Celebrating 107 years of journalistic integrity
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Madness over cancellation
“Angel on my shoulder” Kim Coleman creates safety backpack brand made with reflective material
Both basketball teams set to hold open practice for fans SPORTS, 15
NEWS, 4
Volume 105, Number 3
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
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Literary liberty: Banned books make waves across Wisconsin Critical race theory among topics being banned in schools By Connor Baldwin
connor.baldwin@marquette.edu
Laurie Kontney, a former physical therapy professor at Marquette and a Muskego-Norway school district member, has found herself in some hot water with her new occupation. Since the start of her new job, she influenced the removal of a book from the curriculum. The book in question is “When the Emperor was Divine” by Julie Otsuka, a story that goes into the U.S. government’s incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Kontney’s reason for the literary exclusion was that themes in the book didn’t have a place in English class. Parents have taken a stance and think this is classroom
oppression, with more than 300 signings on a petition asking for the return of the book to the curriculum. Laurie Kontney could not be reached for comment. This Sunday, Sept. 18 marks the start of Banned Books Week a week of awareness on censorship in forms of print media, while also supporting students, educators and publishers. This classroom oppression is one of many modern instances where teachers are restricted from teaching specific subjects in the class. Back in January, the Wisconsin senate passed a bill looking to ban critical race theory from being taught in the classroom. Critical race theory is the idea of how rulings in the court system influence people negatively in a certain societal class. The bill was then vetoed by Governor Evers.
Graphic by Lily Werner elizabeth.werner@marquette.edu
So far there have been eight states to pass legislation banning talks of CRT in the classroom, with many other states planning to introduce legislation of their own. The most notable of these
laws passed is the Stop WOKE Act introduced in Florida, which prohibits the hiring and discussions of CRT in education. Juniper Colwell, a
philosophy professor at Marquette, said that many times these fears of CRT in the classroom are blown up without any reason. See BOOKS page 3
Bus initiative brings construction to Marquette’s campus MCTS project on Wisconsin Ave. plans to finish June 2023 By Timothy Littau
timothy.littau@marquette.edu
Orange cones, poles and construction barrels tied together with yellow caution tape line campus sidewalks and crosswalks along Wisconsin Avenue. Curbs are missing in some spots, and in others, the sidewalks have been moved further into the street.
The construction is for the Milwaukee County Transit System’s latest project, a Bus Rapid Transit system, which is planned to be operational by June 2023. David Locher, MCTS manager of enhanced transit said BRT systems are employed in 182 cities around the world and 15 in INDEX FAST FACTS...................................................3 UPCOMING EVENTS.....................................3 CROSSWORD................................................7 A&E................................................................8 OPINIONS....................................................10 SPORTS........................................................12
the U.S. “We start calling these things BRT stations. It’s all about this idea that bus rapid transit is light rail without the rail,” Locher said. “You have dedicated lanes painted in the roadway and instead of standard bus stops or a platform for a rail or building up a platform, it’s an NEWS
elevated curve. It’s going to look very much like a streetcar platform.” Traffic will be consolidated to one lane along the ninemile BRT route that goes eastwest, back and forth from the Watertown Plank Park & Ride in the west to North Cass ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Hispanic Heritage
Falcus’s Banana Boy
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Campus begins month-long celebration of culture
Street in the east. Locher said that this will help “combat the reckless driving epidemic” plaguing Milwaukee, which killed 43 people last year See CONSTRUCTION page 2 OPINIONS
Elizabeth’s legacy
Reflecting on all aspects of the late First-year student creates clothing brand off of inside jokes Queen’s decades-long reign PAGE 11