of bigotry and stand with those impacted by it.

‘The Little Mermaid’ does not deserve backlash

Disney announced in 2019 that the live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” was in the works which is going to come out in May 2023. While this was just a teaser, it definitely made fans excited. However, that excitement faded for some when they found out who was cast as Ariel.

Halle Bailey was selected to be the lead in the movie. She is a Black actress and this is her first major movie role. However, this has been met with a lot of backlash from fans as Ariel was originally illustrated as a white person.

The origins of “The Little Mermaid” actually have no cultural references. In the original story by Hans Christian, the book is implied to take off the coast of Denmark but does not explicitly say where.

This would be different in

stories such as “Mulan” and “Pocahontas.” Both of these stories clearly do depict the importance of culture in their stories, so it’s important to be as accurate as possible. “Mulan” has been made into a liveaction remake with the cast being Chinese. Pocahontas was based on a true story,while Mulan was based on an old Chinese folk tale. Both stories show the importance of the culture that the Princesses were brought up in. Disney makes it a point to show that Mulan is Chinese and incorporates ancient Chinese culture. Pocahontas takes place during the American Colonization and focuses on that historical aspect.

The Princess and the Frog is the first Disney movie to have a Black princess. The cultural significance of this shows the Black culture in New Orleans in the 1920s. For example, it shows the importance of their food, music, and clothing.

The majority of the

Disney princesses and characters are white, yet most of them do not show any cultural importance in their stories. It’s rather hard to guess where their stories take place just and they tend to emphasize the locations of a rural town, a castle, a forest or even a sea. It’s clear that there is no cultural significance and therefore anyone could portray these princesses.

For example, the remake of “Cinderella” in 1997 actually had a Black lead and several members of the cast were people of color that were originally white in the story. It showed that anyone can be in a Disney movie and brought forward that change. Originally, Disney portrayed Cinderella to have no evident cultural background, so it was okay for anyone to take on that role.

However, it wouldn’t be okay for a white person to portray Mulan. Mulan was based on a Chinese folk tale that was passed down over a

thousand years ago. Disney clearly shows that the movie was based in China with several cultural references such as clothing, traditions, and culture.

Being hateful and unapproving of the casting choice for “The Little Mermaid” shows that little girls of color can’t follow their dreams and act one day. Bailey earned that spot based on her ability to act and her talent. It had nothing to do with the color of skin. She serves as a representation of people of color and how much of a positive change she’s making in Disney.

Based on the trailer, the movie bears a resemblance to the original story. Bailey’s hair is dyed red to show similarity to that of Ariel. She wears similar clothing as in the original story. The songs are the same as well as the setting. The story hasn’t changed at all, only that it’s coming to life.

Casting Bailey was the right

choice for Disney in the end. She serves as an example for more people of color to audition for Disney remakes that have yet to happen such as “Snow White,” “Tinker Bell,” or “Hercules.”

Incorporating more diversity into Disney’s bigger projects it will open the pathways up for anyone wanting to become an actor. It will also showcase undiscovered talent by allowing people to audition regardless of their background. Also, it shows that people of color do have a place in this world despite being told they couldn’t be anything.

Everyone deserves the right to dream that they can become anything, even Disney princesses. The color of someone’s skin shouldn’t stop them from doing so.

Skyler

Lily

Isabel

Nancy

Krisha Patel

Krisha Patel is a senior studying nursing and Spanish for the health professions. She can be reached at krisha.patel@marquette.edu

“Marquette’s vision statement for diversity and inclusion on campus, grounded in Jesuit ideals, is to promote a more diverse, welcoming, equitable and inclusive campus community.”

listening, as someone that is others. This form a confidant. A space where safe expressfrustrations, fears and all someone someone to hear committed to and standing up Marquette community support and emunderrepresented memcommunity as it says faculty and staff steps towards creating a welcomMarquette. We have individuals a part of a to call out inand stand with it.

Diversity in Higher Education

instruct them.

Clara Lebrón

By 2050, the nation will be a minority-majority country, meaning that most residents will identify as people of color. Although this might seem unsurprising, the United States has always been considered a melting pot characterized by its diversity of thought, culture, religion, and race; It does emphasize the importance of emphasizing diversity in all spheres of life.

Higher education is one of the most common areas where we can see this prioritization of diversity. However, it is often not accompanied by the support necessary to accommodate the students of color, that are welcomed into spaces where they often feel isolated and misunderstood. If universities want to continue to benefit from a diverse student body, they must also strive to provide diverse faculty to

In 2017, it was shown that diversity in faculty lagged behind the diversity found within the student bodies of many institutions. While 45% of students identified as students of color, only 34% of postsecondary faculty were people of color. This trend seems to continue at many primarily white institutions throughout the country.

At Marquette University, 28% of the student population are students of color, while 18% percent of full-time faculty are people of color, representing a fairly congruent set of percentages. However, this does not discount the importance of increasing the diversity within the faculty even more, especially as Marquette continues to market itself as a diverse institution suitable for students of color and thoughtful of their needs.

A diverse faculty is crucial to create a warm and inclusive environment for all students. Most students of color in the country are enrolled in

primarily white institutions, meaning there is already a disconnect between them and most people around them. When the professors mediating conversations within these spaces are white, it could make students uncomfortable discussing certain topics or subjects.

As such, all students can benefit from the unique perspectives and experiences that professors of color can bring to the classroom. Just as universities claim that students of color bring needed diversity of thought to an

academic institution, so do professors of color. They can provide insights into marginalized communities’ experiences not covered by the academic literature.

Not only has it been shown that having higher interaction with professors of color helps build empathy and exposes students to new perspectives, but it also shows an increase in retention rates, especially in students of color.

Additionally, for students of color, particularly those who may be the first in their families to attend college or

university, professors of color can also often act as mentors and role models. For many faculty, these roles as mentors can become a second job. The lack of diversity in these institutions often forces professors to overextend their responsibilities to the institutions and their students.

Unconscious prejudices and stereotypes may also be reinforced by a lack of diversity in the faculty, which may affect decisions about tenure, promotion, and hiring. As such, there is an increasing need for faculty members to represent the diverse student body.

If universities seek to continue seeking out and profiting off their students of colors and images, they should also present a diverse faculty equipped to understand their student body.

The need to secure our gatherings

I am off the clock.

Disney in the end. example for color to audiremakes that happen such as “Tinker Bell,” more diversity bigger projects it pathways up for to become an also showcase talent by allowaudition regardbackground. Also, people of color do this world dethey couldn’t deserves the right can become Disney princolor of someshouldn’t stop them

With my first apartment lease signed and summer internship secured, the thought of experiencing my first ever Milwaukee summer consumes my every day with excitement.

Imagining lazy afternoons at Bradford Beach, indulging in the atmosphere of Summerfest and cheering on the Brewers — my mind paints a vibrant picture of how I’ll spend my time when

Amidst the anticipation, a rather harsh reality also fills my mind: exercising caution and the unfortunate truth of having to worry if the events that I will attend are as safe as possible.

Ten years ago, last Monday, I recall driving into Boston to watch my uncle run the 2013 Boston Marathon.

I didn’t know it then, but this marathon would be different — one that would not only shock the world, but change the way I and many other people look at public events. Nobody expected two pressure cooker bombs to explode within 12 seconds of each other at the finish line of the world’s oldest and most elite marathon. But here is where the problem lies, nobody expected it.

As I look back to the 2013 Boston Mara-

thon bombing, I am reminded that tragedies can strike at any moment, even at the most elite and historic events. Sadly, this is a reality that still holds true today, as we have seen an alarming increase in mass shootings in just the first few months of this year. It’s clear that we need to take proactive steps to ensure the safety of our public gatherings.

For Milwaukee, the city has certainly taken it seriously after last year’s shooting at the Milwaukee Bucks’ Deer District. The city is now enacting extra patrol units around the area and hiring safety ambassadors who will be in charge of being extra observant and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.

It is this kind of proactive action that can inspire other organizations and event organizers to follow suit.

Nevertheless, these actions need to be preventative measures as opposed to reactions to the past. It is not enough to wait until a tragedy occurs to go above and beyond in terms of safety preventative measures.

It is time for all of us to prioritize safety and security in our public spaces, and work together to ensure that everyone can enjoy the events and activities we love

without fear.

However, it takes the work of citizens and government leaders to collaborate to continue to enact efforts that can prevent situations like the Boston Bombing and the Deer District shooting.

Looking back at the Boston Marathon, CCTV cameras and facial recognition software were key in helping locate the two bombers. Technology shows time and time again that it can assist in not only identifying someone who has already carried out a violent attack, but also giving the opportunity for people to watch events live and look for any suspicious activity.

On top of that, the technology of metal detectors should continuously be used at more events.

While some may make the argument that additional efforts could create a sense of hyperawareness and overprotective measures, we have to come together and prove that a safe mindset is better than an unsafe mindset.

It is adapting efforts like these that will allow for both myself and others to enjoy our summers and be safe at the same time.

While some may argue that

increased safety measures can instill fear in people, the reality is that we must prioritize safety over convenience. We cannot afford to wait until a tragedy occurs before taking action. It’s time to continue enacting tighter restrictions, more rules, and more preventative measures to ensure that we can continue to enjoy events without fear, not just today, but for years to come. Together we can create a safer and more secure future for our communities.

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.

“I didn’t know it then, but this marathon would be different — one that would not only shock the world, but change the way that I and many other people look at public events. ”

TJ Dysart

TJ Dysart is the content coach at the Marquette Wire. He can be reached at theodore.dysart@marquette.edu

Marquette Wire Stock Photo

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

Q&A with incoming WBB graduate student guard

Hottinger named 2022-23 Patriot League Player of Year

By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu

It only takes viewing one highlight reel to know what former Lehigh University guard Frannie Hottinger can bring to the Marquette women’s basketball program next season.

The 2022-23 Patriot League Player of the Year has a 3-level scoring ability and can dominate the glass to get boards. She also facilitates the ball well in transition and can stretch the floor for the Golden Eagles.

She announced her commitment to Marquette in an Instagram post April 17.

Last week, Hottinger took a few minutes to speak with the Marquette Wire.

Q. Why Marquette?

I had a great experience at Lehigh, but there’s a lot of growth opportunity when you put yourself in a new environment. Talking to Coach Duffy and the other people on the coaching staff, I can tell they’re competitive and want to win, which is awesome. They’re also going to help me develop as a player and person, and hanging out with

the team, it just seemed like a great group of girls that I would love to compete with and win with. It’s definitely nice that it’s close to home and Marquette University’s a great college.

Q. What about head coach Megan Duffy’s system excites you?

They run hard in transition, play fast, which I’m used to. They focus on getting stops on defense as a team and getting real big team stops which is fun to play. As a stretch three, four, mostly four in the system, I would have the ability to use the versatility that I have as a player, whether it be around the rim and the mid range or a little bit further out.

Q. What was the recruiting process like?

It was stressful but Marquette was always near the top or at the top of my list from the getgo after my first call with Justine (Raterman) on the coaching staff. That was awesome to have.

Q. You mentioned that Justine was the first person to reach out to you. What’s your relationship with her like?

It made me happy when she reached out to me and when I got to talk to her, which wasn’t always the case with all the other coaches. Made me feel super

comfortable, super confident. I know I’d be working with her a lot with my position, so that excites me. She’s someone that you want to win for and that you want to work with and get better for.

Q. When are you planning to get out to Milwaukee?

As soon as possible after I graduate, but I know I’ll be here in the summer for summer sessions. I think around June 4.

Q. What do you want to work on this summer before the season starts?

Everyone in the Big East is definitely a little bit bigger, faster and stronger than in the Patriot League. I want to work on getting better in those areas. Getting comfortable with the system that the team runs in terms of their offensive system. Working on the defensive, quickness and fastness of the Big East. Being able to try and ease the transition from the Patriot League to the Big East as much as I can during the summer by putting in extra work and by working with my team and picking their brains and the coaches’ brains.

Q. You mention how the Big East is a different ball game from the Patriot League. How excited are you to play against some of these nationally ranked programs?

I’m super excited. I know in non-conference, we’ve played some Big East games at Lehigh. I’ve played against Villanova and Seton Hall, so I know that kind of pace and style, which makes me feel confident but also know that they’re great. There’s a lot of great players in this league. It’s a competitive league and every day you have to show up and bring your best

THIS ALBRIGHT COACHING

Photos courtesy of Lehigh University Athletics

Hottinger averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season.

and I’m excited to visit some new schools I’ve never been to and hopefully it gets some good wins.

Q. You and Liza played together before college on the AAU circuit in Minnesota. What will it be like playing with her again?

I’m super excited to play with Liza (Karlen). It was nice to have her throughout this recruiting process too because you want to get it right with your fifth year, you only have one year left. So it was nice because I could trust her as a friend to tell me what her experience at Marquette was like and that made me feel confident to visit and to get on campus and really pursue it further. I’m really excited to play with her again. She’s such a great teammate and friend and supporter. I think she’ll help make me better just by being around her.

Q. How will your experience help the younger Marquette team?

Although I haven’t played in the Big East, I do have four years of college basketball under my belt. I hope to bring some leadership in terms of

knowing how to communicate on the basketball floor, knowing how to work hard and being able to bring my experience to push other people and to push myself.

Q. How will your three level scoring ability help Marquette?

I hope that can help stretch the floor a little bit for Marquette and help bring a little bit of a versatile and agile post presence to them, which I think can be hard to guard at times. If you had to sum up your game for Marquette fans, what should they be excited about when watching you play?

I’m a hard worker. I will do anything to get boards around the floor and I bring versatility around the basket and some finishing ability that could help us all as a team.

Q. What do you want to accomplish as a Golden Eagle?

I’d love to help the team win. I would love to grow as a player and a person while also be able to be on a team where we’re winning and celebrating each other as teammates.

4/28

MLAX vs Denver Valley Fields Senior Night

NEWS

The Green Bay Packers traded 4-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets Monday afternoon.

Green Bay will receive pick No. 13 in this year’s NFL Draft, a 2023 2nd and 6th round pick and a conditional 2024 2nd round pick.

New York will receive Rodgers, pick No. 15 in this year’s draft and a 2023 5th round pick.

Ellie Henry WLAX No. 34

Senior defender Ellie Henry was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week. Henry totaled 19 draw controls, three ground balls and one caused turnover in Marquette’s two road games this past week.

communicate floor, knowhard and bemy experience people and to your three ability Marquette?

help stretch bit for Marbring a little and agile post which I think guard at times.

sum up your Marquette fans, what excited about you play?

worker. I will do boards around bring versatility and some fincould help us you want to a Golden Eagle? the team win. grow as a player while also be able where we’re celebrating each teammates.

COLUMN

As you read this, you’re probably thinking, “At least Shaka actually knows about the sport he coaches.”

TRACK & FIELD

Gearing up for Big East meet

When Ted Lasso, manager of fictional club AFC Richmond in the television show “Ted Lasso,” brought his entire team down to a sewer as a metaphor for ignoring the critics, I thought one thing: This is something Marquette men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart would do.

Smart has preached the importance of relationships and growth as a team from within in his two years at the helm of the Golden Eagles.

In my little time at Marquette, I have grown fond of Smart and his somewhat cheesy habits, like having his players write down how they want to help their teammates on a piece of paper and put it into a water pitcher so “they can pour into each other.”

Or how he hands out dominoes after each game to the players he feels exemplified the “domino effect” in that given game.

There are many more Smartisms or culture building activities that Smart does, but everything culminates under his belief of building something up together as one.

Sounds a lot like Lasso right? And his importance of relationships and “belief?”

Lasso makes it a point to know every member of the team, including the kit man and waterboy, something that had not been a priority to his predecessor. He always remembers birthdays and stories about people. But most of all, he cares about who everyone is beyond the pitch.

If that isn’t Smart-esque, I don’t know what is.

And you’d be right.

Smart is very knowledgeable about basketball, whereas Lasso is incredibly stupid in regards to soccer, to the extent that he didn’t know draws existed in the sport until after he was hired as head coach.

But that doesn’t mean the similarities do not exist. Both coaches wholeheartedly believe that a successful program is one that has been built up to be great, and developing players around a unified system is better than getting the flashiest player who has a lot of stars next to his name.

They also both work tirelessly to form a relationship between management and the team’s players and staff.

Lasso has spent hours in his boss Rebecca Welton’s office and even pushed her to come to the dressing room after games. The AFC Richmond players are also always happy to see her, even letting out a big cheer when she walked onto the team bus in the latest episode.

Smart, likewise, always made sure Marquette University President Michael Lovell was involved in the men’s basketball games. When the Golden Eagles won the Big East Tournament in New York City, Smart ensured that Lovell got a piece of the net after the game.

I have no idea if Smart has watched “Ted Lasso,” or what his thoughts on the upbeat and happy coach from Kansas City are, but I do know that there are similarities between the two.

So, as you watch the final six episodes of the Emmy Award winning comedy about a goofy coach with weird but meaningful -isms, try and count how many times you find yourself saying, “That’s something Shaka would do.” Because I bet it will be a lot.

Golden Eagles head to Drake Relays to prepare for postseason

By Benjamin Hanson benjamin.hanson@marquette.edu

Marquette Track & Field has been competing in the Drake Relays since Olympian Ralph Metcalfe competed in the event back in the 1930s. This year, the Golden Eagles will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to use the event as a stepping stone toward next month’s Big East Championships.

Graduate student distance runner Emily Noone said she has been watching the Drake Relays since she was little, as it holds a historic spot throughout collegiate Track & Field.

“It’s crazy to think that when I was a kid I’d be watching it on TV and now I’m in college racing in it,” Noone said. “It’s a super cool event and when you go to the university, it’s like a big holiday with such an amazing legacy and history behind it.”

Along with the celebration, senior sprinter Julian Wright said this is a time for the athletes to push themselves against tougher competition.

“What Drake does is gives us a chance to actually see competition that we would never see,” Wright said. “It gives us a chance to get pulled by others or drop some faster times because of the level of teams we face. We want to be able to perform and step up to that stage and make it known that just because we go to Marquette doesn’t mean we’ll be losing to anyone.”

As the season nears its end, head coach Bert Rogers said this meet serves as extra practice for the Big East Championships.

“There are a couple of events that would be nice to be able to run fast at Drake and sort of have that under our belt as we’re headed towards the Big East,” Rogers said. “There’s a couple of those relay races that we haven’t been able to piece together, so I’m hoping we can get a good one in out there along with the other non-traditional relays.”

Noone said with a high level of competition to be expected at the meet, it will push her to be at her best.

performances have been at bigger meets when I have a little bit more pressure and competition to push me,” Noone said. “The Drake Relays are definitely a perfect environment for that kind of stuff and to even be a

a fast turnover, but it’s something that helps us prepare,” Wright said. “Those back to back days competing at Drake are just like conferences where we’re competing back to back too. The similarity and short time difference between those two events help a lot.”

Following the Drake Relays, April 26-29, Marquette will compete in the Wisconsin Classic in Madison the weekend after before the Big East Championships May 11-13.

Rogers said with a quick turnaround between meets, it will allow his team to ride a wave of momentum and use pieces from each of their last two meets before the conference championships at Villanova University.

Julian

simulation for tougher Big East competition.”

Rogers said the competition is very different from any others that they encounter throughout the season.

“For a lot of the track event people, it’s going to be a weekend where they’re doing very minimal individual stuff,” Rogers said. “The vast majority are running relays we don’t usually see outside of this meet, so the team does get excited to do those different kinds of things and try to put their names up in the record books.”

Wright said that because of this meet, the team is able to carry over key aspects that it can use to its advantage at the end of the season.

“It’s hard with it being such

“We really want to be starting to hit our peak at this point at Drake and then we’ll go to Madison next week to kind of tune up any last minute race stuff we want to address so that we’re prepared for the Big East,” Rogers said. “There’s sort of this month long stretch that has a rhythm to it of being able to compete, relax a little and then be faced with go time.”

Wright said the momentum of the last month in the season is a huge tool to help get athletes prepped for competition at the Big East Championships.

“Especially for the Big East, the Drake Relays and Madison are priming us to get so many people into the finals, get so many more points, medals, podiums and pictures of happy faces,” Wright said.

“I think for Big East, with the preparation we’ll be able to do, we’ll be able to get top three. I really can see it.”

@JackAlbrightMU

“All of my best

Jack Albright ing journalism. He is a sports reporter covering women’s basketball and women’s tennis.

THIS WEEK: ALBRIGHT ON COACHING

...just because we go to Marquette doesn’t mean we’ll be losing to anyone.”

Wright Senior Sprinter

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics Emily Noone (2) runs in the 2022 Big East Championship meet.

Illustration by Kendal Bell

ROLE: Depth in unit has led to No. 2 offense in nation

Continued from page 16

Those historic numbers for Schumar have led to impressive numbers for the offense as a whole.

Through 15 games, Marquette ranks No. 1 in the nation in shots and shots on goal per game at 38 and 28.5 respectively. Additionally, the Golden Eagles hold the second best scoring offensein the country at 17 goals per game, behind No. 2 Northwestern.

Marquette’s breakout offensive success this season comes after finishing in the Top 40 in several offensive categories last season, including No. 25 in scoring.

Schumar said the jump has

started back before the team played their first game.

“It honestly started since the first day of practice in the fall, our class really emphasized that this is the year for the Big East championship,” Schumar said. “We need to buy in, we need to do the extra work, this has to be it.”

While putting in the hard work, Schumar has been able to balance that with her fun and goofy personality.

On the sidelines of every game, Wolf said Schumar is doing more than just getting ready for the game.

“She’s dancing, she’s telling jokes and she’s having fun,”

Wolf said.

Schumar said it’s all just part of who she is.

“I always tell the coaches thank goodness, especially Caitlin (Wolf), you let me be goofy and weird,” Schumar said.

Senior midfielder Lydia Foust said Schumar’s loose and positive attitude has spread throughout the rest of the offensive group.

“It’s been huge for us this year,” Foust said. “We have all the confidence in the world that if someone makes a bad decision, whether it’s me shooting a horrible shot or Schoo (Schumar) throwing in a feed that maybe she shouldn’t, we know that the next play that person is gonna try to be better. We all are so connected and (we) are having fun when we’re down there.”

Through that belief and positivity, Schumar said it has created a selfless offense.

“It doesn’t matter who scores or who has the best game mentality and I’ve never felt that in my four years playing at Marquette for an offense,” Schumar said. “Each different game someone has stepped up. As long as we win as a team, we’re all in (and) it has been growing in that field more than it ever has in the past

MEN’S

GOLF

four years.”

Eight different players currently have scored 10 or more goals this season, with Foust leading the charge with 51 netters.

Wolf said the versatility of Marquette’s offense has given teams trouble when trying to execute their game plans.

“I’m always talking to Jill (Rizzo), our defensive coordinator and (ask) ‘What would you do? What do you pick as our biggest strength?’” Wolf said. “That puts teams in a really tough position because it’s hard to have a defense that can protect against everything.”

Foust said the Golden Eagles scoring depth proved to be a challenge for then-No. 24 UConn April 15, when the Golden Eagles scored 10 first half goals.

Marquette enters the final week of the regular season currently tied for first place with Denver at a 14-1 overall record and 3-0 Big East record. It’s the first time the Golden Eagles have been opened league play at 3-0.

Despite breaking many offensive records this season, Wolf said the unit hasn’t reached its peak yet.

“The sky is the limit for this group and that is what is really exciting,” Wolf said. “We’ve never

made it past the Big East semifinals, so that’s step one to get to and win the Big East championship. I have so much trust that this team is going to leave everything they have in this season.”

Marquette finds itself in an unprecedented situation come Saturday’s regular season finale against No. 3 Denver as it has a chance to lock up its first Big East regular season title.

Schumar said with this on the line, she is focusing on keeping the same level of energy from each game this season.

“Before every game it’s always ‘Mary just have fun’ because that’s why you’re here,” Schumar said. “I always just try to bring that whether it’s dancing on the sidelines or picking up my jacket, but (just) having that fun mentality.”

Thailand native excels on green with Bailey’s squad

Senior golfer’s swing speed is byproduct of his work ethic

By Trevor Hilson trevor.hilson@marquette.edu

The average PGA Tour pro’s ball speed off the tee is 171.

Marquette men’s golf senior Bhoom Sima-Aree looked at a number way past that in an attempt to become one of the longest players off the tee in the country.

“When the COVID-year hit, I went back to Thailand and started progressing on my swing speed,” Sima-Aree said. “I gained forty pounds and started using speed sticks, which helped me gain thirty yards off the tee.”

Marquette head coach Steve Bailey said enhancing the redshirt first-year’s swing speed was one of his telescope, or bigger picture, goals.

“He had target numbers for speed gains in his swing,” Bailey said. “He wanted to get

to 200 miles an hour for ball speed. It took a lot of heart, and he can tell you that success is a byproduct of his daily work.”

Hundreds of swings and even a broken driver later, he achieved his goal at the start of this season.

Sima-Aree’s length off the tee has always impacted his amateur career, and he uses it to his advantage on the course.

“I have been one of the longest hitters in Thailand since I was young,” Sima-Aree said. “I have an ideology in my mind where if I hit it far, I will have a better strokes-gained tee to greens number. So if I hit it far enough, I’ll have a shorter distance to the pin, which is an advantage, because it’s easier to control my wedges over longer clubs like eight irons.”

The Nonthaburi, Thailand native came to Marquette a veteran in tournament experience, which he displayed to the world during his accomplished amateur career in Thailand. In his first pro event in 2016, CHANG

Ongkark Championships, he finished as the top amateur in the field. Then a few years later, he finished 18th overall in the Junior Golf Scorecard’s 2019 class.

After a strong career in Thailand, Sima-Aree wanted to come to the United States to play college golf.

“I have been playing tournaments since I was 12, which is how I started to gain interest from colleges,” Sima-Aree said. “I finally met Coach Bailey in my senior year of high school.”

Sima-Aree said when he transitioned to the United States and collegiate golf, he had to adapt to longer courses and different weather climates.

“In Thailand, we only have Bermuda grass, and with limited landscape on the golf course, they are straightforward,” Sima-Aree said. “Solid tree lines along the fairways and wide open courses. Different golf courses and grasses here in the States make playing here tougher; the variety has been good

preparation for my career.”

Graduate student Tyler Leach said he remembers how SimaAree had to adjust to the United States’ course conditions in his first year.

“It took work. I know it’s hot in Thailand, but not windy,” Leach said. “Coming to Wisconsin in the fall, he struggled to play in the wind because he could just hit these high golf shots in Thailand, and the wind wouldn’t affect him. One of his biggest transitions was learning to flight his golf ball and keep it under the wind.”

Now a veteran on the team, Sima-Aree uses his amateur and professional tournament history to keep him locked in for the Big East tournament.

“The Big East tournament is intense because it determines if you go to a regional,” SimaAree said. “It gives me the same feeling as Q-school (qualifying school). You won’t pass the first stage if you don’t get into the top 35 at Q-school. It is the same mentality in the Big East,

if you don’t win, you don’t move on.”

Bailey said Sima-Aree’s strong competition level in all his tournaments has prepared him for the Big East tournament and beyond.

“Any time you can get into a competitive arena, it’s a barometer for your game,” Bailey said.

“You can do all the practices in the world, but it will never prepare you for tournament golf. You have to get out there and feel those feelings in that arena. With our schedule, [Bhoom] is playing against the best players in the world; he’s faced tougher talent in our collegiate schedule than I would say in his professional schedule.”

Sima-Aree said attending QSchool is only the start of his biggest telescope goal.

“I’m glad I attended QSchool early because if I can pass, I can move one step closer to making a living off the game of golf. I want to compete in the States and play professionally,” Sima-Aree said.

Marquette celebrates after a goal in its win at Georgetown April 1.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

MAN: Emmanuel utilizes biomechanics in research

Continued from page 16 Big East semifione to get to East championmuch trust that this leave everything season.” itself in an situation come season finale Denver as it has a its first Big East with this is focusing same level each game game it’s always fun’ because here,” Schumar try to bring that dancing on the sidemy jacket, but fun mentality.”

cally look at the face off and see how it just helps us,” Rios said. “When we try something new, he finds something that might work a little bit better.”

Senior face-off specialist Luke Williams said Emmanuel helps to bring a level of out-of-the-box thinking to face-off technique that others don’t have.

“It definitely helps in bringing a newfound creativity to his game,” Williams said. “He’s not afraid to try new things on and off the field. I think it’s cool to see just the creative aspect he brings.”

In addition to the numbers game of physics, Emmanuel is also a part of The Grape Street Collective, a band that he started with another Marquette student, Genevieve Kulla. The band is signed to with Unrivaled Records and recently released their newest song, “Dive Right In,” back

on April 13.

Rios said the team received the new song well.

“I actually heard it before in the fall when he was still making it so it was pretty cool,” Rios said. “Our coach sent it in our group chat and it was cool to see another song come out.”

Williams said it’s important to be able to have an interest outside of lacrosse, as it helps to build connections with teammates.

“He’s found a group of guys that are interested in like playing guitar and instruments,” Williams said. “He’s had them come over to his place and play songs together, hang out and get to know each other.”

In addition to the jam sessions, Emmanuel said he’s also teaching some of his teammates and coaches how to play the guitar.

“Mason (Woodward), Noah

(Verlinde), Rios and Lucas Lawas came over and we did guitar lessons and a couple jam sessions. It was really fun,” Emmanuel said. “I am teaching Joey Artinian, our Director of Operations, how to play and he has made a ton of progress.”

Emmanuel said teaching and coaching are two passions of his.

During the summers, he coaches for an organization called Faceoff Factory that hosts clinics across the country. Emmanuel said he’s coached in Missouri, Indiana and this summer will be going up the West Coast. Currently, he said he’s working with a group of kids based in Milwaukee.

“Every Sunday, I do sessions with like a group of kids. I have been working with them for a couple of months

now and five of those kids are in the top 10 face-off guys in the Midwest right now, so that’s really cool,” Emmanuel said. “A couple of them hadn’t even started facing off until this year, which is really fun.”

Emmanuel said he helps out the other guys during games with notes and strategies.

“He (Williams) would come off him and I would talk about

like what his move would be for the next face-off would be,” Emmanuel said. “That shows that we have a lot of trust because he was asking me my perspective. I have the iPad out looking at the film and I tell him what to do with that.”

With graduation looming, Emmanuel will soon have to face off against the demands of the future.

“I’m going to try to test the coaching path. I want to test out college coaching,” Emmanuel said. “Also, this research that I’m doing. It’s a pretty new field but in the MLB right now, teams will hire analysis guys to look at like swing angle, impact and all this pretty high level stuff, but it involves physics and it’s improving the game a lot. The research that I’m doing directly feeds into that field.”

Photos courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Lacrosse’s Renaissance Man

Ranked Top 25

Black’s crew earns first ever national ranking,

comes in at No. 24

By John Leuzzi john.leuzzi@marquette.edu

For the first time in program history, Marquette women’s lacrosse is nationally ranked.

The Golden Eagles, who have been receiving votes since April 10, made a showing at No. 24 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Top 25.

Here is what you need to know on the Golden Eagles:

• Marquette’s 15 overall wins are the most wins in program history.

Senior pays it forward in coaching role with Faceoff Factory

By John Gunville john.gunville@marquette.edu

Ground-breaking researcher. Band member. Coach. Rock climber. Photographer. Owner of the highest career faceoff win percentage in Marquette men’s lacrosse history.

This list of epithets worthy of any historic hero belongs to none other than senior face-off specialist Cole Emmanuel.

Emmanuel is majoring in physics and working with Marquette professors on a research project on top of his full-time schedule as a student-athlete.

“We’re studying the biomechanics of face-offs,” Emmanuel said. “One professor from the department, Dr. Vigil, she comes to every game. She has a press pass, she sits on the midline with a super, super high-speed camera, NFL quality, and films every single face off.”

Having experienced major changes prior to the 2015 season and the 2021 season, face-

offs are still being figured out by both the NCAA and by face-off specialists. Emmanuel’s study will be the first of its kind.

“There hasn’t been a single scientifically credible analysis of the position ever,” Emmanuel said. “The first thing you do when you’re doing this level of a research project is you look at similar projects. You look at how they analyze things, what methods you can use and there’s just not a single one.”

Junior face-off specialist Luke Rios said Emmanuel’s analytical approach is

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

a welcome addition to the face-off room.

“It’s very helpful the approach he has to it because we’re able to really analyti-

See MAN page 15

• With its 12-8 win at Villanova Sunday, Marquette secured its eighth road win of the season. It is the first time in program history that the Golden Eagles finished with a perfect 8-0 road record.

• The Golden Eagles are one of six teams in the nation with one or fewer losses this season.

Marquette will round out its regular season Saturday at 12 p.m. CST against No. 3 Denver at Valley Fields. With a win, the Golden Eagles will clinch their first Big East regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big East Tournament.

Schumar serves ‘quarterback’ role on WLAX

Attacker has broken two single-season records this year

By Jackson Gross jackson.gross@marquette.edu

While standing behind the goal with the ball in her stick, senior attacker Mary Schumar reads the defense like an NFL quarterback, trying to anticipate an open teammate through a crowd of defenders.

Then, Schumar sees senior attacker Shea Garcia break open to which she fires a pass

and Garcia puts it in the back of the net.

The crowd cheers and those on the Golden Eagles break into their celebration dances.

“She’s our quarterback, the ball goes through her hands more than anybody else,” Wolf said. “She’s our biggest decision maker and she sees everyone ahead of her.”

Schumar has been able to become that quarterback for the women’s lacrosse team through her improved decision making from a year ago.

“One thing we have really

worked on her with is walking that line of taking risks but no turning the ball over too much,” Wolf said. “She’s gotten so much better at that this year (and) that’s what has separated herself (from others).”

Those improvements have led to a historic season for Schumar this year.

Schumar has broken two all-time single season records this season for points (84) and assists (65) against then-No. 24 UConn April 15 and Ohio State April 4 respectively.

See ROLE page 14

Cole Emmanuel (20) ranks second amongst all Golden Eagles faceoff specialists for faceoff win percentages this season at .571.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

He’s not afraid to try new things on and off the fi eld.”

Luke Williams

Senior Faceoff Specialists

Students continue to feel aftermath of convocation

Reflecting on the consequences of August demonstration

By Julia Abuzzahab julianna.abuzzahab@marquette.edu

Nearly eight months after the original New Student Convocation Aug. 25 2022, some of those who participated in the demonstration are still affected by the aftermath.

Nearly 15 minutes before the convocation started, ten students holding signs walked in front of the stage demonstrating in an effort to hold Marquette accountable for how students of color are treated on campus and by administration. The students eventually made their way to the stage, still staying silent, but started chanting later into the demonstration.

Their demonstration resulted in all of the students being sent through the student code of conduct process because they violated Marquette’s demonstration policy.

Eventually, Marquette ended up postponing the event due to the demonstrators’ “disruptive nature.”

The student conduct process responds to violations of the standards of conduct. Students are sent a letter specifying the charges as well as a date, time and location for a student conduct hearing.

The demonstrators’ original punishment was a $300 fine, a written apology letter, 20 hours of community service and to write

an educational program on the demonstration policy. On top of that, all were placed on probation which forced student leaders to step down from their positions.

Two of the participants of the demonstration were the first all-Black ticket in Marquette University Student Government history: Bridgeman Flowers, a junior in the College of Education and former president of MUSG and Samari Price, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and former executive vice-president of MUSG. Both were forced to step down from their positions as a result of being placed on probation.

Flowers said the entire conduct process lasted from September until around the end of October.

Despite being on stage for about an hour, Flowers said he never have imagined that the effects of his actions would still impact him months later. He said the demonstration became bigger than anything he thought it was ever going to be.

“Your one little situation can impact an entire university of thousands and thousands of people. I just feel like that really grounded power but also you never realize how impactful you can be until you’re in that situation,” Flowers said.

When the demonstrators decided to go on the stage, Price said it was just a bunch of students who were tired and wanted to better the experiences of people of color on

Marquette’s campus.

“Every institution that you can think of there’s always going to be some underlying flaw of it. I feel like as students of color, it’s always hard to find people that can get our input on stuff but also advocate for us when we aren’t in those spaces. And because of a lot of the vacancies that Marquette has makes it hard for people to advocate for us the way that we need them to,” Price said.

Another student who demonstrated, Teresa Godinez, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, also didn’t expect the situation to go as far as it did and found that it was difficult to navigate campus post convocation. She said it was difficult to stay in an environment where she didn’t feel wanted in the first place.

“The question always comes up, ‘Are you proud to be at Marquette?’ and I found that question to be very hard whenever people would ask,” Godinez said. “Is Marquette proud to have me? Is Marquette proud to have us? And at that moment, and just all the aftermath of going through conduct and stuff, it definitely didn’t feel that way.”

At the end of the day, Godinez said the demonstration was them being student leaders and sticking up for what they thought was right. Godinez said that within itself is empowering — sticking to their own morals and values and standing their ground.

Nadxely Sanchez, a senior in

the College of Arts & Sciences, said when she and the others were at the demonstration, she hoped administration would want to have a conversation about their frustrations. She didn’t expect them to be sent through the code of conduct process.

“Convocation … just for the duration that it was, I didn’t see that the response that we got [from the university] was equivalent to what happened,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said she suffered a panic attack during her conduct hearing, which administration dismissed until her advisor spoke up.

Each student going through the hearing process is allowed to bring an advisor. The student must alert either the hearing officer or the Student Conduct Board chair in writing at least two days prior to the hearing. An advisor could be a staff or faculty member, friend, family member or resident assistant.

Now, Sanchez said she is scared to go to the Alumni Memorial Union and other areas on campus. She said there’s a lot of setbacks the conduct process has created because she’s scared the university will extend her probation or do something above probation, like expulsion — which she is held to until after graduation.

Compared to the duration Godinez was on the stage to the length of her conduct hearing, she said it was much longer.

“It was intended to be an educational process, yet it felt

very dehumanizing, treating us like criminals, treating us like we did something horrible,” Godinez said. “I wish no student of color to ever go through those hearings the way that we did. Just the emotional distress that I felt before the conduct hearing, after … and waiting for the news was a different type of anxiety.”

Ultimately, Godinez said she was very careful disclosing information to other students because she feared retaliation from the university.

Flowers said probation will last until May 26 and started the day the ten of them received their conduct letter.

Flowers also said the students all received different punishments.

Flowers and Price received suspension abeyance, meaning if they do anything against the rules before probation ends, they would be suspended for an entire year. Suspension would mean having to withdraw from classes and not being able to apply for classes for the following semester.

“It’s also even weirder because the punishment that we got [Flowers and Price] they said was designed for people who commit drug violations and alcohol violations, so to equate what we did to that,” Flowers said. “They say it’s for people who committed it repetitively … but this is the first time we’ve ever been on conduct and this is the punishment they

MU students participated in a demonstration at New Student Convocation last August. Students involved were subject to discplinary action and forced to step down from leadership roles.

Photo by Hope Moses hope.moses@marquette.edu

CONVOCATION: Speaking on trauma of process

Continued from page 1A

gave us.”

Kevin Conway, university spokesperson, said Marquette University cannot comment on the student code of conduct process, as it is confidential.

Although Godinez and Price were charged with the same thing, Godinez said she doesn’t have “suspension with abeyance” on her report so she questions what was different.

Flowers and Price said the difference in punishments wasn’t the only thing weird about the conduct process. Flowers also said how administration decided to split them up for the hearing was confusing.

“All the Latinx students went on the same day. Some of them went together, but the Black students went back-to-back on different days,” Price said. “It was to the point where me and one of my peers, we could’ve went together, because … mine was first, his was next, but mine went so much over that it infringed on his.”

Flowers said when they decided to appeal the conduct decisions, only one of the consequences was rescinded: the $300 fine.

“We still don’t understand what happened,” Sanchez said. “Even this semester I’m learning new details I didn’t know and that makes me question the whole process and the thing is too we were all kind of charged with the same thing but there was different levels of punishment.”

Price said they also asked for a more restorative justice approach that was dismissed in their appeals, despite having the Center for Peacemaking and other diversity and inclusion committees supporting them.

“I just questioned like ‘Well what are we doing with those committees? What are we doing with those resources that we’re able to have Black and brown students put on probation for a year,’ and Black students being put on [suspension] with abeyance, even though we all did the exact same act but some got punished harsher than others,” Price said.

To process the conduct procedure, Sanchez said she has started long-term therapy and found safe spaces on campus, such as campus ministry, but staying off campus has also been helpful.

“When I can, I go to a coffee shop or somewhere that’s not campus. When I have to be here, I have to be here for class, I can’t skip that. But just avoiding Marquette to be honest helps on my end,” Sanchez said.

Flowers responded to Sanchez saying it’s upsetting she feels like she has to avoid Marquette despite paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get an “equal education.”

Flowers said he has also had to

start going to counseling. He said the only people who reached out to check in on him were people of color.

“Even though you might not support what I did or what we did we’re still students at the same time and reaching out to us is doing your job in some sense too,” Flowers said. “I think the lack of that really showed the priorities of the university and certain staff members so that really felt disheartening on my end.”

The administration and staff who walked with them to turn in their appeals helped Flowers work through this time. Flowers said his peers also helped pick each other up but it was also disheartening since they needed to save each other.

“I think based off of the university they’ve learned from this. I think that we’re all still in the process of trying to do that too and learn that the purpose behind it because in reality it didn’t really bring any growth. It just brought more trauma in our lives and it made it where we don’t really have that many resources on campus, so I’m still trying to figure out the part — the larger process that came with it,” Flowers said.

Price said places that were supposed to be “safe spaces” for her, such as the center for engagement and inclusion, were not a comfortable environment post-convocation. She said last semester was one of the most difficult semesters she’s had, and she didn’t know if she wanted to finish.

“If I’m going to be completely honest, nobody from that space [the CEI] reached out to ask if I was okay. None of the administrators there asked if we were okay in

said the main challenge through the conduct process was balancing being a student as well as the emotional trauma she faced.

Godinez said she had even looked at transferring schools and realized that she couldn’t transfer to some universities while on probation or other disciplinary action.

“They basically want you to finish your sentence,” Godinez said. “It sounds really bad, but you can’t do a lot of stuff when you’re facing disciplinary actions.”

Sanchez wonders if things would’ve been different if she went to a school other than Marquette. She also wonders if she would have had a different experience, been a different person or held the trauma that she does today. She said there’s so many “what if’s.”

“When I started my senior year, I was like, ‘I’m gonna have fun, I’m gonna relax with my friends.’ Like, you know, what you see on social media with those white students, I’m gonna go to the block party, I’m gonna go to the bars, because I’m finally of age. I want to have fun. I want to have that traditional senior year. Marquette really said no,” Sanchez said.

Aside from the other nine students involved Godinez said nobody else understood going through the conduct process, so they all relied on each other.

“I would have hoped that we would have bonded through the great things that we had planned and set in our roles in MUSG [with Flowers and Price], but instead we bonded through the trauma that we all went through with this. But at the end of the day, it brought me closer to you two [Flowers and Price] and each and every one of those nine students,” Godinez said.

Leading up to the demonstration, Flowers said although there were many different issues that led them to demonstrate, the biggest was the racism on campus. Flowers said an inspiration to get on the stage was the Black Lives Matter movement. He said if people were going up against the world, he can go up against his university.

Being part of the first allBlack MUSG ticket in Marquette history, Flowers said regardless of that title — he is still going to be an advocate.

responsibility or feel like I’m the one that’s an instigator for wanting to create these problems, because these problems are very much crystal clear in front of you yet many of our peers don’t see it,” Godinez said.

Flowers said since the demonstration occurred in front of first-year students and their families, he fears this process that the demonstrators endured will deter the first-year class from speaking out.

The conduct process, Flowers said, sets that precedent of fear. He said as a leader who will be at Marquette for another year, he wants to be able to tell people to use their power, but also be more conscious than they were to avoid the same consequences.

However, Flowers said he hopes he sends the message that through it all, the ten of them are still alive, breathing, moving and people at the end of the day. Moving forward, Flowers said, shows the power they hold and that they are all going to grow as phenomenal people in the future.

To Flowers, he hopes this will not be the last time Marquette hears his name. Although he said it will be the last time they hear his name attached to probation, he still wants to rebuild the student organizations that are often overlooked.

fear you. Make your voice feel like it can be heard, you can stand up for what you think is right,” Godinez said.

Godinez said she wants students of color to know that they deserve to be at Marquette and that there are spaces for them on this campus. She said she is the leader she is not because of Marquette, but despite it.

Price said she was part of the convocation demonstration to be an inspiration to get involved on campus and carry on the legacy of the initiatives they have been promoting. Even though she is graduating this May, she said she wants to see some of the work she has been involved with continue after she leaves.

“This did not stop my voice at all, in fact it kind of made it worse but it taught me how to reclaim my power and my voice as a Black woman because I was the only one on that stage that day,” Price said.

Sanchez hopes that students will continue to speak up, even through smaller levels such as conversations.

“There’s always going to be that aspect of students speaking up and speaking their truth,” Sanchez said. “There’s going to be generations of Marquette students that might even be stronger than us, who knows.”

fact some of them do not look me in my face when they see me on campus, they turn the other way,” Price said.

However, Price said she’s thankful for the faculty and staff on campus that supported her and the rest of the students by bringing in health-clinicians to talk to them and staying after hours to talk.

Godinez said the professors that helped them showed her what it means to be a true educator. She

“I’m still that person, I am still that student,” Flowers said. “I still come from a long line of people who did not want to just shut up and sit down. So being that, we stepped out and we did what we had to do and we got our punishment and we did it gracefully.”

Whenever people ask Godinez why she focuses on problems, she questions why aren’t they seeing them.

“What is that disconnect that is not allowing you to see the issues that I’m seeing because I can’t be the only one to carry that

“Something I’m starting to tell people is to turn our stories into actions. We’re not just going to go through what we went through and make it as that— make that your power, to go into action and push forward and become something that’s bigger than yourself. Don’t do it in the way that we did it because you saw the reaction — do it in your own way,” Flowers said.

Agreeing with Flowers, Godinez said future generations of students of color seeing the ten of them get punished probably instilled a lot of fear.

“In the sense that if I speak up will I get punished? If I speak up what will happen? And I think the biggest advice to give them is don’t let fear stop you, don’t let those tactics that they like to use

To Sanchez, the entire situation has shown her that she is more capable than what she previously thought despite being a woman, being a first-generation student, being low-income and being Latina. She said she’s realized that she’s powerful and her voice matters.

“When the May 26 day comes and everything is cleared, we still are going to hold this. This is now a lifelong attachment that we’re going to always have and always be triggered by it … If we’re going to hold it, you’re going to hold it. This is a two-way street, It’s your trauma now too … we experienced it and so did this campus along with us,” Flowers said.

Skyler Chun contributed to this report.

I still come from a long line of people who did not want to just shut up and sit down.”

BRIDGEMAN FLOWERS

Junior in the College of Education, former president of MUSG

Flowers and Price were the first all-Black presidential ticket elected. Marquette Wire Stock Photo

TITLE IX: Alum shares support for former director

to you and will answer whatever questions I can, but also know that there may be questions that I cannot answer due to confidentiality requirements. I want to assure you that our first priority is the well-being of all of you and that we will continue to provide you the best academic, internship and residential experience possible.”

He also provided resources for the university’s bias response team and the Marquette Title IX processes. The student said this was the first time O’Brien’s name was acknowledged.

“To echo Chris’ note, my greatest concern is always your well-being as students here at the Center,” Ally Glasford, coordinator of student life and administration for the Les Aspin Center, said in an email to the spring cohort. “If this news is bringing up discomforting or confusing feelings, I am here to support you however I am able.”

The following day, March 8, Murray and Glasford sent another email, offering to meet with students the following Monday, if anyone was interested.

“We had heard rumors. I think everyone’s heard rumors, especially the people who decided to go to the Les Aspin program,” the student said. “It was just kind of nice to see some of those rumors being dispelled because I’m sure things get out of hand, but also just for things to be confirmed and know that at least the university has to kind of do something about it now that people actually know.”

Back at Marquette

Back on Marquette’s campus, the university — some faculty, staff and students — responded to the news with support for the students and other members of the Marquette community.

“We are deeply disturbed by the developments described in the article and want you to know that student’s well-being is our top concern,” Paul Nolette, political science department chair, said in an email to all political science and international affairs students. “These developments also make clear that significant changes at the (Les) Aspin Center are necessary.”

Nollete said the department had been already been in the process of hiring a new Les Aspin Center director.

“However, much more needs to be done, and students will be critical in finding solutions,” Nolette said in the email. “We want you to feel comfortable sharing with us your experiences and ideas for the Center moving forward.”

Marquette University President Michael Lovell and

other university leaders also met with the students in the cases — David Chrisbaum, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Amanda Schmidt, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences — to hear their concerns and discuss potential changes together.

Standing by O’Brien

But while many showed support for the students involved in the Title IX cases, some also shared sympathy for O’Brien.

After hearing about the sexual harassment cases filed against O’Brien, Alex Johnson, a 1993 Marquette alum, said he was unsure what to make of the situation.

“I think that people (college) age are victim-seekers and I think that people find offense very easily these days,” Johnson said. “I’m not saying what happened to (the students) wasn’t offensive, but I think people find offense very easily.”

Johnson said it is hard to judge what happened without knowing the full context or hearing the conversations when it happened, and putting your hand on someone’s back can be interpreted a number of different ways.

“It can be a completely innocent act that happened. It could be something that somebody interpreted as an offensive act, and if somebody is older, the interpretation may have gone the other way,” Johnson said.

“I know he liked to use humor, and so the question is to what extent these conversations were either taken the wrong way or

interpreted the wrong way or interpreted the right way.”

When Johnson had O’Brien as a political science professor at Marquette between 1989 to 1993, he said he was never afraid to ask hard questions or challenge his professors. While Johnson did not attend the Les Aspin Center in Washington D.C. — as he grew up there and wanted to spend time exploring new places away from home — he had O’Brien as a professor several times at Marquette, including courses on interest groups, religion, politics and the U.S. government.

While Johnson said he leans more conservative, he thinks O’Brien was more center or leftof-center politically.

“Some people enjoy sparring and disagreement and conversation, others stray from it. I enjoyed it,” Johnson said. “I like to represent my philosophical, political viewpoint, so that’s what I did in class. In a lot of classes, that was a minority opinion, but I enjoyed having those discussions.”

Johnson said he thinks O’Brien appreciated hearing those different viewpoints and perspectives. The political classroom debates and polar viewpoints eventually led to a long-time friendship between Johnson and O’Brien.

“There are hundreds of people, if not thousands, who have been helped by the work (O’Brien) did by creating the Les Aspin Center,” Johnson said. “I mean it was his sheer force of will to come to D.C. and start with

a summer program and then eventually make it into a yearround program and fund it with building and classes and a residence hall.”

Johnson said he has kept in touch with O’Brien over the past 30 years, whether it was participating in fundraising dinners or events, grabbing lunch or just connecting every now and then.

“I think the program is great because it exposes a lot of people who aren’t from D.C., and who didn’t grow up in politics, to a political system,” Johnson said. “What it’s like to live in D.C., what it’s like to interact with people at the highest levels of government, to learn that craft, to learn the legislative process, to learn the lobbying process, to learn all of that, I mean I think is invaluable. It’s an invaluable part of what the program does.”

After graduating, Johnson worked in politics — working for Republican leaders like Mitt Romney, John McCain and Jack Kemp in the 1990s and 2000s — before transitioning to state lobbying. He also formerly worked for the Republican National Committee and has created the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee. He now works for instate partners.

Johnson said he has since contributed to the Les Aspin Center both financially — with occasional donations — and by connecting students to internships or employment opportunities around the capitol.

“I appreciate the time that I had to spend with O’Brien and I think hundreds of others would have the same opinion that he taught us a lot about the world, about politics, and for that I am grateful,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he hopes he can continue to keep in touch with O’Brien.

“The worst people in the world are those that leave you when things get tough,” Johnson said.

“I hope the Title IX process works out for him. I hope that he finds a soft landing somewhere that he can live out his years and continue his service that he’s done at Marquette and for others and that he’s happy. Those are the things that I wish the most for him.”

As for the Les Aspin Center, Johnson said he hopes it continues to grow and be a prominent part of the Marquette and Washington D.C. community.

Policy Changes

Schmidt and Chrisbaum said the updated set of Title IX regulations, which were created by the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump Administration May 6, 2020, have made the Title IX process

even more emotionally difficult.

“The thing with this is I, in no situation in which I was with (O’Brien), was traumatized in any experience,” Chrisbaum said. “I felt uncomfortable, it was weird, I’ve never had a professor act like that with me. What was traumatizing for me, was the report I had to read that went on for 20 pages about how terrible a person I am.”

Chrisbaum said the legal language changes made it a requirement to read the full transcript of everything O’Brien said and wrote about him in the report. He said the changes have also made it increasingly difficult to understand the fine lines of what constitute a Title IX case, and for students to fully know their rights.

Title IX itself is a single sentence: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

However, while the current legislation is contained in a 2,033 page document, the Obama administration’s rule was 53 pages and the Trump administration’s first pass was 38 pages. This is nearly a 2,000 page difference in the written rules of filing a Title IX case.

For example, the new rule has limited the types of sexual misconduct universities are required to investigate to actions that are “severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.”

Schmidt said she argued that her case was pervasive, as she had heard other students brought cases against O’Brien as well, and argued that the rules do not have to apply to just one person.

The Trump Administration also requires those filing to go through a cross-examination in a live hearing, bringing them face to face with their alleged perpetrator. The only other option is to go through an “informal resolution,” making participation in the Title IX process voluntary for both parties. This means that if an alleged perpetrator does not want to participate in disciplinary proceedings, they have the right to refuse.

While Chrisbaum and Schmidt’s hearings have been pushed back twice due to O’Brien’s medical leave, their current hearing date is May 19.

Chrisbaum was also one of the students asked to sit in on the search committee’s interviews for the top three candidates for the next director of the Les Aspin Center. The next director is expected to be announced the end of the school year.

O’Brien (left) has been working with the Les Aspin Center for over 35 years

Photo courtesy of Marquette Archives

Graduate students look to overcome financial woes

Finding balance between research and teaching at MU

By Jolan Kruse jolan.kruse@marquette.edu

Jannea Thomason, a graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences, used to sit in her class lectures, taking notes next to her then-seven-year-old son whose eyes were fixated on his latest library book.

Thomason is an English major at Marquette planning to become an English professor after graduating with a Ph.D. this spring.

Once Thomason came to graduate school, her husband had to switch from being a parttime to a full-time essential worker at a hardware store so the family would have health insurance, a benefit that is not offered as a graduate student at Marquette University.

With her husband working double the hours he used to, Thomason said she was left with the responsibility of being a full-time student with a fulltime job and doing 75% of the housework.

With no affordable daycare options and no child support, Thomason had no choice but to bring her son to classes.

Douglas Woods, dean of the Graduate School, said the minimum stipend for the graduate school is $17,440 for a nine-month period. However, stipend rates differ among universities for the positions of teacher assistant, resident assistant and graduate assistant. Stipends for these roles can vary depending on the university, Woods said. Marquette falls higher for some and lower for others.

“It is important to keep in mind that assistantships are appointments students get not only to help offset the costs of their education but also provide them with valuable learning opportunities that will help further their education and career,” Woods said in an email. Woods also mentioned that all stipends include full tuition in exchange for 20 hours of work per week for students who work part-time. Full-time students are also given $375 per semester to help with other costs relating to rent or healthcare.

Ben Pladek, an associate professor and director of graduate studies in English, said he thinks graduate students are not paid a livable wage.

A survey that depicts the minimum living wage in Milwaukee shows that stipends for Ph.D. students at Marquette are $10,000 below the minimum

living wage in Milwaukee which is about $33,700.

“This is shamefully inadequate. Marquette must do better,” Pladek said in an email.

Maddy Henry, a graduate student in the College of Communication, said the program has been both amazing and chaotic. Henry is a TA teaching media and society. Henry’s dream job is to become an editor at a publishing company.

“(Graduate school) has definitely been full of ups and downs. My group of teaching assistants came at a time of change. They were rewriting the curriculum, but there’s been a good amount of support, so I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve learned a lot the past two years, and it stretches you to your limits. I found the challenge pretty fun,” Henry said.

Although Henry enjoyed the classroom setting, she said the wage was not one she could live off of once factoring in insurance, rent and food. Henry is currently on her dad’s family health insurance, which is only an option for some students.

However, insurance benefits aren’t the only thing graduate students worry about. Pladek said the stipend rates are also poor.

A survey by the Modern Language Association in 2022 shows that Marquette’s Ph.D.

stipends are among the lowest, even when stipends are adjusted for cost of living.

Woods said that of the universities in the survey, only around 50% submitted their results, leaving him to wonder what the response rate would be if all of the results were submitted.

“Unfortunately, as with everywhere in higher education, we have to work within our budgetary constraints to do the best we can. Ultimately, I am willing to work with departments to determine how we can best utilize the funds we do have to both meet the university mission around graduate education and research, while also being as competitive as possible to attract and support our graduate students,” Woods said in an email.

Sarah Kizuk, a graduate worker in the philosophy department, said that not only are graduate students paid just above the poverty line, but some of them also work beyond their contracted hours. On top of that, Kizuk said that the stipends are taxed and do not follow inflation.

“I can’t speak for everybody, but I don’t know any graduate worker that works only the hours for their contracts. If you want to offer the quality education that Marquette claims to offer, there’s no way to only work for

20 hours which means you’re taking away from your research duties. There’s conflict between the demands of our jobs which we all care about and our own work,” Kizuk said.

This means that instead of hiring full time faculty which consists of increased pay and benefits, the TAs and graduate students are taking on roles that are fundamental for the university without the benefits, Kizuk said. Although Kizuk had proper training when becoming a TA, she said not all graduate workers have that benefit and some are just thrown into teaching classes.

Kizuk also meets with both graduate and undergraduate students on campus towards the effort of unionizing. She said that despite requesting to meet with administration to discuss unionization, it never took place.

Kizuk helped plan a protest outside of Zilber Hall in March of 2021. The protest started on the sidewalk with a speaker commenting on conditions of labor at Marquette before they began their march blocking off 12th and Wisconsin.

They held the blockade for over an hour giving speeches about working conditions for contingent faculty, staff in favor of unionization and demands for racial justice on campus.

“The things that I love the

most at Marquette have been trying to unionize graduate workers, that’s been most rewarding,” Kizuk said. “It goes hand in hand with the most challenging memories. Talking to grad students and hearing the ways they struggle and what they have to do to make ends meet, it’s devastating and infuriating.”

Kizuk has a job as a professor set for next fall after she graduates.

While Henry, Thomason and Kizuk all have different career goals, all sources have one thing in common: They all agree the process of getting their degrees has been a big challenge. However, they also agree fellow staff and students have contributed to a positive experience.

Thomason said although circumstances were tough at times, the support systems she had in place were phenomenal.

The English department currently offers a food pantry for their students, especially for those struggling to have enough money for groceries.

“The staff at Marquette are amazing, they understand the position we’re all in as graduate students and do everything they can,” Thomason said. “If I had to recommend Marquette it would be because of the teachers and the people.”

A survey showed that stipends for Ph.D. students at Marquette are $10,000

below the minimum living wage in Milwaukee which is about $33,700.

Photo by Katie Craig katharine.craig@marquette.edu