Dear Students,
Welcome back! I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday break with family and your beloved communities. The campus is simply not the same without the energy and engagement that students bring. You were missed here on campus!
I use the term “beloved communities” intentionally as we recently celebrated Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day nationally, as well as here on campus with a prayer service in the AMU Ballrooms where community members gathered in solidarity to remember Dr. King through a reading of his words. Dr. King used the term to articulate an ideal vision of humankind where all people worked together for justice and equality. I see similarities is the type of community we are attempting to encourage and develop here at Marquette through our intentional engagement of you and your Ignatian-influenced education in and outside the classroom.
The key message for this semester will be intentional engagement. What follows are multiple opportunities for you to engage in the Marquette community:
If you are looking to engage in service and learning, the Justice in Action Conference — open to all students — is Saturday, Feb. 25.
Additionally, the Marquette Volunteer Corps is accepting applications for students who are interested in being involved with Service at Marquette; Apply here.
If you are interested in student leadership opportunities critical to welcoming in our new students to Marquette, New Student and Family Programs will be hiring summer SPARK Leaders and New Student Orientation Leaders. Applications will open Monday, Jan. 30, and close Monday, Feb. 13.
You can visit the O-Staff website to review position descriptions and apply! An information session will also be available to watch next week. If you have questions, please email newstudentprogs@marquette.edu.
If you’d like to stay in balance, “mind, body, and spirit,” there is a Wellness Fair sponsored by the Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion in the Alumni Memorial Union on Friday, Jan. 27, from 10 am. to 2 p.m. Meet reps and get swag from Career Services, Sustainability, Marquette Medical Clinic, Campus Ministry, Recreational Sports, Marquette Counseling Center, Community Service, Engagement and Inclusion, and Study Abroad.
To maintain your fitness in the winter months, Recreational Sports has opened new areas on campus for students to recreate beginning this week. The new spaces include:
- The Rec Plex expanded with The Nest, with additional cardio and weight training equipment.
- O’Donnell Hall, which is a fitness center, including cardio, weight training equipment, and a spin studio.
- Old Gym, open in the evenings for open play and intramural basketball.
Check our Rec Sports home page for the complete listing of hours and activities offered at each of our facilities. Importantly, the rec and fitness locations will be open the same or more hours each day as had been previously available at the Rec Center and Rec Plex.
To nourish your bodies, Sodexo Dining Services has also added some things to our dining program while you’ve been away, including a new café in the College of Business, sushi rolling on Tuesdays at The Commons and FOODA will be bringing pop-up restaurants into Marquette Place every Friday beginning this week with Jackie’s Café.
There are also opportunities for you to engage and build upon a diverse community. Marquette’s Offices of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Student Support Services, and the Center for Engagement and Inclusion are hosting an inaugural Black – Brown Get Down: Community Conversations for Culture and Connection, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the 707 Hub. Food will be provided from local Black and brown-owned businesses!
Have a blessed start to your school year, and if you see me around campus, be sure to say hello — I will do the same! All of us in Student Affairs and our colleagues across campus are rooting for your success.
Dr. Xavier A. Cole
Vice president for student affairs
