NOSTALGIA (old version)

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News

Letter from the Editor

Beyond Nostalgia Flash Five

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Feature: Projects


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Arts & Entertainment

Feature: Fashion

Opinions Sports Online Content 3


A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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ilwaukee has a smell. It’s not a particularly good smell. Some would even call it bad. When it is especially strong, often on warm windy days, it makes you wrinkle your nose and comment aloud. Some people say it’s the scent of the breweries. Others say it’s from the sewage district. I don’t really know, except that it is The Milwaukee Scent. They say smell is the strongest sense for recalling memories. And every time I step outside of my apartment and get a whiff of that familiar odor, I’m reminded of the first times I experienced that scent; of the first days on campus in August 2017, of unfamiliar nights in an unfamiliar residence hall with an unfamiliar roommate; of taking the Amtrak home once a month to get my braces tightened. Even though it was just over three years ago, I’m nostalgic for those times. Now in my fourth year at Marquette, my classmates and I have already experienced the demolition of McCormick, the building of The Commons, the demolition of the Bradley Center and the construction of Fiserv Forum. The campus I walk through today is not the same one of three years ago. If I can look back at my life at Marquette three years ago

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Kelli Arseneau Managing Editor of the Marquette Journal and smile wistfully about the things I’ve learned and how I've changed, as well as the ways campus has developed, then what are the thoughts and feelings of Marquette alumni from 10, 20, even 50 years ago? This was the thought process behind envisioning the possibilities for the Journal back in February. Then came the pandemic. The past few months have been nothing that anyone could have foreseen. Natallie St. Onge, the executive director of the Marquette Wire and the former Managing Editor of the Marquette Journal, and I co-managed a summer Journal outlining the historical summer of 2020. The idea of “nostalgia” took on a new meaning as we longingly remember seven months ago when we could hug our friends and spend time with others in the newsroom. The Marquette Wire staff has now produced two magazines in the midst of a global pandemic. I am beyond proud of them and of this magazine – including all its print, video and audio stories – that we have created. NOSTALGIA would not be possible without the hard work of the Marquette Wire staff, and the generous contributions of memories from alumni, professors and Mar-

quette community members. Special thanks to Nicole Hauch for offering design advice, and to Don Hertz for helping with video packages, and of course to Director of Student Media Mark Zoromski for his continuing support and assistance. The photo above was taken by executive photo editor Zach Bukowski on the roof of the 16th street parking garage. He was able to snag a rainbow in the background seconds before it disappeared. Besides making for a beautiful background, I think it perfectly reflects the theme of this Journal: that moments are fleeting and quickly become memories. It's up to us to find a way to preserve and share those memories with others. I hope NOSTALGIA shares some cherished Marquette memories with a wider audience. I hope you, reader, learn something about the history of Marquette University, and its impacts on the people and places that have passed through Milwaukee’s streets during the past 139 years. And I hope that we, as a Marquette community, can take memories from our past and learn from them as we move into the future. Sincerely,


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Executive Director of the Marquette Wire Natallie St. Onge Managing Editor of the Marquette Journal Kelli Arseneau EDITORIAL

DIGITAL

Executive Editors Lelah Byron, Zoe Comerford, Skyler Chun, Alex Garner

General Manager of Marquette University Television Aimee Galaszewski

Assistant Editors Aminah Beg, Charlotte Ives, Nick Galle, Molly Gretzlock, Alexa Jurado, Amanda Parrish, Mason Stebnitz, Benjamin Wells Copy Chief Nora McCaughey Copy Editors Kendra Bell, Kim Cook, Grace Kwapil, Emily Reinhardt Contributing Writers Sam Arco, Matthew Choate, Maria Crenshaw, Grace Dawson, Nick Galle, Bryan Geenan, Molly Gretzlock, Jackson Gross, Jenna Koch, Ariana Madson, Annie Mattea, Hope Moses, Max Pickart, Lucia Ruffolo, Matt Yeazel ADVERTISING Sales Manager Audrey Roth

General Manager of Marquette University Radio Reese Seberg Executive Producers Margaret Cahill, Shane Hogan, Alex Rivera Grant, Vanessa Rivera Assistant Producers Andrew Amouzou, Cal Gessner, Ryan Hagan, Tyler Peters, Sarah Richardson, M’Laya Sago Assistant Radio General Manager Bella Lazarski Audio Producers Joseph Beaird, Randi Haseman, John Leuzzi ART Design Chief Grace Pionek Executive Photo Editor Zach Bukowski Designers Mariam Ali, Kayla Nickerson, Marissa Provenzale, Lily Werner Photographers Claire Gallager, Joceline Helmbreck, Katerina Pourliakas

Cover photos Courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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Photo by Zach Bukowski

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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FLASH FIVE

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Photo by Claire Gallagher

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Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

FLASH FIVE

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At ommos quuntiur? Udis ipsunto tasped quis nobitem cor as siminctur? Ed eliquibus anis nat volorias doloreprem fuga. Nam is etur aute net omnimus ernatia Photo by Joceline Helmbreck pligend icienimpore quidi vo


1994, Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

FLASH FIVE

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Photo by Claire Gallagher

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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FLASH FIVE

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Photo by Zach Bukowski

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FLASH FIVE

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BEYOND

Assuming all alumni have positive memories of college ignores the experiences of students of color Hope Moses

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ostalgia is defined as the sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. While nostalgic memories are linked to positive association, the definition is too narrow and does not include unhappy past experiences; the kind of memories those seek to push away, forget and abandon in order to move on. These kinds of moments are ones that the term “nostalgia” does not fully acknowledge. The decision to not explore the term “nostalgia” past its surface means we are consciously forgetting about those whose experiences do not coincide with nostalgia’s general meaning. In order to understand the entire meaning of nostalgia, we must look at experiences beyond the majority. Nonwhite Marquette alumni explain their nostalgia attending a white majority university. Amia Bradford, a 2020 Marquette alum, says she had mixed feelings at Marquette.

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"I remember loving the education I received there, the professors I interacted with and my coworkers," Bradford says. "But also feeling like I did not belong." This is a kind of feeling that is all too familiar for minority students who attend predominately white institutions, or colleges and universities in which white people account for 50% or more of student enrollment. The United States has thousands of colleges and universities, most of which are labeled as PWIs. Predominantly white colleges and universities are usually places where BIPOCs compromise their identity to assimilate into the environment around them. Marquette qualifies as a PWI with nearly 70% of Marquette's undergraduate students being white, according to the Office of Institutional Analysis and Research. As someone who is Black, Indigenous or a person of color, attending PWIs like Marquette comes with highs and lows that are often not reflected upon as a community. The experience of going to col-

lege is a complex and intimidating change for most people. However, being a minority student at a PWI adds another layer of fear. The feeling of estrangement is just one of many feelings that come with being a minority student at a PWI. "By attending a PWI, there's a lot of ways where I just felt different from everyone else," Bradford says. "This difference was not just due to the color of my skin but in having different life experiences than those of my peers." This inability to be understood by peers becomes an issue when you are given less respect based on those experiences. As a BIPOC student, it is common that one will be misunderstood by their peers — who may assume their own life experiences are similar to everyone’s. But this is why difficult conversations about differences in life experiences are needed. People sometimes have a tendency to brush off and ignore unequal experiences, but by doing so, we are failing each


NOSTALGIA other. Therefore, discussing these conversations openly is the kind of reminiscing on past memories that needs to take place in order to push us forward. But it is also essential to understand that nostalgia is a complex idea that manifests in various ways. Jay Knight, a 2008 Marquette alum, reflecting upon his experiences says he created a positive nostalgic memory from a seemingly negative situation. “Sometimes I was the only Black person in class," Knight says. "But it ultimately motivated

"In order to understand the entire meaning of nostalgia, we must look at experiences beyond the majority."

me to work the hardest and be the best overall." Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience. Typically, people of color, especially in predominantly white spaces, are forced to work harder. The pressure one feels to succeed as one of the only, if not the only, person of color in their class is a very real struggle. Knight’s motivation and dedication to his studies led him to receive numerous honors, such as graduating magna cum laude and being part of highly recognized fraternities like Alpha Sigma Nu, Alpha Sigma Lambda and Psi Chi. A person attending college identifying as a BIPOC student has already beaten the odds. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 37% of Black students, 36% of Latinx and 24% of Indigenous students continue on to post-secondary education. While making it to college is a major accomplishment, being successful is the next obstacle. Both Bradford and Knight are living examples that while very real challenges exist, they do not have to define one's

college experience. With this being said, it is still important to remember that not everyone’s time at Marquette is nostalgic in a positive way. While both Bradford and Knight felt embraced at Marquette, there were also times when they were undeniably the odd man out. Those moments are not given enough attention and can be swept under the rug to create a sense of unity. All we can do is be aware of how our experiences are different from those around us. We must not only acknowledge this, but work together to change the future of Marquette so that students can look back at their college experiences with positive memories and a genuine sense of nostalgia.

This is a narrative written by an opinions columnist.

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EVOLUTION OF STUDENT MEDIA

From separate organizations to one program, student publications have undergone changes

Kelli Arseneau and Annie Mattea 2015 was the 100 year anniversary of student media publications at Marquette. The College of Communication held a celebration in March 2017. But just a few years ago, the organization looked very different. The Marquette Wire – the overarching organization which contains all four branches of student media: the Marquette Tribune, the Marquette Journal, Marquette University Television and Marquette Radio – was only created in 2014. Before that, the organizations operated separately. Marquette’s yearbook, the Hilltop, was published annually in print from 1915 until 1996 and for three years after online before ending in 1999. In 2018, the Marquette Wire saw further changes, when a roughly $4,000,000 renovation to the second floor of Johnston Hall was finished, made possible by a 2014 donation from the Bernice Shanke Greiveldinger Trust. The updates created a centralized hub for student media, including a brand new newsroom, a soundproof radio studio and two television studios, including the Jeanie Hayes virtual studio – named for which features a green screen space and a robotic camera. Patrick Thomas, executive director of the Marquette Wire from 2016-18, says Marquette’s student media opportunities and the ability for students to participate as soon as they get on campus were what drew him to the university in the first place. Thomas stepped on campus around the time the branches were merging into one overarching organization, and he

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recalls each aspect of student media still operated separately in many ways. During his time as executive director, Thomas says he worked with student media director Mark Zoromski to change the funding model and served on a committee to plan the second floor renovation. Thomas says he was involved in meetings with architects, and personally worked to plan a newsroom space that connected to television and radio studios. He says his goal was “to give the Wire space that matched what the mission of the organization was supposed to be.” Before the second floor facilities were built, all areas of student media operated from the basement of Johnston Hall. The merge in 2014 reflected the changing media landscape. Lori Punko, managing editor of the Marquette Tribune from 1989-90, says the combination of all organizations under the Marquette Wire is indicative of the journalism industry. She says the Denver Post, where she currently works as deputy sports editor, often publishes podcasts and other forms of multimedia packages along with print stories.

She says it gives students a more well rounded experience. But Punko’s experience with student media in the late 80s and early 90s was drastically different from students’ experiences during the 21st century. Ron Smith, former editor-in-chief of the Marquette Tribune in fall 1988, says there was little collaboration between print and broadcast. He says he often felt that “print was it” and that MUTV and MUR may have thought that the Tribune was arrogant. Punko recalls no collaboration whatsoever between student media sections. Another thing that has changed is the amount of Tribunes produced per week. Punko says that when she was managing editor, they were producing four Tribunes a week, Tuesday through Friday. Beyond lack of teamwork and a rigorous publishing schedule, the processes for creating and printing a newspaper, magazine or yearbook looked very different before the advent of desktop publishing in the 1990s. In the basement of Johnston Hall, there was a production room and darkroom. Greg Borowski, managing editor of the Marquette Tribune during spring 1989, recalls how students manually produced the newspaper, using a typesetting machine, hot wax and X-acto knives. Borowski remembers the camaraderie in the Tribune newsroom as students shared and fought over the visual display terminals. Between the 80s and 90s, a large shift in technology altered the student media experience.

The Marquette Tribune is published for the first time. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University


“We came of age at a really import- a couch in our office,” MacGregor says, ant time in terms of how media is put recalling that Journal staff members, as together,” Kim (Doyle) MacGregor, ed- well as students involved in the other meitor-in-chief of the Marquette Journal dia branches, often stopped in the office from 1989-90, says. She says much of Tri- just to relax and hang out. bune and Journal production was done “It was definitely the best training I manually in Johnston Hall’s basement could’ve had,” Punko says of her time in during her time at Marquette. During student media at Marquette. “I got way her senior year, MacGregor says she “did more out of working at the Trib than an independent study about desktop some of my classes.” publishing and how it was transforming Punko says during her time at the Trinewsrooms.” bune, they often covered large-scale news While the student media was not yet or big issues on campus. Borowski says using digital technology, MacGregor says he is proud of the professional way the Mac computers were starting to be used Tribune covered difficult stories. in classrooms. In general, MacGre- Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections gor remembers, every- and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, thing in terms of pub- Marquette University lishing took much longer. She recalls stacking the “boards,” which were the layout of the Journal’s pages, into “a giant envelope” and carrying the envelope through downtown Milwaukee as she walked to FedEx to mail the envelope to the printer. MacGregor, a graduate of 1990, spent time on the MUTV staff before moving to the Marquette Tribune, where she worked the crime beat, to becoming Both Punko and Borowski rememeditor-in-chief of the Marquette Journal ber one particular news story during the her senior year. Taking part in different spring semester of 1989: “the Bud house branches of student media, MacGregor fire.” Borowski says the house was known was able to experience firsthand the dif- as “the Bud house” because there was a ferences in culture. neon Budweiser sign in the window. MacGregor recalls the student meThere was a fire in the house one dia offices in the basement of Johnston night, resulting in the death of a stuHall. She says with the largest staff, the dent. Borowski says this was a huge story Tribune had the biggest office, while the throughout the city. Journal office was considerably small“We felt like we not only competed er. Working for the Journal, MacGregor well with that, but also, you know, we're says, was a slightly more relaxed envi- sensitive to the campus community,” ronment because they worked with long- Borowski says. “I knew that we had a term deadlines and weren’t publishing on different audience and wanted to really a daily basis like the Tribune. tell the story of this student and what the “We were popular because we had loss meant. And I felt like we did a real,

professional job.” Another big story Punko recalls was when the Tribune confirmed the selection of former Marquette president Albert DiUlio as president in time for the Tribune publication on the same day. She says that the Tribune spoke to DiUlio’s sister, who told them that he was flying in on the day of the press conference. She says the Tribune put two and two together and figured out that he must be the new president, but the university would not confirm it. Punko says a reporter called the airport and had the gate agent find DiUlio and get quotes from him. “It took a whole lot of effort to break that story,” Punko says. Smith says during his time the Tribune was not very diverse. Smith was the first Black editor of the Marquette Tribune and says he thinks he was the first person of color as well. “Marquette helped prepare me because I felt confident I could do things,” Smith says. “I didn’t have to apologize for where I came from or who I was.” He says that he learned to navigate a newsroom as an African American man through working at Marquette. He says he felt there was an undercurrent of people who were surprised that he could be successful in journalism at Marquette and as a career. “The Tribune taught me a lot about journalism but it also taught me about the politics of a newsroom,” Smith says. Thomas says his time as executive director of the Wire prepared him to get hired at the Wall Street Journal after graduation. “You’re not going to be the head of a news organization until, like 40 years later, after college. … You don’t get that experience anywhere else,” Thomas says.

All separate student media organizations merge into one entity: The Marquette Wire. Photo by Zach Bukowski

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BUILDING A UNIVERSITY

A timeline of Marquette's development into today's campus

Benjamin Wells

1881, Marquette begins. Marquette University starts as a Liberal Arts College for men by Rev. John Martin Henni with the investment help of Belgian businessman Guillaume Joseph Deboy. The university starts in honor of the rich culture that is The Society of Jesus. 1894, Church of Gesu is completed. The gothic-style Church of the Gesu is one of the oldest standing buildings on Marquette's campus today. The church is named after Chiesa del Gesù in Italy. The first cornerstone can still be found today with the inscription of the year ground was broken, 1893. 1907, Johnston Hall is built. Johnston Hall is built right next to the Church of the Gesu and is one of the first buildings erected exclusively for Marquette's campus. The building is named after Robert A. Johnston, who is president of Johnston Baking company. Johnston donates essential funds

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toward the erection of the building, according to the Marquette University Archives. 1924, Sensenbrenner Hall is built. Sensenbrenner is known as the original law school. It is originally built as an academic building to support the growing law school night program at Marquette. It is renamed in 1955 to Sensenbrenner Hall to honor Frank J. Sensenbrenner. 1924, Marquette Hall is built. Alongside Sensenbrenner, Marquette Hall is originally erected as the university's science building. The current building brandishes a set of 48 carillion bells. which play music that can be heard throughout campus. 1931-32, Marquette's school of Medicine established through Cramer Hall. Originally a complex that housed the School of Dentistry in 1922, Harriet Crammer requested the school receives an upgrade to the complex that would

become Cramer Hall and house the School of Medicine. 1951, Memorial Library is built. The original Memorial Library was originally built in the shape of a cross but after certain remodeling projects in the 70s, the cross-like features are no longer recognizable. 1952, O'Donnell Hall is built as a residence hall for women. The O'Donnell Hall project is an initiative set up by the Association of Marquette University Women in response to the lack of housing on campus for women. The "H" shaped hall was then later converted to an all-male dorm for incoming first-years. 1953, Brooks Memorial Union becomes a hub for students. Originally in place near where Raynor Library sits today, Brooks Memorial Union was once used for taekwando and dance lessons and housed the Air Force ROTC. The Union was destroyed in 2001 to make a place for the new library.

Photo by Claire Gallagher


1956, Carpenter Tower starts leasing out as an all-female residence hall. The tower on the east side of campus opens in 1922 as the Catholic Knights Tower. The university begins leasing it out as a female residence hall, and then fully buys it in 1960. In 1972, the tower became the university's first co-ed dorm. 1957, Schroeder Hall is built. Walter Schroeder serves as a successful hotel chain owner and philanthropist. The now-current sophomore dorm is named after the philanthropist who benefited the university after his time on the Board of Governors. 1964, Another Hotel is bought and turned into Cobeen Hall. The LaSalle Hotel is renovated and reopened in 1964 as an all-female residence hall across the street from Carpenter Tower. At the time, Cobeen was known as the "Beanery" and was recently turned into a co-ed dorm this year. 1966, a cylindrical shaped residence hall makes its debut at Marquette. McCormick Hall is built as an allmale residence hall that housed up to 735 total residents. The odd shape was because of an apartment complex that was there at the time of construction. The dorm also features two dining rooms and even a sauna. 1966, the oldest building in Milwaukee is reconstructed on Marquette's campus.

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St. Joan of Arc Chapel has its history dating back to 15th century France. It is brought over from its European home to the United States in the 1920s by Gertrude Hill Gavin, but it isn't given to Marquette as a gift until the 1960s. The chapel also includes a stone that St. Joan of Arc had been rumored to pray over before battle. 1970, Abbotsford Hall is purchased. Originally built in 1939 to providing housing for Milwaukee residence, Abbotsford Hall is originally built as housing for graduate students when it was purchased by Marquette in the 70s. Work was done on the hall from 200506 to make room for incoming students. 1971, Lalumiere Hall dedicates in name of a founding father of Marquette The uniquely honeycomb-shaped language hall that was built in 1969 was named after Rev. Stanislaus P. Lalumiere. Lalumiere had served as the university's President in 1881 for one year until he stepped down due to health concerns. 1978, Olin Engineering Hall faces difficulties but fits in between buildings. Before its finish, Olin Engineering Hall faced many hardships, like trying to fit itself between Haggerty Hall and Memorial and the underground utility wires as well. Eventually, construction on the hall was able to be completed.

Photo by Claire Gallagher

1990, Alumni Memorial Union finishes construction. Half of the Alumni Memorial Union's funds come through an anonymous donor. It contained twice the space of it's predecessor, the Brooks Memorial Union. 1993, David A. Straz Jr. Hall is purchased by the University. Originally the central branch for the YMCA of Milwaukee, Straz Tower originally rented out rooms to students in the 70s before finally being purchased in 1993. 2003, a new addition to Memorial Library. Raynor Library was the 24/7 addition to Memorial Library and one of the first projects for Marquette in the 21st century. 2018, the newest Residence Hall The Commons Residence Hall is Marquette's newest residence hall that features two separate buildings: Wells Hall and Eckstein Hall. The new dorm has its own dining hall and is one of the dorms on campus that is co-ed by the door. The Future Marquette's latest plans include a 70 million dollar business school to replace the green space where McCormick once stood and a Black Excellence Center. The new space of the business building leaves many to wonder what could possibly be next for Marquette's future.

Photos courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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MAD ABOUT MASCOTS Costumes and names have stirred controversy throughout Marquette's history

Alexa Jurado

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uring the summer of The Avalanche specifically referred to 2020, Marquette Uni- Marquette's football program at the versity finally gave its time. Sports writers would describe mascot, the Golden Ea- the team as such due to their golden gle, an official name: Iggy, after St. Ig- helmets. natius of Loyola. It caught on after being But Marquette's mascot hasn't al- used in yearbooks and in the ways been the Golden Eagles. In its Marquette Tribune. 139 years, the university has changed However, the program — and conits mascot and nicknames more than sequently the name — was discon10 times. tinued in 1960 because of financial hardships. The Blue and Gold In 1892, Marquette's football team The Warriors was established. Students would wear In 1954, the student senate anblue and gold to games, which led to nounced Marquette's newest mascot: the university's first unofficial nickname: the Blue and Gold. While it didn't stand the test of Willie Wampum performs on the court of a Marquette men's basketball game. time, blue and gold continue to be the university's colors. The Hilltoppers In the 1910s, students began referring to themselves by another unofficial name: the Hilltoppers. This referred to Marquette's first building, which stood on a hill between 10th and State streets. After gaining traction, the the Board of Trustees and the student government made it the first official nickname. The Hilltoppers remains the mascot of Marquette University High School, located just west of campus. The Golden Avalanche Along with the Hilltoppers, the Golden Avalanche was also Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections a popular nickname for Mar- and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Librarquette in the early 20th century. ies, Marquette University

Marquette's football team is established. Students wear blue and gold to games, granting the university the nickname "the Blue and Gold"

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the Warrior. First, it related to the university's namesake Rev. Jacques Marquette, who had a relationship with Native Americans — as guides and students — through his travels, and there was a Native American on the university seal. It also fit in with the many other sports teams in Milwaukee around the time, like the baseball team the Milwaukee Braves and the football team the Milwaukee Chiefs. The first mascot representing the Warriors was Chief White Buck. Willie Wampum Nearly a decade later, in 1961, the student senate hosted a "Name the Warrior" competition. The winner was the infamous Willie Wampum. However, it didn't last. In the early 1970s, Willie Wampum, a caricature representation of a Native American with a giant cartoonish head and Indigenous clothing, was deemed offensive by Fr. James Groppi. He began a campaign to retire the mascot, and Native American students at the university rallied behind him. In 1971, the Student Senate voted 16-9 to retire Willie. The First Warrior After protests from Native American students, the student senate decided on the First Warrior mascot in 1980. The costume was made to represent six Wisconsin tribes — the Chippewa, Menominee, Winnebago, Stockbridge, Munsee and Potawatomi. It was a much more serious and realistic

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Marquette picks up the name "The Hilltoppers." This continues to be the mascot of Marquette University High School.


depiction, and only Native American students could wear the costume. Mark Denning, a 1983 Marquette alum of Native American descent, was one student to portray the First Warrior. He was the First Warrior from 1980 to 1983, and is now an advocate for changing race-based mascots. The First Warrior was abandoned in 1987 after Native American students refused to participate, according to the Chicago Tribune. Bleuteaux While the Warriors remained a popular but unofficial nickname for university teams, in 1984 students voted on a new mascot: Bleuteaux. A blue French puppet, he was often seen wearing a blue and gold beret. The other options — the Yak, Sam Dunk and the MU Cow – followed in second, third and fourth place. In the 1985-86 National Mascot Competition, Joe Bachna, one student who portrayed Blueteaux, finished the contest in the top ten. Bleuteaux retired in 1990. The Golden Eagles In 1993, Marquette discontinued its association with

"the Warriors" entirely and in 1994 the university became the Golden Eagles. Rev. Albert J. DiUlio, the university president at the time, offered students two choices: the Lightning or the Golden Eagles. The latter won, to the dismay of many alumni at the time, who believed in keeping the warrior as Marquette's mascot. At the 2004 graduation commencement, Wayne R. Sanders, vice chairman of the board at the time and former chief executive of Kimberly-Clark, said that he and another anonymous trustee would donate $2

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

million to Marquette if the university were to reinstate the Warriors mascot. Fr. Robert Wild, president of the university at the time, turned down the money, but took the opportunity to revisit the university's nickname. The Gold In 2004, the university's board of trustees voted on a new name — Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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The Warrior becomes the university's new mascot. 1983 graduate Mark Denning, pictured above, portrays "The First Warrior" from 1980-83.

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

the Gold — without input from the Marquette community. The decision resulted in student uproar. Even alum and former Marquette University basketball player Dwayne Wade commented. "The Gold?" Wade said in an ESPN interview. "I got to make a phone call to Marquette ... I don't know about that one. Marquette Gold. The Gold! The Gold?" The name was short-lived, and by 2005, after student protests, Marquette was considering a number of names. Options included throwbacks like the Blue and Gold, the Golden Avalanche and the Hilltoppers. After a student vote, the university returned to being the Golden Eagles once more. The Golden Eagles (Again) Today, Iggy the Golden Eagle attends sports games and student events embodying Marquette's school spirit. Still, the physical costumes of Willie Wampum, Bleuteaux and the First Warrior can be seen in the university’s Archive Reading Room.

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Bleuteaux begins his brief six-year stint as Marquette's mascot.

1994

The university first officially takes on the name "The Golden Eagles."

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FAMILY, FAITH AND FRIENDS

Friendships formed in college sustain years of love and loss Benjamin Wells

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atie Barthel was certain she was going to get kicked out of college before her first day had

even started. After sneaking into a party on the 11th floor of McCormick Hall, she had to find a way to get herself out unnoticed and back to O’Donnell Hall, where she and friends lived at the time. This is when Katie met Pat “Fuzzy” Parks, another first-year with a head full of frizzy hair, hence the nickname. Pat assured her that everything was going to be alright and that he would get her out unnoticed. By the end of the night, Katie was able to sneak by, all thanks to the kindness of someone who was, at the time, just a stranger. Shortly thereafter, Katie and Pat

started dating. Over the next four years, the two shared inseparable bonds with fellow roommates and friends from high school who also attended Marquette. “Everything good in my life came from that and this circle of friends,” Katie says. Katie and Pat would later get married in May of 1993, only a few years after they both graduated in 1989. After their first year, Pat and five other guys, including his best friend and roommate from McCormick Marc “Rogie” Vachon, had drawn bad lottery numbers in the sophomore housing selection process. Together, they petitioned the university to allow them as sophomores to live off-campus in a house. It worked, and the six friends lived in a house west of campus on 23rd and Wells St. “We were far away, but we were happy,” Vachon says. “But our little group of six … became like our own little fraternity.” Vachon and company lived in their isolated home away from campus and created a sort of brotherhood. There would be days the group would sit around a cable television for hours on end. During their last year, another senior at the time, Jimmy Halling, introduced them to another group of guys who would eventually be a part of this group of friends. He went to

2020 Katie Parks and daughters Madelyn and Clare pose in front of Joan of Arc Chapel during Fuzzy's Weekend of 2020, along with their friends. After attending a Friday Marquette basketball game against Seton

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Hall, the friends went to Mass on Sunday in honor of Pat. The group pictured includes 25 alumni and 14 current students, eight of whom are the children of members of the friend group.

high school in Michigan with Marc, so the two had a connection. Eventually, Jimmy became the catalyst that made one large group out of two, Vachon says. After graduation, the group split up across the United States. Marc and Jimmy then moved to Baltimore, where they were roommates yet again. Tragically, Jimmy died in a car accident on Sept. 14, 1990, just one year after his graduation. He and Marc were roommates for just three days in their Baltimore apartment. The group of friends met at Jimmy’s funeral, a reunion none of them imagined. “Jimmy was a hilarious, boisterous, know-it-all who brought joy everywhere he went,” Katie says. “The impact on all of our lives was indescribable.” At the funeral, there was a plan to honor Jimmy’s memory. Pat, along with Jimmy’s brother Tommy, helped plan an annual golf outing and dinner to honor the legacy Jimmy left on all of their lives. Funds raised at the outing went towards the Marquette men’s basketball team. It eventually led to a scholarship that one player receives every year, the most recent being senior forward Jamal Cain. The weekend leading up to the golf outing would be preceded by a party “of epic proportions” Katie says. The extravaganza, called “Fuzzfest,” would typically be hosted in the Parks' home the day before Photo courtesy Katie Parks


the golf weekend. There was even a bounce house and a DJ one year. “The weekend continued to find all of us pretending we were in college again,” Katie says. But in 2010, tragedy struck again for this group of alumni. Pat hurt himself playing squash and required surgery. It was around this time that doctors discovered Pat had developed cancer cells in the fluid lining of his lungs. Pat was diagnosed with cancer on July 16. He died a month later on Aug. 12, right after that year’s golf outing, leaving heartbroken friends and family, especially Katie and their two daughters. “If I had to make that choice, that night to sneak into (McCormick) .... and that I was only going to have 28 years with this guy would I still do it? Of course,” she says. Pat’s tragic death had left a hole in Katie’s heart and those of their family, but her strong group of friends

1989

from Marquette was what kept her moving on in spite of such horrible events. “This amount of loss this group of people has endured … over the 30 years since we’ve graduated is unreal,” Katie says. “For this group to have a faith that is so strong … this group of friends that we’ve created at Marquette has given us the strength to face anything that comes our way.” After Pat’s death, Katie, with help from her friends, rented a suite at the Bradley Center for a Marquette basketball game to celebrate Pat's life and their family's love for the team. She has continued to do it every year since, now at Fiserv Forum. Friends from college fly across the country to take breaks from their lives to honor people they fell in love with at Marquette. They often make a weekend out of it, called "Fuzzy's Weekend." Tim Tarpey, Pat's lifelong friend and alum says that it's family, faith,

Pat, Jimmy, Marc and friends go on a spring break trip in 1989, their senior year. Photo courtesy Katie Parks

and friends that keep this group together. “It’s what we established at Marquette … it’s as simple as that. It’s not profound, it’s not easy, but it’s simple in that these three things are the foundations of our lives," Tarpey says. This year would have been the 30th annual golf outing in Jimmy's honor, but due to COVID-19, plans had to be shifted. The group was able to send a video to “Nana Joyce," Jimmy’s Mom, featuring a multitude of people whose lives have been touched by an inspirational story. “The best gift we can give the legacies of these incredible men that we’ve lost is to continue moving forward to make them proud, that’s how we choose to live our lives,” Katie says. “Wake up, and hit the ground running.”

Photos courtesy Katie Parks

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Matt Choate

"

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" is a common interview question, yet can be extremely difficult to answer. As humans, we often wonder where our lives will take us. We can make plans, but sometimes life goes in a different direction. Now a decade since their time at Marquette, members of the university's graduating class of 2010 look back and compare their goals and expectations as seniors to their lives today. Kyle Radous is a 2010 graduate of the College of Business Administration. He currently lives in New Hope, Minnesota. After graduating from Marquette, he has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a cybersecurity consultant. Radous worked with PricewaterhouseCooper, a global network of firms that deliver assurance, tax and consulting services for businesses, until two months ago. He is currently married and has a 15-month-old child. He says he’s "enjoying the home time.” Radous graduated from Marquette in December 2010. Upon graduation, he spent some time in Milwaukee looking for jobs. Born in Illinois, Radous says he lived back home after graduation until 2011, when he got a job offer from PwC on Valentine’s Day. “Since then I gave them nineish years” Radous says. Radous says that 10 years ago he was all over the place with his plans for the future. He says he did not have any plans for further than five years in advance. “I think 10 years was looking almost too far out, as I was just trying to get landed on some-

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thing,” Radous says. Radous says his degrees were something people recognized when he was applying for internships. “I had a couple offers I kind of had to feel and say no to, and I eventually landed with PwC,” Radous says. Radous says his advice to current Marquette graduates is to appreciate where you’re at. “I got caught up in my career,” Radous says. “You kind of lose yourself in your work, and that’s fine. I think some people really enjoy that. But for me, I really enjoyed the time with family. Just take stock of where you come from and be humbled by that.” Radous says one of his favorite Marquette memories was going to Caffrey’s Pub with one of his professors and the rest of the class during his senior year. They reviewed the results of the semester exam over beers. Another member of the Class of 2010 is Haley Pemrick Schubert. Schubert says she is currently living in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and got married last December. “I’m currently a logistics and quality manager for a small electronics manufacturing company in Chanhassen that is actually a family-owned business,” Schubert says. “My husband and I are actually also facility managers for a 16,000 gallon aquarium.” Schubert says she is also currently running for City Council of Chanhassen. Schubert says that 10 years ago she didn’t want to go into the family business. She ended up getting a job with General Mills instead.

After working at General Mills for years, Schubert returned to the family business. “I love manufacturing, so I’m here to stay, and don’t see that changing anytime soon.” While at Marquette, Schubert was a double major in math and Spanish and minored in economics. Schubert says that while in college she didn’t have a dream job. “I just wanted to find something that was fun and that I could be passionate about that allowed me to think creatively,” Schubert says. Schubert gives two pieces of advice to this year's graduating students. The first is “don’t say no to everything." Schubert says she has agreed to opportunities that she initially had doubts about regarding "if it was the right time." As a result, her life has not turned out the way she originally expected. “It’s amazing how many turns your life can take when you say yes to things,” Schubert says. Schubert's second piece of advice is to get involved in the community. “I have made professional connections just being part of a service organization in my community, and it has been really helpful in terms of just being part of something bigger than yourself and being bigger than your job,” She says. Schubert says some of her best memories at Marquette came from being part of the Alpha Omega Epsilon professional and social sorority. “I made some wonderful friendships and we did so many cool things.” Rachel Bush is another 2010


graduate from Marquette. She is currently living in Greendale, Wisconsin. She runs her own business called Mova Business Solutions which provides administrative support for other entrepreneurs. Bush currently has two sons, one of whom was born during her senior year of college. While at Marquette, Bush majored in history and crime law studies. Bush says the people she met at Marquette had a positive impact on her.

“Anyone I interacted with had an impact on me and made sure I had a way to keep going,” Bush says. After college, Bush planned on having a career in catering. Bush worked at Sodexo while in college and after graduation became the retail manager for The Brew Cafes from 2014-2016.

Bush’s advice to current graduates is to “stay encouraged and be the difference. Think about your family, they will always be there for you.” Bush is in the role of reunion organizer for her class and says she’s excited to come back to campus when the 10 year reunion takes place.

Alumni reflect on their lives 10 years after graduation

A DECADE'S PERSPECTIVE Photo by Zach Bukowski

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JESUIT ROOTS A look at Marquette's Catholic Jesuit foundation

Maria Crenshaw

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ug. 28, 1881, Marquette University officially opened its doors to 35 male students, 3 priests, 3 young Jesuits not yet ordained, and 3 lay brothers. One hundred thirty-nine years later, Marquette’s community houses 11,800 undergraduate and graduate students and 35 priests living on campus at the E.J. O’Brien Residence. Physically, the campus has expanded over 12 blocks on Wisconsin Avenue and has 58 buildings under its ownership. Through this growth, one aspect of Marquette has remained the same: it is rooted in Jesuit tradition. The Jesuits decided to establish Marquette when Milwaukee's first archbishop, Rev. John Martin Henni, expressed an interest in founding a Catholic, Jesuit university in the city. Due to a lack of adequate funding, nearly three decades passed before the doors of Marquette College opened in 1881. The college started off as a small liberal arts school for men and was named after Jacques Marquette, who was a Jesuit missionary in North America. The Jesuits existed for centuries before Marquette University. Founded in 1534 by St. Ignatius and officially recognized in 1540 as an order, the Jesuits have dedicated their existence to praising God, service and education. Michael Dante, director of the

Faber Center, which is dedicated to providing faculty and staff resources to deepen their spiritual journey, believes that the Jesuits' dedication to education is what sets them apart from other colleges and universities. Dante says he believes by combining curiosity for the sciences, humanities and faith, a Jesuit education is able to transform people in their totality. "What moved [Saint] Ignatius ... was how education really has the potential and possibility for social transformation," Dante says. "Faith is such an important part of the human person, whatever the faith happens to be... how can we honor the questions faith raises, like what does it mean to be alive? ... Those questions are welcomed." Dante says he feels that by including faith in the conversation, Jesuit education is able to encourage students to find their values. The education does not stop at your major or minor, but continues into students understanding themselves and their place in society. Fr. Edward Mathie S.J., Jesuit priest at Marquette University, recalls why he was drawn to the Jesuits. “I just liked being in something that made it clear we were making a difference as a group … [specifically] the fellowship, companionship along with the ministry," Mathie reflects. “What remains very much a part of every Jesuit’s life is you go

where the need is greatest." The Jesuits practice Ignatian spirituality, which helps build a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions as a result of discernment and a dedication to serving others. While this is a practice of the Jesuits, it can be used by people of all faiths. It encourages a person to find the divine in all things, discern before making decisions, along with other topics that can be useful to anyone’s spiritual journey. Ignatian spirituality, according to IgnatianSpirituality.com, sees life and the whole universe as a gift, it gives ample scope to imagination and emotion as well as intellect, it seeks to find the divine in all things, it cultivates critical awareness of personal and social evil, it stresses need for discernment and it empowers people to become leaders in building a more just and humane world. Ann Mulgrew, assistant director of campus ministry and director of M.A.P. and I.M.A.P. immersion experiences, says she believes that students and faculty of all faiths can grow from the practices of the Jesuits, particularly in understanding their spirituality. “Ignatian spirituality is about you personally and your personal faith, and that is something that this university is really trying to uphold and acknowledge, particularly in the equity and diversity of the people on campus, because we

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck

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aren’t all Catholic. Though Ignatian spirituality is Catholic-based, it can be used by people of all faiths because it is a really good model of best living.” Mulgrew says. Cathy Melesky Dante, hall minister of Straz Tower, states that the Jesuits combine both religion and practicality into their practices, which helps make some Jesuit practices relatable to all people. “St. Ignatius was a practical person. He was big into discernment, which is a sort of a prayerful way of making decisions. Discernment is about living from our values … and those decisions I think have an effect on our actions in the world,” Melesky Dante says. Discernment, described as an 11 step process on IgnatianSpirituality.com, asks one to draw up practical solutions to an obstacle and to ask God to help avoid judgement and remain open to possible outcomes. Some of these steps include identifying the issue, praying for freedom from prejudgement, gathering necessary information, and doing a formal evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of possible solutions. This process is taught in Introduction to Theology to students at Marquette University. Through classes such as THEO 1001 and PHIL 1001, students at Marquette are given brief introductions to Jesuit history, how to use faith with other secular ways of thinking to make conclusions and how to form their own opinions on some of their deepest questions of life. Kate Ward, professor of theology at Marquette University, designed her THEO 1001 class to focus on social justice issues and how religious thought can be used to address these issues. “[The Jesuits] are known for being connected to contemporary

justice issues — whether it's refugees, economic justice, or migration,” Dr. Ward explains. “The type of work I wanted to do was getting done at Jesuit institutions first and foremost.” Marquette’s dedication to issues of social justice, intrinsically related to its roots in Catholic Jesuit thought, are outlined in the university’s statement on Human Dignity and Diversity. This practice of inclusion is Jesuit at its core and members of Marquette’s community such as Melesky Dante express hope that this dedication to inclusion is felt by all students and faculty. “My hope is that people who aren’t Catholic can come to Marquette and experience generosity, hospitality and people who are trying to live their faith in a way that is a service to others,” Melesky Dante says. “It’s a part of Catholic tradition to recognize that God is present in other faiths and he is also present through people of no faith.” One way that Marquette University is practicing Ignatian spirituality and attempting to be an inclusive community is through Campus Ministry. Mulgrew says she hopes to help students understand that Campus Ministry is not just a source for Catholic students, and it is not an organization that aims to convert students. “Our goal in campus ministry, and I would say anywhere on campus, is not to make someone something, it’s to walk with them within their own journey,” Mulgrew says. Ward says she believes that Marquette shouldn’t shy away from including people of different faiths, because the presence of diversity doesn’t mean anyone has to change. It is only an opportunity for education. “Just because you are learning

about a certain tradition doesn’t mean that you are compelled to believe that, it just enriches your mind," Ward explains. "I think learning about anyone’s beliefs or faith traditions should open your mind to those that are different. It's like when you learn another language, you aren’t excluding all the other languages in the world.” The mission statement of Campus Ministry states that, “Rooted in Catholic tradition and inspired by the life and charism of St. Ignatius of Loyola, we work together to meet the diverse spiritual needs and interests of Marquette University’s student community.” This mission is achieved through the presence of worship opportunities at Marquette for Roman Catholic Mass, Eastern Orthodox vespers, Episcopal/Anglican prayer, Muslim prayer, Jewish services, Lutheran worship, and more. Specific worship opportunities, times, and locations can be found on Marquette's Campus Ministry website. Beyond these already planned worship opportunities there are also service opportunities and more specialized ministries, which can be found on campus ministry’s website. “Everybody is welcome at Marquette University because God has created each and every one of us and it doesn’t matter the color, the background, the this or the that, every person is sacred. It makes a difference for us on campus that every single person has a place in this whole,” Mathie says.

1881 Marquette College opens its doors for the first time in September.

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UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS

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Marquette's leaders have left impacts on campus

Grace Dawson

hroughout its 139 year history, Marquette University has had 24 presidents, each of whom brought a unique perspective to leadership and all but one of whom were members of the Society of Jesus. Presidents of the university are elected by the board of trustees. In order to select a president, no less than two-thirds of trustees holding office at the time must vote to confirm them. According to the board of trustees section on Marquette’s website, the board must consist of no fewer than 25 and no more than 40 members, with no fewer than five and no more than eight being members of the Society of Jesus. Additionally, the board is self-perpetuating and must elect its new members. The university bylaws outline the role of university president as appointing university employees and officers, having the "authority to sign, execute, acknowledge, and deliver on behalf of the corporation, all deeds, mortgages, bonds, stock certificates, investment securities, security instruments, contracts, leases, reports, and all other documents or instruments, necessary or proper to be executed in the course of the corporation’s regular business, or which shall be authorized by resolution or other action of the Board of Trustees," as well as the ability to purchase land on behalf of the institution, among others. Prior to Lovell assuming the position in 2014, Fr. Robert Wild served as interim president from 2013 to 2014.

Fr. John P. Raynor, S.J. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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Before that, Fr. Scott Pilarz, S.J. was university president from 2011 to 2013. Wild preceded him, serving from 1996 to 2011. Fr. Albert DiUlio held the position from 1990 to 1996, and Fr. John Patrick Raynor held the position from 1965 to 1990. Before Raynor, there had been 19 previous presidents. Fr. Raynor’s impact on Marquette can still be seen today, most visibly in the Raynor Memorial Library, which is named in his honor. In his biography on the library website, it is noted that Raynor’s tenure is the longest of any president in Marquette’s history. According to this bio, “more than half of the university's 96,000 living alumni graduated during his presidency.” Also during Raynor’s time as president, the university added multiple graduate and professional programs which include but are not limited to doctoral programs in biology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics and engineering. Raynor’s presidency also marked an increase in the number of lay people on the faculty and in the administration, as well as their influence overall. According to the biography, “the university's board of trustees, originally three Jesuits, was expanded to be a group of 29 individuals, including eight Jesuits and 21 lay men and women.” Campus also expanded during this time, growing from about 26 acres to about 80 acres, with multiple new buildings being constructed. Another major accomplishment during Ray-

2014

nor’s tenure was the Education Opportunity Program, which was established in 1969 and “hailed as a model for programs providing the opportunity for an education to low-income, first generation college students” according to the biography. After Raynor left office, he was succeeded by Fr. Albert DiUlio, who served from 1990 to 1996. Raynor went on to serve as chancellor of the university after a year of sabbatical, assuming the position in 1991. During his time as university president, DiUlio created the Campus Town East and West university apartments. He also changed Marquette’s mascot from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles. The debate over the mascot continued into Wild's presidency. In an interview with the Marquette Tribune in 2015, DiUlio noted that, while there was some backlash to the changing of the mascot, “it was important we were respectful of people and, from my point of view, this was a point of being very respectful of Native Americans and being very careful of how we represented ourselves.” After DiUlio left office, Fr. Robert Wild became the university president, occupying the role from 1996 to 2011 and again as interim president from 2013-2014. Wild was awarded an honorary degree from the university in 2015. In a paragraph about this award on the university website, it is noted that during Wild’s tenure, “alumni, parents, and

1881

Michael Lovell becomes the first layperson to assume the position of university president.


friends invested more than $800 million, with $375 million in new construction and campus renovations. External research awards more than doubled, the value of the endowment increased 130 percent, and applications to the freshman class increased from 5,400 to 22,000.” The Commons was originally named after Wild, however, following controversy surrounding his lack of action to prevent sexual abuse within the church, he requested that his name be removed in a letter sent to President Lovell and the board of trustees. It was also said in this university release that with his leadership, Marquette was able to improve academic quality and enhance partnerships with the City of Milwaukee and community groups. Wild announced his intent to retire in a university press release issued on March 4, 2010. In this release, obtained from the Marquette University Archives, more of Wild's achievements are lauded, such as the completion of the Al McGuire Center, Raynor Library, the School of Dentistry and Zilber Hall. Following Wild’s initial time as president in 2011, Fr. Scott Pilarz became university president, occupying the role from 2011 to 2013. Although he was only president for a short time, Pilarz made a noticeable impact on campus through his introduction of Marquette into the Big East conference and bringing in a new dean for the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts & Sciences. Additionally, funding for the 16 million dollar dental school expansion was completed during his time as president. According to Marquette Tribune coverage in 2013, there were few specific details given about why Pilarz resigned. Michael Lovell, the first lay person to serve as Marquette’s president, assumed the job in 2014. Changes in university bylaws in 2011 allowed for a non-Jesuit priest to become university

president. The current bylaws state that a "preference" is to be given to a member of the Society of Jesus, marking a change from the original requirement. While his time in the role is still ongoing, some notable recent achievements include the plan for the new Marquette business school, as well as the completion of The Commons residence and dining hall. Prior to assuming the position of president, Lovell served as chancellor of the University 0f Wisconsin-Milwaukee, holding that role from 2011 to 2014. Looking at and evaluating the tenures of the university's past presidents is crucial in understanding how Marquette has grown and changed, as well as in determining how to continue moving forward and improving the university.

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THE MARQUETTE BUBBLE Students experience life within boundaries Amanda Parrish

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own Wisconsin Avenue or Wells Street, along sidewalks, between buildings and green spaces, Marquette students walk paths through campus so familiar they could likely do it with their eyes closed. Marquette's name can be seen all throughout these paths, on buildings, on the flower bed in front of Raynor Memorial Library, or even on a shirt of a friendly face who walks by. This sense of familiarity and school pride is in large part what makes the Marquette community feel like home. But beyond Marquette’s campus, students are often warned against going further west than 20th or 21st streets and taught to be wary if walking farther north than State Street. Stereotypes and a history of racial divides can keep student's engagement with Milwaukee artificial. Student's interactions may be limited to such activities as frequenting Bradford Beach during the few weeks of warm weather, or finding themselves in an Uber on the way to bars on a Friday night. This deep sense of community

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within Marquette and sense of separation from the larger Milwaukee community is what is often referred to as the “Marquette Bubble.” It is not a concept, says Ed de St. Aubin, associate professor of psychology at Marquette, that is not new to campus. With 21 years at Marquette, de St. Aubin has gotten to know the Marquette Bubble and its impact on the community. “When I came in ’99, that bubble was pretty thick,” de St. Aubin says. “It was, you know, made of plexiglass. I mean you really couldn’t escape it.” The bubble is caused, in many ways, from false perceptions about Milwaukee, de St. Aubin says. He’s heard the warnings about the surrounding neighborhoods. Fears over violence or discomfort concerning the homeless population, however, often comes down to false perceptions fueled by stereotyping. The reality isn't as bad as the image created, he says. This can be contributed to a history of segregation and racial divides.

“Milwaukee is a city that is still racked with racist practices,” de St. Aubin says. Milwaukee consistently ranks as one of the most segregated cities in the United States and has been named one of the worst places to live as a Black person in the United States. Milwaukee has a complex civil rights history with such racial justice actions as the fair housing marches in the late 1960s, then the Sherman Park riots in 2016 and today’s Black Lives Matter protests. “Milwaukee’s not a typical city,” de St. Aubin says. “Unfortunately, there’s just a lot of barriers to true diverse collaboration because of its history. Because of the real connection between ethnicity, for instance, and socioeconomic status in our city.” This misperception is not one-sided, admits de St. Aubin. Just as Marquette has a certain image of surrounding neighborhoods, those same neighborhoods have images of Marquette students as white, rich and entitled, he says. This creates a rift as some Milwaukee residents feel that students can never


understand their lives. “That’s tough to break through,” de St. Aubin says. Beyond student and community attitudes, the Marquette Bubble is in part a product of the development of Marquette itself. Marquette's campus expanded in the 1960s as part of larger Milwaukee urban renewal plans. Under the 1949 Federal Housing Act, Marquette's campus came to occupy the space between Wells and Clybourn Streets, and between 11th and 16th Street. As part of the urban renewal plans, the 1949 Federal Housing Act aimed to bring development to the city. The development that resulted from this act caused fragmentation and displacement of Black, Latino and Native American populations in Milwaukee. De St. Aubin says breaking through this bubble is important for students, explaining that understanding the community enriches the lives of students as well as the city. De St. Aubin helps students engage with the greater Milwaukee community through some of the courses he teaches. Off-campus trips to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center and drag shows were staples of the queer self course he taught Fall 2017-2019. Field trips and internship programs, he says, are great opportunities for students to get to know Milwaukee. “The bubble’s been thick, it’s getting thinner,” says de St. Aubin. But the Marquette Bubble is not all bad. The bubble gives a sense of security in the transition into adulthood, says Erin Hoekstra, assistant professor of Social and Cultural Sciences. Students are constantly surrounded by people with similar demographics, making it easy to find people to be friends with or perhaps date, she says. “College can offer you the best parts of adulthood without the worst parts of it,” Hoekstra says. College as

an in-between stage from childhood to adulthood, offers freedom without full adult responsibility. The bubble is, in a way, just a part of college. At any school, college is a time where students are often surrounded by those who are similar to them and interactions are largely limited to those within close proximity. This coupled with the intentional cultivation of the Marquette experience naturally results in a bubble, Hoekstra says. De St. Aubin also points to student bonding as a source of the bubble. He says Marquette works hard to give the collegiate feel to the student experience. He adds that while events like movies at Varsity Theatre create a feeling of community, they also make it easy to never leave campus. “It’s kind of a positive, but it has an unintended consequence,” he says. A strong sense of community is not negative in itself, says Hoekstra, but never engaging with the greater community is. Because many students study, work, eat and live on campus, the ability to remain on campus can make disengagement easy. Through internship and service programs, Hoekstra says, getting involved in the Milwaukee community doesn’t have to be a challenge. Kim Jensen-Bohat, director of the Service Learning Program and Marquette class of '98 for undergraduate studies and '05 for graduate school, echoes Hoekstra’s sentiment, saying that every college has a bubble. College is a time to focus on self-growth, and with busy schedules, students don’t always have time to engage with surrounding communities, she says. But at Marquette, Jensen-Bohat says, it’s hard not to get engaged because of the number of programs dedicated to engagement.

“Sometimes it’s a choice,” says Jensen-Bohat. The Service Learning Program works with courses across disciplines to partner students with Milwaukee-based organizations in their field of study. Jensen-Bohat notes the complicated nature of service work that can make it problematic. In the 1990s and even into the early 2000s, she says, service was more of a charity mindset, serving in an altruistic manner. “I think that students have become a little more critical and push on those structural social justice issues that we want them to push on,” Jensen-Bohat says. Students are encouraged to think critically about their service work, as well as what it means to engage with the Milwaukee community, says Jensen-Bohat. Service learning presents students with an opportunity to connect with the community and wrestle with the concept of diversity. Getting involved in the larger Milwaukee community doesn’t have to be through Marquette programs, says Jensen-Bohat. It can instead look like attending the Milwaukee Film Festival, Fondy Food Market or diversifying your news feed. “I think that in general we don’t challenge ourselves to cross-cultural experiences and we kind of stick to what we know, what’s familiar,” says Jensen-Bohat. “It takes a little risk to put yourself out there.” Though the bubble may be getting thinner as de St. Aubin feels, Jensen-Bohat is hurt that conversation about the Marquette Bubble is still going on. “I think we need to just start challenging that whole concept of the bubble,” she says. “We make the bubble. Nobody else makes it."

Photo by Joceline Helmbreck

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50 YEARS

OF STUDENT ACTIVISM

Marquette students protested for social justice in the 1960s. Some of those same fights continue today.

O

Lelah Byron

n a frigid December “They have shown, with a full “It could be that they saw the work evening in 1966, a voice, the effectiveness of student of racial justice and economic justice group of Marquette protest,” Sergio González, assistant as intimately tied to who they were as students picketed in professor of history at Marquette, individuals living within Milwaukee,” front of the Eagles Club, protesting says. González says. “Perhaps they took a its "whites-only" memcourse on campus where bership policy and the a conversation came up.” university’s decision to Or it could just be that host its annual Tip-Off students, who saw examdance in one of its ballples of activism in the rooms. Demonstrators news media every day, huddled close together to simply could not disassofend off the cold, tugging ciate themselves from the their hats over their ears reality of racism. and curling their fingers “The open housinto the palms of their ing marches lasted for mittens. They spoke of a year," González says. their disheartenment at Eventually, people the “neutral position” of have to ask themselves, the administration to‘Which side am I on?’” wards holding the event It was college stuat the club, according to dents who championed 1981-82 Black Student Council poses foor a photo, published in the 1982 Hilltop. the change necessary for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's coverage at the Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor school desegregation, Memorial Libraries, Marquette University time. Robert Smith, director of It was not the final the Center for Urban Retime students urged the university to As an educator of urban history, search, Teaching and Outreach (CURaccount for its relationship with the González ordinarily finds students TO), says. broader Milwaukee community. wonder-stricken by tales of young ac“The opinion in [Brown v. Board Since the mid-1960s, civil rights tivists. of Education] is really the outcome activists throughout the city have been “Students are amazed to see peo- of what was two decades of legal acfighting for an end to racial discrimi- ple who look like them marching in tivism at colleges and universities,” nation in academic institutions. Con- front of an elected official’s house, or Smith says. currently, undergraduate students at marching in front of the Eagles Club,” In a broad sense, protests are Marquette took up the fight for deci- González says. simply ways in which individuals of sive integration on their own campus. When they see images of the past, a community can have their voices Decades later, in 2020, students inquisitive students probe further: heard — especially groups who feel continue the generational effort of “Why would someone get involved in as though the traditional avenues of rectifying structural oppression and these protests?” power within a democratic society historical inequities. The question is fair, he responds. have not been effective in enacting

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1969

Marquette establishes the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). The program has since served thousands of students.


meaningful change. Protest is a multifaceted and powerful modality, and may assume the form of a sit-in, picket line, die-in — where participants simulate death to assert a political message — or public fasting, Smith says. In 1967, Marquette student activists continued their involvement in local politics. Holding signs that read, “Happiness is a color blind judge,” and “Judge Seraphim, we demand justice for all,” members of Students United for Racial Equality (SURE) gathered at the student union to picket a talk given by Milwaukee County Judge Christ T. Seraphim. Seraphim had derided prominent civil rights activist Father James Groppi and boasted of a membership to the Eagles Club, the haven of segregation for discriminatory socialites. Because Seraphim had revealed latent impartiality, he was unfit for legal office, protestors contested. Later that semester, demonstrations pointedly intensified. SURE held “a weekend of Christian Activism,” which included activities such as a 24-hour vigil at the home of Seraphim, an action the judge was far from pleased about. This time, members of Marquette’s Young Democrats club led the charge. “I’m not going to comment on these kids,” Seraphim commented to the Sentinel. “I don’t know who they are or what they want.” Archival records of student involvement in civil rights provide crucial contextualization for Marquette’s present, Katie Blank, a digital records archivist at Marquette’s Special Collections and University Archives, says. “It helps us understand how we got to where we are now,” Blank says. “It provides context so we understand that people — whether they be students, staff, faculty or administrators — and the university as a whole don’t make decisions in a vacuum.”

For months, SURE urged then-university president Fr. Raynor to publicly address Milwaukee’s open housing crisis, as well as other social issues. On Nov. 23, 1968, Gregory Stanford, SURE General Coordinator, sent Fr. Raynor a letter reiterating his desire to see the institution take an unequivocal stand against racism. “The tone of the letter he sent in reply was, ‘We’re doing very well now and everyone knows it.’ What Marquette is doing now is just the basis,” Arthur Heitzer, project coordinator of SURE, said at the time. “What we’re looking for is evidence of his realization that much more is needed.” In 2020, current University President Michael Lovell published a letter addressing prejudice and police brutality in the nation. In it, he asked the campus community to "pray for an end to racism." Marquette students in the sixties assumed an intersectional approach to solidarity; many involved in open housing marches would also participate in anti-war demonstrations. This

approach is tactically useful; protests are most effective when they build broad coalitions of people, González argues. “There are these interlaced examples of protests happening on campus,” González says. “Students at Marquette, at least those who became interested in protesting and joining as allies in solidarity with the open housing marches, understood that their protests also included standing against U.S. intervention abroad in Vietnam at the time.” On college campuses, González says, the fundamental question on civil disobedience becomes: Who is the audience protesters are trying to reach? Student protesters may try to address the faculty, who they may feel do not accurately represent their voices in the classroom. Students may also turn attention to the Board of Trustees, as financial decisions are often made out of public sight. In 1968, however, students sharpened their focus on the administration. Marquette does not exist in isolation, but rather is an integral presence in Milwaukee, they insisted. “Students were pushing the university to be held accountable to the city,” González says. “Marquette has always prided itself, at least publicly, as being an urban institution that is intimately connected to the community in which it lives. But the reality is, of course, that more often than not the university has failed historically to meet those obligations.” Following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., members of SURE

Members of the Black Student Union enter a board room to discuss demands with the university on Nov. 4, 1969. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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organized a sit-in on campus. Subsequent marches and sit-ins took place, but what was to come would shake Marquette to its institutional core. “Really, the turning point was when Black students who were on the basketball team decided they wanted to take part,” Donte McFadden, senior associate director of undergraduate research and high-impact practices in the Educational Opportunity Program, says. In 1968, twenty Black undergraduate students withdrew from the university in protest against institutional racism. Among them were six male basketball players: Frank Edwards, Dean Meminger, Joe Thomas, George Thompson, Blanton Simmons and Pat Smith. The student athletes, in conjunction with activist groups on campus, voiced their desire to see more Black faculty, scholarships for Black students and diversified course offerings. Raynor convened a committee in the wake of the protest, and after an extended period of negotiations, created scholarships for Black students and multicultural course offerings. The protest at Marquette concluded with the return of 17 of the 20 Black students who withdrew from the university, provided they were al-

Student gather in protest outside O'Hara Hall on Nov. 4, 1969. This image was published in th 1970 Marquette Hilltop. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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lowed to take final exams and that no university sanction would be taken against them. In September of 2020, the Marquette men's basketball team led a mile-long march to fight continued injustice. “Just like we’ve seen in recent weeks, the university has tried to create resources to increase the amount of Black students at Marquette," McFadden says. Following a demonstration led by Black students in late August of 2020, the university announced it would add 40, full-year, full-tuition scholarships for graduating Milwaukee high school seniors. The university also committed to a diversified Counseling Center, as well as adding Core Curriculum courses related to racial justice. More important than merely drawing students to campus is retaining and graduating those students, McFadden says. Enter the EOP. Founded in 1969 by Arnold Mitchem, Marquette's EOP was the first organization in the country to assist underrepresented and first-generation students in their transition to college. The federal Department of Education, which funds the program, identifies underrepresented

1969

communities as African American, Latinx, Native American and Pacific Islander, McFadden explains. The rhythm of change at the university, however, has at times achieved an internal homeostasis. “At what point did they think they were progressing, and at what point did they become stagnant?” McFadden asks. Administrators asked themselves that question every day since the turbulent protests of the 1960s, and it remains a question administrators are ask themselves today as Black students advocate for changes on campus, González says. “Why has the university not made those kinds of big bounds and jumps forward that the students in the sixties were calling for?” González asks. “That’s a larger systemic issue. We can ask that same question about the housing industry, about many different industries in the city that students and protests were trying to fundamentally change. But we have to be very honest about it: Marquette is very pitifully behind in reaching out to students of color and representing the Milwaukee community in which it lives.” The fight to rectify racial, social and economic inequality remains an everyday struggle, González says. And with various coalitions encouraging substantive change, the leitmotif of progress emerges. “We need to disavow the notion that progress is inevitable, or slow-marching on its own. Progress is something that results from human action and engagement,” González says. “It is important for us to acknowledge that many structures that are in place in 2020 that people feel keep them in marginalized positions are the same structural issues that existed in 1968.”


DECADE dressing T

hroughout history, styles, trends and fads have come and gone. The following are Marquette students' takes on the fashions of different eras and looks that may have been worn around campus during the past 70 years.

1950s Popular styles of the 1950s for men included textured shoes, patterned casual pants and knit sweaters layered over collared shirts and ties.

MODEL: JAKE LAFLEUR

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE GALLAGHER AND JOCELINE HELMBRECK

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MODEL: JULIA MCNEIL

Bell bottoms and flared leg jeans gained popularity in the 1970s. Styles of the time were all about a loose, carefree look. The line between women's and men's clothing was starting to become more blurred.

1970s

1960s

In the mid-1960s, knee high gogo boots were all the rage. For women, color block dresses were part of the "mod" style of clothing.

PHOTOS BY ZACH BUKOWKSI, CLAIRE GALLAGHER AND JOCELINE HELMBRECK

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MODEL: SHAHD SAWALHI


MODEL: LINLIN LI

The 1980s brought many preppy looks into style. Popular menswear included brand names like Izod and Polo Ralph Lauren. A cableknit sweater tied loosely around the shoulders and high waisted pants were elements of the cool, sophisticated preppy fashion.

1980s

1990s

A number of trends gained traction in the 1990s, many of which have come back in style today. For women's formalwear, oversized patterened jackets paired well with a feminine dress.

MODEL: NATE BACCHUS

PHOTOS BY ZACH BUKOWKSI, CLAIRE GALLAGHER AND JOCELINE HELMBRECK

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MODEL: ANNA NATIVIDAD

2000s For women, popular looks of the 2000s included low-waisted pants, crop tops, layered camisoles, cargo pants and sweatsuits.

2010s

One trend of the 2010s was hipster style, which incorporated trendy looks like thick glasses and peacoats.

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE GALLAGHER AND JOCELINE HELMBRECK

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MODEL: IVAN MORENO


Like in most ages, today's styles have heavy influences from previous decades. Popular trends of 2020 include loose-fitting pants, oversized sweaters, crop tops and, of course, masks.

2020 MODEL: KEELEY STARVEL

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE GALLAGHER AND JOCELINE HELMBRECK

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ONE LAST CHANCE Marquette Basketball finds victory in McGuire's last year

Zoe Comerford

I

n 1977, the Marquette men's basketball team was coming off a 28-2 season in 1975-76 and were picked to be in the top five in almost every preseason poll. Three years prior, the team made it to the 1974 NCAA national championship game, but fell to North Carolina State 76-64. "I was the only returning player from that team on the '77 team. I remember making the comment after the '74 championship that we lost that we would be back," former forward Bo Ellis, the only player in Marquette history to play in two national championship games, says. Ellis was a senior in 1966-77. Four games into the season on Dec. 17, 1976, head coach Al McGuire announced his retirement. Ellis notes McGuire's decision was due to basketball taking a toll on his body. Following the announcement, the team lost the next two games on their home court in the MECCA Arena. "That was like the craziest thing to happen in my basketball career probably, as far as being a downer," former guard Alfred "Butch" Lee, the Most Outstanding Player at the 1977 Final Four, says. "That was like a punch in the stomach." Marquette went on a three-game losing streak in the MECCA, including falling in Ellis' last home game 75-64. But the team was not rattled and lost all but one game either in overtime or by one or two points.

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1977

"We were a very confident group because we knew how good we were," Ellis says. With five games left, the team sat at 16-6, on the bubble of even making the NCAA Tournament. "By the time the end of the season rolled around we had our backs against a wall," former Marquette guard and Bucks and Bulls' interim head coach Jim Boylan says. "We had five games left and they were all on the road. We knew in order for us to get in, we had to win (most) those games." The team took one game at a time, beating Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Tulane and Creighton all on the road. Even though they fell 69-68 in the final game of the season to No. 3 Michigan to end with a 25-7 record, they reached the NCAA Tournament for the 9th time in McGuire's career. "We lost more games in the arena — the Milwaukee arena where we played at the time — that year than Al McGuire lost in the previous 10 years," former forward Jim Dudley says. "Not only did we lose a number of games that year, but we lost a number of those games at home which was very unusual for an Al McGuire team." The NCAA Tournament wasn't a breeze, though. After dominating the first game, Marquette barely beat No. 16 Kansas State 67-66 in a comeback win in the next round. "Guys made a few steals here and there and turned in some unbeliev-

The 1976-77 Marquette men's basketball team included, pictured from left, Jim Boylan, Bill Neary, Ulice Payne, Butch Lee, Jim Dudley, Gary Rosenberger, Bernard Toone, Jerome Whitehead, Craig Butrym, Robert Byrd and Bo Ellis.

able performances down the stretch and we were able to pull that one out," Boylan says. Two games later in the Final Four, Marquette ground out another 51-49 win over No. 17 University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a last-second tip in by junior center Jerome Whitehead to reach the National Championship. It was a rainy night in Atlanta, Georgia, and 20,000 fans were packed inside The Omni awaiting the touted matchup between Dean Smith's No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels and McGuire's No. 7 Marquette Warriors. "It was electric," Ellis says. "The Marquette people were fantastic. ... The place was rockin'." In total, seven MU players were able to see the court as Marquette maintained control from tipoff. "It was cruise mode at that point," Dudley says. "The chemistry, the momentum, everything gelled at one time. We went into that game, we couldn't lose." When the final buzzer sounded, it was complete euphoria. "Remarkable things, almost magical things happening those last five games and it was like a culmination of a big exhale of 'Wow, we won. Here we are. Let's try to enjoy it and soak it in,'" Dudley says. Even at 2 a.m., hundreds of fans packed the old Milwaukee airport. There were fellow students, professors and citizens of Milwaukee


screaming and cheering as the Marquette men's basketball team returned as national champions. "People celebrating and having a good time, but I've got to say, a little scary," Boylan says. "They put us on the bus and then they took the bus and we left with the bus, but we didn't really leave. We just went outside the airport, turned back around and came back in again." Aside from the reunion ceremonies that Marquette hosts every five years, there's still so much that reminds the university of McGuire and the 1977 championship team. This includes the dedication of the Al McGuire Center and the jerseys in the rafters of Fiserv Forum. Ellis says his self-gratification comes from people reminiscing with him about the successes of that 1977 team. For Ellis, McGuire was a father figure. "Coach was concerned with us as young men more than anything," Ellis says. "That (when) I got a degree from Marquette University, that degree was going to do more for me than basketball ever will. ... He was a very caring." Meanwhile, Boylan's relationship with McGuire developed more once he left MU. He went on to play and coach abroad, became assistant at Michigan State and coached in the NBA for 25 years, becoming interim coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and

Chicago Bulls. "When you're there as a player, there's certainly a love-hate relationship," Boylan says about his closeness to McGuire. "But then after I left Marquette, he became my mentor, guider, helper. ... If I asked him to do anything to help me, he would do it in a heartbeat." Everyday when current Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski walks past McGuire's statue to get to the men's basketball offices, he sees not only the Hall of Fame coach, but also a Marquette legend. "You have to try to live up to the things and the standards that he set for this program decades and decades ago," Wojciechowski says. Though the game looks a lot different from 1977, including an expansion of the NCAA Tournament, the addition of the 3-point line and the sophistication of college basketball, Wojciechowski says McGuire and his championship team provide a roadmap at Marquette. Confidence. Talent. Chemistry. Commitment. Momentum. Discipline. These are a few qualities former players mention when reflecting on that 1977 team. "Marquette was one of the best programs of the country so almost every player who came to Marquette was either an All-American or if not the best player from their state, one of the best players from their state," Boylan says. "We had guys on the

team who were willing to sacrifice their individual statistic in exchange for helping the team." Though there have been many good players and teams over the years, the 1977 team remains the only group to win it all. "If you would've asked me back then, 'Do you think Marquette's going to win another championship in the next 45 years?' I would have said, 'Of course they will,'" Dudley says. “You say that there’s only 12-13 players a year who are national (champions) is one thing, but to be one of 13 players at Marquette in (the) entire history of the program to win a championship is pretty remarkable too.” Even though 1977 was McGuire's last season, Boylan says the team never thought 'Let's go win it for Al.' "There was an underlying feeling of this is kind of a Hollywood script here — coach announces his retirement and now he's going to win the NCAA Championship in his last game," Boylan says. "You get out what you put in. Coach put a lot into basketball, a lot into the college game, a lot into Marquette and maybe it was time (after) all of that to give something back to him."

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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A DEDICATION TO MARQUETTE Maurice "Bo" Ellis's connection to the university extends beyond his

F

years on the court

Nick Galle ew players have come through the Marquette men's basketball program that have made an impact like that of former forward Bo Ellis. While the Chicago native averaged 14 points and nine rebounds in 119 games from 1973 to 1977, the things he did for both Marquette and his community went far beyond a 94 by 50-foot court. In addition to his abilities on the court, Ellis is known for helping design a variety of Marquette basketball uniforms that were worn in the 1977 season. His passion for design had humble beginnings in the neighborhood where he attended high school. "Because of my ability to draw, a lot of people were asking me to design different things for them. They would tell me what they wanted, and I would draw it up, and they would take it to the tailor and get them made up," Ellis says. "So, that's how I kinda got into it." Since Marquette did not have a fashion design program, Ellis attended Mount Mary College for one semester to pursue his passion for fashion and design. He says his time at Mount Mary taught him different forms of art aside from drawing, and how to better recognize patterns. Using his art skills, Ellis drew up uniform designs inspired by pro uniforms and the uniforms the Golden Eagles had. What made his design schemes unique was the fact that they were made to look appealing even if not tucked in. Ellis says he would not tuck in his jersey when he played since it was uncomfortable.

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1977

Marquette alum Danny Pudi highlighted this in his ESPN 30 for 30 film "Untucked." The untucked style made national headlines on April 4, 1977 when a photo of Butch Lee in the NCAA National Championship against North Carolina graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Fans were well aware that the designs came from in-house. "There was a lot of publicity around (the designs)," says journalism professor and O'Brien Fellowship director Dave Umhoefer, who

grew up in La Crosse, WI and is an avid fan of Ellis. "It just kind of added to that feeling that McGuire was special, that he would let his players take over certain things on the team." Despite 43 years passing since

The Marquette men's basketball team wins the NCAA national championship.

those designs were highlighted back in 1977, the jerseys have resonated with the program ever since, and will continue for the generations to come. "Marquette has been known to be ahead of the curve in so many respects, specifically relating to the uniforms," current men's basketball head coach Steve Wojciechowski says. "They've been fashioned forward, they've been at times non-traditional and it really is something that has captured the imagination of Marquette fans." Following his career with the Golden Eagles, Ellis would spend time in the NBA, playing with the Denver Nuggets from 1977-1980. "What really prepared me (for the NBA) is (in) my years at Marquette, we always played with the Milwaukee Bucks," Ellis says. "We would play against the Bucks all the time and either they would come down on campus to play with us, or we would go to their practice facility and play with them... That's when I started to realize that I had a chance to be a pro and play, and that kind of prepared me." After his playing career ended in 1983, Ellis made the transition from player to coach, as an assistant coach for Collins Academy High School. Following the 1987-88 season, the 1977 NCAA Champion made his way back to Marquette, where he would serve as an assistant coach for 10 years. "I had always dealt with kids and everything, so I was ready for the challenge at Marquette," Ellis says. "I would tell people even back then, and tell them right now, today, 'who could

Photos courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University


tell kids and parents more about Marquette basketball than me?' I had experience, I had played it, I knew the culture... It was something that was really in the books for me to do." Wojciechowski says the experience former players bring back to the program as coaches is extremely beneficial to the current players on the roster. "That perspective is really important," Wojciechowski says. "They understand the passion of the Marquette community for men's basketball and being able to relate to guys (on the team) now can be really impact." The dedication to Marquette that Ellis had as a player and a coach is what sticks with fans to this day. "Bo Ellis in one word? I mean, I'll give you several one words," Umhoefer says. "He's an icon. I think he was kind of a hardworking lunch bucket guy, played the game right, respected his teammates." The former forward not only made his mark on the court, but also in the community. Ellis serves as a Marquette ambassador and also teamed up with SKYGEN USA, a healthcare business in Menomonee Falls, Wis., to speak with kids about health equity as part of a community outreach partnership. Ellis also worked with the Abe Saperstein Foundation during his college career when he would go back home in the summer. He, alongside professional NBA players like Artis Gilmore and Bob Love, would go out into the Chicago community to share their stories to young people, showing them that they could someday end up playing professionally or at the collegiate level. Ellis still is doing this type of work today. "The thing that counts most in life is what you do for others," Ellis says. "If you don't share what you know, then I feel that what you know is not valuable in life."

Ellis retires from playing basketball.

1983

Ellis speaks to Coach Al McGuire during a practice.

Ellis returns to Marquette to coach basketball.

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SETTING RECORDS

Marquette's first Black student athletes broke barriers

Sam Arco

R

alph Metcalfe not only set the bar for what he could do on the track, but also for what he did for fellow Black people in the community throughout his life and many years after his passing. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Metcalfe was one of America’s best sprinters during the 1930s, competing in several Olympic games while attending Marquette University as the school's first Black student-athlete. At Marquette, he became the first man to win the NCAA 200-meter title in three consecutive years, as well as capturing the 100-meter dash record with countless occasions of 10.3 seconds. While dominating the country on the track while at Marquette, Metcalfe also had his eyes set on the national stage, competing in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, where he would receive a silver medal in the 100-meter dash and a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash. According to his biography in the university archives on Marquette's website, Metcalfe went on to compete in the following Olympics four years later in Berlin, where he again received a silver medal in the 100-meter dash, but this time also found gold in the 4 x 100-meter relay with the help of fellow American teammate and four-time gold medalist Jesse Owens. After four Olympic medals, Metcalfe’s professional track career would be finished, but it was just the beginning of his legacy. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Marquette in 1936, Metcalfe went on to complete his master’s degree at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles shortly before entering the military service. Metcalfe then served in World War II and "was eventually awarded the

Ralph Metcalfe competes in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. He returns to the Olympics in 1936 .

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Legion of Merit medal for his extraordinary acts and achievements throughout his service," according to his biography on Marquette's website. After his service, Metcalfe won four sequential campaigns for a seat at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Illinois’ 1st Congressional District. During his political career, he helped establish the Congressional Black Caucus, which is made up of many Black members of the United States Congress. Metcalfe was also a pioneer in establishing Black History Month, which is now celebrated every year in February. Metcalfe passed away in 1978 while running for a fifth term at the age of 68. From being one of America’s best sprinters during his time to becoming one of the most inspiring leaders in the African American community, Metcalfe will always be remembered as one who sought to “be the difference." Throughout his life, Metcalfe fought for what he believed in and left an impact on the Black community, who are still fighting for social justice today through the Black Lives Matter movement that began in 2013. After the recent death of George Floyd and global attention brought to today's race relations and police brutality in the United States, BLM continues to follow in Metcalfe’s footsteps and fights for the rights of Black people and for change in the world. Almost 20 years after Metcalfe roamed around Marquette's campus, Marquette basketball's first Black player Ralph Wilson joined the team, playing from 1951-54. Wilson helped lead Marquette to the program's first postseason championship when the team captured the National Catholic Invitational Tournament title in 1952. Wilson paved the way on the court for a

1932

breakthrough of other notable Black Marquette basketball players including George Thompson, Jim Chones and Maurice "Bo" Ellis. Chones, who was a consensus All-American in 1972, led Marquette to a 28-1 record in 1971 and an NCAA Tournament berth in the same year. Thompson played from 1966 to 1969, and was another Marquette basketball legend, holding Marquette's all-time scoring record until 2009, when it was broken by Jerel McNeal. The record was surpassed again in 2019 when Markus Howard scored an all-time record 2,761 career points at Marquette. Although Howard holds the all-time scoring record, Ellis is arguably responsible for Marquette's only NCAA Championship in 1977. Ellis, a Marquette basketball legend, was MVP in 1975 and 1977 after leading his team to a title under the helm of coach Al McGuire. Ellis would go on to play three seasons in the NBA and then would make the trip to Europe to finish his career. Marquette basketball would not look the same if it were not for the efforts of Wilson, Chones, Thompson, Ellis and many others who broke through the race barrier on the court and the track. Almost 90 years after Marquette's first Black athletes lived on the university's predominantly white campus, Marquette's Black student-athletes today are still facing some of the same hardships. “Growing up, I didn’t understand why I wasn’t being treated fairly like other kids,” Marquette track and field senior jumper Samuel Johnson says. “I usually had my parents educate me on things that were happening to me just because the color of my skin.”


Johnson grew up in Mooresville, North Carolina, where he says he would receive less playing time than some of his other teammates just because of his skin color. He ended up transferring high schools because of it. “The most important thing was being aware of what was going on, and just being able to talk to my family about everything was reassuring,” Johnson says. “I always thought to myself that I've mentally got to be stronger, which will prepare me for any hardships I face.” Johnson did not let any difficulties or setbacks growing up hold him back in his collegiate career. He was a two-time AllState honoree and a two-time long jump state champion at Statesville Senior High School in Statesville, North Carolina. Since coming to Marquette, Johnson has found himself in the record books, as he owns Marquette’s indoor 60-meter dash record with a time of 6.80 seconds, and is also in the top five for indoor and outdoor triple jump. Johnson says he thinks social media has hurt social tension over the years regarding race. “In today’s world you see a lot of fake news that tries to separate us, but I believe we need to come together in times like these if we want to make change,” Johnson says.

Metcalfe is first elected to the U.S. House of Represntatives

Meanwhile, Marquette junior and track and field jumper Jefferson Osunkwo has a different perspective. “Social media has done a little bit of both when it comes to bringing awareness to the topic and what we’re fighting for,” Osunkwo says. “I think it allows everyone to state their opinions and help build relationships by coming together with one another.” Osunkwo, a Milwaukee native, attended South Milwaukee High School, where he earned all-state honors all four years in the long and triple jump. Growing up, Osunkwo says he was inspired by his dad, who helped him get to where he is today. In September of 2020, Osunkwo was named the Baird Blue and Gold Student-Athlete of the Month for his acts as a valuable leader and participant through social issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion with his peers across Marquette and the BIG EAST Conference. “I believe the most important thing we can do is to just listen to each other, as it will help spark new ideas and bring us all together and hopefully bring change to our world,” Osunkwo says. Throughout Metcalfe’s life, he used his platform to help shine spotlight on issues of race, such as the when he helped establish the Congressional Black Caucus and Black History Month. Today, many athletes

1971

around the world use their platforms for the same purpose: to make change. For example, NBA superstar LeBron James has given back to his community and used his platform to speak about social issues going on around the world throughout his whole career. One of James’ biggest accomplishments is opening the “I Promise School” in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, which is specifically aimed for “at-risk” children in the Akron area to ensure a stable learning experience. “Looking at what Lebron has done for his community is just so inspiring, and as an athlete who has a platform myself, I need to use it to talk about what’s going on in the world and try to make change with it,” Johnson says. That is exactly what many Marquette student athletes did on September 4, 2020, as students and student athletes alike used their platforms by participating in a social justice march throughout campus in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In a time of powerful social tension around the world, it’s safe to say Metcalfe would be proud to see the legacy that he left behind has sparked the movement of many speaking up for what they believe in and being the difference.

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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WOMEN'S ATHLETICS HISTORY Athletes reflect on experiences and opportunities from Marquette

Molly Gretzlock

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arquette women's athletics is on an upward trend since sports became offered to women who wish to continue their athletic careers at a collegiate level. Women’s basketball first started conference play in 1986. They were in the North Star Conference and joining the BIG EAST Conference in 2005. The women’s soccer programs first season of competition back was 1993. Volleyball became part of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1989 and joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2005. Cross country began in the 1980's and women’s lacrosse was added to the athletic department at Marquette in 2013. Female athletes have made history during their time at Marquette. Twenty female athletes from various sports have made their way to the ‘Marquette M Club Hall of Fame.’ Being selected into the M Club Hall of Fame is the highest honor that a former Marquette athlete can receive. Eligibility for the award is based on achievements of the team and is given to individuals who contributed to the Marquette athletics program for a long period of time. The first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame was Kathy Andrykowski. Andrykowski was a part of the women’s basketball and volleyball teams from 1976 to 1980. She was captain of the volleyball team during the 1979 season and a four-time Wisconsin Women’s Athletic Conference player.

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When her basketball career ended, she held three single-season scoring records in school history and to this day still holds the top three rebounding averages in a season. She was drafted into the Women's Basketball League and also played professionally overseas. Andrykowski left her mark on the athletics program as a woman and set the bar high for the women that would follow. Like Andrykowski, many Marquette alumni have gone on to play professionally or taken their talents to a coaching position. Some have even done both. Katie Kelly, who graduated in 2008, is one of the female athletes that went down in history at Marquette for her defensive skills on the soccer field. During her time with the Golden Eagles, not only was she able to set personal records, but she was also part of the team that played their first ever game in the BIG EAST Conference in 2005. “Everything I wanted was all at Marquette," Kelly says. "It had to do with the players on the team and it just felt really welcoming." In 2005, Kelly’s first season on the team, she was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week early in the season after an assist against Northwestern. She was named to the Soccer Buzz Great Lakes All-Freshman Team and was a Freshman All-American honorable mention by Soccer Buzz. “The first thing that comes to mind is preseason,” Kelly says. “Getting to know

Marquette's women's basketball begins conference play.

a bunch of new people and trying to play your best to earn a spot. We would go off campus and to a 'summer camp' where we were able to focus on us. You really just got thrown in and you just learn so much about yourself being put into such high end situations.” As a young, dominant player, Kelly had her family and teammates to thank for her success. “A lot has to be attributed to how I was raised with my family to never quit,” Kelly says. “My teammates kept me in check, because I was a freshman I knew I had to work hard. I also just had to trust in my coaches plans and have trust that they would play me.” Kelly went on to finish her career tied as the third all-time leader in assists with 25, and she was also tied for third as the all-time leader in with 0.28 career assists per match. She started in 88 games, which was tied for second all-time, helping Marquette win 54 games during the 2005-08 seasons. “The conference was able to push us in the right direction and challenge us,” Kelly says. “We were able to put down a good foundation and the talent was able to keep growing.” After college, Kelly still wanted soccer to be a part of her life. She went overseas to play professionally for two seasons in Sweden. She was a part of the Kristianstads DFF for two years in Finland and one year in Germany. She says the process to get there was not the easiest, especially as female athlete.


“I did not realize how crazy I think I actually was,” Kelly says. “I had these goals, but most people didn’t think they were realistic. I knew I wanted to represent a national team. I was forced to look overseas. Until I started to pursue those goals I didn’t realize how difficult it was to be a woman and try to play professionally.” Kelly is now the head coach for the Avila University women's soccer team in Kansas City, Mo. “Now to be a coach in a male-dominated career, it makes me unbelievably exceptional. I remember the nights where I doubted, but it was such a privilege,” Kelly says. “It’s really been a fun experience to walk through years of playing, but also to help them with the next chapter of their life. That is the reason why I love coaching.” Whether going professional in their sport, or getting inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame, women that have been athletes at Marquette all have their own unique story. In the early 2000s, Brianna Dahm was one of the most decorated athletes in cross country and track & field history at Marquette. She earned athletic honors as well as academic honors in her career. She was a two-time NCAA All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and was named to the Conference USA All-American Decade Team in 2005, which honors the top athletes from the BIG EAST Conference’s decade of existence. “I had the honor to come to Marquette and run with a talented group of athletes,” Dahm says. The Two Rivers, Wis. native earned Conference Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2003, as well as six individual titles and one relay championship during her time at Marquette. “I went to Oregon after I graduated from Marquette to train for the Olympics,” Dahm says. “Marquette gave me a good base and helped me move forward

with my training.” Besides having the opportunity to train for the Olympics, Dahm was inducted into the ‘M Club’ Hall of Fame in 2011, six years after she graduated. Her legacy remains in the Marquette record books at first all-time in the steeplechase, indoor 3,000-meter run and indoor distance medley relay. She ranks in the top five at Marquette in five individual events as well. “Marquette is still a special place for my husband and I,” Dahm says. “My husband was an athlete at Marquette as well and we still live close to Marquette, so we try to come and support the athletics whenever we can.” Aside from the prominent women that have been athletes on campus, female head coaches have been making their mark as well. Meredith Black is the head coach of the Marquette women’s lacrosse team and has been the only head coach in program history since the lacrosse debut in 2012. “It’s been great (to be a head coach),” Black says. “It has sort of been a dream, and watching Pat Summit growing up and seeing her as an iconic coach was cool because you didn’t see many (women head coaches) growing up, so when I got this job at 29 it was really cool and a way to power young women.” Black graduated from Notre Dame in 2004. During her time in college she played women’s lacrosse as well. She was the school’s first student-athlete named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association. “When I was a senior on the team, my teammates said I would be really good at coaching,” Black says. “They said I was coaching them as their teammate. That moment hit me and made me realize that it was something I could do. It just came naturally to me.” During Black's eight seasons at Marquette, she has an overall winning record of 50-81. Aside from developing a

Marquette '05 graduate Brianna Dahm runs in the 1500 meter race at the Conference USA Championships in May 2001. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

strong connection on the field between the athletes, Black and the program set an example in the Milwaukee community. They spend many hours volunteering and raise funds to fight against pancreatic cancer. “When athletes leave, I always tell them to never lose the connection with this program and teammates,” Black says. “The connection (they) built will never leave and will be one of the most impactful things to point to in their life.”

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A 60 -YEAR Former players remember Marquette's football program

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Bryan Geenan arquette University cut their football program in 1960. The program had been around for about 70 years. Beginning in 1892, Marquette fielded a varsity football team and even produced some future NFL stars. However, the school decided to cut football among other sports leaving Marquette without a varsity team for the past 60 years. On Dec. 9, 1960, Rev. Edward J. O’Donnell, S.J. announced the cancelation of football due to the program losing more money than they were bringing in to support the team. In 1959, the football team was more than $50,000 in debt. While there are certainly no talks of resuming a football program at Marquette in the coming years, the years Marquette did have a team is remembered by several alumni. Stan Andrie, a walk-on in 1951, remembers hearing about the program’s end just four years after he graduated from Marquette. “Basically, my brother was in

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school at the time and he was on that team. He was a junior. I remember, we were just dumbfounded. We just couldn’t understand it because they were on the upswing. They had just hired Lisle Blackbourn back as coach. So we were just totally amazed, just dumbfounded is all I can say,” Andrie says. Marquette had just picked up head coach Blackbourn, who had coached with Marquette, UW-Madison and even was a head coach for the Green Bay Packers for a number of years. Andrie’s brother George Andrie had come to Marquette after Stan was there and eventually would have an illustrious 11-year career with the Dallas Cowboys. However, Stan says George Andrie’s view of the program ending was a little more emotional. “Let me put it this way. He was really mad when they canceled the sport. He basically blew his top,” Andrie says. Robert Wilkins, a member of Marquette’s final team in 1960, says the team had been hopeful for the follow-

ing year because they knew it would include "a lot of experienced players." Wilkins also says the decision to shut down the program changed his path. “Football was dropped when I was a junior so I had another year to go. I did visit a couple schools but I wasn’t really interested with one year left. At that point, I just wanted to finish out. I mean, (Marquette already) paid for my college education and one year of law school,” Wilkins said. Stan Andrie looks back fondly at his time with Marquette and holds reunions with the individuals who were involved in the football program. “We started one with the 1951 to 1954 team. We did it every five years, then we did it every three years. We’re still doing it, but we canceled this year’s because of the virus. Many of the guys still come back, we get anywhere from 40 to 50 guys every year,” Andrie says. “It’s a lot of fun to see the old guys and talk about old times and what they’re doing now.” Andrie remembers very clearly one individual who was in charge of

Marquette establishes its football team. They would become known as "The Hilltoppers" and "The Golden Avalanche."

Marquette University Stadium is built. It is later destroyed in 1976, years after the football program is cancelled.

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THROWBACK the walk-ons: Doc Erskine. “He’d come up every day to the freshmen practice and they had ten transfer players and needed one player every day. But when the freshmen saw him coming up, they’d hide or get out of the way; they didn’t want to be picked,” Andrie says, laughing. “After a while, I wasn't getting any attention so I asked Doc ‘I’ll go down there with you’ and after a day or two, I said ‘heck, I’ll come down here all the time’. I did that and at the end of the season, they called me in and gave me a full ride.” While Andrie was there, Marquette had a difficult playing schedule and a losing record until the 1953 season. Andrie still remembers the scores of the three losses the team had that year. “We lost to Wisconsin 15-11. Indiana beat us 21-20. Michigan State, who went to the Rose Bowl from the Big Ten, beat us 21-15. Those are the ones that really stand out because we were in every game and we had a real chance to win each one,” Andrie says.

1960

Fr. Edward J. O'Donnell, S.J. announces the cancellation of Marquette's football program on Dec. 9, 1960.

Andrie says the Wisconsin game was especially memorable that year. “Wisconsin beat us because we were leading at half time but we had a tremendous downpour. The second half was played on a muddy field and the only guy who could gain any yards was Alan Ameche and they ended up beating us 15-11,” Andrie says. From the time that football was around on campus, players like Andrie remember the type of atmosphere the sport brought to the university. “We would get somewhere between 18-20,000 people and if we had Homecoming or something like that, they would put temporary bleachers up in the endzone. I think the fans were supportive. You were acknowledged around campus and it felt good to be a football player,” Andrie says.

Marquette football player Ray Buivid jumps to throw a pass in 1936.

Photos courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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MESSY PIZZA AND MESSY NIGHTS Natallie St. Onge

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t's the late 90s at Marquette and a night at the Avalanche Bar at 1504 W. Wells. St. makes up for a long week studying in Memorial Library. Its make is cinder blocks, a small pool table, a dartboard in the corner and cheap beer, with as many Marquette students as it can possibly hold. "It really was a hole in the wall," Peter Pedraza, a '97 Marquette alum, says. "It was a great place though, as a college kid. It was super cheap." The Avalanche was one of eight bars within the span of just a few blocks past the Evans Scholars house. There were no Campus Town Apartments or fraternities near Wells St. Just bars, food joints and Marquette students looking for a good time. "There'd be a house party and then we'd end up at the 'Lanche," Pedraza says. The 'Lanche for then-students and now-alumni was not only a place for spending weekends, but also for partaking in old traditions. The 'naked beer slide,' a drunken phenomenon, is the most famous of all. It happened at closing time and only the bold, and very inebriated, would remove all of their clothing while other patrons poured what was left of their beers onto the floor for the naked person to belly flop onto and slide through the residue and filth. "Some of us may or may not have partaken in that tradition, but I think we can all say that we witnessed the tradition plenty," Brian Roche, a ‘96 Marquette alum, says.

Alumni look back fondly at Marquette's nightlife Before cellphones and text messaging, Roche says everyone would call the bar to ask who was there. "That's how we'd determine our evening a lot of the time. We'd call a bar, ask who was there and that's where you'd go," he says. Many students worked as bartenders in the bars as well as the surrounding restaurants, like Pizza Joe's. Durkin says the student employment was like bartering. "We'd barter. We'd go with two pizzas and (other students and friends) would come back with a pitcher. It made for messy pizzas and messy nights," Durkin says. For Pedraza, Durkin, Roche and '96 Marquette alum Kim Anderson, remembering late nights at Marquette are what has kept them together in the years since graduating. How all four of these Marquette alumni got together is a blur. "I don't think it was a single meeting. The group kept growing and growing out," Durkin says. Durkin says the four years they attended Marquette was an interesting time, not just for their friend group, but for the university itself. At that time, Durkin says Marquette was buying more property and trying to close down bars. It was also the time when the university decided to change mascots, from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles. "You could feel it contracting," Durkin says. "They were trying to get rid of this

crazy beer slide, naked beer slide, party image." Durkin later came back to Marquette for graduate school in 2001. "I really saw the shift in that period," Durkin says. Comparing today's campus establishments to what they were back then, Roche says it feels three quarters different. Yet for these alum, reflecting on their good times and seeing how Marquette is today makes them proud. Anderson says the caliber of the Marquette student has changed over the years. "What I love about Marquette is that it has always had the mission in serving the community," Anderson says. "I think that has only grown stronger as well." Roche, who returns to campus every year for a Marquette game with his kids, says the overwhelming sentiment for him is pride and nostalgia. He recalls a time coming back to campus where he ran into Pedraza in the bookstore. They both were with their kids. "I was almost in tears, seeing Pete in the bookstore, it gives you chills," he says. "We're all here just trying to capture the same thing." Roche puts it simply. "I want so badly to have one more time, one more night, the 'Hey, let's see everybody at 'Lanche, see everybody at Haggerty's, that one more chance," he says. "It would probably suck because we are all old and we'd fall asleep by 7:30. But at the same time, you'd give anything to have one more time with this group, because it was so wonderful."

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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On April 24, 1997, The Avalanche Bar closes its doors for good.


Randi Haseman

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PICK A NOTABLE ALUMNI.

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a. Peter Bonerz, actor & director b. Anthony Crivello, Broadway performer c. Chris Farley, comedian & SNL castmember d. Jimmy Butler, NBA player

WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE GUEST WHO VISITED MARQUETTE OR MILWAUKEE?

Photos courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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a. John F. Kennedy, senator & 35th President of the United States b. Leonard Pennario, concert pianist c. Pope John Paul II d. Dwyane Wade

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WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE IT’S THE FIRST BASKETBALL GAME OF THE SEASON. DORM TO LIVE IN? WHAT TRENDY LOOK ARE a. McCormick Hall YOU WEARING TO b. Carpenter Tower, first co-ed dorm c. Mashuda Hall THE GAME? d. The Commons (Wells and Eckstein Tower)

a. Blue & Gold Mini Skirt b. White Platform Shoes c. Blazer with Shoulder Pads d. Ripped Jeans

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CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE MARQUETTE SPORT. a. Golden Avalanche Football b. Basketball c. Tennis d. Soccer

WHICH MARQUETTE EVENT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOST FUN? a. Welcome Week Warrior Wingding Dance b. Olympic Day with lots of mud c. Grill Concerts d. Marquette Madness

OF THESE OPTIONS, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BUILDING ON MARQUETTE'S CAMPUS? WHICH MARQUETTE REGULAR a. St. Joan of Arc Chapel WOULD YOU RATHER RUN INTO b. Marquette Hall ON WISCONSIN AVE? c. Emory T. Clark Hall, home of

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nursing students d. E-Hall, engineering building

Tally your choices by letter. If you picked mostly A's, dust off your Beatles records and join Marquette in the 1960s. This was the last decade of Marquette football. Both St. Joan of Arc Chapel and McCormick Hall arrived on campus in this decade. First-year students celebrated Welcome Week with the Warrior Wingding, where a king and queen were crowned. If you picked mostly B's, squeeze into bell-bottoms and meet Marquette in the

a. President John P. Raynor b. Coach Al McGuire c. Professor James Rhodes d. President Lovell

1970s. The men's basketball team won the NCAA championship title led by Coach Al McGuire. MU introduced its first co-ed dorm, Carpenter Tower, and renamed Marquette Hall. If you picked mostly C's, tease your hair and dance your way to Marquette in the 1980s. Chris Farley joined Marquette and its club rugby team in this decade. Grill concerts also offered a fun way to drink and socialize which was sponsored by the school.

If you picked mostly D's, travel back to last decade to visit Marquette in the 2010s. Jimmy Butler graduated in 2011 and was announced for the basketball draft later that year. Marquette men's basketball celebrated the career of Dwayne Wade, another NBA star and Marquette alum, at Dwayne Wade Day in early 2019. The university also funded the construction of the engineering hall and the newest residence hall, the Commons.

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Ariana Madson

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arquette University has been home to some famous names throughout the years, including the late Chris Farley, and basketball stars Dwayne Wayde and Jimmy Butler. Including both household names and some lesser-known stars, the following is a brief snapshot into the lives of some of Marquette's most successful. Chris Farley Chris Farley was a cast member of the popular show Saturday Night Live. Farley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and studied theater and communications at Marquette University in 1986. Fr. Matt Foley, a friend of Chris Farley's at Marquette, remembers Farley as charismatic and jovial. Foley’s name may sound familiar seeing as Farley used his name, Matt Foley, in a famous SNL skit. However, the character itself was fashioned after one of Farley’s old football coaches, Foley says. Foley met Farley on the rugby field at Marquette when Foley was a sophomore and Farley was a firstyear student. Foley says he remembers Farley showing up dressed in preppy style. “He showed up in argyle shorts and a Izod collared shirt and was running around being his wonderful funny self,” Foley says. Foley says rugby is a social sport, and parties would be held after Thursday practice. He remembers Farley's popularity at social events, and says Farley saw his ability to make people laugh as a gift. Pat Finn Pat Finn, graduate of the Class of 1987, grew up in the north shore of Chicago. He knew he had wanted to attend a Jesuit school, especially since his dad went to Loyola Uni-

versity and was a big advocate of the Jesuit education. Finn says he decided to attend Marquette late, which led to him being placed in Schroeder Hall as a first-year student. “It was a sophomore dorm so I met Chris Farley and Jim Murphy and my wife … it was all these fortuitous things that shaped a lot of my life, that happened just because I applied to Marquette late,” Finn says. Finn explains how when it came time for graduation, he was told he was three credits short. Dean Michael Price called him into his office to discuss a summer course, but Finn says he couldn’t afford it. Price then asked Finn if there was anything he felt Marquette was missing and Finn answered "improv," since that was something he loved. Price recommended that he write a paper on it, and so Finn wrote a 25 page paper about his passion for improv. Price ended up passing him and allowing him to graduate. Since his time at Marquette, Finn has starred in shows such as "The Middle" as well as movies like "I Love You, Beth Cooper" and "It's Complicated." James Ford Murphy A Marquette graduate of 1986, Jim Murphy is a writer and director for Pixar Animation Studios. He has worked on Pixar movies including "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Finding Nemo" and "Cars." Murphy directed the 2014 short film "Lava." Danny Pudi Originally from Chicago, Danny Pudi graduated from Marquette in 2001 with a degree in communication and theater. While at Marquette, Pudi was awarded the annual Chris Farley award, which is given to someone

who displays exceptional creativity and positive use of humor. During his time at Marquette, Pudi lived in Schroeder Hall and worked as a campus tour guide. After college, Pudi was accepted into the Conservatory Program of Second City, a famous improvisation group. Pudi is best known for his roles in “Community” and “Ducktales.” Dwyane Wade Dwyane Wade is one of the most famous basketball names to come out of Marquette. Wade is from Chicago. In high school, he was a successful wide receiver for the football team, but by his junior year he was starting on the varsity basketball team and soon became the star. Wade chose Marquette University to pursue his basketball career. As a junior, Wade helped get the team to Marquette's first Conference USA championship, as well as a Final Four appearance. Wade entered the 2003 NBA draft where he was chosen by the Miami Heat. After playing for other teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls, he ended his career with the Heat for the 2018-2019 season. Jim McIlvaine Wisconsin native Jim McIlvaine is another Marquette basketball alum. After graduating in 1994, he played for multiple NBA teams including the Washington Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards, and the Seattle SuperSonics. When choosing a university to attend for basketball after high school, McIlvaine says he wanted to go somewhere warm. However, McIlvaine says it was Kevin O’Neill, former head coach of the Marquette Men's

ALL-STAR

An overiew of some of Marquette's most successful 54


Basketball team, who convinced him to come to Marquette’s basketball program, as it needed a reboot. “Kevin (O’Neill) convinced (us) that we could get in on the ground floor and get in the turnaround program … they struggled in terms of post-season success,” McIlvaine says. One thing that McIlvaine remembers is living in Humphrey Hall, which was a new residence hall at the time. He also says he remembers Marquette's Jesuit values, and emphasizes that Marquette has more than its share of people who represent the school well even after they leave. Dorothy Kamenshek Dorothy Kamenshek, Class of 1958, was a star player in the All-American Girls professional baseball league, and inspired the lead character in the movie "A League of Their Own." The lead character, Dottie, was portrayed by Geena Davis. Kamenshek was born just outside of Cincinnati. She received her physical therapy degree from Marquette University and practiced out in

California. Kamenshek was a first baseman for the Rockford Peaches of Rockford, Illinois, during which she was in the top 10 career batting leaders. Kamenshek was selected to be on seven all-star teams, and was offered a contract with a minor league men's baseball team in Fort Lauderdale, FL, which she declined. Kamenshek retired from the game in 1953. This is a shortened version. The full story can be found online on the Marquette Wire website.

ALUMNI Chris Farley, 1986. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

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AGES OF ACTING S

While ever-changing, theater has been a part of Marquette for a century. Skyler Chun

tephen Hudson-Mairet, department chair of digital media and performing arts at Marquette, has been working in the university's theater department since the fall of 2000. Over the past two decades, Hudson-Mairet has watched the department evolve and grow. Generations of theater students have started off their acting careers under the spotlight in various classrooms on Marquette's campus and have taken their experiences to even bigger, brighter stages all over the world. When he first arrived, the department chair was Phyllis Ravel, and Hudson-Mairet says she ran a really amazing theater program, which is part of the reason he chose to come to Marquette. "There was a lot of students involved in the program and the level of work was really high," Hudson-Mairet says. "The energy, the quality, the excellence of the program was all high." He says there are a lot more students double majoring compared to 21 years ago. The theater department is a slightly smaller program than it used to be, but still very active, and they made some changes to recruiting a few years ago, including the added requirement for all students to audition to get into the program. "I think right now, the body of students that we have across the board is really strong," Hudson-Mairet says. "It used to be that we had a large program and there were a core group of people who were very active. But everybody in the program right now would be a

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strong student in many programs." However, the theater department's history runs much farther back than just 21 years ago. After the establishment of Marquette College in 1881, performing arts were largely supported by student clubs. According to Marquette University's archives, early theater and drama groups included the Harleguins, established in 1920; the University Theatre Club, established in 1923; and the Shakespeare Club, also established in 1923. These three groups fell under the Department of Speech and the Department of Dramatic Art. In 1926, both departments merged to create the School of Speech, which included the theater arts major. The University Theatre Club and Shakespeare Club combined in 1925 to create The Marquette University Players. The group's first theater, located in the attic of Johnston Hall and nicknamed the "Crow's Nest," could seat up to 80 people. According to the archives, Ruth Klein, a professor in the School of Speech, founded and directed the Players from the very beginning in 1926. Joseph W. Miller, another professor in the School of Speech, later took over Klein's position from 1946 to 1950. When Rev. John J. Walsh, S.J. arrived at Marquette in 1951, the Players had already built a renowned reputation, and performances were held in the Medical School auditorium to host larger audiences. Walsh helped turn the Players into a national and professional program. This program is still recognized today, and is known as the Marquette University Players Society.

The Department of Speech and the Department of Dramatic Art merge to create the School of Speech, which includes a theater arts major.

Maaz Ahmed, a junior in the College of Communication, currently serves as the artistic director of the MUPS. As the artistic director, Ahmed says he keeps the organization moving in the right direction and leads event planning and show programming throughout the year. "The theater department is ever changing," Ahmed says. "In my few years, we have doubled down on our social justice narrative, prioritizing producing theatre that features Black stories, stories written by and featuring strong women and stories that make people uncomfortable." Ahmed says he hopes to be a writer, director or producer in the live theater world one day and while his undergraduate focus is in direction and lighting design. Ahmed says he's been writing for his whole college career and began producing his own work last year. "I believe Marquette has given me the tools and the space to learn and grow on my own terms, which is integral in preparing one for a career in the theater," Ahmed says. "You need to be a self-starter, you need to be motivated and I believe Marquette has given me those tools." In addition to hosting large events for all theater students, MUPS also puts on four student-led shows a year. "MUPS provides students the opportunity to perform and produce theater outside of the main stage season, as well as giving students opportunities to work in


Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

administrative theatrical positions," Ahmed says. Ahmed says the theater department at Marquette is a pretty small one, but it fosters a very close community. He says he spends a lot of time in the theater, and that they are always trying to stay busy. A few years ago, Marquette's theater department added the requirement for interested students to audition to the program. Hudson-Mairet says that really helped narrow down their selection to those who were really passionate about theater. Within the theater department, students can choose from a selection of courses in acting, directing for stage and camera, theater history, scenery, light, costume design and more. Outside of teaching at Marquette, Hudson-Mairet is a professional scene designer, creating props and scene backgrounds for actors. "The technology has been meeting up the minds now," Hudson-Mairet says. "There's a lot of new digital technology and an increased use of projections and LED panels, so you can change the scenery a lot more dramatically."

Mackenzie Possage, a 2016 theater alum, shares some of her experiences at Marquette and how it prepared her for a career in acting. "The community (at Marquette) felt like a well-knit family that supported each other," Possage says in an email. "I have felt similar dynamics in the regional theatre companies I have been a part of, but definitely miss it living in Los Angeles. We spent so much time together whether it be in class, working on shows, partying … we were like a little fraternity. I grew as a person in addition to as an actor." Possage says one of her favorite memories at Marquette was during the show “The Liar” directed by Jamie Cheatham, a current assistant professor and head of acting, digital media and performing arts at Marquette University. "It was one of the first principal roles I got to portray while in school," Possage says in an email. "I remember questioning my abilities prior to this production, but (Cheatham) gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel like I was a good actor." Possage attributes Cheatham and Maureen Kilmurry, an adjunct instructor in digital media and performing arts, as directors at Marquette who played a big role in her experiences at Marquette. "I spoke majority of my lines directly out to the audience, sometimes being the only person on stage," Possage says in an email. "It was one of the proudest moments I had as an actor." She says she specifically remembers the stage shaking when the audience laughed. "I felt like crying from happiness and excitement from the moment before I walked on stage for the first time through to the curtain call. It was incredible. It was wild," Possage says in an email.

Currently, Possage works in pre-production for a new media series called “Bound,” a fictional series regarding sex trafficking from the victim’s perspective. She says she also has a principal role in a commercial campaign for an app called AmpMe. In the past, Possage says she was in a touring theatre company for two years in Chicago, where they performed originally-devised pieces on a 7 ft. x 5 ft. platform two feet off the ground. She says between 2016 and 2018 she was part of a show similar to Hamilton, called “The American Revolution,” a story of America’s history through a minority’s lens. Possage says that while she primarily played roles on stage at Marquette rather than behind the scenes, the required classes like stagecraft, costume tech and directing gave her a well-rounded understanding of the demands of the production side of theater. "I was able to meet all the department leads’ needs and demands and assimilate into the workplace smoothly and competently. The executives frequently commended me on my quickness and attentiveness and offered me additional work after post production finished," Possage says in an email. Hudson-Mairet says one of the most rewarding parts of being a professor at Marquette is seeing his students go out into the real world and apply what they've learned at Marquette. "There was a week or so last year where I had a conversation with an Emmy winner, an Oscar winner, with someone who was working on the Oscars as a designer, a Tony nominee and a Tony winner ... all of them Marquette graduates," Hudson-Mairet says. "It's like 'where do you want to go?' The degree will take you there."

Photo by Claire Gallagher

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CAMPUS LIVING Alumni remember their experiences living at Marquette in residence halls and off-campus housing

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Charlotte Ives

athy Obert, a Marquette 1984 graduate, believes living on campus, whether in a residence hall or an apartment, is worthwhile. “You miss the stuff that happens at night,” Obert says about living off campus. “Just the interactions of being at the common area, or being in the library studying late at night, or going to the union.” She lived on campus for two years at Marquette, before renting apartments off-campus with friends for three years while studying and taking part in a cooperative education program as an upperclassman. Her first year at Marquette in 1979 was spent in the YMCA, or what is now known as Straz Tower. While Obert lived there, only the top seven floors were designated for Marquette students, and students living there were given a key that granted them special access to the top floors. The rest were used by the YMCA. When Obert lived in Straz, she stayed in a single-person room. She says this made her eager to experience more social interactions. Fortunately for her, many of her floormates found themselves in the same boat. “It meant that we were all leaving our doors open and trying to hang out more in common spaces,” Obert says. “Nobody wanted to be in their room alone.” Obert remembers spending a lot of time in the common area playing Uno with her floormates. In terms of campus living, Obert’s sophomore year was a bit different

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than her first year in Straz. Nowadays, all first-year students and sophomores are required to live in a residence hall during the school year, except for a few exceptions. For example, commuters can opt out of living in the dorms. Additionally, due to COVID-19 safety protocols, sophomores can opt out of living in the residence halls for the 2020-2021 school year. Things were different when Obert attended Marquette. First-year students and sophomores were not required to live in the dorms, though it was highly recommended that they did. Nonetheless, Obert decided to stick with the dorms, along with many other sophomores, although it left them with limited options. “There’s only so many dorms. Even in sophomore year, there was a lottery to get the dorms, so it was tough,” Obert says. “That’s how I ended up in a triple, because that’s how the lottery worked.” Obert was placed in Carpenter Tower her sophomore year. “I always thought that (Carpenter) Tower was the cool one,” Obert says. She says it was particularly cool because it was co-ed, while many others like Cobeen Hall and McCormick Hall were not. Cobeen Hall switched from all-female to co-ed this year. McCormick Hall, once an all-male dorm, made the transition in 1990. In both of the dorms she stayed in, Obert says she remembers very little of her resident assistants, saying they played fairly inactive roles in her college life. “I don’t remember anybody lectur-

ing me, or telling me to do something, or even giving me advice. It was very hands off.” She remembers them less as RAs and more as casual friends. After staying in the dorms for two years, Obert moved around from one A student studies on the floor of her Cobeen Hall dorm room.

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

off-campus apartment to the next, one located as far as the east side near UW-Milwaukee as well as one as close to campus as 17th St. Colleen Wronski, a Marquette 1991 graduate, was far less of a nomad. While studying for her bachelor's degree, she stayed in only two different places. Both Wronksi's first year and sophomore year were spent in a quad in Cobeen, which she says suited her just fine and for good reason: Unlike all the other rooms in Cobeen, the quads included private bathrooms. “I remember it being a big deal to pick a dorm that had its own bath-


room. Because I didn’t see sharing a bathroom with a ton of people, so that was nice,” Wronski says. While living in Cobeen her first year, Wronski made a lot of meaningful friendships. She remembers bonding with people on her floor and the floor above hers, particularly over the soap operas that were played in the common area every day. “There would be a ton of people sitting around watching them. I had never watched soap operas before then,” Wronski says. She says students would rush back after classes to catch the noon showing of “All in the Family” and the 1 p.m. showing of “Days of Our Lives.” As an upperclassmen, Wronski lived in Strack II, an apartment complex on Kilbourn Ave. She says it was no fivestar hotel. “It was kinda dumpy. We were on the first floor so we had bars on our wall." She did, however, love the newfound freedom that came with getting an apartment. “There was a lot more coming and going that there would have been at Cobeen,” Wronski says. “It was pretty strict about who you could bring up and what time you could bring people up and that kind of thing.” Wronski says the only downside to living on campus was the dining hall

food. “The food was awful,” she says. “That was probably the worst of campus living.” Unlike Obert and Wronski, Christopher Altruda, a Marquette 1994 graduate, chose to live in the residence halls for all four years at Marquette. His first year he lived McCormick Hall, which was also known as "the beer can." He says McCormick was his favorite place to live because of how busy and social it was. He lived on an all-male floor with about 70 other students. There was always something going on. “I am partial for McCormick because it was so loud,” Altruda says. “Looking back on it, I think McCormick was probably the most fun.” He recalls that a running gag among residents was that the elevators in McCormick were often out of order. “Invariably, one of the three elevators was always out,” Altruda says. Altruda’s sophomore and junior years were spent in Straz Tower, at the time known by students as East Hall. The building itself was still owned and used by the YMCA, and Altruda remembers playing pick-up basketball with some of the adults staying there. Despite outside ownership of the building, Straz Tower was still considered an on-campus dorm. In the years since Obert lived there her first year,

Three students hang out in Cobeen Hall, 1984. Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University

Marquette's presence in the building grew considerably. Whereas students used to occupy only the top floors of the building, by the time Altruda moved in, floors 3-18 were home to Marquette students. In 1993, the year immediately after Altruda moved out of Straz, Marquette purchased the building. Straz was especially convenient to Altruda for a few reasons. “One of the things I liked about East was having a single and a bathroom. And also it was the only dorm at that point that had cable," Altruda says. "I also had a girlfriend at that point who lived a floor above me, so that was also convenient.” Compared to McCormick, Straz was much quieter. Altruda says with no more than 30 people on the floor, he was able to get to know his floormates a little better. As a senior, Altruda lived in Humphrey Hall, which he says was a big step into adulthood for him, particularly because the kitchens in Humphrey allowed him to cook for himself for the first time. Altruda remembers he did not have the best cooking skills at the time. Though McCormick was where he had the most fun, Altruda says he remembers almost only positive experiences while living on campus. The same can be said for Obert and Wronski, both of whom say they enjoyed the opportunity to feel closely involved with the Marquette community by living on campus. “People pretty much stayed on campus,” Wronski says. “There were a lot of fun places to go on campus that aren’t really there anymore. Campus has changed dramatically.” The way some Marquette alumni remember it, a campus that is home to thousands of people still felt like a close-knit community. “It felt like a small campus,” Wronski says. “You felt like you knew everybody.”

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IN WITH THE OLD, OUT WITH THE NEW

Marquette should make efforts to update older buildings rather than build new structures Alex Garner

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urning off Wisconsin Avenue onto 17th Street, my eyes immediately go up, following the glass exterior of the newly built residence hall, its roof almost touching the sky. The Commons — at the time Wild Commons — seems a bit out of place next to Humphrey Hall and O'Donnell Hall, which are nearby residence halls. Unlike The Commons, Humphrey and O’Donnell are both made of red brick built around the 1950s. Despite being jarring in its appearance and location – as it sits in the center of campus – I’m excited to start my first year of college living in The Commons. It is one of the few residence halls with air conditioning and a dining hall located inside. During my first week of classes, I begin to recognize that many of the buildings and spaces on campus are drastically different than newer Marquette buildings like The Commons, Engineering Hall and Eckstein Hall. Lalumiere Language Hall, William Wehr Physics and Todd Wehr Chemistry are among these unequaled spaces. Water fountains don’t work properly, some classrooms still have chalkboards and desks are often jammed right next to each other. As I continue to observe and occupy different spaces on campus during my time at Marquette, university priorities become more and more stark. Since 2018, the university has built the Athletic and Human Research Center, The Commons and announced that a new College of Business Admin-

Marquette announces plans to build a new building for the College of Business Administration where McCormick Hall once stood.

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istration building will be going in the green space by the Alumni Memorial Union where McCormick Hall stood. Construction for the new building is anticipated to begin fall 2021. Rather than investing time and resources to fix buildings like Lalumiere — which is classified as needing “major repair” on the university’s Beyond Boundaries Campus Master Plan — these resources are being allocated for “building campus up.” In the Master Plan, Marquette lays out its plan of how campus will look in the future. Part of the plan showcases university plans to create an “Innovation Alley,” which will be geared towards research, science, engineering and business. The university also hopes to establish a “BioDiversity District” for biomedical and biological sciences next to Lalumiere. Additionally, the university originally planned to build a Recreation and Wellness Center in the green space next to the AMU that would be dedicated to recreation, wellness, counseling and a medical clinic. Now, however, there will be a new business building there instead. In the Master Plan, the university bullet points specific criteria it aims to consider when prioritizing decisions on the plan, such as being mission driven and interdisciplinary as well as cultivating balanced students and community. Marquette also identifies the mission of pledging “personal and holistic development of students as our primary institutional vocation” as one of its

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guiding values. Unfortunately, it is difficult to see how these aspirations of holism and interdisciplinary will translate to spaces on campus, as those in STEM and business fields continue to be prioritized. The lack of prioritization and investment in maintaining or renovating buildings on campus for those in social and cultural sciences, communications or education fields may indicate that these fields are not valued as much by the university, despite their essentiality and importance to society. Additionally, many majors such as political science, are restricted to a single floor of a building, which makes it unclear which areas of study these buildings were intended for. It is understandable that university decisions are restricted by numerous factors, such as funding and property ownership. But continuing to neglect specific spaces is unfair and hurts students, faculty and staff who are passionate and dedicated to non-STEM and non-business fields. All fields of study are important, and the university should make deliberate efforts to support this truth. The second page of the plan poses the question, “How can our campus master plan help Marquette be among the most innovative and accomplished Catholic and Jesuit Universities in the world?” Pursuing “innovation” and striving to be “accomplished” should not be limited within a STEM and business lens. Moreover, the Master Plan show-

Photo courtesy Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette University


cases that new buildings will all have a similar modern look of glass and metal. Striving for a transparent, uniform campus not only takes away from Marquette's history and the character and diversity of spaces on campus but it could also create tension and division with the surrounding communities. Although Marquette strives to create connections with the Milwaukee community, this is not always the case, as it has made decisions that further sever these relationships, such as purchasing the Ramada Hotel on W. Michigan Street in 2015 and a 7-acre plot of land on Milwaukee's west side. Continuing to expand, distinguish and separate campus from the nearby area will potentially worsen these relationships and negatively impact communities. Buildings don’t need to be torn down. Creating a uniform campus should not be the objective at hand. If structurally stable and safe, the university should strive to maintain different buildings on campus, rather than tearing them down to build new ones. This will help Marquette avoid creating more barriers with the surrounding communities. And, it will help campus maintain its history. The range of architecture among buildings doesn't worsen Marquette's campus; it is beautiful and enriches its character. Buildings, like Lalumiere, must get the necessary attention they need to ensure that the historical structures and character of these unique spaces are maintained. In order to do this, the university should pursue interior renovation, such as simply switching out chalkboards for whiteboards and updating bathrooms and water fountains, to make sure students are receiving equitable classroom experiences across different fields of study. Moreover, nonSTEM and business majors must get

equitable space in these buildings and on campus. Being "modern" doesn't equate to being "good." The university should work with what is currently available, rather than trying to make more. Instead of constructing a new building for the College of Business Administration, Marquette should work with what is available, especially considering Straz Hall is classified as needing "evaluation" rather than "major repair." Though I was initially in awe of The Commons on move-in day, I now feel that it is uncomfortable looking. It is jarring and unsettling to me. So different from the buildings directly surrounding it, the residence hall gives a glimpse of what Marquette will look like in the future — out of place, divided from the community and lacking holistic Jesuit values.

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This is a narrative written by an opinions columnist.

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A YEAR FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS

2020 calls for learning from the past to create a new normal

Aminah Beg

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ive. Four. Three. Two. One!” Suddenly the room is filled with the screams and squeals of children. The echoes of colorful plastic Party City kazoos fill the air and confetti flutters around my head. On the television screen in front of me, a countdown clock starts again with the numbers “24:01:20.” It’s January 1, 2020, 12:01 a.m. I am standing in my aunt’s cold Wisconsin home laughing as I watch my baby cousins jump on the couches in excitement at the start of a new decade. Little did we know what this year was about to bring. Just 24 hours later, Iranian General Qasem Soleimani dies due to a U.S. drone strike. This military move sends ripple effects throughout the Middle East and beyond. Not long after, “World War III” is trending on Twitter and the public has already created memes trying to subdue the possible imminent destruction of the world. 10 days later, China reports news of the death of a 61-year-old man living in Wuhan, China. The cause of death: the novel coronavirus, then known as 2019-nCOV. Five days after this, the impeachment trial for President Donald Trump begins, where the Senate eventually acquits him. Four days later, Washington state

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finds the first case of COVID-19 has entered the United States border. Three days after that, China enters a complete lockdown, after rapid spread of the coronavirus, restricting more than 35 million residents. January 26, the world faces the devastating loss of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi Bryant. And this was just the first 31 days of 2020. Soon, life as we knew it got even stranger as schools across the country shut down and Americans were stuck in their homes for four months. Masks, shields, gloves and hand sanitizer were normalized in public, and the words “quarantine” and “social distancing” entered our everyday vernacular like never before. On May 25, America was struck with another tragedy as news of the murder of George Floyd flooded our social media feeds. His death sparked what may be the largest racial movement in history, with anywhere from 15 million to 26 million Americans participating in Black Lives Matter movements as of July 5. 60 countries held Black Lives Matter protests all to stand in solidarity with the global Black population, but more specifically to rise against the terribly high cases of police brutality. In light of this racial reckoning,

it was made clear Black people have been suffering a pandemic since their arrival in the U.S. The disease of racism is the foundation of this country and has infected American institutions. The Black Lives Matter movement woke people up to the need for immediate change to our systems. Now, the country is less than a month away from the 2020 presidential election. This election is seemingly the most stressful and important one in recent history, as the votes of the American public will decide whether or not Trump — the racist, sexist, xenophobe and sexual assailant — will continue his stay in office. We are living in a year that has culturally reset various aspects of what before seemed to be normal. We live with different expectations for the world, now hoping that one trip outside our homes does not cost a life. We must acknowledge that we live in an unjust society where Black people get murdered at a rate too high solely for the color of their skin. Minorities live their days hoping the president does not choose to attack their community and people that day. For those of us who care to understand the severity of the coronavirus and are upset at the state of our country, 2020 has meant a year of fear. Fear for the lives of the loved ones around us. Fear for the future


of our country and those affected by the injustices of it every day. But with fear also comes resilience. Despite the troubles and obstacles 2020 has brought us, we continue to tread on. We are here. You are here. And that is something to be proud of. Whatever the outcome of 2020 is, we can know we survived it. It is

"We are living in a year that has culturally reset various aspects of what before seemed so normal." hard to imagine that anything the world brings us will surprise us after living through a possible world war, the coronavirus, the largest movement in history and a highly anticipated presidential election. 100 years ago the world was experiencing its own crisis, the 1918 influenza, also known as the H1N1 virus. The pandemic traveled around the globe infecting 500 million people and killing 50 million. It was a worldwide phenomena that affected society for years. People were left to quarantine and isolate

themselves with no vaccine in sight. Today, people face the same confusion and longing for an end to these troubles. We too are stuck inside our homes wondering when our lives can reach some point of normalcy again. Although the similarities are striking, there is one thing that differentiates us from a century ago. We live in the age of the internet and social media where, for example, Gen Z has the power to put a presidential rally to shame all through the use of the social media application TikTok. The world has gone through revolutions and significant moments in the past, from the first World War to the 1918 pandemic to the Civil Rights Movement, but with the connection created through social media and the internet during these times, our generation shares a bond others do not have. We have now, more than ever, found ways to be united through these hardships. We have risen

Photo by Claire Gallagher Marquette student athletes protest against racial injustices in the country in September.

up against all odds to persevere through another day. As 2020 continues, we must learn how to grow both as individuals and as a country. The U.S. has much to change to truly be a country all Americans are proud to call home. We must continue to do the work and put in the effort to create this necessary change. From doing our part to get tested and wear masks in public to practicing anti-racist behavior daily, we all have our own small part to perform. We must look at 2020 as a steppingstone into the future. This is a chance for our generation to look at its country’s past and see what it has overcome to understand the considerable amount of work it has yet to accomplish. We may not know what our future holds, but we know that we must change the ways of our past to create a better future for all. This is a narrative written by an opinions columnist.

2020

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THE IMPORTANCE OF

LOCAL DINING

Without student support, Marquette-area restaurants may suffer Lucia Ruffolo

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estaurants are the heart and soul of any city. They tell stories, provide comfort and provide a sense of belonging. In sitcoms, everyone has a place, their own hangout where they congregate with friends and family or seek refuge after a long day at work. Historical businesses are especially significant, with their very essence making long-lasting impacts on their community. Every college student wants to find their own “place" where they can stop by for lunch or a late night dinner. There are two restaurants in particular, Real Chili and Miss Katie’s Diner, that have historical significance to the Marquette community. Real Chili is located on 16th and Wells Streets below the Gilman Apartment building. Its

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1931

exterior is plain, a small dive with its name advertised in bright red letters. It offers a familiar, homey charm to the urban, sometimes gloomy looking Wells, which is a restaurant hub for students. Real Chili has been in operation since 1931. Manager Brian Vanspakener says the business was started by Francis Homish, who originally worked at a chili place in Green Bay. He then came down to Milwaukee and worked at a restaurant called Real Green Bay Chili, which was originally located on 13th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. After legal complications, the name was reduced to Real Chili. The restaurant has been at its current location since 1979. Before that, it was located on the other side of Wells. Real Chili is popular among students, faculty and people from the Milwaukee County

Circuit courthouse. “During the day it’s mostly people on lunch," Vanspakener says. “Once the sun goes down, it’s all students." COVID-19 had unfortunate impacts on small businesses this year. Thankfully though, business is starting up again at Real Chili now that school is back in session. "Now that the kids are back there’s definitely been an uptick since over summer, especially as the weather changes," Vanspakener says. Chili is one of the quintessential comfort foods: warm, hearty and savory. It’s no surprise that people will continue to flock to Real Chili as the weather grows colder. The go-to dish is the Marquette Special, which is a medium spiced bowl of Chili with spaghetti and beans. Even though it's nowhere on the menu, the Marquette Special is still a fan favorite.

Real Chili opens in Milwaukee. It is the second location for its owner, who had a chili restaurant in Green Bay. Photo by Zach Bukowski


Photo by Zach Bukowski

Right next to Real Chili is BroYo, a standard greasy spoon diner specializing in breakfast foods. This no-frills, unpretentious restaurant serves hearty food, a popular item being biscuits. Like its neighbor, comfort food is the standard, and sometimes a savory, buttery biscuit is exactly what students need. The convenient location and good-for-the-soul type of food will make Bro-Yo a Marquettearea icon for years to come. Miss Katie’s Diner is on the south side of campus, on the corner of 19th and Clybourn Streets. The long and narrow building overlooks the interstate highway, with the industrial landscape that characterizes Milwaukee looming in the background. Miss Katie’s Diner is 50s style with retro furniture and long booths. The restaurant is named after Katherine Picciurro, the family matriarch who founded Pitch’s Lounge & Restaurant on 1801 N Humbolt Ave. in 1942. The food at Miss Katie's diner is classic American, the special

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being a rib sandwich, as stated on their menu. Miss Katie's diner also serves old-fashioned malts and milkshakes. It could be the perfect place for an evening hangout or a brunch with your grandma. The diner has attracted many notable figures, earning it fame in the city of Milwaukee. Pictures show Barack and Michelle Obama, the Clintons, and current president Donald Trump dining at this humble joint. Visiting Marquette-area businesses is an essential part of students supporting their community and making the area feel familiar and inviting. Even in a modern world, there is value in tradition. Food has always served as the catalyst for conversation and a good time. Restaurants are timeless. Every generation wants a place to call their own to experience an aura of laughter and vibrancy, and to create distinct life-long memories. While chain restaurants continue to grow in dominance and offer convenience, students should make an effort to contin-

ue visiting local restaurants. It is comforting to know that your dollars are going to a family who cares deeply about their business and the food they serve. Historical businesses are a gift. One generation passes on the place and all its glory onto the next, and so forth. As years pass, they cease to become a manmade institution. They are there like the sun in the sky or rock on the ground, permanent and everlasting. In the Marquette area, we are lucky to have restaurants with such rich history. It’s up to students to continue frequenting these small businesses to keep them alive and thriving. If historical businesses leave, future Marquette students will miss out on the experience of going to these restaurants. They will no longer have something of an ancient family heirloom — a place to share and treat as their own. This is a narrative written by an opinions columnist.

Katherine Picciurro opens Pitch's Lounge & Restaurant. The Picciurrio family later opens Miss Katie's Diner, named in her honor.

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