ON THE HUNT
By Conor McPherson conor.mcpherson@marquette.edu
High above Fiserv Forum, a Golden Eagle circles Milwaukee’s downtown. Patient, poised and calculating.
That’s the vantage point Shaka Smart’s retooled Marquette squad carries into the 2025-26 season: the hunters again, not the hunted. Their mission this year isn’t redemption or defending a title; it’s a pursuit back to greatness.
Heading into Smart’s fifth season with the blue & gold, Marquette finds itself not in the national spotlight, a shift from the buzz that surrounded the program just a year ago. It received zero votes in the first Associated Press top 25 poll and Big East coaches voted it the fifth-best team in the conference preseason poll.
In a highly competitive Big East, Smart still refuses to rely on the transfer portal to build a roster; a strategy that
he has admitted will be tested the most this season, having lost 72% of his scoring production from last season and replenishing none of it via the transfer portal.
“This will be unequivocally the most difficult task that Smart has had since he took the reins in Milwaukee,” college basketball insider Jon Rothstein said in his preseason rankings series, placing Marquette at No. 39.
He has maintained an ethos of long-term
development over the transfer portal and building a culture: Relationships, Growth and Victory.
“If you think back to your college experience, whether you participated in athletics or not, those were three of the most important things that went into you having a successful and enjoyable experience,” Smart told Marquette Today. “It’s really what binds us together.”
After three consecutive years of high expectations,
the Eagles have slipped from their perch to looking up at UConn and St. John’s — programs built on roster overhauls, not culture and patience.
“The headline here is that Marquette loses their top three scorers (Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell and David Joplin) from last season’s team and didn’t really go out and find comparable talent, not adding a single name
Heading into Shaka Smart's fifth season as head coach, Marquette finds itself not in the national spotlight, a shift from the buzz around the team a year ago.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
PA program accreditation probation lifted
The school was reevaluated in September 2025
By Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
After two years, Marquette University’s Physician Assistant program is no longer on accreditation probation.
The Accreditation Review Commission put the program on probation in 2023 and lifted it during their September 2025 revaluation. Had the program not passed the commission’s review, it would have lost its accreditation status, meaning students would not be able to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.
Acting Provost Sarah Feldner announced the
accreditation update at an Oct. 20 University Academic Senate meeting. The program was initially put under probation when the commission cited insufficient in-house analysis and a lack of clinical rotations in women’s health, pediatrics and behavioral health.
Between the probation in 2023 and its lifting in 2025, the program submitted 12 reports to the commission outlining its improvement. That progress included a 30% increase in clinical sites within a year, including a site in North Carolina where students worked with underserved populations.
The program also hired a director of assessment in June 2024 to improve its analysis output.
“Cheers to them and the hard work they put in,” Feldner said.
This summer, the Accreditation Review Commission made an in-person visit to evaluate the advances, making the September review the final step in lifting
the probation. The program’s probation did not affect the Classes of 2024 and 2025 in graduating from an accredited institution, as the school was still accredited when they were admitted. With the probation lifted, future Physician Assistant students will also graduate from an accredited institution.
Models announced for college reorganization
Three structures were created from listening sessions
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
Marquette University released three possible college restructuring models to the Marquette Wire on Oct. 24.
Acting Provost Sarah Feldner has been tasked with leading the process — which was initiated as a cost-saving avenue for Marquette as it plans to cut $31 million from its budget by 2031. These changes would reorganize colleges across the university and move departments. The process could begin as soon as Fall 2027.
The university is hosting in-person viewing sessions over the next week for faculty to look at the models and provide feedback.
What do the models look like?
Three models were created with input from faculty — collected during listening sessions — and finalized by Feldner.
None of the models made any changes to the Graduate School, the School of Dentistry, the Law School or the College of Nursing.
To access the full graphics for each model, go to our website: marquettewire.org.
Model “Blue”
This model combines physics, computer science and mathematical and statistical science with engineering departments. The theme of combining these two disciplines is echoed through the other models, too.
This structure also takes some other departments from Arts & Sciences, like
biological sciences and chemistry, and moves them in with health science departments.
This model is the most similar to the current structure. It doesn’t make any changes to the College of Communication.
Model “Gold”
This model creates a college where Communication and Arts & Sciences departments such as English, history and philosophy fall under one roof. It’s similar to model “Blue” as it moves some Arts & Sciences majors into colleges with engineering or health sciences.
"...a strong Marquette is the value of your degree."
Sarah Feldner Acting Provost
Model “Aqua”
Similarly to the last model, model “Aqua” also combines the humanities with all communication departments. Other departments from Arts & Sciences like chemistry, biomedical sciences, psychology and computer science, would again be combined with either engineering or health sciences.
What are some common themes?
While looking at each model, however different, they each include some similar changes.
All three are moving departments out of Arts & Sciences and pairing them with similar disciplines.
Currently, Arts & Sciences is Marquette’s largest college with 2,541 undergraduates and 291 faculty.
The aqua and gold models combine all communication departments with humanities and languages. In both structures, that prospective new college would be the largest.
Feldner told the Wire during an Oct. 24 interview that the original goal of the restructuring wasn’t to move Arts & Sciences departments to different colleges.
“There is so much concentration, a change is going to have to run through [Arts & Sciences] because of the extent to which it has such diverse disciplines,” she said.
Each of the three models combines engineering with STEM departments. Paul Gasser, chair of University Academic Senate, told the Wire on Oct. 24 it was a natural move. The hope is that students will be able to work together on research or projects, he said.
“Engineering shares a lot of students with the STEM disciplines in Arts & Sciences,“ Gasser said. “Putting them together might allow for more collaboration.”
Feldner explained that putting the humanities and sciences under more distinct umbrellas might help students who aren’t sure of which major to pick, making it easy to try new things.
When will a decision be made?
Here is the timeline Feldner announced at the Oct. 20 UAS meeting:
- Feldner will present the models to University President Kimo Ah Yun in December
- During the 2026 spring
semester, the model will be evaluated by teams from individual colleges
- The model will be reviewed by shared governance bodies such as UAS and other faculty committees
- The model will be presented to the Board of Trustees in April for approval - With approval, college deans and the provost’s cabinet would spend summer 2026 planning integration
- From fall 2026 to fall 2027, the process of implementation would begin
"We can tell the story of why we go to college at a time like this..."
Paul Gasser Chair of University Academic Senate
How will these changes cut costs?
In the beginning of the restructuring process Feldner said there will be “modest” cost savings that would contribute to the $31 million university-wide budget cuts.
“If you don’t have as many colleges, you don’t need as many administrators or deans,” she said.
But this doesn’t mean faculty will be cut; Feldner said those administrators or deans can be moved elsewhere.
When faculty leave the institution, Feldner said if their role seems to have a duplicate, the university
would decide not to look for a replacement. If one of these models are chosen, Feldner said the curriculums will stay the same. Further down the line, she said departments themselves can decide if they want to make a change.
“There are some departments that teach very similar things; They may decide there’s some advantage of not duplicating,” Feldner said.
In terms of class sizes, she said they would stay the same. However, the restructuring would prioritize subtracting class sections that aren’t at capacity.
Why do they matter?
When asked why students and faculty should participate in discussions around college restructuring, Gasser said it’s about coming together in a time of uncertainty in higher education.
“It’s an exciting way to have a conversation about how Marquette responds to those times,” he said. “We can tell the story of why we go to college at a time like this, and why Marquette.”
Feldner said during the process, the university is using student exit surveys to try and understand how to create a better university for prospective students.
“At the end of the day, a strong Marquette is the value of your degree,” she said.
This story is part of an ongoing series from the Marquette Wire regarding the university’s budget cuts and fiscal situation. If you’re interested in discussing your thoughts or program, please reach out to the Managing Editor of the Marquette Tribune at sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu.
The program was put under probation due to insufficient clinical rotations and in-house analysis.
Marquette Wire Stock Photo
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A day dedicated to student service
The nationwide event has existed for over ten years
By Mina Marsolek-Bonnet wilhelmina.marsolesk-bonnet@ marquette.edu
The brisk morning air was no match for the warmth that filled volunteers on Marquette’s Make a Difference Day Oct. 25. Over 300 Golden Eagles participated in volunteer work on campus and across six offcampus locations.
Make a Difference Day has been around for over 10 years and is a nationally recognized day in the United States. Marquette has, and continues to, partner with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to do work for this event.
The off-campus volunteering locations for Marquette students included City on a Hill, Menomonee Park, Grant Park and the American Red Cross Near West Side. Students participated in installing and doing safety checks on smoke detectors and doing environmental beautification efforts.
“Seeing senior citizens being really grateful to have students that are willing to come to their houses and help them with the yard work and interacting with our community has really been fulfilling,” Jess Verdejo, director of the Arrupe Center for Community Service and Social
Responsibility, said. “It’s really nice to see our service in action.”
Make a Difference Day is one of several opportunities that have allowed Marquette to be ranked No. 1 most engaged in community service by the Princeton Review for the second year in a row.
Even some of the newest students on campus felt a need to get involved.
“I don’t think people see enough value in volunteering,” Esme Thuemling, a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “I want to fill the void and let people know that there is help for them and they’re not alone.”
Verdejo shared her hope that participating students would be able to make a connection at the event
that could inspire them to make service a part of their college experience.
Isabella Vasser, a senior in the College of Health Sciences and president of Red Cross Club, works at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and believes that as a young person who is physically able to help, she should dedicate her time to volunteering for others.
“If everyone says, ‘Oh, I think the next person is going to do it,’ nothing is ever going to happen,” Vasser said.
Students who weren’t able to attend the off-campus events did card-making for Children’s Wisconsin, first responders and senior citizens. Despite card-making not being as hands-on as raking leaves in someone’s
yard, students still found it fulfilling.
“Kids are so hopeful, and they get excited about the littlest things. I could see them sitting in their beds, excited that a stranger decided that they were important enough to reach out to,” Vasser said.
Verdejo encourages students to stop in the Arrupe Center, located in Room 121 of the Alumni Memorial Union, to find out more about volunteering opportunities outside of Make a Difference Day. Additional opportunities can be found on Instagram at @mucommunity. The Arrupe Center’s Marquette Community Day of Service will be held April 28, 2026.
Jesuit priest combines theology with horror
The
class, taught by Ryan Duns, studies movies
By Maeve Heeney
maeve.heeney@marquette.edu
Spooky season is upon us as Halloween nears the corner, and many may be getting into the scary spirit.
One of those people is Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., the department chair and associate professor of theology at Marquette University, who teaches the upper-level course called Theology of Horror that was taught last spring semester.
But why combine horror with theology, which is traditionally the study of God and religious beliefs? Because, Duns said, the two coexist and even have some similarities.
From a young age, Duns was very interested in horror movies because of the religious themes they suggest.
“Films like ‘The Exorcist’ I understood as having very deep theological resonances,” Duns said. In 2020, he decided to
bring his two interests together into a course where students can create connections between the theological and philosophical themes that horror movies represent. One focus of the class is the general “good versus evil” forces in everyday life that impact society, culture and human life.
Patricia Kalb, a senior in the College of Nursing, said before taking Duns’ course she was doubtful about the connections between in the two genres.
“I mostly thought of horror movies as just jump scares and gore, but in reality, they are richer with symbolism than most other genres,” Kalb said.
Duns said a number of students see the word “horror” and think the class will be easy, but it’s not, as it uses heavy philosophical work while weaving in theological themes. He said the elements students love about horror movies lead to deeper reflection about the nature of the genre.
“The thrill of a horror film makes you absolutely focused on what is going on.
This made it very easy to see the theological points that Father Duns was trying to show,” Vincent Lynch, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.
Duns said the horror genre shows normality being threatened by a monster, furthering the idea that society will do whatever it takes to stick with the status quo.
“Whether it’s a chainsaw-wielding maniac; a hockey mask machete-wielding killer; someone who haunts us in our dreams; a girl who climbs out of the television because you put a cursed tape in, in each case, our sense of the normal is under threat by this monstrous force,” Duns said.
The theological correlation comes in, Duns explained, when looking at the genre as the story of Christianity.
“The normality or the status quo of a broken world is threatened by the incarnation of the Word of God, and that the birth of Jesus Christ is monstrous to a world that is admired in sin and darkness,” Duns said.
Marquette being a Catholic, Jesuit institution allows for creative courses like Duns’.
“If it meets demand, or if it offers students who wouldn’t otherwise take a theology course an opportunity to take one, I’m happy to do it,” Duns said.
Marquette’s Ignatian tradition teaches those to seek God in all things, which Duns said is the motivation behind the theology of horror. Seeing where God might be in the midst of a horror film’s chaos links the two together.
“Father Duns really took the phrase, ‘Seeing God in all things,’ and ran fully with it in topic that is exact opposite of where people would think to see God,” Lynch said.
Duns explained that whatever people engage with in this world points back to its creator.
A year ago, Duns published a book called “Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films.” The book dives deeper into the theological applications of horror movies and is derived from his
classroom teachings.
“I think there’s a commitment to saying that there is more to reality than meets the eye,” Duns said.
According to Duns, questions like what makes a film good, how does the story draw in viewers or provoke them to ask themselves questions they haven’t before, are the keys to analyzing horror.
“It teaches us a lot about ourselves,” Duns said. “It gives us a chance to look at ourselves in the mirror and see things we might otherwise want to avoid.”
Students on campus made cards for children, senior citizens and first responders on Oct. 25.
Photo by Lily Wooten lily.wooten@marquette.edu
Photo courtesy of Ryan Duns Duns' "Theology of Horror."
Tuesday, OcTOber 28, 2025
Walk with Winnie, MU's newest furry friend
Nursing students spend time with the therapy dog
By Elena Metindis elena.metindis@marquette.edu
With each brisk step, a fluffy, loving friend leaves a trail of happiness on Marquette University’s campus. Winnie, the adored therapy dog in the College of Nursing, regularly goes on walks with the group who calls themselves “Winnie’s crew.”
Rain or shine, students walk Winnie around campus three times a week. With six one-hour slots available each day, Winnie spends a total of 18 hours on walks.
Winnie extends a warm welcome to everyone she meets, immediately wagging her tail and running up to people to be pet.
Once on her leash, Winnie
instantly heads toward the door, bumping her nose onto students’ hands as she walks by.
“She’s the best; just very sweet and loving and very gregarious, always happy to see people,” Christine Schindler, Winnie’s owner and a clinical professor in the College of Nursing, said.
To the nursing community, Schindler said Winnie adds “warmth and homeyness.”
Madison Turcinovic, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said Winnie helps relieve school-related stress that she and her friends are experiencing.
“I look forward to walking Winnie because she is always so happy to see everyone,” Turcinovic, said.
While Winnie calls the College of Nursing home, any student can take her on a walk.
“A lot of the students feel
elena.metindis@marquette.edu
like she’s everybody’s dog,” Schindler said.
Schindler and her family adopted Winnie in 2024 to have as a family pet. Schindler quickly realized, though, that Winnie could create a unique sense of community within the College of Nursing.
After seeing a therapy dog in a hospital, Schindler knew her own puppy had the personality to be one, so Winnie began training when she was almost six months old.
To become a therapy dog, Winnie had to go through multiple stages of obedience training, pass the American Kennel Club’sCanine Good Citizen test and join a therapy dog organization to complete the necessary requirements.
Now, Winnie is trained to behave and follow basic commands on her walks with students.
Those walks, and even brief interactions, can increase students’ endorphins, oxytocin and dopamine.
The feedback Schindler gets from students proves her instincts are true — Winnie does make a great therapy dog.
In an anonymous survey, students were asked what their favorite part of having a therapy dog in the College of Nursing is:
- “She is so sweet and loving. Always puts a smile on your face even if you’re having a tough day.”
- “The ability to focus on something other than school and just being present in the moment with her makes me happy.”
- “This offered me a time to relax, take care of myself mentally by stepping away from work, and physically by getting me out and walking her!”
- “Our college mascot!”
Several students have built relationships with Winnie and walk her regularly. Schindler said Winnie gets especially excited when she recognizes
certain students.
“We have such great students here,” Schindler said. “I trust them completely. They take just as good care of her as I would.”
Reconnecting with nature and spending time with Winnie can be peaceful for some students; that is, until she spots a squirrel.
Abby Jens, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, shared her favorite memory while walking Winnie with Turcinovic.
“We were walking down the stairs of the Joan of Arc Chapel and Winnie got very excited when she saw a squirrel and ran down the stairs, making me almost fall down,” Jens said. “We
all laughed and laughed for so long.”
Students continue to sign up for walks, even as the fall temperatures settle in. Almost every slot on the signup is consistently full, with some names repeating several times.
Students can reach out to christine.schindler@ marquette.edu or a College of Nursing student to access the signup link. To stay updated on Winnie and her adventures, follow the College of Nursing Instagram account.
If there’s a group of students walking around with a goldendoodle who might just wag her tail as she passes by, just know it’s Winnie and her “crew.”
Winnie spends a total of 18 hours on walks with students weekly
Photo by Elena Metindis elena.metindis@marquette.edu
Some students have built close relationships with Winnie.
Photo by Elena Metindis
Men’s Basketball Special Edition
BUILT THE
SMART WAY
Marquette men's basketball coach's unique recruiting strategies set him apart
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Outside Ian Miletic’s Arlington Heights home, there hangs a big blue Marquette flag.
Ian’s parents, Karrie and Don Miletic, put it up after he accepted his scholarship offer. It’s how they announced their son’s decision to their neighbors. Shaka Smart likes to tell the many Chicagoland alumni to “fly the flag,” and while they aren’t technically alums, soon their son
will be. They are just a few years ahead of the curve.
At least once a month, by Karrie’s estimate, people will walk by the Miletic house, see her and Don, sometimes joined by their 5-year-old white English lab Ivo, sitting on their big front porch, the flag waving in the wind above.
“Oh, is this where Ian lives?” the passersby ask.
“We’ve read all about him.”
Ian, who is about to enter his first season as a Marquette men’s basketball player, is the first Chicago-area Golden Ea-
gle in five years, and the first during the Smart era. So, his commitment carries extra weight for the entire area.
“It’s always a good conversation on our porch,” Karrie said.
There’s a reason they hung the high-flying flag in front of their house for all to see. The simple explanation is that Ian is at Marquette. The more exact reasoning has to do with the work it took to bring him here.
Even though it is, after all, simply, a flag. A
piece of stitched fabric, dyed and branded a specific way. It’s also a tangible representation of the result of Smart’s unconventional recruitment strategies to form real, meaningful connections in a stone-hearted world of dollar-sign transactions. The fruits of his one-of-akind labor. ■
Probably hundreds of newspaper inches have been dedicated over the years to the old-school ros-
ter-construction methods Smart employs — for good and bad.
Namely, how he spurns the transfer portal. But also how he doesn’t focus on a recruit’s star-count or ranking. Not to mention the two things Karrie immediately noticed the first time she met him: how he emphasizes not only the player, but the entire person, and, along with that, how he takes time to meet the entire family.
Really, the things that make Smart a
See SMART page 7
Former players take on new teaching role
Anderson, Brown returned to MU as grad assistants
By Ben Hanson benjamin.hanson@marquette.edu
Shaka Smart plans for the future. He hasn’t touched the transfer portal much since he began coaching at Mar quette in 2021, instead opt ing to develop his roster in-house for future suc cess. Recently, he has been doing this for some of his coaching staff as well. Now in their first year as graduate coaching assis tants, Jack Anderson and Cameron Brown smacked the hardwood with two hands as walk-on Golden Eagles for one and four seasons, respectively. It’s the first time in Smart’s 17
years of coaching that he has given the position to past players.
“I’m excited about having that institutional knowledge,” Smart said.
el with the team and act as extensions of the coaches, giving them a lot of responsibilities: advising the players, participating in workouts and getting involved in drills, just to name a few. They take it seriously. Anderson was playing hard enough during a practice that he separated his shoulder trying to get over a screen.
When they get a break, they’ll retreat to their office inside the Al McGuire Center to get schoolwork done. It’s not rare for a day to go from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with classes and assistant responsibilities. A night can even go as late as 9:30 p.m. if a player wants help getting some extra reps in on the court.
Those long days can be the most difficult part of
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Shaka Smart visited Ian Miletic's home, something he loves to do with recruits.
Photo courtesy of Karrie Miletic
Photo courtesy of Naima James Shaka Smart with first-year guard Nigel James Jr.'s family on his official visit.
Men’s Basketball Special Edition
How Marquette players strengthen their minds
Team uses mental coach's lessons in daily meditations
By Raquel Ruiz raquel.ruiz@marquette.edu
With under four minutes remaining in the Round of 32 and Marquette men’s basketball trailing Michigan State by two, head coach Shaka Smart spent 15 seconds of the media timeout not for drawing up plays, but for breathing. In a game that determined who would advance to the Sweet 16, some may think Smart would have used every last second to talk strategy with his team. But breathing was something that the Golden Eagles were used to.
And they still are.
In fact, the team has a mental skills coach working with them, teaching the players how to be
present in the moment.
“We do it every single day, before practice, before a game, and for me, it takes me away from what I’m about to do,” senior forward Ben Gold said.
For the past four years, Russ Rausch has led the program through what he calls forms of “mental weight training,” or exercises that continuously build on each other, so that come game time, players can quickly revert to those skills in times of need.
Marquette also uses the Vision Pursue app, which reinforces the same teachings, just with the ability to do it on their own time.
Rausch, founder of the Vision Pursue program, wants to help improve the mindsets of not just athletes, but also corporate leaders, employees and athletes.
He never studied psychology in college; in fact, he majored in accounting. However, after struggling with his own mental weaknesses during his job at a trading firm, he taught himself how to stop overthinking and was inspired to teach others how to discern their own emotional regulation.
Rausch first runs Marquette through breathing exercises to center the mind and internal state.
One way he teaches breathing is by taking slower, deeper breaths
with longer exhales. The second way is through what he calls “power breaths,” which are when you breathe heavy — like you are running — while sitting still.
"...everyone's on the same page, everyone's at a high level of focus."
Ben
Gold Marquette men's
basketball senior forward
Once the breath is regulated, he moves on to teach focus meditation. This is a 5-10-minute practice where players select an object to stare at and focus their attention on.
“We’ve been learning over the summer how to improve our focus, because that will help us a lot more in the game,” Gold said. “When we’re locked in, everyone’s on the same page, everyone’s at a high level of focus.”
Gold admitted that it is a difficult practice to begin with, but over time, the team has been able to get to a point where they all can “lock in.”
“Coach even tested us the other day when we were sitting in the film room,” Gold
said. “He made someone walk in midway through the focus meditation, to see if we would break our focus and check to see who walked in.”
Gold said that one or two people looked up, but it was a huge improvement from when they first started.
Now, the breath is regulated and the focus is there; the next step is the three-letter strategy Rausch uses to develop the meditation with Marquette even further.
And no, it’s not RGV: relationships, growth, victory — the core values essential to the Shaka Smart era — but ECC: expect (challenges), embrace (emotion) and control (the controllables).
Now does it make sense why Smart uses valuable media timeouts for, not Xs and Os, but breaths. Athletes learn to control
their thinking. Rather than focusing on a missed 3-point shot, turn your focus into making a great defensive block. If Marquette trails by 12 points with four minutes to go in the second half, is there no way they can win? Or is victory possible?
“More important than the pre-practice or pre-game meditation is being able to come back to presence in the moment during the game, using your breathing, using different cues to come back to a level of consciousness to allow you to make the right next choice,” Smart said.
Out of media timeouts, when the buzzer sounds, the Golden Eagles head back to the court. But now, they have a steady breath, sharper focus and an ECC strategy in place for what comes next.
Marquette will run a new-look offense this year
Golden Eagles must replace 44.1 points-per-game
By Trevor Hilson trevor.hilson@marquette.edu
This season, Marquette men’s basketball has to replace the 44.1 points-pergame that graduated with Kam Jones, David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell.
This is no small feat for a team that had one of the fastest and most efficient offenses in the country a couple of years ago.
Marquette finished as the 7th most efficient offense in the country according to KenPom in 2022-23 (it held the number one spot for some time, too), and followed that with the 21st best offense in 2023-24.
After the graduation of Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, Marquette was 35th in efficiency last season and have the preseason projected 69th offense by Ken.
There are three open spots in the lineup following the graduation of Jones, Joplin and Mitchell. And with that come exponential possibilities of how Marquette could be introduced against Albany on Nov. 3, mainly about who will score.
Senior forward Ben Gold, who stands out as a potential point-leader, said the team can call on guys all the way down the bench.
“We got depth this year, so everyone’s coming in and making plays,” Gold said.
Following the open practice of the year back in July, head coach Shaka Smart said that variety can be a good thing.
“I think we’ll have more versatility, and I think we will need to score by committee,” Smart said. “I don’t see a Kam Jones necessarily out there from a scoring standpoint, and that’s good.”
From Gold on the wing, to playing with Road Runner-esque speed, here is
what Marquette fans can expect from the offense in 2025:
Throwback to Wojo?
When Smart started Gold alongside redshirt sophomore forward Caedin Hamilton in the October scrimmage, it indicated a possible lineup that features Gold not playing the primary center position.
Gold was put in positions to cut along the baseline from the arc and stay on the perimeter, where he is more comfortable. Whereas Hamilton was the bruiser down low, involved in the first ball screen action.
A lineup with both of them on the floor would be unlike anything seen under Smart, and Marquette fans would have to flashback to the Steve Wojciechowski era when forwards Theo John and Dawson Garcia played at the same time.
The similarities between John and Hamilton, and Garcia and Gold, are uncanny. John and Hamilton are
both the same height (6-foot-9), and essentially the same weight (245 and 250 lbs, respectively).
And Garcia and Gold have not only the same height, but also the same weight (6-foot-11, 235 lbs), not to mention similar 3-point shooting percentages (35.6 percent and 37 percent, respectively).
Allowing Gold to match up against a smaller wing on the perimeter and using Hamilton’s physicality on the interior could produce a more efficient duo than Wojo was able to get in the former forwards.
If Hamilton’s offseason development is as good as advertised, this two-man tandem can generate a lot of half court trouble and exploit mismatches.
Pace, pace and a little more pace
First-year guard Nigel James Jr. and redshirt-junior guard Sean Jones being on the floor at the same time could provide enough speed to turn back time.
And Smart couldn’t be more excited about it.
“We talk about our most important advantages a lot as a team, and one of them is playing with great speed and pace,” Smart said after the second scrimmage.
“We want to get the ball up the floor as fast as we can. We’re going to get the ball in the paint as fast as we can.”
If there was one thing clear in the second scrimmage, it was the fact that this team feasts in transition. At the peak of speed under Smart, Marquette’s average possession length was 15.1 seconds in his first season at the helm, which, according to KenPom, was fifth in the country that season. This season’s pace could see the team creep under the 15 second mark.
“I’m excited to see how it is for other teams and how they’ll be able to guard it,” junior guard Zaide Lowery said about the team’s speed.
MU uses mental skills coach Russ Rausch's teachings every day.
Photo courtesy of Russ Rausch
Photo courtesy of Russ Rausch
Men’s Basketball Special Edition SMART: Shaka recruits families, not players
Continued from page 5 sort of black sheep in college basketball.
Nigel James Sr., father of first-year Nigel James Jr. — who hails from Long Island and goes by NJ — described Smart’s recruitment as “180 degrees” different from other programs. It’s so distinct that when another school’s coach saw Smart talking with NJ, he told James Sr., “I don’t think we have a shot” because of how uniquely the Marquette coach recruits.
Those differences were clear right away. The first time James Sr. met Smart — in Atlanta at an AAU tournament the summer before NJ’s junior year of high school — one thing immediately stuck out to him: Smart’s humility.
NJ’s mom, Naima James, could also see Smart wasn’t like the other coaches she talked to. She met Smart during NJ’s official visit to Marquette, four months after being offered. It was out of the ordinary for Smart to go that long without communicating with a recruit’s parent, something he did not shy away from.
As Naima and Smart sat in the lobby of the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, sharing stories not about hoops but life, someone on the Washington Wizards who knew Smart happened to come downstairs and see him.
“His face lit up,” Naima said.
The two immediately embraced, exchanging pleasantries and well-wishes before going on about their days.
“When I realized that’s
consistent, this is his personality,” she said, “I liked it.”
“I call him Shaka like we’re best friends,” Karrie said as she laughed, recognizing she’s known him for only a year and a half.
That’s the Smart effect.
The first time Smart visited Rolling Meadows High School, they talked a little basketball and a lot of family. At the Miletics' first Marquette game, halfway through Ian’s junior year of high school, Smart delayed his post-game press conference to first speak to Don, Karrie and Ian before they left. Karrie has met Smart’s wife Maya and seen his daughter, Zora. Smart has met Ian’s grandparents and sister, Katrina.
"It was almost like a step to feeling like part of their family."
Karrie Miletic Mother of first-year Ian Miletic
Over the five months between Marquette offering Ian and him committing, Karrie got to know Shaka, not just coach Smart. There are a lot of reasons for this, but one is the home visit, something he does with every player he heavily recruits. Seeing someone’s home on their
“home turf” paints a different, more holistic picture than their school. One that Smart doesn’t just like, but needs.
“You get a chance to see where they live and some very intimate, personal things about their families,” Smart said. “You learn more about them as people.”
Ian’s was easy to orchestrate; it’s only a 90-minute drive from Marquette to Arlington Heights. And April of his junior year, three months after being offered, Smart and assistant Neill Berry, who spearheaded Ian’s recruitment, made the trip. Karrie was nervous about it, unsure what to expect. No other program to offer Ian — including in-state Illinois and down-the-road Loyola Chicago — did this.
“Marquette was the most personal with extra touches,” Karrie said. “It was almost like a step to feeling like part of their family.”
The day came. And after Karrie, ever-the-mother, dutifully inquired about any dietary habits, the family (half-Croatian on Don’s side), put out a traditional Croatian lunch of Ćevapi (a kind of sausage) with Kupus Salata (cabbage salad) on the side. They sat and ate and talked for two hours. Ian showed the coaches his bedroom and where he works out downstairs. While in the living room, Smart commented on a “GRATITUDE IS EVERYTHING” sign Karrie made at an art shop hanging above their couch.
“Interesting,” he said after reading it. “That is how I feel about everything.”
One of the side benefits of Smart’s approach is that other people — from the program’s past and present — end up recruiting on his behalf.
Since being hired in 2021, Smart, who got his bachelor’s degree in history, has made it a point to engrain himself in the traditions of the school. He’s brought back as speakers program legends that went to the Final Four — including Travis Diener, Dwyane Wade and Tom Crean — along with someone who won Marquette’s lone national championship, Ulice Payne Jr.
Some of these people have become, intentionally or not, one of his most influential recruiting tools; what sticks out to Karrie, Naima and James Sr. when they reflect on the decision-making process.
“You see so many former players so supportive of what (Smart’s) doing,” said Diener, who remembers talking to sophomore Damarius Owens and former guard Tyler Kolek as recruits. “Because he takes time, and it’s genuine, and he’s trying to build relationships.”
From the Miletics' first visit to Fiserv Forum to their last, they heard the soft pitches. After the games, normally while Ian was in the locker room, as the rest of his family waited in the bowels of Fiserv, former players would walk by and give their two cents.
“This program is amazing.”
“I cannot recommend it enough.”
“It was really cool to hear and see those people coming back,” Karrie said, “and without a doubt, talk so highly of Marquette as a program.”
"[Smart] takes time, and it's genuine, and he's trying to build relationships."
the assistant who led NJ’s recruitment, and some other coaches sat with them. Players at the time like Tyler Kolek, Oso Ighodaro and Kam Jones stopped by. And they all sat around the room eating, watching sports and talking about what it means to be a Golden Eagle. Not some fivestar, three-course meal at Milwaukee’s finest steakhouse, but food to-go, chairs and a tv.
“It was really genuine,” James Sr. said.
It took Ian less than a week after his official visit to commit to Marquette. He left campus and just knew.
NJ, who committed essentially one month after Ian on July 16, needed a little bit longer. But his parents are adamant nobody on Marquette, unlike other programs, ever pressured or rushed him into a decision. The same cannot be said for his father.
“The other man in this video did,” Naima said on a Zoom call in reference to James Sr.
“I said, ‘Hurry up and commit,’” he added.
“‘Let’s go.’”
Travis Diener Former
Marquette
men's basketball guard
On NJ’s official visit in October of his junior year, along with the scheduled campus, city and facilities tours showing off the schools’ bells and whistles, Smart again utilized perhaps his biggest strength: his people. His relationships. While they did go out to dinner one night, what James Sr. remembered most about the weekend was a simple night-in. Marquette ordered takeout. Smart and Cody Hatt,
That’s what Smart’s recruiting process — from the introductions, to the home visits, to the official visits, to the constant, unremitting communication every step of the way — leads to: a commitment from everybody.
It’s why James Sr. goaded NJ to put pen to paper. Why NJ actually did. Why Ian needed only six days to decide. Why Naima was comfortable dropping her son off in May. Why former players call recruits. Why those hallway pitches occur.
Why Karrie and Don “fly the flag.”
Naima James and Nigel James Sr. with MU assistant Cody Hatt.
Photo courtesy of Naima James
Karrie hung the MU flag outside her house after Ian committed.
Photo courtesy of Karrie Miletic
Men’s Basketball Special Edition
Different sports, same mindset
Smart visited, learned from five football coaches
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
Marquette men’s bas ketball head coach Sha ka Smart and Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn have more in common than one may think.
Belief in connectivity?
Check. The drive to always improve as coaches? You bet. Having continued suc cess as coaches? Run the numbers and see what they tell you; (hint, it’s “Yes”).
It’s these shared sim ilarities that led to their friendship.
Just over two and a half years ago, when Quinn, then the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, was at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Marquette was also in town to play Butler. Smart and Quinn, who were connected by mental-skills trainer Russ Rausch, met for a meal. They hit it off. That same day, it was mentioned to Quinn that Chase Ross, a first-year at the time, grew up in Dallas and was a huge Cowboys fan. Quinn was more than happy to meet Ross, who he has stayed in touch with since.
Graphic by Jack Albright
workouts in Washington, D.C. with the Commanders in May 2024, where Quinn had been hired as head coach just two months prior.
“The ability for [Smart] to have this connection with a player, that first told me a lot about him,” Quinn said. “That is way deeper to basketball; it’s about knowing the guys that you coach and their families and
“The biggest thing I took from (Quinn) was his relentless pursuit of helping the guys around him grow. And then making sure that everybody knows that [Quinn’s] part of that equation too, in terms of him needing to grow as well,”
in order to lead a group of people, you’ve got to get them all to buy into one common goal. That’s where learning from other coaches — specifically from football — comes into play.
“Football is way ahead, they have such larger operations,” Smart said. “They’re in charge of so many people, I think any time you can learn from someone that is dealing with more complexity than
tled Stealing from football. “There’s things in [the document] that I feel are very applicable to our coaching,” Smart said. “(They’re) applicable to our team building and communication too.”
While Smart came back with pages of notes from his visit with the Commanders, Quinn said that he learned just as much from Smart as the MU coach did from him.
Quinn said. “It doesn’t even matter the sport, just to see the guys teach and coach, it’s a really big deal.”
Despite Quinn’s high-profile position and success in Washington, the respect between the two runs deep.
“I’m really honored to watch Shaka coach and teach and to be able to share some ideas with him,” Quinn said, “because I think he’s one of the best.”
ROLE: Walk-ons have 'institutional knowledge'
Continued from page 5
Anderson and Brown’s work, all in lieu of getting ahead on a grad student amount of classwork, well-needed rest and free time.
“For me, most of the time, it doesn’t feel like work,” Brown said. “I enjoy being here and being around people that I know and love. It makes it easier to make those sacrifices.”
Sometimes, they’ll even take on responsibilities that aren’t part of the job description.
Throughout the summer and on the Fourth of July, Anderson lit up his grill outside his apartment to cook brats, burgers, steak, corn and wings. Not for himself. Instead, he’d text the team group chat, insisting that the players pick up the food he made.
The grad assistants
enthusiastically give to a program that asks a great deal from them because they love seeing players develop. Brown and Anderson know how important it is because not long ago, they were the ones being coached.
When Anderson is helping a player on the stairclimber and he increases the speed, or when Brown pulls a player aside during practice to tweak their jump shot, they know they’re asking a lot. But they also know of what their teammates are capable.
“It’s not empty words,” Anderson said. “It’s not just talking to talk. We were just there 12 months ago. We were there with you.”
Brown and Anderson only saw the court for a collective 15 minutes during their senior season. But that hardly matters. They have worked hard and built
strong relationships with first-years and returners to know how each can succeed and grow.
"If I would have left after a year, it would have been a disservice..."
Jack Anderson Marquette men's basketball graduate assistant
They each have around five players they work with every day on strength, shooting and other technical skills that can translate into practice.
“They've seen a lot of what I need to work on,” junior guard Zaide Lowery
said, who is part of Brown’s group. “I can go in there and not even have to tell them what I need to work on. They know it from the jump.”
The two assistants do this so well because they were molded for this position long before they got the offer, something only now looking back do they realize.
In his sophomore year, despite being injured, Brown found a way to stay involved, giving teammates a new set of eyes and talking them through what was happening on court.
Smart saw that.
After a lackluster first half in the 2023 Big East tournament quarterfinals, he lit a flame under his teammates with a rousing speech. Marquette won that game and would go on to win the tournament. Smart saw that.
Anderson came from Division III Keystone College for his senior year, where he admits he put more emphasis on personal performance over team success.
Stepping into Marquette’s program as a walk-on taught him to contribute value besides stats. Once again, Smart saw that.
That’s when both began wanting to be a part of something that was bigger than themselves. Smart already knew that.
“We try really hard to get our guys to think about life beyond basketball,” Smart said, who played Division III college basketball. His dream was to make it to the NBA. “And it was very difficult to get me, at that age, to think about anything but that.”
But look where Smart ended up. Maybe he wanted to give them a head start.
Opinions
Dress up for Halloween, MU students
to feel nostalgia and comfort as they are away from home. Holidays are very special for a child, but that fascination is prone to fade as a person matures. In the adjustment period of college, young adults can benefit from tapping into those childlike experiences again.
activities across campus.
While the idea of wearing a costume may seem childish, dressing up for Halloween brings the spooky spirit to a new level for college students.
Halloween is celebrated as a cultural observance, given that it is not a nationally recognized or federal holiday. However, its prominence is evident throughout the nation, as the Statista Research Department concluded that around 72% of Americans planned to celebrate in 2024.
Americans often celebrate Halloween by trick-
or-treating, engaging in frightening activities and wearing a costume.
A person’s costume choice often reveals aspects of their personality and uncovers parts they may not have been aware of. This subconscious act serves as an opportunity for people to learn new things about themselves or reflect on things they already do. Since college is generally known as a time for self-discovery, dressing up for Halloween can assist students in achieving this objective.
It also raises the opportunity for college students
While the basis of Halloween remains the same, college offers the chance to explore it in a different environment. Instead of trick-or-treating, there are different social events on and off campus that can foster new relationships, such as communal gatherings in a dorm or exploring restaurants and shops in Milwaukee.
Children spend Halloween walking neighborhood streets and getting scared by decorations on lawns. They observe others’ costumes while wearing their own, and they search for houses with the porch light on, trying to accumulate the most amount of candy. On the other hand, college students spend Halloween socializing with people in their dorm, at costume parties or other
Group costumes can also help bring people together, creating a place for people to feel welcome and included. Organizing these costumes can strengthen friendships and create fun memories to look back on. Given the creativity expressed through costumes, they can also be great conversation starters that allow new relationships to form.
Students are under plenty of pressure from coursework, extracurriculars and balancing a social life, so dressing up provides the psychological benefit of escapism. Whether a person is going through a difficult time or desires a break from responsibilities, Halloween is a great getaway. Since the holiday falls on a Friday this year, it is easier for students to celebrate on the actual day.
The process of choosing a costume is a creative outlet that allows participants to utilize their imagination. The product of this imaginative thinking cultivates a positive mindset.
A costume can also increase confidence, as
it serves as a shield for someone’s true personality. This perceived barrier helps some people feel safe to act freely and authentically, without a fear of judgement.
Confidence can help someone express themself, be more social and take risks they would normally shy away from. This benefit is not limited to the duration of the costume, either. This can overflow into someone’s everyday life.
Costume choices serve as assessments of one’s personality and character throughout the years. The costume choices may or may not have changed, but Halloween is a chance for students to experience the holiday in a different chapter of their lives.
Dressing up is a tradition that brings back childhood memories and allows students to create new ones. Don’t sit in your dorm on Halloween night; have some frightful fun.
Children's horror films have lasting impacts
By Rachel Lopera rachel.lopera@marquette.edu
The magic of cinema can transport viewers to captivating worlds, but its impacts may leave a scarier impression on the youth.
As we inch closer to Halloween, scary movies dominate television screens and help us enter the spooky spirit. However, the dark themes and chilling scenes that are found in some films are enough to keep young ones awake at night.
My lack of enthusiasm for horror movies possibly started when I was seven years old, watching a movie that still gives me the creeps today — “Coraline.”
Released in 2009, the film is rated PG and classified as a family movie, but it also falls under the horror category. It follows the main character — Coraline — who moves to a new house and discovers a sinister alternate dimension that has an “Other Mother” and an “Other Father.” These distorted parental figures promise her a better life, but this other world seems quite peculiar.
Not to mention that everyone in this dimension has buttons sewn in for eyes.
The movie is unsettling in many aspects, and with all the slightly jerky movements, the stop-motion
production only adds to it.
I have vivid memories of lying awake at night as a child in fear that my own Other Mother would capture me. It may seem juvenile, but my worries, no matter how silly they were, felt terrifyingly real.
Films like “Coraline” emphasize the deeper effects that children’s movies can have on adolescence. According to clinical psychologist Natalie Scanlon, children are not developmentally ready to view scary images.
“When kids are exposed to excessively scary movies, images or even haunted houses, they tend to have some of the symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Scanlon said.
While my case isn’t too severe, it may explain my aversion to horror and just spooky films in general.
A University of Michigan study found long-term effects on children who watched movies or television shows with disturbing content. They were found to carry into adulthood and result in residual anxiety.
The study showed that one in four college students experience lingering effects of a frightful movie or show
experience from childhood. They included difficulties sleeping, trembling, nausea and obsessive thinking.
Children watching scary movies can have significant impacts that go beyond a simple crying spell that a parent might disregard as immature.
“Given that very young children may not yet know what types of stimuli frighten them most…they are in special need of protection from exposure to such scary stimuli before coping strategies are necessary,” researcher Kristen Harrison said in the study.
These findings apply to several disturbing children’s movies. The film “Monster House” is about a house that terrorizes its neighborhood and eats kids, espe-
cially on Halloween. The movie is also rated PG, but it left an uneasy feeling in my stomach.
“ParaNorman” is another PG-rated movie that stands out in my memory. A town that is about to experience a witch’s curse and rising zombies sounds intriguing, but it paralyzed my young mind.
These horror-classified children’s movies have the potential to leave negative, long-lasting impacts on youth, and it’s important to consider the implications.
So, parents, a scary film may deliver a thrill-seeking experience to children, but don’t let it haunt the rest of their lives.
Statement of Opinion Policy
The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.
The Marquette Tribune prints guest submissions at its discretion. The Tribune strives to give all sides of an issue an equal voice over the course of a reasonable time period. An author’s contribution will not be published more than once in a fourweek period. Submissions with obvious relevance to the Marquette community will be given priority consideration.
Full Opinions submissions should be limited to 600 words. Letters to the editor should be between 150 to 300 words. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions for length and content.
Please e-mail submissions to: rachel.lopera@marquette. edu. If you are a current student, include the college in which you are enrolled and your year in school. If not, please note any affliations to Marquette or your current city of residence.
By Amelia Lerret amelia.lerret@marquette.edu
Marquette Wire stock photo College students can be creative and have fun with costumes.
Amelia Lerret is an opinions columnist. She is a first-year studying journalism and sports communication.
Photo by Rachel Lopera
Coraline is a PG-rated stop-motion film released in 2009.
Rachel Lopera is the executive opinions editor. She is a sophomore studying journalism.
Fun & Games
Halloween
Spooky season
Spooky season
4. Gourd of the month
5. Halloween's month
Gourd of the month
8. What you might find in your candy stash
Halloween's month 8. What you might find in your candy stash
10. Costume made from a bedsheet
Costume made from a bedsheet
11. Halloween uniform
1. Where you would go to get spooked
Where you would go to get spooked
2. How you ask for candy on Halloween
How you ask for candy on Halloween
3. Spooky ones might send shivers down your spine
Spooky ones might send shivers down your spine
(With 12A) Halloween color scheme
6. (With 12 across) Halloween color scheme
7. Dracula's hotel
12. (With 6 down) Halloween color scheme
Halloween uniform 12. (With 6D) Halloween color scheme
This might give you the creepy crawlies
13. This might give you the creepy crawlies
9. Who might ride on a broomstick
Submit finished puzzles to sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu by December 15. Most accurate crossword submissions wins a grand prize.
Arts & Entertainment
The haunted history of the Pfister Hotel
By Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
Haunted houses pop up throughout Milwaukee in October, frightening guests for Halloween before closing at the season’s end.
But at the Pfister Hotel, scary stories persist yearround. Spooky sounds and objects moving overnight have led many patrons, including professional athletes and entertainers, to allege a ghost living within its walls.
Guido and Charles Pfister, a father-and-son duo, opened the downtown hotel in 1893, calling it “The Grand Hotel of the West.”
Despite undergoing renovations in the 1960s, including the addition of a 23-story tower, some claim that Charles Pfister himself continues to roam the hotel he once owned.
While the legends continue, Noah Leigh, founder and lead investigator of Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee — a team that has previously explored Marquette University’s haunted history — still awaits the opportunity to do an in-depth hunt in the hotel.
“What we’ve been told is that they service some high clientele,” Leigh said. “So, because of that, they don’t want to provide an air of legitimacy to the claims by allowing a group to come in and conduct an actual in vestigation.”
That clientele includes baseball teams visiting to play the Milwaukee Brewers each summer, and during those trips, several players have report-
ed being spooked in their hotel rooms.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper told ESPN The Magazine in 2013 that during a previous stay, his clothes were thrown to the floor and a table moved across the room overnight.
“I was so flustered,” Harper said. “I honestly thought there might be someone in my room.”
Thinking it may have been a teammate pranking him, Harper checked the door, only to find that it was still locked.
In 2018, St. Louis Cardinals teammates Carlos Martinez and Marcell Ozuna took to Instagramto share ghost stories from their stay at the Pfister.
However, Leigh is skeptical of the claims, noting that baseball players can be expert jokesters.
“It’s very easy when you know where everyone’s staying for people to play jokes and pranks,” Leigh said. “So then that person ended up believing that something paranormal was happening.”
Jokes or not, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts refuses to take any chances with the Pfister, instead opting to pay an Airbnb fare for trips to Milwaukee. Those stays include the Dodgers’ most recent appearance in the Brew City for the 2025 National League Championship Series.
Betts’ teammate Teoscar Hernández joined the avoidance during the NLCS, moving to a different hotel in Milwaukee at his wife’s request.
“I think the people who go somewhere else to sleep are legitimately scared that something’s going to happen,” Leigh said. “But I don’t know if that’s from genuine experience or just a personal superstition or belief about other stories that they’ve heard.”
However, it’s not just baseball players who have been spooked. In 2006, entertainer and singer Joey Lawrence took a trip to Milwaukee for a “Dancing with the Stars” tour, only to be allegedly stirred awake from his bed in the Pfister by flashing lights and sounds from his daughter’s toys.
Those stories — in their spookiness and surprise — have held PIM’s attention, despite being barred from a full investigation.
Leigh said in the past, two PIM investigators spent a night at the Pfister to conduct a small-scale search within the walls of their
room. After hunting with video cameras, audio recorders and temperature and barometric pressure logs, the team failed to uncover any activity.
But with other hotel guests adding noise to the soundscape, Leigh suggested, the findings couldn’t entirely rule out the paranormal.
“I would love to have them be doing some sort of big renovation or something [where the hotel is] shut down and then they would let us go,” Leigh said. “That would be the perfect opportunity, but it’s probably not going to happen.”
If given the chance, Leigh said a full investigation of the hotel would focus on the original parts of the building with a close look at history. In addition to using the equipment from the previous search, the mission would explore past activity and call out to a potentially roaming ghost.
In what Leigh called “debunking sessions,” previous photo or video scenes would be recreated in the hotel to search for alternative explanations for past claims. The team would also set up “trigger banks,” enticing a ghost to interact with period-appropriate items and personal effects. Among potential triggers would be items belonging to Charles Pfister himself, or general “vices,” such as alcohol or dice.
Leigh said that PIM is often able to find a rational explanation for paranormal concerns. But without an investigation, the legend of the Pfister hotel ghost will remain a mystery.
“We could put these claims to rest,” Leigh said. “Just give us an opportunity.”
The Pfister Hotel declined to comment on this story.
Florentine Opera offers student discount
By Elise Emery elise.emery@marquette.edu
The Marcus Performing Arts Center and Florentine Opera are offering the Marquette community a discounted ticket price for select shows in its upcoming opera season, including "Don Giovanni," "Tales of Hoffmann" and "Tosca."
Although "Don Giovanni" occurred on Oct. 24 and 26, there are still two more shows offering the discount.
To take advantage of this deal, Marquette students can purchase their tickets by calling the Florentine Opera Box Office at 414-291-4700 x224 and informing the box office that they are Marquette
students. A "student rush" offer will also be provided for same-day tickets, in which students can purchase tickets at the box office with proof of a student ID.
A credit to Giordana Poggioli-Kaftan, a professor in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the assistance of the Florentine Opera's Education and Community Engagement Manager, Renata Herrera, Marquette students now have the unique opportunity to be immersed in the art of Italian opera.
"Tales of Hoffmann" will be shown on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. and March 16 at 2:30 p.m. and "Tosca" will be shown on May 15 at 7:30 p.m. and May 17 at
2:30 p.m. Tickets for both shows are available now. Both performances will take place at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Uihlein Hall.
The ticket price for Florentine Opera's first show—"Don Giovanni"— ran the average customer up to $230, but Marquette students paid as little as $12 for a seat in the orchestra or center loge seats in the theatre.
"Tales of Hoffmann"— composed by Jacques Offenbach—tells the story of poet Hoffmann's love life. As a haunting opera, Hoffmann is the narrator, recounting three romantic escapades that are all ruined by a villain in the shadows. The show mix-
es romance and heartbreak with a supernatural aspect, and will be performed in French with English subtitles. "Tosca" is a three-act opera set in June 1800, Rome, composed by Giacomo Puccini. The political thriller highlights three main characters through a love triangle: protagonist Floria Tosca, lover Mario Cavaradossi and corrupt Chief of Police Baron Scarpia. After Scarpia discovers that Cavaradossi assisted an escaped prisoner and puts him in jail, Tosca must make the decision to give herself to Scarpia or watch Cavaradossi be killed. The show will be performed in Italian with English
subtitles. Be aware: there are depictions of murder, suicide and torture.
For attendees who have never seen an opera, The Florentine Opera will also be hosting pre-opera talks that will begin an hour before the posted show time, which will provide an overview of the show.
Founded in 1933, the Florentine Opera is Milwaukee's oldest performing arts company. Initially called the Italian Opera Chorus, the company brought the operatic arts to Milwaukee at a time when it wasn't popular in the city. Since its humble beginnings, the Florentine Opera has evolved into a powerhouse of music and art.
Baseball teams — including the Phillies and Cardinals — have reported paranormal activity.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Barera
HUNT: Smart again spurned transfer portal
from the transfer portal,” said Joey Loose from Busting Brackets, a college basketball analysis site.
CBS Sports college basketball analyst Gary Parrish predicts a tough conference race, with Marquette finishing fourth. Despite national skepticism, Smart continues to focus on building a family that can outproduce a portal-assembled roster.
“Stubborn or smart, this is a philosophy that can work, but eventually you are going to get caught,” Parrish said during his Big East season preview for CBS.
Parrish’s co-host on CBS Sports’ “Eye on College Basketball” podcast, Matt Norlander, is the most bullish on Smart and his roster construction methods. He ranked the Golden Eagles third in the Big East and No. 25 in his preseason Top 100 And 1 poll.
Smart believes the values he has built will allow his nonconformist approach to elevate the Golden Eagles above portal-reliant competition.
“I get asked so many times, ‘How do you get your guys to come back in the midst of the craziness of the transfer portal?’ For example, did you know 48 percent of basketball players at the Division I level put their name in the transfer portal? The number one reason is relationships,” Smart said.
Only two seniors return
from last year’s rotation, Chase Ross (the only Golden Eagle to earn preseason All-Big East honors) and Ben Gold, meaning Smart will need his depth to make strides. Ross and Gold averaged 10.5 and 7.4 points per game last season, respectively, and both, along with redshirt junior Sean Jones — who missed all of 2024-25 recovering from an ACL tear — will need to make major leaps as leaders this season.
“Do-everything guard Chase Ross has All-Big East caliber potential and Smart is also counting on a major jump from sophomore forward Royce Parham,” Rothstein said in his rankings series. “Jones is the type of breakneck point guard that Smart has thrived with during his head coaching career.”
Marquette opens the season on Nov. 3 against the Albany Great Danes, providing a chance for the new-look Golden Eagles to showcase their potential. As the Golden Eagles prepare to be the hunters, many questions remain about whether they are ready to compete at the top of the Big East again. Smart, along with his roster, will have to do heavy lifting to claw their way back to the top.
“If Marquette reaches the NCAA tournament in 2026,” Rothstein said, “Smart will be at the top of the list for Big East coach of the year.”
Purdue and in-state rival Wisconsin. Then they collapsed, going 5-8 in their final 13 matches before losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to New Mexico, 75-66.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics