African Americans students make up 6 percent of the student population at Marquette, less than half the percentage of African Americans that reside in the greater metropolitan community that surrounds campus. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce reported in 2008 that African Americans comprise 16 percent of the city’s population.

Though students of color enroll each year at Marquette, their experiences have come with a variety of triumphs, tribulations and a unique perspective about what life at Milwaukee’s Catholic, Jesuit university has meant for them. For admissions, recruiting African Americans to come to Marquette is an intricate process. The admission staff targets students at both a local and state level. “The local level is the main target with the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) being the hot target,” Latrice Harris-Collins, admission counselor for Marquette’s Multicultural Community Outreach said. “With the Milwaukee schools being our main feeder schools they are selected based off academic rigor,” she said. “It’s not about throwing out t-shirts but getting them ready and telling them to put in the work now.” Besides informing students about the type of coursework needed, and Marquette’s average standardized test scores, the admissions office also aims to prepare students for the reality of a college workload.

“In admissions we work to create opportunities for students to get on cam¬pus and with current students we take them back as Marquette ambassadors to talk to high school students minus the sugar, they have more credibility than we do,” Harris-Collins said. Recruitment efforts in the local area has offered much success for the admissions office with more and more African American students applying. “Showing up in high schools has been most beneficial way for my Milwaukee feeder schools such as Rufus King and Riverside. I talk about application mistakes, quality essays, and making themselves a person over an ID number” said Harris-Collins. Although Harris-Collins said more students of color are applying, a 2009 MPS Research report showed that of the 13,257 students graduating between 2005-2007, only 121 MPS students (2 percent of them) enrolled at Marquette. In terms of recruitment publications and brochures, Collins-Harris said there is no specific one targeted at African American students. “We have a Multicultural Recruitment Committee; we get to give feedback about the publications. Though we have wonderful publications, we know they’re effective, sometimes appearance is everything; if they don’t look like students we’re recruiting, we make it clear,” said Harris-Collins. “Looking at the fall brochures I’ve seen students I recruit with more natural shots being included, we don’t create a separate publication.”

While more and more African Americans are coming to Marquette each year, the cost is still the biggest factor to their decision to attend. One particular program for students is the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP). Originally designed to assist black males, the program now assists students from a variety of nationalities. The EOP primarily focuses on helping finance the education of first generation college students. With 3.7 percent of students in EOP, Marquette is one of the only schools that can provide this type of program to offset costs, Marquette undergraduate admissions office reports. While the program is designed for multicultural students, the EOP does not turn students away based on race. “We never want our white or Asian students to feel they are not qualified because of their race,”said Collins-Harris. “If for example a student is white and fits the financial background EOP aims to help, than we encourage them to apply.”

Regardless of the lower enrollment numbers, African American students from the Milwaukee area and around the country still come to Marquette. However, attending Marquette has had it ups and downs. “For cultural sensitivity it can be quite annoying and frustrating to encounter ignorant and in¬sensitive individuals at an institution of higher learning,” Ewune Ewane, College of Arts and Sciences senior and Black Student Council president said. “It is also angering; one student after learning of my African ancestry, opted to greet me by saying “hakuna matata” from the Lion King.” Dealing with stereotypes has also been a unique experience for students. “On my dorm floor people often asked me to teach them to dance or thought I knew the lyrics to any rap song and after I got into a disagreement with my roommates everyone was scared of me,” Ewane said. Some African American students say they have been asked on occasion if they were on the basketball team. “Since I was tall people would automatically assume I was on the basket-ball team, but those things don’t phase me, as I know if it can happen here it can happen anywhere,” Anthony Nutting, a junior in the College of Communication said. “You have to represent yourself well; sometimes people might think I am not qualified to be here but I take it as a challenge, I like to prove people wrong, and I think I do a pretty good job of doing that.”

For many African American students they have experienced being one of few if not the only African American in their class. “In my English class I was the only black person in there and I remember sitting in the front with everyone staring at me,” said Sarah Bowen a sophomore in the College of Education. Bowen explained a similar experience in another class where she spoke up during a group presentation. “Afterwards people were telling me that I was such a good presenter, they seemed surprised. I took the compliment but are we not all supposed to be good presenters?”

Sometimes students have wondered about the amount of African Americans in their particular area of study. According to the 2009 Marquette Undergraduate Profile, 6.7 percent of the College of Arts and Sciences students are African American. “I don’t know anyone else in the chemistry department who is black,” said Maurice Sharpe a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It hasn’t played that much of a role in my experience so far, I went to Marquette University High School, I know what it’s like,” Sharpe said. “All I do is focus on getting my work done; everyone forms study groups but I have my own goals and make the most of things. I know that Marquette has problems with diversity but you can’t downplay the experience; I’m not sure if other colleges have the kind of equipment in the chemistry department that we do or professors that are world renowned.”

Despite an increase in the overall level of diversity at Marquette, some students feel that while the university is making an effort, more could be done on the students’ end. “While I don’t think the university has enough diversity I know they put in a conscious effort, and I feel like African Americans could meet them halfway,” said Ash¬ton Sago, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore. “The university knows what we look like but they don’t know what we like, we need to push harder by getting more people of color in office, as students we need to tell them what we want.” Students are also sympathetic to the fact that Marquette is not the easiest school to get into. “Diversity here could be better but I know people are doing a great effort to get more students of color to come here,” said College of Health Sciences senior Terrell Freeman. “It’s not like Marquette is the easiest school to get into, and its not a school that African Americans think they can get into or would want to go to. I visited campus three times on a tour and I wasn’t sold on the diversity, but I love what Marquette has to offer and since I’m from here I get to be closer to my relatives.”

Although the 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) around the country are a popular option for African American students, many said they feel a Marquette experience has given them a more realistic worldview.

“There are pros and cons to go¬ing to Marquette and an HBCU,” said Sago. “The fact is that there are six per-cent here and that the real world is not all black, our bosses, our colleagues, in the future may not always be black. I gave myself an extra push to come here so that I would not be afraid to face what the real world looks like.” While there are not many African Americans around campus students of color also feel that being at Marquette can be a mixture of pride and struggle. “Whenever times get bad I think about the people in my family that can’t read and our history of being slaves, and how there was a time we were banned from going to school,” Simone Smith, a sophomore in the College of Communication. “People fought so hard for me to go this school, I feel I should be taking advantage of this opportunity.”

Overall African Americans at Marquette emphasize that while a minority group on campus they simply want to be treated with a level of respect and open-mindedness. “I would like people to know that we are equal and we come in peace (I know I sound like an alien),” said College of Arts and Sciences senior Zach Grandberry. “It is already hard to live in a world where everything is not attainable, but for others they can achieve anything. I just want to be respected and treated as a person and not grouped or categorized because of my race and culture.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Look around Marquette…in every classroom across campus there is crucifix, often with a plaque stating its country of origin. On November 3rd, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes hanging within each classroom in Italy violated “the freedom of parents to educate their children according to their own convictions and of the religious freedom of the students” (CNS).

Unlike the United States in its origin, Italy has been a traditionally Catholic country from birth. Religion and faith are tied very closely to the cultural and historic identity of the Italian people. As is typically the circumstance with many morals-pertaining court cases, the case was brought as an exception to the norm, and now will be enforced upon all. In this particular scenario, the case was submitted by a Finnish-born Italian, who had been fighting for the removal of crucifixes from her sons’ school in Abano Terme (Italy) for almost eight years. In previous attempts to pass the case, Soile Lautsi, the above-mentioned mother, had taken it to Italian courts, where it was refused because of the engrained Catholic cultural identity on Italians. Hence, Lautsi then took the case to the European court located in Strasbourg, France.

In reaction, the Italian government says it will appeal the European court’s decision. Even Mariastella Gelmini, the minister of public education in Italy, believed that the crucifixes “[do] not mean adhesion to Catholicism, but is a symbol of our tradition” (CNS). She even went further, so as to say that “…removing [the symbols] would be to remove a part of ourselves” The Catholic bishops, however, suffered sorrow and grief at the ruling. The Italian Conference of Bishops expressed their disappointment in the following written statement: “It does not take into account the fact that in Italy the display of the crucifix in public places is in line with the recognition of the principles of the Catholicism as ‘part of the historical patrimony of the Italian people,’ as stated in the Vatican/Italy agreement of 1984” (CNN). The bishops also noted the significance of the crucifix is meant for all of humanity, not solely Catholics. The crucifix represents God’s love to every human person, the gift of his life for every member of the human race. Hence, it is a symbol that should be respected and revered by all, whatever the nationality, religion, or age; it is the universal symbol of love that transcends time and space. Must a mother really go to such an extent if she is, in fact, the “exception” in her desire for the removal of crucifixes from her children’s classrooms? Must she really make such a statement? In doing so, she has offended not only Our Lord, but all of Italy, including the wealthy and governmental rulers. As Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re concluded, “It is a God that teaches us to learn to love, to pay attention to each man…and to respect the others, even those who belong to a different culture or religion. How could someone not share such a symbol?”

Popularity: 5% [?]

For centuries, people have debated the merits of drinking alcohol. One of the more current discussions began in the late 1980’s, when French scientist Serge Renauld set out to explain why, despite eating a diet full of cheese, butters, and other saturated fats, the people of France reported few instances of heart disease. Surprisingly, in a 1992 interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Renauld attributed these benefits to alcohol. He claimed that his research showed that red wine, another staple of French cuisine, protected the French against heart disease. Alcohol sales in the US soared and college students everywhere felt a little less guilty.

In the almost twenty years since Renauld’s “60 Minutes” interview, the idea that moderate alcohol intake is good for a person’s health has begun to be incorporated into mainstream knowledge. But what exactly is moderate? And just what types of benefits does a person gain from drinking alcohol?

In many studies, moderate levels of alcohol intake have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.  According to Barbara Troy, Assistant Professor of Dietetics in the College of Health Sciences, “the health edge that’s most provocative right now is in relationship to cardiovascular disease.” She said, “alcohol has a favorable effect on lipid levels because it tends to elevate HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol.” This puts a person at a lower risk of dying from heart disease, the leading cause of death in America. The benefits don’t stop there; other studies have shown that alcohol has a positive effect  in reducing the risk of diseases ranging from gallstones to type II diabetes.

Many of the benefits of red wine have been attributed to the phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, found in it. Some of these phytochemicals are thought to have antioxidant and even anti-cancer effects.  A growing number of studies also show that regardless if a person drinks wine, beer, or spirits, the alcohol in itself contributes to improving health.

But before you raise a glass to your health, it’s important to note that the benefits derived from alcohol come only from moderate intake.  Most college students are well aware of the short-term consequences of drinking too much: loss of coordination, decreased inhibitions, debilitating hangovers. The long term risks, which include liver disease, weight gain, certain cancers, mental health problems, and even reduced fertility are even more serious.

Yet college campuses are notorious for promoting binge drinking habits, and Marquette University is no exception. AJ Hill, a senior co-op in the College of Engineering, said “students here don’t drink moderately. They drink five to ten drinks on one or two nights a week.”  In such an atmosphere, it can be difficult to discern what truly constitutes moderate alcohol intake.

Troy, citing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, objectively defines moderate drinking as one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. One drink consists of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. Troy said, “once you cross that line, the risk benefit ratio starts to change.” Any possible benefit derived from moderate intake is almost certainly negated once a person starts to drink in excess.

Other guidelines state that in order for a person to derive health benefits from alcohol, drinks cannot be “stockpiled.” This means the benefits derived from drinking once every day for a week are not similarly seen in a person that abstains all week and drinks seven drinks on Friday night. Even though a person may not exceed their weekly drink allowance, Troy emphasizes that with such behavior, “the benefits simply will not follow.”

Furthermore, there are some groups of people who simply should not drink alcohol. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with liver or pancreatic disease, and those who are on certain antibiotics are all groups of people who should not consume any alcohol.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is no reason for any person to start drinking in order to gain these benefits.  The benefits that alcohol confers are modest, and all can be achieved by alterations in diet and lifestyle. For example, the phytochemicals found in red wine are present in grapes, and modest aerobic exercise has also been shown to increase HDL levels.

So this holiday season, raise a glass to your  health (or don’t).  But if you do, remember the key word when it comes to drinking alcohol for health benefits: moderation.

Popularity: 4% [?]

In 2009, Marquette University will be conferring six honorary degrees.  The individuals receiving the honors are selected through an annual nomination process.  Father Robert. A Wild, S.J. said “they should be outstanding individuals who are recognized for their scholarship or for excellence in achievement.  This achievement may be shown by acknowledged leadership in a profession or by exemplary service to society.  In all cases there must be an appropriateness of the nominees to the distinctive mission and values of Marquette University.”

Marquette has the list of recipients of honorary degrees listed on their website through 1980.  Since 1980, a total of 131 honorary degrees have been given.  The process is as follows: nominations are open for a period of time, the nominations gathered are given to the Committee on University Honors for consideration.  Father Wild then gives the short list of names to the Board of Trustees; the Board approves those on the list they believe to be worthy and then Father Wild takes those names from the Board to invite recipients to Marquette where they will receive their honorary degrees.

This year, as mentioned earlier, Marquette will be gifting 6 honorary degrees.  The recipients are, Frank Busalacchi, Clifford G. Christians, Shirin Ebadi, Dick Enberg, Maria Rosa Leggol, and Helen Prejean.  Here is a bit of information about these recipients.

Frank Busalacchi is the Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation and was the leader in the state’s efforts to complete the Marquette Interchange project, the largest construction job in the state to date.  He was presented by Dr. Stan Jaskolski, the OPUS Dean of the College of Engineering.  According to Jaskolski, he nominated Busalacchi for the degree of Doctor of Laws “because of his distinguished commitment to public service and to the people of the State of Wisconsin.”

Clifford G. Christians was nominated by Dr. William Thorn, a journalism professor in the College of Communication.  Christians is one of the world’s leading media ethics scholars and has had a 30 year career in ethical studies, he has examined and written about ethical implications for journalists in democratic societies and other media professions.  He received an honorary Doctor of Letters “because of his important contributions to the philosophy of technology, media ethics, and communication theory,” Thorn said.

Shirin Ebadi was both the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive a Nobel Peace prize.  This honor was bestowed on her in 2003 for her “pioneering work for democracy and human rights, tirelessly advocating on behalf of women and children.”  She was nominated by the Dean of Marquette’s Law School, Joseph Kearny, because of “her exemplary career as a lawyer, judge, writer, and activist on behalf of our human family.”  She has worked diligently in the legal system for the rights of those who have been victim of extremist interpretations of the law of Islam and continuously works for peaceful solutions to social problems in a contemporary Islamic world.

Dick Enberg is one of the most awarded men in sports.  He already has 14 Emmys, including a lifetime achievement award, 15 Sportscaster of the Year awards, and several other big titles.  He was nominated by Phylis Ravel, a professor of the Performing Arts.  Enberg has become a sports icon in the broadcasting world and was nominated because of “his distinguished career as a broadcaster, writer, philosopher, educator and playwright.”  He was also May’s commencement speaker.

Sister Maria Rosa Leggol never received a formal education past the fifth grade, but through her work as a sister, she has helped over 40,000 orphans in Honduras.  She is celebrating her 60th year of religious life in 2009 and throughout this time, she has comforted the dying, educated, fed the living, and convinced several other agencies to help the suffering in Honduras.  She was nominated by Senior Vice President Thomas Peters, for “her extraordinary acts of compassion, for being an inspiration to people all over the world, and for exemplifying the spirit of magis by being a woman for others.”

Sister Helen Prejean was nominated by Fr. Harak, the Director of the Center for Peacemaking.  Her work has helped formally shape and vocalize the Catholic Church’s stance on the death penalty.  Prejean’s passion for the subject stemmed from her correspondence as a spiritual advisor with a death row inmate.  She now spends much time counseling death row inmates as well as acting as an advocate of the Pro-Life position.  Her book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty, was a New York Times best seller and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Clearly honorary degrees are conferred for a variety of different reasons and talents as demonstrated by the diverse set of honorees this year.

Popularity: 4% [?]

This issue of The Warrior is filled with something for everyone. We have a piece on the MUSG Student Organization Allocation Committee, an investigation on religious freedom and proselytism on campus, a winter sports preview and even a wedding announcement.

The Warrior continues to exist through the support of the Marquette student body, our advertisers and a dedicated group of staff writers, editors and business managers, all who work hard to deliver a real student voice in campus journalism and a fair, investigative look at campus issues that would otherwise go unreported. Our paper receives a diverse range of responses from readers: some hate us, some love us, and some are indifferent, but the response I find most appalling is the one we so often get from Marquette’s own administrators, faculty and staff. Although there are those who do support our efforts and have been very helpful, we continue to be routinely stonewalled by certain departments on campus for either no reason at all or for bureaucratic desires to protect and shield the University from a critical eye.

The pushback from Marquette has occurred since our founding in 2005, but this issue’s center spread provides a clear example of what continues to occur when our reporters ask for comment.

In this issue’s feature, comment was requested from Campus Ministry regarding their role in the formation and implementation of the University Religious Activities Policy. I received no response from most people I contacted in that department, but one staff member e-mailed me and refused to comment because of the paper’s continued embrace of the name “The Warrior”, which he said reflected an “unfortunate part of our Marquette history.”

If Marquette exists, as we so often hear, to not only educate students but facilitate debate and the exchange of ideas on campus, why are some at Marquette so reluctant to provide comment to a completely student-run paper like The Warrior seeking to do just that? The Warrior exists to support the free exchange and discussion of ideas on campus, and we welcome a robust debate regardless of one’s background, ideology or views. Don’t agree with an article we’ve published? Write in, contribute! Want another side represented or have an idea for a story or an issue to be investigated? Let us know and we’ll do our best to find the answers for you.

As a proud Marquette student, it is truly disheartening to see such a closed-minded and unwelcoming attitude from so many in the administration and various departments across campus. I would hope University administrators, faculty and staff would be proud to see Marquette students dedicated to the pursuit of truth in print with no strings attached, no subsidies from the College of Communication, and no oversight from a faculty member; just students, caring enough to face the challenges of working on an independent paper and dedicated enough to stand outside in wind, rain and snow to pass our product out.

But unfortunately that hope has yet to be realized.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Proselytizing is generally understood to be the act of converting one to a specific religion or belief. Marquette has had an evolving policy on the issue, but now uniformly bans active proselytizing by any University affiliated individuals or organizations.

“Accept Jesus, save yourself from the hell you deserve.” The shouts rise above the noise of traffic on Wisconsin Avenue as “Good News” pamphlets are extended to hurried students on their way to class.

Know what proselytism is? If not, you do know. You’ve just experienced it.

Proselytizing is generally understood to be the act of converting one to a specific religion or belief. Marquette has had an evolving policy on the issue, but now uniformly bans active proselytizing by any University affiliated individuals or organizations.

Dr. Christopher Miller, Vice President for Student Affairs said the policy is “more of an operational, logistical piece…it’s not a single entity, it’s a broad based policy.”

The Office of Student Development (OSD) updated the Religious Activities Policy last year, adding the phrase, “and their activities,” to its description of protocol regarding religious event approval.

The inclusion of “activities” in the scope of the University’s proselytizing policy has been felt by evangelical Christian student groups on campus, who say that since the change, OSD has restricted many of their outreach events. One student organization, the non-denominational Christian group, Campus Crusade for Christ was also asked to change their mission statement and re-submit their constitution.

Campus Crusade was asked to remove phrases from its purpose statement that Dr. Jon Dooley Senior Associate Dean of Student Development said, “could appear to contradict the University’s Religious Activities Policy” including, “winning, to lead others to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior” and the organization’s mission as “turn[ing] lost students into Christ centered laborers.”

Michael Waller, a junior in the College of Engineering who runs Campus Crusade’s Men’s Ministry and is on the organization’s core leadership team said this year there has been an increase in OSD and Campus Ministry restrictions and stipulations to their outreach events.

“We have engaged in outreach/evangelism activities in the past which have never clashed with MU’s proselytizing policy before…even though these policies have always been here, they have never been enforced as they are this year,” Waller said.

Dooley said the addition to the Religious Activities Policy did not represent a change in how the policy was implemented, but rather just clarified the existing expectations that were in practice. “No changes were made in how those events were reviewed or approved, it was simply an addition to help organization leaders,” Dooley said.

Student Development does consult and collaborate with Campus Ministry regarding the University proselytizing policy and approval of religious events, but Campus Ministry declined to comment on their role in the implementation of the policy.

Although OSD says there has been no change in the approval process of religious events, other campus Christian groups say they are experiencing a tightening in event rules as well.

Matthew Gerhard, a senior in the College of Engineering and president of the non-denominational student group, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Marquette said that although his organization was not required to resubmit their constitution, OSD and Campus Ministry are “enforcing their rules and regulations much more strictly than ever before.”

Gerhard said earlier in the semester OSD cracked down on a survey the group was distributing because it was interpreted as proselytizing and therefore “unacceptable.”

“They had us redo the survey and make it completely anonymous and we weren’t allowed to talk to anyone taking the survey. They said this had mostly to do with survey policy,” Gerhard said.

While activities such as “personal witnessing, Scripture study, worship, discussion, faith sharing” are appropriate, they “cannot be done for the purpose of converting others,” Dooley said. “The goal of “winning” people for Christ or “changing” or “converting” them is proselytizing and is contrary to the Religious Activities Policy,” he said.

Both Waller and Gerhard agree that Marquette’s ban on proselytizing through the Religious Activities policy is too restrictive. “Personally I think Marquette’s proselytizing policy does go too far in curbing student’s religious freedom on campus. Christians are commanded by God to spread the gospel in both word and action,” Waller said.

“I think what OSD is comfortable with in terms of evangelism is to allow students to come to us and then we can say what we want to say; they don’t want us going to students and saying what we want to say,” Gerhard said. “They want a very passive form of evangelism.”

The Definition Debate

The University’s evolving definition and classification of proselytism has been a contentious issue at Marquette for decades with much of the debate has focused on Marquette’s Catholic identity and obligation as a Catholic institution.

The current Religious Activities Policy currently provides two definitions for proselytizing:

1. “the University does not allow any other individual or organization to actively proselytize its members…That is, no individual or organization can coerce or pressure others or misrepresent themselves,”

2. “No individual or organization…may hold activities on campus the specific purpose of which is to proselytize, that is to make converts of members of the university community to another church or religious affiliation.”

The University’s classification of proselytism has been debated in years past and remains a point of contention for student groups like Campus Crusade and InterVarsity.

“Not only does Marquette’s policy on proselytizing curb students’ freedom, but it also is difficult to understand exactly how they define proselytizing,” Waller said. “In one sentence they refer to proselytizing as coercion and pressure while in another it is referred to as making converts of a person, which are two very different things.”

Dr. Christopher Wolfe, Marquette Professor Emeritus of Political Science and current co-director of the Ralph McInerny Center for Thomistic Studies, said the policy is well-intentioned, but not very coherent or precise.

Wolfe said that while he agrees with the University’s prohibition of coercion or misrepresentation of any kind, the policy goes too far in equating all proselytism with any effort to convert others – “even, apparently, if there is no coercion or pressure or misrepresentation,” Wolfe said.

“…Isn’t it an obligation of all Christians to help others come freely to see the truth of Christianity as they understand it?  I think the answer is clearly ‘yes,’” Wolfe said.

Wolfe also disputed the policy back in 1988 when changes were made by Campus Ministry to restrict proselytism that did not include coercion or misrepresentation. In a 1988 memo to then Director of Campus Ministry, Fr. David Haschka, Wolfe disputed the University’s across the board ban on proselytism, writing, “I think a bald prohibition of proselytism would be incompatible with the Catholic, Christian and Jesuit character of Marquette.”

In his letter, Wolfe cites the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Liberty, stating that the Declaration “asserts the right of religious communities ‘not to be prevented from publicly teaching and bearing witness to their beliefs by the spoken or written word.’” The Declaration also indicates that there are reasonable limits that should be considered.

Dooley said that Marquette does support the Declaration on Religious Liberty and that the University is committed to the quest for truth, “which implies the need for investigation, conversation, and dialogue,” Dooley said. “Religious questions are part of that search and part of students’ development of a religious identity.”

But for Wolfe, Marquette’s definition of proselytizing and Religious Activities Policy remains muddled.

“I think what has happened is twofold.  First, people have rightly become more sensitive about coercion, pressure, misrepresentation, and harassment.  That’s good.  But, second, many people have come to adopt a position of religious indifferentism:  it doesn’t matter what you believe, but only that you are sincere. That is a deep misunderstanding of Christianity,” Wolfe said, “Sincerity is good, but believing the real truth matters.”

Popularity: 3% [?]

A few weeks back Christopher West came to University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee to speak about Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. While the speech itself was extremely interesting, many of the Marquette students who attended wondered why a presentation like this has not been put on at our own campus or why there has generally been a lack of speakers visiting this University over the past few semesters.

This has not always been the case. Two years ago student organizations at Marquette had invited so many different speakers that it was impossible to attend them all. Some of the most notable was the production of “Porn Nation,” and two extremely interesting speeches by Reza Aslan and former Attorney General John Ashcroft. But since this period there have been increasingly less and less high profile speakers coming to this University, while UWM has consistently been able to attract exciting, controversial speakers such as Walid Shoebat.

While Marquette University could certainly do a lot more to attract interesting speakers with extremely important messages like Christopher West, much of the fault lies with us – the students. As members of various student organizations we must take the necessary steps to search out and ask different speakers to come to this campus to discuss topics relevant to that particular organization.

But rather than making an effort to search out speakers that would be both interesting and relevant, we have gotten lazy, resorting simply to having  a campus showing of a certain film that we could just as easily watch on our own.
All of us only have a short time here at Marquette, and we need to make the most of this opportunity. We should all be striving to learn as much as we can not only in our classes and from fellow students but from people who have actually had experiences and have acquired knowledge they can impart to us.

These different perspectives will further a free market of ideas that will help students better understand the world and the problems we will all face in the future. We should be making an effort to ask speakers from many different backgrounds who can discuss specific topics relevant to our world today. This will not only allow us to better understand the world we live in but will also allow us to better determine what type of life we will choose to lead.

Popularity: 8% [?]

I sat down to write an editorial about the foreign relations issues that will face President – elect Obama in the coming years. I intended to focus mostly on Russia for this particular article, simply because they have been the most vocal thorn in Mr. Obama’s side since he won the election. However, after two years of election cycles and several straight articles covering important issues, I decided it would do me a great deal of good not to contemplate the election or foreign relations, the economy or the inexplicable reason that Rex Grossman was re-signed by the Chicago Bears for at least a week or two.

Then I ran into another problem: What should I write about? We at the Warrior try to keep the paper roughly focused on things that are “MU student – centric,” meaning the things that specifically apply to Marquette students and hold their interest. This is a good strategy. Writing about things people care about on campus will probably help circulation. Taking this guideline I continued to brainstorm for a topic that fit well and, surprisingly, I found that I was having trouble coming up with anything, or more accurately, I was having a hard time coming up with something that didn’t fit.

Marquette is an insulated community within the greater Milwaukee community. We have to worry about achieving measurable goals and standards within a classroom setting. We wonder which parties we should attend in what order on any given weekend, and most of us wonder why that crazy guy in the 1980s station wagon covered in writing with the loud speaker believes looking like an insane hippie blaring unintelligible speeches will persuade anyone to do whatever it is, exactly, that he is trying to get us to do. That’s the thing, while we all have a lot in common by way of our common alma mater, our interests and concerns are as diverse as the people who come here to get their education. We have pro-life students placing crosses on the quad, students raising awareness about homelessness sleeping in boxes near the union. There are medieval knights on horseback galloping across the quad from time to time and there are other students handing out copies of some news paper that the university won’t let them distribute next to the Tribune.

Marquette strives to construct graduates capable of “being the difference.” There are no concrete suggestions on how one should go about making that difference. Once we leave Marquette, those things that we have in common, that may be defined as “MU student-centric” will change. There will be no more college parties to choose between and no one will be issuing us grades on how we are living our lives. What will remain common between us are the interests and passions discovered and developed during our short tenures here. Everything that is going on in the world is Marquette student – centric, because one of the only real commonalities we have is that sooner or later we will be venturing out into that world and it would be best that we, as capable college graduates, have an interest in that world and some small idea in mind to help make it better. Not everyone has to join the Peace Corps or the Navy to make an impact, but it is important that every graduate has some understanding about what is going on in the world, because it is only through understanding the issues and what the underlying causes are that we are able to take action to make a change.

In the next Warrior, I will most likely choose another one of these issues to write about and offer my opinion or suggestions on. But don’t take my word for it – I have no more experience than anyone else on this campus and probably have considerably less than many of you. Writing on it simply sparks discussion, with the benign hope that perhaps you may be persuaded to form an opinion or take some form of action. Knowledge is indeed power, and I urge you to stay informed and take an interest in the world around you. Substitute one show on VH-1 with a rundown of today’s news on CNN. Grab the paper and find an article that interests you and pay attention to how the knowledge you gain here at Marquette can be used for others. Laying these foundations while in college is essential for successful future endeavors to make a change in whatever area captures your concern. Marquette doesn’t tell you how you should be the difference; it is simply the common effort put forth to make some sort of change that defines Marquette Student Centricity.

Popularity: 11% [?]

This past Friday afternoon, President Bush set a historic precedent when he signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The bill, referred to by many as the “bailout bill”, is the culmination of two weeks of bipartisan work in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It allows the federal government to purchase up to 700 billion dollars worth of troubled assets, specifically mortgaged-backed securities, in hopes of stabilizing the economy and improving investor confidence. Ultimately, the government hopes to resell the purchased assets at a profit ensuring, according to President Bush, that “the cost to taxpayers will be far less than the initial outlay.”

But what exactly is “far less” than $700 billion? And as a Marquette student, who does not own a home nor have significant amounts of money invested in freefalling stocks, you may ask yourself, why am I being asked to pay to stabilize a situation in which I seem to have so little invested?

Many students at Marquette recognize the transient nature of their residence in Milwaukee, so they rent apartments, rather than purchase homes. They take on demanding course loads, which leaves few students time enough to maintain full-time employment. The lack of a full-time job certainly leaves most students without an excessive amount of disposable income, but it also means that they don’t have life savings, our future children’s college funds or our own retirement funds tied up in plummeting stocks.

So, as someone who is not watching their home value decline or their life savings evaporate, as someone who could have very well continued on with daily life oblivious to any sort of fluctuation in the stock market, turning on the television and hearing President Bush proclaim that America was in an economic “crisis” seemed a bit dramatic. Few Marquette students, if any, were glued to the television as the bailout bill was debated in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and very few singled out the bill as their sole topic of conversation. Blame what some students and faculty refer to as the ‘Marquette bubble’, but around campus, there did not seem to be an extreme amount of concern for recent economic events, and certainly nothing approaching panic.

However, the contents of this bill and the precedents its passage has set are of grave importance for all Americans. Never before have taxpayers been asked to become so deeply involved in the events of Wall Street. To many Americans, intense government participation in the private business sector seems fundamentally against the principles of capitalism upon which this country’s economic system are founded. Yet this bill forces all Americans to become invested, through their tax dollars, in the fates of private businesses, and in doing so sets a dangerous precedent for future levels of government involvement in the private business sector.

Most Marquette students are at the mere dawn of their tax-paying careers; for many, their investment in the federal government will only increase. With the federal government long operating in the red, the passage of an additional $700 billion bill adds further burden to the already unenviable position of young American taxpayers. However, the real issue is not the $700 billion check that Congress just forced taxpayers to sign. Unfortunately, this piece of legislature is a mere symptom of some fundamental problems in this country’s economic system.
According to Dr. Abdur R. Chowdhury, professor of economics in Marquette’s College of Business Administration, the current economic problems were created by inadequate regulation of private businesses. “It started with the housing market. Lenders gave out mortgage loans without looking at buyers income or wealth.” And although there were laws that regulated the actions of these lenders, “…they were never effectively enforced.” Thus many Americans were approved for loans on homes that they could not really afford. The lack of oversight allowed lenders to make these risky loans, which lead to an increase in demand for mortgages and an apparent increase in property value.

However, most lenders knew and chose to ignore the fact that the recipients of their loans would not be able to pay them back. These lenders accumulated millions of risky mortgages and used falsely inflated property values to back up the assets of many non-housing related companies. Many unqualified buyers soon began to default on their loans, increasing the number of foreclosures. Property values began to decline as more and more homes became available, leaving many homeowners owing more on their mortgage than their house was actually worth.
Furthermore, the investments backed by these mortgages began to collapse and affect assets of non-housing related companies, such as Lehman Brothers and AIG. The decline of mortgage-backed assets has drastically decreased these firms’ capital and liquidity. Across the country, banks have become wary of lending money and often impose extremely high interest rates on the loans that they do grant. The recent sudden withdrawal of credit has paralyzed businesses that rely on daily credit use, and driven many into bankruptcy. The entire financial institution is currently taking the hit for the reckless business strategies of mortgage lenders. The federal government has tried to remedy the situation by buying up the mortgage-basked assets from banks. This will release banks from their ties to these impaired assets and hopefully encourage further lending between banks to eventually stabilize the financial market. Ultimately, the sheer enormity of the $700 billion bailout bill is indicative of just how grave America’s economic troubles have become. To Americans heavily invested in the fate of the market system, the bill still does little to soothe the well-founded fears about their investments. To every American, the passage of this bill should drive home the message that this country’s future economic security is far from guaranteed.

Though many Marquette students are not part of the group that is heavily invested in the fate of the market, we will still see the effects of the current economic situation in many different areas. Marquette students nearing graduation will enter a job market drastically different from just five or ten years ago.

According to Chowdhury, “Business firms have been affected by the lack of liquidity. Firms will take on a waiting attitude; they will not invest, expand, hire.” Indeed, a government report issued last Friday reveals that September was the ninth straight month of job loss in the United States, and the largest monthly job decline in the past five years. This means that unemployment rates, already at 6.1%, will likely continue to rise. For companies looking to scale down their budgets, paid internships are usually the first things to get cut. That means many of the jobs Marquette students held last summer might not be available come this May, or might not be paid positions. Marquette seniors graduating this year will likely find themselves entering a job market with fewer opportunities and far more competition. This trend will also affect graduates applying to graduate school; as fewer people are able to find jobs, more and more will choose to go back to school, increasing competition for entry into the school, for scholarships and for grants.

One of the more immediate and most relevant concerns for many Marquette students will center on student loans. Recently, there has been a drastic decrease in the market’s liquidity. This means that banks are unable to or are extremely cautious about lending money, which is typical behavior in a recession. As credit institutions become increasingly wary of lending money, the opportunities for funding student loans diminishes. Students receive either federal loans, such as a Stafford or a Perkins Loan, or private loans, from private banks or companies such as Astrive Student Loans and Sallie Mae. Of the two, private loan institutions are the first to be affected by changes in the market. The federal government does not guarantee these private loans, so banks run the risk of students defaulting on their loans. Companies like Sallie Mae, which grants both private and federally backed loans, grant private loans by borrowing money from other investors and lend that money out to students. The companies make a profit when students pay back their loans plus interest.

However, with less money available for lending, there is widespread fear that the initial rate at which these companies borrow money will be higher than what they will earn from lending this money out to students. Investors in these private companies are becoming increasingly unconvinced that companies like Sallie Mae will be able to turn a profit, and thus increasingly unwilling to invest in them. Indeed, Sallie Mae reported over 1.5 billion dollars in losses at the end of last year and, despite a stronger performance this year, has still watched its market value plummet over 50 percent in the past four months. To address these investors’ fears and the financial losses these companies have experienced over the past months, many companies such as Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo have made large cuts in the number of student loans they grant, or have stopped making private student loans entirely. The companies that continue to grant students private loans are raising interest rates and tightening restrictions on which applicants receive loans, decisions that will no doubt affect Marquette students who rely on private loans.

However, even Marquette students who rely on federal, not private, loans to assist them in paying for tuition may eventually feel the effects of the nation’s economic situation. These federal loans are far more common than private loans. In some cases, the loans that Marquette students receive passes directly from the federal government to the university and then to the student. In 75 percent of cases, students receiving a federal student loan receive a second type of loan, one that is funded by private capital and made available through private companies such as JP Morgan Chase or Citibank. However, the federal government guarantees these loans, so banks assume no risk of student default. Furthermore, the federal government guarantees the interest rate on these loans, so any change in the rate would require a change in federal law. This further removes their interest rates from influence of the market, and makes it less likely that student with federal loans will see increased rates. Last year, Congress approved legislation to secure money for federal student loans through the 2009-2010 academic year, so students relying on these loans appear to be safe for now. However, if the national trend of decreased capital availability continues, even federal loan lenders could find themselves unable to secure money for student loans. For Marquette students with federal loans who will not graduate before July 2010, the fate of the federal loan program remains an issue.

The recession will undoubtedly be felt right here on campus as well. Many states are already trimming down educational costs by cutting courses, programs and other student activities. As a private university, many of these government cuts will not have an effect on Marquette. However, that does not mean the university will not be influenced by market changes. On the contrary, Marquette’s status as a private university requires that it rely heavily on private donations. Though many of the large donations that we hear about—the $25 million and $50 million donations to the engineering college this past year, for example—are made in anonymity, it is important to remember that these donors are not just nameless entities, infinitely wealthy and impervious to economic changes. They are real people, Marquette alumni and friends, and their gifts create the experiences that all current Marquette students share. Their donations cover the 38 percent of the cost of education not covered by yearly tuition. They have created and continue to sustain scholarships like the Raynor and Ignatius Scholarship, as well as Marquette’s student-athlete scholarships. These donations also contribute to campus safety programs and access to and improvement of student computer labs, as well as sustain numerous extracurricular activities.

From just that brief, incomplete overview of how donations benefit the lives of Marquette students, it is obvious that the extent upon which the university relies on the generosity of these donors cannot be overstated. As the country’s economic situation continues to decline, these donations will unquestionably drop. Speaking at the MUSG-sponsored forum on September 30, Father Wild acknowledged the donors’ vital role in maintaining and developing the university, and admitted that the “environment for fundraising is a lot tougher than it’s been.” To the many Marquette students who benefit from the university’s current donor-sponsored programs, that is an extremely concerning statement. Obviously, the university will have to respond to the decrease in donations, and how they address the situation will assuredly impact the lives of students However, Marquette University has weathered troubled economic times before, and for all those students anxious about how the university will address the problems of the coming recession, it is reasonable to examine how the university handled itself in a previous financial crises.

In 1931, the university was set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Father William Magee, president of the university since 1928, was in the midst of planning a large celebration and a fundraising drive when October 24, the infamous black Thursday, came and sent the country spiraling into what is now known as the Great Depression. Federal student loans as most Marquette students know them had not yet been created, and as more Americans fell upon hard times, many families could not afford full tuition. Thus the number of full-time Marquette students decreased. The rise in unemployment also meant increased competition for any work, and the part-time jobs once available to students became scarce. As private donations used to fund undergraduate scholarships decreased, the awards and the students who relied on them disappeared from campus.

The decrease in students put further financial strain on the private, tuition-dependant university. Aside from canceling both the celebration and the drive for funds, Father Magee was forced to take other actions to keep the University from closing. Cuts were first made in the arts; the College of Music was officially closed in the summer of 1930 and the radio station disappeared in 1934. Student publications, including the Marquette Tribune, the Hilltop and the Marquette Journal were more than once threatened by a lack of funding, and all were forced to significantly reduce their size. Periodical subscriptions and the amount of new book purchases in the library were slashed, as were faculty salaries. As the budget grew increasingly tight, Marquette began to hire more and more Jesuit priests to save money on faculty salaries.

Since the nature of Marquette University as a private, tuition-dependant institution has not changed, previous responses to an increasingly tight budget are still relevant to students today; if the University falls upon hard times again, students can expect to see the same sort of actions taken in the past. Ultimately, it seems increasingly unlikely that students and the university will remain unaffected by the current economic troubles. Certainly those poised to graduate and move beyond the Marquette campus will be forced to address those troubles sooner than some other students. However, this recession will eventually have profound affects on all of us, and the university, as well as each individual student, must be prepared to address what are sure to be difficult times ahead.

Popularity: 20% [?]

ESTABLISHING THE DRINKING AGE AT 19 WILL KEEP ALCOHOL OUT OF HIGH SCHOOLS

The age old debate regarding the drinking age has once again appeared in the media over the last couple months. Many universities’ chancellors and presidents have recently signed the Amethyst Initiative, requesting a public debate on the drinking age.
In short, the universities feel the higher drinking age has failed to work and has instead created a dangerous environment that encourages binge drinking. Opponents to the initiative argue that high school drinking is down since the drinking age was changed to 21 in 1984 and that alcohol related fatalities, particularly on the road, among 18 to 20-year-olds have decreased.
When the legitimate pros and cons to both sides of this issue are weighed, a logical and feasible solution is to establish the drinking age at nineteen. Nineteen would preclude high school seniors from buying alcohol and thereby continue to restrict the availability of alcohol in high schools.
The vast majority of college freshmen choose to drink upon their arrival on campus regardless of the drinking age. Because underclassmen cannot legally drink, there is an underground, unregulated binge drinking movement that has been seen and noted by many education professionals across the country.
If the drinking age were set at nineteen, at some point during their first year away from home college freshmen could begin to drink openly and away from the pressure to drink to intoxication that is common in illicit drinking situations.
An 18-year-old is considered mature enough to make intelligent choices regarding elections and tobacco, and is permitted to join the military at great personal risk, so it seems absurd to say they are still too immature to drink responsibly.
Advertisements for alcohol products are everywhere. Given the consistent reinforcement of pro-alcohol messages, it is to be expected that young adults will want to drink. When they cannot drink openly until they are three years removed from their homes, opportunities to teach responsible drinking are missed completely and young adults arrive at college with no idea about tolerance levels or responsible drinking. If the drinking age were nineteen, seniors in high school could receive timely alcohol education courses similar to driver’s education offered shortly before students turn sixteen.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and other organizations also argue that underage Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests are down. This is largely a separate issue – law enforcement has done an admirable job cracking down on drunk drivers.
Proper alcohol education in high schools could further attenuate DUI’s and being able to drink openly lends itself to being able to drink responsibly.
It’s much easier to arrange a ride or make plans to stay somewhere when someone can be open about the fact that they are going to be drinking. Considering the fact that most underage people choose to drink regardless of the law, it does not make sense that allowing them to do so openly would in turn promote illegal behavior.
Those who make the selfish decision to put others at risk by driving drunk will, unfortunately, probably continue to do so regardless of the drinking age. Proper education and more crackdowns seem to be much more sensible ways of combating drunk driving.
While there are legitimate concerns on both sides of the drinking age debate, the age of nineteen seems to be a logical compromise. It still effectively keeps high school students from purchasing alcohol and would allow parents and high schools to offer timely drinking education classes and advice.
Being able to drink openly would encourage respect for the law and allow young people to openly arrange for rides or places to stay to avoid driving drunk.
And perhaps most reasonably, if someone is judged fit to go into combat and choose the next president of our country, I certainly hope they can handle having a beer.

Popularity: 9% [?]