The Marquette Tribune | Friday, April 17, 2020

Celebrating 100 years of journalistic integrity

Virus contracted

Student, alum experience symptoms of COVID-19 following trips abroad NEWS, 4

WBB assistants leave

Megan Duffy adds former Penn State coach Itoro Coleman SPORTS, 12

Volume 104, Number 23

Friday, April 17, 2020

WWW.MARQUETTEWIRE.ORG

Budget shortfall Provost says enrollment could decrease 7.5-25%

james.rees@marquette.edu

Marquette is experiencing a $15 million budget deficit from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, top university officials announced in a faculty meeting Tuesday.

The lost revenue is from lack of student housing, meal plan and parking payments, chief operating officer Joel Pogodzinski said. The university announced March 23 that it would provide students with 50% refunds for residence hall costs, meal plans and parking permits. Marquette did not collect parking fees from faculty and staff members who parked in campus structures or lots in April.

University President

By Nick Magrone

nicholas.magrone@marquette.edu

Graphic by Chelsea Johanning chelsea.johanning@marquette.edu

MUPD takes precautions kelli.arseneau@marquette.edu

Although campus is largely empty following the suspension of in-person classes for the remainder of the semester, the Marquette University Police Department is continuing its

Marquette University Student Government officially postponed its spring 2020 elections to the fall semester, according to a Facebook post shared Tuesday.

The new election date for the president, executive vice president and academic senator positions is now slated to occur Sept.

17, with the newly elected representatives to take office Sept. 21.

“It came to our attention that not only was a virtual election logistically challenging, potentially minimizing the interaction between candidates and the undergraduate voting committee, but some candidates would have been at a disadvantage due to COVID-19’s personal impact on themselves and their families,” MUSG said in the Facebook post.

The decision was made by the elections coordinator, who consulted the executive board, according to a university news release. The current elections coordinator is Jimmy Carlton, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences.

“

See SHORTFALL page 2

By Kelli Arseneau

MUSG postpones elections to fall Sara Manjee to remain president until September

By JK Rees

Department adjusts operations due to pandemic

2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 SPJ Award-Winning Newspaper

MUSG President Sara Manjee will remain in her position until the election, while MUSG Executive Vice President Dan Brophy will remain in his position until he graduates this May, “at which point President Manjee will determine whether to appoint an acting EVP until the fall election,” according to the Facebook post.

Manjee and Brophy’s term was originally set to expire April 1 of this year.

This is the second time MUSG has postponed the elections.

When the university made its initial decision to suspend inperson classes until April 10, the elections were postponed to April 23.

After Marquette’s decision to suspend classes for the rest of the semester March 24, Carlton told the Marquette Wire that MUSG was MUSG d e l i b e r a t i n g April 14 statement between keeping the April 23 election date in place — which would make the campaign process entirely virtual — and postponing the election entirely until the 2020 fall semester.

Manjee and Brophy both referred to MUSG’s statement in response to the Wire’s request for interviews.

... some candidates would have been at a disadvantage due to COVID19’s personal impact”

work around campus and its surrounding neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department is taking a variety of precautionary measures during this time, MUPD assistant chief Jeff Kranz said.

He said one of the biggest differences is that the department is no longer sending officers to locations for calls to the station regarding incidents that are not in-progress and have very limited ability for officers to

investigate. Kranz said examples of these instances would be retail theft for an item of small value when no one saw the suspect, or a broken car window, where the victim just needs a police report for insurance purposes. Before the pandemic, MUPD would send a squad to the location for every call, Kranz said. Instead, in those situations police reports are filed over the phone rather

INDEX

NEWS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Online learning

Artists supporting artists From the future

PAGE 6

PAGE 8

CALENDAR......................................................3 MUPD REPORTS.............................................3 A&E..................................................................8 OPINIONS......................................................10 SPORTS..........................................................12

See MUPD page 3

Courses use Microsoft Teams, D2L to continue work

MU music groups support each other through Instagram trend

OPINIONS What the world could look like in the aftermath of COVID-19 PAGE 10

2

News

The Marquette Tribune

Friday, April 17, 2020

SHORTFALL: Certain employees furloughed Continued from page 1 Michael Lovell said the deficit includes Marquette’s use of its emergency funds, although it is unclear how much money this included.

Provost Kimo Ah Yun added that Marquette depends on incoming first-year students for revenue. He said Marquette is facing an estimated 7.5-25% reduction in the overall firstyear class and a retention rate drop of 3%-10%.

Marquette’s first-year class in fall 2019 included 1,974 students, a nearly 8.7% decrease from the previous fall, according to data from the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.

The first-to-second year retention rate was 90% in fall 2018, according to another data set from the same office.

The financial challenges come amid demographic challenges already expected in higher education. Lovell expressed in an August 2019 letter to faculty and staff that Marquette would

undergo a cost management review process to combat the 15-25% decline in college-age students starting in 2026. The decline was predicted in the book “Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education”

by Nathan Grawe, who attributes the loss to decreased births after the 2008 economic recession.

Ah Yun said Marquette plans to increase its financial aid budget by 2-8% to accommodate students and families whose financial situations changed during COVID-19. Nearly 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. People without jobs in essential fields outlined in stayat-home orders are left without normal sources of income, and even those in essential fields may face pay cuts.

Marquette is expecting at least $3 million from the federal coronavirus relief bill, Pogodzinski said. The university must use at least 50% of funds received to

Marquette Wire stock photo

Lovell said MU is not currently considering online courses for the fall.

give emergency financial aid to student borrowers. Money from the relief bill does not include potential stimulus relief checks from the government that might go to students.

The university is placing certain employees — who were pinpointed by department heads, chair holders and deans — on

furlough status beginning April 17, Lovell said. He said these people will be placed on temporary leave due to a lack of available work, diminished ability to do work and because some jobs cannot be performed remotely.

Pogodzinski said furloughed employees will retain their original health care status and

continue to receive coverage for medical premiums.

Ah Yun and Lovell said they are not currently considering online courses in the fall semester. Lovell said the largest factor in deciding whether to reopen campus will be the judgments of health care professionals and hypothetical scenario planning.

With the fall semester four months away, Ah Yun said there is no current plan to ensure social distancing if campus reopens in late August.

Ah Yun said he is committed to meeting daily with a 25-person COVID-19 response team.

He said he meets with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities every 10 days to deliberate and strategize how to handle university issues.

The Tuesday faculty meeting was a forum streamed online from 3-4:30 p.m., headed by Lovell and Ah Yun, who each answered questions in advance from Yasser Khaled, vice chair of Academic Senate.

Counseling Center offers online services Tips share how to cope with stress, social distancing

By Shir Bloch

shir.bloch@marquette.edu

While many across the country and world continue to self-isolate and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Marquette University Counseling Center will provide mental health services for students over the phone while they are away from campus.

Without extracurricular activities, social events or in-person classes, college-age students may be more susceptible to mental illnesses. In a 2017 study, young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of mental illness at 25.8%, compared to adults aged 26-49 years at 22.2% and aged 50 and older at 13.8%, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Students who may be struggling can call the center at (414) 288 7172 as the center is currently not taking physical visits, even for those who live locally.

On its website, the Counseling Center provides resources that include tips for managing stress and coping with social distancing. Among these tips are being patient, establishing new routines and practicing positive self-talk.

The Counseling Center’s website also said that group therapy

will be temporarily closed during this time, though students who participate in group therapy can reach out to their group facilitators by telephone.

There are two phone lines available through the Counseling Center: One is for emergencies and is available at all hours, and the other operates during business hours and is for non-emergency situations.

Director of the Counseling Center Michael Zebrowski said students experiencing a life-threatening mental health or medical emergency should go to the nearest emergency department in their city or call 911.

“Social distancing has been stressful for everyone – students, professors and families,” Zebrowski said in an email. “Students may feel safer and comforted by being at home but of course they would prefer to be on campus, being a normal student and being with friends. At the worst, students may begin to feel isolated.”

Zebrowski said that the Counseling Center knows that many students are struggling with loss of loved ones and financial resources and that “it is important to find comfort in others” such as through virtual interactions with friends or professors.

Another informational page on the Counseling Center website that is aimed at college students comes from The Hope Center, a group that conducts research and provides resources for college

Photo by Jordan Johnson jordan.d.johnson@marquette.edu

Students can receive couseling via phone calls in place of physical visits.

students. It includes information about how to get financial aid, reduce bills, find a place to live and protect one’s health.

Mark Williams, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said he started a routine of waking up, doing his homework and working out. In between, he also leaves time to eat, talk with friends, and play video games, he said.

“I make sure I am keeping up with my classes and still communicating with my friends,” he said. “I always try to stay busy when I am home. I listen to upbeat music in order to have a healthy mind. I always stay optimistic and pray at night in order to keep in touch with God.” Williams also said that he bikes outside and has started to relearn the guitar in his free time.

“I keep up to date in my schedule planner so I know what work I have to do for what day,” Lauren Harrison, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.

“This is especially helpful since most of my classes’ syllabi have changed because of the switch to online. I also try to wake up at the same time I would on an in-person school day so I get myself in the right mind set.”

Harrison added that she has also been catching up with family, watching TV and playing the recently released Animal Crossing New Horizons on her Nintendo Switch.

“The main thing is doing various things to just get my mind off of the pandemic,” she said. “I believe that dwelling on it can put even more stress on the situation,

so finding things to keep you occupied is the best thing to do right now.”

Harrison said she makes sure to text and video chat with her friends, preferring the latter because she said seeing friends’ faces virtually can sometimes feel as though they are are right there with her.

“I know staying at home is tough, but if we all follow the orders to stay home, we can greatly reduce the number of deaths in America,” Williams said. “Together and through God, we will prevail. The coronavirus is a great test of the strength of our society and how well we work under pressure. Soon our lives will be back to normal, but for now, we must stay home in order to help our country.”

Zebrowski said it is important to actively reframe thinking in order to promote good mental health.

“If (students) are feeling burdened by social distancing, they can remind themselves that we are doing this to flatten the curve and safe lives,” he said in an email.

“If they are missing campus and friends, they can remind themselves that this will not last forever and think about other ways to keep in touch.

He said that students should be careful about coping in negative ways, such as through drugs or alcohol.

“Resiliency and good self-care is not a given,” Zebrowski said in an email.

News

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

MUPD: Policing a ‘huge challenge’ Continued from page 1 than in person.

While speaking over the phone to individuals reporting a crime, if an officer believes the situation could benefit from further investigation, they can contact the shift commander to send an officer to the location, Kranz said.

Additionally, the department schedule now has a team of people working from home at all times, making phone calls and receiving phone reports.

Kranz said the purpose is to always keep a team at home and a team on the street in case any officers were to come in contact with the coronavirus and need to be quarantined. He said the schedule of which officers stay home and which come into work alternates.

MUPD is also taking social distancing precautions in the department.

Under normal circumstances, at the beginning of each shift, MUPD employees report to a roll call room, where everyone discusses information such as what happened during previous shifts, training tips and crime trends, Kranz said. However, now officers have a new roll call procedure. Everyone meets in the parking garage in the open air, Kranz said. He said everyone stands with a car between them, and no two officers ride in the same squad car at one time.

“We try to maintain that social distance to make sure that we’re safe even amongst each other,” MUPD sergeant Michael Wichgers said.

While the department has reduced contact with Marquette students, faculty and staff, as most are not on campus during this time, MUPD remains involved in the neighborhoods surrounding campus, Kranz said.

“Over the past five years of us being a police department,

An unknown person forcibly entered and removed property from a secured and unattended vehicle in the 800 block of N. 22nd Street. An investigation is ongoing.

APRIL 13 A person not affiliated with MU reported being battered by another person not affiliated with MU in the 700 block of N. 22nd Street. The subject fled the scene prior to MUPD’s arrival. A warrant was issued for the person.

The Marquette Tribune EDITORIAL Executive Director of Marquette Wire Sydney Czyzon (414) 288-1739 Managing Editor of Marquette Tribune Jenny Whidden NEWS News Editor Annie Mattea Assistant Editors Alexa Jurado, Kelli Arseneau Reporters Nick Magrone, Shir Bloch, Matthew Choate, JK Rees, Ben Wells PROJECTS Projects Editor Matthew Harte Assistant Editor Matthew Martinez Reporters Lelah Byron, Grace Dawson, Joseph Beaird ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A&E Editor Skyler Chun Reporters Ariana Madson OPINIONS Opinions Editor Alexandra Garner Assistant Editor Annie Dysart Columnists Aminah Beg, Beck Salgado, Nicole Laudolff SPORTS Sports Editor Zoe Comerford Assistant Editors Tyler Peters, John Leuzzi Reporters Matt Yeazel, Bryan Geenen, Molly Gretzlock, Andrew Amouzou, Sam Arco COPY Copy Chief Emma Brauer Copy Editors Nora McCaughey, Shir Bloch, Grace Kwapil

Photo courtesy of Jeff Kranz

Meetings and roll calls now take place in the MUPD parking garage with officers standing six feet apart.

the neighborhoods have become very dependent on our policing,” Kranz said. “So we’re still having the same level of contact surrounding campus and in the neighborhoods in and around campus. They’re still calling us for service.”

While most students, faculty and staff are currently off campus, the university is continuing to work with MUPD. “Just as we are with all departments and units across campus, the university will continue to provide resources to MUPD so that our officers have the health, mental health, wellness and spiritual support services they need during these challenging times,” university spokesperson Chris Stolarski said in an email.

Kranz said he is very proud of the MUPD staff, as

policing during this time is a “huge challenge.”

“Let’s face it, in policing, while we can try and create an environment where we have social distancing, policing just doesn’t allow for social distancing sometimes,” Kranz said. “When you have to arrest somebody, you have to pat them down. You have to put them in a car with you to convey them to jail. … Rendering first aid to somebody, you have to get face to face with them.”

Wichgers said he has found it extremely important to lead with a positive attitude and to display confidence for other officers.

“For me, I try to make sure first and foremost that my staff that work for me have the tools they need. … I think everybody is adjusting to this,” Wichgers said.

“How do you prepare for this?

And I think that staying positive, having a good attitude is just really key right now. Motivation is very important to me.”

As the future of how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect Marquette and Milwaukee remains uncertain, Kranz said MUPD continues to take precautions and do the best it can.

“It’s like ‘Groundhog Day,’ to be quite honest with you,” Kranz said. “We’re just taking it day by day and doing our best to keep our staff safe, and in turn … our staff is doing their best to keep the Marquette community and surrounding neighborhoods safe.

But there’s no playbook for this.

And I wish I knew when the end was coming, but I don’t.”

MUPD REPORTS APRIL 14

3

A person not affiliated with MU removed merchandise from a business in the 1600 block of W. Wells Street. MUPD cited the person.

APRIL 12 MUPD assisted MPD with a report of a deceased person not affiliated with MU in the Menominee River near Valley Fields.

APRIL 11 A person not affiliated with MU removed merchandise from a business in the 1600 block

VISUAL CONTENT Design Chief Chelsea Johanning Photo Editor Jordan Johnson Opinions Designer Nell Burgener Sports Designer Kayla Nickerson Arts & Entertainment Designer Skylar Daley Photographers Claire Gallagher, Zach Bukowski, Madelyn Andresen, Maria Crenshaw, Sheila Fogarty ----

ADVERTISING (630) 441-0818 Sales Manager Audrey Roth

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

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

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

EVENTS CALENDAR of W. Wisconsin Avenue. The person became combative when stopped by MUPD and was taken into custody and transported to the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility.

APRIL 9 An MU student reported receiving inappropriate messages on social media from an unknown person. An investigation is ongoing.

All in-person events canceled until May 10 APRIL 24

MAY 1

Virtual Spring Career and Internship Fair 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

Deadline to withdraw from a class

APRIL 25 & 26 Remote campus ministry retreats APRIL 29 Online Café con Leche 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

MAY 12 All grades must be entered MAY 26 Deadline to declare Pass/Not Pass

4

News

The Marquette Tribune

Friday, April 17, 2020

Student, alum contract coronavirus abroad ‘I was panicking so much. It felt like life or death’

By Natallie St. Onge

natallie.stonge@marquette.edu

A 10-day spring break trip to Spain was meant for sightseeing and visiting friends studying abroad for Olivia Mancheski, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.

At the beginning of the trip, she and a friend with whom she traveled abroad had minimal concerns about the coronavirus.

Then, the impact of COVID-19 was only just beginning to be felt across the world, its highest concentrated effects taking place in China and Italy. It had yet to spread to all 50 states in the United States.

“Until the last day I was in Spain, I was able to see everything,” Mancheski said in an email. “I was planning to leave on the Friday that things started getting crazy.”

Places started to close. People started to isolate in their homes.

The United States was not going to accept flights from Europe.

Mancheski was preparing to leave Spain Friday, March 13.

A European travel ban set by President Donald Trump took effect March 14.

While there, Mancheski visited places like the Prado, El Rastro Flea Market and Templo de Dubot. She traveled to Toledo and Segovia, taking in the atmosphere and creating memories with friends.

But when she eventually returned to the states, Mancheski said she felt like her entire body was shutting down.

“I had a pretty high fever for about a week, coughing and a sore throat,” Mancheski said in an email. She also said she was unable to eat.

It was a decision made by her mom and herself to call the Milwaukee COVID-19 Hotline. “(We) agreed that it would be peace of mind for me to at least know what I had, but also can be used

towards statistics,” Mancheski said in an email. “The elderly aren’t the only ones affected.”

Mancheski, who is self-isolating away from friends and family in her Milwaukee apartment near campus, called the hotline. The hotline then had a local doctor call Mancheski for further details about her symptoms.

The doctor told Mancheski that she most likely contracted the coronavirus and that the best thing she could do was to self-quarantine and take Tylenol.

“I couldn’t get tested because they are saving tests for high-risk groups and children and elderly,” Mancheski said in an email.

Across the country in Boston, 2019 Marquette alum Lucie Sullivan had just received her test results for the coronavirus through a phone call from her doctor.

“They said it was positive,” she said.

But Sullivan said the doctors didn’t give her much guidance since there is not much knowledge of or treatment for the virus yet.

“I got a call saying, ‘We’re sorry to say that your test result was positive. … We don’t know how long you’ll be contagious for, we don’t know how long you should isolate for,’” Sullivan said.

Sullivan was tested for the coronavirus after traveling to London for work. She was there for o n e

week and felt healthy the entire time.

It was on her way home that she said the president was starting to announce the United States’ approach to preventing the spread of the virus, which included the European travel ban.

Sullivan was with a co-worker on the trip, where they both decided to end it early. They were separated on two different flights back to Boston.

“I was super nervous because a ton of people were on my flight trying to get out of Europe via London,” Sullivan said. “A bunch of people were coming from Italy, and everyone was trying to get home and trying to know what was going on.”

Sullivan said everyone was coughing on the plane, where she said she mostly likely caught the virus. None of her coworkers are symptomatic nor have tested positive.

“What else can you do but wash your hands at that point?” Sullivan said.

Sullivan left London Thursday, March 12. That following Saturday, Sullivan said she wasn’t feeling right.

She said she went to bed feeling cold, but after an hour of sleep, woke up hot and feverish, tossing and turning.

Around 6 a.m., Sullivan decided to take her temperature.

“It was 102,” she said.

“I freaked out and called my mom sobbing.”

Sullivan said she has had the flu and strep throat before, but she k n e w t h i s w a s different.

What she was feeling was not the same as other illnesses.

Sullivan experienced many symptoms that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes on its website.

She said she experienced a high fever, intense body aches and overall body fatigue.

After calling her co-workers and bosses for advice, Sullivan decided to go the nearest emergency room that was doing tests. “(The test) was, like, really unpleasant,” Sullivan said.

“They stick a swab really far up your nose.”

Yet, even after she tested positive, Sullivan did not feel any relief.

“It was like, ‘Well, thank you, that was completely unhelpful, I’ll just continue sitting here in agony,’” she said.

The doctors told Sullivan to try Tylenol or Advil, but even then, Sullivan was worried about what those medicines would do to the virus. She started to take Advil but stopped after she heard about how the medicine could possibly make the virus worse. There is no evidence that this is true.

Terrified, Sullivan said she was constantly on the phone with her parents. She said coming down with the illness that everyone was talking and stressing about made her exceedingly anxious.

Plus, it was the the first time she had been sick since being away from any family or close friends.

From Chicago, Sullivan said this is the first time since graduating college that she is alone and taking care of herself.

Robin Brown, a staff physician and associate director for student wellness at the Marquette Medical Clinic, said isolation is not a method to cure the virus.

“Rather, it is a critical way to decrease the spread of the virus to family members and the community,” Brown said in an email.

“Our body’s immune system fights the virus. We can support this process by making sure it has all the building blocks it needs, including good nutrition support, good hydration, and adequate sleep and rest.”

Brown said it is unknown exactly how much time elapses before someone is no longer infectious and that two weeks is the estimated time based on what is known about previous severe virus outbreaks, like SARS and MERS. Another symptom Sullivan said she experienced was the extreme loss of smell and taste.

“It’s so weird,” she said.

“When you have a cold, you have a depleted sense of taste and smell, but I can’t smell my coffee, and I can’t taste anything that’s really, really

good. It’s really bizarre.”

Brown said other viral symptoms may be present, but cough, fever and shortness of breath are the symptoms that are being attributed to COVID-19.

In regards to nutrients and supplies, Sullivan said she feels prepared to isolate by herself in her Boston apartment.

“But, you’re never really prepared to deal with something like this,” Sullivan said.

Brown said the time it will take for the number of infected people to decrease to a level that will allow normal socializing and congregation is unknown.

The first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Wisconsin was reported Feb. 5. As of March 29, the state of Wisconsin has confirmed 989 cases, which includes 432 cases in Milwaukee.

In the United States, there are 125,313 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 29.

“Patterns of infection are being watched closely in China and Europe so that projection for our timeline can be predicted to some extent,” Brown said in an email.

“However, that timeline will be altered by our unique behaviors and adherence to social distancing.”

Brown said in an email “what we do as individuals will alter what happens to our populations as a whole.”

Both Mancheski and Sullivan have been in self-isolation since they started to feel symptomatic.

After resting for numerous days, the two said they are feeling better and healthier than before.

Sullivan said if you are young and healthy and living without preexisting conditions, but you still get the virus, try not to panic.

“That’s what I was doing, I was panicking so much. It felt like life or death,” Sullivan said.

For Mancheski, she said she thinks she contracted the virus somewhere in Madrid, even though she said she was being cautious. One friend, whom she was visiting abroad, has shared many of the same symptoms as Mancheski and Sullivan.

“As much as I need to be social and surrounded by people, I understand how critical implementing isolations is during this time,” Mancheski said in an email. “The only way to end this pandemic is to keep people away from each other.”

Brown said going about life as before is not socially responsible at this time.

“Everyone just needs to stay home and continue to protect themselves and others,” Sullivan said.

Editor’s note: Lucie Sullivan has previously worked for the Marquette Wire. She was not affiliated with the reporting and editing of this story.

News

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

5

Some on-campus jobs halted Nursing college Federal work-study replaces clinicals to continue paying with simulations recipients wages

By Ben Wells and Alexa Jurado

benjamin.wells@marquette.edu alexa.jurado@marquette.edu

Many students are currently without their regular on-campus jobs and sources of income due to COVID-19.

Many students, like Will Wightkin, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, were instructed by the university to not come to work. Wightkin is a worker at the Straz Tower dining hall.

According to Marquette’s COVID-19 frequently asked questions page, those “for whom it is not critical to work on campus should not be working on campus.” However, students who need to work were advised to contact their supervisor about working remotely or being temporarily reassigned. No specific criteria was defined for what jobs on Marquette were essential “I really rely on my job to help me pay off my student loans and earn extra income while studying,” said Morgan Panzenhagen, a firstyear in the College of Communication and barista at The Brew Cafe.

“It’s been tough enough without the money.”

Claire Conger, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, works in the stockroom in the chemistry labs. She said she usually relies on her income to cover various expenses.

“Working on campus is important to me because I had a job since I was 16,” Conger said. “I’ve been raised to be independent and financially accountable.”

Some students also rely on their paychecks to pay for things such as meal plans, like Mitch Weigel, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and student security guard at the Haggerty Museum of Art. Students who receive pay

through the federal work-study program and “worked regularly this semester” will continue to be paid, per guidance from the federal government, Annette D’Amato, a student employment coordinator in the Office of Student Employment Services, said.

Federal work-study, as defined by the Federal Student Aid website, provides part-time jobs to undergraduate students with financial need. In return, this allows the opportunity to potentially pay off tuition, loans, and room and board payments. Federal work-study jobs are available in nearly every department at Marquette.

Payment totals will be decided on “previously worked hours” of the spring semester as well as students’ “maximum spring Federal Work-Study eligibility”, according to D’Amato’s email.

The continuation of work-study pay has provided relief for students like Tess Grimes, a junior in the College of Health Sciences and work-study recipient.

“So far, I do not have concerns about not being able to work,” she said. “(Marquette) said they’d provide aid with those whose jobs are part of the federal work-study program.”

D’Amato said in an email sent to all student workers that students can look on Job Connection to “apply for jobs that are deemed critical for business continuity” both on and off campus.

Some of the on-campus jobs listed on Job Connection include student groundskeeper, student custodian and general maintenance helper to residence life.

For some students, being unable to work has caused other issues alongside their financial worries.

Panzenhagen said she is missing potential connections that she could’ve made while at her job.

“It helped me make friends with other students and gave me a sense of community,” Panzenhagen said.

“I’m afraid that these connections are going to be really hard to reestablish after so much

time away.”

Along with working at the Straz Tower Dining Hall, Wightkin works as a research assistant for the MU 4 Gold undergraduate research program. MU 4 Gold is a research program that allows undergraduate students to “engage in the process of research and discovery with Marquette faculty as soon as they arrive on campus” according to the “My main concern is the loss of income and the loss of hands-on experience with research,” Wightkin said. “I intend on doing research as my career, so gaining experience is very important to me and my future prospects.”

Some students who worked on campus during the summer previously are not expecting to work during the summer, after the announcement that all summer courses will be online.

“I did ask if I could still work while classes went in March online,” Weigel said. “But I got an email saying my summer classes will be online, so I’m sure I’ll get an email soon saying there will be no summer employment either.”

The Office of Student Employment has yet to announce whether certain on-campus employment opportunities will be suspended during the summer.

Some student jobs will remain during the summer, but in an online format. SPARK will be held online this summer, and all students who signed up to be SPARK leaders will have jobs, coordinator for new student and family programs Katie Harrington said.

Some schools in Wisconsin are compensating student workers in a different way from Marquette.

According to an article from USA Today, student workers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will receive a one-time $200 payment. UWM has over 3,000 total on-campus student employees.

The University of WisconsinMadison is also compensating its student workers by paying them 10-hour work-week wages until the end of the semester.

Marquette Wire stock photo

On-campus jobs that cannot be performed remotely, such as positions at the Brew Cafes, have been suspended.

Concerns expressed over absence of hands-on training

By Nick Magrone

nicholas.magrone@marquette.edu

The College of Nursing has shifted how clinicals are handled following the university’s transition to online classes.

Clinicals are an opportunity for Marquette students to apply what they have learned in the classroom and skills labs to actual patient care, according to Marquette’s website.

Eric Escoto, a junior in College of Nursing, said the department originally planned to continue clinicals while classes were suspended for the coronavirus, but decided to cancel the programs after many students

alternative for students while they are unable to work in person.

With health care workers now more essential than ever, Escoto said the nursing department is taking measures in order to help assist in combating the coronavirus.

“The nursing department is doing their best to promote social measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission such as social distancing and proper hygiene,” Escoto said in an email.

“My clinical instructor temporarily resigned from her position to help the populations in need.”

Van Gompel said her personal adjustment to online learning has not been too difficult, since she has previously taken other online classes and has a routine for herself. However, she said nursing is particularly difficult to learn remotely.

“With nursing school, the transition was rough because none of the

Marquette Wire stock photo

Though clinicals are not occurring, nursing students are still on track.

and faculty had to self-quarantine after traveling over spring break.

“Since clinicals aren’t happening, it’s pretty concerning because students are lacking experience and contact hours with our patients,” Escoto said in an email. “We need this experience to get used to the patient care environment and provide safe and effective care.”

However, nursing students are still working to gain medical experience remotely and are on track due to the temporary vSims replacement.

“In place of clinicals, students are now working on virtual simulations, or ‘vSims,’” Cecilia Van Gompel, a junior in the College of Nursing, said in an email. “The nursing school is also working with a company known as Lippincott who is well known for their medical simulations. The software is pricey, but Marquette has put us in pilot programs and covered all costs of the access codes.”

Escoto said despite some kinks in the virtual simulation system, it has overall been a positive

classes were meant to be taught online,” she said. “There was a bit of a learning curve to classes for both students and professors and I feel a bit short-changed without the hands-on experiences. Thus, classes are harder because I am unable to apply the knowledge I am currently learning and have to make up ground for applying this knowledge which would help me to learn it forever.”

Janet Krejci, dean of the College of Nursing, said she thinks nursing students and faculty have responded positively to the change to online learning.

“We have had enthusiastic participation from our students, and while they miss being in a clinical setting and are dealing with their own stress to this pandemic, as we all are, we have had positive responses about the simulations,” Krejci said in an email. “Our faculty are amazing and committed to excellence with every teaching moment to create the ‘Marquette Nurse,’ which our health care partners value highly.”

6

News

The Marquette Tribune

Friday, April 17, 2020

Classes transition to distance learning Professors utilize D2L, Microsoft Teams for courses

By Shir Bloch

shir.bloch@marquette.edu

Professors and students alike have had to adjust to new ways of teaching and learning in order to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

Through D2L, Marquette released technological resources meant to facilitate this shift, including instructions for increased use of D2L and Microsoft Teams.

Claire Fellbaum, a first-year student in the College of Health Sciences, said the format of many of her classes have changed.

“The majority of my classes are either recorded lectures or PowerPoints are just posted,” she said.

“I only have one class that does virtual class.”

While most of her classes have remained consistent in difficulty, Fellbaum said some of her

professors have assigned more work since going online.

As for exams, she said most of her professors have made tests online or changed the format of examinations to better accommodate online learning.

“My exams are all online now,” she said. “One professor broke up the remaining exams into chapter quizzes, which has been really helpful and makes the workload less daunting.”

Aine Grady, a first-year in the College of Engineering, said all her exams have also moved online and that most of them have been open book and open note.

Also on D2L, Marquette released information on online proctoring of exams for professors who have elected to not change their exam formats or allow students to use their notes and other resources.

The informational page provides more information on Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor, which will allow “the flexibility to complete an assessment

Photo by Jordan Johnson jordan.d.johnson@marquette.edu

Microsoft Teams is one of the main ways many students attend class.

at home while helping to ensure academic integrity.”

“Most of my professors have adapted the classes so that all of the material is available at all times online,” Grady said. “They are about the same difficulty as before with a similar work load.”

Similar to Fellbaum, Grady said all of her classes are formatted through PowerPoints or recorded lectures posted on D2L for her to go over in her own time.

Despite a general sense of smooth

sailing in the transition to online classes, Fellbaum said she experienced a decline in motivation in herself and her peers after the shift to online education, since it is difficult to truly replace in-person classes.

Sean McLaughlin, a first-year student in the College of Engineering, said he has tried to keep up his motivation by maintaining a schedule. Even though his lectures are mostly recorded like Grady’s, he said he will do his class-work at the same time as if he were physically

attending a class.

“My bio lecture was at 10, so I do bio at 10,” he said. “I think it’s helpful to stay on the same schedule as before to manage my time.”

Marquette’s IT services released a Technology for Remote Services website to help students and professors get the most out of the second half of spring semester. These include tutorials for online platforms such as D2L and Microsoft teams, as well as links to other resources such as the Ott Writing Center.

Nikita Deep, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is a tutor at the Ott. She said that the writing center is still operating and is offering online sessions for students who are interested in remote appointments.

“I think in general, everyone is handling the situation very well,” Grady said. “I feel like all of my classes have been adapted in a way that still allows me to learn the content I was meant to learn.”

Admissions provides virtual resources Remote tours, information sessions available

on-campus visits and events through May 10, and is not taking any new reservations for on-campus events through June 1, according to Marquette’s website.

Troyer said he is uncertain if the

By Kelli Arseneau effects of COVID-19 will impact enkelli.arseneau@marquette.edu rollment numbers. Not only is there Alongside the cancellation of on- the issue of prospective students not campus classes for the remainder of being able to physically visit camthe semester, the university’s Office pus for a tour or shadow visit that of Admissions canceled its upcom- could potentially result in lower ening in-person events for all prospec- rollment numbers, but also the economic impact of COVID-19 may tive and admitted students.

The canceled events included Dis- potentially affect students’ college covery Days, which is an all-day decisions, he said.

While prospective students will open-house event for prospective students to attend and was scheduled not be able to physically visit camfor March 22, as well as Choose pus during this time, Troyer said they MU Days, which are smaller admit- have alternate options to get a feel ted students events and two Admit- for Marquette and help make their ted Students Day/Weekends, which college decision.

Students can take a virtual tour of were scheduled for April 3-4 and campus, book a virtual appointment April 17-18.

Additionally, Marquette’s manda- with an admissions counselor, watch tory orientation program for incom- virtual information sessions and call ing students, SPARK, or Summer or text admissions with questions.

Priority Advising and Registra- Students can locate this information tion Kick-off, will be fully online on Marquette’s coronavirus webpage with a tab titled “Future Students.” this summer.

While the virtual tour of campus is Prospective students, which include admitted incoming first-year not a new addition to the Marquette and transfer students, as well as high admissions website, Troyer said school sophomores and juniors that the virtual appointment option was are visiting schools before apply- added in response to COVID-19. ing, rely heavily on visits to campus In the past, admissions counselors in order to help make their college have been able to speak remotely decision, dean of undergraduate ad- with prospective students that are unable to make it to campus, but missions Brian Troyer said.

The university’s guidelines for re- virtual meetings were not previously sponses to the COVID-19 crisis are a formalized option on the website, based on Governor Tony Evers’s de- Troyer said.

Additionally, Troyer said that cisions, which ban mass gatherings, which now applies to any gathering while May 1 is still the deadline for students to submit their deposit of more than 10 individuals.

The university has canceled all for attending Marquette in the fall,

admissions is granting extensions to students who request it due to impacts of COVID-19. A deposit deadline extension request form can be found online. According to Marquette’s website, a deposit deadline extension can save new students a space at the university, but does not necessarily guarantee them space in a program with restricted spaces.

Marquette will continue to evaluate the deadline based on the alwayschanging effects of COVID-19.

Troyer said the Office of Admissions is hoping to have individual conversations with prospective students to get a better understanding of how they feel about the current situation and what they personally need to make their college decision.

Troyer said the university wants to ensure that students feel comfortable reaching out, despite being unable to visit campus.

“We’re making ourselves available to talk with them about financial aid, about admissions next steps, connecting them with current Marquette students who have offered, in each of our colleges, to speak with admitted students about their experience here at Marquette,” Troyer said.

Kendra Stepnowski, a current first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, took Marquette’s virtual tour when she was applying to colleges. However, she said it was the physical campus tour that she took during the spring of her senior year of high school that helped her better understand Marquette’s size and its “social atmosphere.”

“The virtual tour was definitely nice, but it’s a little hard coming from a small town, understanding the actual physical layout of the school,”

Stepnowski said. She is from Theresa, WI, a town approximately 50 miles north of Milwaukee.

She said the physical tour allowed her to get a better understanding of the size of campus, as the walk around campus was a lot shorter than she expected. While the virtual tour and her idea of a city campus made her think that Marquette was very large, Stepnowski said her physical visit to campus made her realize it was “not as big as one would think it would be” and “still small and homey.”

Additionally, Stepnowski said she learned from her tour guide, who was Jewish, that although Marquette is a Catholic, Jesuit institution, students from a variety of religions and backgrounds attend the university.

While Stepnowski said she made up her mind that she wanted to attend Marquette and did not apply to any other schools, her tours of campus — both virtual and physical — helped her get a better feel for the campus.

Clare Herrig, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, works as a campus tour guide and said physically visiting campus can be very important for students considering attending Marquette.

Herrig said it can be helpful for prospective students taking tours of the university to physically see current Marquette students working and studying around campus in order to get an understanding of the campus environment and picture themselves at Marquette.

In her own college search experience, Herrig said her visits to campus really helped her make the decision and ultimately choose Marquette.

Herrig toured Marquette three times – the first to get a general idea of the university, the second to try to figure out what she wanted to do in college and the third to shadow a class.

Herrig’s final two colleges she was deciding between were Marquette and a Big Ten school. Ultimately, she said her decision came down to being on campus and watching how students and professors interact. Because current prospective students cannot take physical visits to campus at this time, Herrig said she recommends taking advantage of virtual options for getting a better idea of campus, like watching videos about a day in the life at Marquette.

Herrig also suggested students who have already toured the university, but might have wanted to visit one more time before ultimately making their decision, can reach out to their tour guides with any additional questions. She said every tour guide gives out business cards for that purpose.

Another option that visiting prospective students usually have but do not do during this time is a shadow visit. Stepnowski is a part of the shadow program, and has had three prospective students shadow her this year.

Prospective students are able to do a shadow visit either for one day or overnight. They get to select a student online that they wish to shadow, based on information provided including the current student’s year and college.

Stepnowksi said she thinks the shadow program is very successful, and each of the three prospective students that shadowed her told her they were choosing to attend Marquette.

News

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

7

Restaurants near MU under financial restraints Sobelmans, Real Chili experience decreased business

By JK Rees

james.rees@marquette.edu

Sobelmans and Real Chili, two campus restaurants located on Wells Street between 16th and 17th streets, continue to be under economic restraints due to the coronavirus.

The spread of COVID-19 has slowed many business and downsized business operations as fewer employees are needed to run and manage takeout or delivery-only restaurants.

Sobelmans @ Marquette is one of three Sobelmans Pub and Grill establishments in the Milwaukee area started by Dave and Melanie Sobelman in 1999.

The other two locations are in Mequon and downtown Milwaukee. There are also two franchised locations in Waukesha and Richfield.

Dave said he worries about

the effects of the prolonged quarantine on business if it extends into summer, especially with the Marquette and Mequon locations.

“The Mequon and Marquette location will have real difficulties if that happens,” Dave said.

The Mequon location is the most recent establishment Dave and Melanie own and has not had enough time to sustain itself financially yet, Dave said.

Dave said even before the coronavirus pandemic started in Wisconsin — which now has 3,875 cases as of April 16 according to Wisconsin Department of Health Services — the Marquette location was struggling.

Now one of Dave’s main concerns is generating enough funds to pay all the employees and pay off food costs.

“We’re not even staying open to make money. We just want to stay open to make enough money to pay staff and food costs that we’re still ordering,” Dave said.

“My wife and I are working for free right now.”

One method the Sobelmans have implemented to keep more

employees working is creating location, said. more roles for their workers.

“Sales went down big time. I’d Dave said their say we are at servers for sit60% of our todown customers tal work rate have become food right now,” runners or takeout Van Spanhandlers for pickkeren said. up orders now.

There were Despite some a total of 15 servers being able employees to work routine working at hours, fewer servboth estabers and cooks are lishments. being employed, Nine worked Dave said. at the downDown the street, town locaReal Chili, a Miltion, and six waukee staple for worked at the late night chili, is Dave Sobelman Marquette lofacing its own set Sobelmans co-owner cation. Now, of worries. only two emReal Chili has ployees can two locations in Milwaukee, work at a time throughout the 11 but only the Marquette location a.m.-6 p.m. work day. at 1625 W. Wells St. is open for “Everyone works reduced pick up. hours, and it feels very difThe other location, located ferent but whoever wants to at 419 E. Wells St., is tempo- work can work a shift,” Van rarily closed so Real Chili can Spankeren said. consolidate sales and minimize Van Spankeren said sales durloss, Brian Van Spankeren, ing the day have been pretty northe manager at the Marquette mal, but the biggest loss comes

“

We’re not even staying open to make money. ... My wife and I are working for free”

from the lack of nighttime and weekend sales.

Van Spankeren said they are still looking for ways to adapt to make up for lost revenue and fewer staff.

“Maybe we look into delivery, which we were initially against, or maybe we extend hours until 10 at night,” Van Spankeren said.

Both Van Spankeren and Sobelman said their businesses are expecting federal government aid to come in the following weeks.

According to an April 10 Forbes article, the U.S Small Business Administration Economic Disaster Relief Loan is designed to provide working capital loans up to $12 million.

The Payment Protection Program will defer standing payments for up to four years and provide up to $2 million for business that maintain workers salaries for eight weeks.

Real Chili and Sobelmans qualify for the awaited SBA financial relief packages, as a small business is defined as a company with fewer than 500 employees.

COVID-19 leads to marathon cancellation Milwaukee race gives digital option for participants

By Matthew Choate

matthew.choate@marquette.edu

The Milwaukee Marathon, which was supposed to take place April 11, was canceled due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Owen Raisch is the founding associate director and CEO of the student-run business program at Marquette called Blue & Gold Ventures that includes 5 business ventures.

One of these businesses ventures is 1881 Event Productions, which is managed by four MU students. The company previously helped organize the 2019 Milwaukee Marathon and was helping organize and involved in the 2020 marathon and has also worked on other events such as the 2018 Milwaukee Blockchain Conference and the opening of Vida Coffee.

Raisch said he worked on the partnership with Rugged Races.

Rugged Races is a Boston-based company that bought the Milwaukee Marathon in August 2018 and organizes the race.

Izzy Stanton, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is the president of 1881 Productions.

She said her business was hired by Rugged Races to work on “everything Milwaukee based.”

Kole Kloostra, a junior in the College of Communication and the project manager at 1881 Productions, said he worked on getting students from Marquette, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering to participate in the marathon to grow a sense of community and grow relationships.

Kloostra said Rugged Races was responsible for getting bigger sponsors such as the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was responsible for getting smaller sponsors such as local gyms to participate in the marathon.

Both Raisch and Kloostra both said many runners who participate in the Milwaukee Marathon use it to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Once the Boston Marathon which had been scheduled for Sept.

14 was canceled, Raisch said it was a simple decision to cancel the Milwaukee Marathon. Raisch also said a lot of people fly into Milwaukee for the marathon, which was another factor in their decision to cancel it.

Stanton said that Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers prohibited all events that included more than 50 people, which resulted in the marathon being canceled. The ban has recently been changed limiting events to only 10 people. She said they also wanted to “try to minimize risk” of people getting the coronavirus.

Kloostra said the decision to cancel the marathon was “unavoidable.” He said they were expecting 10,000-15,000 attendees at the

Marquette Wire stock photo

Those who paid the registration fee to participate in the marathon will not get refunds, Kori Church said.

event, which is too many people under Evers’ order.

Raisch said that once they canceled the event, they received a positive reaction, with people supporting the cancellation.

Stanton said they received “amazing feedback,” and people thought it was the right decision.

She said people had been trying to pull out of the event, and now that it was canceled, they wouldn’t feel pressured to run.

Kloostra said that event being canceled was a “bummer to the team and the runners.” He said hopefully they will be back next year.

Even though the actual marathon

is canceled, there is still a digital option where runners can still participate. Stanton said people who want to participate in the digital race will run the race they signed up for on their own and then send in their results. She said they will post their times, which will be recorded on the website, and there will be a “virtual celebration.”

While Stanton also said the runners have the option of being refunded or being sent a shirt, medal, number and free merchandise from the sponsors. Kloostra said Rugged Races handles the ticket sales and will be in charge of giving out the refunds.

Kori Church, of Rugged Races,

said runners will not be receiving refunds. However, all runners will receive their race swag — such as shirts, quarter zips and medals — regardless of if they submit their time online.

Raisch said the cancellation means the loss of a unique opportunity, but students working at 1881 Productions will still have the opportunity to learn how to engage clients through the digital marathon.

Kloostra said he thinks the fact that the marathon had no option to stay open shows how serious the virus is. He said it’s “important to stay home and stay healthy.”

The Marquette Tribune

Friday, April 17, 2020

Arts &

Entertainment

Page 8

MU music members find comfort in singing

Graphic by Skylar Daley

The “artists supporting artists” logo trend on Instagram recognizes student music groups such as Marquette’s Gospel Choir, the Meladies, the Naturals and the Gold ‘n Blues.

Social media site serves as creative support platform

By Skyler Chun

skyler.chun@marquette.edu

While many students are now quarantined, Instagram story threads of various challenges, drawings and bingo games have become a new and growing trend. One new trend this past week was a graphic called “artists supporting artists,” where college music groups tagged one another and reposted, starting a new thread in support of their work.

Allison Spears, a first-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences and a member of the MU Meladies, said she saw the “artists supporting artists” Instagram stories and thought it was super cool.

“Posts like those allow us acknowledge positively to groups other and recognize other at and at Marquette come have we campuses that to know and appreciate over the years,” Spears said. “The

a cappella community is super connected, and I think that the ‘artists supporting artists’ posts help us highlight that.”

Spears said she’s seen student artists supporting others in a variety of different ways, such as creating and sharing new music with others, and that the importance of support becomes heightened in changing times like these.

“The Gold ‘n Blues just recently released an album, and the Meladies and I have really enjoyed listening to and sharing music with others,” Spears said.

“A lot of us also keep in touch over social media or texting, and so we’ve been able to reach other to one another personally as well.”

The Gold ‘n Blues is a co-ed a cappella group at Marquette.

Tristan Barrington, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is a member of the Gold ‘n Blues and the current music director of the group.

Their new album “Generation,” which Spears said she enjoys listening to, is currently streaming and can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

“To me, singing (especially

with the Gold ‘n Blues) is all about the music you make and the community you build along the way,” Barrington said in an email. “Music has the power to unify people in times like these, when we cannot physically be together.”

He said being able to share music with your friends is a way of staying close.

“I think my favorite thing about singing has always been hearing how my voice fits in with the rest of the music; there is something blissful about being a part of a tight harmony,” Barrington said in an email.

“Don’t let the pandemic stop you from being a part of something like that.”

With everything that’s been going on with COVID-19 recently, Spears also said music and singing have been a huge source of consistency for her.

“I’ll often play my guitar, sing or listen to music to destress or distract myself from everything that’s been happening,” Spears said. “I’ve actually started to lose my voice because I’ve been singing so much.”

She said that singing has helped to keep her spirits uplifted and to

move past recent hardships.

Maeve LeFevour, a sophomore in the College of Communication and member of Marquette’s Gospel Choir, said singing is an escape from reality for her.

“I think singing helps you center yourself,” LeFevour said in an email. “It can be a great way to let out frustration and fear during these unforeseen times.

Personally, playing my ukulele and just jamming in my room has been a great creative outlet for me during this quarantine.”

LeFevour said she loves the freedom that comes with singing.

“I love how you can just let all your emotions pour out into song,” she said in an email. “I like how you are encouraged to let your emotions shine through your singing. It enhances the performance.”

Mauria Owens, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is also a member of the Gospel Choir at Marquette and serves as the membership chair.

She said making music has always been an important part of her life.

“Singing can be calming because it can allow you to travel to a different place,” Owens

said in an email. “The beauty of intricate notes, beats and cords can redirect our focus and allow us to forget for a while.”

“

Music has the power to unify people in times like these, when we cannot physically be together.”

Tristan Barrington Junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, Music Director of the Gold ‘n Blues

Owen said learning new songs or musical techniques is very similar to playing a game.

“It can be fun to push myself to do new things,” Owens said in an email. “I also like it because it’s a stress release as I focus on something other than myself while I enjoy the music.”

Friday, April 17, 2020

Arts & Entertainment

The Marquette Tribune

Students share alternative Easter celebrations

9

Mass, family dinners among holiday plans

By Grace Kwapil

grace.kwapil@marquette.edu

Easter is a time when many families gather, churchgoers congregate and grandiose meals are prepared to celebrate the holiday. This year, however, church doors were closed and families had to stay at home, forcing some students to adapt their plans.

Though the circumstances were not ideal, many students said they made the most of the holiday by celebrating with those closest to them, watching remote services and eating lots of food.

Finley Gresnick, a first-year in the College of Communication, said her family watched a church service on TV. She said it was important to them to still have a service and celebrate the holiday despite everything going on, especially because of its importance in the Church setting. After the service, Gresnick’s family made their traditional Easter dinner with ham, mashed potatoes and more.

“Being at home for Easter is definitely a change, but it went great,” she said.

Overall amid the quarantine,

Photo via Flickr

Although this Easter was different for many students, some were still able to decorate eggs and spend time with family in light of the holiday spirit.

Gresnick said she is trying to have a more positive outlook on the new situation.

“Adjusting at home has been fine, I’m definitely getting a lot done, but I would love to see my friends,” Gresnick said. “As a really social and busy person, it’s very weird to stay in one place. I cannot wait until the day I can see everyone; it will be so exciting.”

Olivia Antony, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said her family also planned to celebrate Easter by watching a service on television and then eating a meal together.

She said this year’s Easter celebration was more casual

because it was just her and her parents. They watched a service and brought food for her friend’s family.

“The service was nice … I liked that I could watch in the comfort of my own home,” Antony said in an email.

“Helping my friend’s family was really heart warming and I loved that I did some giving on the Easter holiday. It got a little emotional because they really did appreciate it and (bringing them a meal) made their day.”

Antony added that she can’t yet comprehend that what is going on with COVID-19 is real.

“Adjusting (to being at home) has gotten easier, but it’s weird,”

Antony said in an email. “I don’t feel like it’s real and I just miss other people now.”

One quarantine tip many students have in common is trying to stick to a daily routine.

Rose Hetz, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she has been adapting to being at home and trying to stick to a set routine.

“I try to wake up at the same time every day and follow the schedule I had at school. It’s been hard, but I just try to take it day by day,” Hetz said.

She said she took a break from her daily routine of online classes for Easter, celebrating with just her immediate family.

“We had a little brunch in the morning, dyed some more eggs, and watched some tv together,” Hetz said. “We also FaceTimed our family later that day, which was fun.”

For Hetz, going to mass on Easter has been a family tradition.

“My family likes going to mass, and we always go on Easter Sunday so it was weird to not go this year,” Hetz said. “But Easter is just a time for me to get together with my family and celebrate each other’s company surround by lots of food.”

Various clubs transition to virtual interaction Campus groups adapt to new digital ways of meeting

By Ariana Madson

ariana.madson@marquette.edu

For many, a family is made up of people with whom one spends most of their time. Some students find a sense of family within clubs on campus, but it can be hard for groups to find connection and continue the camaraderie now that everything is virtual. However, that hasn’t stopped them from trying.

Carissa Burnes, a junior in the College of Education and a member of the Tuesday night Mass musician group, said the hardest thing about not being on campus is losing the connection of the Tuesday night Mass community. She said those involved with the music have become close friends.

“We have a good time and meet up and pick music,” Burnes said. “It gets to be a close-knit group.”

Burnes said about every other week, the musicians meet up to go over the mass readings for the week. In doing so, they then pick

the music that they feel corresponds best. Since going digital, the musicians still look at readings and post them virtually on Facebook, along with links to the songs they pick out and find. Burnes said other people and those within the group usually share the links.

Marquette’s campus ministry livestream masses, student musicians, newsletters and more can be found here.

“We just post the link to someone else who is singing it,” Burnes said.

“It’s not quite the same as being there, but we try to keep traditions alive as best we can.”

The group keeps in touch through a chat, and Burnes said it’s a place where they can talk and post memes.

George Wong, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration and the president of Marquette’s club tennis team, said he enjoyed making in person practice fun and friendly. While being away from the court, he said it’s hard to keep members engaged and involved.

“I don’t know if people are actually checking the GroupMe or emails I send,” Wong said.

The president said the executive board will host virtual meetings as well as try to find creative ways to

keep the team active. “(We’ll have) virtual meetings, and our Instagram is posting different challenges,” Wong said.

For instance, one of the challenges was to hit a ball into a bucket or trash can from a certain distance.

For the Commercial Real Estate Club, virtual meetings will be important, especially since a big part of the club is to help students in real estate make business connections as well as help them on their career path.

Laura Russell, a junior in the College of Business Administration and the director of communications for the club, said the E-Board is trying to do weekly chats.

Another way more unique way that the club is trying to keep students engaged is through a Buzzfeed link that allows members to take a quiz to help them look into their specific real estate pathway.

Russell said they are in the process of setting up interviews with professionals that can be recorded and uploaded to provide information to those in the club.

The club is also trying to maintain its monthly podcasts, which are released on the first of the month, along with monthly student

interview podcasts. The student interview podcasts feature a student in the club talking about their involvement in the club along with what they like about real estate.

“We still want to maintain membership by at least sending out

weekly emails and reach out and get (them) connected to professionals,” Russell said. “(We’re) emphasizing that real estate professionals have more time, and we can reach out to them and get students connected.”

Photo courtesy of Marquette Campus Ministry

Marquette’s Campus Ministry offers student music performances, livestream Masses and more to bring students, staff and faculty together.

The Marquette Tribune

Friday, April 17, 2020

Opinions

PAGE 10

from the future Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Annie Dysart, Assistant Opinions Editor

Editors Note: The stories in this section are fictional. They are predictions of what our world may look like in the future in the aftermath of the coronavirus. These stories are based on present-day data and available evidence.

National unity remains one year after coronavirus Nicole Laudolff It has been 12 long months since the COVID-19 pandemic came to an end, but the struggle is a long way from over.

Thousands have died and thousands more are still healing. A vaccine has only recently made its way to hospitals and many remain wary of coming too close to their peers.

Others are still recovering from the loss of their livelihoods, loved ones and peace of mind. But the struggle has not been one that was suffered alone; with the coronavirus in the past, Americans stand unified through adversity.

Though the virus devastated the working class, the immunocompromised and those without access to healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic was not a crisis endured by any

one socioeconomic or ethnic group.

It was a collective, world struggle.

In America, people — regardless of background — came together under the banner of a common threat during a crisis preceded by unprecedented polarization. Only a month before COVID-19 came to the United States, the country was grappling with toxic partisanship amidst its third presidential impeachment.

In a 2019 survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit research firm, 91% of Americans said the country was split on politics. Over 60% of Americans belonging to either the GOP or the Democratic Party felt the opposite was “too extreme in its positions,” according to a 2019 Pew Research Center study. Only 17% of Americans said they trusted the government to do what was right, according to a Pew Research Center report.

America seemed to be

hopelessly divided.

With the arrival of the novel coronavirus, however, legislators across party lines were forced to cooperate.

As a result, social distancing guidelines were established, stay-at-home orders were issued, primary elections were postponed and an economic relief bill was passed by congress to slow the effects of COVID-19.

American businesses adopted new roles to help their communities.

Companies like Anheuser-Busch, Ford and Nordstrom used their facilities to produce hand sanitizer, ventilators and protective masks respectively, showing just how resourceful American industry can be.

The mutual effort gave way to a new political and social environment similar yet distinctly different to that seen during WWII and the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Despite being confined to their homes, Americans spread messages

of perseverance and hope via smartphones and laptops, encouraging one another with posts while the divisive rhetoric that was once all too common in public discourse became less and less.

Healthcare workers who faced COVID-19 on the front lines are being held in high regard and a new kind of patriotism has formed around doctors, nurses and EMTs. At the pandemic’s peak, resounding applause could be heard in the streets of New York City each night around 7 o’clock as residents commended healthcare workers returning from long shifts spent testing for and treating the virus.

Perhaps most importantly, the COVID-19 pandemic brought American inequities to light. Poverty, lack of healthcare and racial disparities manifested themselves clearly between those who survived and those who perished during the crisis. In

Milwaukee County, for instance, despite only making up 26% of the population, African American residents accounted for the demanding majority of deaths and hospitalizations from the virus. Although everyone suffered during the pandemic, the damage was far from equally distributed.

However, this tragedy prompted a vital dialogue between people and government regarding America’s long-ignored inequalities and the movement for more inclusive healthcare is now stronger than ever.

As the country transitions out of quarantine one year later, Americans still have their differences, but they are far from divided. Though the country is still healing, we are healing together.

Nicole Laudolff is a first-year studying political science. She can be reached at nicole.laudolff@marquette.edu

Minorities disproportionately struggle pre-, post-virus Aminah Beg The first case of the coronavirus was detected in the United States Jan. 20, 2020. At the time, the virus seemed miniscule and insignificant to the American population, as it originated in Wuhan, China. By the end of January, 9,976 cases were reported in at least 21 countries. The world had no idea what was yet to come.

A mere 85 days later after the first reported case of the coronavirus in the U.S., the coronavirus pandemic had spread at an exponential rate and quickly infested the world and everyone in its path. Just three months after the first person in the U.S. tested positive for the virus, the infection reached all 50 states, and America became the country with the most confirmed cases at 717,000 cases. Hospitals had insufficient resources and the spread of the disease looked far from over. The rise of numbers after that soon became a blur to the world as they continued to rise at unbelievable rates.

It is now May 1, 2021. The country looks back on the year it just had. Although governors have

slowly lifted the stay at home orders throughout the year, the world needs a lot more time to heal and return to the state it was in before the pandemic. We might not ever return to life as we knew it before the coronavirus hit. We may never shake another person’s hand or travel so freely. But now, we walk the streets with knowledge about the safety precautions necessary to keep ourselves and loved ones safe.

As the world begins to pick itself up again, the effects of the coronavirus did not hit us all the same. The infection enlarged and exposed the already significant divide between high and low socioeconomic classes, especially for minority groups.

For example, West Garfield Park of Chicago, a predominantly African American neighborhood already under economic siege before the coronavirus, was disproportionately hit. The neighborhood already had a life expectancy 16 years lower than the surrounding white neighborhoods of Chicago. The pandemic did not help improve that statistic. Sixty-eight percent of the coronavirus deaths in Chicago were African American individuals despite African Americans making up just 30% of the entire city

population.

People living in lower socioeconomic urban areas are more likely to live in overcrowded spaces and less likely to have access to healthcare that can provide treatment for the coronavirus. This made the virus spread like wildfire throughout these communities and the government did not do enough to protect them.

Those at a lower economic status are also more likely to work minimum wage jobs. These jobs such as grocery store, garbage and gas station workers, were deemed essential by state governments, which meant these individuals continued working regardless of the state of the pandemic.

This meant that those who worked essential jobs felt even more responsibility to continue working during fearful times in order to provide for their families. Many landlords still expected them to pay rent and services like water and electricity. Being at the frontlines meant these essential workers were the ones most exposed to the virus, with a very high chance of contracting it.

African Americans were also more at risk during the pandemic due to a high percentage of them

that already faced fatal health conditions. African American are 50% more likely to have heart disease and 19% cannot afford to see a doctor.

Hospitals turned away patients with illnesses less severe than the coronavirus, meaning African Americans were unable to receive health treatment. Patients were expected to turn toward their primary care physicians for other medical issues, but those at low economic standings did not have any. The hospital was their only means for receiving what they needed.

The fact that racial and economic minorities were hit harder than any other social group indicates the continued neglect of these communities in American society. Structural racism and the deep divide between economic classes became even more apparent than before through last year’s coronavirus pandemic, and it caused the deaths of thousands of African Americans. They were disproportionately impacted and damaged, further perpetuating the tensions between these groups and disunifying them.

Communities of color, especially those in the lower economic class, are continuing to deal with the

atrocities and damages they faced from the coronavirus. They must figure out how to get their lives back to normal when so many individuals from their own neighborhoods were taken away.

The stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress should have included greater reparations for those unable to keep up with their health risks normally, let alone during a pandemic. More landlords could have been lenient on renters during the coronavirus, so essential workers did not feel like they had to work and risk their lives to continue financially supporting their families.

Managers and owners should have provided their workers with protective gear if they were still required to work. Unemployment benefits should have increased to support individuals who were let go from their jobs due to the coronavirus.

The disregard for this kind of restorative action cost African Americans and other minority economic groups their lives, and they are now stuck to face it again and alone.

Aminah Beg is a junior studying public relations and cognitive science. She can be reached at aminah.beg@marquette.edu

Opinions

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

11

Pandemic spurs US to make environmental reparations Alexandra Garner “U.S. to re-enter Paris Agreement’’ headlines the top of a newspaper on the table in front of me. The anchors’ voices on the televisions at either corner of the cafe have been muted, but statements at the bottom of the screens read: “U.S. President meets in New York to re-sign Paris Agreement” and “Paris Agreement to be re-signed after Trump took U.S. out of the deal 5 years ago.”

It has been about two years since the last coronavirus patient recovered and was released from the hospital in the United States. At the moment of their release, there were a lot of promises made. A lot of declarations to improve different government and healthcare systems. A lot of hope in finally addressing the persisting socioeconomic inequalities in our country that the coronavirus brought to light.

Though many of these proposed endeavors have not seen much follow-through, there has been one silver lining: the United States is finally taking environmental action.

Today, the U.S. will re-sign the Paris Agreement, one of its largest steps in reversing the decisions and damage of years past.

Just as the United States seemed to be slipping into an irreversible fate of environmental degradation, the coronavirus pandemic presented a unique opportunity to make deliberate change.

During the pandemic, countries

like Italy that were greatly impactedby the coronavirus — often experiencing high numbers of confirmed cases and high death rates — took restrictive measures to reduce its spread. Many people were confined under stay at home orders and practiced social distancing. With the temporary reduction in vehicles on the road and decrease in plane passengers, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels decreased dramatically in some areas.

For example, China had a 35% decrease in NO2 levels at the beginning of 2020 when comparing it to the beginning of 2019. Some cities in Italy like Milan had a 40% reduction in NO2 levels.

Additionally, oil production decreased due to the coronavirus’ effects.

During the outbreak, OPEC — the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries — made a deal to cut 9.7 million barrels from their production for two months.

While this initially was done to curb economic loss, the U.S. Congress saw how fragile and dependent the nation was on the production of oil. After elections in November 2020, the new president committed the United States to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions in order to stay below the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 1.5 °C recommendation.

Now, the U.S. is transitioning to more renewable energy. Significant subsidies have been given to farmers and innovators to use alternative power sources, such as water, wind

and geothermal energy in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, advised by environmental experts, Congress is working to develop plans for agricultural and industrial systems that will rebuild habitats and increase biodiversity.

This decision was made after seeing how humans’ impact on the environment opened opportunities for infectious diseases to rapidly spread.

The effects of human-induced climate change, such as increased precipitation and temperatures and increased contact humans have with animals, enabled infectious diseases like Lymes disease and malaria to increase the extent of their spread before the coronavirus was a reality.

These conditions presented by human-caused climate change also increased humans contact with animals due to deforestation, habitat loss, more livestock farming and changing migration patterns due to changing global temperatures. The world saw increases in diseases like swine flu, SARS, (or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and the Ebola virus, which had either originated or been spread by animals.

Similar to diseases like the swine flu and SARS, the presence of climate change had supported the existence and exacerbated the spread of the coronavirus.

By decreasing CO2 emissions, the United States is trying to limit further escalation of global temperatures in an attempt to prevent future pandemics.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department

of Agriculture are taking Congress’ lead by strengthening regulations on oil and coal companies, large corporations and industrial farms in an attempt to reduce and eventually halt greenhouse gas emissions.

Before the pandemic, the industry sector contributed 22% of U.S. greenhouse gases and the agriculture sector contributed 10% of U.S. greenhouse gases.

The EPA is also working with state and local governments, especially large metropolitan areas, to transition power sources and transportation services to more sustainable alternatives with the hope of decreasing CO2 emissions. Car dealers are also being encouraged to lower prices on hybrid and electric vehicles.

Environmental organizations and individuals are also responding to the newfound governmental efforts to combat climate change. Nongovernmental organizations like the National Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace, the Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club are mobilizing and increasing their reach.

Before the pandemic, many environmental NGOs did not have government backing or widespread legitimacy. However, with the increasing acceptance of climate change, these organizations have more avenues to exert influence and carry out their missions of protecting the planet.

They are still putting pressure on corporations to decrease CO2 emissions and governments to increase conservation and restoration efforts.

Individuals are changing their

behaviors — opting for renewable energy, making more sustainable consumer choices and talking about environmental issues — more than ever before.

Before the coronavirus’ spread, the health of our planet had been largely and consistently ignored. Political leaders denied the existence of human-induced climate change, even though there was evidence of its impact on millions across the world — displacing people from their homes, increasing species extinction rates, and depleting food and water resources.

With all of the terrible scars the coronavirus has left behind, we have been able to find some strength, some space for progress and reparation.

I look up to the television screen again. The president is leaning over a document surrounded by people.

They move their pen across the bottom of the page, following the swirl of their signature. The president’s facial expression is confident, certain that this is the right decision, the just decision.

They look up and smile, capping the pen and shaking officials’ hands around them as cameras flash.

I mirror the president’s smile on the television, a feeling of ease washing over me. We are finally moving forward.

Alexandra Garner is a sophomore studying political science and environmental studies. She can be reached at alexandra.garner@marquette.edu

COVID-19 forces restructuring of health care system Beck Salgado The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States was disastrous in so many ways, from faults by our country’s leaders to misguided reactions by the public; it was clear that we were not prepared, and the number of cases and eventual deaths showed that.

Over the 10 years since COVID-19 crossed the U.S. borders, we have learned a multitude of lessons that have helped us build the foundation of a new health care system that assures we are prepared for a prompt national response to future situations akin to the infamous coronavirus.

One of the most crucial things that we learned from the COVID-19 outbreak was the importance of timely testing at the beginning of a pandemic. Now, this doesn’t just include the simple fact of testing more people. It also means that we have learned to stay prepared at all times in order to mobilize tests in massive quantities to any region of the country in order to identify the severity of a future virus. Having tests ready at the start of an outbreak helps enact the process of

contact tracing.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying each sick person and also testing people with whom the person came in contact. This is largely dependent on the mobility of tests and medical workers, but it’s important for the containment of a virus to occur at the beginning of its detection.

The COVID-19 outbreak also led to a debate centered around what we prioritize in times of national health threats. After the outbreak, there have been numerous conversations about whether we should prioritize public health or the public’s right to privacy. This conversation is predicated upon the idea that during an outbreak, people would relinquish certain rights to privacy. This is done as a means of informing the public about potential areas where infected people could be or could have been, which in turn helps to slow the spread.

Countries in Asia such as China and South Korea have used mobile phone data to track individuals or areas that pose a more significant risk of infection. By doing so, they have been able to contain and eradicate COVID-19 in a swift and efficient way. While the conversation around rights to privacy has moved

a lot slower in the U.S., there’s no looking past the value of being able to track those who have already been infected.

COVID-19 changed the basis of our health care system and how it works on the state and federal levels. Given the U.S.’s large population and geographic complexity, we had to mobilize the test in an efficient manner while also being able to identify the worst places, as well as the places that could get worse, and make sure places that aren’t being affected stay that way.

During the COVID-19 outbreak there were a lot of discrepancies in how the federal government — as opposed to state governments — wanted to handle the situation.

Given the lessons that we learned, state governments are now more willing to abide by federal suggestions as long as they can do so in a way that allows them to maintain liberties in how they execute them.

In the original outbreak, states such as Florida and Texas were hesitant to implement aggressive lockdown measures that were being suggested on the federal level.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of low-income communities were disproportionately ravaged by the virus. This partly stemmed from

their inability to access tests and afford going to the doctor.

We’ve restructured our health care system to make it more accessible. We have reexamined the affordability and the preparedness of our health care system, working to make it more conducive to serving our whole society rather than just the wealthy who have seamless access to it. Structural changes that have promoted this are the implementation of a universal and public system that helps to lower or eradicate the cost of vaccines and other medical expenses.

We learned that if you make the health care system more accessible in the midst of a health crisis, more people could be proactive in dealing with the possibility of having the virus. We learned that this helped lower overcrowding in hospitals as well as the overall infection and death rate in a future instance of a virus.

Lastly, we learned that it is essential to fund the health care system in order to make it more accessible.

Even though we were dedicating a lot of money toward sectors like the military, we realized after the coronavirus that to protect the sense of security of our citizens, we had to first protect them from

health threats.

Over the last 10 years, the U.S. found it to be the best decision to reallocate a certain amount of money each year towards restructuring the health care system in an attempt to help support and sustain it. The nation has done so with the hopes of cultivating a health care system that is designed to serve and protect our society as a whole.

Beck Salgado is a sophomore studying journalism and English.

He can be reached at beck.salgado@marquette.edu

Statement of Opinion Policy

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

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

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

Please e-mail submissions to: alexandra.garner@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.

Sports The Marquette Tribune

SENIOR TENNIS PLAYER PAVES SEPARATE WAY IN SPORTS FROM NBA DAD SPORTS, 14

Friday, April 17, 2020 PAGE 12

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Merritt, Skeete leave for Fighting Illini

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Scott Merritt, Vernette Skeete, Jordan King and Justine Ratterman (right to left) sit on the sidelines of Marquette’s win over Butler Feb. 16 on Play4Kay Day at the Al McGuire Center.

Duffy brings former Olympian Coleman onto staff

By John Leuzzi and Tyler Peters

john.leuzzi@marquette.edu tyler.peters@marquette.edu

Women’s basketball assistant coach Vernette Skeete is leaving Marquette to join University of Illinois as an assistant coach, the Illini head coach Nancy Fahey announced in a statement Monday afternoon.

“We are excited that Coach Vernette Skeete is joining the Fighting Illini women’s basketball program,” Fahey said in a statement.

“Vernette is a proven winner at top25 programs Marquette and Miami where she was instrumental in the rebuild of both programs. Her impact here will be felt immediately.”

The announcement comes just nearly two weeks after Scott Merritt, Skeete’s fellow women’s basketball assistant coach, left the Golden Eagles for the Fighting Illini March 26.

“He is a proven winner and recruiter who has played and coached at the highest levels of our game,” Fahey said of Merritt in a statement.

“He excels at player development and I am excited for our players to grow under his guidance. His

hard-working attitude and great character make Scott a perfect fit for our Illini family.”

To replace Merritt, Duffy hired Itoro Coleman, who served as an assistant coach at Penn State 2014-19 under former Lady Lions head coach Coquese Washington.

“I am extremely excited to be a part of the Marquette family,” Coleman said in the statement. “Megan is a well-respected coach in our profession. Her love for the studentathletes and her will to be the best is infectious. When you have a proven winner in your leader combined with winning tradition and winning culture, great things happen.”

Coleman will join Justine Raterman as assistant coach, and Duffy will now look to hire a new assistant to replace Skeete for the 2020-21 season.

The 2019-20 season was Merritt and Skeete’s sixth with the program and first with head coach Megan Duffy. The assistants were the two coaches retained from Carolyn Kieger staff during the transition.

Kieger, now the head coach at Penn State, said the Big Ten gained a top notch coach in Merritt.

“Scott has been a vital piece to the success of the Marquette Women’s Basketball program over the past six years,” Kieger said in an email. “He definitely left his Marq as a player and coach! He put his heart and soul

into our alma mater and I know he will continue to do the same at Illinois. The Big Ten is getting one of the best coaches around. As hard as it is going to be competing against my friend, I know he will do huge things during his next step.”

During their time at Marquette, Merritt and Skeete helped develop one of the most successful classes in program history, featuring Marquette women’s basketball all-time leading scorer Allazia Blockton, Amani Wilborn, Danielle King, Erika Davenport and Natisha Hiedeman, who now plays in the WNBA for the Connecticut Sun. “I can’t express how excited I am to join Coach Fahey’s staff,” Merritt said in a statement. “She has an amazing vision for where she wants this program to go, and I look forward to representing the Orange and Blue.”

Over Merritt and Skeete’s tenure with the Golden Eagles, MU reached a program-best No. 8 ranking in the AP Poll in 2019. The two also helped lead the Golden Eagles to three consecutive BIG EAST Championships — 2017 BIG EAST Tournament and 2018 and 2019 BIG EAST regularseason titles.

Prior to Marquette, Skeete was the head coach at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.

Through two seasons, she led the program to a 50-13 record and won a

state championship in 2013. She also received FCSAA Coach of the Year honors in 2012-13.

The coach spent three years at the University of Miami as coordinator of basketball operations and two seasons as assistant coach. During her tenure, the Hurricanes became a powerhouse in the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning the league title in the 2010-11 season, earning a top-10 ranking in the 2011-12 season and receiving consecutive No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2012.

Meanwhile, Merritt was a fouryear starter on the Marquette men’s basketball team, playing on the 2003 NCAA Final Four squad with Dwayne Wade and Travis Diener.

He finished as the Golden Eagles’ all-time leader with 126 games played, and he ranks 30th on MU’s career scoring list with 1,049 points, 14th with 697 rebounds and fifth with 113 blocks.

Looking ahead to the future women’s basketball coaching team, Duffy said Coleman’s success at all levels of the game will be a valuable asset to the program’s development and success.

“I was blown away by her commitment to excellence both on and off the court,” Duffy said in a statement. “Itoro brings an incredible passion and competitiveness to the game of basketball and will make

an immediate impact on both current and future Marquette student-athletes. With Itoro’s experience playing in the WNBA and the Olympics, and the enormous successes she has found in coaching, we couldn’t be more excited to watch Itoro enhance our program.”

Aside from assistant coaching at Penn State, Coleman served in other roles such as recruiting coordinator.

She helped guide three top-25 recruiting classes to the Nittany Lions.

Prior to PSU, Coleman was the head coach at Clemson from 201013 where she led the Tigers to two top-30 recruiting classes, including South Carolina’s Player of the Year.

In 2012, Coleman’s squad broke the school record for blocked shots with 168, which ranked fourth in the NCAA. Before her coaching days, Coleman was a standout defensive player at Clemson. During her time as a player in Death Valley, Coleman was a three-time All-ACC team honoree, an AP All America Honorable Mention and the 1999 ACC Tournament MVP and ranked top 10 in scoring, assists and steals in the program.

In 2003, Coleman became the first Clemson player to make a WNBA roster, playing for the Indiana Fever and Houston Comets that season. She was also captain of the Nigerian National Team in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Sports

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

13

WORLD SPORTS

Tokyo 2020 games postponed to summer 2021 Athletes gain year of training due to coronavirus spread

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the virus affecting nearly all countries to some extent, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee released a joint statement March 24.

The games will still take place in Japan but will be postponed until 2021.

The state of the pandemic is rapidly changing with the number of cases rising every day, according to the World Health Organization.

Athletes who have been training for the 2020 Tokyo Games will simply have to wait, but Lou Hasebroock, a senior in the College of Education and president of the Triathlon Team at Marquette, said this delay will affect the athletes’

Photo via Wikimedia

Olympic rings sit in front of the construction site of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics stadium.

practicing schedules.

“It’s definitely a major setback that throws off a lot of their timelines for training,” Hasebroock said. “For more relaxed athletes, it’s something I can adjust to, but for the pros, it’s very hard to adjust especially if you’re on a detailed schedule.”

Emery Lehman, a senior in the College of Engineering and a two-time Winter Olympics competitor in speedskating, said the postponement will be difficult

to overcome.

“A lot of the athletes have been training for four years, so if I was in their position, I would be totally heartbroken,” Lehman said.

There are 25 states in the U.S. that have issued stay-at-home orders. Other states have only issued orders in certain parts of the state. Due to these orders, many gyms and training facilities like Planet Fitness, Gold’s Gym, LA Fitness and many more

have temporarily shut down, according to their websites.

Michael Pook, a sophomore in the College of Engineering and a member of the powerlifting club at Marquette, said he expects the Olympic athletes to experience problems with their training.

“I imagine a lot of athletes, at least the sponsored ones, will have the resources to train for the more popular sports like track or basketball,” Pook said. “For the smaller sports like weightlifting

or the more niche sports, it will be a lot harder.”

Hasebroock echoed Pook’s thoughts and said that her personal training has become more difficult as well.

“I can’t train on campus anymore with the facilities being shut down,” Hasebroock said.

“I’ve had to do a lot of outside training, but it’s very difficult, especially because I can’t be doing that with other people.”

For Pook, he said he has some unique ways to continue his training despite the lack of open facilities.

“Largely, what I’ve done for myself is take basic exercises I would normally do at the gym and convert them to some sort of variation with stuff I have at my house,” Pook said.

While athletes for the summer games adjust their schedules and look to 2021, the committees for Tokyo hope the “Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present,” the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee said in the joint statement.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Johnson becomes head coach at Loyola Marymount Justin Gainey returns to MKE after 3 seasons

By Zoe Comerford

isabel.comerford@marquette.edu

Stan Johnson is leaving his position as Marquette men’s basketball associate head coach and becoming the next men’s basketball head coach at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the Lions’ athletic director Craig Pintens announced in a statement March 20.

“Stan has tremendous vision for the future of LMU men’s basketball, and he has the distinct ability to connect with and inspire student-athletes on and off the court,” Pintens said in the statement.

Wojciechowski announced April 3 that Justin Gainey, who served as director of operations for Marquette from 2014-17, will replace Johnson. He will join Dwayne Killings in the associate head coach position starting in the 2020-21 season.

“My family and I are humbled and excited to return to the Marquette basketball family and this great university,” Gainey said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with one of the best college basketball coaches in the country, as well as

one of my mentors. ... I’m excited about the future of Marquette basketball and all the great things that lie ahead.”

The 2019-20 season was Johnson’s fifth with the program after being promoted to associate head coach in June 2017. Over his tenure with the Golden Eagles, he helped lead Marquette to three postseason appearances: two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 201617 and 2018-19, and a 2017-18 National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals appearance.

“I’m truly honored and blessed to be the head coach at one of the elite academic institutions in the country,” Johnson said in the statement. “I’m most excited by the opportunity to connect, coach and develop our current and future players, in order to create a program that our fans, university and community can all be proud of.”

Meanwhile, Gainey has plenty of college coaching experience of his own. After his three seasons at MU, he worked as an assistant coach at Santa Clara University under his former college coach Herb Sandek. The past two seasons, he was an assistant under Sean Miller at University of Arizona.

Not only did Gainey help former Marquette prospect Nico Mannion achieve Second Team All-Pac-12 honors, he also coached 2020

Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Pac-12 forward Zeke Nnaji. Both Mannion and Nnaji made their way onto the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

As a player, Gainey was a guard from North Carolina State from 1996-2000 and went on to play internationally for Austria’s

Photo by John Steppe john.steppe@marquette.edu

Stan Johnson spent 6 years at MU.

Woerthersee Piratens in 200001 and France’s Olympique D’Antibes in the Pro A league the next season. He finished his playing career for the United States Basketball League’s Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs.

“Justin is one of the nation’s top rising coaches, and his talents, ability to build meaningful

relationships and myriad of experiences alongside some of the game’s best teachers will serve our program, and most importantly our players, incredibly well,” Wojciechowski said in a statement.

While Gainey was with the program for three seasons, Johnson was known for his strong recruiting network. His close relationship with senior guard Markus Howard helped bring the All-American guard to the Golden Eagles. Johnson’s connections also helped bring graduate transfer Jayce Johnson to Marquette.

When Howard was a junior at Findlay Prep, he said Stan was the one who suggested graduating early and starting college in 2016.

“That played out pretty well for myself,” Howard said Feb. 27.

“He was always trying to put me in the best position. Our relationship’s grown over the years. I’m really fortunate and blessed to be able to have somebody like him in my life who I consider like family. ... It started when I was younger, but it’s continued to grow and evolve, and me and him are as close as ever.”

In addition to Stan’s impact on Howard on the basketball court, he has played a big role in Howard’s faith. The Chandler, Arizona, native had Stan talk to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter

Howard co-founded as a special guest in November.

“Basketball is something in itself, but just as a man, as a man of God, he’s been such a big influence to me,” Howard said Nov. 3. “One of the first things I questioned when coming to school is, ‘Where am I going to go to church?’ The first week I got here, he was the person who took me to church with him. ... I’m truly blessed to have someone like him in my life.”

Prior to Marquette, Stan spent two seasons at Arizona State University and Drake University and three years at the University of Utah. He was also an assistant at Cal State Northridge in the 200708 season and at Southwest Baptist University from 2004-07.

He played for three seasons at South Utah University. As a captain in 2000-01, he led the Thunderbirds to a Mid-Continent Conference — now Summit League — championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. The Taylorsville, Utah, native was a threetime All-Academic Team honoree.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2003.

His final year of eligibility was spent at Bemidji State, averaging 13.5 points per game. As a captain, he contributed a teamhigh 114 assists and earned MidContinent Conference honorable mention accolades.

14

The Marquette Tribune

Sports

Friday, April 17, 2020

MEN’S TENNIS

Senior player chooses own path to athletic success BIG EAST honoree son of 2-time NBA champ

By Andrew Amouzou

andrew.amouzou@marquette.edu

When Marquette tennis player Luke Smrek was about 11 years old, he learned something about his father that not too many people can say about their own parents: His dad was previously a professional basketball player.

Mike Smrek played alongside Hall of Famers such as Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond and Michael Jordan. He was also part of the 1987 and ‘88 Los Angeles Lakers Championship teams that featured Hall of Fame athletes Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

Overall, in his eight-year NBA career, he played for five teams: The Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.

He would then play overseas ball up until his last season in 1997.

Even with his father’s experience in the NBA and overseas, Luke said

he never really saw his dad as a pro athlete.

“I have always just seen him as my father,” Luke said. “I did not see him on TV growing up, and he never really pushed me to play basketball or anything like that. He always wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do to make myself happy.”

Mike said his intentions never were to have his children follow in his footsteps.

“It was totally up to him as to what he wanted to do,” Mike said. “In my house, you will not see any pictures, posters, basketballs or anything. I had no thoughts of trying to steer them into (playing basketball).”

Prior to starting tennis, Luke said he was involved in other sports such as swimming and soccer. His mother eventually helped him become familiar with tennis.

“My mother, being from Europe where tennis is big there, thought that an individual sport might be better for me, so I started playing tennis in the summers and I liked it right away,” Luke said. “I started playing tennis in the garage and on the driveway. Once I started, I did not really play many other sports after that.”

Mike said he was impressed to witness Luke’s growth in tennis.

Luke, a senior in the College of Business Administration, is now a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST honoree.

“It’s awesome to see from the time he first picked up a racket to his time now,” Mike said. “When

Photo by Claire Gallagher claire.gallagher@marquette.edu

Luke Smrek prepares at the net.

he first started, he used to hold the racket with two hands and hit upwards, and you wouldn’t believe that is how he used to hit it. He would put his coat on, go shovel the driveway and hit the ball off the garage door for hours.”

At the start of his senior year of

high school, Luke moved in with his teammate and coach, since the school he went to was far from where his family lived. At that time, Luke said he practiced every day before school at 6 a.m. and again after school.

Once recruiting started, Marquette was a school with which the Wellend, Ontario, native was not familiar.

“At the summer outdoor nationals, a lot of U.S. coaches come to Toronto to recruit there, and I actually have never heard of Marquette before then,” Luke said. “I was there with my dad, and Coach (Steve) Rodecap was there. I remember hearing something about the Marquette coach watching, but nothing much happened from that.”

After various email exchanges with Rodecap, Luke finally visited campus and said he “loved it right away.”

“The people and the coaching was the biggest reason why I chose here,” Luke said. “It’s a great school with great people.”

Luke saw immediate success in his first year, as he was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and was an All-BIG EAST honoree.

In his second and third years, he

was selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team.

Since his senior season was cut short due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, Luke now looks forward to being a graduate assistant coach at Ball State University, which is something that Rodecap did when he was going into graduate school.

Seeing Luke’s success at MU and his daughter Anna’s abilities, who will play volleyball at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall of 2021, Mike said supporting youth in what they want to do will lead to a future with less regret.

“Let them choose and try to support them the best you can by using the things you have learned in your life,” Mike said. “That way they do not look back with any regrets or wish they have done something differently.”

Luke said his father not pushing him to follow in his footsteps is something that is common among professional athletes.

“They have been through the hardships of their game,” Luke said.

“Letting (your kids) do what makes them happy is something, I think, they believe is important.”

TRACK & FIELD

Armstrong looks forward to final run at Marquette Jumper to take advantage of extra NCAA eligibility

By Sam Arco

samuel.arco@marquette.edu

Senior jumper Daniel Armstrong saw his final season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of the remaining NCAA Spring Championships last month.

The NCAA Division I Council voted March 30 for an extra year of eligibility for all studentathletes in spring sports whose seasons were canceled due to the coronavirus.

Armstrong said he’s planning on taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility by attending graduate school at Marquette. He is currently studying finance in the College of Business Administration.

“I want to come back next year even better and break the high jump records and win another BIG EAST Championship in the high jump,” Armstrong said. “I also want to bring a national championship back to Marquette.”

Throughout his four-year career so far, Armstrong’s accolades in the high jump

include four first place finishes at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships, two first place finishes at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, two trips to the NCAA Indoor Championships his sophomore and junior years and holding the No. 2 all-time mark for MU. A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Armstrong attended Michigan City High School, where he lettered in track and basketball. As a senior, he won the state title in the high jump with a personal best 7-foot jump which tied him for the 15th best jump out of all high school athletes in the country.

Despite Armstrong’s high school resume, Marquette was his sole recruiter, which led to his decision to attend the university.

Head coach Bert Rogers said he has been most impressed

by Armstrong’s growth over the years.

“Daniel was (6-foot-7) coming out of high school and was very slow and had a bad approach, but he had serious hops, so we knew he had great potential,” Rogers said. “I like to call Daniel a diamond in the rough, and I’m glad we got him on our team. He wanted to be an AllAmerican, and his performances have shown that.”

Although Armstrong admits his dedication to his sport has helped him improve throughout his career, he didn’t take all the credit for his success.

“My improvement shows more about how great our coaches are at making everyone better,” he said.

Armstrong isn’t always the loudest one on the team, but Rogers said his presence around others makes a difference.

“Daniel was a quiet guy most of the time, but during all of our meets he was always focused and supportive of his teammates, and it seemed like the bigger the meet, the bigger he jumped — so that shows he always rose to the occasion,” Rogers said.

Looking back on his past success, Armstrong said his proudest performance in a Marquette uniform came this year at the Panther Tune-Up at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee when he set a personal record — while dealing with an illness.

“Just how I was able to overcome being sick and set a PR ... made it that more special,” he said.

Armstrong also said the first time he qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships was a memorable moment.

“It was the last event of the day, and everyone in the

building was cheering me on, including all my teammates, so it was really special to celebrate with all of them after qualifying and is something I will never

forget,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said he is hopeful that his return to the track next year will solidify his career resume.

Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Daniel Armstrong competes in the 2020 John Tierney Classic at UWM.

Sports

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Marquette Tribune

15

SPEEDSKATING

Speedskater achieves sponsorship with MU alum Lehman receives support after overcoming mono

By Bryan Geenen

bryan.geenen@marquette.edu

Among Marquette’s various club sports, ranging from basketball and volleyball to quidditch and sailing, speedskating is one sport that is missing. However, that has not stopped one senior from competing.

Emery Lehman, a senior in the College of Engineering, began skating at a young age and progressed quickly, notably having competed in two Olympic Winter Games. His early success led him to continue his journey at Marquette, where he knew he could continue to compete.

“I looked at schools in the Milwaukee area for training because I wanted to do school and training,” Lehman said.

Lehman’s second year at Marquette brought a new set of challenges after he fell ill with mono.

“I was unable to train for quite a while, which kind of cut my season short,” Lehman said. “It was really tough to deal with, and I lost my funding from the Olympic committee so I had no outside support besides my parents, which definitely threw me off track.”

Lehman said the sickness and the time off from training changed him.

“When I was younger, I medaled a lot and made an Olympic team at a really young age,” Lehman said. “My skating and my improvement took a really big hit after I got sick because I never was really quite the same.”

Gabriel Girard, coach of U.S. Speedskating National Team, began working with Lehman in May 2019. He said Lehman’s early success was unique.

“At 17 years old, he was already at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, which is very unusual in this sport,” Girard said. “Prior to our collaboration, his best moments as an athlete went back to his Sochi 2014 years, where he was still a junior (in high school).”

Girard said he is trying to switch up Lehman’s approach to the races as continues his training.

“Right now, he’s a senior. He’s been working a lot on what it means to race against other seniors, to have an approach that is more planned, more monitored and built for him to maximize his performances,” Girard said.

As Lehman is set to graduate in May, his speedskating career has been off and on with the balance of training and studying, which

Photo courtesy of Joseph Dorff

Emery Lehman placed third in the Men’s 5000m race at the ISU Four Continents Championship in Milwaukee.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Dorff

The athlete is a senior in the College of Engineering and a 2-time Olympic speedskater from Oak Park, Illinois.

Girard said is not an easy task.

The coach said he admires Lehman for how he competes against professional athletes while also continuing with his academics.

“It brings a nice balance to his life. To me, being a balanced athlete is a part of being a successful athlete,” Girard said. “In a sense, when you have a bad day at the rink, then you have something to shift your mind to. But also, if

one day you get injured and your athlete career is finished, then you got something to move on to directly.”

Joseph Dorff, one of Lehman’s close friends and a Marquette alum, said Lehman has been training hard ever since they met each other in their first year of school.

In addition to competing in the Olympics, Lehman traveled

the world from May 2019 to Jan. 2020 for speedskating, becoming a National Champion in the 5k and 10k while qualifying for World Championships in the 1500m and Team Pursuit.

From Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 Lehman returned to Milwaukee to competed in the ISU Four Continents Championship, placing third in the Men’s 5,000m race. Then he headed to the ISU World Cup #5

in Calgary, California, Feb. 7 and finished with a personal best in the 1,500m. The next weekend he finished off the season at thr World Championships in Salt Lake City, placing 16th in the world for the 1,500m and fifth for Team Pursuit.

“He’s always been very goaldriven and busting his butt working out,” Dorff said. “Seeing where he was, the effort he’s put in and growing as a person, it’s been pretty remarkable to see.”

Dorff is now a marketing and business development manager at Coinigy, a Milwaukee-based company that is providing Lehman with his first individual sponsorship. Dorff worked with the cryptocurrency company through a business class during his senior year at Marquette.

“Emery and I were kind of just talking, and I said, ‘Let’s try and get you some kind of sponsorship deal,’” Dorff said. “It was a couple of weeks before his first races so I said, ‘Well, let’s talk to my bosses and see what we can do.’”

During the non-Olympic years, it is hard for an athlete to get sponsorships, Lehman said.

“It was actually really huge to get that support that far out from the Olympics,” Lehman said.

“Hopefully I can help them out as much as they helped me out.”

Lehman said his skating career is still developing, and he doesn’t plan to stop until he thinks he can’t get any better.

“Until that happens, however, I don’t know what my limit is,” Lehman said. “Obviously, it’s to get better and better every year, but I’m just focused on improving on my time from the last two competitions.”

Dorff said he recognizes that the kind of progress his friend has had is pretty unique.

“This past year, (Lehman) has been killing it,” Dorff said.

“Outperforming, training his butt off, moving to Canada. I’ve seen firsthand how hard this kid’s been working, and it’s awesome to see his hard work pay off now.”

With the current situation of COVID-19, the International Olympic Committee has postponed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but Lehman said he doesn’t believe it will impact him too much since it is his offseason.

“I’ve been trying to stick to what I normally do. Especially in the wintertime, I do a lot of biking on the trainer. I’m cooped up in my apartment, but I’m still riding the bike,” Lehman said.

“I am moving out to Salt Lake City at the end of the semester in May, so hopefully everything is on the way back to being normal by then.”

16

The Marquette Tribune

Sports

Friday, April 17, 2020

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Howard 1st at MU to win Senior CLASS Award statement. “From his dynamic performances on the basketball court to his impact within the community, Markus has excelled in becoming an exquisite role model and inspiration for those

By Zoe Comerford following in his footsteps.” isabel.comerford@marquette.edu Howard ended this season as Over Markus Howard’s career, the nation’s leading scorer, avhe has accumulated numerous eraging 27.8 points per game awards, from the 2019 unani- and finishing his college career mous BIG EAST Player of the as Marquette’s all-time leadYear to an Associated Press and ing scorer with 2,761 points.

Consensus First Team All-Amer- The Chandler, Arizona, native ican. But Howard was given one is also tied for seventh place in of the most prestigious awards NCAA history with 434 career of his career March 31 when he 3-pointers.

The award is vote-based, and was named the 2019-20 Senior CLASS Award winner for NCAA those who participate include nationwide D-I men’s basketDivision I men’s basketball.

Marquette senior outside hitter ball coaches, media members Allie Barber was named a final- and fans. It honors the attributes ist in the fall for the volleyball of senior student-athletes in award, but Howard is the first four aspects of their lives: comGolden Eagle in any sport to win munity, classroom, character and competition. the award.

The acronym stands for Cel“Markus Howard has spent four years demonstrating how ebrating Loyalty and Achievehe embodies all elements of the ment for Staying in School, and Senior CLASS Award,” Erik the program strives to honor colMiner, executive director of the lege seniors who are committed Senior CLASS Award, said in a to their university and use all

Program’s all-time leading scorer adds accolade

four years of their athletic eligibility, while also recognizing the rewards their final season may bring.

The senior guard has thrived off of the court, earning academic All-BIG EAST honors and co-founding a chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Marquette. He has recorded more than 100 hours of community service working with programs like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Children’s Wisconsin and Boys & Girls Club.

The 5-foot-11 guard has also publicly shared his struggles with balancing sports and academics, and has spent time spreading awareness of mental health.

“Markus is, and will continue to be, a tremendous ambassador for Marquette University,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said in a statement. “Markus maximized his voice as a student-athlete as well as anyone I have ever seen and as a result, he has been able to make a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals.”

“I am extremely grateful to

Photo by Jordan Johnson jordan.d.johnson@marquette.edu

Markus Howard and his mom stand next to his jersey on Senior Day.

receive the Senior CLASS Award and want to thank everyone who was involved in the decision, especially our tremendous fans, who were so supportive during the voting process,” Howard said in a statement. “One of my goals when I arrived on campus

was to have an impact on our community beyond basketball and the resources provided by the Marquette family allowed me to accomplish that goal and I am sincerely appreciative of the opportunity.”

Graphic by John Leuzzi