Untitled Document

Liberian president to speak, receive honorary degree
University will continue to fund South Africa Service Learning Program
Mark Your Calendars: The Fr. Wild Forum is coming soon!
University Ministry plans spring break service trips
Are you ready? Marquette Madness is coming up
Former death row prisoner to speak on death penalty
Law School hosts two major conferences
Avenues West Police Substation is dedicated
Student Safety Programs offers special transport services
Save lids to save lives
University Events

1. Liberian President to speak, receive honorary degree

Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, will receive an honorary degree from Marquette in ceremonies at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, in the ballroom of the Alumni Memorial Union.

All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the event. Tickets will be available for distribution beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 10, in the Alumni Memorial Union, Brooks Lounge. The ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 11:30 p.m.

This is only the second time in Marquette history that a sitting head of state has made an official visit to the university. On June 16, 1956, President William O'Donnell, S.J., conferred an Honorary Doctor of Law degree on German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

President Johnson Sirleaf, who took office in January 2006, is internationally recognized as a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule. Known as the “Iron Lady” for her strong will and determination as well as for her personal integrity, she is committed to ethical reform for the people of Liberia and the importance of education. During years of exile, the Harvard-educated President held senior leadership positions with the World Bank and the United Nations.

A mother of four sons and grandmother of nine, President Johnson Sirleaf is a strong supporter of community development and education, particularly for girls.

Along with First Lady Laura Bush, President Johnson Sirleaf recently received the 2006 International Republican Institute Freedom Award. “Through her service as a Liberian Cabinet minister in the 1970s, as a senior U.N. administrator in the 1990s, and now as her country's president, President Johnson-Sirleaf has always been deeply devoted to her country,” Laura Bush said at the IRI ceremony last month. “Her dedication to Liberia has never diminished -- not even in the face of persecution." She called the Liberian president a "terrific example of the power of education, and of why it's important to educate women and girls, and to improve opportunities for women in Africa and around the world."

Back to Top

2. University will continue to fund South Africa Service Learning Program

The top officials of Marquette University Thursday announced that the university is committed to continuing its South Africa Service Learning Program for the long term.

In a joint statement, Rev. Robert A. Wild, president, Provost Madeline Wake and Greg Kliebhan, senior vice president, said, “We recognize the importance of international service learning, and we are proud that our students so strongly support such programs. Therefore, we have agreed that we will reallocate funds to ensure the continuation of the Cape Town program while we seek endowed funding for international service learning.”

Dr. Wake made the decision to suspend the program two weeks ago. Wednesday she acknowledged that the decision was communicated prematurely. She said many students, faculty and administrators subsequently expressed strong support for the program.

Father Wild said he had received several dozen letters from past and prospective participants in the program, as well their friends. “Marquette’s commitment to service learning and our students’ understanding of that commitment were evident in their articulate advocacy for continuation of the South Africa Service Learning Program,” he said.

Dr. Wake said she was personally contacting Dr. Judy Mayotte, the retired Marquette professor who started the program, and Dr. Sarah Davies Cordova, the resident director of the program in Cape Town, to notify them of the decision. She is also notifying students who had written her about the temporary suspension of the program. “International service learning is a critical element in building our students’ capacity for leadership in social justice,” she said. “The broad support shown for the Cape Town program throughout the Marquette community demonstrates the importance of seeking sustained funding for the international education programs and extending student opportunities for international experiences.”

The South Africa Service Learning Program, which was previously administered through the College of Arts and Sciences, will be one of the programs transferred to the newly established Office of International Education. A director for that office is expected to be hired by January 2007.

Back to Top

3. Mark Your Calendars: The Fr. Wild Forum is coming soon!

Bring questions and concerns right to Father Wild himself on Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 7 to 8:30 pm in the AMU -- first floor.

The semiannual MUSG Student Forum is a perfect opportunity to bring up anything you would like to see addressed at Marquette. Let your voice be heard.

Back to Top

4. University Ministry plans spring break service trips

There will be information meetings for the 2007 spring break service trips on Monday, Oct. 9, from 6 to 7 p.m. or Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 9 to 10 p.m. Both meetings are in Todd Wehr 100.

MAP (Marquette Action Program) is the name for the domestic service trips to almost 20 sites in the United States, including several trips to the Gulf Coast region. In 2007 the trips will be Mar. 11 – 18. These service trips involve activities such as physical labor and/or helping children and the elderly or people who are hungry and homeless. All trips are faith-based (there is always a reflection component to the experiences of the day), and trips are open to people from all religions.

If you think you might be interested, please attend one of the two information meetings, or check out the Web site. You may also call University Ministry at 8-6873.

Back to Top

Get ready for a great season of Marquette basketball by attending next weekend's Marquette Madness events.

Thursday, Oct. 12, Recycled Percussion will play at the Varsity Theatre at 10 p.m. Recycled Percussion is a high intensity percussion band that plays with old cans, fire, ladders, and much more, making for an exciting show. Admission is free. Check them out at online.

On Friday, Oct. 13, get into the Madness tradition at the Al McGuire Center beginning at 7 p.m. After the fun at the Al, head to the Annex for a Retro Party, including Bingo, a DJ, Cosmic Bowling, Cookie Decorating, Root Beer Floats, and FREE T-shirts.

Juan Melendez, a former prisoner on death row, will speak at 7 p.m. tonight in room 111 of Emory Clark Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Melendez languished on Florida's death row for almost 18 years until his exoneration and release on Jan. 3, 2002. The discovery of a taped confession of the real killer 16 years after Melendez had been sentenced to death prevented his execution.

Thursday and Friday, Oct. 5 and 6, leading scholars and a panel of former Wisconsin governors will address the question “Is the Wisconsin Constitution Obsolete?” The Wisconsin Constitution is one of the nation’s oldest and has been amended more than 100 times. This important conference asks whether the Wisconsin Constitution provides the structure for the political, economic and educational excellence that Wisconsin needs to compete in the 21st century and whether fundamental reform may be necessary. Several former governors, including Patrick J. Lucey, Anthony S. Earl and Scott McCallum, will be participating, as will leading national and state scholars.

On Friday, Oct. 6, the National Sports Law Institute (NSLI) at Marquette Law School will host “Individual Performer Sports: Current Legal and Business Issues.” This year’s annual conference features five panels discussing cutting-edge legal and business issues related to a wide-range of individual performer sports. The NSLI provides the nation’s most comprehensive offering of sports law programs and student internships.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Center for Health Education and Promotion will be collecting Yoplait Yogurt lids for the national breast cancer fundraiser, Save Lids to Save Lives. During the entire month of October, students and staff can bring their Yoplait Yogurt lids to the front desk of any Marquette residence hall, Campus Town East or West, or to the AMU Info Desk.

For each pink lid collected, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, up to $1.5 million, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000.

For information on Breast and Testicular Cancer, please visit the information tables in the AMU 2nd floor lobby today, or call the Center for Health Education and Promotion at 8-5217.

Visit the all-university online Calendar of Events for a complete listing of all upcoming events in the next week.

News Briefs is published Mondays and Thursdays, except in summer when only the Monday edition is published, and as news warrants by the Office of Marketing and Communication for Marquette students. The deadline for the Monday edition is noon Friday. The deadline for the Thursday edition is noon Wednesday.

Comments? Questions? Is there news you would like to share? E-mail, call 8-7448, fax 8-7197 or send your note in campus mail to News Briefs, Office of Marketing and Communication.