Dr. Chris Miller of Marquette speaks at the Kapco Challenge kickoff event at the Bradley Center

At Marquette University we are challenged to “Be the Difference.” It’s a simple and bold statement that can have a profound impact on our campus and community. On January 27th Jim Kamarcik, president of Kapco Metal Stampings, took the initiative to allow students to be the difference and make an impact on our local Milwaukee community through the “Kapco Challenge.” Inspired by “Oprah’s Big Give” Kamarcik created the challenge so that we can be the difference.

The Kapco Challenge consists of teams from Concordia University, Wisconsin Lutheran College, & Marquette University. Each school has 5 teams and every team receives an initial $1000 for phase 1. Each group then creates a service project to give back. On February 15 each group will present to a board and the most deserving project from each school will enter phase 2.

While each group aspires to enter phase 2, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about what we do for others. Please consider each group and what they will do for our local community this month—meet our Marquette difference makers. (Each first statement is the group’s Mission Statement)

Men Serving Others:“As a group of young men inspired by Jesuit ideals, we are called to be men working for others by immersing ourselves into the community we are serving,
empowering others to reach their own potential, and actively working to help close the gap of poverty and privilege in the Greater Milwaukee area.”

MSO is a group of male leaders on campus. Together they will work with Repairers of the Breach to create a Career Center to help their fellow man or woman get back on his or her feet. Additionally, MSO will provide workshops on resume writing & interview prep. They will accept any donations, but especially business clothes & usable computers. Please contact Phillip Hanson at mensleadership@gmail.com & visit http://menservingothers.weebly.com/

Kappa Sigma:“Founded on the noble principles of Fellowship, Scholarship, Leadership and Service, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity is dedicated to the promotion of the youth and their education at Pierce Elementary. It is our belief that a quality education is the way to a brighter future. With this in mind, we then have the duty to promote the best education possible, on every occasion, for every student at Pierce Elementary School.”

Men of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity believe in fostering education & are working with Pierce Elementary School. Pierce currently has a wired computer lab for years, but for never any computers or technology in the room. By working with students and various local businesses KS looks to raise funds and accept donations to help Pierce Elementary educate our future. KS will accept any technology donations (Computers, Software, Printers). Please contact Joey Kimes at jfkimes@gmail.com & visit http://tinyurl.com/Team283

Sober Party Kids:“We recognize that our world is in need of hope. Together we commit ourselves to opening our hearts to those around us. Our family stretches beyond the walls of our house–we are called to give shelter to our brothers and sisters on the streets, open our closets to our parents without clean clothing, share our tables with children lacking a meal, and empty our pockets to family members in need. We can change the world we live in, we can change the lives of those around us, and we can make this community a family. Through charity we can build a family of love.”

Sober Party Kids are a group of active & driven students. These driven students are actively working with Pathfinders Shelter on Project S.H.Y- Support Homeless Youth. SPK wants find a way to help these youth by promoting/creating a drop in center. Additionally SPK wants to raise awareness of the 400+ current homeless youth in Milwaukee. Please help them so that no youth has to live without a home. Please contact Stephen Moser at shymilwaukee@gmail.com

O-Staff: This energetic group is looking to help the community at large by working with either mental health issues or cancer. More details are to come soon. Please contact Dave Kruse at david.kruse@mu.edu

Burke Scholars:“In the spirit of Dick Burke, who transformed each of our lives, we seek to use the resources entrusted to us to create transformative, sustainable change in our community that will continue in perpetuity. Above all, we seek to serve the voiceless in our community, to see them as whole people and to use the gifts, resources and talents entrusted to us to bring about meaningful, empowering change.”

The Burke Scholars remarked that they are hoping to use their funds to help the community at large to create a sustainable change. More details are to come soon.

At the kickoff event for the Kapco Challenge Kamarcik quoted legendary coach John Wooden by saying “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” As our Marquette student groups begin to serve those who cannot repay, may they remember Wooden’s quote, for he was one of the most remarkable men and winners in recent history. Like Wooden, we are all winners because of the generosity of Kapco, Kamarcik, and our fellow peers. Together lets join as a Marquette community and help each group by giving our time and what we have so that together we can “Be the Difference.”

Popularity: 2% [?]

As the end of April draws near, the city finally unthaws and spring truly arrives. Yet for students who drive, the melting snow merely reveals the heavy toll that Wisconsin’s harsh winters take on the city’s streets.

Over the winter, snow and rain accumulate in a street’s existing cracks. When this precipitation freezes it expands; when the temperature rises, the water melts and washes away, leaving a weakened road. As traffic continues on these roads, the weakened area eventually collapses, creating many potholes throughout the city.

These potholes are not a problem unique to Wisconsin; they can occur anywhere this freeze-thaw cycle exists. An estimated 350 million potholes mar the country’s roads, making driving both unsafe and uncomfortable.

Last month, drivers in Louisville, KY got some welcome relief to this problem, when the Louisville-based company Kentucky Friend Chicken paid to fill the city’s numerous potholes.  The repair project was part of an effort to generate publicity for the company’s “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign. The “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign is meant to highlight the company’s dedication to providing fresh, high-quality products to their customers.

To emphasize their absolute dedication to freshness, the Colonel and his crew paid to re-“fresh” Louisville’s roadways by repairing it’s pothole-ridden streets. All that the Colonel asked in return was for the city’s re-“fresh”ed potholes to be branded in non-permanent street chalk with an advertisement declaring them “Refreshed by KFC.” While the white chalk logo against the new black asphalt was certainly striking, the company assured the city that it was not permanent and would wash away with the rain.

Louisville’s Mayor Jerry Abramson seemed to have no problem with the compromise.  He stated, “Budgets are tight for cities across the country, and finding funding for needed road repairs is a continuing challenge.” As he accepted KFC’s offer, he praised the company’s dedication to the city.

While few Marquette students are affected by Louisville’s repaved roadways, the company’s most recent offer concerns every Milwaukee resident. On March 25, Roger Eaton, president of KFC, issued an open offer to mayors around the nation, asking them to nominate their city for the company’s program.  The company will choose four major American cities and pay for each city’s potholes to be repaved.

“What? That’s awesome,” Andy Merkel, a Junior at Marquette, said upon hearing about this offer. Merkel, as a native of Southeastern Wisconsin knows how bad the roads have become. “Milwaukee definitely needs to look into that.”

There are numerous reasons why Milwaukee is the perfect candidate for KFC’s “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign. The city is responsible for the maintenance, repair and resurfacing of approximately 900 miles of Milwaukee’s streets. These repairs are funded mainly through the city’s Resurfacing Reconstruction program.

A 2006 report from the Milwaukee Department of Public Works (the most recent data available) shows the substantial time and money that the city spends repairing and maintaining the streets. In that year alone, the city paid to have over 400,000 square yards of cracked pavement filled in. An additional 9,800 tons of asphalt was required by street maintenance crews to repair small asphalt cracks and potholes.

Milwaukee’s potholes are not just an annoyance for drivers. Repairing the damaged roads puts a big strain on the city’s budget, and takes away potential funding for other important initiatives.
The winter’s effect on the roads will take a bigger toll on the city’s budget this year than ever before. According to city’s 2009 budget, beginning this year there will be no federal or state-level contributions towards the Resurfacing Reconstruction program. Instead, the program’s $10.3 million dollar budget will be funded exclusively by the city of Milwaukee.

The streets of Milwaukee are clearly riddled with potholes, and thus with potential advertising for KFC. But allowing KFC to temporarily advertise along the streets in order to free up over ten million dollars in funds seems like a minor compromise.

Asked if he would mind having the KFC logo on the roads, Merkel responded: “not at all, in fact, I would go to KFC more often if they fixed the roads.”
Perhaps of even more concern to Marquette students with cars on campus, are some of the strategies that the city has used in an attempt to balance its budget.  Wisconsin state law requires that the city present a balanced budget, so the city was forced to find ways to fund their additional $3.8 million contribution to the Resurfacing Reconstruction Program. One of the ways they did so was by factoring in a $1.4 million increase in their revenues from Parking Operations, which draws it’s revenue from things like meters, towing, sale of permits and parking citations.
Allowing KFC to help Milwaukee out and fill the city’s potholes would help ease the burden of funding the Resurfacing and Reconstruction Program solely on city funds. It would take away some of the need for expected increases in parking citation revenue.

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For those students who perhaps do not commute or keep a car on campus, there are still incredibly compelling reasons to support a KFC “Fresh Tastes Best” initiative in Milwaukee. The millions of dollars spent by the city on repairing and repaving the streets could be spent on a number of meaningful city projects.

So, what can you do to make sure that Milwaukee is nominated for KFC “Fresh Tastes Best” initiative? According to the letter issued by the company, the request must come from the city’s mayor.  Milwaukee residents can contact Mayor Tom Barrett at (414) 286-2200, or by email at mayor@milwaukee.gov to voice their support for allowing the Colonel and his crew to repair the city’s potholes. In the meantime, report Milwaukee potholes by calling (414) 286-2489 or filling out an online form at http://www.mpw.net/Pages/Infrastructure/potholeMaintenance.html

Popularity: 8% [?]

Since 2002, Timothy M. Dolan has led the Milwaukee Archdiocese as Archbishop. His tenure included dealing with a wide array of priest abuse scandals, a petition by local priests to make clerical celibacy optional and the collateral damage left behind by former Archbishop Rembert Weakland. By all accounts, if Dolan were to get a report card at the end of every year, it would certainly include straight A’s.

On Monday, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Timothy Dolan as the new Archbishop of New York. This private Vatican information was first reported by well-connected Italian journalist Paolo Rodari, who writes for the Vatican Watch periodical Il Reformista.

For those not in the loop, New York is the United States’ most important Archdiocese, according to the Catholic News Agency.
With regards to political hierarchy, New York, along with the Bishopric of Washington D.C., holds the most influence on Capitol Hill. This move reassertes the importance of the United States Catholic Bishops in a time of constant change throughout both the political and economic realms of the country.

Critics of the move state that Dolan is not one to take a hard line and stand up against the anti-Catholic, anti-conservative sentiment given off by the current presidential administration and others such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Well known for his dislike of Archbishop Dolan, Marquette Theology professor Dan Maguire has been quick to criticize the appointment. Maguire, who is banned from speaking in all parishes in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, was quoted in the New York Times on Tuesday,
criticizing the Church’s failure to listen to Theologians.

However, those who back the appointment of Archbishop Dolan say that he would bring the “soft touch” of a “pastoral leader,” according to the Catholic News Agency. Dolan’s attention to detail and hard line conservative stances are viewed as great counter-culture counters to the anti-Catholic policies of the current administration.

According to Rodari, Archbishop Henry Mansell of Hartford, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta, Archbishop John Myers of Newark and Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico, were all being considered for the appointment.
Whatever happens, Archbishop Dolan’s great legacy in Milwaukee, both as pastoral leader and man of the people, will never be forgotten. His contributions to the Archdioceses of Milwaukee and St. Louis have prepared him well for New York, and his down-to-earth style make him a great candidate for any Bishopric.

Popularity: 10% [?]

On November 8 the commissioning of the first Littoral Combat ship (LCS) took place at Veterans Park. Cold, rainy weather did not stop over 9,000 people from attending a ceremony that included speeches from the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter formally commissioned the ship when he stated, “May God bless this war ship and all who sail in her.”

The USS Freedom is the first of a class that will eventually include 55 war ships, designed to defeat growing littoral (shallow, or “brown water”) threats with an incredible array of war fighting capabilities according to a program issued by the United States Navy for the ceremony. What is unique about the LCS design, amongst many other things, is that it has many different interchangeable mission packages, or mission modules. These mission modules are contained in standard shipping containers, and can be easily interchanged aboard the ship. Moreover, these mission modules can be pre-positioned or airlifted anywhere in the world where there is a port. Thus, the Freedom can hunt mines one day and easily be converted to counter surface threats the next, without having to return to its homeport, according to the program.

For the time being, these mission packages include anti-surface, anti-submarine and mine-hunting modules. These modules rely largely on unmanned craft to carry out missions, keeping sailors and personnel out of harms way. According to the U.S. Navy, there could eventually be as many as nine warfare packages, including a special warfare, humanitarian and Marine Corps package.

Along with its plethora of war fighting capabilities, the Freedom was also designed with speed and maneuverability in mind. A combination of diesel and modified Boeing 777 jet engines enable the freedom to operate at sustained speeds of over 40 knots (56.5 mph), impressive for a 377 foot-long ship, according to the Navy. Just like a jet-ski, the ship uses water jets for propulsion and steering, instead of a traditional propeller and rudder. Because of its capabilities and unique design, the ship is said to not be a ship at all, but “a jet-ski on steroids.”
For the time being, the Freedom will be undergoing extensive sea trials to help the Navy finalize its plans for future ships of the class. However, according to Lt. Cmdr. Rich Jarret, Blue Crew operations officer, “the Freedom brings unprecedented capabilities to the table and it is very possible that she will be deployed to conduct missions before the trials are fully completed.”

Popularity: 8% [?]

In 1978 William Thorn, now journalism chair and associate professor, never dreamed he would be doing work with the Vatican regularly, but 30 years later he is still heavily involved with media issues that are related to the Catholic Church.

He was teaching photography and reporting when the Dean of the former College of Journalism, James Scotton, approached him.

“Scotton said, if you were to put on a conference about the situation with the Catholic Press, who would you invite and what would it look like?” Thorn said.

Thorn successfully put together the first conference and was then put in charge of the Institute for Catholic Media, and he began to investigate the future of the Catholic Press. The Institute was started in 1948 after World War II and provides research grants, readership studies and pulled into the work of the U.S. Conference of Bishops.

Then a Jesuit visitor from Rome needed someone at Pontifical Gregorian University, the first Jesuit University founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome. The University was starting a new program and Thorn was invited to be the first full time faculty member. In 1982-83, while on sabbatical, he moved to Rome to begin teaching at the Center for Communication. It was there that he got a call from the Vatican asking him for help with a documentary on media relations for seminarians. He was invited back to the Gregorian in 1985, 1987 and 1980 to teach short courses on church and the media, but backed down when he was invited to be a part of the drafting committee on Pope John Paul II’s document, Tantus Nove, or “New Era.”

“I was one of 17 or 18 from around the world in the final drafting committee, and one of three who wrote the final draft,” Thorn said. “When he (Pope John Paul II) came into a room, he filled it. He had a desire to get to know everybody.”

He continued working with the Vatican after that and was president of the teachers and researchers division of the International Catholic Union of the Press for 10 years.

By this time he was in Rome or elsewhere in Europe every four months for conferences. Pope John Paul II was very interested in communication issues. Thorn had several audiences with him and was in Rome in 2005 when he died.

Recently, the Vatican called him to put together another conference, which will take place in 2009 at Marquette and will be co-sponsored by the Vatican and Marquette on the theme of how institutions’ Catholic identity influences classes. It is a part of a Vatican initiative to listen to faculty teaching advertising and public relations, broadcast and electronic communications, communication studies, journalism and film and how Catholicism is reflected in how the professors teach and what problems they have.

“We have a lot of departments where a majority of the faculty aren’t Catholic. How does that work? What about student population,” Thorn said. “You can’t force anything on them. How do you maintain a professional stance, but still maintain your Catholic identity?”

Those attending the conference will hear what issues college faculty members at other Catholic Universities have with identity.

Thorn said that he has gotten into a lot of high-level involvement that he could never have imagined as a doctoral student.

“It looks like my connection (with the Vatican) isn’t going to end soon,” Thorn said, “After Scotton got me into this, it’s been something very important to me. Sometimes God has plans that we don’t know about. I really think this reflects what has turned into a lifelong commitment to put my intellectual and professional life into the Church.”

Scotton claims that he wasn’t too involved in Thorn’s vocation.

“I didn’t choose him, he chose himself,” Scotton said. “He’s been active in communication in the church for many, many years. He has a tough job.”

On October 12, Thorn joined a distinguished number of Catholic men and women as a new member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre dates back to the first Crusade and has very strict restrictions on members. According to Thorn, there first has to be a recommendation from either the Archbishop of the candidate’s local diocese, an officer in the order, a bishop or a local knight. The recommendation then has to be approved by the archbishop, then the regional Cardinal, then finally the Vatican. The candidate is notified by letter if he or she is accepted and is required to fill out paperwork, and references are checked. Thorn’s wife, Victoria, was also nominated.

Thorn said that it was very common for husbands and wives to be nominated together.
“I suspect I was nominated because of all the years I worked with the Catholic conference with media and communication issues,” Thorn said. “(My wife) founded Project Rachel in 1985, which is the official post abortion outreach of the Catholic Church in the United States.”

Project Rachel is now world-wide and is in almost all American diocese.

“When all is said and done, only our faith in God matters,” Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan said at the ceremony at the Basilica of St. Josaphat, 601 W. Lincoln Ave.

Over 400 knights and ladies from the Midwest came to the ceremony to welcome the 60 new members of the Order.

Thorn is from Janesville, Wis. He received his undergraduate degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He did his masters work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his doctoral work at the University of Minnesota.

After doing his master’s, he went to Los Angeles to “seek his fortune.” He soon realized he couldn’t make a lot of money freelancing and decided to start teaching. He met his wife in 1971.

“I came to realize I liked teaching better,” Thorn said.

In 1975 he came to Marquette because George Reedy, the former press secretary for Lynden B. Johnson was the dean of the former College of Journalism.

“Everything is here if you want to teach journalism,” Thorn said. “That’s why I chose Marquette over other schools. I had more fun teaching, so I stayed here.”

Popularity: 14% [?]

As many people went out to vote yesterday, some people voted on a paper ballot, others used a touch screen computer and others sent in their absentee ballots. But just because you voted does not mean that your vote was actually counted, especially for those people using computers.

In fact, as people began early voting, it was discovered in West Virginia, that the machines were flipping votes to other candidates. These machines must be calibrated correctly in order to function properly. But if someone were to hit the top person, and the machine picks a candidate three or four down from that person, that is not a calibration problem; this is a problem with the actual software designed to count the votes.

In Davidson County, Tennessee, Patricia Earnhardt continually tried hitting the “Obama” button on the machine, but it would not register. After a while she said she had the poll worker help her, who tried hitting it a couple times, and it lit up Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney. The poll worker cancelled the vote, but Patricia continued to have trouble with the machine, and left the voter booth very uncertain of how her vote turned out.

It is amazing how much faith people place into the voting machines and voting process. It seems like it would be very simple for these machines to be tampered with in one way or another to determine an election. There are people who claim to know the secret of how to hack these machines. In fact, only one machine needs to be hacked: the one that tallies up the votes from all other machines. Simply tell that machine what numbers you are looking for and you are all set.

People barely trust each other, yet when someone walks away from that voting booth, they are convinced that they have cast a ballot for candidate A or candidate B. Perhaps that was not the case. Perhaps, these things are already decided for us. Forget about democracy being taken away if you vote for the wrong person.

Perhaps your vote doesn’t even matter, and democracy was already taken away, or at the very least, tampered with. As many Marquette students went and voted yesterday, one can only wonder what happened to the vote once you left the voting booth.

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Regional Transit Authority of Southeastern Wisconsin is not a particularly new concept. It was started in 2005 by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor Doyle. Since that time, the task of the RTA has been to find funding for a commuter rail and/or public transportation for the counties involved with the RTA. Currently those counties include Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Racine.

The RTA wants to include Waukesha County to try to move things forward. The reason they are looking to Waukesha County could be seemingly obvious, as there are a lot of people in Waukesha County, and a lot of money in Waukesha County that the coalition wants. It would be unfortunate for the citizens of Waukesha County if they do become involved with the RTA because it would create a funnel for their Waukesha County tax dollars to go to public transportation.

The problem is that if the RTA is able to build the commuter rail between Milwaukee and Kenosha, it will instantly become a sink hole for money. The fares will not pay for it, and it will have to be supplemented by the tax payers of the counties involved.

The way it stands now, Marquette students are already supplementing Milwaukee County Transit Systems, to the tune of $41 a semester which is expected to rise next year. The claim is that the proposed increase is because of higher gas prices.

Marquette students already have enough on their tuition bills, with the increasing tuition prices, the increasing student activity fee, and health services, among other things. The last thing that Marquette students need is to have to worry about a costly commuter train being built that would cost the tax payers of Milwaukee County, and Marquette students more money.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Marquette’s Catholic community is, in many respects, self contained; very few students are acutely aware of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s recent financial struggles. While many Marquette students do not call Milwaukee home, it might concern some that the greater Milwaukee Catholic community of which Marquette is a part is facing serious financial crisis. The Archdiocese is projecting a multi-million dollar budget shortfall, due primarily to sex-abuse lawsuit settlements. On April 7 the Archdiocese released a massive reorganization of its central offices, which included the merging of several offices and programs, as well as the elimination of multiple positions.

Steve Blaha, the coordinator of faith formation programs in University Ministry also serves on the Vision 21 committee, an advisory group of the Archdiocese. On the Archdiocese’s recent financial challenges Blaha poignantly commented that the Archdiocese has “cut the fat, and is now starting to cut the muscle.” Blaha points out that the effects of reorganization disseminate down to the parish level, affecting how the ministries of individual parishes operate, and placing a larger burden on parish ministers and staff.

Jerry Topczewski, the chief of staff of Archbishop Dolan, stressed that the purpose of the restructuring was not to eliminate programs and services. Rather, the aim of the restructuring was to save as much money as possible, while preserving core ministries and outreach programs. “All ministries are important,” Topczewski notes. He highlights that the Archdiocese is not like a corporation that can arbitrarily cut costs, saying, “The services that are used the least are some of the most important. The marginalized are the ones that need us the most.”

While this restructuring does not directly affect Marquette, there are ways that Marquette students can assist the Archdiocese as it reshapes itself in these times of financial struggle. Students can, of course, donate financial assistance through The Catholic Stewardship Appeal, which is the primary fundraising operation of the Archdiocese. One-hundred percent of the money donated to the Stewardship Appeal goes directly to supporting ministries like Catholic Charities and campus ministry programs at UW-Milwaukee and Whitewater.

A second, more active, way that Marquette students can help is by donating their time and skills. Both Topczewski and Blaha emphasize that in the wake of this restructuring the call for lay volunteers has never been greater.

Nicole Steinmetz, a sophomore in the college of Arts and Sciences, currently volunteers her time teaching Confirmation classes at Christ King parish in Wauwatosa. “It’s been a really rewarding experience,” says Steinmetz. “Working in the parish has been great, and I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference.”

This willingness to volunteer, according to Topczewski, is going to be integral to the future of the Archdiocese. “This restructuring calls for people with skills to participate more actively,” he says.

Finally, Topczewski urges that students remember the Archdiocese in their prayers, so that the Catholic community of Southeastern Wisconsin might have the strength to walk through this valley of shadow and financial strife.

Popularity: 17% [?]

“You look like somebody who’s ready to make a difference.” It is this attention grabbing statement that serves as the pitch for Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground, one of the newest organizations in the Milwaukee area involving Marquette students, staff, faculty and alumni coming together to address “critical social issues like health care, jobs and crime,” according to their Web site. The group is planning a formal commencement, coming together as one alliance to address community concerns at the Founding Convention on April 13, 2008, at the Midwest Airlines Center.

“As far as we know, Common Ground is the first organization of its kind here at Marquette, so it will be a little hard for people to understand quite what we are here for, for a little while,” Barbara Timberlake, Director of Marquette’s Service Learning Program, who has been involved with the development of Marquette’s Common Ground steering committee said.

The group hopes to attract at least 150 members of the Marquette community to the Founder’s Day Convention, which will host a variety of speakers, proclaim an issue agenda and adopt a dues-based budget. As many as 2000 community members are expected to attend. Those confirmed to speak include County Executive Scott Walker, Mayor Tom Barrett and Waukesha County Executive Daniel Vrakas, while Governor Jim Doyle has been invited but has not confirmed.

“The event will be a mix between a religious revival and a political convention, and is our way of introducing ourselves to the greater Milwaukee area,” Mark Fraley, Lead Organizer of Common Ground, said.

As a non-partisan organization working with congregations, religious groups, schools, civic associations, social agencies, unions and businesses, Common Ground’s leaders come from and aim to bridge a variety of racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and political backgrounds.

“When you look at the politics of the region, it’s pretty partisan,” Fraley said. “Our group is saying that there is a common ground we can find.”

Started in 2004, Common Ground began with 38 religious, civic and business leaders, who “have raised over $700,000 in seed money to sponsor the development of the group,” according to the Common Ground Web site. The seed money comes from a diverse group of religious organizations in addition to foundations, individuals and unions.

Common Ground currently has 75 volunteer leaders and employs Mark Fraley as a professional organizer. The group follows a model of grass-roots organizing that emphasizes relationship building and communication.

The cycle of organizing, according to Common Ground literature begins with small conversations about local specialized issues, moves to house meetings and neighborhood walks to discuss the issue, breaks down the issue to research and analyze solutions, then works to take action with a larger group of people at the local level.

“I have faith in this organization because it follows such a sound, proven model,” Kerida O’Reilly, junior in the College of Health Sciences said. O’Reilly has been involved with recruiting people and convening “listening session” meetings where individuals have the opportunity to voice community concerns. “Common Ground helps form a legacy for Marquette. Students can affect change and be involved in the community even though they’re only here for four years.”

Social issues that are addressed by Common Ground fall into eight categories: health care, education, jobs and economic development, crime, mental health, youth activities, immigration and housing, according to their Web site.

“It has been important for me to remember that each one of us has some sort of personal story or has a relationship with someone who is affected by these issues,” Kate Novotny, sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences who is active in Common Ground, said. “That is the key to our common ground. It is only in honoring these personal relationships that a commitment to community change will arise and take place.”

Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, the “oldest and largest institution for professional organizing in the United States,” according to the Common Ground Web site.

The achievement IAF has had in its grassroots organizing in the past has contributed to the high hopes Common Ground members have for its future.

“I have a lot of faith in the organization and where it’s going, because IAF has had so many successes,” Katie Coldwell, junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and Common Ground member, said. “It’s not a rag-tag bunch of anarchists; it’s about empowering people to affect change in their communities.”

Common Ground also offers organizing and training through Leadership Institutes designed to “teach leaders the skills necessary for successful public action and what a broad-based power organization is and does,” according to the Institute’s curriculum.

Finding common interests among individuals is a pivotal aspect of what those involved are sure will make Common Ground successful.

“Before someone joins the movement, they will ask, what’s in it for me? It’s all about gathering troops and getting people excited,” Coldwell said.

Unlike other groups students might get involved in at Marquette, Common Ground does not require an extensive time commitment, although the imapct and effect is significant.

“Nothing I’ve done for Common Ground has been a waste of time,” Coldwell said.

In the end, it all comes down to personal contact.

“It’s all relational, you build relationships and that’s how things happen,” Fraley said.

Popularity: 27% [?]

It was the kidnapping and five armed robberies that occurred within the two weeks just prior to Spring Break that made Micaela Robb-McGrath conscious of the realities of crime in District 3.

“Although I thought I was making good choices, I really probably wasn’t making the best choices for my safety,” Robb-McGrath, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said. “The time and circumstances surrounding the incidents, especially the clustering and severity of the crimes showed that I really do need to take proactive steps to be safe on campus.”

With the recent spike in violent crime on campus, the perception of students tends to be that violent crime in the area is increasing.

“I thought crime in the immediate Marquette area was increasing after those events,” Robb-McGrath said.

With nationally recognized student safety programs, Marquette’s Department of Public Safety is looked to as the remedy for crime on campus. Especially in light of the recent violence, DPS has made itself, along with the Milwaukee Police Department available to address concerns and answer questions from the Marquette community, as was seen in a March 10 forum. However, despite the efforts of DPS, some students still have reservations about the level of safety on campus.

“Those crimes were just jarring and shocking,” Julie Knyszek, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “When they’re separated out you don’t think about it as much as when it all happens in one week.”

District 3 does have higher numbers of violent crime than other areas of Milwaukee, but, according to the MPD Web site, violent crime, including robberies, has actually decreased by 62 percent since 1990.

The expansion of DPS, not only in numbers, but in the continual creation of effective student safety programs also affects crime trends. Since his start with DPS in 1985, Captain Russell Shaw said the department has grown three times its original size.

“As far as personal crime goes, since the late 90s, it has decreased at Marquette,” Shaw said. “With the recent spike in robberies, the perception might be the opposite, but in reality the numbers are lower.”

“CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY”

In the most recent robbery that occurred over spring break on W. Wisconsin Ave., Shaw said all of the five suspects came from outside of District 3 to commit the crime.

“The majority of violent crime around campus committed is from those outside our area,” Shaw said. “It’s often a crime of opportunity; in a lot of these cases they’re just riding through here.”

As far as increased security measures are concerned, Shaw said the department continues to add more cameras and has cut vacation time to be able to keep a high level of manpower in the department and more officers on the streets.

“We’re creating more overtime and trying to saturate the area as much as we can to have more squads out there,” Shaw said.

In terms of crime, Marquette is a very safe area to be living in, but taking preventative measures along with gaining a broader understanding of violent crime in the area makes a difference in decreasing a student’s chances of being a victim, said Shaw.

“It’s important to look at the big picture outside the patrol area, students never think crime is going to happen to them and it gets frustrating when students don’t take advantage of the safety programs” Shaw said. “A decent amount of students come from rural areas and it takes time to adjust to the urban environment, but students need to be totally aware of their surroundings.”

Despite complaints that DPS is not always upfront about the nature of the severity of campus crimes, Shaw maintains the department does not try to withhold information.

“We’re not trying to hide things when we put information about an incident out there,” Shaw said.

The need for departmental discretion when dealing with crime information is also present in the relationship between MPD and the public. “We weigh the need for people to know about the crimes with the need for a successful resolution,” MPD District 3 Captain James Harpole said.

A new approach to community policing, with a focus on building and fostering relationships between DPS, MPD and residents of the community is becoming an increasingly prevalent and effective way to control crime.

“It was an error of the past to look at community policing as just a program. It is not a program, but a method of operation, focusing on responding to the needs of the community,” Harpole said. “We are working towards becoming proactive instead of reactive like we are now. Our goal is to get rid of the visible signs of disorder and crime. We need to stop people from coming from other areas into District 3 to buy drugs and sex.”

“INTELLIGENCE LED, DATA DRIVEN AND PROACTIVE”

With the limited resources that exist in all communities, learning to balance and work with budgets at the state and local levels is a recurrent challenge of law enforcement at Marquette and in Milwaukee.

“It can be difficult, because preventing crime is resource intensive, and when there are visible signs that something is happening on the street, it adds to that negative perception of the neighborhood,” Jeffrey Altenburg, Marquette alumnus and Director of the Community Based Prosecution Unit for Milwaukee County, said. “Our early priority has been to get a plan in place, where we’re looking for results on violent crime and we’re committed to use info to get specific resources.”

The emphasis on personal relationships, not only between police and the community but also within the department, is the focus of MPD, which “continues to be intelligence led, data driven and proactive,” Altenburg said.

Graduating from Marquette in 1986, Altenburg said that when he was a student, Public Safety was not the advanced policing force it has since become.

“When I was at Marquette, DPS was more like mall security,” Altenburg said. “But the transformation of the department did not happen overnight, you’ll get returns where you put resources in.”

Despite the strides DPS has and continues to make, the realities of an urban environment make crime nearly inevitable.

“I understand crime is not their fault because there’s only so much power in the department and they’re limited by so many factors,” Knyzsek said. “When crime increases they only use what they have available, but I would like MPD to be more available on campus,” Knyszek said.

Although students’ perceptions may be that more cops equal less crime, Harpole said more cops doesn’t necessarily equate to a safer neighborhood.

“For the number of people at Marquette, crime is low,” Harpole said. “Crime happens everywhere, but in Milwaukee we already have this perception that it’s crime filled, but it’s really an anomaly. You can’t condemn the neighborhood and be paralyzed by fear; sometimes we look at such a small snapshot in time when it’s not always accurate.”

As much as crime is stopped by law enforcement, the prosecution of crime plays a pivotal role in diminishing crime in District 3. However, because of budget restrictions and resource limitations, the District Attorney’s office has looked to alternatives outside the criminal justice system, better suited to deal with specific offenses, Altenburg said.

“We’ve been getting smarter about how you bring people into the criminal justice system, you have to preserve limited resources for violent individuals,” Altenburg said. “We’re not soft on crime, we’re tough on crime, but when you lose 20 prosecutors in the DA’s office you have to make tough decisions.”

In addition to understanding what works in the criminal justice system, Altenburg maintains identity is key to cutting crime.

“More neighborhood identity, and relationships and communication improve crime in the community,” Altenburg said.

THE IMPACT OF THE AVENUES WEST ASSOCIATION

As much as law enforcement and prosecutors impact crime in the area, the redevelopment of the business district around Marquette and revitalization of buildings in the community in recent years has played a critical role in violent crime development.

“There really has been a steady, but dramatic downward trend in crime in District 3,” June Moberly, executive director of the Avenues West Association, the local neighborhood revitalization association said. “The investment and reinvestment in businesses and upgrading buildings in the community has had a real impact.”

The Avenues West Association works with businesses in District 3 to improve property management practices and to create a safer environment. The association also works with landlords in the area, encouraging them not to rent to troubled tenants, said Moberly.

Currently the Association is working on infrastructure reinvestments, pedestrian lightings and 27th St. main streets program in the neighborhood. Business and building improvements to the neighborhood has increased property values in the last 13 years.

According to the Avenues West Association’s 2007 Annual Report in comments made by Association President and Marquette Vice President of the Office of Public Affairs Rana Altenburg, “property values within the Avenues West Business Improvement District rose from $46,524,890 in 1993 to $92,953,229 in 2006.

Despite increased real estate values, poverty is still a concern in District 3. “District 3 is home to a more poverty stricken community, and with that higher level of poverty, there tends to be more crime,” Harpole said.

Along with poverty, the Ambassador Hotel, which catered to prostitutes and extensive drug activity in the mid-80s, also played a large role in crime, and contributed to a perception of the community around Marquette as blighted and dangerous.

“Business districts help communities thrive, but when they decline, and there’s that perception that businesses are boarded up, the trend tends to be that homeowners leave and renters come in,” Harpole said.

However, with neighborhood improvements in Avenues West, there continues to be a stronger element of home ownership. As Marquette also purchases property in the area and renovates it, the perception of District 3 improves.

“The investments Marquette has made have been instrumental in improving the area,” Harpole said. “Marquette’s vision for the area has played a huge role in the rebirth of the region with the Ambassador Hotel renovation and other recent developments.”

Part 2
by Robert Fafinski III

For Mike Heim, senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, though, all these facts and figures came crashing down on him one night in late 2006. On an otherwise normal evening at Marquette, Heim, a thrower on the Track team, was walking back from studying at the Al McGuire Center.

“I saw two black guys coming at me with a purpose, I had a moment of indecision-thought ‘what do I do?’-and then it happened… the first guy grabbed me, pulled me onto the grass. I tensed up to fight, and that’s when I saw the other guy pointing a gun at me.”

Heim is not someone a person would normally associate with being the victim of a crime. A thrower on the Track team, Heim’s size and strength are considered some of his greatest assets. He’s 6’6” and weighs 270 pounds. He is a big guy. But now, Heim realizes his size only gave him a false sense of security.
“I have no more illusions that I can’t get picked on because I’m big,” he said in an interview Monday.

After the initial shock wore off and Heim realized that he was being mugged, he attempted to look at the men for distinguishing features, something he hoped could be used for subsequent police efforts. That’s when the scariest thing happened.

“After the confusion wore off, I started to look up because I may have had to identify the guys. That’s when the guy thrust up the gun at my face and said, ‘Don’t f—— look at me or I’ll shoot your ass.”

It’s at this point that looking back Heim is finally actually able to find a little humor in the incident.
“When he said that, I stuck my chin waaay down on my chest I was so scared I did whatever they said.”

When the men had taken all of Heim’s personal property, they told him to walk back the way he had come while they mad their getaway.

“When they had everything, they said ‘turn back and walk back the way you came- don’t turn around or I’ll shoot you.’ And I believed them.”
Heim then stumbled upon two unsuspecting Marquette women who let him into their apartment and called DPS. Heim was physically safe, but the damage to his psyche was just setting in.

MU RESPONSE “AWESOME”

Marquette University Public Safety acted very professionally and caring, according to Heim. Despite his shaken state, the first officer on the scene was very helpful- suggesting counseling and even giving Heim a pamphlet about identity theft.
“I thought [DPS was] awesome. They were patient because I was speaking a mile a minute. The officer was really nice. He talked to me about victim counseling. He also told me, ‘this is a traumatic crime. If at any point in the future you feel nervous or need someone to talk to, just pick up a Blue Light Phone and one of our officers will just pick you up and drive you home.’”
Heim did, in fact, utilize the victim counseling services offered by Marquette. Often after a traumatic crime, the victim will not feel comfortable talking about his feelings to someone who has not had a shared experience. So Heim was a little apprehensive about going to counseling.

But, he said, “It did help. I mean, those people are trained to understand. It gave me something to bounce my frustrations off of. It was someone to talk to and [Marquette University] really prepared a lot of support for me.”
What was not “awesome” for Heim was the criminal outcome. The two men were never found. They used his debit card a few times over the next hour or so, but then the trail went cold.

MENTAL CONCERNS

When the DPS officers arrived at the apartment after the mugging, Heim was finally safe. The muggers could not get to him. But just because he was physically safe did not mean the damage was done.

It is not easy for Heim to talk about it, but that the mugging really does stay with him on a daily basis while on Marquette’s campus.

“I’m still having trouble with it…It really changes your perception of things,” he said. “I’d hear a noise that usually wouldn’t startle me and I’d jump right out of my seat.”

After the robbery, Heim took steps to avoid being the victim of another traumatic crime. He was much more cognizant of people around him on campus. He used Marquette’s LIMO program. But this year, his vigilance began to wane. But with the recent wave of criminal activity on campus, Heim has largely returned to his vigilant ways.

“You know, I try not to walk home by myself anymore, especially realizing this crime spree recently. I take LIMOS and get rides after the sun goes down,” he said. “Whenever I walk anywhere off of Wisconsin Avenue, my head’s on a swivel.”
In all, Heim says he lost a little over $300 worth of property. Not bad considering he had a pistol pointed at his face for a few minutes. But even worse than the monetary loss for Heim is the loss of innocence.

“The worst thing they did is take away my sense of security,” he said. “Obviously, I wasn’t comfortable here at Marquette.”

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