Marquette doesn’t hide the fact its colors are blue & gold.
But this past weekend, in the Marquette sports world, only the players during games donned the university’s trademark hues. Everyone else in athletics — from the marketing team to the communications department to the volunteers to the coaches and athletes during warm-ups — were all wearing black and white.
The MU logo remains visible, but above it is, from left to right, the No. 43, then a
Signs around campus; university-branded clothes, accessories and goodies; the school’s logo and seal; and, of course, its athletics teams are all various shades of the two colors.
lacrosse stick, then the No. 88. The branding, in honor of men’s lacrosse players Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud, both of whom were killed on Sept. 5 by a 41-year-old woman driving while intoxicated.
Six days after the crash, Marquette athletics announced it would recognize the late students with the special shirts, a pregame moment of silence before every program’s first home competition — starting last weekend — and a printable
version of the graphic for fans to bring in support.
“If you can try to find any [silver lining] out of [the tragedy], it’s just the the show of community,” Marquette volleyball head coach Tom Mendoza said.
“The Marquette athletics department, from [athletic director] Mike Broeker, and hearing [men’s lacrosse head coach Jake Richard] speak, hearing the way our players have responded and supported.
“I think it’s reminded
everyone why Marquette is special and why this community is special, even though you hope that it doesn’t take something like that to show it.”
The first opportunity came Friday night with volleyball — exactly one week after the crash — in the first home athletic event since Michaud and Snyder’s deaths. Right away, four
Marquette Athletics honored students Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder, who were killed Sept. 5 in a car crash, with special shirts and a pregame moment of silence.
Photos by Clay Ellis-Escobar
Tuesday, sepTember 16, 2025
Colleges facing possible restructuring in 2026
UAS faculty voice concerns about plan's rationale
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
A plan to reorganize colleges and academic programs is on the horizon, and some Marquette University faculty are concerned.
The recommendation comes from Marquette’s goal to cut $31 million in university spending by 2031. Acting Provost Sarah Feldner has been tasked with creating a restructuring plan by December 2025.
Faculty shared concerns about the plan’s tight deadlines and lack of rationale behind the restructuring at the Sept. 15 University Academic Senate meeting where Feldner announced the process. The university has not outlined specific changes; Feldner said her December plan would include them.
According to a Securing Our Future steering committee report from Sept.
25, 2024, the objective was aimed at reevaluating the efficiency of departments and colleges, and restructure where needed.
The report detailed that the process will look at “those departments or colleges where enrollment and financial trends are not favorable such as those that exist in Engineering and Arts and Sciences.” It recommended the university create a work group from people around campus to brainstorm ways this restructuring can happen. It’s unclear in the timeline presented at the UAS meeting whether this will happen.
In the tentative timeline presented by Feldner, the Board of Trustees is slated to approve the plan during their April 2026 meeting.
“I think we’re moving too quickly,” said Heather Hathaway, acting dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Education.
With the Board of Trustees already included in the plan, Hathaway said she feels like faculty are being clued in too late in the process. Feldner said the time-
line is subject to change depending on the information she receives in listening sessions over the next three weeks.
“The timeline is not intended to signal an emergency,” Feldner said. “It’s intended to provide sufficient time to have these conversations.”
"I think we're moving too quickly."
Heather
Hathaway
Acting
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education
She said the first session will be Sept. 19, and the university plans to open registration on Sept. 18. Anyone is welcome, but the number of attendees will be capped.
Rosemary Staurt, a professor in the college of Arts & Sciences, said she’s skeptical of the timing of the listening sessions.
“There’s a lack of trust,
because there’s a lack of transparency,” Staurt said. “We’re here today and there are ideation sessions on Friday. It just seemed a little bit that the ideation sessions are more of an afterthought.”
Other faculty’s concerns stemmed from what the possible changes would look like and why the university decided to adopt this recommendation. It’s unclear which colleges or departments would be evaluated, but Feldner said the process would aim for efficiency changes or cost saving measures.
“Think about how we use spaces, how we design our curriculum, how we think about equipment and materials that are needed,” Feldner said.
She said the plan won’t downsize current faculty but will focus on long-term hiring adjustments.
After hearing feedback from UAS members, Feldner said she understands how this process can feel, but her hope is that after the listening sessions, she’ll have a better idea of how to
proceed.
“There are competing demands that don’t always work together, and I understand that that’s hard,” Feldner said. “I understand that it increases anxiety.”
Process and timeline of changes
In October, after the listening sessions, Feldner and UAS Chair Paul Gasser will propose the restructuring models, followed by more open sessions in November for input on those preliminary models. After that, Feldner will recommend the plan in December to University President Kimo Ah Yun.
In spring 2026, Feldner and Ah Yun will bring any further recommendations to “UAS committees, colleges and campus for consideration,” Feldner said in her presentation. Board of Trustees approval is tentatively planned for April. If the Board of Trustees approves the revised plan, “phased implementation” will begin as early as next summer.
41-year-old charged for death of MU students
which happened at an intersection at North 27th and West St. Paul Avenue.
officer heard her say, according to the complaint.
By
Sophia Tiedge and Jack Albright sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu jack.albright@marquette.edu
Amandria Brunner, 41, has been charged with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of the vehicle that killed two Marquette men’s lacrosse players Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud in a Sept. 5 car crash.
Four other students sustained non-life threatening injuries from the crash,
The criminal complaint, released Sept. 10, said Milwaukee firefighters attempted life-saving measures on Snyder and Michaud, both of whom were in the rear at the time of the crash, but were unsuccessful.
A medical examiner determined both students died from “multiple blunt force injuries.”
At the scene, an officer saw Brunner talking on the phone after the crash, stating that she was turning left when another car hit her.
“They are dead,” the
Brunner had a blood alcohol level of 0.133, nearly double the legal limit, the complaint said. According to the complaint, Brunner told police there was alcohol in her vehicle and she’d had two drinks prior to the crash. The officer found an opened can of Miller High Life behind the passenger seat, saying the can “did not appear to be opened by crash forces.”
The officer reported Brunner had “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, slurred speech and couldn’t keep her balance. They requested
Brunner perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, and placed her under arrest after she failed. Brunner had one prior OWI charge in 2003.
The officer determined the positioning of the vehicles was consistent with Brunner’s northbound White Ford Ranger turning left into the path of the Silver Jeep Grand Cherokee.
In analyzing data from the Ford, the officer determined Brunner’s car was stopped for at least three seconds before she accelerated into the intersection while the light was yellow. She was traveling at 11.8 mph at the time of the crash and the street
has a posted speed limit of 30 mph. The Jeep was driving at a speed of 53 mph. Brunner was in court Sept. 10 for her initial hearing. There is a $75,000 cash bail for her pre-trial release. Brunner is required to maintain absolute sobriety, submit to breathalyzer testing and wear a SCRAM bracelet, which tests a person’s sweat for alcohol consumption, if released. She is also not allowed to drive. Brunner’s preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 18. This story has been updated multiple times to provide additional information.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder were killed in a Sept. 5 car crash at the intersection of N 27th Street and St. Paul Ave. The driver was operating under the influence. Driver said she had two drinks prior to crash
NAMES: Athletes honor students
first-years — Madison Fox, Sonia Shakir, Gianna Martin and her sister Mayli Martin — showed up in championship blue Marquette volleyball t-shirts holding printed copies of the graphic.
“It’s important to keep saying their names and keep them up,” Fox said. “And don’t let them [be forgotten].”
The four students were at the Sept. 5 volleyball game the night Snyder and Michaud were killed. After the game, the students were in a dining hall when
one got an email from the university.
“We were speechless,” Fox said. “It was just so sad, like it was something so hard to process.”
Immediately after the university announced the printable graphics, the group of students knew they were going to participate. During the pre-game moment of silence, they held the signs for all in the Al to see.
“It’s really important that we show that respect and also that support,”
Gianna said.
“Regardless if we knew
them or not, it’s still a loss,” continued Mayli.
During the moment of silence, Fox said she thought about the importance of taking advantage of each and every day, living it to the fullest. Shakir thought something similar. Gianna was reminded how short life can be, how nothing is guaranteed. Mayli was touched by the Marquette community’s response in the wake of the tragedy.
“Having alums here, fans of Marquette, family, students, everybody here, really shows how tight-
knit the community is,” Mayli said.
The two other games over the weekend, men’s and women’s soccer, also honored Michaud and Snyder with pre-game shirts and a moment of silence.
“We’re honored,” men’s soccer head coach David Korn said. “It’s been an honor to hopefully put some positive smiles on people’s faces. But more than anything [to] honor those two individuals and certainly continue to hope that they are honored for many, many years to come.”
MPS superintendent visits campus
By Mia Thurow mia.thurow@marquette.edu
Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius visited the Marquette University Law School Sept. 10 as part of the Lubar Center’s “Get to Know” series. Derek Mosley, director of the Lubar Center, hosted the discussion.
Cassellius, who has led MPS since March, spent thirty years as an educator working in different roles and districts, most recently as superintendent of Boston Public Schools.
Highs and lows during superintendent tenure in Boston
While her departure from Boston was considered a “mutual decision” by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Cassellius faced criticism during her three-year tenure. The Boston Teachers Union passed a vote of no confidence in the superintendent in December 2020, while negotiating conditions to reopen schools after the pandemic shut them down.
However, Cassellius took what were seen as significant steps toward improving equity in Boston Public Schools. In the summer of 2021, she developed and fought for a proposal that allowed socioeconomic
factors, in addition to academics, to be considered in all admissions decisions.
She was also praised for raising graduation requirements to match university admissions requirements.
In Milwaukee, she replaced Keith Posley, who assumed the superintendent role in 2018 and resigned in June 2024 amidst the district’s financial struggles. Eduardo Galvan served as interim superintendent until Cassellius was appointed in early 2025.
Family history, early career in educational leadership
Cassellius grew up in Minneapolis, selling flowers on street corners and in bars to make money. Her parents separated but she said they were both a large part of her upbringing.
“I grew up in poverty, but I never had a poverty of love,” Cassellius said.
Cassellius said she was always very interested in human behavior and decided to become an educator because of her love for working with children. She said despite growing up in the Minneapolis projects, she had wonderful teachers and coaches who acted as mentors to her.
A 21-year-old single mother in college, Cas-
sellius managed to finish school in four years and brought her son to the night classes she took to earn a master’s degree.
“It wasn’t going to slow me down,” she said.
Cassellius’ early career consisted of roles as a special education paraprofessional, social studies teacher and school leader.
She then worked as Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, superintendent in East Metro Integration District, associate superintendent for Middle and High Schools in Minneapolis Public Schools and academic superintendent for Middle Schools in Memphis City Schools.
The last stop before Milwaukee was the East Coast, where Cassellius served as Boston Public Schools Superintendent from July 2019 to July 2022.
Milwaukee Public Schools faces a number of challenges
Now, with her new role as MPS superintendent, Cassellius has inherited some of the district’s challenges, including the withholding of state money, as well as lead paint, flooding and gun violence crises.
In June, the district missed a deadline to submit financial data to the Department of Public
Instruction, resulting in over $16 million in state aid being withheld. The money was later released by the state.
MPS is in the middle of a lead paint remediation project to address hazards in its older buildings, following what became a lead contamination crisis in 2025. And, in August, 24 of the district’s buildings were damaged by historic flooding in Milwaukee.
The district also lost 23 enrolled students to gunfire between June 2024 and June 2025.
Cassellius emphasized the support she’s received so far from both Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the City of Milwaukee Health Department in solving some of the districts’ current issues. For example, the health department partnered with MPS earlier this year to launch a lead action plan that is said to prioritize transparency, student health and systems improvement.
Cassellius said the district needs a “100-year plan” to better invest in school infrastructure and meet the needs of future students. At MPS, buildings average 82 years old compared to the national average of 49.
Swim coach hired
By Mikey Severson michael.serverson@marquette.edu
Marquette did not have to look far to find its first women’s swimming head coach.
Joel Rollings, who’s spent the last two years down the road as the head swimming and diving coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, was hired Monday morning, which will debut in the 2026-27 season.
“I am incredibly grateful to Athletic Director Mike Broeker and Senior Woman Administrator Danielle Josetti or the opportunity to establish Marquette’s inaugural women’s swimming program,” Rollings said in a release from Marquette athletics. “It’s an honor to be a part of Marquette’s rich athletic legacy and contribute to its continued growth and success.”
Rollings has experience building programs from the ground up; he helped establish the Raiders program and was named the 2024-25 Liberal Arts Conference’s coach of the year.
“He rose quickly to the top of a very competitive candidate pool, and for good reason — his track record of building and growing programs speaks for itself,” Broeker said in the release. “Just as importantly, he has shown a deep care for his student-athletes, investing in their growth as people through the sport they love.”
Prior to MSOE, Rollings served as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the 2018-19 season and spent 12 years as head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 2006-2018.
While with the Warhawks, he was named the WIAC’s Coach of the Year five times — three with the men’s team and twice with the women’s team — and guided the program to its first national titles in program history in 201213. He coached two NCAA champions, 56 WIAC champions, 13 individual All-Americans, three All-American relay teams and saw his teams break 92 school records.
Marquette announced the women’s swimming program in May, originally saying the program was scheduled to begin competition as early as the 2025-2026 season, which runs from mid-September through early March.
Brenda Cassellius visited the Marquette University Law School Sept. 10 as part of the Lubar Center’s “Get to Know” series.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
sepTember 16,
The MarqueTTe Tribune
Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Sophia Tiedge
NEWS Executive News Editor Mia Thurow
Assistant Editors Lance Schulteis, Lilly Peacock
Reporters Sahil Gupta, Elena Metinidis, Maeve Heeney, Mina Marsolek-Bonnet, Jaylen Hill
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Executive Arts & Entertainment Editor MaryKate Stepchuk
Assistant Editor Katie Mancini
Reporters Elise Emery, Joseph Schamber, Allison Scherquist
Reporters Benjamin Hanson, Mikey Severson, Sofie Hanrahan, Ben Ward, Eamon Bevan, Conor McPherson
COPY Copy Chief Emma Fishback
Copy Editors Elizabeth Belmont, Shea Lancaster, Marin Rooney
VISUAL CONTENT
Design Chief Murphy Lealos
A&E Designer Grace Schneider
Sports Designer Amery Thompson
Opinions Designer Evelyn Riordan
Photo Chief Clay Ellis-Escobar
Photographer Lily Wooten, Owen Weis
HAVE A TIP FOR US?
Have you seen something that you think should be a story? Do you have a tip about something we should be looking into? Do you have documents or other materials that we should see? We want to hear from you.
If you have documents you'd like to send us, you can send anything to wiretips@marquette.edu.
How to use MKE transit system
By Elena Metinidis elena.metinidis@marquette.edu
Milwaukee County Transit System bus stops line the streets of Milwaukee, several lying within Marquette’s campus, allowing students to explore the city at their convenience. Here’s how students can utilize the service:
Via public transit, Marquette students have access to Milwaukee’s lakefront, restaurants, sporting events, festivals, jobs and more — all for free with a university-provided bus pass.
“Go explore your city,” Jesus Ochoa, MCTS planning manager, said. “In college, people come from everywhere. The bus is one of the ways people learn more about what [Milwaukee] has to offer.”
With frequent stops reaching several destinations, Marquette students can plan their trips around their specific needs. Students can board the bus through the UMO app using a U-PASS included in tuition.
“Everything’s through UMO: you plan your trip, track your bus and pay your fare all at the same time. Students have crazy schedules and so all of these apps and tools out there really make it easier,” Ochoa said.
To use UMO as a student, download the app, create an account and input a personalized code (found in the Student Services section of Checkmarq) to access the U-PASS and ride for free.
“That’s the only way I know how to ride the bus,”
Alex Love, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said. “You don’t really have to plan too far ahead, which is nice.”
MCTS’ CONNECT 1 and Route 30 buses make stops along Marquette’s campus on Wisconsin Avenue at 9th, 12th and 16th streets. Passengers should expect approximately a seven-minute wait between bus arrivals during peak hours.
Once it’s time to travel, select your destination and route, scan the QR code in the UMO Wallet upon entering the bus and track the live location of the bus during the ride. After passengers are signaled with a green light and chime, they are set to ride for 90 minutes with each U-PASS scan. Passengers can request a stop by pulling the yellow cords lining the sides of the bus.
Marquette is one of four Milwaukee universities that partner with MCTS’ U-PASS program. Students are granted access to free bus rides with a fee of $25 a semester, which is included in tuition.
“If we didn’t have the bus pass, I think I’d stay more secluded in our campus,” Nora Grillo, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said. “I use it anywhere that’s out of the range of walking around. I don’t really like paying for Ubers, so I just use my U-Pass.”
MCTS operates from 4 a.m.-1 a.m., giving students nearly-around-theclock access to public transportation.
“It cuts down a lot of the walking time. I could spend more time doing a certain
activity in a certain area,” Matthew Schacht, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Some of college is just about forming that independent lifestyle.”
Marquette University believes being located in Milwaukee is a core part of the student experience. For some students, riding the bus becomes second-nature while living in Milwaukee and extends their Marquette experience beyond campus perimeters.
“I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, and I don’t need to rely on a friend who has a car,” Grillo said. “It’s a good skill to have.”
Since their MOVE 25 plan, MCTS services 49 routes across 19 municipalities. The changes implemented in MCTS’ fall services allow students to travel further, sometimes without having to transfer buses. Among 39 other route changes,
Route 14 now extends to Bayshore Mall.
“We also introduced four new routes, one that actually came from a Marquette student a couple of years ago. They were wondering why we didn’t have a route that went down to [American Family Field],” Ochoa said.
American Family Field can now be accessed via Route 18. Ochoa said that customer feedback is crucial to MCTS’ initiatives and is taken into thorough consideration.
One ride at a time, Marquette students can seize the opportunity to connect with the city of Milwaukee.
“We’re in the business of moving people,” Ochoa said. “Transit does it best, so we encourage students to try it out, and who knows, they might be a lifelong transit rider.”
Rowing team raises $22,000 to recover dock
By Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
Marquette Crew is back in action.
After a crane retrieved a dock swept away by flooding in early August, the university’s club rowing team is on the Menomonee River once again.
The recovery came on the heels of a $22,000 GoFundMe campaign, through which alumni and supporters poured in funds for the program.
“It shows the community that Marquette has,” Eric Walsh, a senior in the College of Business Administration, said. “And that our alumni [are] still watching.”
The flooding that submerged local highways and the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds elevated Marquette Crew’s home river, leaving an abyss of blue where the dock and ramps used to stand. The crashing water broke apart the connecting welds, sending everything down the river
just two weeks before the start of the season.
“I woke up, I drove over here and it was gone,” Stephen Pleasant, the program’s novice coach, said. With the dock marking the beginning and end of each practice, the team was left scrambling to keep the prospect of a new season alive.
“It all hinges on the dock,” Pleasant said. “It’s an irrecoverable amount of money and you need it to row.”
MU Crew went to work right away, creating a GoFundMe with a target goal of $30,000.
In the following week, the GoFundMe soared while the water level in the Menomonee River mellowed. As the surface sank lower, the water began to reveal the missing dock.
And it wasn’t far from where it started.
Determined to find it, Pleasant spent a day driving through Milwaukee along the Menomonee River.
Finally, he returned to the team’s boathouse to take one final glance at the water.
Just 20 feet eastward hung the dock, suspended from metal hooks and awaiting rescue. Attached to the dock was one of the two missing ramps, accounting for most of the team’s lost resources.
“I was like, ‘We’re so back,’” Pleasant said.
Through the GoFundMe, the team was able to cover the $1,500 cost to rehome the dock and ramp, which required external help. Just days before the season started, a crane made its way to the river to hoist the structure of over 2,000 pounds against a gray sky.
“It started downpouring and it was thunderstorming,” Lauren Leick, a junior in the College of Engineering, said. “It was really dramatic.”
Once rescued, the team took the dock apart, putting $8,500 of the GoFundMe
toward repairing and replacing damaged pieces. Finally, it was returned to the water, unofficially kicking off the rowing season.
There is still work to be done, as the team is looking to improve its anchoring system to prevent the dock from wandering away again. With one of the program’s two ramps still at the bottom of the river, Marquette Crew is working to budget the remaining funds the best that it can.
“We’re able to function with this setup right now,” Pleasant said. “So, we’re trying to steward our money.”
With the dock back in place, the varsity team is spending early mornings on the river once again, catching the sunrise on their trips through Milwaukee’s waterways. For the novice team, it’s a view of the sunset at dusk.
Following a recruiting effort over the summer, the novice team is the biggest for Marquette Crew in five
years. While a new class is still being recruited, the program brought its varsity and novice programs together for the first time on Sept. 13 to ring in the new season — one made possible by a dock on the water.
MU Crew's dock after flooding.
Photo courtesy of Steve Pleasant
Several MCTS routes run directly through Marquette's campus. Photo courtesy of MCTS
Volleyball Special Edition
volleyball's
Wisconsin
Forum two years ago drew 17,037 fans, an NCAA attendance record for an indoor regular season match.
'WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR'
Marquette and Wisconsin face-off in Fiserv again
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Hattie Bray knows what it feels like to play in Fiserv Forum. To be jumping, swinging and blocking in an NBA arena. In front of an NCAA indoor regular season volleyball match with a record
of 17,037 fans. It’s one of her favorite college memories, seeing everyone fill the stands in what would have been an unthinkable feat a decade prior. Natalie Ring knows what it’s like to watch a volleyball game in Fiserv. She was redshirting the last time the match happened in 2023, so she didn’t play then, but nonetheless remembers the filled stands and loud cheers which emulated a Milwaukee Bucks or Mar-
quette men’s basketball game. Along with those two, Ella Holmstrom, Sienna Ifill and Adriana Studer are the only other players to have been in the blue & gold both then and now. That’s five people out of 16 on the roster; not even half. And, with an entirely different coaching staff than the one two years ago, that 16 jumps to 22 when you take them into account as well.
Nobody else on Marquette volleyball experienced anything like what they will on Wednesday, when the Golden Eagles take on the 7th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers inside Fiserv for the second time in history. None have been in a jersey for a match with this many fans in this many seats, this much anticipation, this much importance to the university and state of Wisconsin.
Marquette head coach
Tom Mendoza can’t pinpoint the largest crowd he’s played in front of. When asked, he deferred to longtime assistant of eight years Ethan Pheister, who estimated that it was the Golden Eagles’ season-opener at Hawaii. First-year setter Isabela Haggard said the same. With a listed attendance of 5,823, it’s only, um, a little over 11,000 less people than the first-ever game
What to know about MU vs UW at Fiserv
By Mikey Severson michael.severson@marquette.edu
Marquette and No. 7 Wisconsin renew their rivalry this Wednesday at Fiserv Forum, which is the second time in series history the match will be played at the arena.
The inaugural Fiserv matchup in 2023 broke an NCAA attendance record for an indoor volleyball regular season game, with a posted figure of 17,037. The contest ranks as the 15th most attended NCAA women’s volleyball match ever, postseason included. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the two programs’ encore matchup in the Deer District.
When/where is the game?
The match will be held at Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee, on Wednesday, Sept. 17. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. CST. If you cannot attend the game, Big Ten Network will broadcast the action. You can also listen live on Marquette Wire Radio. Trevor Hilson and Matthew Baltz will have the call.
How to get tickets?
Student section tickets were sent to students’ Marquette email with a claim code on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. For fans, or students potentially looking for tickets if the student section fills up, they can be found at this link or at
gomarquette.com.
How much do they cost?
As of Monday night, Ticketmaster has priced upper-level seating at $17.79, and lower-level seats are varying from $23.19 (behind the student sections) to $33.98 (across from the team benches).
How do I get to Fiserv Forum?
Most students walk the 20-25 minutes from Marquette’s campus to Fiserv Forum. There is paid parking at the 5th Street Parking Structure for fans who drive to the arena.
When should I arrive?
The game will start at 8
p.m. Marquette Athletics hasn’t officially communicated when doors will open for this match, but two years ago, they opened an hour before the start of the match. The first 7,500 fans to enter Fiserv Forum will receive a Marquette roller banner. LOVB Madison, a professional volleyball team, will also be helping to host a pre-match block party in the Deer District that runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where is the student section?
Student sections have been marked as sections 105-107, 111 and 122. Sections 111 and 122 are normally used for men’s basketball games.
How has the series fared?
Historically, Wisconsin has dominated the action — in 11 matchups, Marquette has only won once. The Golden Eagles’ victory came in September 2019, giving the Badgers a fourmatch win streak coming into this contest.
What happened the last time the two squads met at Fiserv?
Marquette was able to get a set on the (at the time) No. 1-ranked Wisconsin but ultimately lost the match, 3-1. The Badgers won the first and third sets (28-26, 26-24) in close fashion to stack momentum and take the fourth by seven points, 25-18.
Marquette
game against
at Fiserv
Marquette Wire Stock Photo
Volleyball Special Edition
Ring's hometown dreams turn into rivalry reality
Madison native grew up cheering for in-state foe
By Matthew Baltz matthew.baltz@marquette.edu
Not many players get the chance to play against one of their favorite teams growing up. Not even on four separate occasions. The number of players who get to do so, essentially in their own backyard, is even lower.
But Natalie Ring isn’t like most players.
Right out of the gate in her first-year with the program, she got a chance to play in the UW-Fieldhouse in just her third-ever collegiate game. Then, Ring and the Golden Eagles traded in a chance to play just another home game at the Al McGuire Center for a record-breaking night on the mainstage at Fiserv Forum.
Last year, it was back to Madison as Marquette traveled to the Kohl Center for another sold-out game, again at a venue virtually within walking distance from the Ring household.
So, while Marquette volleyball’s highly-anticipated match against No. 7 Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday may not be a quick jaunt for the Ring family, it’s still a game that runs much deeper than volleyball.
“[Natalie and her sister Rebecca] grew up watching Wisconsin play,” Na-
talie’s dad Joe said. “As a little girl, you’re always thinking, ‘Can I ever play on that court?’ ‘Will I get to ever play on that court’? So, getting to see [Natalie] play and fulfill that dream is a lot of fun and exciting.
“She’s not playing for Wisconsin, but she gets to play and compete against them, so it’s a lot of fun.”
But for the Ring family, the connections run deeper than just living in Madison. Joe played golf at UW-Madison, where his wife and Natalie’s mother Christen also went to school.
Christen and Joe still go to Wisconsin hockey games and the occasional football game at Camp Randall when they can. And of course, they attend Bad-
ger volleyball games when Marquette is playing.
“It’s a change to root against them,” Joe laughed.
"It's a change to root against [Wisconsin]."
Joe Ring Marquette hitter Natalie Ring's father
While Natalie was growing up, it would’ve been hard for her or her parents to envision volleyball getting to the spot that it’s in today. In fact, the top-10 most attended Division I women’s volleyball games
ever have all happened in the last eight years, illustrating that the game of volleyball is gaining real momentum, especially on the women’s side.
“No, not at all,” Natalie answered in response to being asked if she ever could’ve imagined playing volleyball in an NBA arena. “It’s an awesome opportunity.
“For me, growing up in Madison and going to (Wisconsin) games, that felt like it would be an amazing crowd to get to play for, so just see how it’s grown and getting to set a record at Fiserv Forum two years ago and now getting to go back, we never would’ve guessed that volleyball would grow this much, especially in Wisconsin.”
The first time Marquette played Wisconsin at Fiserv, Eliza Butler, the coach in charge overseeing the entire Edgewood high school volleyball program that helped develop Natalie and her sister Rebecca, who now plays at North Carolina State, bought 70 tickets to the game. It allowed the entire program, including Rebecca at the time, to watch Natalie and another former player, Ella Foti, perform on the big stage.
“I have a lot of family that lives in Madison, a lot of aunts and uncles,” Natalie said. “(Eliza) has been great, she always brings the entire team when we play Wisconsin, they’ve been really great in supporting us even after we graduate.”
Ring is currently in the middle of a breakout senior season for the Golden Eagles. The outside hitter leads the team in kills (137), kills per set (4.72), attacks (354) and services aces (13).
The biggest difference between this year’s game at Fiserv and the one two years ago is that she went from a redshirt sophomore who didn’t even step on the floor to a senior leader who will be arguably one of the best players on the floor.
“It’ll be exciting to actually play in front of that many people and to have the Marquette crowd behind us,” Natalie said. “It’s just a big testament to the university and the athletic department and their support for volleyball.”
Badgers are Golden Eagles' toughest test
Wisconsin will be Marquette's first ranked opponent
By Sofie Hanrahan sofia.hanrahan@marquette.edu
The two programs have met a total of 10 times. Of
those, Marquette women’s volleyball has only defeated Wisconsin-Madison once: all the way back in 2019.
This is the second time they will meet in the new era of Fiserv matchups. The previous time, in 2023, the Badgers took the match 3-1.
The series went back to Madison in 2024 and will return for the second installation of the Fiserv showdown takes places Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
Here’s what to know about the teams before the first serve:
Marquette
The Golden Eagles opened their season at the 2025 Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. They went 3-1: with wins against Hawaii (3-2) and Utah State (3-2,) and a loss against San Diego (2-3.)
The squad returned home to the Al McGuire Center to sweep Western Kentucky.
Marquette University canceled the Golden Eagles’ remaining two games that weekend — against Dayton and Buffalo — after two men’s lacrosse players, Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud, were killed in a car crash Sept. 5.
Marquette spent this weekend at home, losing to Ball State 2-3 on Friday and sweeping James Madison the following day.
The team is held in the reins by senior outside hitter Natalie Ring, who currently leads with 120 kills and 122 points.
In a squad with only one returning starter in graduate middle blocker Hattie Bray, the Golden Eagles have had to work within to come up with a starting seven to compete with years past.
First-year setter Isabela Haggard leads the team in assists with 266, and senior defensive specialist Adriana Studer leads with 99 digs.
The UW-Madison squad will be an opportunity to challenge the depth of the squad early on in the season.
Wisconsin
The red and white are
barreling with momentum. Its past four matches have been clean sweeps against UC-Davis, Chicago State, UW-Milwaukee and Georgia Tech.
The only loss so far this season was against No. 5 Texas in the second match of the season, losing 0-3.
Senior outside hitter Mimi Colyer has been Madison’s catalyst: racking up 90 kills so far this season. Her season high was 26 against Kansas.
Defensively, senior middle blockers Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew have been carrying the team in blocks, with 23 and 21, respectively. Booth racked up a season-high eight against Milwaukee.
The Badgers have only lost six sets out of 24 played. The question is will the Golden Eagles be able to stop the momentum, or at least take a frame?
Madison native Natalie Ring grew up attending Wisconsin volleyball games. Now she faces them.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
FOR: 2023 match at Forum an MU 'favorite'
Continued from page 5
at Fiserv. That’s practically a rounding error, right? No biggie.
“This is what we signed up for as coaches and staff and players,” Mendoza said. “To play good teams on big stages.”
Facing the No. 7 team in the country in an 18,000 seat arena? Sounds like mission accomplished.
After the first Fiserv game was such a success, the volleyball program went to the university and told
them to run it back. Now, after the match has been on everyone’s calendar since the announcement in February, it’s only one quick sleep away.
“It’ll be awesome,” Ring said.
Bray’s favorite part of the 2o23 match was the student section. Normally, at the Al, students sit on the back end-lines. But at Fiserv, they line the sides of the lower bowl.
“It is a crazy atmosphere,” she said. “When you have
students 10 rows deep on the bottom bowl, you don’t feel anything else, really.”
Ring, in the midst of her redshirt season, was a glorified cheerleader then.
Now, as the Golden Eagles’ leading hitter, she’s going to be on the court, in the thick of it.
“It’s going to be exciting to play in front of that many people,” she said, “and just to have the Marquette crowd behind us again.”
"It'll be awesome."
Natalie Ring Volleyball senior outside hitter
Haggard had only been on campus for around a month when it was announced. Over the seven months since, she’s heard from numerous people on the team about how much they enjoyed it, and how ready they are to get back.
“A lot of them said it’s their favorite game,” Haggard said. “Like it’s been their best memory of college volleyball.”
As the only starter in the 2023 match still on the team, and the only one to
play in all four sets (Holmstrom played in three and Studer in two), Bray has the most experience of anyone in this type of atmosphere.
She said last time everyone on the team was so jittery given the magnitude of the situation, but the key is to find the balance between those jitters and excitement, and remembering you still have a game to win.
“Knowing how to find that medium, to find that level head, ‘I’m really jacked to be here, but like,
let’s play the game,'” she said. “So then hopefully I can kind of carry that, calm to the other athletes on the team.”
When talking about the game, Ring sounded like coach Norman Dale from Hoosiers.
“There’s going to be people out there and it’s going to be darker in the stands than it is [in the Al McGuire Center],” she said. “But it’s the same. The courts, the same size, the ball is the same thing.”
Hattie Bray is the only returning Marquette starter from 2023.
Natalie Ring cheering during Marquette's first game at Fiserv.
Marquette Wire Stock Photo
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
Photos courtesy of Marquette
Marquette
Volleyball Special Edition
Fast five: What to watch for in MU vs. UW
Clean receiving, efficient hitting key for Marquette
By Raquel Ruiz raquel.ruiz@marquette.edu
The match at Fiserv Forum has only happened once before, and that was two years ago.
It drew 17,037 fans — an NCAA attendance record for an indoor regular season game, a state record for attendance at a women’s sporting event and ranks as the 15th-most attended NCAA women’s volleyball match ever (including NCAA tournament play).
Now, the annual in-state rivalry between the Golden Eagles and the 6th ranked Badgers is back in Fiserv, as the NBA arena transforms its hardwood court and hoops for basketball to a taraflex mat and net for volleyball.
The Golden Eagles (5-2) and No. 7 Wisconsin, are both coming off two-game win streaks, with three-set sweeps.
The match at Fiserv will determine whose streak will continue, and whose will be snapped.
Here are five things to watch for during the game:
1. Wisconsin is not playing the same team
This time around, the Badgers are now going up against the Tom Mendoza era of Marquette volleyball.
However, not knowing what Marquette has looked like before could give the Golden Eagles the upper hand, pulling out unexpected stops. Yet, this could also be an area of weakness, as the Badgers could start a run, which could cause Marquette to crumble.
Marquette’s newcomers, who make up 35 percent of the team, will be looking to the veteran players who’ve experienced this atmosphere before.
The Golden Eagles have yet to play a ranked team this season, let alone a top ten team.
Will they be able to face the pressures of what this game means to the state of Wisconsin? Will they be able to keep their composure with the hostility of the fans chanting against them?
Mistakes lead to distractions, which lead to poor presence on the court, which leads to overall performance. Therefore, eliminate the mistakes, take away the distractions and you have a
AWARDS
better-performing team.
2. Opportunities to run the offense Serve-receive means having the first chance to attack.
The Golden Eagles’ reception errors per set (1.07) are notably higher than Wisconsin’s (.50). In their matches against San Diego and Utah State, the team had eight reception errors. In their most recent match against UW-Milwaukee, there were four.
If the Badgers target firstyear setter Isabela Haggard in serve rotations, that will force senior defensive specialist Adriana Studer to take that second ball, causing a disrupted offense.
Haggard will be looking to senior outside hitter Natalie Ring to fire any shot of a kill attempt, aggressive swing or open court shot like she did against Hawaii where she tallied 27 kills.
Some more big net presence is lone returning starter graduate student middle blocker Hattie Bray, who is averaging 10.7 kills per game.
3. Marquette’s defense needs to anticipate Sophomore setter Charlie Fuerbringer likes to connect with her outsides. Makes sense, right?
The ability to see the entire court and know where the Golden Eagles are set makes it easier for crosscourt angles and line shots, and who do you feed the ball to when you’re out-ofsystem? The outside pin.
Even though 2023 National player of the year Sarah Franklin has left, 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter Mimi Colyer, who, leads the Big Ten in kills per set (5.21), is still there, and will be looking for that hole in the defense to perfectly place kills. Doing the same will be redshirt sophomores Una Vajagic and Grace Egan.
Plus, a wingspan on the other side of the net will cause Marquette’s offense to get creative with their roll and deep corner shots. Senior middle blocker Carter Booth has five inches on Bray, standing at 6-foot-7-inches, and has an attack record of .338 so far this season. In 2023, Booth had six blocks and finished with 12 points against Marquette.
Reading the situation the Badgers are in and watching where Fuerbringer will run her offense is going to be key to slowing down the pace of the game and putting Marquette in a good position to execute shots to score on.
4. The red and white in the crowd
Two years ago, most of the 17,037 fans at Fiserv Forum were clearly not rooting for the home team. It didn’t matter that there were Marquette student sections, and even though it was less than a mile away from Marquette’s campus, you would have thought you were on Mifflin Street before a Badger game day. The cheers and hollers
coming from the stands will be just as, if not louder, coming from the Madison fans as those who came dressed in blue & gold. So, whether or not Marquette will be able to handle the pressure, is a question that can only be answered as the game goes on.
5. Marquette’s digging contributors On the season, the Golden Eagles have accumulated 396 digs. Now although it’s senior defensive specialist Adriana Studer who wears the libero jersey and leads that stat category (114), whoever is in the back row rotation makes sure to contribute to keeping the point alive.
Haggard, who has 65, and Ring, who has 42, both have the ability to read the counterattacks and can react quickly. The quicker the reaction, the quicker the tempo, the more aggressive the offense becomes.
So, what will Marquette have to do against the Badgers?
Read the ball, stay in-system, keep the composure and attack.
Marten Brink
MSOC No. 1
Isabela Haggard (left) leads Marquette with 10.24 assists per set.
MU's first ranked match of the season is against No. 7 Wisconsin
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
Photo by Lily Wooten
Political violence is never the solution Opinions
By Rachel Lopera rachel.lopera@marquette.edu
Ideological divide is a constant within the United States, but violence is not the solution to handling opposing views.
Right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, 31, died on Sept. 10 after he was shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University. He was speaking at an outdoor “Prove Me Wrong” debate, where he invited students to challenge his political and cultural views. It was a part of Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2012 that advocates conservative politics to young adults in high school and college.
Officials have the suspect in custody and have identified him as 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson. According to the Utah County Sheriff’s office, he has been arrested on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
A family member told investigators that Robinson had become more political in recent years and said he did not like Kirk or his views.
However, differences in
political opinions should not result in violence of any kind. Disagreeing with a person for their views is a common experience, but inflicting harm upon them is immoral.
While many people opposed Kirk’s ideology, he was still a human. He was a husband and a father of two young kids; he had a family. Now, his children will grow up without their dad.
Kirk’s advocacy for President Donald Trump and conservative values demonstrates that gun violence spares no one. Different media posts were circulating on social media regarding the incident.
At a Turning Point USA event back in April 2023, Kirk expressed his thoughts about gun deaths and the Second Amendment.
“I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” Kirk said. He is now a statistic of his own words. This incident continues the string of political violence targeted at officeholders that has recently
occurred in this country. Earlier this year, in June, Vance Boelter was arrested for the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and the wounding of another. It heightens fears of what’s to come for the future of America’s political landscape.
Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home in Brooklyn Park. Before that, on the same morning, a few miles away in Cham-
plin, Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot, but they fortunately survived. These events are heightening fears of America’s political landscape. Wishing harm or death upon someone is wrong and unethical. The Minnesota lawmakers did not deserve such a tragic end to their lives. Neither did Kirk. No one does. Violence does not solve conflicting viewpoints, nor is it worthy of being com-
mended. Politically motivated attacks do nothing but cause harm, incite government turmoil and hinder communities. These are people with real lives, and these actions have real consequences. People are not required to mourn Kirk’s death, but they need to recognize the atrocity of political violence that led to his death.
Irish center's closure detrimental to MKE
By Bella Gruber isabella.gruber@marquette.edu
For over thirty years, the heart of Irish culture in Milwaukee has been at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center (ICHC). Less than a mile west of Marquette’s campus, the ICHC holds great significance to the city.
Constructed in 1887, the center used to be the Grand Avenue Congregational Church, Milwaukee’s largest auditorium at the time. It even hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s first appearance in the city in 1957.
However, the church was sold in 1992 to the board of the ICHC for one dollar. Since then, it has been a hub for Irish culture in Milwaukee, hosting numerous bands, dance groups and clubs. The many venues within the building are notorious for celebratory gatherings.
Unfortunately, the center announced on Sept. 5 that they would be suspending operations at the end of October due to financial deficits. This foreclosure will significantly displace Milwaukee’s Irish community despite efforts to
manage the building’s assets after it was sold.
Milwaukee Irish Fest and St. Patrick’s Day are the only festivities of the year in the city that showcase Irish culture, but Irish culture remains active yearround, with eight percent of Milwaukee’s population being Irish. Groups such as the Shamrock Club and the Ulster Project of Greater Milwaukee bring people together to celebrate Irish practices, while pubs and Irish cuisine are also spread throughout the city.
Besides these, Milwaukee is home to eight worldclass Irish dance schools. Each has its own studios, but the ICHC was a notable gathering point for all of the schools to come together. Without this valuable space to rehearse and unify through the art of dance, these schools will be greatly affected.
I was fortunate enough to perform many times at the ICHC throughout my thirteen years of Irish dancing. The ICHC was where I was exposed to Irish culture outside of my own dance studio. Some of my fondest memories of
building friendships and learning about Irish culture took place there, and it is heartbreaking to know that the future generation of dancers in Milwaukee will not get to have the same experience.
Some members of the community who grew up in this space feel similarly.
“The loss of a shared space with so much history is a heavy blow to the community,” Alec McLoughlin Martinez, a former dancer who trained at the ICHC, wrote in an email. “It will be hard to match a location with so much history.”
The Irish community has always joined together in times like these, but finding a venue holding an incredible amount of history and significance will be difficult.
Bridget Jaskulski, president of CelticMKE and owner of Glencastle Irish Dancers, is an integral member in promoting Irish culture in Milwaukee.
“The Irish community has always adapted and found ways to keep traditions alive,” Jaskulski wrote. “This is a moment for the community to come
together, support one another, and ensure that the Irish culture continues to thrive in Milwaukee.”
Many questions remain unanswered for the future of the ICHC’s building and for Milwaukee’s Irish community. With resilience, the community will find alternatives for spaces to hold events, but it will never be the same without the ICHC as a core location to foster culture.
Regardless of what steps the Milwaukee Irish community will take after the ICHC suspends its operations, the center’s legacy will live on as a welcoming venue filled with passion for Irish heritage and culture.
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.
Bella Gruber is an opinions columnist. She is a sophomore studying public relations.
Rachel Lopera is the executive opinions editor. She is a sophomore studying journalism.
Photo courtesy of REUTERS
President of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Photo courtesy of The ICHC ICHC building in Milwaukee.
Fun & Games
Jump Into Fall
Arts & Entertainment
Tommy Oeffling: Marquette's Spotify star
By Allison Scherquist allison.scherquist@marquette.edu
Tom Oeffling is your typical college student. He gets up early, goes to class and then casually releases music for his 270,000 monthly listeners. It’s a double life that feels surprisingly natural for him.
He releases music under the name Tommy Oeffling, though he hasn’t been “Tommy” since high school. He has a way with words, or so people keep telling him; Oeffling himself is still not convinced.
“I make pretty mediocre, white guy indie-rock, honestly,” said Oeffling. “Some people have told me that [my music] is nostalgic. Which I don’t think it is— because it’s just about me.”
Despite his self-effacing skepticism, this mediocre white guy rock led Oeffling—now a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences—and his bandmates on a summer-long tour across the country, where they performed songs from his newest album, “Picture of Health.”
His production is understated, with clear shoegaze influences. His muted lyrics are tucked away beneath the sound of roomy drums and swirling guitar lines.
He resembles a Wilco sound—a band he heard constantly growing up— thanks to his parents and WXRT.
Of his influences, he takes after everything from the indie-rock architect
Pavement, poems by Allen Ginsburg and the David Lynch movies his roommates can’t stop watching. Sometimes he’ll walk along campus and chord progressions will just come to him, while other times he finds himself writing about the experience of his friends.
Oeffling is never not writing; he has a note page on his phone. When his friends say something amusing or if a melody comes to mind, he’ll jot it down and piece it together later. Senior year doesn’t always leave Oeffling with the time to buckle down
“Picture of Health” was released this June. It’s Oeffling’s seventh album released on streaming platforms. Its tracks are caked in reverb, his vocals—admittedly not his favorite feature of his music—are buried behind fuzzy guitar and tremolo.
and record, but in his head, he’s always stirring up something.
“It’s my hobby, I have to do it. It’s like cooking to me,” Oeffling explained. “I love cooking [and] if I don’t cook every day, I don’t know what to do with my hands, and it’s the same way [for me] with music.”
The results have been astounding. With his summer tour wrapped, Oeffling has gathered 270 thousand monthly listeners nationwide, and he’s already setting his sights on a new West Coast tour this winter.
“I really love traveling with my buddies,” said Oeffling. “My bandmates are some of my best friends in the world; [it’s] a great time just driving, listening to music and seeing new stuff with them.”
Despite experiencing a dream come true for most musicians, Oeffling seems unfazed by his success. When congratulated on one of his songs reaching 3 million streams on Spotify listeners, a figure that puts him among the platform’s top 1% of artists, he’s politely blasé.
He is thankful, but admits he never cares enough to
check that stuff. In fact, he hates promoting his music, and while he’s glad to keep touring, he finds the grind of the music world exhausting. He’s quick to point out that music isn’t everything to him.
Raised by two educators, Oeffling’s real dream is to be a history teacher. Music is where he’s putting his energy now, but he never doubts that teaching is in his future.
“I think a lot about [going] straight into being a teacher. But would I regret it? And that’s part of why I am going to see if I can do music for a little bit. I can always be a teacher,”
Oeffling said. He is not always sure why music matters to him, but even when the music he makes does not feel meaningful to him, knowing that his music can resonate with others makes the effort worthwhile.
“People have told me that my music means something to them, and even if it doesn’t mean that much to me, I think that’s worth something,” said Oeffling. Oeffling and his bandmates will be heading to the West Coast for their second tour this winter, with dates yet to be announced.
3rd St Market Hall's new ice cream joint
By Elise Emery elise.emery@marquette.edu
Milwaukee is getting the first taste of one of Minnesota’s best ice cream joints.
Over Labor Day weekend, ice cream chain Bebe Zito had its grand opening in the South Hall of Milwaukee’s 3rd St. Market Hall, marking the chain’s first location outside of Minnesota.
Bebe Zito’s residence in the 3rd St. Market Hall opened in the space that originally belonged to Dairyland Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard & Burgers and Mid-Way Bakery. The business adopted the space after the two other businesses’ closure in June.
The menu at the Milwaukee location is still forming, consisting of a few burgers, a chicken tender basket, dirty sodas and an array of different ice cream concoctions. Bebe Zito plans on expanding the menu as it settles into the space.
In an email, a Bebe Zito spokesperson said it will start adding new menu items on Sept. 20 and will
continue to do so incrementally until it reaches the full menu that is available on the 3rd St Market Hall website.
Bebe Zito, founded by Ben Spangler and Gabriella Grant, prides itself on handmade and quality production, churning out unique ice cream flavors in small batches to ensure every customer has a satisfactory experience.
The dedication to its craft doesn’t go unnoticed either, as Bebe Zito has received rave reviews and awards for its work. It’s even appeared on Food Network, on which its Tres Leche Strawberry Snickerdoodle flavor received a “perfect 10” from John Harrison, the creator of cookies and cream ice cream. With creative flavors like Strawberry Fields 4 Ever (a strawberry ice cream with rhubarb, raspberry jam and cream cheese) and The Parent Trap (a sweet cream and salted doce de leite base with Oreo and peanut butter), customers are sure to find something new to try in their visit.
But ice cream isn’t all Bebe Zito does. The business puts a unique spin on what customers may expect from an ice cream and burger joint, offering a variety of different burger and chicken options.
Its current menu includes a Birria Burger (a beef and bacon patty with braised beef, American cheese, tosada, cilantro, onions, lettuce and special sauce) and a Honey Butter Chicken Tendies basket (chicken tenders glazed with honey butter with a side of fries, toast, coleslaw and special sauce).
Picky eaters, don’t fret, because Bebe Zito also has options for those who may not be as adventurous. The Bebe Burger (beef and bacon patty with American cheese, special sauce, Grandma Connie’s pickles and lettuce) is a perfect choice for those who just want that classic burger taste.
During my visit to Bebe Zito, I was shocked to see the transformation of the space. While still a work in progress, marked with the
many “coming soon” signs surrounding the area, it still managed to make the space its own.
My first impression was how cute the branding was. The main mascot for Bebe Zito is a cherub-like baby covered head to toe in tattoos, a fitting way to demonstrate its cutting-edge creativity and the sweet nature of its products.
Despite its smaller menu, the options it had were diverse and had something to satisfy every craving.
I decided to keep it simple. I ordered a Bebe Burger with fries and a side of the special sauce, and to quench my thirst, I got a Coke Float (a Coca-Cola mixed with creamer and coconut). As an avid burger connoisseur and dirty soda lover, this seemed like the perfect comfort meal to round out my long day of classes.
And, of course, I also had to finish off my meal with a scoop of Parent Trap.
The burger was flavorful, a paper-thin smashburger complemented with a
pickle in every bite and a tangy sauce that created an additional flavor explosion. Not usually being a “special sauce” lover at other restaurants, I was surprised to find myself consistently dipping my fries in the sauce.
As for the Coke Float, it was perfect for a dirty soda. It was creamy with a twist of coconut, a combination that paired perfectly with the taste of the icecold Coca-Cola.
The ice cream had to be my favorite part of the entire experience, marking a sweet ending to a delicious meal. The silky smooth base with ribbons of peanut butter and ample amounts of Oreo pieces made every bite tasty. It was the perfect flavor for a peanut butter and chocolate superfan like myself, and with each bite, I wished I had gotten two scoops.
Bebe Zito offers customers an array of delicious cuisine to try. It’s a place to experiment with different flavor combinations and try something new.
Oeffling and his four bandmates will tour this upcoming winter.
Photo courtesy of Tom Oeffling
Tuesday, sepTember 16, 2025
Milwaukee Night Market: A taste of the city
By MaryKate Stepchuk marykate.stepchuk@marquette.edu
People crowded the streets around the 3rd St. Market Hall for Milwaukee’s Night Market this past Wednesday.
From jewelry at Boho Designs by Katya to ice cream at Isa’s Ice Cream and free s’mores from night market sponsors, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
The market had endless options, and my friends and I felt excited by the choices we knew we wanted to sample.
After wandering the streets and perusing our options, we had made our final decisions. First up: Juan’s Roasted Corn.
Juan’s Roasted Corn
Although we went to Juan’s Roasted Corn, we unfortunately did not try any of the roasted corn, as something else caught our eye.
The mangos—presented in a beautiful, symmetrically cut shape on a stick— were covered in Tajín and sweet and sour sauce.
While the sweet and sour sauce dripped down our hands, the mix of sweet mango and chili from the Tajín created a flavorful bite.
It was challenging to share with each other, but we made it work by pulling pieces of the mango off. As the sweet and sour sauce continued to linger on my taste buds, I knew it was worth it.
Wisconsin Fried Cheese
Curds
It simply would not be a major Milwaukee event if I did not try the cheese curds.
After we washed down the mango with some water to cleanse our palates, we were ready to try this Wisconsin delicacy made with fresh farm cheese.
The cheese curds were freshly made in front of us, and they were hot and crisped to perfection when served.
Since we split the serving, I only had a few cheese curds, but I was not overwhelmed by the cheese-to-
breading ratio. With fresh farm-made cheese, I always look forward to gooey cheese, but the cheese curds were airier than I tend to prefer.
As we decided to stay on the carbs track, the smell of the biscuits next door was unavoidable for our next choice.
Buttah and Biscuits
These biscuits, by far, were the highlight of our tastings around the night market.
Coming in four-packs or singles, there was a variety of flavors, from classic buttermilk to lemon blueberry. For our picks, we got a classic buttermilk (with honey on the side) and cheddar and chive.
When our biscuits were handed to us, steam rose off them, and I knew I was in for a hot, fresh and delicious treat.
The first bite of the cheddar and chive biscuit overwhelmed me with its taste. The hot biscuit emphasized the cheese, and the chive added the perfect ex-
tra kick of flavor.
I had a small piece of the classic buttermilk with some honey, and once again, the mix of sweet and salty did not disappoint. It was hot, melted in your mouth and slightly fell apart in your hand. Biscuits do not get much better than that.
After we topped off our biscuits, it was time to move to dessert.
Amy’s Gourmet Apples
Fall is officially here, so it was only fair that we finished the night with a Dark Belgian Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel Apple.
Although I am more of a milk chocolate person, this was one of the best caramel apples I have had in years.
Everything was fresh. The apple was soft with the gooey caramel melting into it, and the sea salt perfectly matched the dark chocolate. Each bite was better than the last, and it was everything you could imagine from a caramel apple.
To make sharing easier, they cut the apple into pieces for us, making it more enjoyable to taste. It was the perfect way to end the night, or so we thought.
GRAEF S’more Lounge
As we began to walk in the direction of campus, we were stopped by one of the sponsors, GRAEF, as they were giving out complementary s’mores.
My friends and I found a little bit more room in our stomachs to have one final treat, because no college kid turns down free food. We were able to roast the marshmallows to our preference, making the chocolate super melty on our s’mores, and it was the perfect way to close out the night.
If you are sad you missed the night market, do not fret.
Due to weather issues, the Jul. 16 night market was rescheduled to Wednesday, Oct. 1, so you still have one more chance to experience the wonderful vendors above and more.
The perfect apple-based recipe for autumn
By Joey Schamber joseph.schamber@marquette.edu
If you go apple picking this fall, chances are you will come back with far too many apples than you know what to do with. Luckily, this tarte Tatin can help you use the delicious fall fruit so it does not go to waste.
Tarte Tatin is an upside-down French pastry invented by the Tatin sisters in the late 1800s. Allegedly, Stéphanie Tatin was making an apple pie but forgot to place the crust at the bottom, creating the recipe.
In a hurry, she quickly laid the dough across the top of the pie and baked it in the oven. She then inverted it onto a serving dish and discovered the apples had beautifully caramelized. Thus, tarte Tatin was born.
There are a few ways to make tarte Tatin. The classic method is to make a caramel to mix with your apples, place them in a separate pan, cover with pastry dough and bake until golden brown.
In my opinion, this method makes what can be a simple crowd pleaser for the average home baker into a messy, disaster-prone dish. Making the caramel without burning the sugar or splattering yourself with hot sugar can be difficult, and the pan adds an extra dish.
The New York Times has a recipe from Gotham Bar and Grill that is much easier than the classic method. However, you can make it even simpler if you slice your apples thinner.
The thinner slices ensure no apples are left undercooked and allow the sugar syrup to soak between each slice. Slicing them this way leads to a less watery final product without taking the extra step to dry out the apple.
The biggest difference when using thinner slices is the texture. The apples will become very jammy and almost melt in your mouth. If you prefer a little more texture on the apple, you can slice the apples thicker, but I personally prefer them this way.
I like to add fall spices, and although I included my own recipe for them in the recipe below, you can also use a pumpkin spice.
While making your own pastry dough is half the fun, you can use puff pastry dough to save time. The ratios for this pastry dough recipe are adapted from Claire Saffitz’s Flaky Pie Crust.
If you have one, you can make the entire crust in a food processor. Mix the dry ingredients with very cold, diced butter, then stream in ice-cold water until just barely combined. Then, turn out the dough onto a work surface and follow the recipe below from there. This recipe takes just over an hour from start to finish and can serve up to eightpeople.
Pastry Dough:
1 ¾ cups (225g) All-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling.
1 ½ tbsps (18g) granulated
sugar
1 tsp salt
10 tbsp (140g) unsalted butter, very cold ½ cup (110g) water, icecold
Combine the dry ingredients with the butter, cutting the butter into the flour with two forks until chunks of butter are about pea-sized. Once thoroughly combined, stir in cold water until the dough is just starting to come together.
Turn out onto a parchment-lined work surface and bring the dough together with your hands until it forms a solid block. Flour the top of the block and lay a sheet of parchment paper on top. Pound it flat and roll it out with a rolling pin until about ¾ of an inch thick.
Cut the pastry into four sections and lay them on top of each other, rolling them flat again between two sheets of parchment paper into a ¼ inch thick disk.
Chill the pastry in the fridge and cut to the size of your pan when ready to make the tarte Tatin.
Fall spice mix:
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground star anise
½ tsp ground clove
½ tsp nutmeg
Combine ingredients and reserve ½ tbsp for this recipe. This spice mix can be used in other fall recipes.
Tarte Tatin:
5 apples
5 tbsp salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ tbsp fall spice mix
Pastry dough or 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry.
Arrange the first layer of apples as shown.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut apples straight along the core as shown, then thinly slice apples about 1/8th of an inch thick.
Smear a thick layer of butter on a 10-inch oven-safe pan. Combine spices and brown sugar and sprinkle on top of butter until evenly coated.
Lay apples in tight circles starting with the outer edge as shown. After laying down the first layer, lay a second layer, rotating the direction of the apples by 90 degrees F. Cover the apples with the pastry dough and tuck the sides tightly around the apples. Then poke small holes to ensure there are no large air bubbles while baking.
Set the pan on the stovetop and cook at medium heat until the sugar and butter begin to melt and bubble. You can gently pry the pastry up to check that all the sugar has dissolved into a sticky caramel, and the apples have begun to soften. This should take 5 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Once removed from the oven, invert the tart onto a serving dish. I have found the best way to do this is by placing a sheet of parchment paper on top of the pan and using the bottom of a baking sheet as the surface to transfer the tart onto. Holding both the pan and the baking sheet with towels, I quickly invert the pan and allow the tart to release. Then, I transfer the pastry onto a dish to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Photo by Joey Schamber
Apple Tarte Tatin can be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
