The Marquette Tribune Volume 108, Number 2
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
www.marquettewire.org
campus news since 1916
Index www.marquettewire.org
Sports
News
SPORTS.......................................................5 OPINIONS..................................................9 FUN & GAMES........................................10 A&E................................................................11
Mass on the Grass
Students gather outside of Joan of Arc Chapel. PAGE 3
Milwaukee is Ready for the "W"
Why Milwaukee should host the WNBA's 16th franchise.
"Bee" the difference
A&E
Autumn Playlist
Check out what our entertainment writers are listening to. PAGE 11
PAGE 6
By Lance Schulteis
lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
While students walk through the halls of the Wehr Life Sciences Building, above them on the roof sit colonies of bees doing work of their own. Through all hours of the day, the bees spend their time growing their population, producing honey and providing insight for research. Underneath the building and within the corridors of the basement lies The Cook Lab, a center of research in entomology, the study of insects. Specifically, the lab focuses on bee populations and the social behaviors that govern them.
"Social insects have some of the most complex behaviors that rival human societies."" Chelsea Cook Primary investigator of the lab “Social insects have some of the most complex behaviors that rival human societies,” Chelsea Cook, an assistant professor of biological sciences and the primary investigator of the lab, said. The lab takes pride in looking at behaviors with ecological relevance, investigating behaviors and then putting them back into the field to research further. The goal of such a process is “to understand the social, environmental, and physiological contexts that shape behavior.”
By Gabriel Mannion
“You zoom in and you look at physiology, genetics, gene expression, things like that, and then you zoom out,” Cook said. “What is the impact o n ecology and evolution of that behavior? So, we try to tell the whole story, not just one component of the story.” The Cook Lab focuses its research on social behavior, specifically in regard to fanning, a thermoregulatory behavior in bees. When fanning, bees flap their wings from the entrance of the colony, which helps to create airflow and bring down the temperature of the colony and the larvae inside of it. “They have to do this because their babies only develop at a certain temperature, so it’s super important for them to circulate air in order to keep the colony cool,” Justine Nguyen, a graduate student in The Cook Lab, said. The action of fanning provides an opportunity for advanced research questions, which the lab asks to gain a better understanding of social behavior. “Throughout the day, bees have to be able to sense the environment and then do this job,” Cook said. “And so that’s kind of where
Photo by Lance Schulteis lance.schulteis@marquette.edu
Chelsea Cook uses her lab to investigate bees and their social behaviors.
we intersect, and what questions we ask is, ‘How do the bees sense the environment and how do they know what the temperature is?’ And then, ‘How does that change their physiology to make them do the behavior?’” The answers to such questions work to provide further insight into the social reasoning behind the behavior. “We’re trying to get these little snapshots to try to answer that question: how do they actually assemble and know how many are needed to do this job?” Cook said. While the lab approaches bees scientifically by nature, there is also a personal interest in the research being done and its subjects. “[In a lab at Arizona State University], I was exposed to learning
and memory in honeybees,” Rachael Halby, a graduate student in The Cook Lab, said. “It was a lot of fun, and I fell in love with them and how social they are and the way that they take care of their sisters. I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so much better than humans. I love you!’” In addition to growing internally, the lab works to grow science outside of its own walls through community outreach
See BEE on page 2
Historic moment for Lemonis
gabriel.mannion@marquette.edu
The Marquette community gathered to dedicate the Lemonis Center for Student Success with a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 13. The dedication ceremony for the Lemonis Center had over 150 people in attendance, including Marquette students, faculty and members of the Milwaukee community. Also in attendance was Kimo Ah Yun, acting president, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. The creation of the Lemonis Center was made possible by a $15 million donation in February from Marcus and Bobbi Lemonis. Marcus Lemonis is a star of HGTV’s “The Renovator“, CNBC’s “The
Profit“, and chairman and CEO of Camping World and a 1995 alumnus of the Helen Way Klinger College of Arts and Sciences. “This is a historical moment. President Lovell had a vision for the student success initiative to make it easy for students to access support and for services to be better in terms of resources that can be offered,” Marilyn Jones, director of the Lemonis Center for Student Success, said. “And, today, that vision came to fruition with the ribbon cutting and dedication of the Lemonis Center. He [Lovell] was there in spirit.” Marcus was introduced to speak on the opening of the center and what it meant to him. “Marcus gave a resonating speech on how Marquette helped
him understand who he was as a person and how to be his authentic self,” Jones said. “He touched on how Marquette helped [Marcus] realize success is about the whole person, and it is something he is able to give back through the Lemonis Center.” Jones said Marcus mentioned mentors who helped him achieve success during his time at Marquette and beyond, including Rev. Andy Thon, S.J., who was present to provide a blessing for the dedication of the center. After Marcus gave his remarks, Thon shared how much he was touched by the fact that Marcus mentioned him and then proceeded to bless the Lemonis Center. Sebastian Rios, a junior in the College of Communication and
Lemonis Center desk receptionist, said he got to meet Marcus at the ceremony. “It was surreal seeing everything come to fruition, and seeing the impact and meaning it holds on campus is amazing,” Rios said. “No one realizes the impact it has until they see it.” Marcus Lemonis, Bobbi Lemonis and Rev. Andy Thon cut the ribbon in front of the main staircase to officially mark the opening of the Lemonis Center. “It was really a day for Marcus, highlighting the work and donation he gave to make this space possible,” Jones said. “It was their moment [Marcus and Marquette staff ]. They have been working See LEMONIS on page 2