With the 2010-’11 school year coming to an end, the Tribune looks back at the major news events that have occurred over the last nine months. From a new president being named, to a local landmark turning out the lights, there were no shortage of stories that captured the collective attention of campus.

1) Fr. Pilarz chosen as Fr. Wild’s successor

After 15 years, Marquette University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild will retire at the end of the 2010-’11 school year.  His time as president was celebrated by several events, including Father Wild Night at the Bradley Center and the last Father Wild forum.

In August, the university announced that Wild would be succeeded by the Rev. Scott Pilarz, president of Scranton University in Pennsylvania.

“This is a very humbling experience for me,” Pilarz told a crowd of administrators, students and local media in the Alumni Memorial Union after he was announced as the new president. “I have much that I need to hear from you: your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations for this amazing institution.”

Pilarz will take over for Father Wild in August after an eight-year tenure at Scranton. He has been in close contact with Wild as well as other administration and Marquette Student Government as the new school year approaches.

“I like everything I see (in Pilarz),” Father Wild said after the announcement. “He’ll be a great one.”

2) Walker wins gubernatorial election

The 2010 midterm elections ended with a sweep of Republican wins throughout the nation, and Wisconsin was a part of the trend. Scott Walker, former Milwaukee County executive, defeated Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett for governor.

Walker has since been the subject of local and national controversy because of his proposal in January that called for the end of collective bargaining for public sector workers as well as cuts for teacher benefits. The proposal sent protesters flocking to the capital and state democratic legislators fleeing to Illinois to avoid a vote.

“Wisconsin has fought for the rights of the working class for decades,” said Anne Taylor, chair of the College Democrats, in an e-mail. “People across the country have looked to our state for the way forward in worker safety and compensation, among other rights. Some people might not understand the impact of this, but it will severely impact our political process.”

3) Allegations arise against student athletes

This March, several allegations against Marquette University student athletes came to light regarding two sexual assaults as well as a battery charge.

The first sexual assault allegedly occurred on Oct. 30 and involved a female student and four student athletes in Humphrey Hall, according to a DPS crime report. The student contacted the Department of Public Safety but declined involvement from the Milwaukee Police Department. A new report was filed with MPD in March.

“From the beginning, MPD was always an option for her,” said Russell Shaw, associate director for DPS. “We never denied her that.”

The more recent case allegedly occurred on Feb. 27 and involved a female student and an acquaintance, according to a DPS crime log. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel identified the acquaintance as a student athlete, and the victim filed a DPS report on March 31 that is still underway.

Marquette men’s basketball guard Vander Blue was also cited on an assault and battery charge for an incident that occurred Oct. 24. Blue, a freshman in the College of Communication, pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court on April 18.

The release time of the allegations received some controversy because of how they coincided with the end of basketball season. Gerald Boyle, Blue’s defense attorney, said that the delay between court proceedings and the incident had nothing to do with basketball season.

4) Marquette passes domestic partner benefits for university employees

As a part of Marquette’s continued efforts to be inclusive to the LGBT community, the university extended its domestic partner benefits to include all legally domiciled adults, including same-sex couples.

The move received statewide attention, and angered some who thought that the university was not upholding Catholic ideals.

University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild said the decision was based upon Marquette’s tradition and adherence to Jesuit principles.

“If we are truly pastoral in our application of the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, I asked myself if I could reconcile that with denying health benefits to a couple who have legally registered their commitment to each other,” Wild said in a statement.

The benefits were adopted after both the University Academic Senate and Marquette Student Government passed recommendations for the university to extend benefits to all legally domiciled partnerships.

5) Angelo’s serves up its last slice

Marquette landmark Angelo’s Pizza closed this fall, to the dismay of many students and members of the Marquette community.

The closing was brought on when Marquette acquired the property early in the school year. Owner Mike Albano and Marquette reached a buyout settlement, according to Tim Olsen, communication manager in the Office of Marketing and Communication.

The sale came about because of Albano’s plans to retire, Olsen said. A source who worked at Angelo’s also said the owner had medical bills to pay. Albano died a few months later.

Many students, particularly upperclassmen, were disappointed at the closing of the Marquette tradition and campus hot spot.

“It’ll be a shock to see it go,” said Erin Fitzgerald, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, in the Oct. 12 Marquette Tribune report on the closing. “It had a great atmosphere to it.”

Recently, however, rumors have begun circulating about the reopening of the establishment sometime next year. The university has yet to confirm whether or not this is true.