Since 1919
The Emory Wheel
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 13
Printed Every Wednesday
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
sorority recruitment
crime
AEPi Faces Social Sanction
Student Government
RHA Pres Calls to Impeach Dwight Ma
By Richard Chess Executive Editor Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) is under an Office of Student Conduct investigation after its chapter president, Joel Sharpe (20B), was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine last week. Emory placed AEPi on social sanction, according to a Jan. 22 University statement to the Wheel provided by Associate Director of Media Relations Elaine Justice. After Sharpe’s arrest, AEPi national headquarters placed the chapter on “cease and desist,” although the sanction has since been removed, according to the University statement. AEPi headquarters did not respond to multiple requests for comment. At about 2:13 a.m. on Jan. 18, an Emory Police Department (EPD) officer responded to a call regarding an intoxicated individual on the bottom floor of 17 Eagle Row, the AEPi house, according to an EPD incident report. While inside the house looking for the intoxicated individual, the officer saw Sharpe holding a cellophane bag with a “white powdery substance” inside. When Sharpe saw the officer, he attempted to conceal the bag in his pocket, according to the report. The
See President, Page 1
By Richard Chess Executive Editor
Ayushi Agarwal/Photo Editor
Members of Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity (Theta) welcome new members to the organization during bid day, a day in which members get bids.
Sororities Welcome 274 New Members By Albert Zhang and Calen MacDonald Asst. News Editor and Contributing Writer After a five-day recruitment process, 274 women opened their sorority bid cards together on McDonough Field on Sunday to discover which sorority had selected them as members. This year’s recruitment process looked different than years past: potential new members (PNMs) opened their bid cards collectively and started recruitment before the
first day of classes. Previously, PNMs opened their bid cards privately in their dorm rooms. Mishalle Marszalek, coordinator of the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life and Emory Panhellenic Council (EPC) adviser, said EPC implemented a centralized bid day where PNMs open their bid cards together in alignment with guidelines from the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and student feedback. “[The centralized bid day] is in the Manual of Information which are the rules that guide the National Panhellenic Conference,” Marszalek
MLK DAY
said. “We got student feedback before we made any changes.” The NPC Manual of Information makes no reference to a “centralized bid day,” but instead stipulates, “The type of Bid Day event should be determined by the individual campus and recruitment style … Location and timing is determined by local campus needs and situations.” Giovanna Gallardo (22C) said she preferred the change to a centralized bid day, but acknowledged that it may have negatively impacted some girls.
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Ken Ono to Leave Emory for UVA
Leonard Pitts Jr., winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, delivers Emory’s King Week’s keynote speech on Jan. 22. Pitts sharply denounced the treatment of King’s legacy in modern society’s political landscape. See Pitts jr., Page 2
Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Mathematics Ken Ono plans to leave Emory at the end of Summer 2019 to serve as the University of Virginia (UVA)’s distinguished chair of mathematics. Ono has received numerous awards for his research in number theory, combinatorics and algebra, including the Presidential Career Award (PECASE) from former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the National Science Foundation Director’s Distinguished Teaching Scholar Award, a Sloan Fellowship, a Packard Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship, according to his website. Emory hired and appointed Ono to his endowed position in 2010 under the Science Faculty Distinction program, an initiative to strengthen the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.
NEWS Robert E. Chappell Editorial It’s time
Emory Life Boba
Kushal Bafna/Staff
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For SGA to Impeach President Dwight Ma ... PAGE 4
See Elections, Page 2
faculty
By Julie Vo Contributing Writer
Jr., Fierce Support of Emory Sports, Dies ... PAGE 2
Residence Hall Association (RHA) President Aaron Jordan (20C) is drafting a letter calling to impeach Student Government Association (SGA) President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) after Ma fired Elections Board Chair Justin Cohen (20C) over winter break. Cohen and Ma disagreed over whether the Spring 2019 elections should be held before or after spring break, according to Ma and Jordan. After Cohen decided to hold elections before spring break, Ma fired him. Jordan, who serves as an Elections Reform Committee member, accused Ma of knowingly violating the SGA Constitution and Code of Elections when he fired Cohen. “It’s definitely a 100 percent abuse of power and it’s more of a just like not only an abuse of power but also the president just ignoring what the rules are in terms of student government,” Jordan said. “He’s blatantly ignoring it in this situation, specifically when it comes to Justin.” Ma is the head of SGA’s executive branch, and the legislative branch of SGA is responsible for overseeing elections, but the role can be proxied
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Ono said he will lead a research team in algebra, number theory and combinatorics and “[play] a major role” in UVA’s Institute of Mathematical Science (IMS). In celebration of its bicentennial in 2018, UVA allocated $75 million “to attract and retain a class of distinguished professors across its many academic disciplines,” according to its website. With the gifts and donations from its bicentennial campaign, UVA is investing in its mathematics department “on a scale that is not reasonable or possible at a school of Emory’s size,” Ono said. At Emory, Ono has served on the Faculty Senate, the Emory McMullan Award Committee, Honorary Degree Committee and Committee to Award Chaired/Named Professorships, according to his CV. Off-campus, Ono is the vice
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Sports Emory’s
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