Did anyone else notice that Hillsdale College, Idaho State, and Valparaiso came closer to beating our men’s basketball team than Duke and Texas Tech? I am not sure what it says about this team or those teams, but I know what I want to say about it. I sure hope that no in the Blue and Gold Classic gets within 11 points of Marquette. This will, however, be a difficult feat. Friday’s opponent is a dangerous Northwestern State team who as a 14 seed last year upset Iowa in the NCAA tournament. They are 4-2 this year, but their 2 losses came against Oklahoma State (3 points), and Louisville (13 points), and both of those teams are receiving votes in the polls. It will be interesting to see if Marquette can come out and put them away from the beginning. It is certainly not a team you want to give hope to.

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Hello sports fans and hangover survivors, welcome to another great sports blog on this Saturday Early afteroon. I hope everyone his having a wonderful morning. If not, drink lots of water, take a few advil, and take a shower. You’ll feel better soon.

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Marquette vs Detroit

Welcome to anther great Marquette basketball game, and hopefully another great blog. The food was better than last night in terms of how it’s gonna set on my stomach, but that was a bit too much information, and I am glad I shared it with you. Continue Reading

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Marquette vs. Idaho State
The Pregame Show

Welcome to The Warriors second official Blog of the game, The first one that is actually live. On a completely person note, I really like the tie/shirt combo I have going on. Continue Reading

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The Pre-Game show-

On such a rainy night it can easily be said that no Marquette student would venture out for any reason whatsoever. Expect this. Marquette basketball (with all due respect to Marquette soccer – but that game was even canceled-. Continue Reading

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Last week, Microsoft announced that it was releasing the long-awaited Internet Explorer 7 Web browser. It’s been more than five years since the last version became available.Explorer has been the most widely used Web browser since the late 1990s when it overtook its only major rival, Netscape Navigator. Its popularity largely stemmed from the fact that it came packaged with every copy of Windows, the world’s most widely used operating system.

In the time since Explorer 6 was released, a number of free browsers have risen to popularity. The most notable of these have been the free browsers Firefox and Opera as well as Apple’s Safari.

According to statistics at W3Schools.com (a site run by the World Wide Web Consortium, the organization that regulates Internet standards), over 90 percent of Internet users were browsing with Explorer in 2002. Today that number has dropped to about 60 percent. This is an even greater trend at thewarrior.org where only about one-third of Internet traffic comes from Microsoft browsers. This is likely due in large part to the fact that college-age users are the most likely to install and use third-part software that is not packaged with their computers.

The increased popularity of these other browsers came as a result of Microsoft’s failure to upgrade Explorer. It suffered from flawed security, few popular features and poor rendering of HTML and other Web design technologies. In a “Top 25” list, the computer magazine PC World rated Internet Explorer 6 as the eighth worst technology product of all time.

With Explorer 7, Microsoft hopes to regain its grip on the browser market. The Explorer 7 includes a number of new features that it had been lacking in previous versions.

Probably the most noticeable change in Explorer 7 is tabbed browsing. For many users of Opera and Firefox, tabs have become a way of life. They allow multiple Web pages to be viewed under separate tabs of a single window. This reduces clutter onscreen and allows for quick switching between sites. As I write this article, I have Firefox tabs open for email, Wikipedia and several informational sites about Internet Explorer.

Explorer 7 also claims to have added a number of security features. Only time will tell whether this claim turns out to be true, but if it is, it would be a major breakthrough. Secunia.com, an Internet security site, said Explorer 6 had 20 unpatched security flaws. Opera, on the other hand, only had one, and it was fixed.

Among geeks, Internet Explorer 6 was a source of frustration and the target of mockery. With the release of Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft hopes to not only be the most widely used but also the most well-respected Web browser available.

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Having to walk up to Wells Street and over the bridge to get to Straz Tower or taking the Tory Hill route has become part of normal life on campus ever since the Wisconsin Avenue bridge was knocked down in March 2006. Still, the question on everyone’s mind is, “When is it going to be finished?” Well, the end is in sight. Dr. Toby Peters, associate president for the administration, has said, “The city has told us that the deadline they hope to meet will be Dec. 1.” Peters added that the Marquette Interchange project as a whole is ahead of schedule and that hopefully the project will be completed in spring 2008.

Peters attributes the speediness of the project to the communication between Marquette University and the city planners in finding a work schedule that satisfies both parties’ needs. “We were able to work with the city in planning construction at certain hours so that it would minimize the disruption to the students on campus,” said Peters. “We were able to get most of the noisy construction out of the way during the summer.”

A common problem with construction is noise pollution. John Stepp, a freshman resident of Straz, said, “If you had the window closed you really couldn’t notice it. But if you opened the window up there was no chance of you being able to study.”

Even some Cobeen residents were angered at the amount of noise from the bridge project. Freshman Linette Rizos said, “When we first got here, the pile drivers were quite annoying and at night the lights from the construction site would make it hard to fall asleep.” Rizos also commented that lately the construction has been relatively quiet.

In terms of any disruption of walking routes near or underneath the interchange near the Tory Hill area, Peters said that the city has tried its best to keep that route open to students as a way to get to and from Straz. When asked about the future of the Marquette Interchange Project and its effects on campus, Peters commented, “After the bridge project is completed, most of the work affecting the campus will be ending within a year.” Peters also thanked the students for their putting up with, and working around the construction that has so far occurred on campus.

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The competitive scavenger hunt that sophomores, juniors and seniors must endure has begun this year. Looking for houses and apartments is no easy task with limited living options. According to last year’s Marquette University Tenant Guide, “living in any of the university-owned apartment buildings is a privilege for students attending Marquette University. Unlike the undergraduate residence halls, we are unable to guarantee an apartment for every student desiring on-campus housing.”

The fact that there are only seven university-owned apartments isn’t very helpful either. For those searching for on-campus apartments, Campus Town West, Campus Town East, Carmel, the Frenn Building, the Gilman Building and Humphrey Hall are the only choices for buildings to live in. The fierce competition this creates happens only over a short period of time.

However, the administration is finally going to do something to help lessen the burden created by this extremely tight timetable at the beginning of the school year. Currently, they are collecting the $200 refundable deposits to renew leases or to reserve university-owned apartments, but this is occurring later than it used to in previous years. By this week, any students renewing their leases must have already done so.

Stacie Dooley, the assistant dean for university apartments, said they have “moved back the entire leasing due date.” Now apartment leases are not due until Jan. 29, instead of late September or early October as it used to be. So while students should still be searching for their future roommates and housing, they will have a slightly longer timeframe in which to do this.

The administration is also trying to get other apartment owners throughout the surrounding neighborhood to do the same. Dooley has been working to achieve this and “change the culture” of the surrounding apartments to be more student-oriented and responsive. It seems that many owners are onboard to help. The beginning of the school year is so busy and stressful that they do not want students to have to worry about where they will be living and whom they will be living with.

Sophomore Sarah Geissler, who is currently looking for a place for next year, has this advice to offer freshmen and sophomores: “Decide [at] the beginning of sophomore year what you would like to do for the following school year.” She still wishes that she had more time to decide before all of the interesting properties are gone. This new timetable will help with the pressure and stress that students are feeling, but moving into an apartment is a huge step toward independence and stress is to be expected.

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On Aug. 28, philosophy teaching assistant Stuart Ditsler posted the following quote from acclaimed humor columnist and well-known Libertarian, Dave Barry, on the door of his Coughlin Hall office: “As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful, and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government.”Ditsler, who holds an undergraduate philosophy degree from Bellarmine University, said that he tacked Barry’s words to his door simply because he “agreed with the sentiment and just put it up.” The quote “was not,” in his opinion, “patently offensive.”

Upon returning to his office a week later, however, Ditsler noticed the quote had been removed from his office door. In its place was an email from the department chair, Dr. James South, explaining the posting’s absence. In the message, Dr. South explained that he had received, according to Ditsler, “multiple complaints from members of the department.” After consulting with colleagues, South decided the quote was inappropriate and asserted that office doors are not “free-speech zones.” South proceeded to tear down the quote.

Ditsler was stunned by the actions of those in the department, calling their decision to go to South before expressing their feelings to Ditsler himself “juvenile.”

“If I were to run to the department chair every time I’ve been offended,” said Ditsler, “I would always be in his office.”

He thought the Barry quote was nothing more than a humorous way of warning citizens against government expansion. “It was hyperbole and not, in any way,” added Ditsler, “meant to be offensive.” He pointed out that others on staff often post political cartoons or opinionated articles, but never illicit such negative reactions. Unsure of how to handle the situation, he contacted a friend who forwarded his story to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a nonprofit group that investigates restrictions of free speech, particularly in college settings. FIRE expressed great interest in the case and wrote a letter to Marquette’s administration. Officials did not respond promptly, and FIRE issued a press release that set off a firestorm of debate across the country.

Ditsler said he got into philosophy after reading several works by Ayn Rand, the famous twenteith century objectivist author and proponent of capitalism. Although he considers himself a Libertarian by label, he prefers using the term “capitalist” to describe his political philosophy.

After choosing Marquette’s graduate philosophy program almost solely on the basis of a university financial aid package, he expressed significant discontent toward the program. Even though he said he cannot speak for the university as a whole, he described the philosophy department as “intellectually boring” and suffering from “a symptom of academia everywhere being overtaken by political correctness.”

He also felt that “we have to be careful about everything we say in discussion,” and that some faculty members “feel we should be protected from unique or non-politically correct viewpoints, and I disagree with that.” Ditsler asserted that “the culture of academia is such that, regardless of a complaint’s merit, we must crack down on free speech.”

Many in opposition to the quote defended the actions of the philosophy department, pointing out that a private institution has every right to remove material that is inconsistent with its identity and mission. Additionally, Ditsler was quick to point out “it’s not fair to judge Marquette as a whole based on this one incident.” He also defended the “unfairly portrayed” actions of Dr. South. “I understand,” added Ditsler, “that he was in a difficult position and he consulted with others. He did what he felt was right.”

Marquette has since issued a statement regarding the controversy which Ditsler feels is “very dissatisfying,” but not surprising given “political correctness here is enforced with such a heavy hand.”

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On Nov. 9 and 10, Marquette will host two lecture events presented by the 2006-2007 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Dr. Margaret Levi. The Marquette Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa: Zeta of Wisconsin, the Political Science Department and the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council are sponsoring these events.Levi will speak about two different topics. On Nov. 9, the topic is “Transforming Self-Interest and Developing Pro-Social Preferences,” and the lecture is open to the public. The next day, Levi will be talking about “Global Justice Campaigns,” an event open to only the Marquette community.

Levi is a highly decorated political science scholar who is currently the Jere L. Bacharach Professor of International Studies and the Director of the Comparative Historical Analysis of Organization and States at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has also authored a number of books including Consent, Dissent and Patriotism and Of Rule and Revenue. She served as the President of the American Political Science Association in 2004-2005.

“Dr. Levi is a role model who embodies what many students would like to achieve,” said Dr. Steven Millen Taylor, President of the Zeta Chapter and Associate Professor of French.

Levi also holds several community commitments. According to the University of Washington Web site, she has served on the Jobs for Justice Workers’ Rights Board and was a member of the first coordinating committee of Scholars, Artists and Writers for Social Justice. In an email interview, Levi has studied and written about a number of social justice issues that interests her, and in which she has been involved. This includes AFL-CIO protests at the 1999 WTO Ministerial in Seattle and fair trade coffee and living wage campaigns.

“Occasionally my involvements directly influence my research. They also affect the way I teach the Introduction to Labor Studies,” said Levi. “I address these campaigns and encourage students to do research on them or to do Service Learning with them or labor unions.”

She said she encourages students to do this also through Service Learning and has created a class to learn how to do campaign-oriented research. For that, she won the Public Service Teaching Award at the University of Washington.

Taylor stressed that, although Levi is a political science scholar, her lecture topics are relevant to students who are studying other disciplines as well. He said that her work and community involvement relate to the values and mission of the Marquette community. The Marquette Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa sponsors such events regularly and brings in scholars from various areas, including English, Classical Languages and the hard sciences.

“We have done this on a regular basis since we were given our charter,” Taylor said. “As faculty and administrators, we feel that visiting scholars are important. They show what Phi Beta Kappa stands for. This is why we invest time, effort and money to bring them to Marquette.”

The primary sponsor of these lecture events, Phi Beta Kappa, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honors society. Only ten percent of the country’s collegiate institutions have Phi Beta Kappa, and only ten percent of arts and sciences graduates of these “distinguished” institutions are invited to join. Some famous Phi Beta Kappa members include NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, author Michael Crichton and founder of Amazon.com Jeff Bezos.

All Phi Beta Kappa members have a wide array of backgrounds, interests and achievements. For Levi, she said her experiences with these groups influenced her research, teaching and opinions.

“I feel that I have an obligation to bring a critical eye to the social movement organizations and causes that concern me,” Levi said. “I see my role as raising hard questions about the effectiveness or organizations and the extent to which they are accountable to rank and file.”

Members of the Marquette community, from faculty to administrators to students, are always very excited to host scholars like Levi.

“We’re very much looking forward to hosting Dr. Levi next week and encourage the Marquette community to attend her public lecture on November 9,” said Dr. Stephani Richards Wilson, Phi Beta Kappa member and Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Dr. Levi is a distinguished scholar and we’re hoping her talk will generate a rich discussion and exchange of ideas.  Anyone interested in social justice, good government, or how individuals can make a difference will most likely benefit from her remarks.”

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