I always knew I liked Marquette. My dad went there. My brother goes there. My cousin went there. I was always told what a great place it was. Whenever I told people I was going to Marquette, I would get so many enthusiastic responses. There was the usual “Oh wow! Great school,” and “Oh man, you are going to have a lot of fun up there.” And then there was always an “I’ve never met anyone who went to Marquette and didn’t love it.” But one of my favorite responses was when one man talked about how Marquette is the true ideal of what college should be. He talked about how going to Marquette now would give you the same feeling it did as if you went to Marquette in the seventies and eighties and nineties. The education and facilities may improve, but the spark and values and feelings Marquette creates has always remained in its thread.
I always had this idea of college in my mind growing up... what it would be like, what I would be like, who I would meet. So when I made the decision to to go to Marquette University, I could finally put a name to those ideas. Now, going into my sophomore year, I have come to realize how much those ideas have changed because I go to a school such as Marquette University.
College Meant Seeking Friends... Marquette Means Finding Family
The people. This is my response whenever someone asks me my favorite thing about Marquette. The people, the people, the people. I have friends from the west coast, east coast, Midwest, and south, and if you put us all in a room together, you wouldn’t be able to tell because we all share a similar bond. We laugh about our different accents and clothes and ways of life, but when it comes down to it, we will all still choose the same values to guideline our lives. We work hard. We like to have fun. We like to have a lot of fun. We strive to help others. We are the type that will stay up all night enjoying ourselves, but still wake up at 8 A.M. to go to the library to study or be there in the morning to help the homeless with Midnight Run. I love that I can walk down Wisconsin Avenue and be guaranteed to see someone I know. And at the same time, have the chance to meet someone new when I go to sit down at the Brew. There is always someone to help when I am in need. Always. The students and faculty at Marquette make you feel important. They make you feel like what you have to bring to the world matters. From Calvin the AMU salad guy (he knows my usual), to RA’s and DR’s, to roommates and hallmates, priests and professors, Marquette gave me the opportunity to make my own family.
College Meant living in a College Town... Marquette means living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The land of cheese curds and genuine people. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A place where Chicago meets small towns. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A place where the beer is cold but the winters are colder. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the epitome of a college town because it is constantly giving and giving to its people. Internships, festivals, city skylines, unbelievable restaurants, legendary bars, various music halls, vintage coffee shops and of course, Lake Michigan all at your fingertips when you travel a couple of steps outside the Marquette bubble.
College Meant Getting an Education... Marquette Means Getting A Jesuit Education
Faith was always important to me. My education was always important to me. I grew up going to Catholic schools. But going to Marquette, for the first time it felt like my faith, serving others, and my education were all connected. And that this connection was something to grow and be proud of, really be proud of. Not that I was ashamed of it before, but it was always a chore to volunteer or go to mass and religion class at home. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by people who wanted to pray, who wanted to do community service, and who wanted to go to class without making it a big deal, it was just a way to be. Tuesday night masses at St. Joan of Arc chapel, a bunch of students packed into a small chapel, singing, laughing and praying showed me that mass didn’t have to be so serious, it showed me that you can make your faith what you want it to be, believe in what you want to believe. A Jesuit education, I learned, is not just a Catholic education. A Jesuit education allows me to ask the questions a Catholic education restricted. A Jesuit education allows me and will continue to allow me to learn how to be a person for others. With a Jesuit education, we learn that knowledge is so powerful and must be used for the betterment of the world.
College meant tradition… Marquette means Dog Hauss at 2 A.M., McCormmick Hall, Runs with President Lovell, all-nighters in Memorial, Basketball in every season, Hunger Clean Up, Hot Cookie Nights, Kilbourn Crawls, Gesu, Sobleman’s burgers, Wisconsin Avenue in the winter, Tuesday night masses, and just about the greatest people you will ever get a chance to meet.
