1. Northwestern Mutual donates $1 million to Law School

Northwestern Mutual Foundation has announced a $1 million gift to Marquette University Law School for the construction of its new building, Eckstein Hall.

Eckstein Hall is currently under construction at the corner of 12th and Clybourn streets. The 200,000-square-foot, $85 million building is targeted for completion for the fall 2010 school year. It is named in honor of alumni Ray and Kay Eckstein, who donated $51 million to the Law School. The building will also feature the Zilber Atrium, recognizing a $30 million gift from Milwaukee real estate developer and law school alumnus Joseph Zilber.

“This investment from Northwestern Mutual Foundation further reflects its commitment to supporting Milwaukee’s future,” said Law School Dean Joseph Kearney. “We are grateful for its recognition of the importance of a premier law school in our community. Eckstein Hall will further our mission of providing exceptional legal education, while also serving as a home for legal research, public discourse and community service.”

The Law School gift was part of a series of donations Northwestern Mutual Foundation announced to educational non-profit organizations in the Milwaukee area, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.

“Milwaukee has been home to Northwestern Mutual for more than 150 years, and we understand the value of investing in its future,” said Ed Zore, president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. “We believe that the place to start is with education, which is vital to the strength and stability of this community, and these organizations are poised to make a real difference in the future of Milwaukee.”

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2. Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiator to speak on campus

Gregory Khalil, a lawyer and former legal advisor with the Negotiations Support Unit, will speak on “Negotiating Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Cudahy 001. Khalil worked on Israel's construction of a barrier in the West Bank and Israel's unilateral evacuation of its settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The program is sponsored by the Center for Peacemaking.

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3. Jesuits hosting open house with free cookies and coffee today

The Marquette Jesuits will host a Mission Week Java with the Jesuits event today, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jesuit Residence, east entrance. Marquette community members are invited to drop by for cookies, coffee and conversation.

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4. Theologian and physicist to discuss a loving universe

Dr. Mary Gerhart, professor emerita of religious studies, and Dr. Allan Russell, professor emeritus of physics, from Hobart and Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y., will present "A Physicist and a Theologian Construct the Concept of a Loving Universe” Thursday, Feb. 12. The program will be held in Raynor Library Beaumier Suites B & C from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

The program is co-sponsored by the Department of Theology, Department of Physics and the Albertus Magnus Circle.

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5. “Voices of Marquette” provided for Mission Week

Marquette community members can enjoy the Mission Week "Voices of Marquette" podcast series released during Mission Week. The interviews highlight the lives, work and commitments of members of the Marquette community, including Janine Geske, distinguished professor of law; Dr. John Pauly, provost; Rev. Bryan Massingale, associate professor of theology; Dr. Irfan Omar, assistant professor of theology; and Terri Mitchell, women’s basketball coach.

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6. Best Buddies selling Valentine flowers and showcase tickets

The student organization Best Buddies will hold a flower sale Monday, Feb. 9, through Friday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday’s sale will take place on the first floor of AMU. Tuesday through Thursday the sale will be on the second floor of AMU. Roses are $3 each or $30 for a dozen and carnations are $1 each. Flowers can be picked up Saturday, Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of AMU.

Tickets for the fashion and talent show featuring Best Buddy members will be available at the flower sale. The showcase will take place Sunday, Feb. 22, in the Weasler Auditorium. Tickets prices are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

All proceeds benefit the Best Buddies Marquette Chapter, an organization that provides friendships and integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.

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7. Bra drive to benefit sexual assault treatment center

The Center for Health Education and Promotion is hosting a “BRA Drive” to collect new or gently used bras for the Sexual Assault Treatment Center of Greater Milwaukee. Bras can be placed in bins located in AMU and in McCormick, Schroeder and Straz Tower residence halls until half-time of the women’s basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Al McGuire Center. For more information, contact the Center for Health Education and Promotion at 8-5217.

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8. Blood and platelet donations needed at blood drive

The Spring All-University Blood Drive will take place Thursday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in AMU Ballroom AB. Appointments for blood, dual red and platelet donations are encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome.

Contact Ali Myszewski, assistant director of AMU, at 8-3129 to schedule an appointment.

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9. Mission Week resource guide provided by libraries

Raynor Memorial Libraries are offering an online resource guide to support reading and discussion of Mission Week topics: Dr. Shirin Ebadi, the human rights of women and children, Islamic and Iranian history, and acting on one's faith. The resource guide includes books, articles, DVDs, videos and Web sites.

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10. Goodsearch users can benefit Midnight Run, peacemaking center

Marquette's own Midnight Run meal program and the Center for Peacemaking can benefit from the Mission Week effort of individuals signing up for GoodSearch, a search engine that donates 50 percent of its revenue to the charities and schools of the user's choice. When individuals sign up for GoodSearch, each Internet search will earn a small amount of money for their chosen cause. The money GoodSearch donates comes from its advertisers, so it costs users nothing to participate.

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11. A Mission Week daily reflection — Andrea Schneider

Originally delivered as an “Ignatian Moment” to the Marquette University Board of Trustees on Sept. 17, 2008:

I am happy to talk about two elements of how my faith has impacted my work and my life at Marquette. The first is in the selection of my career. I was raised in a traditional Jewish family, going to Hebrew school, getting Bat-Mitzvahed and traveling to Israel. My grandparents and parents were a terrific influence on me as community leaders. My grandfather was a small-town lawyer and served as village attorney for over 30 years. When I spent a summer working for him and enjoyed reading real estate law books more than Anna Karenina, I knew this was the field for me.

I think that Judaism and its study of Torah make one very comfortable with the study of law. After all, much of the Torah and what we learn in Hebrew School is all about rules and behavior. Judaism’s focus on justice, charity, and the push to repair the world all make lawyering an easy fit. I also think that the arguing and negotiating that goes on in law is also a comfortable fit.

There is an old joke about a Jewish man found on a deserted island after many years. There are three buildings on the island that the man has built. One is clearly his home. One of his rescuers asks about the other two and the Jewish man explains: well, one is my synagogue and the other is the synagogue I wouldn’t be caught dead in.

Criticism, a healthy skepticism, a willingness to question authority and debate are all hallmarks of practicing Judaism and develop a point of view that fits quite nicely into the current practice of law. My course load also reflects a Jewish point of view, although this was not done consciously at all — they were just the classes that appealed to me. Dispute resolution, negotiation and ethics are all courses that focus on how people should behave toward one another, even when in conflict. International law focuses on how countries should behave toward one another.

And when my dean teases me that I don’t teach real law — you know the boring kind with lots of rules and cases that make you nod off — I generally argue back that my kind of classes are the way to create Marquette lawyers with more than book knowledge but a real sense of how to serve others and pursue a better world.

My faith also has led me to the conclusion that teaching is not enough. If I am to truly model for my students and my children what a whole person should be, then charitable works are equally important. I am involved as a leader in the Milwaukee Jewish Federation — women’s campaign chair and on the executive committee. I have been president of the kids’ Jewish preschool and just finished a year as endowment chair for the National Young Leadership Cabinet of the United Jewish Communities.

Let’s be clear — balancing all of this is not easy! My husband is head of litigation at Northwestern Mutual, I have three active boys with, among them now that the fall season has arrived, four soccer games and two baseball games per week. I know I would have more time for both my family and my work if I did not also choose to spend time volunteering. But I don’t really view it as a choice. Faith is not always easy, it is not convenient, but it is the right thing to do.

Let me close by saying how appreciative I am to be at a place that recognizes and celebrates the importance of doing good. I can assure you that I never dreamed that a Catholic institution would be an ideal place to pursue my Jewish faith. My amazing grandmother, who is now 97 and at the stage where most of my daily conversations with her repeat those from the day before, somewhat regularly asks me about my job. “Are you tenured?” “Are you a full professor?” “Does your dean know you are Jewish?”

After today, I can reassure her that not only does my dean know, but now the entire Board of Trustees knows! Thank you.

Andrea Schneider
~ professor of law

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