Photo
Community in mourning: Students pay tribute
Chalk messages on campus honor Noah and Scott
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
Most days, the area in front of St. Joan of Arc Chapel is occupied mainly by students walking to class.
Monday, Sept. 8 was not most days.
Instead of quickly passing by, groups of students were sitting still, some in the grass and others on their hands and knees with a piece of sidewalk chalk in hand. Flowers sat in front of the sidewalk and one professor stood, overseeing it all.
It was almost silent at Central Mall, but nowhere near empty.
A few dozen students were drawing messages to honor the lives of two Marquette students, Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud, who lost their lives in a Sept. 5 car crash.
Professor Stephen Bach brought all three of his Monday classes to Central Mall to pay tribute to Snyder and Michaud,
“Even though we don't know them personally, I still want to support in any way I can.”
Stephen Bach Professor in the College of Communication
who were both Marquette men’s lacrosse players. By 2:30 p.m., the once-beige pavement was adorned with a rainbow-array of colors. The ends of chalk sticks were blunted. Chalk dust covered personal belongings.
Jackson Kuehn, whose phone was one of those belongings, was drawing a heart with Noah and Scott’s names inside.
“Even though we don’t know them personally, I still want to support in any way I can,” he said. “I feel like this is the least I can do.”
Kuehn said his heart is with the students’ families, friends and the people loved them.
“This loss will stay with them forever,” he said, “but in any way that we can, we should try to help them
through that.”
As soon as Bach heard the news Friday evening, he knew he had to do something, so he went to the store and bought boxes of sidewalk chalk and flowers.
“Sometimes a little thing can mean a lot,” he said.
As his third class of the day sat, drawing hearts and kind messages, Bach noticed people stopping to look and participate.
But this didn’t surprise him, because he said this is exactly what Marquette is all about.
“I think people here are just looking out for people,” he said.
Three first-year students were sitting together on campus Monday afternoon. One of them, Piper Berge, said she’s felt a “universal heaviness” among the entire Marquette community.
“We’re all in the same boat of starting new,” she said. “We have these expectations of our future, then just hearing that got cut short for two people was very, very unfortunate.”
All three girls were together when they heard the news and Kara O’Neil said it just “didn’t feel real.” Since then, she noticed the mood on campus has been quiet and sad.
The group attended the memorial Mass at Varsity Theatre in honor of Snyder and Michaud on Sept. 6. By the time they showed up, right when it began, it was already so crowded the 1,000-seat auditorium was full, so they stood in the atrium.
“Lots of people were crying,” Julia Schindler said. “It was very emotional.”
But she noticed there was also a level of respect for everyone there.
Faculty handed out tissues and supported students through the service.
“The masses I’ve been to have been spiritual and happy,” Berge said. “This was quiet, and the songs felt like they had a different meaning, like the words behind it had a different interpretation.”
At Berge’s high school, she experienced the loss
of classmates, but she said this was a whole different experience all together.
“Here, it felt a lot more intimate and genuine,” she said.
All three students said their professors have sent out emails with resources offering support as well as carving out class time to address the deaths.
Back on the quad, Bach
said he hopes this act of covering the sidewalks in tributes to Snyder and Michaud will inspire the rest of the community, whether or not they knew them, to know that they have the power to make a difference.
No matter how small.
Jack Albright contributed to this report.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
Noah Snyder (number 43) and Scott Michaud (number 88) written in sidewalk chalk on campus.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
A student from Stephen Bach's advertising class on Central Mall writing messages in sidewalk chalk to honor the two students.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
A sign on Marquette's Central Mall written in sidewalk chalk that reads "Sending love Marq lax."
Crowd overflows theatre for memorial Mass
By Sophia Tiedge sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu
An overflow crowd filled Marquette University’s Varsity Theatre Sept. 6 to mourn the deaths of two college lacrosse players killed in an alleged drunken-driving crash a day earlier.
Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud died Sept. 5 and four other students, three of them lacrosse players, received non-life threatening injuries. The crash occurred at 5 p.m. at 27th Street and St. Paul Avenue, less than a mile from campus, when a second vehicle collided with the students’ vehicle.
A 41-year-old woman arrested at the same scene shortly after the crash was driving while intoxicated, according to jail booking logs reviewed by the Marquette Wire. The case has been referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. No charges had
been filed and the woman’s name had not been publicly released as of Sept. 8.
The theater’s marquee read, “OUR HEARTS ARE WITH YOU MEN’S LAX TEAM.”
When only standing room was available in the 1,000seat Varsity Theatre, students and members of the Marquette community lined the walls and watched the Mass from the lobby.
Rev. John Thiede, S.J., Marquette’s vice president for mission and ministry, presided at Mass. During the homily, he said that he’s become the “unofficial chaplain” for the men’s lacrosse team. He was at the hospital on Sept. 5 comforting the grieving team.
Thiede echoed an excerpt from one of the readings:
“Jesus wept,” saying it’s OK to feel whatever emotions come up. In the reading, Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus, Thiede said, and the people closest to Snyder and Michaud should feel
like they can do the same.
Kimo Ah Yun, Marquette’s president, sat in the first row at Mass and delivered one of the readings.
“Noah and Scott’s lives were taken too soon and we share in the heartbreak of their teammates, coaches and those who knew them personally,” Ah Yun said in an email sent to students Sept. 6.
Seven Jesuit priests concelebrated the Mass. Mike Broeker, vice president and director of Marquette Athletics, said at the end of Mass that the two students will always be part of the Marquette community.
Snyder and Michaud were members of the men’s lacrosse team. Student athletes and members of Marquette’s men’s lacrosse team filled the theater’s first rows. Every few minutes, one person would wrap an arm around the next.
Snyder, from Getzville, New York, was a student in the College of Business
Administration. Michaud, from Springboro, Ohio, was a biomedical sciences major in the College of Health Sciences.
Snyder, 20, is survived by five siblings; Michaud, 19, is survived by two brothers.
Marquette Athletics canceled all weekend events to allow the community to grieve, they said in a post on X Sept. 6.
Marquette has made counseling services, Campus Ministry and the
Employee Assistance Program available 24/7 for Marquette community members in need of support.
When the Mass ended, many attendees remained seated, not ready to say goodbye quite yet.
Outside the theater following Mass, members of the Marquette Athletics community stood in a circle, holding hands, leaning on each other for support.
The Marquette Tribune is working on a tribute article to honor the lives of Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder. The Marquette Wire will continue to publish stories on the deaths of Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder.
To follow our coverage, follow us on social media and check our website Marquettewire.org for updates.
If you'd like to be included in our story reach out to the Manager of the Marquette Tribune Sophia Tiedge at sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu. Tribute and photo submissions sent over email are welcomed.
Photo Courtesy of Marquette Athletics Scott Michaud (left) and Noah Snyder (right).
Over 1,000 students and community members attended the memorial Mass for Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud on Sept. 6 at Varsity Theatre on Marquette's campus.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
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Resources for a grieving campus
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variety of support services available on campus.
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Correction:
The Marquette Wire would like to apologize for an error in the Sept. 2 Marquette Tribune that stated, “Marquette maintains a no weapons allowed policy, but the university cannot restrict the licensed possession of weapons in outdoor areas, student apartments, buildings leased from the university or parking lots and structures.” The online story was updated to clarify Marquette University’s no weapons policy which bans guns on all university-owned property, both indoors and outdoors. We regret this error. Accuracy matters and we appreciate your understanding.
As Marquette University faces a recent tragedy, it must also look to process grief — as a united community.
On the evening of Sept. 5, Marquette men’s lacrosse players Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder were killed in a car accident at the intersection of St. Paul Avenue and 27th Street, the Milwaukee Medical Examiner confirmed Saturday morning.
Four other men’s lacrosse players in the car sustained non-life threatening injuries. The person arrested at the same scene shortly after the crash was driving while intoxicated.
Marquette University confirmed the accident on Friday and revealed the students’ identities on Saturday morning.
University faces grieving process
Following a Sept. 6 Mass, Marquette students, faculty and staff now prepare to move forward while battling their emotional responses.
“Grief may come in waves. It may emerge out of nowhere,” Steve Blaha, director of Campus Ministry, told the Marquette Wire in an email. “Signs of grief may be triggered by something seemingly totally unrelated.
“You may feel anger, confusion, sadness, a desire to bargain for a return to what had been normal, you may experience a sense of acceptance. All these feelings are normal and natural. And there is no timeline for how long grief takes place.”
Luis de Zengotita, chief wellness officer, said the university is doing all it can to make students aware of resources to help cope during times of loss, with a
De Zengotita also emphasized the importance of caring for oneself during times of grief, keeping Marquette’s Ignatian values in mind.
“Everything you can do to embody cura personalis will help you have resilience and help you through the grieving process,” de Zengotita said.
Resources for students, faculty and staff
For those needing a space to pray, meditate or breathe, Marquette has several sacred spaces on campus, including the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Chapel of the Holy Family and Interfaith Prayer and Meditation Room in the Alumni Memorial Union.
To give students and community members additional space for prayer and quiet reflection, the St. Joan of Arc Chapel will be closed for tours the week of Sept. 8. The chapel, as well as other sacred spaces, will maintain regular Mass hours at this time.
Campus Ministry encourages students to look out for themselves holistically during times of grief, making sure not to overlook basic needs such as eating, sleeping, exercising and connecting with loved ones.
“Grief is not linear,” Zengotita said. “In this moment you may not need the support, but something may come up. It could be an anniversary or something that reminds you of the loss, and that’s when you need support.”
In addition to the exercise spaces in the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility, resources are available on the third and fourth floors to address mental health needs, including the Counseling Center.
Members of the Marquette community are
also encouraged to stay in communication with one another to process grief and support each others’ needs.
“We are built for community,” Blaha said in an email.
“Leaning on one another is a good and necessary thing that can help with healing. Check in with friends, make use of university resources and encourage others to do so, too.”
Counseling services and pastoral support are available to Marquette faculty, staff and students at all times:
Members of Marquette’s Campus Ministry are available to support students during times of grief and loss. Drop by AMU 236 to talk to a minister for support.
Counseling Center staff are available in-person during business hours and 24/7 over the phone by calling
(414)-288-7172.
The Marquette Employee Assistance Program, LifeMatters, is available 24/7 for all employees and members of their households. LifeMatters can be reached at 1-800-634-6433 or through its website using the password “MU1.
Community can help cover funeral costs
Those looking for a way to support the Michaud family can donate to the Scott Michaud Memorial and Scholarship Fund.
The GoFundMe, created to help cover funeral and memorial expenses, has a goal of $18,000. According to the fundraiser’s description, any excess money raised will be used to establish a scholarship in Michaud’s name as a way to carry forward his memory and the love he shared with many.
The St. Joan of Arc Chapel will be closed for tours during the week of Sept. 8 to give those grieving a space for prayer and quiet reflection.
Photo by Clay Ellis-Escobar clay.ellis-escobar@marquette.edu
DENIAL, SADNESS, ANGER
Former coaches of Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud mourn the loss of their players
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Both Matt Lee and Desi Gonzalez were woken up by the tragedy.
Lee, former club head coach of Scott “Scotty” Michaud, was asleep in his house in Columbus, Ohio. Gonzalez, Noah Snyder’s head coach in high school, was in West Chester, Pa. Lee found out Saturday morning at around 7 a.m., Gonzalez, Friday at 10 p.m.
The two men don’t know each other, live hundreds of miles apart and found out at different times, but both were left in an emotional rollercoaster of denial, sadness, anger and everything in between upon learning their former players Snyder and Michaud — two Marquette students and men’s lacrosse players — were killed in a car crash.
First came the denial Lee, who coached Scotty in high school at the club team Resolute Lacrosse, heard his phone buzz. He looked at it in a foggy, not-out-of-bed-yet haze and saw someone messaged him a news article about the crash. He read the couple-hundred-word story. By the time he was done, his phone was blowing up. Text messages came through by the dozen. Phone calls followed suit. Former players
who knew Scotty, parents of families who knew the entire Michaud clan.
Is it really Scotty? Is it true?
Lee dug deep into the rabbit hole. Scoured every news source he could find. Eventually, he found a local TV story filmed the night before and saw the mangled cars in the background. More questions seeped into his mind. Who hit who? When exactly did this happen?
Lee’s phone kept vibrating as the minutes passed. Faster and faster, more and more.
"It's not fair. The kid wasn't doing anything wrong... He didn't deserve that."
Desi Gonzalez Noah Snyder's high school coach
“I didn’t know what to really do, besides take all the calls and text messages,” he said.
Gonzalez, now awake after two missed calls from his brother, Luis Gonzalez, who also coached Noah, was in a similar situation. His phone is normally on do not disturb, but it rings when Luis calls.
He saw he had over 30 missed texts and calls, mainly from people who played with Noah at Westtown School in West Chester under the Gonzalez brothers.
This is a mistake. It’s not actually Noah.
It had to be someone else, he thought.
“You never really want to get that call,” Gonzalez said.
Second was the sadness
Gonzalez didn’t sleep Friday night. He hung up with his brother and tossed and turned for hours.
Most of Saturday was spent dealing with his own feelings, not yet in a place to talk about everything that transpired in the past 24 hours. Eventually, after enough time, Gonzalez picked up the phone again. He talked to former players, current players, coaches. He gave them an open ear and an outlet for their emotions.
“Because a lot of these kids have never lost somebody that close,” he said.
The entire Westtown community was, and still is, reeling. Noah was more than a lacrosse player. He was an active member of the local Native American community, along with his reservation in upstate New York. He had a room-lighting, contagious smile. He was a goofball when appropriate, serious when need-
ed. He wanted to play professional lacrosse for the Buffalo Bandits, his hometown team.
“If it was a lacrosse player, it’d be a smaller community,” Gonzalez said. “But that kid was everywhere, anywhere.”
"Hopefully there's some justice..."
All of these thoughts and more were flooding through his head as he scrolled through pictures and videos in posts and messages.
“Everybody knew when he was having fun,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody else around him was, too.”
Lee spent his weekend on the phone, like Gonzalez, with everybody he could think of. He had former players calling him in droves, and he was there to let everyone express their emotions.
He remembers Scotty for his dedication.
Scotty lived in Springboro, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Resolute was in Columbus, about one hour, 15 minutes away with no traffic. Scotty made the trek, on average, three times a week, for lacrosse. Lee would see his smile and know that he was having a good day. Then
he’d go home, ready to do it again a few days later.
Scotty played for a team called Resolute, and Lee likes to say he was the embodiment of the word, and any adjective one could conjure up.
“He personified that,” Lee said, “the definition of our program.”
Finally, the anger
Now, Noah can’t play for the Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse team. Scotty can’t be Mr. Resolute, the personification of his former club.
Gonzalez learned the crash was caused by an alleged drunk driver on Sunday afternoon. Lee found out Monday. Their reactions, nearly identical.
“It’s not fair,” Gonzalez said. “The kid wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was a good kid. He didn’t deserve that.”
A 41-year-old woman was arrested for homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle at the scene of the crash. Charges were referred to the Milwaukee District Attorney. As of Monday night, the case is under review.
“Hopefully there’s some justice there,” Lee said.
But right now, all people can do is remember them. Noah for his infectious smile and Scotty for his unwavering devotion.
For the reasons people loved them most.
Matt Lee Scott Michaud's former club coach
Graphic courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Canceled matches update
VB likely playing less games, soccer may reschedule
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Marquette University canceled all its home athletic events over the weekend after the deaths of two men’s lacrosse players in a crash near campus on Sept. 5.
The student-athletes killed in the crash at North 27th Street and West St. Paul Avenue were identified by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office as 19-year-old Scott Michaud and 20-year-old Noah Snyder. The person arrested at the same scene shortly after the crash was driving while intoxicated, according to the Milwaukee police arrest log.
Marquette held a memorial service for both athletes Sept. 6, which had hundreds of students and community members in attendance.
The canceled events included volleyball matches against Dayton on Sept. 6 and Buffalo on Sept. 7 at the Al McGuire Center. Men’s soccer was scheduled to play Wisconsin on Sept. 6 and women’s soccer was set to face Notre Dame on Sept. 7, with both matches at Valley Fields.
A Marquette athletics spokesperson told the Marquette Wire in an email the tentative plan, subject to change, is that volleyball will play two less matches, while both soccer teams might try to find another match. It will not be Notre Dame, though, for the women’s team, and Wisconsin is still up in the air for the men.
The men’s golf program is still participating in the Gopher Invitational Sept 7-8 at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Maple Plain, Minn., the spokesperson confirmed.
Sharpening the culture with a spear
How Chris Allen has shifted MU in two years as coach
By Benjamin Hanson benjamin.hanson@marquette.edu
Chris Allen walked along the beaches of Lake Michigan in Port Washington, looking for a flat stone and a piece of driftwood to make a spear. Yes, it was going to be used for hunting — but not in the traditional sense.
It was going to be used to hunt opposing teams.
After every game, Allen hands out his "Tip of the Spear" MVP award — a literal spear. The player who receives it writes her name on a ribbon with the color corresponding to the team that they played, and ties it around the spear. If the team loses, the ribbon is black.
This spear isn't the only thing head coach Chris Allen has built for Marquette women's soccer.
He has played the lead role in crafting the culture of the team.
Although only two years into his first Division I coaching position, he knows his approach to leading like he knows his playbook.
"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," Allen said about his players.
"If we put our focus into them as a person, them as a student, then them as a player, they're going to run through the wall for you."
That has been Allen's goal since he arrived at Marquette, but recently, it has become clearer to the public.
The mantra that accompanies every team social media posts is, "More Than A Program, An Experience." It started being used in the spring after the squad's trip to Italy.
Allen created this through
the same method he has used to grow every facet of his team: by listening to his players.
"We want to be a player-up program and not a coachdown kind of program," Allen said. "[The player's] words are what drives our culture. Their words were our core values when they talked about what they wanted this experience to be."
A leadership council of players was established immediately after Allen arrived last spring to help structure the team's values. The group this season, which is elected by the players, is comprised of Clare Shea, Molly Keiper, Elise Krone and Emily Fix.
Along with this quartet, Allen further laid the foundation of his team's DNA through culture classes. Weekly during the offseason, but more irregularly in-season, the group will have these classes to discuss and form ideas on what they want the team to look like.
During these, Allen shows videos, quotes and relates conversations back to what the team is going through at the moment. The team even began reading a book about the winningest team in professional rugby.
"It's all the little things that matter," junior forward Emily Fix said. "You're not gonna one day snap your fingers and become a championship team. It's about all these building blocks that go into it."
This also stands true for the team's on-the-pitch play.
At the beginning of every practice, the team will decide on a focus for the day. Last Wednesday it was "Winning the 18," as in playing aggressively inside the box, offensively or defensively.
This is an example of a deliberate area of growth that Fix saw between the team's previous coach, Frank Pe-
laez, and Allen. "You can see a lot more intentionality with what we're doing," Fix said. "[Allen] made a lot of intentional decisions and us as a team have decided to have certain values that we can see on field: performance and success."
'I would like to provide an experience that I would want my daughters to be a part of."
Last year, the team's final record was 6-11-3 — tied for the second-least amount of wins in program history.
On top of that, the team didn't find victory until its fifth game of the season.
The furthest the program has had to fight into a season to find a win since its 1993 inaugural one.
Despite the early turbulence, there's still a great deal of confidence in the system and culture from the players.
"Last year we talked — it was the words. And this year is the belief," junior midfielder Kiley McMinn said.
"From last year's team to this year's team, we hung in there. And [now] we are bringing the belief, we are scoring goals, but we just need to keep bringing it so
we can keep finishing the wins."
The Golden Eagles started this season with three wins, the best fall regular season start since 2012, but have gone 1-3 since.
Though, in the face of wins or loses, Allen still focuses on the players' well-being.
"I would like to provide an experience that I would want my daughters to be a part of," Allen said. "It's more about the transformative experience that we are hoping to provide these players so that they become the best versions of themselves. They become better spouses, better employees, better bosses, better partners — all those types of things."
Every time the team travels for a game, the players are given something to remember besides simply what happens on the pitch. When the Golden Eagles traveled to play Georgetown, they visited the Washington Mall. Against Colorado, it was an adventure to Breckenridge. Versus St. Thomas, the crew went to a lake and went paddle boarding. Would the teams' chemistry be the same without the culture set by Allen?
"Honestly, no," McMinn answered. "Whether it's on the field or off the field, it makes us who we are. Culture helps us on the field and it helps everyone bring out the best in everyone."
A decade prior to coaching soccer, Allen was a high school biology teacher in St. Louis, Missouri.
He has always been keen on bringing things to life — a program and a spear alike.
Meg Decker, first-year defender, with the spear on Aug. 24
Photo courtesy of Chris Allen
Chris Allen Marquette women's soccer head coach
Coach Chris Allen is in his second year with the wsoc team.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Swim club ready for full year in new rec center
Team spent two seasons in Straz Tower rec
plex
By Ben Ward benjamin.ward@marquette.edu
“Dark.” “Crammed.” “Old yellow-ish lighting."
That is how club swim president, Jake Van Lanen, a junior in the College of Education, described the former practice location for Marquette club swim.
The team was forced to practice in the basement of Straz Tower amid the construction of the new Wellness + Helfaer Recreation Facility over the course of the last two years.
“We had 10 people in each lane hand-to-foot” Van Lanen said. “It was a lot.”
The team had concerns being in the old rec plex before, practicing with only four lanes available.
With the new rec center in place, Van Lanen noted that members are excited to take advantage of the opportunities it provides.
“The new blocks at the rec center are permanently installed, and just nicer all around,” Morgan Frech, a senior in the College of Health Sciences said.
Van Lanen explains that due to the new and improved equipment, the team can offer a couple of different levels of workouts because there is more room for swimmers.
Pending the return of a sufficient number of swimmers, Van Lanen and the team are prepared to com-
pete at the highest level in the rec center because it allows for more improvement in individual performance levels, allowing for more practice time.
The team is part of College Club Swimming, a division of U.S. Masters swimming which is divided into five regions that span across the country.
'I think having the new rec center will make the team more competitive..."
Morgan Frech Senior in the College of Health Sciences
With Marquette in the central region, the team travels mainly to universities like Notre Dame, Purdue and Minnesota.
“I think having the new rec center will make the team more competitive in the sense that we will be able to hold competitions [and] meets,” said Frech.
The team's first ever hosted meet was held in the
ATHLETICS
new rec center in the spring 2025 semester, where five other university club teams were able to compete all in one space in which the swimmers really enjoyed.
"It was so fun seeing the new pool filled with fast swimmers and swimmers from all over!" Lily Larson said, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.
The new rec center will also aid in building more of a community.
“I think that the variety of levels of participation and competitiveness is one of the great things about the club," Frech said.
This also means anyone who can swim in the home
meets can participate without extra costs.
The team is also a cornerstone of friendship development.
“I’ve made some of my best friends at Marquette through club swim,” Van Lanen said.
Now, with six lanes available, the team is ready to perform for the upcoming season.
"I'm excited to see what we do with it [the new rec center] this year and beyond," said Frech.
The team is dual-hosting their first event of the season with Madison-Wisconsin in the new rec center on Sept. 27.
Flooding damage keeping pavilion closed
Valley Fields had 8-10 inches of standing water
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Mike Jahner was in the Wisconsin Dells when the early August 1,000-year flood ruined parts of Milwaukee, and damaged Marquette's campus.
That, coupled with the high water levels, was why the Menomonee River Valley was inaccessible and Jahner heard about Valley Fields' damage only through overhead pictures from the North 16th Street viaduct.
But it was enough that Jahner, Marquette's senior director of facilities management and university engineer, immediately knew Valley Fields was in need of a repair job — the third in his time at Marquette.
By the time the water resided a few days later, and Jahner and his team could physically visit the sports complex, the situation was much clearer — at least more than the
Valley Fields had eight to ten inches of standing water after August record flooding hit Milwaukee.
sewage, which had risen to 8-10 inches, leaving behind distinct markings for how high the water rose. Proof of the scale of disaster.
"It was deep," Jahner said.
As he and his team began inspecting the Valley, they found how much got damaged. The gatehouse and the maintenance buildings on the east side of the property, closer to downtown, were safe. Same with the actual fields — both real grass and artificial turf; because the water was just
sitting on the field with no current, they just needed to be raked and blowdried.
The pavilion and the grandstand, though? Not so lucky.
That meant along with the bowels of Valley Fields, both soccer programs' locker rooms, an officials’ and coaches’ locker room, a training room and public restrooms were left damaged. Because the grandstand is a metal building, it was easy for Jahner and his
team to clean up. They took the tables and chairs underneath outside, washed and sanitized them and left them to dry for a few days.
"We're back in there the next weekend," Jahner said.
The pavilion was a different story, something obvious from the first time Jahner went down.
"We accepted the fact that was going to be a little longer term," he said.
First, after the contractor came and inspected,
the facilities team started throwing out the lockers damaged to the point they could not be cleaned. Then they began pulling out the drywall and floors.
Once the locker rooms were completely gutted down to the studs, a week after the flooding, they began the rebuild process — which is still ongoing and will include a potential redesign to minimize future repairs.
In the meantime, both soccer programs have been using the away locker rooms underneath the main grandstand, something a Marquette athletics spokesperson said will likely continue through the entire soccer season.
"There's probably a level of access that the soccer teams can still use it, and there's a level of finish, so you probably get back in there," Jahner said. "But it won't be done-done, and we're still working through what that might look like."
Jahner said along with an unclear timeline, it's also unknown how much the repairs will cost when it's all said and done.
Photo courtesy of Marquette club swim
The swim team has their first event of the season Sept. 27.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Club swim had its first meet in the rec center in the spring.
Photo courtesy of Marquette club swim
Natalie Ring 'walking the walk' in career season
Outside hitter has personal bests in five statistics
By Jack Albright jack.albright@marquette.edu
Natalie Ring is right where she wants to be.
Here, in Marquette volleyball head coach Tom Mendoza's office, sitting crosslegged on one of his black leather chairs, sipping an Emergen-C Vitamin C drink. Here, with a championship blue Marquette volleyball long-sleeve t-shirt on. Here, hours before the 2025 home-opener against Western Kentucky, talking about what her senior season with the Golden Eagles has looked like thus far — glittered with career-best kill, dig, block, assist and ace totals.
She could be elsewhere. Like in Gainesville, perhaps — following her former head coach of three years, Ryan Theis. Or at another school, which — after her breakout junior season was so breakout-y the aforementioned former coach christened her "the future" — was unquestionably a possibility.
But Ring's here. Still. In Milwaukee, at the Al McGuire Center, on year four of repping the blue & gold as an outside hitter.
She easily could have got-
ten out of dodge.
This season is the closest thing Marquette has had to a full-fledged rebuild in quite some time, forgetting the hiring of Mendoza. There were 10 departures and 10 newcomers mixed with seven returners.
Only one of the returners was a starter last season (Hattie Bray), while Ring was right behind in playing time, becoming more involved in the Golden Eagles' rotation as the season went on. On top of that, three graduates left Ring as the only returning hitter, having to play a full six rotations instead of three.
So why, you wonder, did Ring stick around for both
STANDOUTS
Natalie Ring MUVB No. 17
Senior outside hitter Natalie Ring has amassed 89 kills in MU's first four games. The Madison, Wis. native is averaging a team-high 4.94 kills per set.
Emma Coon MUXC
Junior Emma Coon paced the women's team at the Vic Godfrey Open in Kenosha, Wis. on Friday. Coon set a new PR 4K time of 14:23.25 to finish third place.
the responsibilities that come with her new roles: being the hitter for Marquette and one of the only returning seniors?
"I wanted to be able to be in that position to step up..."
Natalie Ring Marquette women's volleyball outside hitter
"It's something that I was excited about," she said. "I wanted to be able to be in that position to step up and lead the team."
It only took one game to see what Ring the leader looks like.
She began the year with personal-bests in both kills (27) and total attacks (80) in Marquette's five-set win over Hawai'i. The next match, she posted 24 kills in five sets against San Diego and two days after her first kills career-high, she set a new one with 28 over Utah State, also hitting .328 in the process.
It was against the Aggies
that Ring really opened Mendoza's eyes to what she can do this year as a six-rotation hitter.
In the fifth set, Ring rattled off two back row kills to stave off two Utah State match points and give Marquette the win.
"That was a thing of, okay, front row, back row, she can impact the game in all six rotations," Mendoza said. "We don't need her front row for her to impact the game. She can impact the game in her back rotations as well."
Those two points were the culmination of Ring's preparation in the six months from when Mendoza got hired to now. She knew from the end of last year she would find herself in those kinds of situations as a senior. And that she, fully a leader on the team in more ways than one, would need to overcome the obstacles — mental and physical.
Mentally, building confidence was key. She continued her work with a mindset company called Max Out Mindset, something she started doing as a first-year. She read many a mindset book. Conducted other outside mindset research. Before practices
and games, she'll watch compilation videos of past successful kills.
"Confidence, to me, is something that you have to work on every single day," Ring said. "It's really a skill."
Mental strength has always been important to Ring, whose dad, Joe Ring, was a longtime professional golfer and ingrained in her from a young age the importance of training the mind.
Physically, it was about being as ready as possible come game time. In the spring, that meant being peppered with hits and serves to get acclimated to back row defense. In the summer, that meant more well-rounded training to be in the best playing shape. It took a lot of work to get to where she is now, to a stat chart after four games riddled with personal bests in just about every category. Daily trips to the Al to work with either Mendoza or assistant coach Riley Whitesides. Constant film watching. Volunteering to get extra reps.
Ring signs up to do it all. No senioritis here.
"She's walking the walk," Mendoza said.
The dream of a professional career is a large driver of this. Her time at Marquette will end, but she's wanted volleyball to continue long after college since she was in high school, when the sport stopped being a hobby and became an obsession.
Ring knew in order to see that dream come to fruition she would have to keep working, keep her foot on the gas. That's why after leaving Mendoza's office, she went down to the main gym to watch Dayton vs. Western Kentucky, two programs she was scheduled to face later in the weekend.
Here, on a Friday morning, in the Al. Right where she wants to be.
Ring opened the season with a career-high 27 kills before topping that two days later with 28.
Ring has career-highs in total kills, digs, blocks, assists and aces.
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
Photo courtesy of Marquette Athletics
MKE doesn't need the National Guard Opinions
By Lexi Childers alexandria.childers@marquette.edu
Alex Ayala, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, cited concerns on Sept. 2 about staffing and the union’s inability to combat violence. The apprehension stems from an increase in “street takeovers” in Milwaukee which comes as a major concern for both officer and community safety as well as a lack of contract resolution.
However, Ayala’s proposed solution was not to advocate for more police funding, improving equipment, striking or providing officers with more employment benefits. Instead, he wants to call upon the Trump Administration to bring the National Guard to the streets of Milwaukee to set up security checkpoints across the city and have troops in uniform patrolling streets to deter crime.
This is an illogical decision, though, because as of Sept. 3, crime in Milwaukee is lower than it was at the start of the summer.
Since the beginning of August, only rape, burglary and non-fatal shootings have increased, with the rest seeing
meaningful reductions.
Other than that, the Part I offenses saw decreases in occurrence ranging from 7% to upwards of 46%.
These statistics do not appear to match the stories being told about Milwaukee. Even looking over the past week, crime has been at an extremely low rate, with reports maxing out at just 62 incidents across the entire city.
With crime being on the downturn in the city, why is Ayala calling for the National Guard to be brought into the city? It appears to be a political move.
Vice President JD Vance was in La Crosse, Wisconsin Aug. 28 to advocate for the Big Beautiful Bill and its promise to bring American steel manufacturing back to the state.
However, when questioned about whether the administration would consider bringing troops into the city – something of particular importance surrounding the potential of troop deployments in Chicago – Vance said he would want the troops to be welcomed into the city as opposed to sent.
It is not a surprise that a powerful individual in Milwaukee politics, such as Ayala, is now advocating for the deployment of National Guard troops in Milwaukee after Vance’s speech.
To put things bluntly, there is little that the National Guard would accomplish. From multiple perspectives, this is a horrible idea for Milwaukee, especially since crime is already decreasing in the city.
These “street takeovers” Ayala cited involved civilians setting off fireworks and performing burnouts in the middle of intersections while surrounded by large groups of people. In the end, only 15 calls were made alongside just three arrests, six towed vehicles and 26 traffic citations. While these actions are dangerous, they are far from worthy of National Guard deployment. Additionally, advocating for using the National Guard to supplement officers during a union contract dispute is appalling. Keeping the National Guard in Milwaukee will cost taxpayers millions for however long they are here. For an issue that is already
slowly resolving on its own, there is no reason to send in these troops for any other reason than to show power over citizens.
Authoritarian regimes have long been known to send federal troops, secret or not, onto their citizens to remind them of their subservience. This one is no different. By sending troops into Milwaukee, the Trump Administration would be
proving the lengths they would go to consolidate federal power.
Fear and intimidation at the waste of taxpayer dollars is not a responsible use of federal funds nor the uniform of the United States military.
Lexi Childers is an opinions columnist.
is a
studying political science and international affairs.
Love Island hinders young adult romance
By Bella Gruber isabella.gruber@marquette.edu
This past summer, the seventh season of “Love Island” showed millions of young people a wide array of romantic relationships. Although entertaining, controversy lies in how relationship dynamics are presented among the contestants. Many unhealthy relationship behaviors, such as gaslighting, emotional abuse and finding love for the wrong reasons, skew young people’s expectations of romantic relationships.
The show revolves around emotional drama and suspenseful challenges for the paired contestants. Viewers watch “Love Island” for the spectacle of drama, but they must understand that these issues manifest in far different forms in the real world. Many of the contestants are influencers outside of the show, meaning that they recognize the sensationalism of drama. Contestants may appear as ordinary people in their content; however, it is apparent that some only joined the show for status or monetary gain.
These unrealistic relationship dynamics are seen early in season 7 when Huda Mustafa and Jeremiah Brown’s relationship quickly crumbled. Brown was “love
bombing” Mustafa and she was described as emotionally abusing Brown. Rather than showing the impact that these behaviors have on the dynamic of a relationship, the show centers the drama of their breakup by framing Mustafa as emotionally unstable and Brown as cold-hearted.
In Amaya Espinal’s case, she is shamed by both the male and female contestants emotionally vulnerable. This implies that her open emotional expression is embarrassing rather than a normal response.
Drama is instigated to create a cult following of the show, but the demonstrated behaviors are harmful to young people in real life.
NBCUniversal reports that over 50% of viewers are under the age of 30, and over 38% of viewers watch the show with another person. These inauthentic portrayals of love could pose issues in how adolescents approach their own relationships, as they are shown inappropriate ways to handle relationships problems.
Social media culture must also be considered when describing the real-world impact of “Love Island.”
The show’s constant flow of posts on all social media platforms – by both official
accounts and fans – further normalizes the behaviors on the show through groupthink. Mobs of social media users pick sides with a contestant who promotes unhealthy relationship behavior, such as Ace Green who has repeatedly demonstrated manipulation within his relationships. This online culture may translate into the real world, meaning partners could view manipulative behaviors, such as gaslighting or toxic masculinity, as normal in a relationship.
For young adults navigating their first relationship experiences, the media has a large role in setting standards for acceptable behaviors in a relationship. When viewers unknowingly internalize the show’s messages, they create harmful standards for their own romantic relationships. However, online hate was expressed towards Mustafa when she was seen having open discussions in a relationship and confronting issues with her partner. Mustafa’s behavior was framed negatively as the center of drama on the show. Fans attacked her online for her personality, some going as far as sending threats to her family and daughter. The acceptance of extensive hate
and threats towards Mustafa has shameful implications for using open communication and maturely resolving relationship conflicts.
Other romance reality TV shows, such as “The Bachelor” series, “Love is Blind” and “Too Hot to Handle,” have similar levels of unrealistic expectations due to the intense filming environment, dramatized scenes and promotion of unhealthy relationship behaviors. These shows are harmful to young adults watching with the mindset that they are representative of realworld relationships. These reality TV shows are entertaining to watch for the drama, but the toxic relationships between contestants should not be young adults’ idea of love.
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 journalism.
Photo Courtesy of REUTERS
Members of the National Guard outside in Santa Ana, California.
She
sophomore
Photo Courtesy of Peacock Mustafa (left) and Brown.
Arts & Entertainment
Places with Marquette student discounts
By Lilly Peacock lilly.peacock@marquette.edu
The bad news: life as a college student can be expensive. The good news: various restaurants and venues in the Milwaukee area provide discounts with a valid student ID.
Whether it’s receiving a discount or using MarquetteCASH, going out doesn’t always have to come at a high cost. Here are some budget-friendly places where Marquette University students can have fun in the city.
MarquetteCASH
Various locations on campus accept MarquetteCASH, a cashless payment method stored on Marquette ID cards.
Maki Yaki and Cousins Subs, both located on Wisconsin Avenue, accept the currency as payment.
Taco Pros, a restaurant on Wells Street, also accepts MarquetteCASH.
Sendik‘s Fresh2GO, located at 824 N 16th St, which is the closest location for students to buy groceries on campus, also accepts MarquetteCASH as a payment.
For more information about this payment method, visit the official MarquetteCard website.
Sporting events
Milwaukee is home to the Bucks, Brewers and
Admirals, all of which provide discounted tickets for college students in the area.
Every weekday game, students can purchase terrace-level Brewers tickets for $10. Select loge locations are available for $15. Tickets normally range from $20 – $70 but can reach as much as $120 depending on the opposing team.
College Night at American Family Field is on Sept. 18 against the Los Angeles Angels. Those who purchase student tickets will receive a $15 concession credit.
With basketball season around the corner, the Bucks’ Student Rush program offers exclusive ticket deals on game days. Students can sign up with a university email address and receive a link to buy discounted tickets the day of any home game. The ticket prices can vary based on the opponent and popularity of the game.
The Milwaukee Admirals have weekly student nights on Fridays, where college and high school students can purchase $13 tickets and receive a voucher for a free slice of Ian’s Pizza. The voucher is redeemable at select Milwaukee Ian’s locations, including East Side, Downtown and Tosa.
Entertainment
Off Marquette’s campus, students have an opportunity to explore the city’s culture and entertainment options at a discount.
The Marcus Performing Arts Center offers a variety of shows, including Broadway musicals, concerts and comedy performances. Students can purchase tickets for $24 plus tax.
Broadway shows at the performing arts center vary in availability; therefore, any student discount opportunities will be posted on the official Instagram page two weeks prior to opening.
Discovery World, a lakefront science museum, offers $19 student tickets with a valid ID. Adult tickets normally cost $25.
Similarly, the Milwaukee Art Museum has student tickets available to purchase for $20, $7 off a regular adult ticket.
Dining options
The Union Sports Annex has food available to students with a meal plan, as well as $2 bowling games on Tuesdays and $1 games on Thursdays. Students with a meal plan can use two swipes per week to eat at the Annex, or they can use MarquetteCASH to purchase meals and appetizers.
In Downtown Milwaukee, AJ Bombers is a restaurant and bar that has an
exclusive weekday student special. For $9.99, students can get a burger, fries or tots and a drink when they show a college ID. The restaurant will be closing before the end of the year.
Miss Katie’s Diner, located just off Marquette’s campus on West Clybourn, offers Marquette Dinner Specials and also accepts MarquetteCASH as payment.
Digital deals
Several online stores have exclusive offers and discounts for college students.
Adidas, for example, offers 30% off full price and free shipping when shopping online. Sign up through UNiDAYS with a student email to receive this offer.
Online streaming services also offer discounted
rates when signing up with a student email.
Students can purchase a Spotify student subscription for just $5.99/month and get Hulu (with ads) at the same time. Peacock offers a $2.99/month subscription for students who sign up using their school email.
Students who use Amtrak to travel can receive 15% off ticket prices on select routes. A valid student ID is required for purchase. A trip from Milwaukee to Chicago typically costs under $40, with some as low as $23 depending on departure time.
For more online discounts, visit Student Beans, an online platform that lists all available student deals across multiple stores.
Forage Kitchen: New addition to the AMU
By Katie Mancini katherine.mancini@marquette.edu
A new school year means new dining options on Marquette’s campus, specifically in the Alumni Memorial Union’s Marquette Place, a hot spot for students.
Initially located in the Third Ward, Forage Kitchen is an independent merchant housed in the Public Market’s second floor. The menu features a variety of bowls, plates, greens and grains. It offers something for everyone.
Now, Forage Kitchen is in Marquette Place, replacing the Asian Fusion restaurant, Milwokee.
The establishment chose to highlight three of its most popular features: The Fiesta Bowl, The Power Bowl and the Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap. These three meals each highlight a distinct part of the menu with different tastes and palates within each dish.
I had the privilege of trying the Power Bowl, a medley of organic black rice,
lentils, sweet potatoes, cabbage slaw, guacamole, green onion and avocado green goddess dressing. Forage Kitchen describes the bowl as, “a nutrient-packed blend of grains, vegetables and lentils designed to fuel your day.”
The organic black rice was different than my usual preference of white rice, but the unexpected twist worked. I have always had mixed feelings about lentils, but it was a savory addition. Usually, I am not a fan of sweet potatoes due to their texture, but the way they are mixed in and naturally diced within the medley was a surprising positive.
Cabbage works together within the poblano slaw, as the mixture’s textures all work together. Poblano is a large dark green chili pepper that adds a mild-flavored kick.
I have only recently become a guacamole lover, and Forage’s recipe did not fail to disappoint with its mix of flavors. Any sort of
onion is a must-have, but the green onion adds a natural herbal touch.
The Green Goddess dressing is a combo of avocado, parsley, cilantro, green onion, garlic, lemon and apple cider vinegar. It was not my first time trying a green goddess dressing, but after trying this one, I felt that Forage’s recipe tasted healthier and cleaner than other options.
If you are looking for more protein, you can add hot honey chicken or tofu. With the addition of the hot honey chicken in my bowl, there was an unexpected but much-needed kick as it balanced other flavors out.
Combining these veggies with this hearty chicken is a good way to get a little bit of everything, which is the beauty of a bowl and why it appeals to the public.
The bowl has 583 calories, 33 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein and 64 carbs, all while being gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian (with-
out the hot honey chicken addition). With the addition of Forage, students with dietary restrictions have more options in Marquette Place. These options make students more eager to come to Marquette Place to try different foods.
Forage Kitchen has something for everyone when it comes to quantity and
quality. It exceeded my expectations not only with taste but also with the appearance of the bowl, giving off a natural and earthy aesthetic.
This new hotspot is just what Marquette Place needed: a trending station with organic and healthy options for everyone.
Students can use MarquetteCASH at the Annex to purchase meals.
Photos by Clay Ellis-Escobar
Photo by Katie Mancini
Forage Kitchen's popular menu item "The Power Bowl."
The best local farmers market's have to offer
West Allis offers baked goods, meat and produce
By Joseph Schamber joseph.schamber@marquette.edu
The state of Wisconsin is full of farmers and craftsmen who flock to the Milwaukee area to sell their products at the various markets this city has to offer.
While autumn is quickly approaching, and many markets have just a few more months until they close for the season, they are still bustling with activity.
The West Allis Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the Milwaukee area and boasts a wide range of vendors carrying baked goods, meat, flowers and seasonal produce from May to November.
Fer-Li Grass Fed Beef can be found at the West Allis Farmers Market every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Lisa Ferry, of Fer-Li Grass Fed Beef, has been a persistent fixture of this market for the past 40 years. She drives two hours from her farm in Pickett every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday when
the West Allis Farmers Market is open.
What makes Ferry’s products remarkable is in its name: her Black Angus cattle are grassfed and grass-finished. They are also born and raised on her farm and are rotationally grazed.
“That means they are on one pasture for a couple of days to a week, and are moved to another,” Ferry explained.
This practice ensures that the cows get more nutrients, and the pastures remain healthy.
Fer-Li sells out of their prime cuts quickly, so you must show up early if you want a ribeye or New York strip, but you can still usually get your hands on some stew meat and lean ground beef if you show up later.
All of Fer-Li’s beef is grass-fed and rotationally grazed on their farms.
Ferry also sells pork, free-range chicken and eggs. All the meat is of the highest quality, so you should expect to pay more than you would at Pick ‘n Save. However, you are paying for a product that you can trace right back to Ferry’s farm.
“People want to know where their food comes from,” Ferry said.
You don’t always have to pay more for quality products at farmers’ markets, though. Another vendor at the West Allis Farmers Market, Centgraf Farms, offers high-quality fruits and vegetables at a very reasonable price.
Lynn Centgraf recommends their sweetcorn. Their sweet corn was only a dollar an ear, which is around the same price you will find organic corn at most grocery stores. However, they are also much larger and sweeter than the supermarket corn.
Centgraf shared her go-to way of preparing them, and it is also very doable for the average home cook.
“You can just microwave them for three minutes right in the husk,” said Centgraf.
Cengraf Farms grows more than 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Centgraf Farms also grows over 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. About five medium-sized tomatoes came out to just $5, which is cheap for high-quality heirlooms. They also include brandy wine and pineapple tomatoes, which were among those available at the market.
“These [the pineapples] are my favorite right here,”
Centgraf said. “You can tell by the pink on the bottom.”
Centgraf Farms has been delivering their produce to farmers’ markets and restaurants in the Milwaukee area for over 14 years, and you can find their products on the menus of Odd Duck, The Diplomat, DanDan and Goodkind.
The West Allis Farmers Market may be a bit of a hike if you live downtown, but the city has plenty to offer within its own boundaries. Riverwest, for example, has its own farmers’ market with a myriad of unique vendors.
Kaleidoscope Gardens guarantees their products are pesticide free.
There, you can find Jack Lavin from Kaleidoscope Gardens, who sells produce grown at his greenhouse on the south side of Milwaukee and a quarter acre of land in Oak Creek.
They harvest their products as close to sale as possible and guarantee no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used.
“We focus on sustainable practices to bring healthy, local produce to the community,” Lavin said.
Lavin says his favorite part of the Riverwest Market is the diversity it attracts. Various
communities in Milwaukee congregate each Sunday it’s open. There is also a great deal of variety in the types of vendors at the market. It is Hannah Leonard’s first year at the Riverwest Market. Take Hannah Leonard, for example, from Lionfish Jewelry. She collects sea glass from Lake Michigan to create colorful jewelry that she sells across various Milwaukee farmers markets.
It is her first year selling at Riverwest, and she said she is grateful for the opportunity to combine her passions and share them with others.
“I love jewelry, and I love creating,” Leonard said.
The Riverwest Market is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2700 N Pierce St, Milwaukee, WI 53212. It is a weekend destination for food, fun and locally sourced products.
The West Allis Farmers Market can be found in the halls at 6501 W National Ave, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come by for live music on Thursdays and Saturdays and the variety of quality vendors the historic market has to offer.
Photos by Joseph Schamber and Lily Wooten Milwaukee farmers markets' popular vendors including Fer-Li Grass Fed Beef, Centgraf Farms and Kailedoscope Farms.
Performing arts groups recruit at O-Fest
By Elise Emery elise.emery@marquette.edu
As the academic year begins, students look for new ways to build connections, explore different passions and find a sense of belonging, and there’s no better way to do that than by joining a new club.
Fall semester at Marquette University truly began on Sept. 4, as the school hosted its annual and much-awaited O-Fest in the Central Mall.
O-Fest provides a unique opportunity for first-year and returning students to explore the various clubs and organizations that Marquette has to offer. Students can speak to current members of each organization, learn about them and provide their contact information to obtain future updates about each group.
With over a dozen various performing arts-based clubs at Marquette, prospective members are likely to find an organization that matches their interest, whether that be in band, choir, theater or dance.
Avril Beesley, a junior in the College of Communication and junior co-president of Pure Dance, finds that O-Fest is particularly valuable to the success of the different performing arts groups at Marquette.
“Even though we are Marquette-affiliated, we aren’t talked about as much,” Beesley said. “So, O-Fest gives us a way to talk to the incoming students and [let them] see who we are.”
This year, O-Fest had many attendees throughout its three-hour time slot. Within its first hour, some of these groups had already received around one hun-
Though there are over 250 departments and organizations represented at O-Fest, performing arts groups at Marquette especially benefit from their exposure at the event.
dred signatures from students wanting to learn more about them or potentially join them.
Additionally, this event serves as a good point for new students to expand their circles, as students have the opportunity to speak to welcoming students who will encourage them to try something new or continue a passion.
McKinnley Marks, a senior in the College of Health Sciences and music director of the Gold ‘n Blues, spoke about how the then-president of the organization convinced her to join the group after her first visit to O-Fest.
“I love to perform and I love to sing, but it is made so much better by all the people I’ve met in this group,” Marks said.
O-Fest also has plenty to offer when it comes to the performing arts. With the various genres of groups at Marquette, students are
A
sure to find something new that they may have never considered joining before.
Carter Empen, a junior in the College of Education and a member of the Studio 013 Refugees, encourages students to step outside their comfort zone.
“I think so many people just don’t know that they might enjoy performing arts,” Empen said. “So, you have to just try things, and no better way to find out where you can try things than [at] O-Fest and Marquette.”
These groups will continue their search for prospective new members after O-Fest. Groups will continue to post updates on their respective social media platforms, and some may require an audition, the dates of which vary by group.
Pure Dance Marquette
Pure Dance is a student-run dance organization that focuses mainly on lyrical and jazz styles. They
are hosting auditions on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Weasler Auditorium. To learn more, go to their website or follow their Instagram, @ puredancemu.
The Gold ‘n Blues
The Gold ‘n Blues are Marquette’s co-ed a cappella group. Their auditions will take place from Sept. 7-13 in Marquette Hall 200. You can sign up for an audition time slot here. To learn more, go to their website or follow their Instagram, @mu_goldnblues.
Studio 013 Refugees
The Studio 013 Refugees are Marquette’s only improv group on campus. They are hosting workshops on Sept. 7, 14 and 22 at 7 p.m. in the Humphrey Hall Auditorium. Auditions will be held on Sept. 29 from 5-7 p.m. in the Humphrey Hall Auditorium. To learn more, go to their website or follow their Instagram, @fuge_stagram.
Marquette student's guide to Milwaukee
By Allison Scherquist allison.scherquist@marquette.edu
No matter who you are or what you love to do, Milwaukee has something for you. From thrifting on Brady Street to taking a boat ride along the Riverwalk, Cream City offers many experiences and activities.
For first-year college students looking to explore beyond campus and get to know their new city, here are the top five things to do in Milwaukee.
Head to a festival Milwaukee is dubbed “the city of festivals” for a reason. With more than 100 annual festivals, you’ll never be short on entertainment here.
While summer brings the biggest draw with Summerfest, “The World’s Largest Music Festival,” fall makes way for Oktoberfest, a lively celebration of German culture and HarborFest—a great way to enjoy lake life with friends and family. Whether you are inter-
ested in music, food or just soaking up the festive atmosphere, Milwaukee’s festivals are a must-see for anyone looking to explore the city. If you’re looking for upcoming festivals, check out the Milwaukee events website. Check out the Milwaukee Public Market
If you’re hungry or looking for a place to hang out, head to the Milwaukee Public Market. Located in the Historic Third Ward, the marketplace has everything from seafood to artisanal cheeses.
Grab a coffee between classes at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. or snack on a homemade “cakesicle” from C. Adam’s Bakery. Upstairs seating at the market gives students a spot to relax, catch up on homework and hang out with friends — all while watching the hustle and bustle of the market below. It’s a perfect place to sip your coffee and soak in the Milwaukee atmosphere.
Explore Milwaukee’s lakefront
Milwaukee’s lakefront is one of the city’s best features, and it’s perfect for students looking to get outside and appreciate the warm weather.
Consider taking a stroll with some friends along the Riverwalk. For students looking to get in the water, you can rent paddle boards, kayaks or small sailboats at Pedal & Paddle Milwaukee Tavern or Lakeshore Paddle Sports Rentals — both a short walk from campus.
On colder days, head to McKinley Beach, grab a blanket and have a picnic with friends. For warmer months, consider heading to Bradford Beach to join a volleyball game.
Milwaukee’s lakefront is a great place to clear your head, catch up on homework or unwind on the shoreline with friends.
Watch a game at Fiserv Forum
Sports fans should check
out Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Students can take advantage of discounted student tickets for NBA games, preseason matchups and concerts. The venue also hosts wrestling, comedy shows and other special events.
However, it is best known at Marquette for being the home of the men’s basketball team. Experience the student section by grabbing a discounted ticket through the Marquette Athletics website or at the student ticket window before the game.
Even if sports aren’t your thing, the forum still has plenty to offer. Bring some friends and check out the Deer District Plaza. Grab some food at a taco truck, check out some of the popup installations or just hang out and enjoy the lively surroundings.
Get involved in on-campus fun
If you’re looking for a way to make friends and expand your horizons,
getting involved in Marquette’s student organizations is a great place to start. With more than 250 clubs, Marquette has something to offer students of all interests.
From academic organizations, hobby-focused clubs and even cultural communities, Marquette has it all. Students looking to get involved should check out the Marquette Club Portal, where you can browse clubs, see meeting times and events and sign up for the clubs that spark your interest.
From outdoor adventures to mental health advocacy, there’s something for everyone — go for a hike with the Outdoor Adventure Club or help make a difference with Active Minds. For students interested in starting their own clubs, visit the Student Engagement Services office in Alumni Memorial Union Room 121 or contact the office at (414) 288-7250.
Photos by Clay Ellis-Escobar O-Fest draws students of all disciplines to join clubs of their interest.
Photos by Clay Ellis-Escobar
MU's all-gender acapella group Gold 'n Blues tables at O-Fest to recruit new singers.