Classwork

Journalism 2100: Community Reporting

The final project for my Community Reporting course was to create a multimedia package about a social justice issue.

My group chose civil access to justice and my portion of the project narrowed in on the Lawyer for a Day program, a partnership between Marquette Law School, Sojourner Family Peace Center and Quarles & Brady LLP that provides representation to domestic violence victims seeking a restraining order.

My video was the most challenging part of this project. Technological glitches like lost video files and encrypted data slowed me down. I probably spent a solid twenty hours on editing the two-minute video alone (I have a much greater appreciation for full-length movies now!). This was the first multimedia package I created and I am quite proud of my results!

A look at the man behind the camera

* For this assignment, we reported on a guest speaker, Mike de Sisti, multimedia picture editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It’s clear Mike de Sisti belongs behind the lens.

His outfit, comprised of blue jeans and an untucked, rolled-up plaid button-down shirt, is relaxed and fuss-free. The way he hovers near his laptop, ready to move on to the next slide, suggests he’s afraid to meander to the middle of the classroom during his presentation to Marquette journalism students. His first slide is plain Jane – just his name, e-mail, and Twitter handle.

“That’s me,” he awkwardly gestures.

But his ordinary appearance, weak presentation skills, and inept introduction were soon forgotten Wednesday as his next thirty slides demonstrated his photographic prowess.

De Sisti began as a photographer for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, but his love for photography developed at the ripe age of nine when he got his first 8 mm camera. After graduating from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1996, he entered the world of journalism with just his passion and a fine art photography degree.

De Sisti branched out to include videography in his duties because he said it “tells a little bit more of a story.” He demonstrated this by adding audio to a photo slideshow of children running a lemonade stand.

De Sisti’s current job description also includes training new reporters on how to shoot still photography and video.

“Always try to do something just a little bit different,” de Sisti emphasized as one of his tips for rookie photographers. “Get your safe shot and then mix it up with something new.”

His advice was evidenced by the wide variety of shots in his videos which he termed “B-roll,” the tape that accompanies an interviewee’s audio.

While he lectured students on the importance of shooting lots of B-roll, he deemed audio as “king” to the entire video process. Audio is what connects viewers to the “character” of the story whether it be a flagpole climber, train snack seller, or state fair musician.

Though de Sisti is known for his more quirky, fluffy pieces, he is more than capable of capturing more challenging, complex characters. He documented his 95-year old neighbor, Lester Wile, who died six months after his tribute was filmed. While de Sisti joined the students in watching every other video, for this one, he turned away from the screen.

It’s clear from this that storytelling is not just a job for him; it is a way of life. On one of his days off, he shot a video of himself raking leaves and messed around with production techniques to speed up the elapsed time.

His way of life is not something he brags about, though it would be understandable when one sees the long list of events he has covered as the multimedia picture editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the past four years, he documented several presidential races, China’s paper industry, and several major sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the MLB All-Star Game.

He only mentioned the Super Bowl in class, but that was only because he showed a clip of Super Bowl fans pronouncing tricky Wisconsin names. All of his other more exciting events weren’t shown to students and instead replaced with his work on people.

This may shed light on how he conducts his interviews.

“The million dollar question you want to ask is why,” he said. “What drives him? What motivates her? Why do they get up in the morning?”

Well, we’ve found Mike’s answer to the million dollar question.

15 minutes at 12th and Wisconsin Ave.

* For this assignment, Dr. Byers gave us fifteen minutes to run around campus and find out anything we could use for a feature story. He then gave us roughly forty-five minutes to write a feature story about what we found.

Bus stops are a place of transition. People come, people wait, people leave – most within a span of fifteen minutes. Never have I really seen the temporary residents conversing. It seems like everyone leaves without their story told.

After a long day serving food at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Janet was finally heading home. Her wrinkled face and weary expression contradicted her cheery scrubs, an explosion of floral pastels. While she usually works in catering, she served cafeteria food today because of the lack of catering events. BBQ Pork and broiled fish were on the menu. Janet was going.

Kara, accompanied by three children, were coming. The two boys, Perrion and Karon, were Kara’s sons while the younger girl, Kya, was her niece. As Kara lit a cigarette, the children bickered and fought outside the sheltered bench.

“Perrion!” Kara yelled with no concern to the people around her. “Get off your brother. I ain’t gonna tell you twice!”

Kara took her niece to the Brookfield Mall for her birthday. They went window shopping and shared a Cinnabon. Kya handed me her used bus ticket, perhaps the only souvenir she had to remember her trip by. The group was headed home with the lingering taste of cinnamon and cream cheese frosting on the minds.

Fifty-year old Iris was waiting for the 30 bus. She was on her way home after a full day’s work at the Bradley Center. She has worked there for 23 years setting up food events. Though it’s not the most glamorous job, she enjoys the Marquette basketball games in the winter.

“Marquette is a sellout crowd,” the Golden Eagles fan said.

While she’s required to wear a catering uniform, she shows her spirit by donning a Marquette head on her commutes.

Like Iris, Charlae was waiting. She was also headed home, not from a day of work, but a day of class. She is a freshman studying business administration at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

“I don’t really like the long commutes, but I need to be home to take care of my baby,” the young mother said about her one-year old, Davante.

Dynesha, another student headed home for the day was leaving. She is also a freshman, currently studying street law at the New School for Community Service.

“I wanna go to law school and become a street lawyer,” the twenty-year old mentioned. “I wanna help people like me.”

Dynesha didn’t explain what she meant by “people like me” but I could take a guess.

Confession: I used to be terrified of the bus stops I passed every day on Marquette’s campus. I thought they were dirty, were for people below me, were for people who would never rise up to become something great.

My fifteen minutes at the bus stop revealed to me what bus stops really are. Not a place of transition, but a place for transitionary people. A place for people to come, to wait, and to eventually leave.

Journalism 1550: Reporting and News Design

Click here to see website

For the final project for this class, Dr. Thorn assigned a group project. We were to design a multimedia website about Marquette's renovation of three historic core buildings (Marquette Hall, Johnston Hall, and Sensenbrenner Hall). We were each assigned different tasks.

I had the pleasure of learning about Sensenbrenner Hall's history and renovation. I got to interview the university project architect, the contractor, a MU law professor who started in Sensenbrenner and still works in Eckstein Hall, and the architect. I also wrote a short story about the recycling process for this extensive project.

I really enjoyed this final project. Though group-based (which I'm not a huge fan of), I think we all collaborated well. I look forward to seeing the changes in the buildings that I wrote about.

*Some photos courtesy of Marquette Library photo archive

Cullen's bipartisan approach to politics

In a state as politically divisive as Wisconsin, Senator Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) is quite a diamond in the rough.

Cullen’s intentions for re-joining politics were quite simple. After taking a 24-year hiatus, the longest gap of service of any Senator in state history, Cullen wanted to give back to the people.

“I’m good at golf…but not that good,” the Janesville native laughed.

Cullen approaches politics as an avocation, not a career – and it shows. He makes his political decisions with no regard to his chance of re-election.

“I don’t need this job. I just want it.” Cullen told Marquette journalism students in his office.

In his earlier days, Cullen served in the Senate as secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services and, for five years, as majority leader. In 1987, he retired from politics and began work in the private sector where he eventually worked his way up to senior vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Reflecting back on his time in office before he joined the private sector, he noticed how polarized the two current parties have become. Like many other politicians, Cullen abhors the harsh tone of legislative partisanship in this current administration.

“After session, no one goes out for drinks anymore.” Cullen shakes his greying head, a sign of the seniority presence he carries throughout the Capitol. “It’s just sad.”

Unlike many other politicians, Cullen is trying to do something about it. Sen. Cullen has been pushing a bill calling for a nonpartisan company to redraw the district lines after each census. The districts would have as many right angles as possible and keep counties intact.

“We don’t know which party will be in power when the census is done in 2020 so let’s do the redistricting now when we don’t know who’s in power.” Cullen explained.

Currently, redistricting creates election-proof districts for both parties. This means politicians are more concerned about extremists in their own parties, making them less cooperative in session.

He pointed out the importance of a redistricting bill as an overlooked policy area, but one that affects all aspects of legislation.

District lines determine party control which determines what legislation gets passed, Cullen said.

He went on to say that an apolitical method of redistricting should also be considered in the national arena. 40 percent of the representative races are true “races” which means the remaining 60 percent of representatives are not really listening to constituents during campaigns, according to Sen. Cullen.

Cullen also spoke about the district he represents. With the 2009 closing of the GM plant, Janesville’s economy has slumped. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Janesville is 9.5 percent while Wisconsin as a whole is only 7.1 percent.

Janesville’s economy has long been a topic of debate, so much so that a documentary “All Goes Janesville” was made starring Cullen, two unemployed workers, and the head of Janesville’s Chamber of Commerce.

In a New York Times review, Mike Hale wrote, “The film becomes immersed in the statewide battles and its true hero emerges, a Rock County Democratic politician named Tim Cullen, who tries to work constructively with the new Republican majority.”

Despite the positive portrayal of Cullen by the media, Republican supporters have not forgiven him for blocking Walker’s controversial collective bargaining bill by occupying Illinois for 23 days with other Democrats.

While eyeing the movie poster he hung on his office wall, Cullen said, “The head of Janesville’s Chamber of Commerce won’t talk to me anymore. It’s a shame.”

But it is the price Cullen pays to be a politician. That, and a mediocre golf game.

Murphy talks budget with MU students

Heavy personnel costs are the underlying problem in Milwaukee’s billion dollar city budget Alderman Michael Murphy told several Marquette students Thursday.

The entire revenue generated from property taxes, $250 million, covers only the fire and police departments salary, health care, and pension plan. As chair of the Finance and Personnel committee, Murphy said this accounts for nearly 60 percent of the entire city budget.

The state government’s failure to increase revenue since 2003 has not helped in Milwaukee’s battle to balance the budget. State-shared revenue has been a crucial part of the budget, but costs continue to rise.

"City government is getting squeezed more and more and more by the state legislature,” Murphy said, pressing his hands together.

Police and fire departments were exempt from Act 10, the law that eliminated negotiation over employee pay and contract provisions for government employees. Murphy slammed Governor Walker’s 2011 decision to favor police and fire departments out of thanks for their support in his campaign.

“You can’t choose one child over the other,” He stated.

Murphy’s frustration with Walker and the state legislature was not limited to this issue, but extends to the ongoing debate over Wisconsin’s residency requirement. Right now, city employees are required to live in the city, but the Walker administration has proposed ending that requirement, despite protests by both Murphy and Mayor Tom Barrett. Murphy will be testifying in Madison next week against the residency requirement.

An additional economic problem Murphy discussed was Milwaukee’s foreclosure crisis. Since 2007, the city has lost $3.5 billion to foreclosed homes and the upkeep of vacant lots. The bank and city combined have 4,100 empty houses, creating a financial nightmare.

Murphy opposed replacing the Bradley Center with a tax funded arena. The current sports arena used for the Milwaukee Bucks is the oldest in the NBA and fans worry if a new one is not built, the team will leave Wisconsin for good. In his State of the City address on February 25, Mayor Barrett emphasized that the project must be regionally financed, not just the city’s burden. Murphy agreed, pointing out that the majority of Bucks fans live in the suburbs. But his main concern with the Bradley Center was the possibility of business owners proposing an increase in sales tax to fund the project.

“Do you really want another Detroit? [An increased sales tax] will siphon all of the money to a select few and leave the rest [of Milwaukee residents] to hemorrhage,” Murphy said, all business in his pinstriped powersuit.

A final controversial topic Murphy addressed was the addition of a streetcar. Although a few years ago the transportation project spanned the entire city, the train has now been restricted to cover just the east side. Murphy originally supported this idea; he now rejects it for two reasons. First, he estimates operational costs would total $2 million and would fall entirely on the city. Second, with the federal government’s recent sequester, the federal funds Milwaukee was promised a few years ago are likely to be pulled.

“The train is just not sustainable long-term when we have other costs that take precedent,” Murphy said, alluding again to the hefty personnel costs he talked about at the beginning of his presentation.

Though most of Murphy’s budget presentation highlighted Milwaukee’s monetary mess, the 10th District representative ended positively, noting the city’s great universities, abundant natural resources, and emphasis on arts.

“I still have great hope [for Milwaukee],” Murphy concluded. “We’re a very poor city but a very well-managed city."

Kooyenga talks 'honest accounting' in government

Representative Dale Kooyenga is a busy man. An impromptu press conference caused Kooyenga to miss a scheduled interview. When asked if he had time for just one question, the conservative Republican hastily agreed, always eager to please.

As a nod to Kooyenga’s campaign slogan, an interviewer asked, “What is honest accounting in government?”

This one question summarizes Kooyenga’s intentions for joining Wisconsin’s state legislature. After receiving his M.B.A. from Marquette University and becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Kooyenga applied his skills at an international accounting firm. During this ten-year career at this, he worked with Wisconsin's largest manufacturing, health care, financial services and nonprofit organizations.

But he remembered his days in the classroom learning generally accepted accounting principles “GAAP” accounting and wanted to apply them to improve Wisconsin’s fiscal state. Kooyenga ran in 2010 and was elected representative of the 14th District.

“The greatest threat to [Wisconsin] is recklessness,” Kooyenga said.

The birth of the Tea Party movement may have contributed to the increased representation of CPA’s in the State Assembly, jumping from one representative to five in this past election. The Illinois native is optimistic that one of the CPA representatives will run in the Senate soon.

After the brief press conference, the 6’6’’ politician spontaneously offered his time to students in the Capitol’s assembly parlor where other politicians dashed in and out for coffee and cake.

Kooyenga even cordially introduced students to Representative LaTonya Johnson (D–Milwaukee) reflecting his bipartisanship. It is clear Kooyenga decides his vote based on what makes most economic, not political, sense.

He’s a numbers guy. Although Governor Walker has managed to shave $3 billion dollars off of the deficit, Wisconsin still has the fourth largest deficit, he said.

Kooyenga’s solution is a constitutional amendment requiring the budget to follow standard CPA principles. This is Kooyenga’s definition of honest accounting: no saddling next year’s budgets with the past year’s mess but approaching the budget in a way where the numbers are not misleading.

Passing this bill in the form of an amendment was one of Kooyenga’s top priorities.

“Laws can be easily manipulated and won’t accomplish anything in public policy,” Kooyenga said, displaying his skepticism for the political process. “Passing this in the form of a constitutional amendment will increase the longevity of this practice.”

Kooyenga’s policy-making extends beyond budgetary matters. He has integrated his economic approach to political problems like the Milwaukee County Board reform bill which he co-authored.

“In the Wisconsin Constitution, the county should work for the state,” Kooyenga said, expressing his dissatisfaction with the current board.

In addition to honest accounting, Kooyenga is active in other issues, especially education where has has written several bills pertaining to charter schools. He thrives on the intellectual challenge the legislature provides.

Kooyenga even asked journalists to make their final question a “real hardball.”

One chose to ask what he had planned for the future.

Ever the family guy and humble man he is, Kooyenga responded, “Well, we’ve got a fourth child due in September, but after that, who knows?”

An Inside Look: Washington Heights property taxes

Houses on the 2000 block of Hi-Mount Blvd. have steadily been decreasing in value since 2006, according to public record.

This is both good and bad news for homeowners.

The average loss in assessed home value over the past six years is $50,700. This has resulted in an average home value of just over $284,000 compared to the 2006 average of just under $335,000.

“It’s natural for that to happen,” says homeowner Susan Heeley. “It’s not distressing, given this state of economy.”

With assessed home values down, this means homeowners pay less money in property taxes. On average, the residents of the 2000 block are paying about $8,500.

For those trying to sell their house, these statistics may appear grim. This may explain why only one house on the 2000 block sold in the past six years. Most residents may be waiting for their homes to appreciate in value before attempting to sell, to minimize money lost in the sale. Residents are not too concerned with the decrease in assessed home value.

Homeowner Charles Dee stated that Washington Heights is a very stable neighborhood. “When houses go up for sale, they go fast.”

The future appears to be brighter, however. Time magazine reports that the U.S. housing market, which has been stagnant for roughly five years after the housing boom collapsed, is slowly regaining momentum.

While waiting for the market to improve, all but one house have remodeled. This trend is not exclusive to the Washington Heights neighborhood. Metro areas across America have seen an uptick in home renovations according to a Harvard University study done by the Joint Center for Housing Studies.

But the purpose of these renovations is not strictly to increase the home’s value. Dee redid his kitchen and added a deck to his house for recreational purposes. Homeowners see remodeling as a means to improving their standard of living, not to beef up their home value. Looks like Washington Heights residents are here to stay.

Cameron found guilty in Setum murder case

*For this assignment, I was instructed to sit in on criminal trials at the Milwaukee County courthouse and choose one to report on as if I was assigned the courts beat.

A Milwaukee man was found guilty by a Milwaukee County jury on six different counts, including armed robbery and murder, in connection with the Russell Setum case.

Robert Cameron, 22, was found guilty of armed robbery with use of force, first degree intentional homicide, bail jumping, and felon in possession of a firearm. Cameron, who pled not guilty, is the third of four men to go to trial for this incident.

According to testimony, Setum was robbed, shot and killed April 29 near 48th and Wright. Gas station cameras show four men, including Cameron, following Setum.

The victim drove to his mother’s house later that evening where Leona Setum told police she saw her son go to his knees, raising his hands in a surrendering fashion. The suspect ordered him to hand over his clothes. As Leona begged the gunman not to shoot her son, he told her, “Sorry Mama,” and killed him. Medical examiner Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak confirmed the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

When Leona ran back into her house, she was also shot at, but escaped with minor injuries. Police detective Erik Gulbrandson said the suspect left the scene in Setum’s truck which was found two days later stripped and burned.

Cameron’s conviction relied heavily upon cell phone record evidence according to Judge Jeffrey Wagner. He will face up to forty years in prison and $100,000 in fines. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 1.

23-year-old Anthony Perkins and 23-year-old Nicholas Smith were also charged in the case.

Milwaukee County Board reform bill triggers vehement debate

The Milwaukee County reform bill was created to streamline county government and improve efficiency in the hopes of creating more jobs, state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R–West Allis) told Marquette journalism students Tuesday.

Written by Sanfelippo and backed by Republican support, this bill mandates a required referendum on the County Board’s budget. If voters agree, the board’s budget will be cut by two-thirds; hold county supervisor elections every two years instead of every four; and limit the board’s role in contracts, labor negotiations, and land sales.

“We finally got [Democrats] talking about county board reform. It only took me five years,” said former Milwaukee County supervisor Sanfelippo.

Problems with the county were documented in audits dating back many years, but few reforms were ever enacted. This pattern of violating state and federal statutes still continues, said Sanfelippo.

Rep. Evan Goyke (D–Milwaukee) pointed out the high turnover on the County Board. Chairwoman Marina Dimirijevic has only held her position for a year and nine of the board’s 18 members are relatively new. They shouldn’t be held responsible for past problems, he said.

“We can change the culture of the board without passing laws. How about giving them mentors?” Goyke suggested. “Give [new board members] a chance to govern.”

Republicans believe the board has been given enough chances, providing several statistics to support their argument. Milwaukee County has 18 members while the four neighboring counties, Racine, Dane, Waukesha, and Kenosha, have ten board members combined. While those four counties spend a combined $2.8 million for a population of 1.2 million people, Milwaukee spends $6.5 million on about 950,000 constituents, Sanfelippo said.

Milwaukee is also the only county with full time board members. If the bill passes, supervisors’ current salary of $50,679 would be cut to about $24,000 and made into a part-time position.

According to Rep. Don Pridemore (R–Erin), each of the 18 board members have their own agendas.

“This dysfunctional county is not accountable to its constituents,” Pridemore said.
Another area of the bill that received some heat is its effect on increasing the power of County Executive Chris Abele, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Sanfelippo disputed this claim by saying the county executive is not free to do whatever he wants. Abele can propose bills, but the board will have the final authority on amendments and revisions.

Further, Sanfelippo emphasized that the board still has control of the budget, the most powerful tool.

Republicans estimate the cap placed on the board’s budget will reallocate $4 million a year to more pressing agendas such as education and mental health. Democrats see the cap as restricting the flexibility a budget requires.

“[The budget] will always be limited to 4.4 percent of the county tax levy,” Goyke explained. “But what if we need 4.5 percent or 4.6? What if this number is not quite right?”

Goyke’s question will be postponed until the floor debate and final vote occurs in May after Democrats blocked the bill last week. This procedural move provides only a temporary delay, as the bill was supported strongly by the Republican-controlled Assembly in a 57-39 vote.

Implications of mining bill vastly differ

Even a month after Governor Walker’s signing of the proposed $1.5 billion iron ore mine, heated debate remains strong in the Capitol.

Republicans argue the bill does not automatically approve of the creation of a mine but requires the DNR to decide whether to issue a permit within 420 days after a company submits an application. Historically, companies could submit an application and wait years.

“This [provision of the bill] gets certainty for businesses, something they deserve if they are spending around $20 million to submit an application,” said Rep. Sanfelippo (R-West Allis).

If the DNR does issue a permit, this bill would clear the way for a mining company to proceed with an exploration process that could lead to a mine starting within four years, according to Republicans. The miles-long iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin would be the largest mining deposit in the world.

This fact alone comes attached with environmental concerns from Democrats. The proposed mine would create 29 million tons of waste rock and tailings a year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

“The more I learned about this bill, the more concerned I became,” said Sen. Tim Cullen (D–Janesville). “Where would you put all of this waste without putting it in the water?”

Cullen proposed his own version of the mining bill that would have protected the watershed, but a Republican-controlled legislature proved too big a feat to overcome.

Rep. Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) attempted to reassure Democrats. "We wouldn't put our name on it if we didn't think it would be safe.”

But Democrats persisted, pointing to an Illinois coal mine owned by the same investor who is trying to develop the mine in Wisconsin. The company has recently been questioned by Illinois’ pollution control agency for failing to adequately address long-standing groundwater problems.

"The facts are that this mining company has done far too little to clean up water in Illinois. . . . Think if we have to read this kind of story in Wisconsin instead of Illinois," Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in March.

Sanfelippo replied to Democrats’ environmental worries by explaining the much cleaner process Wisconsin would be using. Unlike traditional mining that uses chemicals, the proposed mine would use magnets.

Further, regulators at the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would not grant a mining permit unless an applicant can show it has a plan that won't harm the ecosystem.

Republicans also pointed out the job creation the mine would foster in economically depressed northern counties. If built in Ashland and Iron County, it is estimated to operate for at least 35 years and generate 700 jobs. But these jobs would stimulate growth in other industries such as trucking and housing.

The group directly affected by the proposed mine, the Chippewa and Ojibwe tribes, did not have a chance to express their voice until the state of the tribes speech in April after the measure was passed. The site of the proposed mine is in the Bad River watershed and upstream from the Bad River Band reservation.

“We’re talking about our homes. We have nowhere to run, nowhere to relocate if contamination occurs,” Bad River Chairman Mike Wiggins Jr. said at a news conference last month. “We stand ready to fight and resist this effort to the bitter end, until the mining company leaves.”

Wiggins intends to lead his tribe through lawsuits and grassroots opposition. Federal officials have also given the Bad River Band authority to regulate water quality of this area.

Supporters of the mine responded to the Native Americans by showing records displaying Bad River Band’s own violations with water quality standards.

“The Native Americans are disingenuous. Look at how they live!” Rep. Don Pridemore (R-Erin) passionately expressed. “They’re more environmentally irresponsible than any of us.”

Journalism 1100: Journalism Bootcamp

A Faith-Based Education: Is It Worth It?

A 57 percent acceptance rate. One national NCAA basketball championship title. A twelfth national rank in the physical therapy program. Home of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings original manuscripts. The only medieval chapel in the Northern Hemisphere.

    Marquette University is a thriving, private, religiously-affiliated institution. But many other private, religiously-affiliated colleges are struggling to stay afloat. Schools like Taylor University,John Brown University and Wheaton College are very small – around 2,000 students – and pride themselves as learning communities with a Christian focus. Perhaps this unique distinction is why many of these colleges are closing up shop. Why?

Fewer Religious Recruits

     Funding these small religious schools used to be easy because of students who attended for purely religious reasons. But today, fewer prospective students are available to be recruited by these small religious schools because of a decline in religious membership among young people.

    After enrolling in a traditional four-year institution, 64 percent of students report a decrease in religious service attendance. What is the draw to a college where chapel is required multiple times a week if so many college students are skipping Sunday service?

    Researchers point out that even though people may be dropping out of organized religion, that doesn’t mean they’re abandoning faith.

    “There’s an awful lot of religion on campus that is not labeled as such,” author of “No Longer Invisible: Religion in University Education” Jake Jacobsen said. With more of a focus on ethics and morals, he added, “Learning in higher education has gone from very subject-centered to student-centered.”

    Enrollment in these small religious schools is not falling solely because of an overall decline in religion; financial reasons have also played a factor in students’ choices to go elsewhere.

The Real Cost of these Colleges

    The economic recession combined with the increasing cost of higher education has forced students and parents to assess the “economic value” of a degree.

    The average tuition at a public university for this year was $8,655 while at a nonprofit, private university, the tuition rose to $29,056. The numbers don’t lie – going private costs over three times as much as a public institution.

    But many of the students applying to these types of universities do not bother looking at public schools. Haley Gallina attended Spring Hill College in Alabama. And knew she wanted a small Jesuit institution despite its heftier price tag. She said most of her classmates were rich, Southern kids who did not want to go public either.

    Besides the enormous hike in tuition as compared to going public, many of these smaller colleges are not nationally accredited which means that the degree is not equivalent to an accredited institution.

    The lack of name recognition associated with these institutions is another concern when it comes time to enter the workforce. Current Marquette student, Emily Gorz looked at several religious institutions but decided on Marquette University in large part because of its name.

    “One of the main reasons that I chose to go to Marquette was because of it’s name recognition and when people say ‘I went to Marquette’ it implores that they’re going to know it’s a good school and has a really outstanding reputation.” Gorz explains.

    Name recognition had become more of a determining factor in school choice. To attract a wider range of students, some colleges have gone so far as to remove the “Christian” or “Bible”. This was the case for Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is now called Johnson College. The change may make it easier on students when they enter the workforce.

    Gorz knew that the abundance of opportunities Marquette offers would serve her well when applying for jobs. Gallina, who ended up transferring to Marquette after a semester at Spring Hill College, also mentioned the larger amount of resources at larger schools as compared to smaller ones.

    “We have the basketball games and Late Night Marquette events, and I’m an education major, so there is service learning. At Spring Hill, we had none of this.” She explains.

Solutions to the Problem

    The goal of these universities is to prepare students for a career in ministry, which is usually low paying. But many students are choosing a more professional career to pay off student loans.

    Colleges have attempted to combat this problem by slashing tuition prices. Brewton-Parker College, a Bible study school in Georgia has cut tuition by 22 percent and has instituted a four-day workweek. Duquesne University, located in Pennsylvania, has reduced tuition by 50 percent.

    Some colleges have seen results with current students because student retention is up, but enrollment has remained relatively stagnant. Lowering tuition can only be sustainable for a few years but the schools can only run on borrowed money for so long until they are forced to shut down.

    Parents seem to be the ones concerned for financial reasons while potential students fear the social life on faith-based campuses may be a bore compared to public schools or larger private colleges.

Strict Policies Push Students Away

    Many religious schools require incoming students to sign a pledge, outlining their beliefs and lifestyle restrictions. John Brown University requires students to sign a Covenant, which prohibits smoking, premarital sex, drinking, gambling, and all on-campus dancing except folk or square.

    John Brown is just one of the many colleges with such severe guidelines. Cornerstone Universityin Michigan requires students to sign a lifestyle statement and Taylor University in Indiana has adopted a Life Together Covenant. Both colleges forbid the same lifestyle choices that John Brown University dismisses.

    The issue of social dancing has become a hot topic at many of these universities. After 90 years with no dancing, John Brown University just began to allow swing dance in 2007. In the past 10 years, several of America’s most established evangelical schools, including Baylor University,Wheaton College, and Cornerstone University, have lifted restrictions on dancing and are allowing formal dances like swing or ballroom.

    Though it may sound socially stifling, students’ voluntary enrollment at the university confirms that they agree to live within the framework of the school's community expectations. Current John Brown University student Brittiny Craig estimates that 90 percent of her classmates believe adhering to Covenant is not restrictive on their social lives.

    “I don’t think they (the restrictions) are. I don’t think it’s that hard just because I’ve always had the same morals as this. I was never really a partyer, so I don’t really think that it’s hard for me to uphold these rules. For others, it might be, but not for me,” Craig says.

Will these schools soon be extinct?

            Though these schools are struggling, this is not to say that America’s colleges will soon be either public or large private institutions. Small religious schools are not for everyone, but they are for a select few.

            Reflecting back on her college application process and how she ended up at Marquette, Gorz said, “There’s colleges for everyone and small religious schools aren’t very popular because a lot of people aren’t interested in living that way. It’s too restrictive for them. For example, I don’t think I would be able to go to that school but for some people it could be the perfect fit.”

            The perfect fit. It’s what every future student hunts for when picking a school. Small religious schools must strive to make their college that “perfect fit.” The place that students will spend their next four years. The place they call their home.

Marquette's 11 Percent: Religious Minorities on Campus

"Why Marquette?” It’s a question every future Golden Eagle gets when they send in the enrollment deposit. For the 11 percent of non-Christian students, it’s a harder question to answer than for their 89 percent of Christian classmates. The Office of Institutional Research reported that 2 percent were of another world religion, 6 percent were not religious, and another 2 percent were unknown. For this minority, the draw to Marquette was because of reasons that outweighed the lack of religious diversity on campus.

Purpose of the Theology Requirement

Catholicism permeates the campus – just look at the theology requirements. All Marquette students are required to take at least two theology courses, sometimes three depending on the college. The introductory Theology 1001 course covers mostly Christian and Roman Catholic texts, but depending on the professor it may include discussions of other world religions.

“It’s not about convincing other people of what I’m teaching. It’s about sharing with them. It’s up to students what they want to take away from it. It’s certainly not my goal in teaching to preach,” theology professor Irfan Omar emphasizes.

Omar is one of three non-Christian theology professors at Marquette. Born in India and raised Muslim, he chose Marquette because he believes Jesuit institutions are more accepting of conversations regarding faith as opposed to state schools.

Marquette’s Eleven Percent: Student Profiles

Cassandra Botica, a Marquette student, was born Catholic, but her family was kicked out of the Catholic Church after her mother divorced and re-married. She was raised Lutheran, but currently does not identify with any religion. She chose Marquette because of the small class sizes and stellar academics.

Liana Hariri, a Muslim, chose Marquette for the financial aid and academics. Being a member of the Student Arab Association and Muslim Club has helped her remember her identity. Hariri has only felt singled out as a minority during her cultural class where she is the only Muslim. But Hariri believes even though she is a different religion, she still feels a part of the faith community at Marquette. “God is God no matter what religion. You need that in college to manage the stress and problems and worries.” Hariri explains.

For Mimi Fain coming to Marquette was an easy decision. She knew the academics at a Catholic institution would be better than a public university. Fain had attended a Catholic high school despite being a devout Baptist. Her friends are mostly Catholic but she has never felt singled out.

A Catholic Perspective

Despite the overwhelmingly Catholic student body, Botica, Hariri, and Fain all agreed that Marquette is very accepting of other religions. Alexandra Maglio has attended Catholic school her entire life and said she wishes Marquette had more diversity.

“There are people of other religions here like my own roommate but she’s still Christian. I would say that I’d rather have it be a little more diverse and to hear about extremely different beliefs.” Maglio said.

If the remaining 89 percent feel the same way as Maglio, Marquette’s 11 percent may soon grow larger.

Election Season: Only a Few Days Left
Politics is a contact sport – especially when it comes to campaign ads. With less than a month left in the race to the White House, TV-watchers are being bombarded with political attacks.

Bonnie Brennen, journalism professor and guest lecturer at Marquette’s political panel “Media Coverage of Modern Campaigns” mentioned that of the 1.2 billion dollars spent on campaigns, the majority of the money goes to thirty-second commercials that undermine the opponent. Many people no longer feel as if they are voting for someone but rather against someone else because the negative ads present viewers with few choices– either vote for X and watch our country fail or vote Y.

CBS correspondent Ben Tracy, another guest lecturer at the Monday panel, explained that of the three to five percent of swayable voters, most are turned off by the negative ads. According to the article, “Going Negative”, by Ansolabehere and Ivengar, attacks ads produce the highest drop in voter participation with Independents feeling the pinch of negativity most strongly.

Tracy also pointed out the lack of negative ads in California because of a large Democratic population.

Rebecca Norgord, one of the 60 people that attended the event, said, “I’ve grown up in Wisconsin my whole life and I thought all states had negative ads. But Tracy said in California there aren’t any negative ads because Obama’s already won the electoral vote.” Political ads are most prevalent – and negative – in swing states like Wisconsin.

Media history expert Brennen said the dirty politics in this election is nothing new and has happened throughout history. The most recent development in political mudslinging are the Super PAC ads which are sponsored by political action committees, organizations that can engage in unlimited campaign spending and are known for being more negative than traditional ads. Brennen noted with disgust, “The most negative ads are the Super PAC ads on both sides. They’re terrible. They’re just terrible.”

Do the ads really serve their purpose? Research has yielded conflicting results. Some studies suggest that negative ads are more easily remembered and influential while other studies prove otherwise. There are also conflicting conclusions about the effect of negative advertising on voter turnout.

Despite the contradicting evidence, Brennen believes that these ads have persisted for a reason. “They wouldn’t do negative advertising if it didn’t have some kind of an influence.”