INDEX
Emory Events Calendar, Page 2
Crossword Puzzle, Page 12
Staff Editorial, Page 10
Police Record, Page 2
Student Life, Page 13
On Fire, Page 15
THE EMORY WHEEL Since 1919
The Independent Student Newspaper of Emory University
Volume 94, Issue 28
www.emorywheel.com
Friday, January 25, 2013 DEPARTMENT CHANGES
Every Tuesday and Friday
RUN THE ROW
Committee to Review Department Changes Motion Barely Passes, Faculty Debates Merits of Looking Back By Evan Mah Editor-in-Chief By the slimmest of margins, College faculty voted in favor of an independent review committee that would investigate the decision-making process that led to the department changes announced last semester. The motion, which passed on Wednesday at the monthly faculty college meeting, set specific guidelines and clarified the original version of the resolution passed in December. The final vote passed 88 to 84. Faculty also voted to create a committee to examine faculty governance in the College and potentially recommend structural reforms. The motion, which passed almost unanimously, is a clarification of the initial motion, which originally passed in December as well. The approximately 200 professors in attendance got down to business quickly, first discussing the details of the committee that would examine faculty governance. The first faculty member to speak questioned whether the motion was too broad, believing that “many parts of the college governance are working quite well.” Some faculty members also requested that the motion be amended to specify areas of concern. Others disagreed, noting that the very point of the committee would be to determine what is “broken” and investigate “parts that may need change.” “Sometimes when you take your kids to the pediatrician, they stick a thermometer in them and say 98.6
[degrees], everything is okay,’” said one faculty member. “So for some of those things you’re saying that aren’t broken, you put the thermometer in and if the thermometer comes out normal, you move on [to] the next thing.” One faculty member pointed out that the proposed committee did not address governance issues between the College and the Laney Graduate School (LGS). The speaker questioned how “a college finance committee could eliminate graduate programs” and asked how the new committee would intersect with the Executive Council of the LGS. After some deliberation, the room voted and approved an amendment that would have the committee “review the relationship between faculty governance in the College and other governing bodies in the University, including the Laney Graduate School.” The room also voted to charge the committee with making a presentation to the full faculty in fall 2013 before the release of its full report and findings in spring 2014. The next item on the agenda aimed to set procedures for another committee that would review the “processes, procedures and criteria by which the [department changes] were reached in order to ascertain whether accepted procedural standards were followed,” according to the resolution. According to the resolution,
See FACULTY, Page 5
Emily Lin/Photo Editor
Y
esterday evening, rushees ran down Eagle Row into the fraternity houses they have selected to pledge following a closing ceremony by the Interfraternity Council in Harland Cinema. Starting on Jan. 19, the boys have attended numerous rounds at the various houses as part of the recruitment process. Here, the 21 new ZBT pledges cheer in front of their new fraternity house.
ADMINISTRATION
COLLEGE
HB 29 Would Allow Guns on Ga. Campuses Reduced Graduation Requirements Approved By Jordan Friedman Associate Editor
Since the tragedy at Newton, Conn. shook the United States on Dec. 14, the debate over gun control has made its way back into the national spotlight. In the past month alone, several state legislatures have introduced measures to either enhance or reduce gun control measures in the country. In Georgia, State Representative Charles Gregory (R-Kennesaw) intro-
GUN CONTROL SERIES
This story is part of an ongoing series regarding gun control in Georgia and the United States.
duced four bills last month that would eliminate many of the state’s current restrictions on concealed weapons. This includes House Bill (HB) 29, or the Campus Carry Act of 2013, which would allow those with permits to carry guns on both public and private colleges and universities. An indi-
vidual may obtain a permit only if he or she is 21 years of age or older, has not been convicted of a felony and has no history of drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness. The bill itself would revise Georgia’s current state law that prohibits the carrying of firearms in government buildings and school safety zones, striking colleges and universities from these two categories. In regard to government buildings, the
See STUDENTS, Page 5
ALUMNI
A DREAM
Years Later, Alum Reflects On Father Held Hostage By Harmeet Bhagrath Staff Writer
James Crissman/Asst. Photo Editor
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ollege senior Riakeem Kelley gives MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Dobbs University Center yesterday afternoon as part of the “King Week” events. The next event will be a worship service on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Cannon Chapel. A reception in Brooks Commons will follow the service.
SCIENCE
Study Explores Fairness in Chimps By Lydia O’Neal Staff Writer Think the common chimpanzee, or Pan troglodytes, doesn’t know how to play fair? Think again. At Emory’s Yerkes National Primate Center, post-doctoral researcher Darby Proctor and Emory professor and primatologist Frans de Waal recently discovered a preference for fairness in chimpanzees once believed to be a solely human characteristic. Proctor, a Fellowships in Research
and Science Teaching (FIRST) fellow and the study’s author, tested 20 human children between the ages of two and seven along with six adult chimpanzees by engaging both species in the Ultimatum Game, a game which the behavioral economics community once believed animals were incapable of playing. In the game, researchers pair two individuals of the same species and named one a “chooser” and the other an either passive or cooperative partner. The chooser is given the choice
between two tokens that can be exchanged for prizes — the children received stickers, while the chimpanzees received small foods. The chooser can pick either one token or the other: one would give him or her the entire reward, while the other would split the reward evenly between the two partners. When paired with cooperative partners, who were required to deliver the token of choice to those doling out rewards, both human and
See AUTHOR, Page 4
NEWS NEW EYE
OP-EDS AMBIGUITY OF
TECHNOLOGY ADDRESSES
FACULTY LETTER SUPPORTING
BLINDNESS
...
PAGE 3
DEAN
...
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David Levinson (’09C) has not seen or talked to his father in six years. A history major and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Levinson is like any other highachieving alumnus of Emory. Except that his father is being held hostage off the coast of Iran. Robert Levinson, now the second longest held hostage in United States history, was a private detective and retired FBI official investigating cigarette smuggling on the Iranian Kish Island. When David and his mother, Christine, didn’t hear from him in March 2007, that’s when the family went on high alert. For the next nine months, the family was in contact with U.S. and Iranian government officials. Christine wrote a letter to Iran’s foreign minister asking permission to visit the country, according to a 2007 CNN article. The family was granted permission in September and visited three months later. According to David, the Iranian government was accommodating and helped them retrace his father’s steps in Iran. However, the trip yielded no results. Two years went by with no word on David’s father’s whereabouts. Then, in November 2010, the family received a hostage video sent to them anonymously. The video depicted a fatigued Robert saying said he was being held by a “group,” according to the Associated Press. The anonymous group sent the family five photos in April 2011 with Robert clad
STUDENT LIFE PASTA JOHN EXPOSES HIS MORE SERIOUS SIDE ... PAGE 9
in an orange jumpsuit and sporting unkempt hair. In each photo, Robert holds a sign bearing a different message. In one photo, the sign reads, “This is the result of 30 years serving for USA.” Another sign reads, “I am here in Guantanamo. Do you know where it is?” David said his family has met with the State Department and President Obama. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has even asked the Iranian government to return Robert, but Iran has denied involvement in the hostage situation, according to a 2011 BBC article. Now in an effort to revitalize the campaign to bring Robert home, on Jan. 8 of this year the family has released photos it anonymously received two years ago. David said the family hopes to redirect attention to the situation. “We feel we need to regain momentum in the case and bring the case back to the forefront of Americans’ minds and the governments’ minds,” David said. “My dad’s still out there. He’s still alive. He’s still waiting.” Although Levinson’s case has been covered by many major media organizations, including the Washington Post, BBC News and CNN, David doesn’t believe enough people know about his father. David said that he could not explain why the issue has not gained widespread attention in the media. “We need to make it so that people feel pressured to bring him home,” David said. David’s family now publicly
By Jordan Friedman Associate Editor The College will officially reduce its graduation requirement to 124 credit hours from 128 next fall because of a second faculty vote approving the change at a meeting last month, according to Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Joanne Brzinski. Current students will be “grandfathered” into the new graduation policy, meaning it will impact those enrolled in the College at the time it is implemented. According to a Nov. 1 Wheel article, this alteration coincides with the credit-hour changes that will go into effect next fall. Emory University will begin following the Carnegie Unit System, in which the number of credit hours designated for courses matches the number of “contact hours,” or the amount of time students are in the class, each week. Because the “standard” College class will be worth three credits, rather than four, the reduced requirement is an attempt to “make it a little bit easier on students,” Brzinski told the Wheel in November. Faculty approved the graduation requirement change by a nearly unanimous “voice vote” at both November and December faculty meetings, Brzinski said. In general, faculty members must approve policy changes regarding graduation and distribution requirements at two successive faculty meetings for them to take effect, as stated in Emory College’s Faculty Bylaws. The Educational Policy Committee — a group of faculty, student and committee representatives that makes decisions regarding College policy changes — proposed the alteration and approved it at the beginning of the fall semester. In addition to the College, the Goizueta Business School announced last spring that it would also be reducing its graduation credit-hour requirements to 128 from 138, as most B-School courses will be worth three credits starting next fall.
— Contact Jordan Friedman at See EXPERT, Page 5
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jordan.m.friedman@emory.edu
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2
NEWS ROUNDUP National, Local and Higher Education News • On Thursday, Jan. 24, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the 1994 military ban on women in small ground-combat units with the full backing of President Barack Obama. According to a senior defense official, 237,000 new military jobs will be open to women who qualify. • David Coleman Headly, a terrorist behind the Mumbai massacre that killed more than 160 people — including six Americans — in 2008, was sentenced to 35 years in prison by Chicago’s federal court on Thursday, Jan. 24. Headly pleaded guilty to scouting out target sites for the attack in India’s largest city but escaped a life sentence due to his cooperation with federal prosecutors. His information led to charges against seven terrorists, including a childhood friend from his Pakistani school.
THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
Friday, January 25, 2013
Texas, California, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and Belgium, also ranks 23rd on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” • Susan Warren, a 53-year-old Elyria, Ohio woman also known as the “Cleaning Fairy,” was arrested Tuesday when someone reported that she was shoveling a nearby driveway without the resident’s permission. Warren pleaded guilty to burglary in November after breaking into a Cleveland home, cleaning it and leaving a bill for $75. When police discovered her Tuesday, they found a warrant for her arrest due to another burglary charge. Upon her arrest, she held nearly $1000 in cash thanks to what must have been, according to Elyria Police Lt. Chris Costantino, a “pretty lucrative” shoveling business.
— Compiled by Staff Writer Lydia O’Neal
• Fortune rated Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird No. 2 on its list of top 10 highest-paying companies in the country, with an average salary of $182,394, on Thursday. The top company on Fortune’s list, Boston-based law firm Bingham McCutchen LLP, pays its employees an average of $216,000. Alston & Bird, which has offices in New York, The Wheel reports and corrects all errors published in the newspaper and at emorywheel.com. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Evan Mah at emah@ emory.edu to report an error.
THE EMORY WHEEL Volume 94, Number 28 © 2011 The Emory Wheel
Dobbs University Center, Room 540 605 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editor-in-Chief Evan Mah (404) 727-0279 Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor in chief. The Wheel is published twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions. A single copy of the Wheel is free of charge. To purchase additional copies, please call (404) 727-6178. The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staff or administration. The Wheel is also available online at www.emorywheel.com.
This Week In Emory History
POLICE RECORD • An Emory graduate student’s Emory card ID number was used to conduct 10 unauthorized transactions. An individual used the ID number to purchase pizza from the Domino’s on 1439 Oxford Rd. The total amount of charges added up to $266. The incident has been turned over to an investigator. • On Jan. 21 officers responded to a fire alarm at the Phi Delta Theta house located at 20 Eagle Row. The fraternity president insisted that there was no fire. Officers and facilities management identified the room where the alarm went off. The smoke detector had been removed from the ceiling. A resident said he had knocked the smoke detector off by mistake.
• On Jan. 21 sometime between midnight and 3:00 a.m., one of the guests being hosted at an apartment in Clairmont Tower stole an Apple MacBook charger. The charger was valued at $80. The incident has been turned over to an investigator. • On Jan. 19 at 3:24 a.m., a taxi driver contacted Emory police when a student refused to be dropped off at Harris Hall. The student, a resident of the Sigma Chi house located at 6 Eagle Row, was unable to provide driving directions to the driver given his intoxication. The student was unable to answer questions according to officers. The student paid his cab fare and Emory police transported the student to his residence.
• On Jan. 17 sometime between 4:40 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., a student’s MacBook and iPhone were stolen from the Whitehead research building located at 615 Michael St. The laptop was valued at $1500, and the phone was valued at $500. The case has been turned over to an investigator.
— Compiled by Staff Writer Dustin Slade
Jan. 24, 1994 Emory planned to build a new facility linking Woodruff and Candler libraries and housing study space, electronic classrooms and additional work stations for dissertation and faculty studies. Emory received a $15 million gift from the Woodruff Foundation, which made the construction of the 86,000-square-foot facility possible. The University also committed $5 million of endowment income to renovate Woodruff Library to prepare it for the new facility.
EVENTS AT EMORY FRIDAY Event: Coach Chat: Excelling in Today’s Consulting Environment Webinar Time: 12 — 1 p.m. Location: Webinar Event: Trial Techniques Workshop Time: 1:30 — 4:30 p.m. Location: Emory Law School, Tull Auditorium Event: Athletics — Women’s Basketball Time: 6 — 8 p.m. Location: Woodruff P.E. Center Event: Hurst Logue Wenger Cardiovascular Society Dinner Holiday Sale Time: 7 p.m. Location: St. Regis Hotel Eighty-Eight West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30305
Event: Athletics — Men’s Basketball Time: 8 — 10 p.m. Location: Woodruff P.E. Center
SATURDAY Event: Back to Class: Emory in South Florida Time: 9 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Location: The Westin Colonnade Coral Gables, 180 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134 Event: Artful Stories Time: 10 — 11 a.m. Location: Art of the Americas Galleries
SUNDAY Event: University Worship King Week Service with Rev. Dr. Luther Smith Time: 11 a.m. — 12 p.m. Location: Cannon Chapel
Event: Athletics — Men’s Basketball Time: 12 — 2 p.m. Location: Woodruff P.E. Center Event: Athletics — Women’s Basketball Time: 2 p.m. Location: Woodruff P.E. Center Event: Children’s Workshop Time: 2 p.m. Location: Carlos Museum, Tate Room Event: Karen Freer, cello Time: 4 p.m. Location: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts,
MONDAY Emerson Concert Hall Event: Bate-papo (Portuguese conversation hour) Time: 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. Location: Starbucks at Barnes & Noble, Emory Bookstore
Event: Breaking Ground: Linda Sherbert, Michael Lewis, and Tricia Hersey Time: 5 p.m. Location: Theater Lab, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts Event: Stammtisch Time: 6 — 8 p.m. Location: Clairmont Tower, Apt. 733 Event: Carlos Reads Book Club Time: 7:30 — 9 p.m. Location: Carlos Museum, Board Room
THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
Friday, January 25, 2013
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‘OUR GOD IS MARCHING IN’
ATHLETICS
Fitness Emory Reduces Classes’ Cost By Elizabeth Howell Associate Editor Emory’s Athletics and Recreation Department has reduced the cost of Fitness Emory classes at the WoodPEC in order to increase student participation. Students can now attend an unlimited number of classes for a onetime fee of $20. Fitness Emory offers non-credit, hour-long classes to all members of the Emory community. Classes include Zumba, cardio kickboxing, yoga, cycling as well as other activities. Previously, students had to buy punch cards in order to attend the classes. The cost of an individual class varied depending on the number of classes that students purchased, but one class could cost up to $6. “It doesn’t make sense,” Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education Paula Anderson said. “The cost of the classes has always been disproportionately expensive for students.” Anderson, who was on the committee that decided to reduce of cost of the classes, said that the change is intended to provide students with an incentive to work out. Additionally, she said that Fitness Emory aims to draw in participants from all parts of the Emory community. Faculty and staff can also purchase unlimited classes for a one-time fee of $40, according to Anderson. The reduced cost of the classes can only improve students’ exercise routines, according to Anderson. According to Anderson, Fitness Emory has already seen triple the increase in class attendance this semester. The Student Activity and Academic Center on Emory’s Clairmont Campus started offering students unlimited classes for $20 last year and saw impressive results,
Anderson said. Although more students than ever are attending the classes, Anderson said that Fitness Emory would not turn anyone away. She said the Athletics and Recreation Department would add more class times, if necessary. College sophomore Sara Guasch, who has taken cardio kickboxing classes through Fitness Emory twice a week since the beginning of her freshman year, said that she plans to attend even more classes now they don’t cost as much. “[The classes] are fun,” Guasch said. “It’s a good motivation to exercise and stay healthy and active.” Anderson said that she foresees Fitness Emory classes playing a variety of new roles in students’ lives. While the classes may be the primary way some students exercise, other students will take the classes in order to compliment their current exercise routines, she said. Students who already exercise regularly may find these classes appealing because they add variety to their everyday routines, and the classes take place in a fun and social setting, Anderson said. Anderson also said that the classes provide students with opportunities to try new forms of exercise without committing to taking a P.E. class all semester. The P.E. department’s new Play Emory program, which the department implemented last fall, requires students enrolled in one credit-hour Play Emory classes to accumulate 30 hours of independent activity outside of class, according to Anderson. Fitness Emory classes are one way in which students can accumulate these hours. Anderson also said that she and many P.E. instructors allow students to attend Fitness Emory classes in order to make up for any absences during the semester.
— Contact Elizabeth Howell at ehowel5@emory.edu
Emily Lin/Photo Editor
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ollege junior Courtney Henderson read Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1965 speech on voting rights, “Our God is Marching On,” at the commemoration party this past Wednesday as part of the “King Week” events. The first event took place on Monday with community service projects and a presidential inauguration viewing party.
STUDENT LIFE
Emory Police Offers Tips to Prevent Bicycle Theft By Dustin Slade Staff Writer Students at Emory are not taking proper measures to protect their bicycles, according to the Emory Police Department (EPD). Last year, 73 bikes were stolen on campus. The number has been consistent over the years. Since then, EPD have implemented Operation ID and continued to make suggestions to help keep student property safe at Emory. In an interview with the Wheel, Sgt. Rick Allen discussed two preventative measures that would assist students in protecting their bikes. Allen explained that most students on campus use a cable lock to connect their bike to the rack.
He noted that although the locks may appear durable, all cable locks are actually vulnerable to being easily cut. Allen insisted that students utilize a U-Lock to connect their bikes to the rack. Unlike a typical cable lock, a U-Lock is typically made with a reinforcing bar that can resist prying tools. Allen also suggested that students should register their property through the Emory stolen property recovery initiative called Operation ID. Operation ID asks students to register their property with the Emory police department and provides them a decal to put on their bike for identification. By providing officers with a bike’s serial number, officers can enter your
property into a national theft database if the property is stolen. Allen explained that if a thief were
“We were never in the right place at the right time.” — Rick Allen, Emory Police Department Sergeant to try to pawn a stolen bike that was registered through Operation ID at a pawnshop the store must first ensure the bike is not stolen. If the bike were registered in the national theft database, officers
would be notified and the property could be recovered. Officers explained that because most students do not utilize Operation ID, only one of the 73 stolen bikes was recovered. EPD have tried to assist the student body by conducting bike theft sting operations throughout the campus, although Allen admits that they have not been successful. “We were never in the right place at the right time,” Allen said. If a student would like to register your property with Operation ID, you must bring the items you would like to register to the Emory Police Department located at 1784 North Decatur Road.
— Contact Dustin Slade at dustin.slade@emory.edu
SCIENCE
Eye Center Can Restore Blindness By Rajiv Velury Staff Writer Those suffering from blindness may now have hope. The Emory Eye Center is one of the few centers in the country to use a new technology that addresses blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD). CentraSight, a novel treatment program for endstage AMD, uses miniature telescopes to project images onto certain areas of the eye. Through a combination of rehab and surgery, the treatment ultimately restores vision. AMD is a disease in which the retina, a structure in the eye, suffers damage to its center, resulting in a loss of central vision. CentraSight aims to solve this problem by surgically implanting a miniature telescope into one eye. The telescope then takes the image coming into the eye and projects it onto the healthy areas of the retina, making the loss of central vision less noticeable. Emory’s association with CentraSight began in 2003 when it
participated in clinical trials for the miniature telescopes. The clinical trials lasted for about a year, and VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies (VisionCare) — the manufacturer of the miniature telescopes — ultimately secured FDA approval for the product in 2010. Emory doctors began practicing the treatment shortly after. According to Timothy Olsen, chairman of the department of ophthalmology and director of Emory Eye Center, the treatment is new and promising. He noted, however, that the treatment has side effects, such as the loss of peripheral vision. “It’s not an easy thing for people to use and get used to,” Olsen cautioned. “That’s why rehab is so important.” Susan Primo, an Emory optometrist and professor of ophthalmology, runs these rehab sessions. Given that newly-implanted patients have distorted vision, Primo trains them to use their two eyes separately. The process can take months, but according to Primo, the brain should be trained to use two eyes for different
occasions by the end. “The [patients] are doing fine,” Primo said. “They progress at different rates.” According to Primo, all of the patients that have been treated are over 75, allowing them to take advantage of Medicare benefits. Primo divulged that telescopes aren’t cheap, costing around $10,000. Because Emory is one of the few to perform the treatment, Olsen believes that the center is “a potential area for medical tourism.” He noted, however, that more centers were coming up around the nation and that the telescope could be sold in Israel and Europe as well. For now, however, Emory remains part of an elite club that offers this treatment. “These kinds of things get us attention,” Primo said. “But the goal is not to get attention ... Our goal is to help patients see better, and we’re going to do the best that we can to achieve that.”
— Contact Rajiv Velury at rvelury@emory.edu
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NEWS
Friday, January 25, 2013
SPONTANEOUS CONVERSATIONS
Andy Ie/Staff
A
ssociate professor at Emory’s School of Medicine Neil Shulman has four to five spontaneous cafeteria conversations with strangers a day. Some of those conversations have been the start of new friendships. Discover his reasoning behind his meals on page 9.
Author Hopes Discovery Promotes Conservation Continued from Page 1 chimpanzee choosers select the token giving each partner 50 percent of the prize. Choosers of both species paired with passive partners, who were not required to transfer the token, preferred the selfish option. One experiment, Emory assistant Biology professor Todd Schlenke said, placed two chimpanzees in adjacent cages. When one was given peanuts, the primate appeared relatively satisfied. When the other was given a banana, the commonly preferred treat, the first furiously discarded the peanuts, revealing an innate sense of jealousy. “These findings have a major impact for economics and human evolution studies,” de Waal, who has worked at Yerkes for more than 20 years, said. “Anthropologists play the Ultimatum Game all over the world.” “Over the last century, scientists have repeatedly found behaviors in chimpanzees that were thought to be uniquely human,” Proctor said.
“I think my work continues this path by showing one more way that chimpanzees and humans share many similarities.” Proctor said she hopes the study’s results will encourage more people to engage in conservation activities for chimpanzees and other endangered species.
“... I think my work continues this path by showing one more way that chimpanzees and humans share many similarities ...” — Darby Proctor, post-doctoral researcher, Emory professor, and study’s author
Common chimpanzees are now extinct in four African countries — including Gambia, Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo — due to excessive
deforestation and commercial hunting, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warns. However, these not-so-distant relatives — they share 98 percent of our DNA, according to the WWF — continue to reveal their “human” tendencies. “A bunch of stuff has come out of Dr. Frans de Waal’s lab that explains social behaviors, humanizing chimpanzees, our closest relatives,” Schlenke said. “These behaviors didn’t originate in us.” Proctor said believes her and de Waal’s findings revolutionize explorations in the idea of fairness for nonhuman animals. “We think a sense of fairness is likely tied to the evolution of cooperation,” she said. “When individuals cooperate, there must be some mechanism in place for them to recognize unfair partners.” As for future research, Proctor said, “We may see something like a sense of fairness in other cooperative species.”
— Contact Lydia O’Neal at lmoneal@emory.edu
THE EMORY WHEEL
THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
Students, Administrators Explore Potential Impacts of House Bill 29 be allowed on campuses. For Nathanson, the student who bill states, “That such term shall not has begun spearheading efforts mean the campus of any public or opposing the legislation on campus, private technical school, vocational the Emory group’s initiative is just school, college, university or institu- beginning. Thus far, he has discussed tion of postsecondary education.” the topic with University adminisWhile the bill is only in its initial trators, and plans are in the works stages in the Georgia legislature, some to raise awareness through posters, Emory students have, as of recently, events and social media. He’s also taken action against its enactment. reached out to student government Two members of Young Democrats campus organizations to garner supof Emory — College junior and port for the cause. Young Dems Vice President of “Regardless of your views on the Communications Alex Nathanson Second Amendment, it’s a bad bill and College senior and Wheel Editor- for Emory because it would be costat-Large James Sunshine — estab- ly and impractical for the school,” lished Emory Students Against Guns Nathanson said. on Campus, opposing HB 29 because A number of student groups in of its potential addition to the one at implications Emory have sprung for the Emory up in Georgia, “I think it is a poorly community. though most of them crafted bill.” “I felt like it don’t hold the same was a good idea position. to try and orgaStudents at six — Alex Nathanson, nize something on colleges College junior Georgia campus to oppose and universities — changes that Georgia Institute of would affect everybody,” Nathanson Technology, Georgia State University, said. “I think it’s a poorly crafted bill. Kennesaw State University, Southern It doesn’t allow exceptions for private Polytechnic State University, Clayton colleges to craft their own policies State University and the University of when it comes to concealed carry.” Georgia — have established Students In addition to HB 29, for Concealed Carry groups on their Representative Gregory has intro- respective campuses. duced other bills that would allow Students for Concealed Carry is the carrying of concealed weapons a national, student-run organization, in places of worship, parks and his- “which advocates for legal concealed torical sites, and would remove the carry on college campuses in the governor’s authority to suspend the United States as an effective means sale and transportation of guns in of self-defense,” according to the an emergency. As state law currently organization’s website. The group at stands, guns are banned from college Georgia Tech formed soon after a residence halls and classrooms, but rise in crime on the school’s campus students with permits can keep fire- during this past summer. arms in locked cars. College Presidents Weigh In Ron Sauder, Emory’s vice president for communication and marketLast month, Agnes Scott College ing, wrote in an email to the Wheel that it is too soon to assess what the President Elizabeth Kiss and full impact of the proposed legislation Oglethorpe University President Lawrence Schall published an open at the University would be. “We expect other legislation to letter, expressing their opposition be introduced,” Sauder wrote, noting to legislation that would allow conthat it would be important to review cealed weapons on campuses. More all legislation before “properly assess- than 300 college presidents across the ing the impact on our campus and our country have signed the letter. “We are college and university facilities and evaluating our position.” University President James W. presidents,” the letter states. “We Wagner wrote that with Emory’s are parents. We are Republicans, interest “in the safety and security Democrats and Independents. We of our campus,” the University will urge both our President and Congress “continue to advocate for the preser- to take action on gun control now.” Wagner did not sign the letter but vation of campuses as school safety zones on which carrying of firearms specified that the University’s positions “are in harmony with the intent is prohibited by Georgia law.” Currently, only members of the of the letter.” He wrote that he is “not Emory Police Department, Emory qualified to judge specific policy preHospitals security officers and local, scriptions for reducing these horrific state or federal law enforcement incidents.” “In my capacity as president of agencies can carry guns on campus, Emory, it is not my place to recomaccording to Sauder. mend one remedy or the other,” he Students Weigh In wrote. “What I do feel both qualified and obligated to do is express a strong The states of Oregon, Mississippi, opinion on what kind of campus Wisconsin, Utah and Colorado cur- climate and security environment we rently allow concealed weapons on want to foster at Emory, and that is campuses. Twenty-one states have why we will be forcefully opposing laws forbidding gun carrying at col- any change in the current status we leges. And in 23 states, the decision is and other colleges and universities left up to the schools. across the state enjoy.” Students across Georgia and at However, the Association of Emory have mixed opinions about American Universities (AAU) — of the prospect of guns on campus. which Emory is a member — issued “I completely find it revolting a statement on Jan. 2, also supporting and don’t see how this will help gun control. The AAU is a nonprofit get guns off the streets,” College organization consisting of 62 research senior Jonathan Demar said. “In fact, universities in the United States and I would worry more about my safety Canada. because of this legislation.” “We believe that strong, meaningFirst-year student at the School of ful action needs to occur in three Medicine Ian McCullough noted that domains: gun control, care of the the bill, even if it were to pass, would mentally ill and the culture of our not apply to most undergraduates due contemporary media,” the letter to the required age for obtaining a states. gun permit in the state. National and state-wide gun-con“What makes a university so dif- trol controversies continue, as stuferent from virtually any place in dents, legislators and college officials Georgia where legal permit holders take action. are allowed to carry?” he added. “I thought this was an issue that Still, in an 11Alive/SurveyUSA would resonate with people in a way poll conducted last week, a majority that a lot of other political issues — 65 percent — of Georgia respon- wouldn’t,” Nathanson said, in refdents said they would want the cur- erence to starting Emory Students rent law, not the proposed legislation, Against Guns on Campus. — Contact Jordan Friedman at to be in effect. Twenty-nine percent of jordan.m.friedman@emory.edu respondents said gun carrying should
Friday, January 25, 2013
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RUSHING DOWN THE ROW
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Emily Lin/Photo Editor
R
ushees run down Eagle Row yesterday evening and into their chosen fraternity houses. After less than a week of rounds, boys made their decisions yesterday and today. This weekend, the girls will proceed with their rounds of recruitment culminating in their bid day on Sunday.
Faculty Hope Committee Will Improve Future Processes Continued from Page 1 the committee would review how members of the College Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC) were chosen; how the group gathered information to review departments; how metrics for evaluation were constructed; how CFAC reported its activities; how recommendations were made to the Administration; and whether “avenues for appeal ... by the affected faculty ... were provided.” The resolution goes on to note that the committee “may also make recommendations about policies to be adopted in the future when program closures or discontinuances are proposed.” Given that the next item on the agenda was to rescind this very motion, faculty members took strong positions about whether looking back would be a healthy way forward. The initial motion barely passed in December. The resolution’s author took the
floor first. “For a financial advisory committee to be making these decisions ... and not bringing in the educational policy committee or the curriculum committee is a fundamental subversion of our standing governing procedures,” the faculty member said. “... But more importantly, one after another of our colleagues has stood up and said ‘I don’t understand why this happened.’ If for no other reason, I think we should review processes so that we give people who have lost their jobs and livelihoods an answer as to why precisely this happened.” In turn, dissenting faculty members made a number of points ranging from a belief that proper procedures were followed to concerns that the motion would “cause a lot of work ... and keep the fires burning” but not actually be a step forward. One faculty member compared the process to a clinical psychologist asking a recently divorced couple what happened to their marriage.
“I think you agree it would be toxic,” the faculty member said. “I think this is a toxic amendment. I think the amendment we just voted on was a very positive one. This one will do nothing but stir up the limbic system.”
“It’s not about the past. It’s about the present ... I think that this process will help us find a better process sooner rather than later.” — a faculty member at the meeting Supporters responded that it would be toxic not to review the decisions and that if the process was truly legitimate, then the community should be “open to a review of that
process so we can truly move forward.” Supporters also stressed that the review is not an attempt to “cast dispersions upon those involved.” “It’s not about the past. It’s about the present,” said one faculty member. “I’ve heard from the Dean and the President that more changes are coming. More is coming. This is ongoing, and I think that this process will help us find a better process sooner rather than later.” As the time to vote approached, it appeared as if the motion would pass quite easily. This would not be the case, and faculty members voted that the vote for the motion be conducted by paper ballot, instead of a show of hands. The motion passed by four votes, and considering that many left the meeting after casting their ballot, the remaining group decided that they would adjourn the meeting until next month.
— Contact Evan Mah at emah@emory.edu
Expert Compares Levinson Situation to Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 situations in which hostages were released, the same thing happened, believes that the Iranian government and it produced the people that were is behind the captivity. being held. That gives a clue that this “I think it generally has to do with [the Levinson case] falls in a different the poor relationship between the category.” U.S. and Iran,” David said. “There’s Mackey cited the “fragmented” mounting tension on nature of the both sides. My father Iranian governcould have been in ment as a tes“Who in this power the wrong place at the tament to the wrong time.” structure is responsible complexity of Sandra Mackey, an for holding this man? ... the issue. Iran’s Atlanta-based writer political system That’s very hard to find combines demoon Middle Eastern culture and politics, cratic elements out.” suggested that a mulwith a theocracy, titude of factors are at — Sandra Mackey, resulting in a complay in this situation. writer on Middle Eastern plex division of “I can certainly power and control. culture understand the family For this reason, wanting to decide that Mackey noted that the Iranian government is respon- an important point to consider in this sible,” Mackey said. “And they cer- case is who exactly in the Iranian tainly could be, but it’s a lot more government could be responsible for complicated than that.” the holding of Robert. Mackey compared Levinson’s case “Who in the power structure is to the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979, in responsible for holding this man?” which Iranian students seized the Mackey asked. “Is it elements of the American embassy in protest as a revolutionary guard, or is it perhaps part of the Iranian Revolution and a religious leader who has an ideodetained more than 50 Americans as logical grudge against the US? That’s hostages. Mackey said, however, that very hard to find out.” Levinson’s case is markedly unique Since Robert was investigating from other hostage situations. illegal activity on Kish, Mackey “I think it’s significant that [the suggested that his captivity could Iranian government] allowed the potentially be related to criminal elefamily to come over and nothing was ments that are not connected to the turned up,” Mackey said. “In other government.
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According to Mackey, Robert pressure they can apply,” Mackey Levinson’s status as a former FBI said. “It’s a very challenging situation official, as well as worsening rela- for both our government and certaintions between the United States and ly a difficult situation for the family.” Iran over the years, is important to David said no story about his the case. father’s captivity was published at “I think this FBI connection, Emory during his time here as a although it had been severed, is put- student. Since only few details were ting another spin on the situation,” known at that time, he said he did not Mackey said. “The Iranian regime publicize the situation. is particularly paranoid because the “As many Emory students know, U.S. has talked about the idea of going through college without your regime change over the years. They closest advocate and role model is really feel that the U.S. is out to get tough and trying,” David said. “I them.” didn’t know how to deal with it at the David believes that the Iranian time, and I only told close friends and government has been pushed to its a few professors that I confided in.” limits and now it’s up to the U.S. to Now that the issue has gotten bring his dad back attention from mainhome. stream media, David “All the pres“I didn’t know how to said that the Emory sure that can be deal with it at the time, community has been applied on Iran sympathetic. and I only told close has been done and A former alumnus that’s why we’ve friends ... that I confided took to the Emory released docuAlumni Association in.” ments and videos Facebook page to to create more spread the word about — David Levinson, a petition in support of pressure on everyalum making Robert’s case one who could be involved so people a national priority. work even more “We’ve received urgently to bring him home,” David outpouring support from Emory says. alumni and students, and it has been Mackey, however, expressed dis- very heartwarming and compelling,” courage at the mysterious nature of David said. “It’s a great example of the case and the lack of results. solidarity for the Emory community.” — Contact Harmeet Bhagrath “I don’t doubt that the U.S. has put at hbhagra@emory.edu pressure on, but [the question is] what
Study Shows That Continuous Facebook Updates Reduce Loneliness By Kelsi Thorud Arizona Daily Wildcat, U. Arizona In a recent study, a U. Arizona professor defended the benefits of Facebook and suggested that updating one’s status more often can reduce the feeling of loneliness. Matthias Mehl, an associate professor of psychology, published the study, “Does Posting Facebook Status Updates Increase or Decrease Loneliness?: An Online Social Networking Experiment” on Dec. 20, 2012 and examined 102 undergraduate students at UA. The experiment monitored the participants’ Facebook profiles for one week. Half of the
students were asked to post more status updates than they normally would, the other half were used as a control group and were not instructed to change anything. “We had seen that the topic of Facebook, whether it was good for you or bad for you, has been a really long debated question. But no one had ever done an experiment, a true experiment, and that’s the only way to answer the question,” Mehl said. The experiment was carried out entirely online, where the subjects were directed to temporarily friend a “Research Profile”. This “Research Profile” allowed Mehl and his associate Fenne Deters, of the University of Berlin, to continuously monitor
the participants’ Facebook profiles the subjects instructed to post more and confirm that they followed all status updates than they normally instructions. would reported a For the researchdecrease in loneliers to learn if posting ness, which led to “I thought it would be the conclusion that status updates caused someone to become the opposite because you status updating more or less lonely, have ... virtual friends.” can reduce lonelithey made every parness, and that this ticipant complete decrease in lone— Lisa Foessel, liness was due to questionnaires includfreshman “the participants ing the University of California, Los feeling more conAngeles Loneliness scale. This scale nected to their friends on a daily measures subjective feelings of lone- basis” when updating their status, as liness and social isolation using a specified in the publication. scale ranging from one to four, as “I thought it would be the oppostated in the study’s procedure. site because you have, like, virtual The results of the study showed that friends instead of actual friends,” said
Lisa Foessel, a pre-computer science freshman. Surprisingly, the researchers also found that the number of responses to status updates had no effect on the subjects’ feelings of loneliness. When asked why this may be Mehl gave two hypotheses: that people “simply assumed that their status updates will be read,” or that people use status updates to ultimately connect with friends in the real world by using them to “skip the small talk at the beginning of a conversation and jump right to more substantive subjects.” Even with this evidence of the benefits of social networking some UA students are still skeptical. “It’s kind of weird that you think
you’re more popular just by putting yourself out there on a social network,” said Casey White, an ecology and evolutionary biology freshman. “I don’t really see how that makes sense. I think it’s almost the opposite of being popular, truly.” The scholars said that their research is just the beginning of the science behind social networking, but are confident in its results and the possibilities it has to inspire further studies. “For me, this is first optimistic evidence that Facebook does not drive us all into loneliness, Facebook can be used in meaningful ways for creating a sense of social integration and connection,” Mehl said.
EDITORIALS THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, January 25, 2013 Editorials Editor: Nicholas Bradley (nbradle@emory.edu)
Our Opinion
CONTRIBUTE Email: nbradle@emory.edu
Zachary Elkwood
Zachary Elkwood is a member of the Class of 2015. His cartoons appear in every other Friday issue of the Wheel.
Letter’s Intent Is Ambiguous Wording of Faculty Letter Makes Meaning Unclear Faculty members are circulating an open letter written by political science professor Harvey Klehr that seeks to show support for College Dean Robin Forman, who announced the closing of several departments and programs last semester. More than 100 faculty members have signed the letter. We at the Wheel, however, take issue with the language used in the letter, which we believe to be ambiguous and unclear. While politically correct and judicious, the letter can be interpreted many ways. Do the faculty who signed the letter support none, some or all of the department cuts? The letter has been characterized as one of support but we ask, support for whom and to what degree? Is the letter meant to support Forman’s decision, Forman as a decision-maker, Forman as a person or Forman as a leader who has started a great dialogue on campus. Or perhaps was the letter meant to show support for those faculty on the College Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC) who worked with Forman on the decisions? Support, even, is a contested word, and perhaps the letter is meant to be a show of respect. Because of the letter’s great ambiguity, we believe that it is ineffective since it is difficult to know why everyone signed the letter, given the numerous possible intents or motivations. We do agree though, as the letter points out, that dialogue concerning the department changes has been one-sided and that in order for conversations to be productive, both sides must be vocal. We applaud the motion in and of itself, as it opens up a necessary dialogue. This letter, in our opinion, aims to tell the community that another side exists and that this side has a voice. Now, we encourage this side and this voice to clarify what exactly they believe and advocate for. And as always, we, as a newspaper, encourage those differing opinions to reach out to us. By that same token, we understand that it is difficult for some to be blunt about their opinions, for fear of appearing insensitive to their peers and colleagues who have lost their jobs and livelihoods. The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s editorial board.
Editorial Roundup College editorials from across the country The Michigan Daily University of Michigan Wednesday, January 23, 2013 In its staff editorial, titled “Up in (fire) arms” the editorial board of The Michigan Daily advocates for more responsible gun control and takes a look at the root cause of the recent school shootings. On Wednesday morning, a bill passed through the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee that would make certain guns manufactured in the state exempt from existing federal firearms regulations. In addition to eliminating some licensing requirements for federal firearms dealers, the package would prevent handgun registration records from being publicly available under the Freedom of Information Act. This measure to limit public records is considered a response to a map published in New York newspaper The Journal News, which listed information about registered gun owners in their area. Despite controversy surrounding the paper’s decision to publish the map, the Michigan bill shouldn’t move forward with this legislation. Michigan residents deserve to have access to these public records. Proponents of such legislation argue that it prevents gun owners from being unfairly targeted by malicious or defamatory use of this information. Although inflammatory and controversial in light of increasing national debate over gun laws, publishing publicly available information about the holders of firearms permits was within the purview of the journalists. In an era of increasing accessibility to personal information, a perceived breach of privacy rights isn’t addressed most efficiently by reacting to this particular map. If the journalists’ actions are to be challenged in light of this specific incident, it should be part of a wider conversation about access to personal information, not as justification to promote the special interests of some. Michigan’s current laws regulating the
privacy of gun ownership information aren’t uniformly and comprehensively defined. Although Michigan law already exempts holders of concealed pistol permits from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, records of purchase permits provided by local law enforcement are still available to the public. In lieu of a thorough legislative process, the proposed bills are strictly reactionary and fail to examine the structure and motivations for gun control laws in the state. Firearm permits are issued to vet potential gun owners, introducing a measure of accountability to the use of guns. Statistics from the FBI show that nearly 67 percent of homicides in the United States are committed with firearms. As with other products that may pose a threat to public safety, guns are federally and state-regulated devices. FOIA was created to provide accountability and transparency of legally regulated activities and to ensure that the safety, security and rights of the public aren’t outweighed by the interests of policymakers or special interest groups. Michigan should uphold the example set by federal legislation and promote public and government accountability. The bill being considered by the state legislature is a reactionary response to an isolated incident and doesn’t address the issue at the heart of the gun control debate. If a conversation about gun rights occurs at the legislative level, the state government needs to set a precedent that makes accountability a priority and the disclosure of gun ownership part of the rule, not the exception.
Evan Mah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Roshani Chokshi Managing Editor News Editor Nicholas Sommariva Editorials Editor Nicholas Bradley Sports Editors Elizabeth Weinstein Nathaniel Ludewig Student Life Editor Justin Groot Arts & Entertainment Editor Annelise Alexander Photo Editor Emily Lin Asst. News Editor Karishma Mehrotra Asst. Editorials Editor Priyanka Krishnamurthy Asst. Sports Editor Ryan Smith
Asst. Student Life Editor Jenna Kingsley Asst. Photo Editor James Crissman Layout Editor Ginny Chae Associate Editors Steffi Delcourt Jordan Friedman Elizabeth Howell Vincent Xu Copy Chiefs Amanda Kline Sonam Vashi Editors-At-Large Jimmy Sunshine Jeremy Benedik Multimedia Editor Lane Billings
Overvaluing College Degrees In Tuesday’s edition of the Wheel, College freshman Brian Zhao wrote an excellent piece on his experiences with other Emory students. Mainly, he observed that many of his peers don’t appear to be taking advantage of the stellar academic environment that Emory has to offer. “What makes a college a college is not having a faculty of top-notch professors or a beautiful campus, but students who all believe they can reach the top in their respective fields of interest. Perhaps part of growing up is realizing you can’t achieve all of your dreams, but if you never had any to begin with, think about how low of a place you will end up at. If you don’t have anything lofty to aspire to, nothing will motivate you to do even mediocre things.” My compliments to Mr. Zhao for an insightful and timely article. Though Emory’s reputation as a top 20 institution is laudable, the reputation of the school alone doesn’t automatically guarantee its undergraduate or graduate students success in life. Last month, Cracked.com Senior Editor Jason Pargin (aka David Wong) wrote a piece entitled “6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You A Better Person.” (While Cracked is known for its high-quality humor writing, every so often their writers produce material that goes beyond humor into the realm of intelligent, piercing honesty. This is one of those pieces.) In this piece, Pargin breaks some harsh truths about reality to readers who might be struggling to find their place in society. Just going through the motions of life and trying to be a good person, he argues, isn’t enough. Rather, it is the process of doing something productive or creative that will make a person valuable to others. “Because that’s the step that gets skipped — it’s always ‘How can I get a job?’ and
not ‘How can I become the type of person employers want?’ It’s ‘How can I get pretty girls to like me?’ instead of ‘How can I become the type of person that pretty girls like?’ See, because that second one could very well require giving up many of your favorite hobbies and paying more attention to your appearance, and God knows what else. You might even have to change your personality.” That’s the trick to the whole higher education experience that no one ever really talks about. Despite the fact that we are all taught that life magically works in a particular pattern — “Go to college, graduate, get a job, make money, be successful ...” and so on — just going through the motions of that pattern doesn’t guarantee success. So many people have bought into the idea of that pattern that virtually everyone has either earned their bachelor’s degree already, is earning their degree, or is returning to school earn a degree. In other words, the job market is inundated with people who have degrees (even graduate and professional degrees like law) to the point that just having the degree is not enough. Rather, the entirety of your resume — all of your professional skills, experience and academic accomplishments combined — is what a future employer or academic institution will consider. What do you truly know and understand? How have you developed yourself as a person? What can you actually do that is meaningful? Making more money later in life is no longer a good enough reason to attend college. Forbes, back in 2006 in an article titled “Five Reasons to Skip College,” pointed out that the cost of education is simply not as profitable in comparison to other higher-yield sources of income. “Put $160,000 — the approximate cost of a Harvard education — into municipal
bonds that pay a conservative 5 percent, and you’ll have saved more than $500,000 in 30 years. That’s far more than the average college grad will accumulate in the same amount of time.” What’s more, an increasing number of people have begun to question the entire value of the college experience in the first place. The Thiel Foundation, a project started in 2011 by Paypal founder Peter Thiel, annually awards 20 young adults $100,000 grants to not attend college for two years and instead develop new ideas in business, science and technology. Award winners have included people with a wide variety of interests and skills, including information technology, nuclear physics, public health, education and mechanical engineering. And the majority of these individuals are still not old enough to legally buy alcohol. Without actually taking the time to use the Emory experience for what it is supposed to be — a chance to expose yourself to different ideas, experiences and opportunities that will make you a better person — all you are accomplishing is stumbling your way through classes and wasting time. You could have just as easily accomplished that at your local community college, and I guarantee you that the kid from the Thiel Foundation who spent two years innovating will have both less debt and a more appealing resume than you will. While it may be challenging to overcome the instinct to just blunder through your studies without intentionality or focus, I would encourage you to take Brian Zhao’s words to heart. Your future self will thank you for the additional effort.
David Giffin is a second year Masters in Theological Studies student at the Candler School of Theology from Charleston, Ill.
RHETT HENRY
Changes From 2012 to 2013
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The Emory Wheel welcomes letters and op-ed submissions from the Emory community. Letters should be limited to 300 words and op-eds should be limited to 700. Those selected may be shortened to fit allotted space or edited for grammar, punctuation and libelous content. Submissions reflect the opinions of individual writers and not of the Wheel Editorial Board or Emory University. Send e-mail to emah@emory.edu or postal mail to The Emory Wheel, Drawer W, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. 30322.
Good riddance to bad company. We’re almost through with January and I feel comfortable saying, from the embankments of a new year, that things are better than they were in 2012. I cannot speak to the quality of your previous year. Hopefully, it was excellent! But, I have not met anyone who had terribly positive things to say about the year. Every person whose brain I’ve picked has their own reasons: family issues, school issues, personal issues, and so on. Yet we do not live in isolation, and to the ends of understanding I’d like to consider a few societal grotesqueries. Before proceeding any further, let us remember those who died in any one of the multiple highly-publicized shootings that took place this year, unquestionably the most concrete instances of. There is nothing amusing or tongue-in-cheek to say. The deaths are miserable and that is all that needs to be said. Secondly, I think it’s worth noting that the election was hard on everyone, particularly because the whole thing really was up for grabs. The race was something from the Simpsons: less a real challenge between powerful statesmen and more a staring match between slow, pragmatic individuals hesitant to express anything that might resemble a legitimate political position. Now we get to what I think is the prime
instance of the past year’s Zeitgeist. When you are telling your next-of-kin about the world in your younger years, I hope you will mention the “2012 Apocalypse”. The gist, as I’m sure you know, is that a “scholar” proposed that the Mayan long count calendar suggested some sort of cataclysm to occur late last year. We are a thoroughly postmodern society. The notion that the world would end because a distinctly exoticized society’s calendar can be interpreted as such is met with curious stares, hearty laughs and a feature film starring John Cusack. Emory had a week of events whose unifying theme was the apocalypse. I suspect that more than a few of us welcomed in December 22nd with the beginnings of a hangover and a sarcastic “Glad we made it!” All good fun, sure, but we are not so lost to postmodernity that we do not fall into memetic fears and it is the Apocalypse phenomenon that I consider 2012’s most significant motif. History is rich with instances of mass apocalyptic paranoia and this was our turn at bat. The 2012 Apocalypse phenomenon revealed, in my interpretation, a social unease. It was a period when the air was thick with fear but also with a gleeful eagerness for catastrophe. Then, at least, the table is cleared. The Apocalypse phenomenon is rich with the idea that people were just desir-
ous of something new. Instead of a constant suspicion of something lurking beneath the surface, of a suspicion that “the Government” really is becoming a surveillance state, of a suspicion that the environment is irreparably destroyed, there could be a single great horror that removes all ambiguity from humanity’s situation. Conflicts of ideology of states and people are complex and uncertain. But decimation reveals that, at least, there could be a renewal. For an obsession with death is the inverse reaction to stunted regeneration. And there is the key. At the risk of universalizing the experiences of my peers and a few stray observations, I feel that 2012 felt like one great hiccup. Some amazing scientific achievements aside, the whole of the year seemed directionless. Forgive my naivety, but we are living in the capital-F “Future!” And, we have found it unimpressive. The election, the horrific violence, and the apocalyptic fears are both a part of and a product of this situation. Times for reflection are appropriate, of course, but let us now look towards this year as one of opportunity and of renewal. Let us attack this with vigor and an unending supply of optimistic joy. After all, tomorrow is another day.
Rhett Henry is a College sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga.
THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, January 25, 2013
OP ED
7
BRETT LICHTENBERG
The Ever-Changing Nature of Communication From TIME to Twitter: A Look at the Future and the Current State of Media As American culture continues to evolve, new social norms are adopted in society. Each year, Merriam-Webster and Oxforddictionaries add new words to their ever-growing databases. In 2012, three words that topped the list were: “twittersphere,” “Facebook,” and “LOL.” Although I’ve only had a chance to witness a mere 18 years of history, I’ve seen bulky tube televisions turn flat, 20-pound personal computers go on major diets, and researching in encyclopedias replaced by a woman named “Siri.” The global media landscape has developed into an atmosphere where laziness surmounts over hard work, and efficiency fosters brilliance and innovation. Although many critique the loss of history and authenticity due to the ever-growing idea spectrum and thinktanks, I believe we are living in a time that would have never been imagined 50 years ago. Stanley Kubricks’ 2001: A Space Odyssey is finally a reality.
“... we are living in a time that would have never been imagined 50 years ago.” On May 1st, 2011, I was just one of perhaps a million followers of @TheRock, the world famous wrestler and actor, on Twitter. At about 10:30 that evening, an unchecked and unnewsworthy tweet by @TheRock surfaced. “Just got word that will shock the worldLand of the free…home of the brave DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” A long 60 minutes later, President Obama announced to the world that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. As a passionate Facebooker and Tweeter I agree that I never use social media websites as my main source of information, although I often will look at Twitter to see feedback or reactions to popular stories. Social media has not reached the newsworthy reputation like other online sources of media; but then I realized when my grandparents
liked my pictures on Facebook, that may not be the case. When I was younger, I always aspired to be Brian Williams from NBC’s Nightly News. He possessed a charm and elegance that made every time I watched the news a feeling of listening to history in the making. As I start to look for internships and jobs in the news industry, I have mixed feelings of both fear and excitement. After working one summer at The New York Observer ( I was in charge of updating their Twitter page) I immediately panicked that by the time I hit my prime I was going to be forced into a world of blogging, tweeting, and posts. In an attempt to remain a realist, I knew my name would probably never hit the NY Times byline, but I always dreamed of being in a suit and tie in an executive office making cuts and decisions about what’s going to hit the paper the next day. I fear, that this dream is quickly dying. Sure, the future may hold tablets that project digital look-a-likes of the paper, but there is something special about a hard copy, one that you can fold up in and put in your briefcase, or open up on the Manhattan subway; there is just a different experience when you try to emulate it through an iPad or an iPhone. Perhaps the one thing that excites me about our digital future is the idea of speed. Whether it be in print or on television, there is still a delay between the time something happens and the time we call it “news.” Similar to the OBL Twitter example, I look forward to using both social media and new apps like “The Daily Beast” to get top headlines fast. I imagine that the one thing that will hold its reputation in the future is the esteem of today’s papers. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal; three papers that have shaped our nations history for as long as we can remember. Sure I imagine people will be looking at new online and digital news outlets for breaking news, but when it comes to reading interesting and hard-hitting stories, the legacy of some of the great journalism in history will continue to live on. We probably won’t see big corporate offic-
Katrina Worsham | Staff
es with men in suits smoking cigars anymore, perhaps a world where Skype conferences and text message group chats will be the key way of communicating, but I imagine that there will eventually be a line drawn. The whole excitement towards going digital came out of a fascination towards efficiency; people want things done in the easiest and quickest way possible. Although it may be convenient to predict room-less board meetings and empty newsrooms, at the same time, I imagine that at some point, the lack of true communication will get in the way of successful news-making. When Emory announced the closing of their
Real Change Is in the Air Notes on Obama’s Second Inaugural Address JORDIE DAVIES As Obama began to disappear into the Capitol building following his second Inaugural Address, he paused. “I want to look one more time,” he said. He turned and gazed at the thousands upon thousands that had gathered on the National Mall. He looked at the nation that elected him. President Obama’s Second Inaugural Address was very…different. As the world looked on, the President was bold about his very liberal beliefs, specific about his long term goals, and stood in solidarity with those that elected him. Obama spoke as if he had left politics at the door. This was not 2008 Obama, glowing with pixie dust and a hope and change message for a vague but promising future. This was not even 2012 Obama, playing the politics of the center-left, silent about some issues and shaky about others. No, this Obama, unfettered with the concerns of re-election made clear to the nation and the world that his second term will unapologetically take up the mantle to close the American socio-economic gap, to deal with the threat of climate change, and support the fight for gay rights. Obama began his speech by linking our national present to our national past. He focused on the nation’s commitment to equality, rejecting the notion that America was founded to protect the “privilege of a few.” However, the President expressed that the United States must find new and better ways to achieve equality, rather than resting on an archaic system that surely leaves our society with many inadequacies. He declared that the US must not leave the behind the poor if we are to have success as a nation. Personally, I absolutely agree that there must be more opportunities for those who have less; still, the President’s assertion of our national responsibility to the poor was striking. For so long the United States has stressed the ideology of individualism with a side of equality and a dash of a social safety net, but the idea that our government must actively make a better way for those with less is truly remarkable, as it places the right to equal results on par with equal opportunity. Obama dismissed the idea that strong social programs make us “a nation of takers.” Instead, the President suggested that it is our duty as a nation to ensure that success is possible for those who start out with less, saying that America is true to its values “when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.” Next, the President boldly addressed the reality of climate change and the need for our nation to respond to the threat it poses to the world.Obama challenged those who “deny science” pointing at the “devastating
impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.” Additionally, I believe this shows that President understands that the US needs to lead in the energy sector in a business sense, as well as a matter of our safety. Including climate change in his speech demonstrates the President’s commitment to our place in the future of energy, and our need to move away from polluting practices. During campaign season, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney would often use Obama’s energy investments as a point of contention; thus, the President’s addition of climate change to his speech is pointed
at those who question the means (or even the validity) of dealing with the world’s changing climate. Still, this was a daring, and incredibly necessary portion of the President’s Inaugural address. Finally, the President stood strongly beside his gay and lesbian supporters, and all who support equal marriage rights. He announced that “[o]ur journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.” This statement and the President’s acknowledgement of the Stonewall riots, the beginning of the gay rights movement, are historic, as it is
the first time a President has mentioned gay rights in his inaugural address. However, this is also a nod to the future; President Obama is determined to be on the right side of history, as the nation moves toward a more open and inclusive society. As the President who ended Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act, and with this addition to his speech, Obama’s support for gay rights will certainly be a part of his legacy. President Obama’s second inaugural address certainly reaffirmed those that elected him and explicitly laid out his position on major political issues. Surely the speech
was dividing, as are the issues it addressed, but as the President discussed his agenda, he also emphasized that we are one nation, that we fail and succeed together. He invoked the history that binds us and the future that is before us, tasking us with the need to make our national ideals “real for every American.” Still, while the President’s words and sincerity were inspiring, it will be interesting to see how he plans to turn these beliefs into policy, and the political battles that will ensue. Hopefully, we can maintain our national unity and continually strive to form our more perfect union.
Jordie Davies is a College sophomore from Eastman, Ga.
journalism program, I quickly panicked. But then as I took a deep breath and a step back, I realized how important my job now was. Just as the hard-copy news industry is quickly disappearing, as the doomsday clock ticks, I have only three semesters to make my mark and learn as much as I can. In this new rapidly changing environment, it is not only imperative to be in touch with social media, but also to be involved with social media. The new meaning of a journalist is one that can tweet, post, broadcast, update, and most importantly, write. New emerging companies want to see employees with skills not only on the page but in programming, editing and
recording, too. These are not skills that can be learned or taught instantly, but as we predict the fate of the news industry, it’s important for me to take steps at moving with the times. My biggest personal goal as an aspiring journalist is staying current. Maybe writer Aaron Sorkin says it best in his new HBO drama The Newsroom: “Every second you’re not current, a thousand people are changing the channel to the guy who is. That’s the business you’re in.” With that in mind, I used Google to find that quote- perhaps that is the future of industry.
Brett Lichtenberg is a College freshman from Hewlett, N.Y.
VIJAY REDDY
America: United We (Should) Stand Americans have been lulled into falsely believing that in politics, we vote, and then the rest of the time we just sit back and watch. Unfortunately for some, that’s not how politics works. Instead of frowning upon activists or unions or people fighting for a better life, we must fight for our own causes and our own ideas. This country was not built solely by intellectually-minded founding fathers. It was built by people coming together with a common goal: to create the best place to live. From the people who threw tea into Boston Harbor in protest of unfair laws to the people
who battled in Lexington and Concord and every war since then that has reaffirmed our freedom - these people made America the beacon of progress that it has always been. These are the people who faced the challenges of the world head on and prevailed. We face many challenges today: a polarized electorate, a national discourse afraid of any sort of compromise or cooperation, and a flood of special interests who capitalize on our inaction. The American people can tackle these too. One of the greatest misgivings I have of the Bush administration is its message to the American people with regard to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With all the issues
Republicans of today take with spending and deficits, it was the Bush administration who started two unfunded wars and cut taxes for the American people. In doing this, the President sent the message that America is not a land of shared sacrifice at exactly the time when we needed to be. Shared sacrifice in terms of taxation and in terms of providing for our military and our veterans were ignored. That translates into mountains of failure in terms of our discourse today.
“Where is the America of shared sacrifice?” We almost failed to work together to solve a fiscal crisis that could have plunged us back into recession. We almost failed to pass a bill that would provide healthcare to the many first responders who risked their lives for 9/11, even then it was nine years too late for many. We still fall short on benefits for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Where is the America that passed the GI Bill? Where is the America that told veterans that we would repay them forever? Where is the America of shared sacrifice? These are existential questions we have to answer. Instead of looking at a labor protest and scoffing, instead of looking at our foreign wars and refusing to raise taxes and pay for them, instead of looking at those those who disagree with us as “a threat to the gene pool,” as former Tea Party Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) called Obama supporters, why don’t we stand together as a nation? Why do we instead engage in the bickering and vitriol that divides our country to the point that we are the most polarized since Reconstruction? When we remain silent is when everyone out to get us or out to best us wins. Those special interests we fear will get ahold of us as long as we don’t remain vigilant. Foreign countries will surpass us in innovation, healthcare, and economic progress. Our pride and resolve will diminish and what will remain is fatigue. Great empires fall because they get too cocky. Let’s not be them. Let’s always know we can do better. Let’s always know that as long as every American is engaged, involved, and open-minded, we will always find the best solution and always come out on top. End the bickering in Washington. End the polarization of the country. Only then can we have serious conversations, in context, about the problems that face us. Only then can we be the America that has historically been the greatest country in the world. We are our own undoing. This is a democracy. It’s time we started acting like it.
Vijay Reddy is a College senior from Fayetteville, Ga.
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THE EMORY WHEEL
Tuesday, January 25, 2013
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE Q U E S E M M A D A U N E D V O R O A R G L A D G O N E Y U G O R E D F O A M E R L E V I P R E Z S E R E
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THE EMORY WHEEL
Student Life Friday, January , Student Life Editor: Justin Groot (jgroot@emory.edu)
PROFILE
HOROSCOPES
Scrumptious Food Served with a Smile By Arman Nathani Contributing Writer Behind the Street Cart counter on the second floor of the Dobbs University Center (DUC) is a face familiar to every Emory student. Today, he carefully chops carrots and sprouts with expert precision, separating each vegetable into an organized array of equal sections. He sports a black apron, shirt and beret, which sits atop his shaved head with a slight tilt. His eyes are determined and focused; his gaze never faltering from the task at hand. The meat next to him sizzles, calling that it is ready to be taken out of the pan. He scoops the succulent pieces out of the pan and onto cut pieces of a baguette, then adds the sectioned piles of veggies and finishes the dish off by drizzling a sweet and spicy Vietnamese sauce over the steaming pile. Voilà, Bánh Mì sandwiches for all, another work of art from the Street Cart chef. He finally unlocks his gaze from the food, looking up at the hungry diners in front of him. “Hey, hey, hey, Goldy and Meredith in the house,” he yells at two girls walking by. They smile and giggle, calling back, “Hey Pasta John!” That is Pasta John whose real name is John Wilson, the eccentric and charismatic cook posted at the Street Cart station in the DUC. A 17-year veteran of the DUC staff, Wilson began working at the DUC in 1992, but took a short break in 1996 to train cooks at Applebee’s in Tampa, Fla. He returned to Emory in 1999 where he created the nickname Pasta John while working at the pasta station in order to distinguish himself
Taurus Your procrastination is already getting out of hand, so I’m giving you a taste of your own medicine. You know, your medicine? Due tomorrow? It counts for a quarter of your entire grade? Why are you still watching kitten videos?
Gemini This will be the kind of week where you will come back to your own room after class and work, wanting nothing more than to put on pants with an elastic waistband (or no pants at all) and indulge in your favorite TV show.
Cancer Erin Baker/Staff
A veteran employee of the Dobbs University Center (DUC), John “Pasta John” Wilson is known for his friendly service and delicious dishes. He is well-known around Emory’s campus for his superhuman ability to remember the names of nearly every student he serves. from the three other Johns working alongside him. He has since worked his way up from a pizza-cooking, dishwasher to the head chef of the multi-cuisine Street Cart station where he is recognized and admired by students as a jovial and caring fixture in the DUC. “After we came up to his station and he asked us where we were from, we were surprised the next day when we went to the DUC and he remembered our name, where we were from, everything!” College freshmen Meredith Stedman and Goldy Tenreiro-Braschi say. “I’ll be like 50 feet away from him and he’ll call me over and ask me how my day was, ask me how my
week was and reminds me to be safe,” freshman Fiona Zhao said. “He made me feel welcomed, especially during the first couple of weeks when there weren’t a lot of people to talk to.” Wilson presents a jovial and lighthearted face to the DUC crowds, but there’s a more serious story behind that image. It starts with how committed he is to his work. Every morning, Wilson wakes up at 4:15 a.m. to the sound of an alarm. After collecting himself, he gives one of his co-workers a wake up call before doing his morning Bible study. He then cranks out 100 sit-ups in order to combat, what he calls, his “big gut because I’m a beer drinker.” Wilson then showers and leaves his house at
5:30 a.m. to catch the 5:50 a.m. train. He then gets on the 6 a.m. shuttle and reaches Emory at 6:45 a.m. This process occurs Monday through Friday, and Wilson says he’s “got it down pat.” Yet, Wilson’s life wasn’t always so structured, especially during his early years. Born on Oct. 28, 1960 at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla., Wilson was one of 12 children raised by a single mother. Wilson said that they just had barely enough growing up, though he never complained. During his high school years, Wilson never had any college expectations. “After high school I went straight to work, hanging out, being a little
young teenager. Partying, making wrong decisions and having repercussions for those wrong decisions that I made.” Wilson’s bad decisions worsened, evolving into heavy drug usage, particularly an addiction to crack cocaine. In 1986, Wilson hit a low point. “One day, I was having a minor heart attack, but I still had some crack left to smoke, so instead of me going and trying to get help and dial 911, I remember myself limping toward that rock to smoke it, didn’t care whether I died or not.” Wilson survived and, during his
See FOR, Page 10
HUMOR
PHOTOGRAPHY
A Saturday-Night Encounter A.J. Roots for the Forty-Niners By Tanvi Lal Contributing Writer
For most people, Saturday night means hanging out with friends, partying or sleeping early. This was not necessarily the case for the entity we discovered on Dec. 1, 2012, at 1 a.m. We found two individuals dressed up in a strange costume indeed: a big black cloak which covered both of them and a bicycle helmet attached on a stick. Readers familiar with the animated film Spirited Away would notice the costume’s similarity to the character No-Face. The costumed individuals casually chilled on Asbury Circle in front of McTyeire Hall, to the wonder and confusion of many a passerby. We dubbed this entity “Bob.” Despite his slightly creepy countenance, Bob was a friendly and agreeable guy. He loved meeting new people, and his head would dip excitedly when he did. Bob was accommodating when it came to pictures, pulling off a great sorority squat and even dancing to “Gangnam Style” with us! We felt a great love for Bob, but unfortunately Bob did not appreciate public displays of affections. How did we know that there were two people under there? When we tried to give Bob a group hug, there were definitely more than two hands fighting for us to get off. Another group of people tried to unmask Bob, chasing him down to the DUC terraces, but that’s when Bob chose to remind us that he had four feet. We tried to talk to Bob, but he would never speak. His only form of communication was movement of his head, which stopped when we asked questions about who was under the cloak. We tried to understand why Bob was there and got fervent nods when we asked if it was to show that appearances were deceiving, but not very much excitement when we asked if it was a sociology experiment. Even though he didn’t look it, Bob was a nice guy, but we’ll never know exactly who he was or why he was doing what he was doing. Hats off to you Bob, and thank you for an interesting night!
Courtesy of Tanvi Lal
— Contact Tanvi Lal at tlal@emory.edu
By A.J. Artis Staff Writer I didn’t make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proud this past weekend. For the record, I didn’t punch anyone. And I didn’t disenfranchise anyone either. And I definitely didn’t segregate whites and blacks, except when I did laundry. But, I didn’t serve anyone. Nor did I climb to the top of Stone Mountain with a bell. You will only understand that last reference if you remember the I Have a Dream Speech. Instead, last Saturday, I cleaned my kitchen. It had been a mess since last finals. During finals I like my surroundings to be a metaphor for my life. But it was time to make things new, like MLK. I would renew the promise of America in my kitchen. I would scrub the mold from my pots like the bacteria of Jim Crow. I would unshackle all the beer bottles from my floor that had multiplied like racial injustice. I would let freedom ring from my spice rack. I would clean my table of brotherhood so I could sit with the sons of former slaveowners and eat pasta, just as King dreamed. For readers who do not regularly read this column, I’m very black. Last Sunday, I watched the Football match between the Falcons (aka the Dirty Birds) and the San Francisco
49ers. I am from San Francisco. We are not a manly city. We are a seafaring people. We are likely home to the Sailor in the Village People. We have many YMCAs. But we are proud, like the men who bent over took what they got for years and years to make our city great back during the Gold Rush. At the football party, everyone was a Falcons fan. They had been Falcons fans since before the Falcons started winning. I don’t know when the Falcons started winning because I don’t think they ever have. I learned how to dance the “Dirty Bird.” They told me to flap my arms like I’m doing a rain dance, because Georgia cannot have a sports dance that doesn’t somehow mock Native Americans. Thankfully, football is a drinking sport. By the time the Niners took the lead in the last quarter, everyone was drunk. And angry. I screamed, “Yes! That’s right! That’s San Francisco doing what we do best! We [redacted] you in your [redacted]! So, [redacted] our giant [redacted]! Losers!” I wish they had cried. The football party became a pity party, so I went to another social obligation. It was in an apartment complex called Highland Lakes. There is a lake, but it is man-made. My friend wants me to move in with her
See A.J., Page 10
PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT
If there is room next to you while you eat in the Dobbs University Center, this stranger may ask, “Do you mind if I sit down?” The first thought that may hit you is that this man is weird. His shaggy, untamed grey hair sprouts out from his head like a lion’s mane, and his body is consumed by a grey suit, a green knitted vest and an oversized pair of blinding white pants
that he occasionally pulls up while he walks. He is short, and he carries no briefcase or bag, just a set of manila file folders stuffed with disorganized, illegible notes and papers that stick out from the pile. If you let him join you, he may ask you what your major is, if you like Emory, what your parents do or what career you want. In between those questions, he may miss his mouth as he uses his fingers to eat peas. This man, oddly enough, is fully aware of himself.
This man is Neil Shulman, an associate professor at Emory’s School of Medicine. “Instead of browsing through the library, I browse through the cafeteria,” Shulman says in a nasally, rough and deliberately slow voice. “I don’t have a specific agenda when I talk to someone ... I know it’s not normal — what I do.” Shulman’s evolution as a campus character has been decades in the making. He started his career in academia
You’ll need a little encouragement this week, so drop hints to your friends that you would really appreciate it if they wrote a gushing, long-winded Emory Compliment about how you are the wind beneath their wings.
Leo Oh, Leo, like Leonardo DiCaprio at awards shows, you have been underappreciated and have not been given credit where credit is due. Which is a shame, because you’re a genius, like Leonardo da Vinci. And you’re good with a katana and love pizza, like Leonardo the Ninja Turtle. I don’t really know much about Leos other than these three.
Virgo Frankly, a lot of your conversations start with “I saw this thing on Instagram —” Turn off your computer. Real life can be inspiring too. So take a picture of real life with your phone, Instagram that picture with some inspirational text on it, and post it to Tumblr. People love that kind of thing.
Libra You have a crush. It’s a big one. All-consuming, makes you sigh, fills your heart with glee, the works. But you get a nagging feeling that they only like you for your money. I want to give you advice, but all I can tell you is no, for the last time, you cannot be in a relationship with Netflix.
Scorpio No matter your political beliefs, you will offend someone deeply this week. Even if the most controversial thing you say is, “I’m going to go with Honey Nut Cheerios instead of regular ones.” Somebody’s mother died when a Honey Nut Cheerio fell on her head, you insensitive jerk.
Sagittarius This is not me being judgmental, but if you’re a Sagittarius and a serial dater, you may want to re-think your life choices. You know who else is a Sagittarius? Taylor Swift. And you don’t even get millions of dollars from your serial dating habits.
Capricorn Speaking of zodiac signs, Capricorn, let’s settle this here: what on Earth is your Zodiac sign? It’s a goat, yes, but with a fish tail? I’ll address your problems, Capricorn, but first we must deal with this mer-goat you have for your symbol. What is so wrong with a normal goat, astrologists?
Aquarius
A Look at Emory’s Quirky “Doc Hollywood” By Karsihma Mehrotra Asst. News Editor
Aries Aries, you’re the poor soul who will have a huge assignment due the Monday after the Super Bowl or your favorite awards show. If you don’t watch football or awards shows, then you’re the professor, and you should revise the syllabus.
with a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in political science. Shortly after receiving his School of Medicine degree in 1971 from Emory, Shulman started teaching at the school. Since then, he has simultaneously explored various career avenues from writing to acting to inventing. It is quite amazing how many Emory students know of this man. He has about four to five cafeteria conversations a day. Conversations last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.
Some of those conversations have been the start of friendships. “Just to give you an overview of my philosophy, I think that everybody is a book but they just haven’t [been] written [about],” Shulman says, in between stuffing his green peas down over a meal. “In other words, everybody has a table of contents. To me, it is one of the most enjoyable things I do because it’s like traveling all over the world, but I don’t have to get on
See PROFESSOR’S, Page 10
You’re celebrating your birthday right now, or you will be soon, you lucky duck. Have fun, stay safe and don’t do anything that will cause one of your friends to submit a passive-aggressive Emory Secret about their disappointment in you.
Pisces There will be something fishy in your life, Pisces. Be it a carp load of homework or herring someone gossip about your most recent flounder among your grouper of friends ... okay, this pun stopped being funny a while ago. Have a good week, Pisces. Horoscopes by Grace Cummings
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THE EMORY WHEEL
STUDENT LIFE
Friday, January 25, 2012
Professor’s Projects Include Movies, Stand-Up Comedy and Humanitarian Pursuits Continued from Page 9 an airplane.” Shulman has met a student who had been a homeless orphan on the streets of Atlanta and made it to Emory with financial aid. Shulman has met a Dalai Lama scholar who walked from Tibet to India. Shulman has met a boy who was at the 2008 bomb blasts near India’s Taj Mahal. Shulman has even met the grandson of South Korea’s president. Although many students dismiss Shulman as an eccentric stranger, there are some who, through conversations, come to know one thing for sure: Shulman is accomplished. A scientist and a doctor who has co-authored or authored more than 50 scientific papers, Shulman once acted as a co-investigator of approximately $8 million in cardiovascular clinical research grants and worked as a consultant to Georgia Department of Human Resources to create rural and inner city community health clinics. Shulman is an inventor who holds the patents for a log cabin with a retractable roof and a book that opens into a poster. He is a stand-up comedian who has performed for the United Nations, the Los Angeles Times and Coca-Cola National Headquarters. He is an activist and a volunteer who has protested against rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has set up health clinics in Africa. Shulman has also authored about 30 children tales, health books and novels, one of which — “What? ... Dead Again?” — was turned into the Warner Bros. movie “Doc Hollywood” starring Michael J. Fox. Shulman worked as associate producer for that film and for the CBS
film “Dreams of Gold.” His movie credits don’t stop there; he was the screenwriter for the major motion picture “The Backyard Tribe” and a producer for an independent feature film and two documentaries. Shulman has created children’s television shows about health and a series of humorous medical shorts that aired on CNN. On top of all of this, he has acted in three films, some of which were his own productions. Because he has made his money through film, Shulman doesn’t have to focus on making a living. He currently takes a modest $15,000 yearly Emory salary to participate in sporadic activities like guest lecturing rather than leading a structured course. For Shulman, the parts of his life that excite him the most aren’t the ones that involve money from movies or being famous (he has a Wikipedia and an Internet Movie Database page), but are the ones that involve “being entrepreneurial from a social standpoint.” And that attitude is most exemplified by Shulman’s generous acts of smaller scope. A while back, one of the cafeteria workers asked Shulman if he could help collect money to pay for the funeral of another worker. So, Shulman walked around the DUC with a hat and asked around for donation money. But one of his most valiant efforts is the International Medical Volunteerism Center, which he founded and used to organize the annual Global Health and Humanitarian Summit — a four-year-old, free conference at Emory where about 200 speakers from all over the world present about international medical volunteerism to about 1,500 attendees.
Andy Le/Staff
Neil Shulman, an associate professor at Emory’s School of Medicine, is a common sight at the Dobbs University Center (DUC), where he often stops by for a meal and to chat with students. Sophomore Tony Xu met Shulman at the cafeteria in October and although he initially thought the conversation was strange, he jumped on the opportunity to help with the summit. He says Shulman continues to bring in new cafeteria strangers to their Sunday organizing meetings. “He is a very ambitious man,” Xu says. “If he wants something done, he will talk to people. He was not afraid to say what he wanted.” One afternoon, I join Shulman to meet up with Kelly Arps, first year medical student, to discuss the Global Humanitarian and Health Summit and her potential involvement. I watch as they sit across from each other in the lounge of the Psychology building. Arps — dressed in a professional dress and tights — has her palms clasped together on her lap and her back straight. Shulman
slouches in his chair and sways his leg, which is rested on his sofa arm, back and forth, exposing his old, tattered sneakers. But it is Arps who is mesmerized by the relaxed man as he continues to explain the problems of monetization in health care. That seems to be a consistent pattern with this man: until students actually engage in a conversation with Shulman, it is easy for them to make judgments. On the way to the meeting with the medical student, some students walking just stared at Shulman. He knows he looks strange. He doesn’t care. Growing up in Washington D.C, Shulman explains, he was a “total klutz.” He would step on a girl’s toes when he danced with her. He would eat but often miss his mouth (that is still the case). His
classmates laughed at him and his self-consciousness rose. “And then, for some reason or another, it just dawned on me one day,” Shulman said. “Whether they laughed at me or with me, it makes no difference. I am making them happy.” His appearance, clumsiness and habit of chatting with strangers aren’t the only ways he defies social norms. He is a 67-year-old man married to a 38-year-old Canadian ex-clown — his first wife — with a 6-year-old son. Shulman’s wife, Zoe Haugo, says her husband’s quirkiness was what initially attracted her to him a decade ago when they first met at a fundraiser for a community clinic in Canada. Haugo had attended the fundraiser to see Patch Adams — an American clown and activist — and mistakenly thought Shulman was Adams. Over the years, Haugo has realized that, even though they are very differ-
ent in many ways (Haugo would not call herself outgoing), both of them like to have fun. And their home reflects that: it is covered with every imaginable color, filled with quirky, large art (much of it created by their son, Myles Shulman) and has a large wall of books. What the home most reflects is Shulman’s free spirit; the various products consuming his home stem from all his interactions with random people and the projects he pursues. To name a few items: a Neil Shulman bobble-head, a large puppet used in a demonstration to raise awareness about the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a fully furnished dollhouse, a couple of huge wooden camels and sprinkle-covered chicken nuggets. Haugo says that Shulman connects with people on such a degree that he doesn’t spend much time in the house. When he is home, he usually has brought new people with him to show them his projects or to collaborate with them on something new. “At any time of the day or night, we never know when Neil and a troop of people from Africa or China or Australia or anywhere can arrive at our door ... and chat with us,” Haugo says. “No two days are ever the same.” This life, she says, is due to Shulman’s genuineness, tenacity and playfulness. “My overall philosophy is that we all won the lottery,” Shulman says. “That one sperm hitting that one egg gave you the dash of life. I think that we all should just help each other have a long, happy, healthy dash.”
— Contact Karishma Mehrotra at kmehrot@emory.edu
A.J. Managed to Have a Lot Of Adventures This Week Continued from Page 9
Erin Baker/Staff
For Wilson, Atlanta Was Once a Fresh Start; Now, It’s Home Continued from Page 9 recuperation, concluded that he needed help. So he turend to God for help. “I couldn’t do this on my own,” he said. According to Wilson, the very next day, police raided his home because he had sold dope to an undercover cop, the ultimate wake up call to a drug offender. After spending 66 days in prison, Wilson decided to change his ways on his release, electing to choose God over drugs. He decided he had to get away from Florida, so he came to Atlanta to change his environment and meet new people. Cooking was never one of Wilson’s perceived career paths, as he remembered himself around the grill when he was younger, but never actually cooking. But apparently cooking was in his blood and Wilson credits his current position at the DUC to his family’s proclivity to cook. “Everybody in my household can cook, EVERYBODY,” he said. Wilson’s first work experience in the kitchen was in 1978 where he worked for a nursing home opening and heating up cans. By 1992, Wilson came to Atlanta to work at the DUC as a pizza maker and dishwasher. He’s seen the DUC transform first hand, recalling that eight years ago, it was not challenging to cook here because the food, according to him, “sucked.” Wilson credits the change with the introduction of a new chef, who
implemented new dishes that challenged Wilson and the other staff in new ways. Wilson relished the opportunity to overcome these challenges and, now, has become a connoisseur with a “gameplan.” His favorite dish to prepare is still pasta Alfredo. Nowadays, Wilson has strong, positive feelings about the DUC. “The DUC is — excuse my expression — The DUC is the SHIT.” Wilson’s colleagues admire his work ethic and lively attitude, though it took time to get use to his ways. Mama Angela, who started working at the DUC in 2005, formed a strong relationship with Wilson, though, it wasn’t always that way. “I’m gonna be honest with you. When I first started working with Pasta John, I didn’t like him, but then as we started working together and growing together, and as the years passed by, I fell in love with him and now he’s my big brother,” she said. Mitch McGee, the food service manager at the DUC for the last year and a half, had to acclimate to Wilson’s style, but now has nothing but respect and admiration for Wilson. “They had to take me aside and say you just got to watch him work and see how the students love him. It took me a month or so, but he’s a master at what he does,” he said. Wilson’s organized work in the DUC reflects his overall change in lifestyle. Once radical and disordered, Wilson rehabbed on his own after prison, skipping any type of outside
treatment program by instead developing structure, sticking to a daily routine and giving himself to God. “Because I have faith, and I know I’m gonna be OK. I know it ain’t nothing I can’t do through him who’s in me, and that’s God.” Wilson’s infectious appreciation extends to the Emory community as well, particularly the students he cooks for every day. His bubbly attitude can be heard, as he yells across the DUC greetings to familiar faces, almost always provoking a smile. “I try to make people feel comfortable, I greet them and sing and all that, let them know that we are family away from your family,” Wilson said. “I know how it feels because I’m not at home either.” Wilson’s reputation exceeds him, as he is also known to be quite the party animal among students. “Ask around fraternity row about Pasta John, I’ve partied in every house on frat row,” he said, yet he’s clear that he doesn’t make partying at the fraternity houses a habit, popping up only once in the while. And while he is fine with drinking, he remains steadfast in never touching drugs again and hopes that his past battle with addiction influences others not to use. Wilson’s shift ends at 3:15 p.m. every day, but he doesn’t leave until 3:45 p.m. because he runs into so many people he knows. Wilson’s one desire after work is to relax. Every day after work, Wilson makes the lengthy journey home to Memorial
Drive in Decatur, Ga., generally reading books related to Christianity (he’s currently reading Joyce Meyer). Once he gets home, or what he likes to call “the sanctuary,” Wilson cranks up the music, turns on the T.V. and pops open a fresh 211 Steel Reserve highgravity beer. Soothing sounds of old R&B, such as Marvin Gaye and Patti LaBelle, play in the background as Wilson sips his beer through a straw, a practice he picked up from his ex-wife. “She say you get quicker results and ... and she was right!” he said. Wilson is currently divorced, but has two sons and a daughter whom he loves deeply. His eldest son, who is 24 years old, recently moved to Atlanta in order to purse a career in rap, something Wilson stands behind. “If it’s not for them, they going to recognize that it’s not for them but they need your support and not your criticism,” he said. Wilson recently voted for the first time in 52 years, saying that this was the first time he felt like an American citizen. In the past, he was misled to believe that he couldn’t vote because he had a drug felony charge. Yet the greatest accomplishment for Wilson comes not from the challenges he had overcome, but from what he does as a fixture in the DUC. “Coming here and knowing that I make students smile — that’s real satisfaction right there.”
— Contact Armaan Nathani at anatha3@emory.edu
there, but I don’t know how to tell her that wall to wall carpeting is tacky and that the cloying blandness of Highland Lakes make me nauseous just thinking of waking up to the halffurnished, undecorated, beige walls and the sleepwalking denizens of this lifeless apartment complex. So she’ll find out if she reads this column. Nothing funny happened at the party. Everyone was just drunk, like they always are. So I drank too. I drank to forget that I was in Highland Lakes. At one point I approached the hapless but attractive guys from Tech. They were definitely above 5’s but probably not over 7.5’s. I whispered to them, but they couldn’t hear me because it was a party. So I shouted: “See those women over there, like gazelles on the savannah?” I assume they answered affirmatively but without similes because Tech boys lack flair for language. “I have a plan,” I said. “I will go over there and tell them they are ugly. Then you, knights, along with your steed --” I pointed to the least attractive gentleman, “will fling me from them like Hercules flung the Serpent.” Josh from Tech asked, “So you’re going to go over there and make fun of them, and then we’re going to tell you to stop?” “Yes, dear boy, yes. I always
admire you engineers and your abilities to summarize.” I think I have a math fetish. Unconfirmed reports from other party goers described the events as “a harrowing deed of wingmanning, deserving the highest of fives.” I only disagree because I’d rather not have my genius described in terms of a television show that hasn’t been funny for 4 years. Another unconfirmed witness called it, “really, really b**chy, but effective.” Genius always has its detractors. For it surely did work. The Tech boys engaged the women in their courting ritual: beer pong. Finally, this weekend, I found one way to truly fulfill Dr. King’s legacy. My friend, who is a girl, asked me to go to Publix to purchase some products marketed toward ladies. I walked into the Publix with my head held high and proudly demanded of the Customer Service woman, “Where do you keep your finest feminine napkins? They are for a white woman.” Yes, I did just that. And I felt no fear of reprisal from my fellow caucasian brothers. No, I was just as free as any man to purchase any product I chose from any store for any woman I so chose. So this week I learned: Reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X makes you want to eat Brownies, not Blondies.
Nothing funny happened at the party. Everyone was just drunk, like they always are.
— Contact Alfred Artis at ajartis@emory.edu
By Chloe Olewitz
I
t’s like I’ve been avoiding Starbucks, thinking to myself maybe if I don’t show up to do work, not the way I used to, maybe if I hide in my room or maybe if I go elsewhere, maybe I might not get dragged in. I listen to music to distract me, not to motivate me. I walk around campus; I drive around campus a few times before I end up parking on the very top of Peavine because it will take me a few extra minutes to get down to real life. Why is it hot and cold and hot and cold? I’m inside or I’m outside and I never know when it will be warm enough or shiver weather. I come out of a too long too late senior seminar in the basement with no windows, and I can’t find the door of a building I know well because why is it dark outside? What is it about Blackboard that is so annoying to me? I can’t put my finger on it, but I know I’m going to have to get over the frustration in order to discover the PE course I’ve been enrolled in electronically, to read articles about yoga instead of ... doing yoga. We get into the yoga and I’m so busy being annoyed about Blackboard and the fact that I’m a senior in a PE class that the hour passes me by. I fall asleep in corpse pose because it’s been days since I rested. 100 miles per hour, and maybe that’s senior year, maybe that’s just me. It’s sort of fun, though. Maybe you should try it. Drive around. Walk the long way, even when they’re not cutting down trees on Asbury circle like they want us to be late to class. Hey, that’s a good excuse, isn’t it?
THE EMORY WHEEL
E
SPORTS
agle xchange SAT 23
MEN’S WOMEN’S WOMEN’S MEN’S TRACK AND TRACK AND BASKETBALL BASKETBALL FIELD FIELD
FRI 25
SUN 24
MON 25
TUE 26
vs. Brandeis University 6 p.m. WoodPEC vs. Brandeis University 6 p.m. WoodPEC Emory Crossplex Invitational Birmingham, Ala. Emory Crossplex Invitational Birmingham, Ala.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Jackson and Greven Lead Basketball Squads into Weekend
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Junior forward Jake Davis is a huge reason that the men’s basketball team is third in the UAA conference standings. on both Davis and Greven as well as the recent hot play of junior guard McPherson Moore, who has emerged as a scoring threat with 19 points in his last two games. Moore is averaging 13.3 points per game on the season, including a gaudy 17.4 points per game in conference play. Davis and senior forward Michael Friedberg pace the team on the glass with 6.8 rebounds per game each, while sophomore guard Michael
Florin leads the team in assists with 5.6 per game. The action will start Friday, Jan. 25 when the women’s team faces Brandeis at 6 p.m. followed by the men’s team also facing the Judges at 8 p.m. The men’s team will open play against NYU on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. while the women take on the Violets at 2 p.m. — Contact Ryan Smith at ryan.smith@emory.edu
Patel: AFC, NFC Set Stage for Super Bowl Continued from The Back Page
Keith Allison/Flickr
DeShawn Stevenson developed into an impact player when he joined the Washington Wizards.
Eisenberg: Stevenson’s Career Arc Creates Legacy Continued from The Back Page James simply let his team do the talking as Cleveland effortlessly dispatched Stevenson’s Wizards in six games. Stevenson eventually was traded to Dallas in 2010 as the Wizards entered a rebuilding phase. In Dallas, Stevenson matured even more as he played alongside veterans Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki, As his Mavericks torpedoed through the playoffs in 2011, Stevenson became an indispensable perimeter defender and highenergy player. When Dallas reached the NBA Finals, Stevenson was given the opportunity to redeem himself in his feud with James as he was tasked to guard the reigning MVP on the league’s biggest stage. This time, Stevenson got the last laugh. Holding James to average fewer than 18 points a game while simultaneously shooting an outrageous 57 percent on his 23 attempts from behind the arc, Stevenson became arguably the Mavericks most important role player in the Finals. While Stevenson reflects on the performance by insisting that, “It had
nothing to do with LeBron,” it should be noted that after winning the championship, Stevenson famously traded his Mavericks NBA Championship T-Shirt with a fan in the tunnel who wore a shirt that read, “Hey LeBron! How’s my Dirk taste?” Two seasons removed from his championship, Stevenson now finds himself as the most veteran Hawks player and the lone player on the team with a championship ring. While he has recently been sidelined by a lingering knee injury, his contributions to the team go far beyond his stats on the court. Anthony Morrow, who has played with Stevenson for the past two years said, “He is almost like a big brother figure in terms of letting us know what to do and what not to do.” “He plays the right way,” added Zaza Pachulia. “His veteran presence is huge for our team.” The long journey from prodigy to bust, to troublemaker, to role player, to champion, to veteran leader, is only fitting for a character of Stevenson’s caliber. His long history truly makes him the most interesting man in the NBA. — Contact Jacob Eisenberg at jacob.eisenberg@emory.edu
His long history truly makes him the most interesting man in the NBA.
through the playoffs. In the first round, the Ravens swept past wunderkind Andre Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. Next, the Ravens had to play in Denver against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, who were coming off of a bye week. In terms of the best game to watch, this was the one of the best playoff battles that I have seen in years. It took double overtime before a winner was decided. This occurred after bonehead moves by John Fox and a costly defensive mistake by safety Rahim Moore. The Broncos probably should have won the game, but being clutch is a virtue, and the Ravens pulled through. Now we have the championship games. In the AFC, it was a battle of Tom Brady and the “gimmick” offense against Ray Lewis and the “old guard” defense. In the end, it wasn’t too much of a battle as the Ravens got ahead early and maintained their lead. Looking at the NFC Championship game, the Atlanta Falcons had to prove that they were not just a one and done squad. They did a great job of getting ahead against the Seahawks, but needed some late game Matty Ice magic to propel them forward. The NFC Championship game followed a similar path but with a different finish. Atlanta jumped out ahead of the 49ers, but Colin Kaepernick kept his cool. The 49er defense locked down Matt Ryan, and they were able to make an improbable comeback and win the game. Kaepernick’s ability to see down the field, in addition to his IQ in terms of when to run and when to hand off the ball in the read option, was the biggest factor in the victory for the 49ers. Jim Harbaugh looks like an absolute genius for benching the incumbent, Alex Smith. Do you remember another situation where a second year quarterback got an opportunity to start when the starter got hurt and then kept the job for a prolonged period of time? It was a guy named Brady, and I do not know if you have heard, but he has done quite well for himself up in Foxborough. While I am certainly not comparing Kaepernick to Brady, I am saying that Kaepernick, like Brady, is making the most out of his opportunity. Look forward to my column next week when I break down the Super Bowl matchups and pick my winner. As always, I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend, and I look forward to writing for you all next week. — Contact Jayson Patel at jayson.patel@emory.edu
On Fire
And now a word from Bennett Ostdiek....
Continued from The Back Page the weekend with an 11-4 record including a 3-2 mark in conference play. After dropping their first two conference match-ups by a combined 11 points, the Eagles have reeled off three double-digit UAA wins. Their record is good for third place in the conference, 1.5 games behind Brandeis and Rochester, both of whom are undefeated in the UAA. The Eagles’ attack starts with senior guard Alex Greven, who was recently named the UAA co-player of the week, the third time in his career he has received the honor. Greven had a week to remember in the Eagles’ two blowout wins over Case Western and Carnegie Mellon, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists. Emory will need both Greven, second on the team with 16.4 points per game and junior forward Jake Davis, first with 18.7, to be on the top of their games to take down the Judges. Brandeis (14-2 overall, 5-0 in the UAA) stands as a challenge for the red-hot Eagles, who will put their three-game winning streak to the test and hope to gain some ground in the race for the conference title. NYU sports a similar record to Emory, 12-4 on the season and 2-3 in league play. The Eagles will rely
11
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Freshman Davis Rao has played in 14 games this season and is shooting 45.9% from the floor.
Davis Rao,
Q&A Men’s Basketball Guard Davis Rao is a freshman guard from Fort Wayne, Ind. He sat down with Staff Writer Alexander Del Re to talk about his childhood, pre-game rituals and role models.
Alexander Del Re: When did you first pick up a basketball? Davis Rao: I first started playing in YMCA leagues and things like that probably when I was five or six years old.
ADR: When you started playing basketball did you think it would go this far? DR: When I was little and throughout middle school, I played all kinds of sports, and I even played baseball for my first two years of high school and loved it, but at the same time I knew that basketball was my favorite, especially coming from Indiana where high school basketball is huge. I always wanted to play on the collegiate level, and I love it so far so I’m happy it worked out.
ADR: What is your favorite city to play in? DR: I haven’t been to all of the places yet, so that is tough to say, but I really enjoyed playing in Cleveland because it was so close to home, and I had a lot of family and friends that could come to the game.
ADR: What is your favorite pre-game routine? DR: I like to take a couple minutes to myself before every game just to sit and relax a little bit. It’s really easy to get swept up in the emotion of the game and such, and I like to have a little time to myself.
ADR: What goes through your mind when you are playing? DR: Especially as a freshman this year, there is all kinds of information thrown at you that can get overwhelming, so I just try to focus on playing hard, executing and being where I need to be when I need to be there.
ADR: What do you think the teams goals are this year and how do you think you can contribute? DR: The ultimate goal for every team is a championship, but that comes with working one step at a time every day. I try to fit in where I can, play hard and do whatever is needed. We have a great amount of really talented upperclassmen that lead the way for us and learning from them has been a great experience for me.
ADR: What is it like rooming with a teammate? DR: I room with Will Trawick and it is great. It is nice to live with somebody that is on the same kind of agenda as you because it keeps you on schedule.
ADR: If you could trade places with any person, who would it be? DR: I would trade places with LeBron James simply because he’s the best athlete in the world in my opinion, and it’d be pretty cool to experience the world through his eyes.
1. Birds and Bees In sports news this week, the 49ers and Ravens will soon meet in the Super Bowl, the top four men’s tennis players in the world all reached the Australian Open semifinals and the New Orleans Hornets will be changing their name to the Pelicans. Super Bowls will come and Super Bowls will go, Australian Opens will come and Australian Opens will go, but names last forever (except for the name of Hornets, which will soon be no longer with us). In conjunction with the Wheel’s journalistic mission to cover only the most note-worthy, significant and influential events, I will only be focusing on the third of these events. If one were to describe this name change in a single word, it would have to be visionary. If one were permitted to use two words, then there could be no other choice than truly terrific. If the palate of adjectives is limited to compound words, game-changing is the phrase to go for. But the exact word used to describe this event is not a matter of importance. What is important is the feeling, the attitude, the mindset that the Pelican provides New Orleans. Let us begin with the team’s old nickname, the Hornets. For starters, H is a profoundly ugly letter. Almost as wide as it is tall, it brings to mind the squat power of a fullback rather than the high-flying grace of a basketball player. Furthermore, the Hornet is an uninspiring creature. I cannot even picture one in my mind, and was forced to Google Image search the beast to see what it look liked (I am assuming it is not the girl in a bikini sitting on a motorcycle which was the fifth result of my search, but I examined the picture very closely, just to be sure). The Pelican, on the other hand, is a majestic bird, and though I often confuse it with the Toucan (though another Google Image search revealed that they look nothing alike), it conjures nothing but images of soaring glory. And do not even get me started on the letter P. Of course, the reasoning behind the name change had more to do with the first letter of the new name, though my sources tell me that it was a leading consideration. Supposedly the Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana, and the state is even known as the Pelican state. The bird adorns the state’s license plates, flag, seal and painting (my sources did not clarify what exactly a state painting is). It goes without saying that making the connection between the franchise and Louisiana more explicit is a questionable decision at best (until informed otherwise by my sources, I had forgotten that New Orleans was in Louisiana, and upon receiving this new information, my opinion of the team went down). With all due respect, as someone who drives across Louisiana four times a year coming to and going from school, I can attest from personal experience that the state is 90 percent swamp. 2. Ray Lewis Ray Lewis recently announced his retirement from the NFL. I have become very taken with his legacy, both in the way he played the game and the way he lived his life. I have tried to explain this to my dad and five of my friends. With one and a half exceptions, they stared back at me blankly. Here’s hoping I can get through to my loyal readers a little better. For those who are unaware, when he was on the field Lewis played with an unequaled intensity. His game was raw, passionate and vividly intense. He tackled with violent fury and danced afterwards with childlike jubilation. There was no truer football player than Ray Lewis. This, however, was on the field. Off the field, his character was dubious at best, and allegations were made towards him in connection with a murder. He was acquitted and afterwards made a very public turn to God. At the moment of his retirement he was one of the most beloved players in the game, and he will be remembered as perhaps the greatest middle linebacker in NFL history. His career was eloquently summed up by S.L. Price in Sports Illustrated, who remarked, “It’s now clear, with last week’s retirement announcement by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, that we will forgive a man nearly anything if he can show us something pure.”Writing is my attempt to show the world something pure. I hope that I am at least partially successful; there is a lot that I need forgiveness for.
SPORTS THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, January , Sports Editor: Nathaniel Ludewig (nludewi@emory.edu) and Elizabeth Weinstein (eweins2@emory.edu)
BASKETBALL
Men’s Basketball The men’s basketball team is set to take on two University Athletic Association (UAA) opponents this weekend. Tonight, the Eagles play host to Brandeis University at 8 p.m. at the Woodruff P.E. Center (WoodPEC). New York University (NYU) is set to play at the WoodPEC on Sunday. Emory boasts an 11-4 record on the season and a 3-2 record in UAA play. The team has won its last three UAA games after losing its first two.
Women’s Basketball The No.18-ranked women’s basketball team is set to play host to Brandeis tonight and NYU on Sunday. Emory is coming off two consecutive come-from-behind road victories against UAA opponents last weekend. The late game heroics were highlighted by senior forward Misha Jackson’s buzzer beating jump shot against Carnegie Mellon University.
Track and Field The men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete at the Emory Crossplex Invitational on Monday. The event will take place in Birmingham, Ala. and is set to run all day.
Streaking Squads Prepare for UAA Test By Ryan Smith Asst. Sports Editor Both the Emory men’s and women’s basketball teams face crucial stretches this weekend that will go a long way in determining both teams’ chances at a University Athletic Association (UAA) title. Both teams will play host to the Brandeis University Judges on Friday and the New York University (NYU) Violets on Sunday. The women’s team enters the weekend ranked 18th in the nation and riding a three-game winning streak. A dramatic win at Carnegie Mellon University last Sunday on senior forward Misha Jackson’s buzzer-beater pushed the Eagles’ record to 14-2, including 4-1 in conference play. Along with rival Washington University (St. Louis), to whom the Eagles suffered an overtime loss, and Rochester University, whom the Eagles beat in double overtime, Emory is currently on top of the conference standings. The opposition this weekend, on the other hand, currently resides in the UAA cellar. Brandeis enters Friday’s match sporting a 7-9 record with a 1-4 mark in conference play, while NYU stands at 8-8 with an identical 1-4 conference record. The Eagles will need to muster all the points they can to top the Judges’ stingy defense, which most recently held Wash. U. to just 60 points in a losing effort last weekend. The team has relied heavily on junior guards Hannah Lilly and Savannah Morgan, the team’s two leading scorers, to kick start the offense. Jackson rounds out the team’s double-digit scorers, averaging 11.3 points per game on the sea-
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior guard Alex Greven (left) competes against Virginia Wesleyan College (Va.). Greven has helped the Eagles fill the void left by Austin Claunch, who graduated after last season. Junior guard Marissa Resnick (right) is part of the No. 18-ranked Emory women’s basketball team. son to complement Lilly’s 14.3 and Morgan’s 12.3. “A lot of my success this season has been a result of my offseason work,” Jackson said. “I have been trying to get better at areas I was weak in last year. I have specifically
changed my focus towards my play on defense.” Morgan also leads the Eagles in assists per game with 5.7, while Jackson leads on the boards with 9.6 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Selena Castillo has
NFL
been key in the Eagles’ recent games as well, contributing 14 points, five rebounds and four steals in a road win over Case Western Reserve University as well as 10 second-half points in the dramatic victory over Carnegie Mellon.
Castillo leads the team in steals per game with 3.0 and is a threat from deep with a .421 three-point field goal percentage. On the men’s side, the team enters
See JACKSON, Page 11
NBA
Most Interesting Man in the NBA Jacob Eisenberg
Football Schedule(Left) and Keith Allison (Right) /Flickr
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh (left) of the San Francisco 49ers is set to take on his brother, John Harbaugh, of the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. The 49ers are led by controversial sophomore quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.
The Beej Knows Best: Playoff Edition Jayson Patel Hello everyone, and welcome back from break. I hope you all had a very relaxing, yet fun time seeing family and friends. My break essentially involved me making the long, arduous trek from my bed to my kitchen and back, so pretty much it was a great break. I went to one of the greatest Knicks games that I have ever personally witnessed and also was in New York City for New Years’ Eve. It was an awesome time to say the least. However, one thing that I truly missed was my DirectTV box. At Emory, I have NFL Sunday
ticket, which allows me to lie out on my couch and encounter borderline epileptic symptoms as NFL RedZone shifts rapidly from one game to the next. At home, I had to sit down on my couch and watch my Jets get ravished week after week. It was pretty excruciating. But as the playoff picture cleared up, and the three rookie quarterbacks led their team to victory after victory, I knew that the 2013 playoffs would be an incredible ride. And so far, it has not disappointed. There is a new wave of excellence in this league, and we are witnessing the beginning. Many people are questioning whether the success of the pistol formation, and the quarterback read option will continue in the NFL. I believe that it will not; however that doesn’t mean that these quarterbacks will fade away. The threat to run still exists, and quarterbacks like
Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and even Andrew Luck, have the ability to be playmakers outside of the pocket. Their superior arm strength and vision will continue to develop in the future. The teams who have snagged these diamonds in the rough are lucky; the teams who are trying to find the next stud might not be. Looking forward to the draft, we have the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars holding the top two picks. Both of them have humongous question marks at the quarterback position. However, there are no quarterbacks that really fit the bill as franchise changing impact players. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few weeks. Now back to the playoffs. After earning a bye, San Francisco patiently awaited their next opponent. Coming off a strong performance against
Minnesota, Green Bay was looking to ride some momentum into their game against the 49ers. That game was probably my favorite in terms of the amount of pregame hype. Aaron Rodgers. San Fran’. The famous “Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn’t draft me” quote. This game had it all. San Francisco was able to win, by allowing Colin Kaepernick to pave the way to victory. He has been phenomenal. On the other side, we had the Baltimore Ravens. Stumbling and bumbling their way into the playoffs, the Ravens, along with the rest of the world, were stunned by the news that Ray Lewis was planning on retiring at season’s end. It was that type of motivation that they needed, the “Win this for Ray” mentality that has really pushed them
See PATEL, Page 11
He has Abraham Lincoln’s face tattooed to his throat. His house has its own ATM machine. And despite only averaging seven points a game throughout his 13-year career, he is the only player in the NBA whom Jay-Z has written an entire rap for. DeShawn Stevenson is the Most Interesting Man in the NBA. But besides creating perplexing stories that show up on various sports blogs every so often, Stevenson has also paved out one of the most unique careers in NBA history. Today, 13 years after he was supposed to take the league by storm, Stevenson is now the wise veteran on a youthful Atlanta Hawks team. Initially selected in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz as a teenage prodigy, Stevenson drew comparisons to Michael Jordan for his athleticism and shooting touch. He set the California state record for points scored in a high school career and became the first teenager west of the Mississippi to be drafted into the NBA. Unfortunately, Stevenson’s early career hit turbulence. Playing for a zero-tolerance leader in Jerry Sloan, Stevenson’s immaturity consistently left him in his coach’s doghouse. After expecting fame early in his career, Stevenson was hit with a wake-up call, after averaging only seven minutes a game as a rookie. Off the court, the 20-year-old’s problems were even worse: Stevenson found himself in a statutory rape lawsuit with a fourteen-year-old girl in 2001. Had it not been for his immense
potential, Stevenson’s off the court issues would have cut his career short. Fortunately for Stevenson, Sloan decided to take him on as a project: “I think Jerry Sloan helped me a lot,” reflected Stevenson. “He helped me be a man. He let me know me that it was not all about me. I probably would not still be in the league without him.” Still, even under Sloan’s tutelage, Stevenson’s wore out his welcome in Utah. In 2004, the Jazz traded him to the Orlando Magic, where he continued history of severe underperformance on the court. It was not until Stevenson joined Washington in 2006 that he started to become an impact player. At 25-years-old, Stevenson recognized that his opportunity to become a star in the league had probably passed. Stevenson instead focused on defense and developed an identity as a stopper. Assigned to consistently guard opposing teams’ best players, Stevenson thrived as a physical menace and verbal taunter. “I did not like him,” recalls former opponent and current teammate Devin Harris. “I really did not like him.” In the 2008 playoffs, Stevenson was launched into the national spotlight after he told reporters: “LeBron James is overrated. And you can say I said that,” as his Wizards faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. James, dismissive of Stevenson responded to the media, “With DeShawn Stevenson, it is kind of funny. It is almost like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy. There’s no comparison, enough said.” The contention blew so out of proportion that Jay-Z even wrote a song titled “Blow The Whistle,” in which he attacked Stevenson for trashtalking James.
After expecting fame early in his career, Stevenson was hit with a wake-up call . . .
See EISENBERG, Page 11