INDEX Emory Events Calendar, Page 2
Police Record, Page 2
Crossword Puzzle, Page 8
Staff Editorial, Page 6
On Fire, Page 11
Student Life, Page 9
THE EMORY WHEEL Since 1919
The Independent Student Newspaper of Emory University
Volume 94, Issue 35
www.emorywheel.com
Friday, February 22, 2013 ADMISSIONS
Every Tuesday and Friday ADMINISTRATION
WEDNESDAY DANCE MOVES
Regular Admission Sees Slight Rise, ED Apps. Up By Dustin Slade Asst. News Editor Emory University saw a small increase of less than one percent in regular decision applications for the 2013-2014 academic year, as well as 10 and 16 percent increases in Early Decision (ED) I and ED II applications, respectively. The College received a record number of 17,652 applications for its regular decision applicant pool, up from last year’s 17,492. John Latting, the assistant vice provost for undergraduate enrollment and dean of admission, said Emory’s regular decision acceptance rate will likely fall below 20 percent after decisions are released April 1 as a result of Emory’s growing ED applicant pool. Last year, the regular decision acceptance rate was 26 percent. Latting said he believes applicants are selecting to apply to Emory through the ED process over regular decision at an increasing rate. He explained that because of the rise in the number of ED applicants — along with the fact that ED applicants are required to accept their admissions offers — there is less room for regular-decision applicants in the incoming class. Although Emory’s admissions statistics only have a slight effect on the U.S. News & World Report college rankings, Latting said, the decrease in the regular decision acceptance rate could have a positive effect on Emory’s national ranking on the list. Latting attributed the small increase in applications in the regular decision pool to the public relations struggles Emory has witnessed during the past year. Still, Latting said he feels the public still has confidence in the institution. “I am excited about [the one percent increase],” Latting said. “I think Emory has had some challenging PR.
Faculty Vote to Censure Wagner
I think for this particular cycle to have more applications than we have ever had in our history — I am really happy about that. I wouldn’t be happy if you asked me over the next 10 years would I want to see a one-percent year-over-year growth; no, I wouldn’t be proud of that.” Latting said that although he feels the negative press Emory has garnered might have had some effect on the applicant pool, he is unsure to what extent. “Can we say if none [of the negative press] happened would we instead have 19,000 applications?” Latting asked. “I don’t know.” The ED I round acceptance rate was significantly higher than it was for ED II or regular decision because those students know Emory is their first-choice institution, according to Latting. “ED I applicants are the core and bedrock of our applicant pool, so we tend to see a higher admit rate there,” Latting said. “We like the idea of a good critical mass of students that are committed to Emory.” The Admissions Office is currently in the process of reviewing the regular decision applicant pool and making decisions. Roughly half of the applications have been allocated decisions, though applicants will not receive word from Emory until April 1. According to Latting, the Admissions Office will continue to review applications and make initial decisions until March 10, when admissions counselors will enter committee and review the remaining uncertain applications. “In the years ahead, I am not targeting a one percent change in applications.” Latting said. “I think in the five to 10 percent range would be more of the goal that I have for Emory College.”
Liqi Shu/Staff
Consider a Vote Of No Confidence
T
his week, Wonderful Wednesday celebrated Black History Month with performances by two community service and step team organizations: Brotherhood of Afrocentric Men, which is for firstyear male students, and Ngambika, which is for first-year female students.
RANKINGS
Officials Reflect on Falsified Data By Jordan Friedman Associate Editor Six months following the exposure of misreported admissions numbers at Emory University, Dean of Admission John Latting is pleased with the changes he’s seen in the Admissions Office. A new Data Advisory Committee (DAC) has been implemented. And perhaps most importantly, he said, valuable lessons have been learned. “I think we’ve come away from the episode with priorities put in perspective in a healthy way,” Latting said. “When we’re reporting a success it should be real and demonstrated and verifiable in some way. And then, we can celebrate those successes because they’re real.” At Emory, though, the University community first reacted to the misreported data during the summer with
— Contact Dustin Slade at dpslade@emory.edu
MEDIA
surprise and confusion. In an Aug. 17 school-wide email, University President James W. Wagner announced the results of an internal investigation, conducted with the help of an outside firm, Jones Day. The investigation revealed that officials in the Office of Admission before Latting’s time and in the Office of Institutional Research had submitted misrepresented admissions numbers to various external audiences through the Common Data Set, which organizations that rank institutions, like U.S. News & World Report, use in compiling statistics. Latting had discovered that for years, Emory submitted the SAT and ACT scores for admitted students, rather than the requested scores for enrolled students, which were lower numbers. A similar situation occurred for entering students’ high school class ranks.
MISREPORTED DATA April 2012 Claremont McKenna College
August 2012 Emory University
November 2012 The George Washington U.
December 2012 Tulane School of Business
February 2013 Bucknell University Including Emory and Claremont McKenna College (Ca.), which revealed a similar circumstance last spring, five schools have misreported data in the past year, the other three
See U.S., Page 5
AWARDS
By Evan Mah Editor-in-Chief College faculty voted to censure University President James W. Wagner over his controversial column in Emory Magazine at their monthly meeting Wednesday. A censure, clarified one faculty member, is “an expression that you deplore what he said. [It’s] a little stronger than a reprimand, but not as strong as a vote of no confidence.” Faculty also voted down the motion to stop the formation of an independent committee to review the department changes announced last fall. As previously reported, the committee will examine the criteria used to cut departments and the communication process by which the plan was carried out, among other concerns. Faculty members briefly considered voting no confidence in Wagner, but decided to wait until he attends their next meeting in March. Many were unclear about the consequences of a vote of no confidence. The move would have signaled that faculty members no longer believe Wagner is fit to hold the position of president. Salon spoke with Ben F. Johnson III, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, on Tuesday. “He has my 100-percent, undivided support,” Johnson reportedly said. Johnson could not be reached for comment. Before voting, faculty expressed outrage and grave concern over Wagner’s column, which used the three-fifths clause as an example of political compromise. The clause was
HuffPost Four Female Students Nick Thompson Debates Awarded Bobby Jones Named Luce Scholar Wagner Wagner Hosts Article ‘Chit Chat’
See SOME, Page 5
EVENT
Nick Thompson, is College senior double majoring in biology and music.
By Rupsha Basu Staff Writer
By Karishma Mehrotra Asst. News Editor
HuffPost Live presented a 30-minute video in which an anchor and four guest speakers discussed University President James W. Wagner’s controversial column in which the ThreeFifths Compromise as a model example of political compromise, on Wednesday. HuffPost Live is The Huffington Post’s online video-streaming network that showcases live conversations about breaking news for 12 hours during the day. “Are his racially-insensitive comments indicative of a broader issue facing universities?” the anchor, Marc Lamont Hill, asked the speakers. Joining Hill in the live conversation were college professors, conservative radio host Ben Furgeson; and College sophomore and Black Student Alliance president Jovonna Jones. A large portion of the discussion revolved around the issue of labeling people racist after they have made racist comments. All the speakers were in agreement that Wagner should not have
Noar ElKebbi
Lauren Henrickson
By Dustin Slade Asst. News Editor
Rebecca Levitan
Katie Dickerson
was a golf legend and a scholar, earning degrees from Georgia Tech, Harvard and Emory. The scholarship sends four students from both Emory and St. Andrews to the other school to undertake a full-paid year of study. Of the 26 students who applied at Emory, 12 students were selected as finalists, and four were ultimately selected as award recipients. For the first time in the scholarship’s history, all eight recipients both at Emory and St. Andrews are women. “It really speaks to the extent to which woman at Emory are full participants and fully involved and a part of the leadership,” said Dee McGraw, Emory’s director of National Scholarships and Fellowships. “We have arrived at the point where it is not so much, ‘we’ve got to balance the men and the woman,’ but instead when you look across campus at who the lead-
Four College seniors were awarded the Robert T. Jones Jr. Scholarship for 2013-2014 on Monday, allowing them to study for a year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The scholarship was awarded to College seniors Becky Levitan, an Art History major and Mediterranean archeology minor; Nour El-Kebbi, Middle East and South Asian studies and International Studies double major; Lauren Henrickson, a Linguistics and Religion double major; and Katie Dickerson, who is studying Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Anthropology and Biology. The award, commonly known as the Bobby Jones Scholarship, was established in 1976 and recognizes individuals in the Emory community who exemplify the legacy of Bobby Jones. According to the scholarship’s website, Bobby Jones
See SELECTED, Page 5
College senior Nick Thompson was named one of 18 Luce Scholars nationwide this month. He will now have the opportunity to spend a year working in Asia. The Luce Scholars Award is given to students from various disciplines who have limited exposure to Asian studies. After the selection process, award recipients are placed in an Asian country based on his or her interests, professional experience and qualifications. Thompson, a double major in biology and music, will learn where he is placed in April or May of this year. He is the University’s sixth Luce Scholar since 1999, according to Director of National Scholarships and Fellowships Dee McGraw, who also noted that applicants can apply up to the age of 29. Thompson said he applied for the award after he became interested in Asian studies through his study abroad experience in Dharamsala, India, where he learned about Tibetan holistic medicinal techniques. “I just wanted more of Asia and experience in traditional eastern medicine and get more exposure to Asia in general,” Thompson said. The Luce Scholars Award aims to strengthen the bond and increase collaboration between the U.S. and Asia, according to McGraw.
To be chosen as an awardee, Thompson had to undergo an arduous review process that took about six months, he said. Emory, as one of the 75 participating institutions, nominated Thompson and two other students for the award. Eligible students include college seniors or graduate and professional school students. “They want people who are welcome to new experience and diversity,” McGraw said. “They want people who are highly motivated and have a record of accomplishment and leadership.” After candidates are interviewed for the scholarship, 45 finalists are selected. Each candidate then appears in front of one of three selection committees, each of which interviews 15 candidates. The final Luce Scholars are typically announced in mid-February. “It was amazing,” Thompson said, in reference to when he was first notified of his award earlier this month. “I was flying back from the interviews, and they left a message
See SCHOLAR, Page 3
See NATIONAL, Page 5
By Elizabeth Howell News Editor About 20 students gathered at the Clairmont Tower Penthouse on Tuesday evening, awaiting the arrival of University President James. W. Wagner. The students, mostly juniors and seniors, sat on living-room furniture arranged in a circle, anticipating an intimate discussion with Wagner on the value of an Emory education followed by a question-and-answer session. When Wagner arrived, he said that while he had prepared thoughts on what it means to be an Emory student, he was aware that most students would like to discuss his recent article in Emory Magazine and agreed to answer any questions about it after his initial presentation.
See WAGNER, Page 4
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THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
Friday, February 22, 2013
NEWS ROUNDUP
This Week In Emory History
POLICE RECORD
National, Local and Higher Education News • Detective Hilton Botha, the lead officer in the investigation of the murder of Oscar Pitorius’s girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was removed from the investigation Thursday after he was accused of attempted murder. National police commissioner Mangwashi Phiyega announced his removal from the case after the third day of testimony at Pitorius’s bail hearing, and said that police had received feedback from state prosecutors about Botha only on Wednesday. Phiyega chose Lt. Gen. Vinesh Moonoo, a veteran of over 30 years of service and one of South Africa’s top detectives, as Botha’s replacement. • Vice President Joe Biden, alongside Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, discussed a series of strict potential gun laws at a Western Connecticut State University forum in Danbury, Conn. on Thursday. The forum was held just 12 miles from Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a recent shooting shook the nation and ignited gun law debate. Malloy used the high-profile forum to propose laws aimed at closing loopholes and banning the type of weapon used at the Sandy Hook shooting. Biden met privately with
two families whose children were killed in the December shooting, in which a gunman killed 20 students and 6 teachers. • Failing to stop at the end of its runway, a small jet in crashed into woods at the Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport in Thomson, Ga. on Thursday, killing five people and injuring two. The Hawker Beechcraft 390/Premier had departed from John Tune Airport in Nashville, Tenn. before crash-landing at ThomsonMcDuffie, where it caused a brush fire and several power outages near the scene. One survivor, a man in critical condition, was taken to Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta. The identity of the other injured person, as well as where he or she has been taken, remains unidentified.
— Compiled by Staff Writer Lydia O’Neal
In the a Feb. 19 issue of the Wheel the caption for the photo on page five incorrectly stated that the Burrito Eating Contest was hosted by SPC. The event was actually put on by RHA.
THE EMORY WHEEL Volume 94, Number 35 © 2011 The Emory Wheel
Dobbs University Center, Room 540 605 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322 Newsroom (404) 727-6175 Editor in Chief Evan Mah (901) 219-9500 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.
• On Feb. 15, officers responded to a report of a struggling student located at the Beta Theta Pi house at 15 Eagle Row. According to officers, the student had a strong odor of alcohol and appeared to have fallen. The individual, who resides in Harris Hall, was transported to Emory Hospital. Officers were unable to identify the student because he did not have identification on his person at the time of contact. Officers have since contacted the Office of Campus Life to determine the student’s identity. • On Feb. 15 at 6:00 p.m., officers received a report of a suspicious individual on the third floor of the Woodruff Memorial Building. The
individual was 17 years of age and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. When approached by officers, the individual claimed he was looking for the clinic. • On Feb. 14 at 2:00 p.m., Emory police received a report from an employee regarding items stolen out of her locker in the employee locker room. According to the individual, a leather jacket, pair of headphones and a MARTA pass were removed from her locker. The items are valued at $80. The incident is under investigation.
rape that allegedly occurred at the Beta Theta Pi house located at 15 Eagle Row. No other information was provided.
— Compiled by Asst. News Editor Dustin Slade
• On Feb. 14, Emory police received an anonymous report of a
Feb. 24, 1995 Ever complained about the 15 minutes you have to power walk from one of campus to the other? Before the fall of 1995, students had only 10 minute breaks between 50 minute Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes. The change, proposed by faculty and approved by the educational policy committee, accounted for travel distance between several corners of campus: the Dental Building and Rollins Research Center, the Chemistry Building and the North Decatur Building, a new facility at the time. Class times were almost reduced to 45 minutes, but the idea was discarded as students could potentially lose several days of coursework.
EVENTS AT EMORY FRIDAY Event: Women and Heart Disease Educational Forum Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Location: Emory University Hospital Event: Sharks and Marks: Sholem Aleichem and the Swindles of Modernity Time: 9 – 10 a.m. Location: Candler Library 212 Event: Lecture/Demonstration: HipHop Studies and Etudes Time: 10 – 11 a.m. Location: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall Event: Lecture featuring Dorothy Cotton, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Luminary Time: 12 – 2 p.m. Location: Jones Room, Woodruff Library Level 3 Event: Critical Media Literacy Group: “The” Cognitive Approach to Film Time: 12 – 1:15 p.m. Location: ECIT 217, Woodruff Library
Event: McDowell Lecture: Charles Ives’s Music About Music Time: 1 – 2 p.m. Location: Performing Arts Studio
Event: Daniel Roumain, Violin Time: 8 p.m. Location: Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
Event: Trial Techniques Workshop Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Location: Emory Law School, Tull Auditorium
SATURDAY
Event: Panel Discussion with Sir Salman Rushdie Time: 1:30 – 3 p.m. Location: White Hall 205 Event: Athletics - Baseball Time: 2 – 4 p.m. Location: Chappell Park Event: “What Can We Do with Words” Mini-Conference Time: 2 – 4 p.m. Location: White Hall 110 Event: Creativity Conversation with Daniel Roumain and Dr. Dwight Andrews Time: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Location: Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts Event: Exhibition Opening Celebration: And the Struggle Continues: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Fight for Social Change Time: 6 – 8 p.m. Location: Schatten Gallery, Woodruff Library, Level 3
SUNDAY Event: University Worship with The Revs. Calvin and Nelia Kimbrough Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Location: Cannon Chapel
Event: Athletics - Softball Time: 10 – 11:30 a.m. Location: Emory Softball Field
Event: Athletics - Softball Time: 12 – 1:30 p.m. Location: Emory Softball Field
Event: Artful Stories Time: 10 a.m. Location: Carlos Museum, Art of the Americas Galleries
Event: Athletics - Baseball Time: 1 – 4 p.m. Location: Chappell Park
Event: Athletics - Softball Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. Location: Emory Softball Field Event: Athletics - Women’s Basketball Time: 2 – 4 p.m. Location: Woodruff PE Center Event: Charles Ives Celebration: Emory Wind Ensemble Time: 8 p.m. Location: Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
Event: Athletics - Softball Time: 2 – 3:45 p.m. Location: Emory Softball Field Event: Watching Chekhov Watching Time: 2 p.m. Location: Theater Lab, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts Event: All Ives Chamber Concert Time: 4 p.m. Location: Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY
Friday, February 22, 2013
3
EVENT
University to Build New Water Reclamation Facility By Jeremiah Prince Nyarko Contributing Writer
save ... tens of millions of dollars,” Executive Vice President of Emory’s Sustainability Initiatives Ciannat Emory will begin construction on Howett said. a water reclamation facility this sumThe water reclamation facility will mer, which will preserve water and extract water from Emory’s sewage save the University money. It will pipes and treat it through a natube the first of its kind in the United ral, chemical-reduced system. The States and is slated to be fully opera- water could be reused for non-potable tional by the fall. purposes like irrigaWith the new tion and toilet use, reclamation facility, according to Brent Emory is projected “Emory will save ... tens Zern, an engineer of millions of dollars.” for Emory’s envito save 200,000 gallons of water a day ronmental projects. and 72 million galZern said this — Ciannat Howett, lons per year. The system differs from executive vice president of system is estimated one already in place Sustainability Initiatives to save approxion campus because mately $650,000 per it takes “black year and $40 million in the next 20 water,” which is water from the sewyears, according to Mike Mandl, the age system that would normally enter executive vice president for finance the county sewage system, and treats and administration. it on campus. Emory is teaming up with a third The system facility will also serve party company called Sustainable as a new area for research and handsWater to bring the new system to on curricular activities for professors campus. and students interested in biology, The system will be built on the chemistry and environmental studies. parking lot behind the sorority lodges Howett said this system will benacross from the baseball field. The efit Emory in more ways than just facility will be a 1,600 square-foot sustainability because the University greenhouse accompanied by an adja- can spend the money on teaching, cent tidal wetland system, according research and student scholarships, to the project’s brochure. which are parts of Emory’s core “Through the application of this mission. — Contact Prince Nyarko at technology, Emory will save millions j.p.nyarko@emory.edu of gallons of clean water annually and
Scholar Process Focuses on Experience, Not Academics Continued from Page 1 for me hinting at it.” The Luce Scholars’ website states that it focuses on experience rather than academics in choosing recipients. Thompson is the principle cellist for the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and is heavily involved in Emory’s Chess Club. “[Thompson] lets unfamiliar experiences move him; he lets himself be challenged by them,” McGraw said. Thompson said he has an interest in working in eastern medicine in Cambodia, Laos or Mongolia.
He said he plans to learn the native language of the country in which he is placed as well as a traditional eastern instrument as a part of an ensemble. “I feel really fortunate to be going on this program next year,” Thompson said. “It’s an honor to be selected and to be able to take part in such a unique experience.” Henry Luce founded The Henry Luce Foundation in 1974 in honor of his parents, who were Christian missionaries in China.
— Contact Rupsha Basu at rupsha.basu@emory.edu
Emily Lin/Photography Editor
At Emory’s India Summit, formerly known as the “Emerging India Summit,” Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Salman Rushdie conversed with Associate Professor in the Department of English Deepika Bahri.
Rushdie Discusses Problems in India at Summit By Roshani Chokshi Managing Editor Members of the Emory community attended Distinguished Writerin-Residence Salman Rushdie’s conversation with Associate Professor in the Department of English Deepika Bahri on his most recent novel, Joseph Anton: A Memoir, yesterday as part of the week-long India Summit. Emory’s India Summit, formerly known as the “Emerging India Summit,” launched in 2010 with the purpose of drawing together business leaders, foreign policy experts, government officials, medical experts and scholars from a diverse range of fields. Launched in part by the Halle Institute for Global Learning, yesterday’s India Summit discussion allowed Rushdie to share some of his experiences about his time in exile after publishing the infamous Satanic Verses in 1988. For several years, Rushdie lived
under the protection of the British police where he assumed the alias Joseph Anton — fused from the names of novelists Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov, respectively. According to Rushdie, many of the Muslim youths who protested against The Satanic Verses and maintained that Rushdie did not have the right to publish a work that was profoundly “blasphemous” had never read the novel. “Who has the right to tell a story, and who has the right to decide in what terms that story can be told?” Rushdie asked. “Grand narratives of which religion is clearly one are the stories that are part of our heritage and in my view belong to all of us, and all of us have the right to tell a story, and all of us have the right to tell the story in any way we choose.” Rushdie’s time in exile and the alias of Joseph Anton is an identity that he readily shed as soon as he came out of hiding, he explained at the summit. With macabre enthusiasm,
Rushdie deemed Joseph Anton “dead as a doornail,” whom he “killed with great pleasure, slowly and with pain.” The identity, Rushdie said, was one he never wanted to assume because that identity represented a repressed episode in his life. Rushdie compared his time in hiding with the currently tense environment surrounding free speech in India. Using the recent national case that occurred in New Delhi — where a 28-year-old woman was raped and killed — Rushdie pointed out how officials are blaming the youth rather than encouraging a dialogue that would bring these issues to the forefront of people’s minds. “Instead of saying this terrible thing has happened, there’s an attempt to criminalize young people for being young,” he said. Recently, the Indian government has forbidden the public from repeating the name of the raped woman — Jyoti Singh Pandey — whose injuries sustained after rape left only five percent of her
intestines intact. “Not to say her name is a way of forgetting, marginalizing and minimizing,” Rushdie said. “If someone is nameless, they very rapidly become forgotten.” Rushdie cited the lack of dialogue to a narrow focus in news where the more critical newspapers published in India are in the English language, rather than India’s official language: Hindi. College senior Ariane Noar said she thought the discussion provided a sense of what issues he intellectually grappled with. “His stories about dealing with the fatwa were very engaging, and it was also great to hear his opinions about India and its current state, both intellectually and politically,” Noar said. All India Summit events for Friday, Feb. 21 will take place in the Claudia Nance Rollins Building Auditorium. For more information, visit halleinstitute.emory.edu/india-summit.
— Contact Roshani Chokshi at rhchoks@emory.edu
4
NEWS
Friday, February 22, 2013
Wagner Responds to Student Concerns About Emory Continued from Page 1 He first spoke about Emory’s goals for educating its students, which include not only preparing them for the workplace, but also ensuring that they are “life ready.” He also stressed the importance of communication in this model of education, and he also used his recent column an example of failing to communicate effectively. During the question-and-answer session, Wagner addressed the apparent contradictions between fostering a community and running a business as well as Emory’s “identity crisis” concerning its future as a liberal arts or a research university. He also responded to questions regarding the future of minorities on campus and his philosophy on leadership.
The Value of an Emory Education Wagner said that society currently expects higher education solely to prepare students for a career while Emory expects students to graduate with more than a job. Wagner said he feels that students should leave Emory with eight skills, four of which include the ability to pursue enjoyment, learn with confidence, view the world from another’s perspective and learn from history. Wagner said that Emory should additionally teach its students to move others through charity instead of cynicism, facilitate compromise, refuse to yield to ad hominem attacks and imagine a creative positive as opposed to the absence of a negative. He put these skills in the context of his recent article by explaining that he intended the article to facilitate compromise, but failed because he was unable to see the world from another’s perspective. He stressed the importance of genuine communication, which he defined as not only the right to speak freely, but the guarantee of being heard. Wagner said that true communication requires being perceptive to what other people may find obscene and again cited his article. “Now I should be looking in the mirror and say ‘if you are going to use ... an illustration that is a raw nerve in America’s history around
slavery, you will never get to your conversation on compromise,’” he said. “...And that’s what I have regretted for several reasons.” Wagner said that the controversy surrounding his article has been painful both because he may have personally damaged Emory’s reputation and because he was unable to effectively communicate the necessity of compromise in government. However, he expressed relief that most of the backlash about the article has been directed at him as a person and not at the University.
“Now I should be looking in the mirror and say ‘if you are going to use ... an illustration that is a raw nerve in America’s history around slavery, you will never get to your conversation on compromise.” — James Wagner, president of the University
He also said he was pleased that Emory has a reputation for dealing openly with its issues, such as the discrimination in the dental school as well as the misrepresentation of admissions data to U.S. News and World Report, both of which came to light this year. Additionally, Wagner said he was proud of initiatives that have been launched in response to these scandals, such as the Office of Community and Diversity, the Committee on Class and Labor as well as student forums.
An Open Discussion After Wagner’s initial remarks, students had the chance to ask him questions. In response to his vision of an ideal education, one student said she saw a discrepancy between the values that Emory claims to have and the University’s actions. She added that, in light of the recent department cuts, she felt that Emory operated more like a business
than a community. Wagner responded that Emory’s number-one priority is academic quality and distinction. However, he said that while Emory can lead in some ways, it cannot lead in everything. He also said that the University is experiencing financial urgency due to a significant increase in financial aid, but will continue to offer need-blind financial aid in order to attract the best possible incoming class. He added that the University does, in fact, try to line up the values of community and the needs of business, but acknowledged the necessity of taking action when discrepancies arise between them. The next student said she felt that Emory is in the midst of an “identity crisis” and that the quality of students’ education will suffer until Emory makes up its mind about being a liberal arts school or a research university. Wagner said that the shift to becoming a research university actually began in 1979, but that this shift does not mean the liberal arts have to suffer. He provided the incorporation of the liberal arts into the curriculums of the law and medical schools as examples of Emory’s commitment to the liberal arts. Another student, an African American senior, said she has felt like minority spaces on campus have been taken away for the past three years, especially in light of his recent article. She asked Wagner how he foresees the University moving forward. He proposed the idea of an annual internal conference that would intentionally explore what it feels like to be a minority student at Emory. The last question of the evening was how Wagner manages to go to work each day in the face of such controversy. He said that while his job is challenging, his aspirations for the community ultimately motivate him to persevere. He added that leadership is not merely a job, but a calling. “In an organization like a university, it is a genuine partnership that requires mutual trust,” he said. “And I really hurt when I damage the trust by something like what I’ve done.”
— Contact Elizabeth Howell at ehowel5@emory.edu
THE EMORY WHEEL
THE EMORY WHEEL
NEWS
Friday, February 22, 2013
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Some Faculty Members Express U.S. News Editor, Dean of Admission Address Implications of Falsified Numbers Serious Discontent With Wagner relatively small as they were, violated the trust of every student, being Tulane University’s Freeman faculty member, staff member and School of Business (La.), the George Bucknellian they reached,” Bravman Washington University (GWU) (Va.) wrote. “What matters is that important and Bucknell University (Pa.). information conveyed on behalf of our Each of the five situations involves university was inaccurate. On behalf misrepresented test scores or high of the entire university, I offer my school class ranks, or both, according sincerest apology to all Bucknellians to U.S. News. for these violations of the integrity of Brian Kelly, the Bucknell.” editor and chief Of the five content officer at schools that mis“I think ... that people reported U.S. News, said in data, an interview with are paying more serious U.S. News has made only GWU the Wheel that attention to the five instances in a an “unranked” 12-month period is a importance of this kind school for the 2013 slight increase from rankings. of data.” what the organizaIt will retain that tion has seen in the status until the 2014 — Brian Kelly, past. edition is released editor and chief content officer Usually, he menin the fall. of U.S. News tioned, there’s one Kelly said that to two incidents like unlike the other these a year. schools, including Emory, GWU “We don’t know if there’s any par- was removed from the rankings list ticular significance; each case seems because of a policy that eliminates to be individual,” Kelly said, noting a school if it moves more than one that five is a very small percentage of place higher due to misrepresented the approximately 1,500 schools the data. organization ranks. “I’m speculating, “We feel like we don’t have conbut I think one of the good results is fidence in the validity ... so we move that people are paying more serious them into an ‘unranked’ category,” attention to the importance of this Kelly specified, adding that rankkind of data.” ings are an “important part of our Meanwhile, schools don’t only publication.” submit these numbers to U.S. News; Emory’s ranking stayed at No. 20 they are also reported to the federal for 2011-2013 after the University government and are often published submitted corrected data for those on the institutions’ websites. years following the investigation. “I would just stress though that Moving Forward people tend to put the onus on us here and say, ‘this is a problem Kelly, the U.S. News editor, and with U.S. News,’” Kelly said. “It’s first and foremost a problem for the Latting, Emory’s dean of admisuniversity.” sion, both have plans in mind for Bucknell, located in Lewisburg, moving forward following these Pa., is the most recent instance of investigations. misreported data. “There are a lot of reasons that this The school’s President John kind of data needs to be accurate,” Bravman wrote in a university state- Kelly said. “And if there are people ment that since 2006, Bucknell omit- either making mistakes or willfully ted many SAT and ACT scores from fudging the numbers, it’s a pretty seriits submitted data, most of which ous problem.” were lower. Kelly said U.S. News “does douSimilar to Emory, Bravman wrote, ble check and cross check some of the misrepresented information came this data.” But given the recent circumstancfrom “enrollment management leadership no longer with the university.” es, he said, the news organization Bucknell’s President for Enrollment is exploring the possibility of havManagement Bill Conley informed ing high-level executives at schools Bravman of the problematic numbers. that submit information for rankings “These numerical omissions, as — such as a president or provost —
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Continued from Page 1 an agreement made in 1787 between the Northern and Southern states, stating that only three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for purposes of taxation and voting representation. The column has drawn immediate national and local criticism, and since Saturday has been discussed on Salon, Gawker, CNN, Esquire and New York Magazine, which labeled the piece as “surely the most disastrous president’s column ever written in a University alumni magazine.” Once the floor was open to discussion at Wednesday’s meeting, many faculty members remarked that they were appalled and horrified, with one faculty member suggesting that he resign. “We cannot stand to be represented by someone who has these views,” the faculty member said. “He has no legitimacy and is clearly not up to the job.” Another faculty member asked what in particular was offensive about the column. “What I find offensive about the president’s comments is not that compromise is inherently necessary and sometimes desirable, but that that compromise was a model,” the faculty member responded. “He used the word ‘model.’ That’s inexcusable.” Faculty members added that they were shocked Wagner had to be told that his column was offensive and that he was unaware of the potential backlash. Faculty members proceeded to express serious discontent over Wagner’s apology, which was added to the column later on Sunday. “Part of his explanation was an apology for hurting feelings,” a faculty member said. “We need to be attentive that hurting feelings is not the issue here. It’s not against the law to hurt feelings, but in a democracy, it’s unethical to contribute to the culture of discrimination, and I think that’s what this statement did.” Some faculty members were “more horrified” by comments made by Gary Hauk, vice president and deputy to the president. In Tuesday’s issue of the Wheel, Hauk had said that the editing process was flawed because “all of the eyes on the piece before it was published were white people.” Another faculty member reported that Wagner had spoken to the Faculty Council on Tuesday and that he understands the situation better than people think. “The understanding I think is different than what it looks like in the writing,” the faculty member said. “I’m not trying to justify anything or defend anything — I just want to say that that did happen yesterday.” Another faculty member commented that the University has a habit of making mistakes and then remarking that the community should be proud for acknowledging it. “The apology should stand by itself, and we should be careful to find something praiseworthy in it,” the faculty member said. “I hope President Wagner doesn’t walk down that path again.” Faculty members expressed a strong desire that Wagner explain himself to them directly next month. Citing a busy schedule, Wagner could not be reached for comment. Department Changes Discussion The discussion concerning Wagner’s column followed a vote to stop the formation of a committee that would review the department
changes announced last fall. Wednesday marked the third time faculty members have voted on a motion of this kind. The original motion dates back to the meeting that took place in December, with an amendment following in January. Both of those measures passed by slim margins. The motion on Wednesday to stop the committee ultimately failed 96 to 103. The debate to rescind the motion was relatively short, given that both sides had presented their arguments in full at the last vote in January. The faculty member who presented the motion to stop the committee reiterated the belief that the committee would not lead to any “healing or revelations” but only “deepen and make much worse the divisions in this faculty.” The faculty member also said that the previous two votes did not take place in situations that had the “largest possible representation of faculty.” In response, the faculty member who first introduced the idea said the committee would “unite the faculty” and that “those people who made the decision should welcome an independent review.” “People who are opposed to an independent and autonomous review are downplaying the serious harm already done to faculty,” the faculty member said. On the contrary, another faculty member said the College dean has always had the power to create and eliminate departments. “This dean is the first to consult with the faculty,” the faculty member said. “We’ve established that he consulted, but we just dislike the outcome.” In response, a faculty member agreed that the dean does have such power, but also expressed a desire to clarify particular rules or procedures concerning confidentiality and adequate representation with future committees that might play a role in such decisions. Another faculty member added that the formation of the committee could have positive and beneficial consequences. “We know that we’re going to be facing a variety of challenges in finance and in higher education in the next decade or so,” the faculty member said. “It’s important to understand criteria used for judging departments.” That same faculty member concluded that the communication process also needs improvement. “One of the breakdowns, in my opinion, was the difference between knowing something and being warned of something.” After voting by paper ballot, the motion to rescind failed. In a moment of comic relief, Stefan Lutz, an associate professor in the Chemistry department and chair of the governance committee, ended the meeting with an announcement that faculty would be have to re-vote on the members to be placed on the committee that is charged to evaluate faculty governance. School servers had crashed overnight and lost the data. Faculty members erupted in laughter. “The Emory web team feels absolutely terrible,” he said. With the exception of Lutz, names of faculty members who spoke during the meeting have been omitted, in accordance with the terms that allowed the Wheel to attend the meeting. — By Evan Mah at emah@emory.edu
He said he feels the U.S. News verify data before submitting it to the Common Data Set and other indepen- rankings are a positive way to “objectively evaluate important institutions” dent organizations. “It’s the school’s responsibility to and that these rankings have become get the data right, and ultimately more important and available with that responsibility would lie with the the rise of the Internet. “It allows people to make compresident,” Kelly said. “If I were a president, I would want to have confi- parisons for things that are otherwise dence that the people working for me difficult to compare,” Kelly told the were doing their jobs properly and Wheel. Latting agreed that today, college not fooling with the numbers.” And in the aftermath of Emory’s rankings “matter more and more” to own misreported data scandal dur- applicants and parents. But, he said, ing the summer, Latting said, the the systems of auditing these numUniversity “spent a good deal of time” bers are poor. “It’s not a good combination,” gathering information about where Latting said. “I hope in years ahead Emory reports this information. “We went back to every single we get to a better place: either improvone of them and made sure they ing the auditing of these numbers or understood the changes and what attaching less importance to the rankthe most accurate information would ings — one of the other, or both.” Students and alumni have look like,” he said. As part of the Provost’s Correction expressed mixed opinions on the Action Plan, the DAC — led by importance of rankings from organiProfessor of Pedagogy in the zations like U.S. News. College senior Ross Slutsky Department of Psychology Nancy Bliwise — is working to establish wrote in a comment on the Wheel’s best practices in data reporting across Facebook page that he is “still furious” about the falthe University. sified admissions The commitnumbers that were tee aims to collect “I hope in years ahead revealed during the information on what types of data reportwe ... either [improve] summer. “[I] feel that I ing occur across the the auditing of these came here under University and the pretenses processes by which numbers or [attach] less false about the quality of data reporting takes importance to the the student body,” place. rankings.” he wrote. He noted Bliwise wrote that because he does in an email to the — John Latting, pay attention to the Wheel that the dean of admission U.S. News rankDAC met last week and currently has a ings — and given series of meetings scheduled for the the number of schools that have come upcoming weeks. forward — there is a “good chance She wrote she will have more that the reporting mechanisms are information about the committee’s flawed and unreliable.” work by March. Nicolas Sobredo (’09B), on the As part of the corrective action other hand, wrote that basing an opinplan, the University will hire a data ion on one source’s college rankings analyst specifically for the Office of can be misleading, especially because Admissions. Latting said potential there are so many organizations procandidates have been interviewed and vide rankings for higher education hopes to complete the search process institutions. soon. He added that while rankings can be useful in helping individuals comDo Rankings Matter? pare different schools, it shouldn’t be a “tell-all make-or-break factor.” U.S. News has been publishing “At the end of the day, it doesn’t rankings for about 30 years, Kelly matter which university you attend,” said, for institutions ranging from he said. “What matters is what you do national universities to hospitals, law with what you’re taught.” — Contact Jordan Friedman at schools, business schools and many jordan.m.friedman@emory.edu others.
Selected Students to Serve as Emory Representatives at St. Andrews mold,” Dickerson said. Students are awarded the scholers are, it’s likely to be anybody, and arship based on their “intellectual that’s a good thing.” excellence, significant leadership, and Levitan said the fact that all recipi- exemplary character, integrity and ents were women demonstrates that citizenship,” according to the scholaracademia is no longer a male-domi- ship’s website. nated field. “I think that’s this “This year, is a really a unique [women] were the said “It really speaks to the opportunity,” ones that showed Dickerson. “St. extent to which women Andrews is a sister they were the best candidates.” Levitan school of Emory at Emory are full said. participants and fully and it is rare that an There is no forexchange program involved and a part of like this could exist. mula or quota used to determine who is This was a unique the awarded the scholopportunity and I leadership.” arship, according to wanted to make it an McGraw. aspect of my Emory — Dee McGraw, Experience.” She denied any director of National rumors that race and Student finalists Scholarships and Fellowships gender quotas are a meet with faculty, part of the recipients administrators and of the scholarship. She explained that judges in a social reception prior to judges only seek to find the most an official interview process. The qualified candidates. selection committee is composed of “The fact that eight woman were faculty, administrators, alumni and selected speaks a lot to the fact that Bobby Jones IV, a direct blood relathe committee was really looking for tive of Bobby Jones. merit and not trying to fit any kind of “All of the judges and finalists
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come together in a social setting and and instantly connect and want to chat,” McGraw said. “[Finalists] try learn more about. to be as normal and as themselves as The student finalists were anxious possible under stressful circumstanc- in awaiting the announcement of the es. It really is a way for the judges to winners. get to know the finalists in a more Both Dickerson and El-Kebbi said personable and casual way.” that they began crying when they Selected stufound out they were dents are offered awarded the Bobby the opportunity Jones scholarship. “I think that this is a to continue their “I walked into really a unique undergraduate eduthe office with my cation abroad and roommate, and I opportunity.” experience local and was extremely nercultural offerings — Katie Dickerson, vous,” El-Kebbi within the commusaid. “I hadn’t slept college senior nity of St. Andrews in five days.” while serving as Since the crerepresentatives of ation of the scholarEmory, according to the scholarship’s ship, the program has sent more than website. 200 students from both Emory and “We’re looking for people who St. Andrews to study abroad. represent the face of Emory, the best McGraw said students interested that Emory has to offer,” McGraw in the scholarship should be extremesaid. “These are people who have ly active in the Emory community. been deeply engaged in campus in “Love [Emory] and give yourself different kinds of ways through ath- to it,” McGraw said. “Find your niche letics, music or student government.” and those things are going to make McGraw said the student final- you a strong candidate in the future.” — Contact Dustin Slade at ists are the types of individuals who dpslade@emory.edu judges engage in a conversation with
National Media Hosts Video Debate About Wagner, Racism Continued from Page 1 chosen that historical event as an example of political compromise. “It demonstrates a level of insensitivity that I haven’t seen on a university campus in quite some time,” said Charles, professor of sociology and Afrikaner Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She mentioned that there were examples Wagner could have used that would not have “thrown black people under the bus.” While Hill was reading Wagner’s statements during the video, he started laughing at one point and said, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to be an objective journalist, but this s--t is just racist.” Some of the guest speakers laughed along. “Whether consciously or unconsciously, what he is doing is echoing the very sentiment behind the politics that led to the Civil War,” said Jelani Cobb, director of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Connecticut. Ferguson said that Wagner’s apology was acceptable in the context of his entire career. “I hate it when what we do is we sit
there, and we try to just turn someone into something without looking at the overall human being,” Ferguson said. Later in the discussion, he mentioned the numerous tweets he had received labeling him a racist and accusing him of defending the president. Ferguson made it clear that while he did not defend Wagner’s comments, the community should think before taking away his job. Charles disagreed with Ferguson as she saw a problem with the president’s continuous justification of his example in his apology. Ferguson argued that Wagner’s apology was a realistic response — defending thoughts that he may be racist and providing a justification for his actions — because of the pervasive stigma that white people have to worry about being labeled a racist. Charles responded that the society does not have to jump to the conclusion that Wagner is a racist because of these comments but can instead say that he said something racist and then use this as an opportunity for conversation. “That conversation gets cut off
when mainstream society jumps to this whole racist idea,” Charles said. Ferguson agreed that there is a societal issue of labeling people racist. “How can we continue to have an America where we can have an exchange of ideas when as soon as someone brings up a point you automatically are mounted to a wall?” Ferguson asked. The group also mentioned the University’s apologies this year regarding racist parts of their history — including the anti-Semitic policy in the University’s now closed dentistry school — and the recent “The Dooley Show” episode that many found offensive. “This is the climate that the president is operating in,” Hill said. Moving forward, Jones said transparency was a part of the solution and encouraged Wagner and his team to “genuinely regard to what students want,” which involves taking some concrete action to make certain portions of the campus feel more welcome. — Contact Karishma Mehrotra at kmehrot@emory.edu
EDITORIALS THE EMORY WHEEL
CONTRIBUTE
Friday, February 22, 2013 Editorials Editor: Nicholas Bradley (nbradle@emory.edu)
Our Opinion
It Is Time For Solutions
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.
We Have Heard Enough Reactions; The Emory Community Must Now Find Solutions University President James W. Wagner’s controversial use of the Three-Fifths Compromise in Emory Magazine has caused an uproar locally and nationally in the last week. We have read and heard countless opinions about the column, and there is a general consensus that his comments were distasteful, offensive and bizarrely unaware. We at the Wheel would now like to encourage the community to move away from reactions and towards solutions. As some have confessed themselves, we feel that certain members of the Administration are unfortunately out of touch with particular sensitivities. At this point, we believe that those members have been made aware of their failings. Now, we as a community should work towards particular solutions to tackle these difficult issues and to prevent future missteps. We ask the student body to move forward and act, as we have spent the last week reacting. We are all a part of the same community. Rather than focus on Wagner’s column, we should mobilize to address the greater problem and its implications. Only open dialogue and concrete actions can address problems like race and University governance. Such dialogue must involve a community that is fully aware, educated and determined. It has been established that Wagner should not have made these comments. Now is our chance to seize the moment to push for a better and stronger Emory community.
Gender-Neutral Housing Good RHA and Res. Life’s Move Toward GenderNeutral Housing a Step in the Right Direction Residence Hall Association (RHA) and Resident Life & Housing (Res. Life) have decided to implement gender-neutral housing in the Clairmont Residential Center (CRC) for the 20132014 academic year. Starting fall, third- and fourth-year students will be given the option to live with students of different genders in all of the buildings in the CRC. This expansion, known as Phase II of the gender-neutral housing program, increases the amount of genderneutral spaces to 338 beds in 169 apartments. Phase II originally extended to the Clifton Towers, however that part of the plan fell through, and Clifton was removed from the second phase. Phase I was implemented in 2012-2013 and gave students of different genders the opportunity to live with each other in two-bedroom apartments in the F building of the CRC. We at the Wheel applaud RHA and Res. Life for Phase II and for working to accomodate the wishes of its residents. This is a wonderful example of making good use of surveys, student meetings and, in general, feedback to create a better campus. Considering many colleges such as Brown, Harvard and Dartmouth already have these housing policies in place, it makes sense that Emory move with the times. We encourage RHA and Res. Life to continue seeking student feedback to understand how these gender-neutral housing policies play out. We also believe that gender-neutral housing should be implemented for sophomores. Furthermore, expanding the housing options, such as adding the Undergraduate Residential Center, would give more students the opportunity to live in a genderneutral environment. Our only concern is expanding gender-neutral housing to sophomore dorms and Clairmont Tower. The CRC and URC have individual rooms, while the Tower and the dorms have one room with two beds. This particular setup complicates the situation where privacy is concerned. We also believe that this genderneutral policy should not be afforded to freshmen. But again, we believe that this policy is a step in the right direction, and we look forward to the community moving towards a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment. The above staff editorials represent the majority opinion of the Wheel’s editorial board.
THE EMORY WHEEL Evan Mah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arianna Skibell Executive Editor 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
Volume 94 | Number 35 Business and Advertising Glenys Fernandez BUSINESS MANAGER Blaire Chennault Sales Manager Alexandra Fishman Design Manager Account Executives Bryce Robertson, Lena Erpaiboon, Salaar Ahmed, Adam Harris, Diego Luis Business/Advertising Office Number (404) 727-6178
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.
Chris McCandless is an Emory College alumnus from the Class of 1990. He was the Asst. Editorials Editor and wrote numerous opinion pieces during his tenure at The Emory Wheel. The book and popular movie “Into the Wild” are based on his adventures, and eventual death, in the Alaskan wilderness. House Speaker Jim Wright has managed to steal the spotlight once again. This time Wright has done it with an action that is so shocking, so foolish, so utterly incomprehensible that it boggles the mind. Is Jim Wright capable of practicing any restraint? Apparently not, as Wright so vividly demonstrated last Friday when he showed up at a meeting of the Nicaraguan peace talks. The talks were designed for the sole participation of the Nicaraguan Government and the Contras who oppose them. After seven years of bloody fighting the two sides are prepared to face each other in what are basically the first legitimate peace negotiations since the
outbreak of hostilities. But all of a sudden here came House Speaker Jim Wright, throwing himself into the thick of things and churning up trouble. The problem with Wright’s participation is that it is not cohesive with the initial structure the talks were to take and the goals they were to seek. True, Wright has been an invaluable factor in the peace process ever since he and President Reagan offered their own peace plan last August. That is why it’s so incredible that Wright would jeopardize the talks at such a crucial stage. By casting himself into the middle of the peace talks, Wright is upsetting a process which, as this point, should be a matter only between the Sandinista Government and the Nicaraguan Contras. Wright feels that he has done nothing wrong since he was “invited” by mediator Miguel Obando y Bravo to participate in the talks. Jim Wright should have simply refused the invitation, just as he had previously rejected two requests from Nicaraguan
President Daniel Ortega to serve as mediator in the talks. Now that Wright has flip-flopped and decided to jump back in the game he may destroy all that he has worked for in the last three and a half months. First of all, other Central American nations may soon wonder why an American presence is back in the talks after all foreign nations had previously agreed to step aside at this stage. Second, Wright’s presence is bound to upset the Contras, for he will be viewed as a partisan participant whose aspierations lie on Ortega’s side of the scale. Third, and most of all, Wright is surpassing his authourity (sic) as a legislator and attempting to usurp the powers which belong to the Executive Brance (sic) and the State Department. The Executive Branch of the United States government is the paramount authority and negotiator of U.S. foreign policy. When an individual legislator attempts to formulate policy on his own accord he upsets the balance of things and makes it virtually impossible to negotiate [...]
BSA: Wagner, There Is Still Work to Be Done To the Emory Community As a complete human being, who is also African-American, I was certainly troubled by President Wagner’s use of the Three-Fifths Compromise as an example of how compromise promotes progression. Both sides involved in this compromise desired to dehumanize blacks. One side wanted to count black bodies but deny them the franchise, while the other wanted to ignore blacks’ existence as human beings totally. The compromise was that enslaved black people officially had less value and that their value was to be fully controlled by white men. I am frustrated by President Wagner’s use of this example. However, I am not surprised. This year, as well as in the past, President Wagner has helped fund BSA’s Black History Month efforts, a contribution that is always greatly appreciated. Yet, the safety, uplift, and identity of a black student population does not just lie in the events our organizations are able to sponsor. It lies in the fabric of the University that claims to embrace and encourage them. When the president of the University used the overall denial of our ancestors’ full
humanity as a prime example of institutional compromise, it did not make me feel secure. It did not make me feel valued here. But, it reminded me why I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t surprised by the blasé comments made on “The Dooley Show.” I’m never surprised when the general public tries to blame minority groups for “self-segregating”. And, I’m never surprised why many people think the only way they can connect with me, a black woman, is by inserting the colloquial “girrrrrl.” Insensitivity. Apathy. Ignorance. Not as obvious as blatant, “lynching” and “tar-feathering” racism, but just as damaging to a community that claims to value diversity. It seems that Emory still refuses to embrace the actual practice of understanding and appreciating diverse populates. Appeasing the black community whenever it seems like we’re just “hurt” and “confused” is not the same as valuing black students and ensuring that black culture has the space and support to thrive at Emory. President Wagner, perhaps you did make a “clumsy” mistake. You are forgiven. But the work is not yet finished.
Your “mistake” is just another example of the ignorance and complacency embedded within the core of our institution. No matter the intentions behind such unacceptable commentary, whether spoken by you or our peers, we are fed up. We will not keep letting these instances build, excusing each one as a simple “mistake.” Thus, how should we, all of Emory, combat ignorance, insensitivity, and indifference? With engagement. With intention. With fervor. So, President Wagner, we challenge you. We challenge you to listen to us, Emory’s black community, as you would want someone to listen to your needs and desires. Listen with compassion and humility. See our Emory vision as your Emory vision. The two should not be that different. Listen, and then commit to act. Commit to promoting, supporting, and believing in a better Emory. It’s time. Signed, Jovonna Jones President, Black Student Alliance
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
An Alumnus’ Plea: Give Us Something to Be Proud Of To the Editor: Last Sunday afternoon, I wandered on to Twitter. The parody account “@ FakeEmoryUniversity” had just tweeted about the Three-Fifths Compromise. I was unfamiliar with why they made the reference, so I decided to do some searching, and I was directed to articles about President Wagner on Salon and Gawker. I read them and was surprised that I was not surprised by their content: Emory University had made yet another administrative gaffe. Reading about public administrative fumbles has become commonplace to alums like me. Even living in cities hundreds of miles away from Atlanta, these fumbles are getting to be embarrassing. As an undergraduate student, I was involved in organizations and activities that were not going to help me get into graduate school: I liked theater, I was involved in WMRE and I worked in a biology lab. I was not a resume-building people-pleaser,
and my achievements did not land me on the 100 Senior Honorary. Instead, I spent most of my time with a group of people who repelled off the top of the tower, cut tunnels in between their apartments in the same building, streaked across the quad, attended frat parties as wizards, distributed “Dead Men Don’t Rape” signs and most importantly (and rightfully) criticized the administration. So, if you were like me in college, this message is for you: Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you think is right, even if it means running into trouble with the administration or losing “that” award from the college. Believe me, once you leave campus, you will take more pride in the statements you made rather than the status quo you maintained (and you’ll have better stories to tell at bars). Look out for each other. Offer your voice to those who have trouble being heard and shout it into the faces of those who don’t want to hear it. Be bad.
Break the rules you believe are wrong and expect to be punished. You will learn more from breaking the rules than you will from following them. Do something not because it will gain you good favor with the higher ups, but because you believe it is the right thing to do. After all, from my experience, once you enter the real world (in my case, medical school) and leave the perfectly manicured lawns of Emory’s campus behind, you won’t be proud of the news you hear coming from the administration of your esteemed alma mater. So, please Emory class of 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013, do what you think is right and give the rest of us something to be proud of. Austin J. Causey Alumnus Emory College Class of 2012
THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, February 22, 2013
OP ED
11
DAVID GIFFIN
Putting the Department Changes in Perspective Resistance Is Not Necessarily the Best Way to Rectify Cut Programs The debate over the recent departmental cuts seemed to be waning — that is, it was until President James Wagner’s ill-fated letter came to light. Many voices in the conversation have tried to link the President’s illfated analogy between compromise (using the Three-Fifths Compromise as an example) and the realization of “higher ideals” to the debate over departmental cutbacks. I completely agree with these critics that the effort to make the department cuts appear to have been obscured from public view and closed to external input. However, I do not — and cannot — hold Wagner solely responsible for the recent departmental cuts, just as I cannot hold Dean Robin Forman responsible. While they are indeed responsible for executing the decisions that are made regarding the cuts, they are in no way the final authority. They both respond ultimately to the Board of Trustees, and as such have their hands tied in very significant ways. Further, both (more specifically, Dean Forman) are victims of longer-acting economic and institutional forces that have been pushing us toward this point for years. I first entered the Emory community in the summer of 2005 as a scholar at Candler’s Youth Theological Initiative. At that point in Emory’s history, the campus looked very different. Few and Evans Halls, for example, did not exist. A parking deck stood where the new Medical School building stands. Gilbert and Thomas Halls were still at the bottom of Dickey Drive, where a power station and the new Psychology building now stand. There are a dozen other small and large construction projects that now stand complete on campus that I do not have the space to write about here. My point? The millions of dollars required to fund all those projects was likely mobilized well before President Wagner joined Emory in the fall of 2003. These construction projects were all part of Emory’s ongoing efforts to modernize and improve their facilities as a part of boosting their competitive rankings against peer institutions like Johns Hopkins, which has been a University goal for years.
In 2009, courtesy of a friend in the Student Government Association, I had the privilege of seeing a copy of one of the first Campaign Emory brochures sent to large donors. (Regrettably, I was unable to actually keep a copy.) This document listed many detailed projects including expanded research, even more construction and support for certain athletics program. All of this funding was devoted towards shaping Emory to be more competitive with its peers and relatively little was devoted to reinforcing the liberal arts tradition. The academic changes on campus, consequently, are related at their core to the effort to make Emory more competitive. And they are in no way isolated. The current General Education Requirements were first instituted in 2009, replacing the 2005 GERs. At the time of those changes, I was one of several voices critical of the new format. The 2005 GERs were criticized for being too large and restrictive toward which classes counted toward their completion, as compared to the current tagging system which allows departments to identify their own requirement-satisfying classes. They were, however, very robust and very useful in ensuring that students would be both immersed in the liberal arts tradition and exposed to a wider range of academic departments and ideas. The numbers demonstrate the effects of the change: apart from the removal of a redundant senior seminar requirement and a single Physical Education credit, the ONLY areas that bore the brunt of those cuts were the social sciences, history and culture-focused departments. (I have the numbers and am willing to share them with whoever asks.) These changes, like the more recent department cuts, are also a part of larger economic forces. As I wrote in the January 25 edition of the Wheel, we have reached a point in society where we are being over-saturated by college degrees. This is particularly pronounced in traditional liberal arts fields, where students have frequently earned degrees without being encouraged to make them professionally
“Opponents of the cuts must speak to those core issues ...”
alsokaizen | Flickr
viable and, consequently, have a higher risk of being unemployed in their field. Cutting departments from more traditionally liberal arts oriented areas is, from this perspective, arguably responsible because it pushes students to enroll in more highly demanded and employable STEM courses of study. In the context of those larger historical, institutional and socio-economic factors, I don’t think that the current approach to resisting them — which has come across as very focused on mass action and blaming key figures like President Wagner and Dean Forman — will succeed. Not only are forces entirely not under Emory’s control involved, but also the forces that are at play at Emory are very
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entrenched and powerful. The push to transform Emory and make it more competitive has been operating literally for over a decade, far longer than most students have to put the picture into perspective. Opponents of the cuts must speak to those core issues for there to be any real improvement in the situation. Resources on campus like the Career Center have to be leveraged to demonstrate just how graduates in those fields are valuable and play important roles in the modern society and economy. Some work has already been done in demonstrating how the loss of some of these departments, in particular the Economics graduate program, actually help improve Emory’s competitive-
ness against peer institutions, but more needs to be done. Ultimately, opponents of the cuts will have to try to play by the institution’s own rules rather than trying to overpower it from the outside. The energy is there, but the commitment to follow through will be key. Without focused effort to improve the situation, within just another four or five years the students will all be new, and the board will be reset so that even more changes — whether good or bad — can be put into effect.
David Giffin is a second-year Masters in Theological Studies student at the Candler School of Theology from Charleston, Ill.
In Response: “As American as ... Compromise” SGA President Ashish Gandhi Responds
Katrina Worsham | Staff
The Costly Realities of Studying in America YUGEN BALAMOHAN Standing in line, I waited anxiously for what I considered a defining occasion of my future college experience: my student visa interview. My interviewer questioned, “Emory University?” I nodded with a smile. He continued to say, “That’s a private school, how do you intend to pay for it?” By this time I’d been well versed with the politics that came into play while approving visas. I slowly pulled a letter from my bag, showing that my sponsors will assume all financial responsibility, “Good luck” was followed by a loud thump of the “approved” stamp on my visa. I could safely say that I was set to pursue my education at Emory. International students constitute approximately 10 to 15 percent of the Emory student body. At Oxford, 10 percent of the student population alone is from China, excluding students from other prominent countries such as South Korea and India. Every year the population of international students increases dramatically, leading Emory to boast upon the “diversity” factor on its website. Despite Emory’s numerous attempts to cater to the international student population through orientation and immigration services, one area of concern remains untouched. That is, the perpetuating stereotype among the other body that all international students
come from wealthy families and require no financial assistance. An international student from China shares her experience on how her parents work hard to pay the full tuition here at Emory: “My mum owns a small business and my dad works for a real estate company in China. For almost 10 years, they have worked really hard to save enough money so that I can study in America. They’ve sold their house and had to find different ways to finance my education here because of the currency difference.” Another international student from Korea shares his experience: “Times are hard and people don’t understand how, even as international students, finance is something we worry about. We had to move to a smaller house so that I can continue studying here.” The stereotypes that international students mostly come from wealthy families has long been rooted in the student body due to their ability to pay full tuition. Perhaps, students fail to acknowledge that even within the international student community, there is a wide diversity in socioeconomic statuses that are left unnoticed due to the “larger brush” that these international students get painted on. The cost of tuition for Emory has increased from $40,600 in 2012 to $42,000 for 2013. The current cost of attendance for Emory is estimated to be around $56,470 (this includes room and board, books and other out-of-pocket expenses). With such a steep increase, not
only are domestic students struggling to make ends meet but so are their international peers. The ineligibility to qualify for federal-work study and the scarcity of the job opportunities on campus further burdens the international student community. Although arguments have been put forth for the availability of merit scholarship, which both international and domestic students can apply for, the chances are slim for international students. The unfamiliarity with the American education system and the difference in recognized skills leaves international students in a subordinate position to their American friends in competing for these merit based scholarships. If Emory is too expensive, then why do international students continue to flood into this institution? The answer is simple, as a top 20 University, Emory provides ample opportunity for students upon graduation. Even better, the prestige associated with an American education puts many international students ahead of their peers. Having said that, this alone should not be a reason to delay the idea of financial assistance for international students. Perhaps it’s time Emory starts developing a more proactive approach in assisting international students with their financial woes and better recognize them for their interest in Emory despite the financial pressure.
Yugen Balamohan is a College sophomore from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dear Emory Community, In many senses, this year has been one of revelation. The acknowledgment of misrepresented admissions data, an admittance of past anti-Semitism and the implementation of curricula changes have made us realize the imperfections of our University. More recently, we have come forth in concern and disappointment over remarks made by students on “The Dooley Show” and by President Wagner in Emory Magazine. The recent comments have offended and hurt many students on our campus, but they have also reaffirmed an underlying culture of insensitivity and apathy at Emory. We face the irrefutable fact that, as individuals and an institution, we do not yet practice the inclusivity we espouse. Often times, this is not intentional, but it is still harmful, and it must change. The Student Government Association reaffirms a vision for Emory University, one which is more respectful and inclusive. This spreads across all of campus, from students to administrators to alumni. It extends to a Student Organization and Greek Life system which is accepting to all, to a student conduct process which is unbiased across communities, to the establishment of physical spaces and outlets for the broader minority population and to the presence and responsiveness of advocates at all levels of the University.
The SGA has been partnering with the Change@Emory coalition and the Division of Campus Life to work towards this vision. We are working on many ideas, from curriculum changes to residential programs to a re-envisioning of the use of space on campus. However, there is much more work to be done. I encourage you to participate in the conversations occurring all around campus and to listen to, understand and advance the dialogue on this divisive issue. One such conversation will be a “Rally against Racism,” taking place at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in Asbury Circle of the Atlanta campus. As always, the SGA welcomes and appreciates continued feedback and suggestions on this matter (sga@emory.edu). And if you would like to voice concerns or suggestions anonymously, you may do so through the Division of Campus Life. As a student body and a University community, we have been tried and tested many times this year. I have no doubt we will emerge from this chapter in Emory’s history as a stronger, more inclusive and respectful community. However, it will require the conscious reflection and deliberate action by each and every one of us. It is time to work towards a better Emory. Sincerely, Ashish Gandhi President, Student Government Assn.
Faculty Voices Support for Letter Dear President Wagner: We write as concerned Emory faculty to express our support for the letter recently issued by the departments of History and African American Studies. The use of the three-fifths Compromise example was neither appropriate nor instructive for today’s university. Sincerely, Sharon Strocchia Cynthia Willett Howard Kushner Barbara Ladd Kevin Corrigan Elena Glazov-Corrigan Peter Wakefield Yanna Yannakakis
Noelle McAfee Walt Reed Walter Kalaidjian Gordon Newby Richard C. Martin Melvin L. Rogers Martine Brownley Shomu Banerjee Deborah Elise White Judith C. Rohrer Jason Francisco Debra Vidali Juliette Stapanian Apkarian Lynne Huffer Ursula Goldenbaum Patricia Cahill Roxani Margariti
President Wagner’s Response Dear Leslie, This letter is both firm and gracious. I, too, regret my reference to the three-fifths compromise and am sorry for the injury and insult that has resulted from my use of it. As you and your colleagues have generously allowed, it was not my intent to offend or insult. Doing so was the result of mistaken judgment and of insensitivity. Emory deserves better, and I look forward to growing along with our
community as we resume and in some cases redouble our efforts in those programs underway to continue building the safe, respectful, inquiry-driven, ethically engaged, and diverse community toward which we aspire. I accept your criticisms as being well deserved and with all humility. Sincerely, Jim Wagner President, Emory University
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THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, February 22, 2013
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For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes. com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
SUDOKU Instructions: •Each row, column and “area” (3-by-3 square) should contain the numbers 1 to 9.
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THE EMORY WHEEL
Student Life Friday, February 22, 2013 Student Life Editor: Justin Groot (jgroot@emory.edu)
HOROSCOPES
SPOTLIGHT
Aries
A Professor’s Secret The Man Behind the Screen By Lane Billings Multimedia Editor If you’ve scrolled through the Emory Secrets page in the past two months, you’ve probably seen it: mysterious posts numbered and titled “A Professor’s Secret.” The posts, which range from personal stories to advice to students, have been the page’s most popular recurring feature. Their most challenging question: how well do you know the people teaching your classes? We talked to the man — whose name and departmental affiliation will remain unnamed — behind the page to learn more. What made you want to start posting? I thought that this could be a good venue to talk about some issues that many times professors don’t talk about with their students. The topics that I teach are very limited, so it is hard for me to reach a ton of people. So, I posted the first secret, and a ton of people read it and responded
Taurus
to it. I didn’t have an intention to do something that would last for 45 posts. But I figured, if I can reach out to more people and give them advice, why not? Do you think Emory Secrets in general has been a positive thing? I have to applaud the people [who] run the page. I don’t know who it is, and frankly it doesn’t matter to me that much. I know the page has helped me to reach out to people who would have never taken my classes. I’m not a counselor, but I think that I’m able to help a few people, and I’m not the only one. If Emory Secrets provides people with that resource, then it’s a good thing. Have there been moments when you’ve wanted to reveal your identity and reach out to students? Yes,
there
This week, revise everything you’ve ever written to ensure there are no racially insensitive remarks in them. Academic papers, your notebooks from seventh grade, your tweets, your Oscar acceptance speeches. If I have anything to do with it, my readers will not be embroiled in scandal!
have
been.
I’ve
See AT, Page 10
Graphic by Mimi Hacking
I will not tell you when the next meteor will hit Earth. That’s astronomy, not astrology. And if you’re a regular reader of these horoscopes, you’ll know I’m definitely not an astrologist either.
Gemini If you forward this horoscope, your crush will fall in love with you in, like, six seconds. If you don’t forward this horoscope, you will have bad luck for the next five dog years, plus your dorm room will be haunted by the ghost of a girl who died from studying too hard.
Cancer Got an Oscar pool going? For Best Picture, I would bet on The Avengers, for Best Actor I would bet on Martin Freeman in “The Hobbit,” and for Best Actress I would bet on Emma Stone for generally existing in life. There’s probably a reason why I’m not a member of the Academy.
Leo
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
As American As... That Treaty from “Twilight” By Sonam Vashi Co-Copy Chief Need to use compromise as a metaphor in your essay? Don’t want to offend massive amounts of people? Well, the Wheel’s top expert in com-
promise-ology has thoughtfully compiled a short list of good examples for you to use at your discretion.
The Great Compromise During the 1787 Constitutional
Convention, small states and big states compromised on how they would be represented in Congress. That’s why the House allocates representatives based on population, and the Senate provides equal representation to every state, or so Wikipedia
tells me. This is also called the Connecticut Compromise due to Connecticut feeling bad about its relative lack of importance in almost every other facet of national affairs. Seriously, what has Connecticut
ever done for the rest of the country? At least Georgia provides some sort of shameful entertainment value (ex: “Haha, Georgia schools are involved in another cheating scandal! Oh,
See AS, Page 10
Midterms are making you want to scream at people who like those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters. Well, here’s a fun fact: Those were made in World War II to remind people in Great Britain to keep going about their daily lives as bombs fell around them. It’s all about perspective.
Virgo Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses, Virgo. Unless, as OutKast sang, if you lean a little closer and see that roses really smell like pooooh-ooh. Then I can’t help you.
Libra
FASHION
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Still need a summer job? I hear there’s a spot open in the Vatican. An Emory student elected as the Pope would really help Emory in the PR department right now. I’ll write a recommendation for you.
A Perfect Match For One Alum By Elizabeth Howell Associate Editor “Good morning, scholars,” says Amber Lakin (‘12C) as she greets her elementary school students at Match Community Day. “Good morning, Ms. Lakin,” they reply. “Emory,” she whispers. “Eagles,” they whisper back. This daily ritual is more than a show of Lakin’s love and affection for her alma mater; it is a practice that establishes college attendance as an essential goal of these children’s education from the moment they begin school. Lakin is a tutor at Match Education, a nonprofit organization in Boston, Mass. that runs a network of inner-city charter schools, including an elementary, middle and high school. She is currently completing a oneyear tutoring fellowship for recent college graduates. In addition to working closely each day with a small group of English language-learners in order to improve their math and literacy skills, Lakin builds close relationship with her students and their families. Match Education practices a “no excuses” philosophy, which is common among charter schools, Lakin said. Match schools are rooted in the belief that there is no excuse why any child should not succeed in school and go on to enroll in college. Every aspect of the students’ day is regimented. When walking through the halls, students must remain completely
silent with their hands at their sides. In the classroom, they sit with their hands folded on their desks and are forbidden to call out. While Lakin said that this teaching style is somewhat controversial among educators, Match justifies it by reasoning that every minute of a child’s education counts. Even if students waste only five minutes each day, all of that time adds up over a year, she said. However, Lakin’s students aren’t the only ones who have to adhere to a strict routine. She said that the most challenging part of her job is the long hours — she works each day from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, Lakin takes classes on Saturdays as part of the Match Teacher Residency program, a twoyear program through which she will earn a Master’s Degree in Education. Lakin said that she has never been so busy in her entire life. She plans out every minute of what little free time she has. While she doesn’t have much free time outside of her job, she said she’s happy she’s not working in an office. “I’m not looking at a computer, and I’m not sitting around working a boring nine-to-five,” she said in an interview with the Wheel. “I’m working with these wonderful kids all the time and really feeling like I’m contributing to the world in a positive way.” Lakin said the time she spends with her students is easily the best part of working at Match. Specifically, she said she has formed strong relation-
See GRADUATE, Page 10
Scorpio Give yourself a pat on the back, Scorpio. If you’re the age of a typical college student, you’ve survived y2k, 6/6/06, that May 2011 apocalypse and the Mayan apocalypse. That’s no small feat, my friend.
Sagittarius Lighten up a little, Sagittarius. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh at yourself. If you can’t laugh at yourself, let me know. I’ll laugh at you.
Capricorn James Crissman/Asst. Photography editor
College sophomores Bobby Weisblatt (left) and Mateusz Nawara (right) display the casual dexterity and fashionable coordination characteristic of the Stripe Squad.
Stripes and Skateboards By Priyanka Krishnamurthy Asst. Editorials Editor Wow! Have you seen these guys? I’m sure you have. They are too hip to walk (or shred) by unnoticed. If you haven’t spotted them, here’s some help: they’re usually bombing some hills with their longboards, getting into trouble with pedestrians and/or listening to really cool witch-house music like oOOoO or Purity Ring. I guess it would make sense if you haven’t noticed them — they really only come out at night. They are like a different species filled with mystery and misery. Their deep interests in music and cinema add a fourth dimension to their realities, a kind of Time Cube if you will. The ladies
go insane when they look their way. They are the notorious #StripeSquad. The Stripe Squad consists of College sophomores Mateusz Nawara and Bobby Weisblatt. Mateusz is a double major in mathematics and economics, and Bobby is a double major in English and film studies. Not to pigeonhole them, but to absolutely pigeonhole them, the two’s choices in majors somewhat reflect their choices in attire. I’ll elaborate a bit later. You may be wondering why they are referred to as the Stripe Squad. Mateusz and Bobby believe in the pop-culture phrase of “do it yourself,” and decided to shave stripes on the left side of their heads. I’m not going to tell you who started the trend, i.e.
who did it first. Mateusz did. But that’s not to say Bobby isn’t original — his thick, singular stripe differs from Mateusz’s dual-stripe. This look adds a kind of abstract nature and asymmetrical look to their normal choice in clothing. For example, even if the two were to go shredding (riding a longboard) in a plain white T and jeans, their haircuts would still add a stylish touch to what would be a somewhat unoriginal outfit. Let’s break it down. A part of being hip is wearing things that don’t make sense to anyone including yourself. I know he’s not an aspiring astronaut, unless that’s what an English degree gets
You worked hard to get into college. And what reward do you get? Tiny desks in classrooms? Seriously, in elementary school you could stash your entire life within your desk. Somebody somewhere has their priorities mixed up.
Aquarius Aquarius, water sign that you are, you need to stay hydrated this week. It does wonders for your energy levels, complexion and general well-being, plus you won’t get into any Marco Rubio situations.
Pisces The Internet tells me that Facebook will let you “surprise your friends for $10” by “sending Bees right to their front door.” Now, stop and think about that for a second. If your friends wouldn’t be surprised by bees at their door, you may need to find new friends. By Grace Cummings
See STRIPE, Page 10
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A.J. Answers a Tricky Question By A.J. Artis Staff Writer Dear A.J., I’m a black person, and I read what President Wagner wrote about the 3/5ths compromise, but I don’t understand what’s going on. Should I be offended? How should I discuss race in the future? Sincerely, Am I an Uncle Ruckus? Dear Uncle Ruckus, I’m glad you asked. As a black person, I, too, was not offended. But we both must do our best to be as offended as possible, and here’s why: when anyone outside your racial group references your race, you should be offended regardless of context, intention or actual meaning. This is because race defies logic, like Four Loko or the popularity of Mumford and Sons. Here is a quick recap. President Wagner, an engineer, wrote a column in a magazine that no one reads, much like this newspaper. In his article, he referenced the ThreeFifths Compromise as an agreement reached by two hyper-polarized parties, explaining that if slave-holding racists in the South and non-slaveholding racists in the North could compromise on how to count slaves, we as a University could compromise on how to cut the liberal arts (read the article again). Faculty and students are upset because Wagner used the word ‘model’ to discuss the compromise. And because, “in a democracy, it’s unethical to contribute to the culture of discrimination,” and referring to your own history, however flawed, contributes to the culture of discrimination. If Wagner were not a racist, he would understand that words like
THE EMORY WHEEL
STUDENT LIFE
Friday, February 22, 2013
“model” are racially-charged. Haven’t you noticed the Model T Ford was always black? Furthermore, even though the Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise, it cannot be a model of compromise because we don’t like it anymore. Now, how is this racism? Let me use an example: if a non-member of your race says something like, “Martin Luther King, Jr. had a bald spot.” You should immediately label that person a racist, whether the statement is historically accurate or not. Notice in the example, the non-member did not belittle the Civil Rights movement or the plight of blacks in the country — it’s your job to “infer” or create “grey” areas, since things are seldom black and white — and if they are black and white, why are you keeping them separate, you segregationist? Now then, Uncle Ruckus, scientific advances have come a long way, and sociologists — not scientists — have developed a simple formula to detect racism. It follows: race + words x (grey area) = racism. You see, accusations of racism no longer require you to think. All you have to do is supply the grey area, which doesn’t take any thought at all. To put this formula in context, if President Wagner’s statements included the subject of race and used words, plus grey area implying that he lauded the Three-Fifths Compromise in its entirety and believes that black people are only three-fifths of a person, then we can conclude that it is racism, and you should be very upset. Now then, let’s discuss my new rules for how to talk about race. #1 Do not bring up race during a Race History Month Notice a lot of people said
Wagner’s comments were worse because it’s Black History Month. Had he saved them for March, it would be less racist somehow. #2 Always explain you do not support racial injustice whenever discussing anything regarding race. Had Wagner mentioned that he did not support the Three-Fifths Compromise or slavery, he wouldn’t be in such hot water. Here’s an example: “I think Honda makes less reliable sedans, but I don’t support the internment of the Japanese.” # 3 Be aware of your surroundings Another reason people are upset about these comments is because Emory is in the South. Again, had these comments been said in Detroit, for instance, they’d be far less incendiary. #4 Be aware of your privilege What it basically means is that your opinions are wrong based on your background. If you’re a black female, you have black privilege and have no right discussing the plight of a white male. Your black privilege blinds you to the suffering of white men all over the world. Your opinions on white men cannot be taken seriously because you did not grow up like a white male — and you will never know the pain of being labeled white and male. #5 Do not discuss race if you are Vice President Hauk Hauk said in an interview with the Wheel that the editing process was flawed because “all of the eyes on the piece before it was published were white people.” He said this.
— Contact A.J. Artis at ajartis@emory.edu
Mad Lib:
Procrastination By Celia Greenlaw The Procrastination Diaries Dear Diary, When I woke up, I knew today was going to be a busy day. I had multiple midterms to take, and I needed to _____________(verb) a paper by tomorrow! I felt ______________ (adjective) by all of the work I had to do, yet I managed to complete almost none of it. Here’s why. My day started by pressing snooze _______________(number) times and by the time I woke up, I barely had time to make it to my first class. I quickly ____________(past tense verb) my hair, put on my favorite _____________ (noun) and _____________(adverb) ran out the door. After class I thought my midterm had gone ______________(adjective), so I allowed myself a half hour break to ________________(verb). Two hours later, while reading about a(n) ____________(animal) who could _____________(verb), I realized I had gotten completely distracted by _______________(social networking site). It was already time for my next class and I had not done any work yet. After class I decided to have a _________________(adjective) lunch at Cox, and I thought my day was finally going to start being productive. Naturally, I was wrong because as I walked out, I saw a giant __________________ (noun) in the middle of Asbury Circle, and I needed to see what was going on. Before I knew it, I had ________________(past tense verb) for over an hour, but in fairness there were so many _________________(adjective) activities to do! Next, when I returned to my room, my friends were all watching _______________(TV show), and it was too _________(adjective) to resist One thing led to another and it was 8 p.m. and I was ______________ (verb ending in “ing”) in my bed, talking to my ________________(plu-
Graduate Grateful for Emory Experiences
ral noun) about all of the work I should have been doing. Once everybody ______________(past tense verb), I thought I would start getting things done, but then I found this diary. Thank you _____________(adjective) diary for helping me to procrastinate even more, but I think it’s time to ______________(verb) my homework now.
Continued from Page 9 ships with the children whom she tutors in literacy. At the beginning of the year, her students performed at a low reading level. However, after Lakin worked with them for eight weeks, some of them passed two or three levels, which is as much progress as other students make in a year. “It makes you feel so proud to work with them and to see all that progress that they’ve made,” she said. Lakin said her Emory education prepared her well for her work with Match Education. As a Jumpstart Corps member and Team Leader during her freshmen and sophomore years, she spent many hours in preschool classrooms. She also studied abroad her entire junior year, spending one semester in Nicaragua and one in Argentina. She said she learned Spanish skills in these places that she currently uses with her children, many of whom speak English as their second language. During her senior year of college,
“I’m able to do something that I think is fun every day and make a meaningful difference in the world.” — Amber Lakin, ‘12C Lakin applied for a variety of positions, ranging from political science fellowships to consulting jobs. However, she said she was glad she ended up at Match. “I was fortunate to find a job that I love,” she said. “I’m able to do something that I think is so fun every day and make a meaningful difference in the world.” She said she would recommend working for Match Education to anyone who is interested in education or looking to take a year off before graduate school. While Lakin plans to teach for a few years, she said she feels that her experience at Match will serve her well if she decides to pursue educational policy or administration. “It’s a good introduction to the whole education world,” she said.
— Contact Elizabeth Howell at ehowel5@emory.edu
Sonam Shares Some Safer Solutions Continued from Page 9 James Crissman/ Asst. Photography Editor
Members of the Stripe Squad reflect on their straightforward style. The squad prides themselves on their effortless approach to fash-
Stripe Squad Balances Simplicity and Style Continued from Page 9 you these days, but Bobby seems to like space. A lot. His obscure yellow-colored shirt just screams space. Maybe he thinks that living on Earth is too mainstream, and reality lies within the intergalactic space. Perhaps he is #spacepunk, but this is all just speculation. However, Bobby’s loud shirt contrasts with his dark skinny jeans, emulating his personality. His personality is leaning towards very hip, whatever that means. His black laceups complete the hip-look. Mateusz’s color scheme is a bit more mellow and minimal. His calculative mind, hence the double major, is depicted through the mix of greys and blues in his jacket and v-neck. He wore the perfect jacket to be a part of #StripeSquad (see: the many stripes). This was a coincidence. Unless #StripeSquad is
using subliminal messaging to subtly recruit more members. I hope that’s not the case. Anyways, “his” navyblue headphones coupled with his classy, brown loafers add the finishing touches to what could have been a pretty average outfit. Don’t worry Mateusz, you’re so much more than average. You’re something like ... #cyberpunk. Well, there you have it. A quick introduction to the fashion behind the hippest guys at Emory. From their odd choices in pastimes (metal mosh pits) to their intriguing choices in attire, these are two of the coolest guys to ever walk this marble-slabbed campus. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are ever given the opportunity to converse with the infamous Stripe Squad, I urge you to take it, because why would you choose catfish when you could have caviar?
—Contact Priyanka Krishnamurthy at priyanka.krishnamurthy@emory.edu
Georgia!”).
Going “Dutch” I know that there’s a lot of cultural pressure for the man to pay when you’re on a date, but since women are allowed to, like, work and vote and own land now, it seems a bit outdated. That’s why the Dutch invented the concept of both people paying for their own stuff. This a classic example of financial compromise where you can both pay for your own meal, or if you’re going to a movie, one of you can buy the tickets and the other one can pay for the food. Or if you like the feel of “treating” the other person, you can pay for everything on one date, and the other person picks up the tab next time.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act This is a great example of a compromise between fascism and communism. Kidding. It’s compromise between Republicans and Democrats, which I guess is kind of the same thing. Basically, there were a few different bills proposed, and although many
Democrats wanted to add a public option to the final version, everyone knew that it wouldn’t get bipartisan support. So, a form that didn’t have that in there was passed, because compromise means having to give up some things for the greater good. The Dems backed down from the public option like little girls, and
At least by using the vampire example, you’re just offending your audience’s reading level. the Republicans allowed socialism to infiltrate our country. And now health care is totally fixed forever and always. Thanks, Obama!
The Half-Sandwich and Soup Deal Generally agreed to be the best compromise ever, the half-sandwich and soup or salad deal, found at many different bakeries, allows you to not
have to decide between ordering the entire sandwich or getting a massive bowl of soup. You can find this glorious deal at Panera or at our very own Cox Hall (OMG!!!). It’s not as expensive as buying both things separately, and it won’t be too much food. You can have it all.
The Boundary Thing in “Twilight” So, the vampires and the werewolves totally don’t like each other because of historical or cultural differences or something (I think it’s like a Beatles vs. Rolling Stones sort of thing). And so instead of demolishing each other in epic mystical-being battles, they make this clever agreement to draw a line in the forest and make sure the vampires stay on one side of it. This paragon of problem-solving works wonders, except for the billion times when it doesn’t. Either way, it’s still a better, more “pragmatic” example of compromise than one involving, I don’t know, reducing an entire group of people’s humanity by an arbitrary fraction. At least by using the vampire example, you’re just offending your audience’s reading level.
— Contact Sonam Vashi at svashi2@emory.edu
At Least 10 Students Are Familiar With Emory Secrets Professor’s Real Identity Continued from Page 9 reached out to a few people who have commented on my posts. There are about 10 people who know who I am. Why are you keeping your identity a secret? So long as I am anonymous, I can be anyone for the people who read this. And the thing is, it doesn’t matter who I am. I’m not sure if someone in field X would be inclined to get advice from a professor in field Y that is completely unrelated to what they’re studying. You just have to find that one professor you connect with. What are you hoping students learn from your posts?
Relationships you have with your professor are just like relationships with other people, except that your professor is probably not going to become your “BFF.” Like any relationship, you need to find someone you click with. So many professors are so great at doing this, even if they don’t seem like the most amazing teachers. You could be not a great teacher and be really good one-on-one. It’s in the best interest for your future to have as many people supporting you as possible. So, you know, get out there. Do you think a lot of professors are open to the kind of interaction you’re talking about? I can’t speak for others. All I can
say is I know there are others like me. I’m hoping that there are many more that I don’t know about. I feel that at least some professors believe that there needs to be a certain boundary that is not to be crossed between professors and students. The difference is in the interpretation of these boundaries. Some people are hesitant about talking to professors about the kinds of problems that are discussed on Emory Secrets, you know, relating to abuse and depression and issues like that. Some professors feel that either it’s not their duty or it’s too much information. It’s not that some professors decide to be a**holes. There are actually professional dilemmas here in how people define their boundaries.
Somewhere, there have to be boundaries. I personally love my job the way I do it, and with the relationships I develop with my students.
What’s been one of your favorite interactions you’ve gotten to have through your posts?
quently it’s a one-way interaction. I post something and I get comments — and I read all of them. Some people have suggested that I do some sort of meeting or talk where I expose myself and talk to students. So I guess I did something there. I guess that’s the purpose of my participation in Emory Secrets, is to get people thinking a little bit about some of these issues. If I helped one person, then at least it was worth it to me. I’ve gotten to reach out to a lot of people who may not have taken my courses. I may not be at Emory for long, but at least I got to reach out and help people. I’m hoping at least in the coming semester, I get to meet more people, but who knows.
Because I’m anonymous, fre-
— Contact Lane Billings at lane.billings@emory.edu
Did you have close relationships with your professors when you were an undergraduate? Not as much as I would have liked, and perhaps that has shaped the way I look at things right now. I had friends who had closer relationships with their professors, and I remember wanting to have those kinds of relationships.
THE EMORY WHEEL
E
SPORTS
agle xchange SAT 23
vs. Bates College 2 p.m. Cooper Field
SOFTBALL
BASEBALL
FRI 22
vs. Bates College 1 p.m. Cooper Field Bridgewater College 2 p.m. Cooper Field
MEN’S TRACK AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BASKETBALL FIELD
SUN 24
MON 25
TUES 26 at Maryville College 4 p.m. Knoxville, Tenn.
Bridgewater College 12 p.m. Cooper Field
vs. University of Rochester 4 p.m. WoodPEC vs. University of Rochester 2 p.m. WoodPEC
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Midwest Invitational All Day Chicago, Ill.
Midwest Invitational All Day Chicago, Ill.
MEN’S TENNIS
UAA Indoor UAA Indoor Championship Championship All Day All Day Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio Ohio
TBA All Day St. Peter, Minn.
TBA All Day St. Peter, Minn.
TBA All Day St. Peter, Minn.
Claunch Leads Eagles to Win Against Non-Conference Rival in the conference, one game behind the University of Rochester (N. Y.) fortable Eagles lead into a slim 36-33 Yellowjackets. margin. Greven got to the line and The Eagles will host the answered with two foul shots, howev- Yellowjackets on Saturday, Feb. 23 er, and Davis drained a three-pointer in a game that will decide the UAA at the 12:42 mark. The Scots would championship. get no closer the rest of the way. “Anytime you start the year, you Friedberg constart it trying to win tributed a threea championship,” point play to make Zimmerman said. “Anytime you start the the score 53-37 and “We’ve been buildyear, you start it trying to ing to a moment like another just two win a championship.” minutes later to this for years.” push the lead to 20 Emory took on points. The cush— Jason Zimmerman, Rochester on the ion would not dip head coach road earlier this seabelow 20 again, and son on Jan. 5 and the Eagles ran away suffered a tough with the game in dominating fashion. 89-80 loss. Davis and Greven led the team “Rochester is a very good team,” with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Zimmerman said. “They were numFriedberg also landed in double digits ber one in the nation at one point. with 12 points to go with four blocks We’ve got to continue doing what we and three steals. do well [...] and we’ve got to value The Eagles finished the game the ball.” shooting 52.1 percent (25 of 48) from Friedberg agreed, emphasizing the field, while holding the Scots to how much the Eagles have improved 38 percent (19 of 50). It was the tenth since the teams’ first meeting. game this season in which Emory “We need to be locked in and held their opponents below 40 per- focused from the opening tip,” he said. cent shooting. “The team has grown and worked The Eagles outrebounded incredibly hard in practice and games Covenant 36-28. to get better every day since Oct. 15. Convenant was a nonconference Like any other game, we are going to foe, so the Eagles’ attention now compete to the fullest.” turns to the final of their University — Contact Ryan Smith at Athletic Association (UAA) season. ryan.smith@emory.edu Emory currently sits in second place
Continued from The Back Page
Friday, February 22, 2013
Hannon Leads Eagles Offense In 18-8 Win Over Stormy Petrels Continued from The Back Page out the inning with a strikeout and a fly out to prevent the General from building on their lead and keeping the Eagles within striking distance. With Merolla on the mound, the Eagles managed to retaliate and work their way back into the game. The Eagles scored their first run of the game in the fifth inning. Senior second baseman Mark Lindemann hit a sacrifice fly that scored designated hitter Brett Lake, who reached base on a single, to make it a 3-1 game. The Eagles then added to their lead in the sixth inning, when junior outfielder and Co-Captain Daniel Iturrey hit an RBI single on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to score Hannon, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning to get on base. The Eagles then scored the tying run on a pinch hit sacrifice fly from junior pinch hitter Josh Bokor, which made it a 3-3 game with two innings left to play. After a scoreless eighth inning, the Generals pulled ahead in the top of the ninth to make it a 6-3 lead. The three runs came off two hit batters, an error and two walks. “We let them score five of their six runs without doing anything,” Twardoski said. “It’s tough to understand the game when you lose it and really the other team didn’t do anything to take it away from you.” Entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Eagles were in need of some offense to pull ahead for the win. sophomore outfielder Wes Peacock started off for the Eagles with a single to right center, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Lindemann then drew a walk. Junior third baseman Ryan Toscano hit an RBI ground out to shortstop, which put Lindemann on second base and scored Peacock to make it a 6-4 game. After sophomore first baseman Kember flied out to second base, junior shortstop Jared Kahn then reached base on a fielding error and Hannon drew a walk. With the bases loaded and two outs, junior catcher Jared Welch flied out to third base to end the game. Despite the loss, Merolla threw 4.2 shutout innings in relief for the Eagles in his collegiate debut. The BLANK-hander allowed just four hits while striking out four batters in the Tuesday’s game. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Graham Bloomsmith took the loss for Emory. Bloomsmith now sits at 1-1 on the season. The Eagles were quick to put Tuesday night’s loss behind them as they bounced back with an explosion of offense in an 18-8 win over crosstown-rivalry Oglethorpe University. “It’s what you do after a loss that is important, and these guys were ready to play against Oglethorpe,” Twardoski said. “The kids very much fought all game and winning by 10 runs was a result of that.” The Eagles wasted no time getting on the scoreboard and they had built themselves a 6-0 lead after three and a half innings.
11
On Fire
Do midgets exclusively look at normal-sized human-being porn? 1. Life as a Loser
Bruce Lindemann
Junior right-handed pitcher Robert Gross winds up before his pitch in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to Washington & Lee University. “It was big because we’ve beaten Oglethorpe a lot lately, and when we came out, we kind of took their hearts right out of it,” Hannon said. In the bottom of the fourth, Oglethorpe began to challenge Eagles sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Michael Byman. The Stormy Petrels then made it a 6-1 game on an RBI sac fly. At the start of the fifth inning, Byman was replaced by freshman left-handed pitcher Steven Summey. During the four innings pitched, Byman allowed five runs on sevens hits and two walks. He finished the day with a no-decision. The Stormy Petrels continued to put pressure on the Eagles’ bullpen as they climbed their way back into the game in the bottom of the fifth. Oglethorpe scored four runs in the inning to make it a one-run game. The Eagles were quick to respond to those runs, as they extended their lead with back-to-back six-run innings in the sixth and seventh to make it an 18-5 game. Although the Stormy Petrels would score three more runs in the ninth inning, it was not enough to make up for the scoring deficit. Sumney earned the win for Emory in his collegiate debut and improved to 1-0 on the season. Although he allowed a pair of unearned runs to score in the fifth inning, he gave up just one hit and two walks, while striking out three in the following three scoreless inning. Freshman right-handed pitcher Zachary Racusin and junior closer right-handed pitcher Matt McMahon also pitched in relief for the Eagles. Racusin pitched a perfect eighth inning, while McMahon
allowed just one hit and no earned runs in the ninth. Hannon led the way for the Emory with six RBIs in the game, making him just the 16th player in program history to score six or more runs in a game. The co-captain went 4-5 at the plate, and finished the day with four runs scored, a triple, and was 3-3 on stolen bases. Hanon was just one run and one RBI short of tying the school’s single-game record. He leads all Eagles with his team best .500 batting record this season (9-18 at the plate), as well as his seven runs, seven RBIs and five stolen bases. “He’s always been that kid that has had great talent … what he’s done is he has really taken control of this team,” Twardoski said. “His concentration level has been so good this whole year and I’m just proud of how he is leading on the field as well as off the field.” Iturrey also performed well at the plate where he went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two walks in the game. Junior POS Jared Kahn also contributed to the Eagles’ offense as he stole a pair of bases, while driving in two runs and scoring three runs. Emory will return to action with a two-game series against Bates College (Maine) this weekend. The games are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Both will take place at Chappell Park. “We have our best pitcher on the mound on Friday, so having that and the fact that we are swinging the bats well, we are in pretty good shape for the weekend,” Hannon said. — Contact Elizabeth Weinstein at eweins2@emory.edu
Two Games, One Goal The men’s and women’s basketball teams will both face the University of Rochester (N.Y.) in a University Athletics Association (UAA) Championship match on Saturday at the Woodruff Physical Education Center. A win would give the women the UAA Title, and for the men, it would be a co-championship crown. The women have never won the championship crown. The Eagles are currently tied with the Yellowjackets atop of the conference standings with a 11-2 record. In addition to being crowned the conference champion, the winner of Saturday’s game will also earn an automatic bid to advance to the NCAA Tournament. On Saturday, the men’s team will also have a chance to claim its first championship title since the 1989-1990 season. The men sit at second place in the conference with a 9-4 record. The Eagles are just game behind Rochester, who is 10-3 on the season. If the men pull out a win on Saturday, they would tie the Yellowjackets for the top spot and league title. The women’s game will tip off at 2 p.m., and the men’s game will follow at 4 p.m.
Go Eagles PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMORY ATHLETICS
As humble observers of all mortals, it has not escaped our attention that there is a scant minority that besmirches the face of all athletics: scrawny hobbits. They appear in all manner and form, somehow managing to surface at inopportune times: like when selecting teammates during a forced physical education class in elementary school. Cursed to pick a teammate last, we survey the vestiges that middle school popularity contests leave behind: a gangly ginger, a pockmarked chubby, an anxious Asian and “that” girl (the kind that looks like her name should be Helga or Winnifred until high school comes, and she miraculously sprouts into a Megan Fox and inspires self-loathing in all). While we may lampoon their existence during sporting events, the presence of the hobbits in the sports realm is undeniably important. Their clumsiness, awkwardness and all around unsavory style of movement informs the duality of the sports world. After all, how would we know light without dark? Sweet without bitter? Roshani Chokshi without Eva Mendes? 2. J.R. Smith Here at On Fire we have always thought that J. R. Smith was the man. Not because he has done anything great in the NBA; he really hasn’t. It was pretty funny when he went to China last year, because his family is a mess, and they fought Chinese people in the stands. But we really started liking him back when NBA Live came out with those player icons. He was always a high-flyer which made him awesome. He was that guy you traded a secondround pick for at the beginning of your franchise, and then you won every game. Well now, he is almost more awesome. But also kind of gross. But, awesome too. Below is a Twitter conversation he had with a high school girl. We’ll leave it at that: Girl: “I’m going to your game tonight” JR: “Dope” Girl: “:)” JR: “Oh really” Girl: “Oh really what? ;)” JR: “You tryin to get the pipe?”
SPORTS THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, February , Sports Editors: Nathaniel Ludewig (nludewi@emory.edu) and Elizabeth Weinstein (eweins2@emory.edu)
Featured Athlete - Alex Greven Senior point guard Alex Greven of the men’s basketball team was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) player of the week this week. Greven led the Eagles to dominating victories against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) by scores of 106-87 and 84-61 respectively. Greven scored a seasonhigh 26 points in both games. He shot a combined .630 from the floor in the two games and .667 from three-point range.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Men’s Tennis The men’s tennis team, ranked first in the nation, rebounded well from their first loss of the season to dominate Washington & Lee University (Va.) 8-1. The Eagles moved to 3-1 on the season. The Eagles’ only losing match was the No. 1 singles match, where sophomore Eric Halpern dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision. Sophomore Alex Ruderman won in the No. 2 singles spot by a dominant score of 6-1, 6-2. Sophomore Ian Wagner claimed a threeset victory in the No. 3 match. Emory swept the doubles matches, with the tandem of Wagner and senior Elliot Kahler leading the way by defeating Washington & Lee’s top duo 8-5. Ruderman and Halpern also came away with an 8-5 victory in the No. 2 doubles match.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Clark, Women Dominate NAIA Foe By Nathaniel Ludewig Sports Editor The No. 4-ranked women’s tennis team followed up a seasonopening shut out against Clayton State University with an 8-1 route of Shorter College on Wednesday. The Eagles are now 2-0 on the season. The Eagles’ final tally was boosted by five wins in singles play. Defending singles national champion Gabrielle Clark, a College junior, got the ball rolling for Emory with a 6-2, 6-4 win against Shorter’s Candice Laurent. From there, it was all Eagles. Senior Jordan Wylie defeated Iesha Holton 6-4, 6-1 at the second singles position and freshman Marissa Levine beat Sicquena Sinclair 6-3, 6-4. Levine’s victory was the first match of her career. Sophomores Catharine Harris and Danielle Truitt rounded out the singles’ victories for the Eagles with 6-3, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0 victories, respectively. The lone Shorter point came when Aurelie Gaborit defeated freshman Beatrice Rosen The Eagles were perfect in doubles play, sweeping Shorter, 3-0. Clark and freshman Annette Sullivan started the sweep with an 8-5 victory over Laurent and Gaborit. From there, Emory handed it off to its freshmen. Freshmen Rosen and Madison Gordon scored an impressive 8-0, 8-0 win over Alicia Gallard and Brooke Dowd. At second doubles, freshmen Stephanie Loutsenko and Emma Taylor defeated Holton and Sinclair by a score of 8-3. The Eagles will look to continue their undefeated season next week when they hit the road for the first time this season to take on Columbus State at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27. — Contact Nathaniel Ludewig at nludewi@emory.edu
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior forward Michael Friedberg dribbles the ball down the court as Head Coach Jason Zimmerman looks on. Friedberg and the Eagles will play the Univeristy of Rochester (N.Y.) in the University Athletic Association Championship match on Saturday to win their first conference Title since the 1989-90 season.
Eagles Continue to Fly Past Opponents By Ryan Smith Asst. Sports Editor The men’s basketball team picked up an easy nonconference win on Tuesday, beating the Covenant College (Ga.) Scots 75-50. The Eagles moved to 18-6 on the season, including a 9-4 mark in conference play. Head Coach Jason Zimmerman
was pleased with his team’s effort, if not their overall performance. “Physically we were ready to go,” Zimmerman said. “We played very hard. Mentally, we weren’t quite ready.” Emory got off to a fast start, as senior guard Alex Greven drained a three-pointer and junior forward Jake Davis added a layup before the Scots
had a chance to get on the board. The Eagles raced out to a 10-2 lead less than four minutes into the game, eventually extending the advantage to 10 points on a jumper from senior forward Michael Friedberg. A trio of free throws from Greven capped a 9-2 run that gave the Eagles a comfortable 30-16 cushion with five minutes left in the first half, but
BASEBALL
the Scots cut the margin to 11 at the break. Davis and Greven led the first-half charge with 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Davis also contributed four rebounds. The Eagles’ recent hot shooting continued as they put out a 51.9 percent mark (14 of 27) from the field. They were colder from beyond the
arc, however, as after Greven’s gameopening three-pointer the Eagles missed six straight threes. Emory held the Scots to just 40 percent from the field in the opening stanza. Covenant opened the second half with a 10-1 run that turned a com-
See CLAUNCH, Page 11
GOLF
Emory Falls in Spring Scrimmage By Brian Chavkin Staff Writer
Bruce Lindemann
The Emory baseball team lines up on the field before Tuesday’s match-up against Washington & Lee University. The Eagles lost Tuesday but bounced back with a 18-8 win over Oglethorpe Univ. Wednesday.
Offense Carries Team Past Oglethorpe in Second Game By Elizabeth Weinstein Sports Editor The baseball team split its two games this week, as it fell to Washington & Lee University (Va.) 6-4 on Tuesday but bounced back on Wednesday with an 18-8 win over Oglethorpe University. The Eagles now sit at 2-2 on the season. “We didn’t play our best game [on Tuesday] but we were never down and we fought,” Head Coach Mike Twardoski said. “And the great part about that was that I knew
we were going to play well against Oglethorpe.” In Tuesday’s 6-4 loss, the Eagles fell behind early in the game and were unable to complete a ninthinning comeback. The Generals were the first to get on the scoreboard, as they held an early 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning. “They [the Generals] had their ace pitching for them, so I’m sure those runs gave them a confidence boost from the beginning,” junior outfielder and Co-Captain Brandon
Hannon said. In the top of the third inning, Washington & Lee advanced its lead by two more runs after the Eagles gave up an RBI double and an RBI single. With the Eagles in a 3-0 deficit, freshman relief BLANK-handed pitcher Paul Merolla relieved starting left-handed pitcher Dylan Finer. When Merolla entered the game, the Generals had two guys on base and just one out. Merolla was able to close
See HANNON, Page 11
The Emory men’s golf team began its spring portion of their season with a dual match against Oglethorpe University. Led by Head Coach John Sjoberg, the Eagles were able to begin a smooth transition into the heart of their spring season after playing fairly well in the fall. “It was a great test early in the year to see where our games are at,” Sjoberg wrote in an email to the Wheel. “It was a great experience for the freshmen as for most of them, it was their first competitive round as an Eagle. Now that they have their feet wet, I am excited to see how they can improve from here.” The Eagles played in a format similar to a match play event, which allowed every player on both teams to play an 18-hole match against each other. The lowest score after each round would earn a point for their team. The two teams were broken up into A and B teams. Team A consisted of Johnathan Chen, sophomore Alex Wunderlich, senior David Collura and juniors Alec Berens and Will Roth. Team B consisted of sophomore Aaron Weiner and freshmen Andrew Namkoong, Vince Sirianni, Jack Williams and Jonathan Gerrard. While the Eagles were able to split the Team A matches 2.5-2.5, the B Team could only come up with two wins out of six matches.
“We did not get off to as strong of a start as we would have liked,” Chen wrote in an email to the Wheel. “I think the only thing we can do is focus on the positives from this event and get ready for Callaway Gardens next week. We have all been working hard in the off-season and getting prepared for this semester.” The match was initially shortened due to a frost delay amidst atypically cold Atlanta weather. There was a strong north-to-south wind throughout the match. “We were able to make quite a few birdies in the tough conditions, now we need to lessen the mistakes and limit the big numbers,” Sjoberg wrote in an email to the Wheel. “This will put us in a position to compete with the best teams in the country.” The team is the No. 14-ranked team in Division III and the defending University Athletic Association (UAA) champions. “I am really excited to see what we can do this spring and ultimately at the National Championships this year,” Chen wrote. Coach Sjoberg understands this is the first match in a long season and wants to make sure the team takes away both the positives and the negatives from this tournament. The men’s golf team will return to the course on Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3 when the team competes in the regular season opening tournament at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. — Contact Brian Chavkin at brian.chavkin@emory.edu